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Managing Talent of Self-initiated Expatriates: A neglected source of the global talent flow
Abstract
Media, consultants, and academics in unison declare that there is a scarcity of qualified people on a global scale (Guthridge, Komm, & Lawson, 2008; Peiperl & Jonsen, 2007; Wooldridge, 2006). In the past, company-assigned expatriates (AEs) moved around to fill the gaps. Apparently this is no longer enough. While not a new phenomenon, a new and diverse breed of internationally mobile talent has caught the attention of researchers. These are academics and teachers going abroad on their own initiative to teach and learn themselves; they are people on time off to explore the world, be it right after school or as a mid-career break; they are professionals and experts independently seeking work in another country; and so on. In short they are self-initiated expatriates (SIEs). SIEs are a distinct group for several reasons: unlike AEs, SIEs initiate their move abroad themselves and do not wait to be asked or even prodded; unlike refugees, they are drawn by the opportunities and challenges of an international move and do not flee political strife, violence, or economic squalor; unlike immigrants, they intend to return home some time in the future and do not arrange to pull up roots for good. SIEs will provide at least a partial answer to the talent shortages bemoaned by experts. They are mobile, self-starting, and generally well educated. They are already an important factor in today’s global workforce (Tharenou & Caulfield, 2010) and, according to some observers, are likely to become evermore so (Peiperl & Jonsen, 2007).
... In today's knowledge economy, talented employeesparticularly those capable of driving organizational success-constitute a critical asset that requires careful management [2]. Effective talent management (TM) has consequently emerged as a strategic imperative, encompassing the systematic identification, development, and retention of high-potential employees who can create organizational value [3,4]. ...
In this study, the mediating effect of psychological empowerment (PE) is examined along with the impact of talent management (TM) in improving employee retention (ER). Companies increasingly realize how important strategic TM is in retaining talented workers and promoting organizational success in today’s cutthroat business world. Using a cross-sectional survey of 226 employees across multiple sectors in São Tomé and Príncipe, this study examines TM’s effects on ER through PE’s mediating role. This research demonstrates that TM has a significant positive effect on ER and that PE mediates the relationship between TM and ER. Organizations can create an environment that nurtures commitment, motivation, and long-term retention by empowering employees through targeted TM practices. According to this study, PE is crucial in connecting TM tactics to better ER results, advancing HRM theory. The findings support the theories that PE mediates the interaction between TM and ER and that TM positively impacts ER and PE. To maintain a competitive edge in the modern workforce, HR professionals looking to boost employee engagement, satisfaction, and loyalty will find this study offers helpful insights.
... The acknowledged complexity surrounding the dichotomization of careers into traditional versus contemporary categorizations (Kuron et al., 2016) underpins the intention behind the present study. In an effort to uncover whether career anchors can be used in order to make this distinction clearer, AEs and SIEs are used as comparative cohorts, knowing that these two groups are truly distinct (Haslberger & Vaiman, 2013). Schein's (1990) career anchors model is especially useful in this regard as it encompasses both organizational (traditional) and contemporary career aspects. ...
This study aimed to investigate differences in dominant career orientations between self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) and company-assigned expatriates (AEs). Schein’s career model provides a theoretical framework to investigate differences in career preferences and orientations between SIEs and AEs. This paper builds career constructs by dividing the eight career anchors into two groups (boundaryless and traditional-oriented anchors). The career anchor model is used to investigate if a comparable sample of SIEs and AEs drawn from the banking sector in Saudi Arabia exhibits traditional and/or boundaryless career orientations. A between-subjects design was used, and MANOVA was used to analyze data from 418 expatriates working within the Saudi banking sector to understand how the career orientations of SIEs and AEs differ. Compared to AEs, SIEs were found to be more oriented to traditional career anchors characterized by technical/functional competence and security/stability. This study makes an important contribution to existing knowledge on SIE orientations by identifying differences that exist between traditional and boundaryless careers. The findings reveal differences between SIEs and AEs regarding their technical/functional competence, security/stability, lifestyle, and pure challenge career anchors. Managers need to use bespoke HRM policies and procedures to cater to the career orientation of each expatriate cohort accordingly. This quantitative study reveals factors that impact organizationally and individually managed careers in different directions. Therefore, this study presents a clear distinction between the two career orientations and argues that they can be viewed through the lenses of boundaryless and/or traditional career perspectives.
