Purpose This qualitative study explores how expatriates perceive privilege during a crisis, applying social comparison theory and expatriate identity theory. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on twenty semi-structured interviews, the study employed reflexive thematic analysis to identify key themes and develop conceptual models of structurally positioned identity and privilege paradox. Findings Our findings identify an expatriate privilege paradox: while expatriates actively employed coping strategies through their personal and social identity to preserve a sense of privilege, they simultaneously experienced structural exclusion from both host and home countries. We argue that this paradox is rooted in structurally positioned identity, shaped by legal, institutional, national, and regulatory regimes that can both grant and withdraw privilege during crises. Research limitations/implications Conducting research within more homogeneous groups could provide greater specificity within host countries. Comparative research into expatriates' perceptions of privilege post-pandemic could capture a deeper understanding of expatriate privilege. A direct measure of expatriate perceived privilege could provide a deeper understanding. Practical implications Given the privilege paradox and the associated risks of status loss and double exclusion affecting expatriates' well-being, these findings underscore the need for targeted support mechanisms and higher-level institutional responses. At the same time, the study identifies effective coping strategies that organisations can leverage to better support expatriates during crises. Originality/value This is the first study to conceptualise structurally positioned identity and the expatriate privilege paradox to explain how expatriate privilege may become conditional and structurally constrained under crisis conditions.
Purpose The increasing use of Global Virtual Teams (GVTs) has reshaped global work arrangements in multinational organisations. However, employees in GVTs face distinct challenges, including cultural differences, time-zone dispersion, and intensive use of technology, which may affect their well-being. While prior reviews have examined virtual teams more broadly, they have not distinguished between domestic and GVTs and have mainly focused on psychological well-being. This limits understanding of how GVT's unique features influence employees’ overall well-being. This study examines how working in GVTs influences employees' physical, psychological, and social well-being. Design/methodology/approach The study systematically reviews 40 articles on employee well-being in GVTs. Findings were analysed using thematic analysis, guided by the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) framework. Findings Key job demands, including role ambiguity and cognitive overload, undermine employee well-being. Personal and Job resources at the task, organisational, and social levels mitigate these job demands. Employees experience both positive outcomes (e.g. job satisfaction and positive relationships) and adverse outcomes (e.g. burnout and work-life conflict). Research limitations/implications The study highlights limited research at the team and organisational levels and calls for multilevel approaches. Originality/value The paper provides a theory-driven synthesis of the dark and bright sides of employee well-being in GVTs.
PurposeThis study aims to identify the dominant career anchors of French top chefs from Michelin-starred restaurants in France and abroad. Design/methodology/approachBased on surveys and interviews conducted with 14 French chefs from Michelin-starred restaurants between 2023 and 2024, we explore the motivations behind their professional mobility. The data were organized into an integrative set of career anchor categories that synthesize prior research. FindingsAccording to our results, the desire to develop their talents as chefs (technical and managerial competence, including creativity) is not the predominant factor among the chefs we interviewed. Instead, the value-based anchors that turn around service, challenge and international anchors seem to be more important. Ultimately, a dominant career anchor, lifestyle, appears alongside a secondary career anchor, dedication. Research limitations/implicationsConsidering theoretical implications, we propose a radar with nine principal anchors, divided into three main categories (talent, need and value), to assess professional careers beyond those of chefs. We redefine the dedication anchor as a “transmission and legacy” anchor. Practical implicationsOur findings should help mitigate the negative consequences of the high turnover experienced in the profession and make recruitment more efficient in line with growing demand. Originality/valueCareer anchors (Schein, 1975, 1996) have seldom been applied to understand the mobility of French chefs, especially those from Michelin-starred restaurants. Furthermore, this work proposes a new integrated theoretical frame to analyse and understand international careers.
