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Dear Colleagues, A two-part special issue on ŒAdvancing The Field of Global Mobility¹ in International Studies of Management and Organization <http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/mimo20?close=44&repitition=0#vol_44> is now available online. Dr. Yvonne McNulty & Prof. Helen De Cieri ISMO Guest Editors In Part 1 (2014, Vol 44, Iss 2 <http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/mimo20/44/2#.VPfTS0In2-I> ), published articles focus on the complexities and challenges of global mobility and provide new directions for research and practice (see attached editorial). Our goal has been to present papers that demonstrate thought leadership and deliver research that has intellectual integrity and practical impact. The four articles we have chosen for Part 1, which includes a number of high quality articles from doctoral and early career researchers, focuses on fresh insights and perspectives that are provocative in exploring other ³voices² and new directions and emerging patterns of international assignments, expatriation, and global mobility. Each is well-grounded in theory, rigorous in research method, and has strong practical applicability. GUEST EDITORS¹ INTRODUCTION / ADVANCING THE FIELD OF GLOBAL MOBILITY: COMPLEXITY AND CHALLENGES Yvonne McNulty and Helen De Cieri Int. Studies of Mgt. & Org., vol. 44, no. 3, Fall 2014, pp. 37. THE INTERNATIONALISM CAREER ANCHOR: A VALIDATION STUDY <http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.2753/IMO0020-8825440201#.VPfenEIn2-I> Mila Lazarova, Jean-Luc Cerdin, and Yuan Liao Int. Studies of Mgt. & Org., vol. 44, no. 2, Summer 2014, pp. 933. Abstract: International mobility, the volatile individual career trajectories it produces, and its implication for human resource management in organizations are not well understood. This article addresses this deficiency and introduces empirical evidence for an internationalism career anchor, a construct that can enhance our understanding of individual predisposition to undertake international mobility. We present a conceptualization and a measurement scale based on Schein¹s (1990) original career-anchors framework and Suutari and Taka¹s (2004) extension that suggested the presence of an internationalism career anchor. Our analyses, conducted using two samples, one of students and one of business professionals in France, provide evidence for construct validity and reliability of the proposed construct. WHY AND HOW WOMEN AND MEN ACQUIRE GLOBAL CAREER EXPERIENCE: A STUDY OF AMERICAN EXPATRIATES IN EUROPE <http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.2753/IMO0020-8825440202#.VPfewUIn2-I> Charles M. Vance and Yvonne McNulty Int. Studies of Mgt. & Org., vol. 44, no. 2, Summer 2014, pp. 3454. Abstract: Building on prior research on expatriation, this qualitative study applies the Vance (2005) pre-expatriation international career development model to examine the experiences arising from women undertaking self-initiated expatriation (SIE). Utilizing a mixed sample of female and male expatriates, the authors interviewed 45 American expatriates in five major cities in Western and Central Europe to determine similarities and differences across gender in the selection and effective utilization of the SIE track to acquire international competencies and career development. Findings show that female expatriates: (1) experience fewer encounters with gender bias in the international business environment than prior research suggests; (2) have a tendency toward self-initiated expatriation over assigned expatriation as a way to obtain valuable international work experience; (3) rely heavily on entrepreneurship and on-site networking to further their self-initiated expatriate experience; (4) experience dual-career-couple issues; and (5) often gain important sources of support from local close personal relationships in the host location. Our study, which has important implications for both women and men in guiding international career planning, also addresses three limitations of the original Vance (2005) model upon which the study is based by: (1) extending the model beyond East Asia to another region (Europe) in order to enhance its generalizability; (2) broadening the concept of ³expatriate² from the traditional narrow parent-country national characterization to include in our sample both company-assigned and self-initiated expatriates; and (3) significantly increasing female sample representation. CHINA¹S REVERSE BRAIN DRAIN: REGAINING AND RETAINING TALENT <http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.2753/IMO0020-8825440203#.VPfe50In2-I> Phyllis Tharenou and Pi-Shen Seet Int. Studies of Mgt. & Org., vol. 44, no. 2, Summer 2014, pp. 5574. Abstract: This review examines why mainland Chinese students who study abroad repatriate to China, how they fare on reentry to China, and whether they reexpatriate. We show that Chinese students are motivated not only by career and economic considerations when deciding to repatriate, but also by social and psychological concerns. They are chiefly pulled home by China¹s attractions (e.g., career and economic opportunities, family and friends, national cultural identity) and, to a lesser extent, are pushed away from the host country by deterrents (e.g., dissatisfaction with career and economic opportunities, lack of cultural assimilation). They are also pulled to stay in their host country by its attractions (e.g., career opportunities, children¹s educational opportunities). On return, foreign graduates may suffer negative reactions, including reverse culture shock, poor cross-cultural readjustment, and unmet expectations, and a small but significant minority will reexpatriate. The study concludes with a set of potential research questions. INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES AMONG GLOBAL/MULTICULTURAL INDIVIDUALS: CULTURAL EXPERIENCES, IDENTITY, AND ADAPTATION <http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.2753/IMO0020-8825440204#.VPffB0In2-I> Kathrin J. Hanek, Fiona Lee, and Mary Yoko Brannen Int. Studies of Mgt. & Org., vol. 44, no. 2, Summer 2014, pp. 7589. Abstract: Drawing on psychological research, the authors examine how individuals who have been exposed to multiple cultures differ in their cultural experiences, cultural identities, and adaptation to foreign cultures. A survey of multicultural business students found that those who first moved to a foreign country at a relatively younger age and moved to relatively more countries over their lives constituted a distinct subset of multicultural individuals. Labeling these individuals ³globals,² they found that such individuals were less likely to identify with cultural groups and less culturally adaptive. These results suggest that there is no single type of ³multiculturalism² and that having more and earlier multicultural experiences does not necessarily predict better adaptation outcomes. More nuanced examination of multicultural individuals¹ past experiences and psychology is needed to understand how they can better leverage their skills as global leaders. In Part 2 (2014, Vol 44, Iss 3 <http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/mimo20/44/3#.VPfTGkIn2-I> ), the five articles we have chosen question not only the role and effectiveness of narrow definitions of global mobility, but each also offers a distinct perspective on managing the global mobility function, including a future research agenda for scholars and practical implications for organizations to consider (see attached editorial). GUEST EDITORS¹ INTRODUCTION / ADVANCING THE FIELD OF GLOBAL MOBILITY: REFLECTION, REFRACTION, AND REDIRECTION Yvonne McNulty and Helen De Cieri Int. Studies of Mgt. & Org., vol. 44, no. 3, Fall 2014, pp. 37. REVISITING THE CONSTRUCT OF EXPATRIATE ADJUSTMENT: IMPLICATIONS FOR THEORY AND MEASUREMENT <http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.2753/IMO0020-8825440301#.VPfffUIn2-I> Thomas Hippler, Paula Caligiuri, and Johanna Johnson Int. Studies of Mgt. & Org., vol. 44, no. 3, Fall 2014, pp. 824. Abstract: This article identifies concerns regarding the current conceptualization and operationalization of the construct ³expatriate adjustment² that we believe are preventing our field from advancing further. Three central concerns, stemming from a lack of theoretical and methodological rigor surrounding the construct of expatriate adjustment, are discussed: (1) the ambiguity of the adjustment construct in both conceptualization and operationalization; (2) the lack of understanding of the full content domain of expatriate adjustment facets; and (3) the implicit assumption that expatriates perceive all environmental aspects to be of equal importance. Suggestions to address each concern are offered. MOBILITY AND EMOTIONS: DISPOSITIONAL AFFECTIVITY AND ADJUSTMENT OF SELF-INITIATED EXPATRIATES <http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.2753/IMO0020-8825440302#.VPffp0In2-I> Jan Selmer and Jakob Lauring Int. Studies of Mgt. & Org., vol. 44, no. 3, Fall 2014, pp. 2543. Abstract: Increasing global mobility has directed attention to the self-initiated relocation of workers from one country to another. However, not