This study explores (1) the reasons that lead Portuguese companies to use expatriatesand (2) the motivations that led the repatriates to accepting an international assignment. Semistructuredinterviews were carried out on 44 individuals (14 responsible for organizationalmanagement of the expatriates and 30 repatriates), in seven international companies based inPortugal, and analysis of the thematic content was conducted for data processing.Results suggest that the reasons that lead Portuguese companies to expatriatingemployees are connected to business needs and the control of international operations, whileindividual motivations are linked to personal and professional ambition, the will to serve thecompany and organizational pressure.We concluded that Portuguese companies, like most European companies, seem todevelop a strategy of International Human Resources Management (IHRM) according to anethnocentric approach, characteristic to companies in early stages of internationalization.Similarly, the main motivations of Portuguese repatriates are identical to those of otherexpatriates, though the will to serve the company seems to be more valued by Portugueserepatriates than by expatriates from other countries.
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