In recent years, several countries have undertaken political initiatives aimed at reducing immigration. At present, we lack a clear understanding of how self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) living in these countries interpret and respond to such initiatives. The United Kingdom's 2016 "Brexit" referendum decision to leave the European Union presents an example of one such initiative potentially impacting the mobility, UK identification, and future aspirations of European SIEs living in the UK. We draw on 41 in-depth interviews with SIEs from 18 European countries who had voluntarily chosen to relocate to the UK and analyze how they interpreted the Brexit vote, as well as its impact on their identities and migration plans. We identify four types of SIEs based on their perceived mobility and identification with the UK prior to the Brexit referendum, each of which was associated with a distinct reaction pattern related to the outcome of the referendum. Our findings have implications for the study of SIEs, as well as for talent managers charged with their retention. We suggest directions for future research in SIE management.
The pace of China's outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) is unprecedented. In particular, the global financial crisis in 2008 and the relaxed regulations by the Chinese government have facilitated the remarkable rise of Chinese OFDI in Germany. Initially, the German government welcomed Chinese investors buying various German medium-sized and family-owned companies. The rapid pace of Chinese companies entering Germany has, however, gained much attention from local stakeholders, such as the media, think tanks and the German government. Due to China's state capitalist system, the majority of Chinese investors in Germany being stateowned companies, and China's growing political and economic power, concerns have been increasingly raised by local stakeholders. On the grounds of national security interests, the EU created a regulatory framework for enhanced cooperation, and the German investment screening process was tightened. These legal and policy changes created increasing ambiguity and obscurity for Chinese investors interested in the German market, as can be seen in the decreasing Chinese investments in Germany since 2016. 'Playing with the dragon' in Germany has thus become more complicated.
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