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A
two-part special issue on ‘Advancing The
Field of Global Mobility’ in International
Studies of Management and Organization is now available online.
Dr. Yvonne McNulty & Prof.
Helen De Cieri
ISMO Guest Editors
In Part 1 (2014, Vol 44, Iss 2), 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 “voices” 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 EDITORS’ 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. 3–7.
THE
INTERNATIONALISM CAREER ANCHOR: A
VALIDATION STUDY
Mila Lazarova, Jean-Luc Cerdin, and Yuan Liao
Int. Studies of Mgt. & Org., vol. 44, no. 2, Summer
2014, pp. 9–33.
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 Schein’s (1990) original
career-anchors framework and Suutari and Taka’s (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.
Charles M. Vance and Yvonne McNulty
Int. Studies of Mgt. & Org., vol. 44, no. 2, Summer
2014, pp. 34–54.
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 “expatriate” 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.
CHINA’S
REVERSE BRAIN DRAIN: REGAINING AND
RETAINING TALENT
Phyllis Tharenou and Pi-Shen Seet
Int. Studies of Mgt. & Org., vol. 44, no. 2, Summer
2014, pp. 55–74.
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 China’s 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, children’s 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 Kathrin J. Hanek, Fiona Lee, and Mary Yoko Brannen
Int. Studies of Mgt. & Org., vol. 44, no. 2, Summer
2014, pp. 75–89.
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
“globals,” 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 “multiculturalism” and that having more and earlier
multicultural experiences does not necessarily predict better adaptation
outcomes. More nuanced examination of multicultural individuals’ 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), 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 EDITORS’ 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. 3–7.
REVISITING
THE CONSTRUCT OF EXPATRIATE ADJUSTMENT: IMPLICATIONS FOR THEORY AND MEASUREMENT
Thomas Hippler, Paula Caligiuri, and Johanna Johnson
Int. Studies of Mgt. & Org., vol. 44, no. 3, Fall 2014,
pp. 8–24.
Abstract: This article identifies
concerns regarding the current conceptualization and operationalization of the
construct “expatriate adjustment” 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
Jan Selmer and Jakob Lauring
Int. Studies of Mgt. & Org., vol. 44, no. 3, Fall 2014,
pp. 25–43.
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 “Big Five” 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 traits’ 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.
Maury Peiperl, Orly Levy, and Michael Sorell
Int. Studies of Mgt. & Org., vol. 44, no. 3, Fall 2014,
pp. 44–65.
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
Nina Cole and Kimberly Nesbeth
Int. Studies of Mgt. & Org., vol. 44, no. 3, Fall 2014,
pp. 66–79.
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.
Elise Tait, Helen De Cieri, and Yvonne McNulty
Int. Studies of Mgt. & Org., vol. 44, no. 3, Fall 2014,
pp. 80–95.
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 “locals” 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.