PurposeAfrican migrant entrepreneurship remains under-researched despite increasing migration flows from Africa. This scoping review examines literature to identify critical gaps and establish an integrated theoretical framework, with emphasis on the Australian context. Design/methodology/approachA Population, Concept, Context (PCC) scoping review model was employed, examining articles published from 2007 onwards. Initial focus on Australian and New Zealand contexts yielded only five studies, necessitating expansion to comparable developed economies. Thirty-five articles were included in the final analysis using thematic methods. FindingsThree primary themes emerged: social and transnational networks; racial discrimination as a labour market barrier; and career adaptation strategies. These mechanisms operate across macro-economic, spatial-temporal and institutional contextual layers, collectively shaping entrepreneurial positioning. Racial discrimination forces high-skilled African migrants into necessity-driven entrepreneurship, while social networks enable upward mobility within entrepreneurial categories over time. Research limitations/implicationsAs a scoping review, this study maps the existing literature landscape rather than providing a systematic assessment of individual studies. The integrated framework transcends African entrepreneurship to constitute a paradigm applicable to migratory entrepreneurship broadly, with implications for research on refugee entrepreneurs and other migrant populations globally. Practical implicationsGovernment-funded organisations such as Migrant Resources Centres and Non-Government Organisations provide a variety of support services for migrants in the Australian context and in many other migrant receiving nations. The integrated framework can form the basis of practical support services and activities for migrants wishing to explore entrepreneurial options for securing employment and income sources in their host country. Originality/valueThis review integrates established entrepreneurship typologies with contextual layers frameworks, creating a dynamic model of how systemic exclusion, community-based institutions and individual agency interact. The study identifies how racialized labour market structures produce necessity-driven entrepreneurship and the temporal dynamics through which networks enable entrepreneurial evolution.
Purpose Norway faces a significant demand for educated talents; and yet, about 50% of skilled migrants are overqualified for their current position. Design/methodology/approach To understand this paradox, the present article reviews and synthesises 40 empirical studies focusing on skilled migrants and employers ‘experiences in Norway. Drawing on sensemaking theory (Weick, 1995), the study aims to investigate: (1) how skilled migrants and employers make sense of barriers to qualification-matched employment (QME) in Norway and (2) how skilled migrants enhance their qualification-matched employability. Findings Challenges faced by skilled migrants are multifaceted. They include proficiency in the local language, limited professional networks and cultural understanding but also employer biases and stereotypes. The study offers to unfold the sensemaking process and provides a nuanced understanding of how both migrants and employers interpret and respond to the QME challenges. Research limitations/implications The article contributes to the literature in several ways: it discusses the specific context of Norway; it focuses on skilled migrants; it provides an understanding of the process of sensemaking; it highlights enactment strategies to enhance qualification-matched employability; it is of a multidisciplinary nature; and it offers directions for future research. Practical implications The review also stresses the importance for employers of addressing biases and stereotypes in recruitment practices and provides insights to skilled migrants to prepare effectively to challenges as well as providing them strategies to enhance their employability in Norway. Originality/value By highlighting the interpretive processes of both migrants and employers, sensemaking theory offers a nuanced understanding of the barriers skilled migrants face and how they navigate them.
PurposeIn the context of the global shift toward remote and mobile work, digital nomadism has emerged as a lifestyle-oriented mode of working that increasingly attracts scholarly attention. While existing research has expanded in recent years, systematic insights into how this lifestyle affects individuals remain limited. This study aims to examine the extent to which digital nomadism influences individuals. Design/methodology/approachA systematic literature review was conducted on publications available in Web of Science and Scopus databases. Relevant peer-reviewed journal articles were identified using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The selected literature was analyzed and structured along four main categories to synthesize individual-level impacts of the digital nomad lifestyle. FindingsThe findings indicate that digital nomadism entails positive and negative individual-level effects. Positive aspects include increased perceived autonomy, flexibility and opportunities for self-realization, while challenges arise in relation to meta-work, social connectedness and the management of work-life boundaries. Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature by offering a systematic synthesis of individual-level effects of digital nomadism. By consolidating fragmented research findings into a structured synthesis, this study advances a more holistic understanding of how the emerging work and lifestyle arrangement shapes individual experiences.