... Three other criteria comprise the definition of SIE, according to Cerdin (2013). They must be considered "high skill level" (Haslberger and Vaiman, 2013) and seeking regular employment rather than being students or transients. Finally, their stay in the host country is indeterminate because they do not have specific plans for repatriation (Suutari and Brewster, 2000). ...
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the perceptions of self-initiated professional expatriates about their subjective/intangible and objective/tangible successes in both home and host countries.
Design/methodology/approach
This is an empirical study using a survey methodology that included a sample of 211 (Male = 120 and Female = 91) employed professionals from India. Structural equation modeling, ANOVA and t -tests were used to analyze the data.
Findings
This study is unique in examining a sample from a homogeneous population from one country with one segment deciding to be SIEs while the other segment decided to return to their home country. The application of personal initiative (PI) theory and the theory of intrinsic motivation to SIEs is also relatively new. The focus on female professional SIEs from an emerging market to an advanced economy adds value to this study. The results have implications for employers and policy makers as well as US universities.
Originality/value
This study is unique in examining a sample from a homogenous population from one country with one segment deciding to be SIEs while the other segment deciding to return to their home country. The application of personal initiative (PI) theory to SIEs is also relatively new. The focus on female professional SIEs from an emerging market to an advanced economy adds value to this study. The results have implications for employers and policy makers as well as to US universities.
... It's impossible to enumerate all of them. However, sample problems considered in the last three decades focused on reasons for standardized education and training practices of MNCs in their local subsidiaries (Xirotiri-Kufidu, 1993); reasons for implementing competency-based leadership models for leadership development in MNCs worldwide (Muratbekova-Touron, 2009); talent management of selfinitiated expatriates (Vaiman & Haslberger, 2013); the impact of managerial human capital on key processes of leveraging such capital and perceptions of leadership ; differences in competency-management practices in different countries (Stor & Kupczyk, 2015); a deeper understanding of how management practices and processes can differ around the world (Steers et al., 2016); macro talent-management systems (King & Vaiman, 2019); types of managerial competencies to fit the vacant managerial position in foreign subsidiaries of MNCs (Ivanović & Bogdanoska Jovanovska, 2019); strategic talent management in different national markets ; seniority in business and its significance for career progression and promotion with relation to individual performance orientation, hybridization of developments, and concepts and dysfunctionality of some HRM practices in different countries (Horak & Yang, 2019); talent management as strategic HRM (Farndale et al., 2019); how global talent management links to performance at the headquarters, subsidiary, and individual employee levels ; cross-level view of talent management, extending beyond a prevailing firm-level, HRcentric, and internal orientations (King & Vaiman, 2019); contextual approaches to HRM ; association between international work experience and career success from a human capital perspective (Andresen et al., 2021); management development with association to firm performance (Hooi, 2021); managerial career development in MNC subsidiaries based on managers' international work experience and advice networks with connection to the moderating role of cultural distance (Kim et al., 2022); executive staffing practices in foreign subsidiaries (Lee et al., 2022); and developing effective global leaders in international assignments (Lazarova et al., 2023). ...
