The career competencies of self-initiated and assigned expatriates: assessing the development of career capital over time

Abstract

Building on a modern careers approach, we assess the effects of working abroad on individuals’ career capital. Given the dearth of longitudinal studies, we return to a sample of economics graduates in Finland eight years later. We measure changes in three dimensions of career capital; ‘knowing how’, ‘knowing whom’, ‘knowing why’ and find that company assigned expatriates learn more than self-initiated expatriates. All three career capital areas benefit from international experience and all are increasingly valued over time. Based on our findings, we conclude that a dynamic notion of career capital acquisition and use is needed. Managerial implications include the need for a wider view of talent management for international businesses.

Keywords:

• Career capital
• expatriation
• international careers
• longitudinal studies
• self-initiated expatriation

Notes

1. Our research, although longitudinal, is not a panel survey. It is a repeated cross-sectional design in which longitudinal data is collected ‘on the same set of variables for (and perhaps at) two or more periods to include non-identical but comparable cases in each period’ (Menard, 2000, pp. 2–3).