PurposeRelationships between expatriates and host country nationals (HCNs) are critical to expatriate adjustment and knowledge transfer. This paper adopts a multi-stakeholder perspective to explore the conditions and organisational actions that stakeholders perceive as contributing to positive expatriate–HCN relationships. Design/methodology/approachA qualitative study was conducted, drawing on 25 semi-structured interviews with four stakeholder groups: expatriates, HCNs, host country line managers (HCLMs), and international HRM (IHRM) professionals, within a transformative IT project in a multinational retail organisation. Interview data were triangulated with documentary analysis of the long-term assignment policy. FindingsGuided by Intergroup Contact Theory, the study highlights the pivotal role of HCLMs in providing supportive leadership, the value of structured onboarding, and the contribution of high-quality HR services in fostering interpersonal relations that support cross-cultural collaboration. Practical implicationsImplications for organisational policy and practice are provided to support positive expatriate and HCN relationships. Actionable measures include transparent communication on rewards and roles, the adoption of a common workplace language, intercultural training for all stakeholders, and conscious opportunities for informal contact. Originality/valueBy adopting a multi stakeholder lens that includes HCLMs and IHRM professionals, this study extends theory beyond dyadic expatriate–HCN research. It shows how interpersonal dynamics, organisational practices, and leadership behaviours shape relationship quality as a core condition for collaboration in global teams. Although outcomes were not measured, the findings highlight relational mechanisms linked to adjustment and knowledge transfer, while also identifying underexplored dynamics such as HCN envy, off work interactions, and informal communication.
PurposeThe purpose of this article is to integrate changing global mobility and global talent management (GTM) by investigating the individual return on investment (iROI) of global virtual contractors.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopts a qualitative design based on semi-structured interviews with 15 global virtual contractors. The author adopted the psychological contract theory as the theoretical framework for this study.FindingsThe findings indicate that global virtual contractors' iROI is multifaceted career capital development across the macro, meso and micro levels. Findings at the macro level reflect the triadic nature of nonstandard employment, with expectations regarding inclusive HRM practices remaining largely unmet at the meso level. At the micro level, transferability of career capital, as well as calling orientation to serve the public and country, were more likely to be perceived as key sources of iROI of global virtual contractors.Originality/valueThis article is among the first qualitative studies to empirically examine iROI among nonstandard work arrangements in GTM studies. This study adds to the limited literature on iROI by demonstrating global virtual contractors' motives and perceived benefits arising from nonstandard employment, and promissory expectations regarding the working relationship, which is an important implication for GTM studies.
Purpose-This paper aims to examine the evolution of global virtual teams (GVTs) as a central mechanism for virtual global mobility, enabling cross-border collaboration without physical relocation. It explores how academic literature has addressed the interplay between cultural diversity, technological infrastructure and structural team dynamics. By positioning GVTs as strategic responses to changing models of international work, the study contributes to ongoing debates on virtual assignments and global talent mobility. Design/methodology/approach-A systematic literature review that used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses protocol to analyze 113 academic sources on GVTs, which were then synthesized through qualitative thematic coding to explore developments in cultural, technological and structural dimensions concerning trust, communication and coordination. Findings-The review highlights a shift from foundational concerns toward more complex challenges, including asynchronous collaboration, chronotype diversity and digital fluency gaps. While technology enables global teamwork, persistent issues, such as cultural misalignment, fragmented structures and role ambiguity, continue to undermine cohesion and trust. Successful GVTs increasingly rely on inclusive onboarding, adaptive leadership and the strategic use of role-based trust as a foundation for developing deeper cognitive and affective trust. Originality/value-This paper offers a novel synthesis of GVT literature by linking technological enablement with the socio-cultural and structural complexities of distributed collaboration. It reconceptualizes GVTs not merely as project-based teams but as evolving platforms for international work and global mobility. By examining how organizations cultivate trust, manage diversity and coordinate across dispersed contexts, the study provides new insights for both theory and practice in virtual collaboration and global talent management.
PurposeSkilled migrant (SM) and self-initiated expatriate (SIE) women play a key role in meeting skill shortages in advanced economies and could expect to advance as much as counterparts (e.g. native-born) based on their credentials. Instead, they are often marginalized, working in lower-level positions. This review aims to explain the influences on SM and SIE women's managerial career advancement, factors potentially relevant to maximizing the proportion of women in management in the host country. Design/methodology/approachI conducted an integrated literature review, combining systematic and narrative reviewing. The systematic review yielded 64, most often qualitative empirical studies of SM (38) and SIE (26) women's managerial career advancement; the narrative review of the studies sought to identify the influences on managerial advancement, compared for the mobility types, enabling assessing a possible boundary condition. FindingsThe review revealed that skilled migration and self-initiated expatriation rarely resulted in women's managerial advancement; the women (especially SMs) advanced less than male and female counterparts. Being a woman, a migrant and/or non-white, or a mother, disadvantaged SM women's managerial advancement. Mostly gender-linked environmental barriers (e.g. discrimination) lowered SM women's managerial advancement, whereas individual-level positive facilitators (e.g. agency) enhanced SIEs'. Gender-linked theory explained SM and SIE women's managerial career advancement: three well-established theoretical lenses—intersectional identities, lack-of-fit and stereotyped gender-roles—together provided a coherent conceptual framework. Originality/valueIn an original contribution, achieved by contrasting SMs and SIEs, mobility type acted as a boundary condition on influences on SM and SIE women's managerial advancement, being more explanatory for SIEs. A tentatively proposed mediator-moderator framework explained the women's managerial career advancement, providing greater theoretical depth through simultaneously examining mechanisms (why) and context (when).