... It's impossible to enumerate all of them. However, sample problems considered in the last three decades focused on reasons for standardized education and training practices of MNCs in their local subsidiaries (Xirotiri-Kufidu, 1993); reasons for implementing competency-based leadership models for leadership development in MNCs worldwide (Muratbekova-Touron, 2009); talent management of selfinitiated expatriates (Vaiman & Haslberger, 2013); the impact of managerial human capital on key processes of leveraging such capital and perceptions of leadership ; differences in competency-management practices in different countries (Stor & Kupczyk, 2015); a deeper understanding of how management practices and processes can differ around the world (Steers et al., 2016); macro talent-management systems (King & Vaiman, 2019); types of managerial competencies to fit the vacant managerial position in foreign subsidiaries of MNCs (Ivanović & Bogdanoska Jovanovska, 2019); strategic talent management in different national markets ; seniority in business and its significance for career progression and promotion with relation to individual performance orientation, hybridization of developments, and concepts and dysfunctionality of some HRM practices in different countries (Horak & Yang, 2019); talent management as strategic HRM (Farndale et al., 2019); how global talent management links to performance at the headquarters, subsidiary, and individual employee levels ; cross-level view of talent management, extending beyond a prevailing firm-level, HRcentric, and internal orientations (King & Vaiman, 2019); contextual approaches to HRM ; association between international work experience and career success from a human capital perspective (Andresen et al., 2021); management development with association to firm performance (Hooi, 2021); managerial career development in MNC subsidiaries based on managers' international work experience and advice networks with connection to the moderating role of cultural distance (Kim et al., 2022); executive staffing practices in foreign subsidiaries (Lee et al., 2022); and developing effective global leaders in international assignments (Lazarova et al., 2023). ...
... assigned expatriates). SIEs take personal responsibility for their international assignment without the direct support of a parent organization (Carr et al., 2005) and usually have professional qualifications as a prerequisite for their transfer across countries (Cerdin & Selmer, 2014;Haslberger & Vaiman, 2013;Richardson & McKenna, 2003). They move abroad without support from home organizations (Cerdin & Selmer, 2014;Suutari & Brewster, 2000) and lack social capital-knowing those from previous work networks (Jokinen et al., 2008;Dickmann et al., 2018), which is likely to create their identity strain (González et al., 2021). ...
Self-initiative expatriates (SIEs) are increasingly important to the global talent pool. However, they are vulnerable to identity strain due to their self-initiative status and tendency to maintain their previous identity during temporary stays in the host country. Drawing on conservation of resources theory, we establish a resource-based model to examine the indirect effects of SIEs’ identity strain on expatriate outcomes (performance, work withdrawal, repatriation intention) through on-the-job and off-the-job embeddedness, with off-the-job relationship building as the boundary condition. With a two-wave research design, we collected data from 103 Chinese visiting scholars at 48 American universities in 2017. The results show that identity strain has indirect effects on all three expatriate outcomes through on-the-job embeddedness and an indirect effect on repatriation intention through off-the-job embeddedness. Off-the-job relationship building buffers the indirect effects of identity strain on expatriate outcomes via on-the-job embeddedness rather than off-the-job embeddedness.
Purpose
The aim of this study is to develop a better understanding of how the transferability and recognition of host country professional experience and educational credentials impact the repatriation intentions of long-term self-initiated expatriates (SIEs). To that end, the study interviews a sample of American-educated French long-term SIEs in the United States (US) to assess how both their higher education and professional experience influence their social identity in their home country, France and their perceived repatriation opportunities.
Design/methodology/approach
This study applies social identity theory to the examination of the combined impact of higher education and work experience abroad on the repatriation expectations of long-term SIEs. The author interviewed twenty-one French SIEs who attended universities in the US and remained there afterward to begin their careers.
Findings
The findings of this study confirm that the repatriation intentions of long-term SIEs are strongly influenced by concerns about the ability to maintain their host country standard of living in their home country. It also finds that foreign educational credentials and professional experience can constrain the ability of long-term SIEs to repatriate easily and gain acceptance. To overcome this, long-term SIEs often feel that they must embrace alternative repatriation strategies to maintain the lifestyle that they enjoyed while abroad when returning back home.
Originality/value
This study examines a sample of long-term SIEs from one home country, France, who left to attend university in the same host country, the US. It assesses how the experiences of those who remained in the US afterward to start their careers impacted their repatriation intentions. This study contributes to the body of knowledge on the context of self-initiated expatriation by examining the influence of host-country educational credentials and work experience on the repatriation intentions of long-term SIEs.
