This volume provides in-depth examinations of a variety of individual, social, and environmental factors that contribute to the success of expatriate employees. Using data from numerous large-scale studies from both the public and private sectors, this volume provides valuable insights into expatriate success with implications for both theoretical understanding and practical management. The authors explore factors that influence employees to pursue expatriation, contribute to expatriate adjustment and satisfaction, and ultimately drive expatriate performance, well-being, and success. The chapters in this book consider the role of sociodemographic characteristics, personality and individual differences, training and preparation, and social and organizational support in contributing to each of these outcomes. Using findings from diverse countries and sectors and data-focused analytic techniques, this volume provides novel insights into factors promoting expatriate success.
Expatriation is a big topic, and is getting bigger. Over 200 million people worldwide now live and work in a country other than their country of origin. Tens of billions of dollars are spent annually by organizations that move expatriates around the world. Yet, despite the substantial costs involved, expatriation frequently results in an unsatisfactory return on investment (ROI), with little or no knowledge as to how to improve it. Why is this so? Drawing on more than a decade of expertise, research, and publications in top journals, the authors provide you real solutions to achieve more than a satisfactory ROI from expatriates—with rule number one being: Understand expatriates themselves. This book provides a practical “insider’s” guide that reveals why expatriates seek and accept international assignments; how they feel impacted by new forms of remuneration and other working conditions; how international assignments fit in with their longer-term career aspirations; and what complications arise in terms of their families. Whether you’re a manager or consultant, inside you’ll learn what modern-day global mobility is like (based on the authors’ decade-long study with nearly four hundred expatriates and their managers, as well as over a hundred who were interviewed personally), how it is changing, and why now, more than ever, a hard-nosed ROI approach is necessary.
A comprehensive overview of the practical implications for organizations that manage international employees, and individuals who are currently or aspiring expatriates.
Providing fresh perspectives on managing expatriates in the changing host country of China, this book investigates expatriate management from a language and identity angle. The authors’ multilingual and multicultural backgrounds allow them to offer a solid view on the best practices towards managing diverse groups of expatriates, including Western, Indian, and ethnic Chinese employees. With carefully considered analysis which incorporates micro and macro perspectives, together with indigenous Chinese and Western viewpoints, this book explores topics that include the importance of the host country language, expatriate adjustment, ethnic identity confirmation, acceptance and identity. The book presents a longitudinal yet contemporary snapshot of the language, culture, and identity realities that multinational corporation subsidiary employees are facing in China in the present decade (2006-2016). It will thus be an invaluable resource for International Management scholars, those involved in HRM and other practitioners, as well as business school lecturers and students with a strong interest in China.
The inspiration for Expats, a new series starring Nicole Kidman coming soon to Prime Video. “Devastating and heartwarming, and exquisite in every way, this is a book you’ll fall deeply in love with and never want to put down.” —Kevin Kwan, author of Crazy Rich Asians From the New York Times bestselling author of The Piano Teacher, a searing novel of marriage, motherhood, and the search for connection far from home. In the glittering city of Hong Kong, expats arrive daily for myriad reasons—to find or lose themselves in a foreign place, and to forget or remake themselves far from home. Amidst this hothouse atmosphere, a tragic incident causes three American women’s lives to collide in ways that will rewrite every assumption of their privileged world: Mercy, a young Korean American and recent Columbia graduate, once again finds herself compromised and adrift, trying to start her life anew; Hilary, a wealthy housewife, is haunted by her struggle to have a child, hoping to save her uncertain marriage; meanwhile, Margaret, once the enviable mother of three, tries to negotiate an existence that has become utterly unrecognizable after a catastrophic event. Faced with unthinkable choices, these three women form a profound connection that defies the norms of the sequestered community—finding in each other a strength borne of need, forgiveness, and ultimately hope. Atmospheric and utterly compelling, The Expatriates showcases Lee’s exceptional talent as one of our keenest observers of women’s inner lives.
