Special Issue: Advancing the Field - New Directions for Global Mobility

There is a very extensive body of literature on how global mobility and international assignments are managed. The bulk of this literature, however, focuses on traditional expatriates undertaking long-term international assignments in large corporate global firms. Much less has been written about non-traditional assignments and the non-traditional assignees that go on them. Even less has been written about new trends in global mobility, particularly across non-corporate settings and emerging markets. Hence, what has been published to date focuses on a very limited number of contexts. We suggest that much can be learned from exploring new directions in global mobility to move beyond the terrain of only traditional patterns of expatriation.

We encourage papers that are provocative in exploring new directions and emerging patterns of international assignments, expatriation, and global mobility. Research exploring both/either individual (employee) perspectives and organizational (employer) strategies are welcome. We encourage papers that are well-grounded in theory, rigorous in research method, and have strong practical applicability. We particularly welcome papers with fresh insights, as well as high quality submissions from doctoral and early career researchers.

This special issue encourages submissions on the following themes and approaches:

• The context and meaning of expatriation

• International assignment management in different/diverse organizational contexts (e.g. non-profit,

  military, missionary, foreign service, education)

• Regional expatriation in Asia (e.g. between Asian countries, Asian expatriates, Asian career

  expatriates)

• International assignments to and from emerging markets (e.g. inpatriation)

• Non-traditional families (e.g. third-culture kids, single parent families, blended families, same sex

  partnerships)

• Male trailing spouses (e.g. organisational support, willingness to go)

• Female expatriates (e.g. single, dual-career issues, barriers, adjustment)

• Expatriate family dynamics (e.g. marital stress)

• New forms of expatriate compensation and implications for international assignment management

• Self-initiated expatriates

• Returnees (e.g. overseas-educated Chinese/Indian returning to live in China/India)

• Benefits versus costs of group international assignments

• Crisis management during international assignments (e.g. terrorism, natural disasters)

• International assignment management in hardship locations