This article describes the evolution of the search for global competence through a 50-year content
analysis and review of published research in the field of International HR Management (IHRM), and more
recently, Talent Management (TM), with special emphasis on the Journal of World Business. We present a
detailed examination of the IHRM/TM content of the Journal of World Business from its inception in
1965 through 2014. To put the results of that review into perspective, we review key themes in global
business and strategy from 1965 to the present, noting where IHRM/TM research and business trends
correspond, diverge, and lag. Next, we present a brief history of IHRM and TM, showing how the
emerging theme of TM offers challenges and promise for connecting future IHRM/TM research with
emerging business, strategy, and social trends. We conclude with the implications of our findings for
future research, and the importance of the search for global competence.