Toulouse Business School, Toulouse, France

28-29th May 2015

 

 

Deadline for submission of abstracts or papers: 31^st January 2015

Conveners:

Akram Al Ariss, PhD - Toulouse Business School

Sophie d’Armagnac, PhD - Toulouse Business School

Liisa Mäkelä, PhD - University of Vaasa, Department of Management

Vesa Suutari, PhD - University of Vaasa, Department of Management

 

1/ Topic and objectives of conference

The topic of this conference is self-initiated expatriation (SIE), i.e., international mobility of individuals by way of their own agency rather than being assigned by an organisation. SIE represents an increasingly complex phenomenon resulting from globalised business, the needs of multinationals for global talent, and progress in international treaties which grant freedom of movement across borders, among other factors. Research focusing on self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) has been increasing during recent years and this topic has been widely expanding with publications in leading journals including more specialised ones, such as Career Development International and the International Journal of Human Resource Management, and more general, such as the Academy of Management Journal, the European Management Review, and the British Journal of Management. The impact of SIE on business and management are still to be clarified, and theories further developed. This conference contributes to the exchange of viewpoints among scholars.

At the individual level, international mobility affords many choices and opportunities and these individuals subsequently go on to benefit from a positive career experience. Management studies have described the career capital of SIEs in terms of education, professional experience, and networks of contacts, focusing on the more privileged SIEs. It is, therefore, necessary to also consider the lesser privileged individuals with respect to skills, physical (dis)ability, ethnicity, and gender, from among the population of internationally mobile individuals.

At the organisational level, SIEs are likely to possess a keen understanding of both local and global markets; have knowledge of foreign languages and cultures; and are likely to be more cost-effective than traditional expatriates, given the travel and living expenses, salaries, and taxation with regard to financial issues incurred by corporate expatriates. Thus it is of great importance that companies have a clear sense of the nature of SIEs and how best to manage them.

At the international and institutional level, SIE concerns the relationships between countries and the evolution of law, in particular employment legislations. Scholars aiming at understanding global careers have to consider the contextual nature of talent management of the expatriate workforce within their respective historical, geographical, institutional, and organisational settings.

 

2/ Academic support of the conference

The journal Career Development International will support this conference. http://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/products/journals/journals.htm?id=CDI

 

3/ Submission - registration

Researchers interested in participating in the 1st Conference on Self-Initiated Expatriation must submit their contribution extended abstract (maximum 2 pages) or full paper to [log in to unmask] by 31^st January 2015.  Authors will be notified of acceptance by the end of February 2015. Registration will be opened in February 2015.

For formatting full papers, authors should follow the guidelines of the journal Career Development International.