Career opportunities for U.S.-educated student affairs professionals to work outside of the U.S. in student affairs have become increasingly available over the past two decades. The purpose of this study was to determine demographics of U.S.-educated expatriate student affairs professionals and their motivations to work abroad, which remains a unique experience in the landscape of student affairs professional experiences. Using a national recruitment approach of social media, networks, and snowball sampling, 43 self-initiated expatriate student affairs professionals participated in the survey to determine their demographics and motivations to work abroad. Results include the personal and educational backgrounds of respondents as well as information about the institutional types, locations, and level of positions of their work experiences abroad. The results indicate that a desire for a new experience, adventure, and an enhancement of career prospects were the main reasons for student affairs professionals seeking work abroad. Implications for future research and career development support are provided.
This study examines the adjustment of self-initiated foreign employees (SFEs). We consider the effects of proactive socialization tactics on expatriate adjustment, which we conceptualize in terms of organizational fit and community fit. We then examine turnover (intentions and actual) which is a potentially important outcome of (mis)fit for expatriates. The model was tested with longitudinal data (collected at four points throughout the school year) from Expatriate English Teachers under the Native-speaking English Teacher (NET) Scheme of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). Regression analyses revealed several important relationships between proactive socialization tactics and the two forms of fit (organizational, and community) and between the different forms of fit and turnover.
Finding and retaining talented employees is at least as challenging today as it was ten years ago. Demographic trends, globalization, and the growth of knowledge work have intensified the external pressures on companies - but many of them compound the problem by failing to make talent management a strategic priority. Executives can act on their rhetoric about the importance of employees in creating competitive advantage and embed a robust talent strategy in the overall business strategy if they focus on all workforce segments and not just on the top performers, create different value propositions for employees with different characteristics, and increase the role and capabilities of the human-resources (HR) function.
This article explores the career capital of expatriates, differentiating between self-initiated expatriates (SEs) and company assigned expatriates (AEs). Previous research has considered issues such as individual background variables, employer and task variables, motives, compensation, and repatriation. The present study adds new perspectives related to the development of career capital. The article uses a survey of more than 200 Finnish expatriates to explore these concepts in relation to international work experiences; finding considerable similarities and some differences in the development of career capital of those sent on an expatriate assignment by an organization, and those having a self-initiated expatriate experience.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide new information about overseas volunteer development workers undertaking projects in underdeveloped countries, specifically, their backgrounds, personalities, values and previous experience, motivations, experiences, learning and “transformation” gained, and possible impact on further career; the degree of fit of experiences to the archetypal “hero's adventure”.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper presents a longitudinal study of a cohort of 48 New Zealand volunteers starting work on NZ aid organisation Volunteer Service Abroad (VSA) assignments in 2001. This included structured interviews and administration of the NEO‐ PR personality inventory and the Schein Career orientation Inventory pre‐departure and on return and an e‐mail survey halfway through the assignment. Data analysis was largely qualitative using NVivo software.
Findings
Volunteers had high levels of openness and agreeableness, and career anchors of dedication to a cause and pure challenge. The majority of volunteers fitted the main characteristics of the “hero's adventure” model, duplicating results for business expatriates by Osland and academic expatriates by Richardson. Key features were motivations of adventure and altruism, descriptions of trials and tribulations during the project, feelings of success, new skill and personal transformations in identity and values.
Research limitations/implications
This is a mainly qualitative study of small sample from specific national location. Longer‐term follow‐up needed.
Practical implications
The paper provides valuable information for potential volunteers, for aid organisations selecting and supporting them and potential employers of volunteers.
Originality/value
Volunteer development work is increasingly common, is undertaken by thousands in third‐world countries, and is a potentially life‐changing experience, but research on it is very limited. This is the first in‐depth study, where findings paint a vivid picture of its nature and effects on the individual.