PurposeThis study examines the role of French spouses in shaping family-relatedness of work decision (FRWD) processes among Japanese female self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) in France, with a focus on how conjugal dynamics, agency and intersectional positioning affect work-related decisions and professional integration. Design/methodology/approachA qualitative methodology using biographical narrative interviews was employed with 19 Japanese women who self-initiated their expatriation to France and are currently partnered with French spouses. Analysis was guided by FRWD framework coupled with the intersectionality theory. FindingsSpouses act as both facilitators and gatekeepers for career transitions, influencing role entry, participation and exit. They provide emotional, informational, and practical support that can open access to the French labour market, yet unequal domestic labour, income and stability gaps, and asymmetrical access to local norms are often rationalized through comparison to Japanese norms. Agency emerges through negotiation, with satisfaction constructed relationally within the couple. Research limitations/implicationsFocusing on current long-term residents may introduce selection bias, excluding women who left France or their relationships. Comparative, intersectional research across professions and contexts is needed for a deeper understanding. Notably, this study highlights the spouse’s role as a boundary spanner, facilitating network and cultural integration. Future research should systematically address these relational and processual aspects in expatriate career development. Originality/valueThe study contributes new insights by integrating FRWD and intersectionality in SIE research, highlighting spousal participation as an evolving process rather than a static resource. It challenges individualistic and resource-centric models by foregrounding the relational, contextual and processual nature of global career mobility decisions.
Purpose-Although employers are attracting increasing attention as actors influencing international labour migration, migration studies do not offer a theoretical framework for researching their multi-level influence in this field. Moreover, studies typically focus on employers' actions, especially in policymaking, and do not examine their broadly conceived interests, which sometimes influence labour migration without the employers' active involvement. This article adapts neo-institutionalist concepts, particularly the concept of the institutional environment, and offers a comprehensive theoretical framework for studying employers' interests in labour migration. Design/methodology/approach-This conceptual paper operationalises the institutional environment concept by offering a matrix of institutions within this environment that must be considered when researching employers' interests in international labour migration. Findings-These institutions are classified as related to the sphere of the labour market, immigration or political processes, and as operating on one of three levels of social analysis proposed by Williamson (2000a): the level of informal rules, formal rules or the play of the game. Research limitations/implications-The paper suggests a new route for researching the employers' role in migration, based on New Institutional Economics concepts. It draws upon academic publications on European employers, without offering its own empirical results. Further steps will be necessary to translate this framework into methodological steps, which may be specific to the study of the employers' role and interests in particular cases and contexts. Practical implications-This article is meant primarily for social scientists researching migration or mobility within such fields as economics, political science, sociology or management. By offering a broad conceptual framework, it aims to stimulate new research avenues and build bridges across disciplines and various levels of analysis (micro, meso and macro). In particular, it directs research towards the question of the role of employers' interests in migration. This role has been underresearched in part due to the employers' almost complete absence from migration theories. Social implications-Public debates around immigration in the Western world today present migration mainly as resulting from push factors in the countries of origin of migrants and as facilitated by intermediaries, including smugglers. The discourse around migration is highly securitised, while economic arguments play a secondary role. This paper contributes to rebalancing the debate by bringing to the fore and facilitating the study of the role of employers in destination countries, who are fundamental in creating demand for migrant workers, and thus pull factors for international labour migration. Originality/value-The proposed matrix can serve as a comprehensive framework for studying the institutional environment that channels employers' pursuit of interests related to international labour migration. Reverting to neo-institutional concepts opens up new possibilities for researching the under-researched topic of employers' interests in migration. While this framework draws on studies from Europe, it can be used to research employers' interests across all democratic market economies.