all individuals are equally suited to start up a new life in another country, and self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) could be particularly vulnerable due to having no support from a home organization. Accordingly, the personality of SIEs could be even more important than that of organizational expatriates. Moreover, extant research on the relation between the ³Big Five² personality traits and expatriate adjustment has been inconclusive. Hence, there could be good reasons to investigate other personality traits that may more accurately predict adjustment. In this article we focus on the effect of the personality traits¹ dispositional affectivity on the adjustment of 329 SIEs in Denmark. Results showed consistent beneficial associations between positive affectivity and all the studied adjustment variables, and detrimental relationships between negative affectivity and the studied dependent variables. CROSS-BORDER MOBILITY OF SELF-INITIATED AND ORGANIZATIONAL EXPATRIATES: EVIDENCE FROM LARGE-SCALE DATA ON WORK HISTORIES <http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.2753/IMO0020-8825440303#.VPffykIn2-I> Maury Peiperl, Orly Levy, and Michael Sorell Int. Studies of Mgt. & Org., vol. 44, no. 3, Fall 2014, pp. 4465. Abstract: Globalization in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries has been marked by an increase in cross-border mobility of the highly skilled. Though self-initiated expatriation is a widespread phenomenon, it has received relatively little attention in the academic literature. Furthermore, large-scale studies that track self-initiated and organizational expatriates together, over time and across geographies, are noticeably absent from the literature. Consequently, our understanding of these two forms of mobility is relatively limited. This study, which is the first large-scale analysis of the trends in and patterns of the mobility of organization-initiated expatriates and self-initiated expatriates, attempts to fill this gap by analyzing the mobility patterns of 55,915 highly skilled individuals who made 76,660 cross-border moves between 1990 and 2006. Specifically, we analyze patterns of geographic mobility and then examine the rate, duration, and direction of self-initiated and organizational expatriation over time. Finally, we consider demographic differences in mobility between the two groups. WHY DO INTERNATIONAL ASSIGNMENTS FAIL? EXPATRIATE FAMILIES SPEAK <http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.2753/IMO0020-8825440304#.VPff7EIn2-I> Nina Cole and Kimberly Nesbeth Int. Studies of Mgt. & Org., vol. 44, no. 3, Fall 2014, pp. 6679. Abstract: Much has been said, and written, about failed international assignments, but few studies, if any, have explored the causes of failure from the perspective of the expatriates. In this article, we draw on a qualitative study of 64 expatriate families who self-identified as having prematurely returned from an international assignment. Our findings confirm prior research showing that family concerns is one cause of assignment failure, but that other reasons, primarily insufficient organizational support, exist. THE OPPORTUNITY COST OF SAVING MONEY: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF PERMANENT TRANSFERS AND LOCALIZATION OF EXPATRIATES IN SINGAPORE <http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.2753/IMO0020-8825440305#.VPfgIEIn2-I> Elise Tait, Helen De Cieri, and Yvonne McNulty Int. Studies of Mgt. & Org., vol. 44, no. 3, Fall 2014, pp. 8095. Abstract: In this exploratory study we draw on interviews with 12 expatriate staff, seven of whom are permanent transfers to a Singapore-based subsidiary of a global knowledge-based firm. Using goal congruence theory as an extension of agency theory, we compare the motivation, adjustment, retention, and careers of permanent transferees who subsequently localize in the host location to those of traditional expatriates in the same location. Our findings show that expatriates who are expected to work as ³locals² in a host country not only receive less compensation, but also receive less preparation and support than traditional expatriates despite the fact that both groups of employees work under similar conditions and face similar challenges. Our study has important implications for research and practice in the planning and management of global mobility programs. ____ AIB-L is brought to you by the Academy of International Business. For information: http://aib.msu.edu/community/aib-l.asp To post message: [log in to unmask] For assistance: [log in to unmask] AIB-L is a moderated list.