Multinational enterprises continue to rely heavily upon expatriates as part of their global workforce. These expatriates, whose exact employment contract may take different forms, are assigned to help them develop global skills as well as to foster knowledge transfer. But managing this expatriate workforce is extremely complex, requiring a questioning of assumptions and sensitivity to new social and cultural dynamics. This book sets out to examine the problem of expatriate management through an I/O Psychology lens. Each chapter draws upon the expertise of scholars from around the world to provide insights into the latest research findings and remaining needs, pertaining to a wide variety of issues. The contributors of this book review the current state of the research of the issue at hand and then make recommendations for where the new frontiers of the research should be in the coming decades. This volume covers four sets of issues pertaining to expatriate management and global mobility in depth. First, the different decision points organizations must make about assigning someone to an overseas location for some period of time; second the different categories of employees in the multinational corporation and their unique characteristics and challenges; third, the various issues and implications of managing a globally mobile workforce; and fourth, the unique contexts of global mobility. Overarching future research themes are identified that lay out the research agenda for the coming decades. By bringing together key research, this book aims to help I/O psychologists understand, explore, and identify new ways of contributing to the understanding of the issues involved in managing an expatriate workforce. Incorporating state-of-the art I/O psychology research in this unique context bears the promise of yielding important new paradigms and practices.
This book provides state-of-the art research on expatriate management from a European perspective. Considering issues related to the different phases of expatriation and comprehensive contemporary topics of expatriate management, the chapters present a long overdue holistic approach to the field. Rather than just publishing a counterweight to the predominant North American literature, Expatriate Management includes critical analyses of each chapter written by a number of renowned North American scholars to review and contribute to the trans-Atlantic dialogue.
Globalization and the development of multinational organizations have led to an increase in the number of people spending part of their lives living and working in foreign countries. While the contemporary literature has focused on organizational expatriates sent overseas by their employers, self-initiated expatriation is becoming an important area of study in its own right. This edited volume offers a holistic picture of self-initiated expatriation and the groups that pursue it, emphasizing many reasons for departure including career development and career capital.
'In the Research Handbook of Expatriates, Yvonne McNulty and Jan Selmer have created a seminal work that should be on the bookshelf of all social scientists who work in the field of expatriation. More senior scholars will appreciate the ''deep dive'' each chapter takes into the literature, each one acting as a reservoir they can draw from to powerfully inform their future research efforts. Doctoral students and newly minted PhDs will find this book to be especially valuable - the final chapter of the book alone provides inestimable career and ''how-to-publish'' guidance for them in the field of expatriation. The coverage of the history, construct, milieu, research methodologies, and issues is the best I have come across in a single volume in over 30 years of working in the field. In short, this is a monumental contribution to the study of expatriates and global mobility.' - Mark E. Mendenhall, University of Tennessee 'McNulty and Selmer's edited volume does a wonderful job of consolidating and integrating everything we know about expatriates and their different types. This long-overdue Handbook, featuring chapters by top researchers, lays a trail for scholars to further advance the study of expatriates.' - Joyce Osland, San Jose State University 'McNulty and Selmer's edited book of readings on virtually all aspects of expatriates deserves a prominent place in the library of researchers and practitioners interested in this subject. The Handbook provides a historical overview as well as the latest trends in expatriate studies and concludes with useful guidelines on how to conduct as well as improve the quality of research in this field.' - Rosalie L. Tung, Simon Fraser University, Canada Constituting a comprehensive and carefully designed collection of contributions, the Research Handbook of Expatriatesprovides a nuanced and up-to-date discussion of expatriates. Theoretically broad and groundbreaking, it offers important and contemporary insights into emerging areas of research warranting future consideration. Drawing upon a range of perspectives from the field?s most distinguished academics, contributions review the history of the literature in relation to expatriates, from the development of the expatriate construct through to the current state of research on business expatriates. Subsequent chapters progress into detailed examinations of the various types of business expatriates including LGBT, self-initiated expatriates, female assignees, inpatriates, international business travellers and commuters, and millennials. Other themes include expatriate performance, adjustment, expatriates to and from developing countries, global talent management, and expatriates? safety and security. The Research Handbook also covers expatriates in diverse communities such as education, military, missionary, sports and ?Aidland?, and provides additional commentaries relating to methodological issues, research with practitioners, case studies, biculturals and ATCKs, and global families. The Research Handbook concludes with publishing advice for PhD and early career researchers. Stimulating insightful new areas of study, this collection is a must read for academics and scholars in the field of expatriate research, international management, global human resource management and business administration. It also offers a wealth of guidance for executives and recruiters along with expatriates and professionals who may expatriate. Contributors: M. Andresen, C. Brewster, L. Care, J.-L. Cerdin, L. Clarke, D.G. Collings, M. Collins, A. Corbin, M. Crowley-Henry, M. Dickmann, H. Dolles, R. Donohue, C. Doss, B. Egilsson, A. Fee, K.L. Fisher, K.J. Hanek, A. Haslberger, T. Hippler, K. Hutchings, M. Isichei, J. Lauring, L. Mäkelä, R. McPhail, S. Michailova, M. Moeller, B. Oberholster