PurposeSelf-initiated expatriates (SIEs) are relevant resources for multinational enterprises, but the topic of gender is often overlooked. This study aims to examine how psychological contract (PC) types differ between women and men SIEs and how the intersection of gender and occupational status shapes these contracts and associated intentions to stay. Specifically, we investigate how relational and transactional psychological contracts (PCs) mediate the relationship between supervisor-subordinate relationship quality and intention to remain with the same employer and in the host region, with a particular analytical focus on women SIEs.Design/methodology/approachWe use survey data from 234 women SIEs (and a comparator group of 386 men). The cross-sectional data were collected in the United Arab Emirates and analysed using confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modelling and analysis of variance (ANOVA) to examine gender- and status-based differences.FindingsOur findings demonstrated positive direct effects between the relationship with the supervisor and holding both relational and transactional PCs. Relational PCs were positively related to intention to stay with the employer, but not in the host region, while transactional PCs were negatively related to both outcome variables. Furthermore, we found that medium-status women SIEs tend to hold PCs with fewer relational features compared with their higher qualified counterparts.Originality/valueThis study advances PC research by incorporating gender, occupational status and mobility context into a single analytical framework. For practice, the findings highlight the importance of high-quality supervisory relationships and career development opportunities in supporting the retention of women SIEs at both organisational and regional levels.
PurposeThis study investigates how expatriate willingness emerges as a function of company policy design within Portuguese multinational corporations. While traditional expatriation frameworks often present standardized mobility approaches, this research explores how policy-induced resource dynamics shape employee motivation, engagement and adjustment, especially across heterogeneous global assignments in under-researched contexts.Design/methodology/approachUsing conservation of resources (COR) theory as an analytical lens, this qualitative study analyzed five Portuguese multinational firms spanning diverse sectors. Data were gathered through 200 documents and 37 interviews, 13 with HR and senior managers, 24 with expatriates. Interviews were guided by selection criteria emphasizing career stage, international experience, and family situation. Thematic analysis was conducted using MaxQDA, producing 2,961 data segments coded into 61 thematic categories.FindingsThe study identified three distinct motivational profiles among expatriates: (1) Conformist expatriates, whose engagement was shaped by psychological contracts and a sense of organizational belonging; (2) Protean expatriates, driven by strategic career advancement and a desire for autonomy; and (3) Disrupted expatriates, characterized by defensive compliance and heightened contextual strain. Company policy design emerged as a critical qualifying mechanism, either facilitating broaden-and-build resource spirals or amplifying depletion trajectories. Dynamic, inclusive policies fostered protean motivation by enabling job crafting and providing robust support structures. In contrast, rigid, functionalist policies tended to constrain disrupted profiles, intensifying allostatic load and hindering adjustment.Research limitations/implicationsFindings are context-specific to Portugal-based firms and rely on interviewee self-report. Longitudinal studies are needed to trace career development and resource flows over time. Future research should also test the proposed typology across cultural and institutional settings to refine applicability.Practical implicationsHR practitioners can apply the proposed typology to tailor assignment planning. Recommended practices, aimed to enhance expatriate outcomes and reduce assignment failure, include pre-assignment assessments of willingness and resource readiness, typology-sensitive support structures and feedback-rich environments to monitor resource spirals. HR practitioners should embed dynamic capability principles into expatriation workflows (e.g. personalized preparation, context-responsive support, iterative feedback and supervisor coaching), as these practices have demonstrated greater alignment with upward resource spirals.Originality/valueThis study advances Conservation of Resources (COR) theory by conceptualizing expatriate willingness not as a static trait, but as a negotiated outcome shaped by the organizational resource ecology. It introduces a threefold typology (conformist, protean and disrupted) that captures motivational diversity and illustrates how policy orientation influences psychological contracts and adaptive behavior. The empirical setting of Portuguese multinational corporations operating in transitional economies further extends the geographical scope of global mobility research, offering fresh insight into supply-side readiness and the strategic alignment of mobility policies.
