Recognizing the important role of self-initiated expatriates in effective global talent management

Vaiman, Vlad; Haslberger, Arno; Vance, Charles M.

doi:10.1016/j.hrmr.2015.04.004

“…A policy of hiring SIEs rather than AEs may be advantageous for two reasons. First, by avoiding the substantive investments necessary for sending AEs, potentially including their families, abroad, the employment of SIEs may be more cost-efficient (Peltokorpi & Froese, 2009;Vaiman, et al, 2015). Second, if firms more easily develop effective measures targeting on-the-job embeddedness-as opposed to off-the-job embeddedness, foreign subsidiaries may find it easier to retain SIEs than AEs because-as our findings reveal-the repatriation intention of SIEs are primarily related to their level of on-the-job embeddedness.…”

Section: Managerial Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many empirical studies emphasize the significant contributions of expatriates due to their ability to transfer knowledge, skills, and technologies to the host country organizations (e.g., Carr, Inkson, & Thorn, 2005;Chang, et al, 2012;Furnham, 2017;Gong, 2003;Tung, 2008). If firms are to benefit from the potential contributions of expatriates, they must understand the motivational and behavioral aspects of expatriation to develop means for hiring, supporting, and retaining the increasing number of expatriates (Brookfield, 2012;OECD, 2008;Vaiman, Haslberger, & Vance, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Embeddedness and the repatriation intention of assigned and self-initiated expatriates

Meuer

¹

,

Tröster

²

,

Angstmann

³

et al. 2019

European Management Journal

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Expatriation research has been intrigued by the question of how to prevent the unplanned return of expatriates to their home country. Although a majority of studies have focused on assigned expatriates (AEs), only recently have researchers expanded the scope of analysis by focusing on self-initiated expatriates (SIEs). For SIEs, research has identified job embeddedness as a key explanatory concept for early repatriation without yet acknowledging its potential to also explain the early expatriation of AEs. However, because AEs and SIEs differ in important motivational and behavioural aspects, the lack of comparative studies prohibits a deeper understanding of the mechanisms through which job embeddedness influences early repatriation. We build on belongingness theory to conceptualize early repatriation as a compensatory reaction of expatriates to an inhibited need to belong. Using a unique sample of 345 expatriates from 40 countries, we show that off-the-job embeddedness is more important for explaining the repatriation intention of AEs than of SIEs, whereas on-the-job embeddedness is more important for explaining the repatriation of SIEs compared to AEs. Our integrative model carries important theoretical implications for expatriation research and provides managerial implications for recruiting and retaining AEs and SIEs.

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“…In this line, recent empirical evidence shows that the ability to integrate migrants into top management and the CEO position is key for firms' international success (Davoine and Ravasi, ; Piaskowska and Trojanowski, ). In addition, to be competitive organizations these days need to recognize and promote all potential talent and not only that of the indigenous workforce (e.g., Vaiman et al, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Migrant CEOs: Barriers and Strategies on the Way to the Top

Legrand

¹

,

Ariss

²

,

Bozionelos

³

2018

European Management Review

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This study discusses the main barriers that qualified migrants face in their route towards becoming chief executive officers (CEOs) along with the strategies they employ in their quest to reach the top. The study was conducted in France, a leading economic power with a long history of migration. A relational analytic framework was adopted, where in-depth interviews with migrant CEOs were triangulated with accounts from native CEOs, organizational leaders, and institutional actors. It emerged that meso-and macro-level factors created powerful barriers to advancement, while migrant CEOs tended to deploy four career strategies, two of them reactiveadaptation/adjustment and overcompensationand the other two proactivedifferentiation and manoeuvring. In addition, substantial differences were identified in the accounts of migrant CEOs and the other participants as to the existence of barriers and awareness of these by organizational actors.

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“…A policy of hiring SIEs rather than AEs may be advantageous for two reasons. First, by avoiding the substantive investments necessary for sending AEs, potentially including their families, abroad, the employment of SIEs may be more cost-efficient (Peltokorpi & Froese, 2009;Vaiman, et al, 2015). Second, if firms more easily develop effective measures targeting on-the-job embeddedness-as opposed to off-the-job embeddedness, foreign subsidiaries may find it easier 22 to retain SIEs than AEs because-as our findings reveal-the repatriation intention of SIEs are primarily related to their level of on-the-job embeddedness.…”

Section: Managerial Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Embeddedness and the Repatriation Intention of Assigned and Self-Initiated Expatriates

Meuer

¹

,

Angstmann

²

,

Troester

³

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Expatriation research has been intrigued by the question of how to prevent the unplanned return of expatriates to their home country. Although a majority of studies have focused on assigned expatriates (AEs), only recently have researchers expanded the scope of analysis by focusing on self-initiated expatriates (SIEs). For SIEs, research has identified job embeddedness as a key explanatory concept for early repatriation without yet acknowledging its potential to also explain the early expatriation of AEs. However, because AEs and SIEs differ in important motivational and behavioural aspects, the lack of comparative studies prohibits a deeper understanding of the mechanisms through which job embeddedness influences early repatriation. We build on belongingness theory to conceptualize early repatriation as a compensatory reaction of expatriates to an inhibited need to belong. Using a unique sample of 345 expatriates from 40 countries, we show that off-the-job embeddedness is more important for explaining the repatriation intention of AEs than of SIEs, whereas on-the-job embeddedness is more important for explaining the repatriation of SIEs compared to AEs. Our integrative model carries important theoretical implications for expatriation research and provides managerial implications for recruiting and retaining AEs and SIEs.

show abstract

Recognizing the important role of self-initiated expatriates in effective global talent management

Cited by 116 publications

References 57 publications

Embeddedness and the repatriation intention of assigned and self-initiated expatriates

Embeddedness and the repatriation intention of assigned and self-initiated expatriates

Migrant CEOs: Barriers and Strategies on the Way to the Top

Embeddedness and the Repatriation Intention of Assigned and Self-Initiated Expatriates

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