PurposeThis study investigates how mobility and identity dynamics shape the emotional well-being of digital nomads, a growing yet under-researched segment of globally mobile professionals.Design/methodology/approachBased on survey data from 205 digital nomads residing in Croatia, the research examines the antecedents of national disidentification among digital nomads and investigates its relationship with emotional well-being under the moderating effect of socio-cultural adaptation.FindingsResults reveal that digital nomads who disidentify are dominantly ones with higher nomad experience and from countries that have strong passports. Our main proposition was supported since we found that national disidentification is associated with low emotional well-being. However, this relationship holds only for digital nomads who struggle to adapt to the host culture. Conversely, a greater socio-cultural adaptation buffers these negative effects, restoring a sense of belonging for digital nomads.Practical implicationsThe findings underline the importance of cultural integration strategies for supporting the well-being of digital nomads. Host countries and employers can enhance nomads' experiences by facilitating cultural orientation and local engagement with a goal of attracting and retaining talent within their countries.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the growing literature on global mobility by highlighting the conditional psychological impact of identity dynamics among digital nomads. It offers novel insights into how socio-cultural adaptation can mitigate the emotional costs of detachment from national identity among globally mobile professionals.
PurposeThis study explores how self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) construct and manage their careers in a culturally and institutionally distinct host country context. Drawing on protean and boundaryless career theory, the study investigates the career barriers faced by SIEs, the strategies they employ to manage them, and how gender shapes these experiences.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopts a qualitative, inductive approach based on semi-structured interviews with European SIEs working in Japan. The data was analyzed using the Gioia methodology to code, review and organize the data systematically.FindingsParticipants described structural exclusion, cultural misalignment, and institutional inflexibility as key constraints. In response, they pursued proactive, boundaryless and values-driven strategies, including networking, skill development and career recalibration. Female SIEs experienced a dual outsider status and had to perform identity work to gain legitimacy in male-dominated environments.Originality/valueThis study contributes to global career theory by examining how SIEs construct careers under constraint, introducing the concept of anchored boundaryless careers and highlighting the intersection of gender and foreignness in shaping expatriate trajectories within structurally complex and culturally unique labour markets.
Purpose With the increasing importance of individuals willing to undertake international assignments in risky contexts, the purpose of this paper is to increase the understanding of the interplay between the challenges of such assignments in risky contexts and the motivations of individuals to undertake them. Design/methodology/approach The study follows a narrative approach to gain an understanding of individuals' subjective experiences. In-depth interviews were conducted with Swedish police officers who have been on international assignments. The narrative analysis comprised two steps: first, to identify motivations and challenges and, second, to capture how challenges and motivations interplay. Findings The main motivations for international assignments in risky contexts were thrill-seeking, meaningfulness and financial gain and were found to shift with experiences. The main challenges were related to danger, physical and mental hardship, family relations and repatriation and were experienced by police officers as both positive and negative. Three ways in which challenges interplay with motivations were identified. The dynamic interplay of initial motivations and expected and experienced challenges was found to shift motivations as well as willingness to undertake further assignments. Practical implications The findings have implications for the recruitment, management and support of individuals on international assignments in risky contexts. Originality/value The key contribution of this paper lies in identifying the interplay between challenges and motivations on international assignments in risky contexts. Challenges are not only deterring but can strengthen, or even be, what motivates international assignments, while others need to be compensated for. The study contributes to research on the impact of experiences of international assignments on motivations and on the willingness to go on additional assignments.
PurposeCultural intelligence (CQ) is a key ability that enables employees to effectively interact with individuals from different cultures. Research suggests that not all individuals self-assess their CQ learning similarly. This exploratory study aims to identify systematic inter-individual differences in self-assessed CQ development arising from environmental sensitivity, a relevant trait given that research estimates that 20-30% of individuals are highly sensitive.Design/methodology/approachThis study examines the contribution of an intercultural learning program to CQ development. It draws on survey data collected from all participants in multiple cohorts over 11 years. The participants were highly qualified junior employees representing 25 countries, with 96% from Europe. Data were gathered prior to and following program participation to evaluate changes in self-assessed CQ.FindingsResults indicate that participants with greater environmental sensitivity reported lower self-assessed CQ development. Team size moderated this relationship: the negative association was significant in dyads, but not in triads or quads. Higher levels of prior international experience did not significantly affect the outcome.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the understanding of CQ development by highlighting the role of environmental sensitivity, an often-overlooked trait, and it critically assesses the validity of the prevailing evaluation of the effectiveness of CQ learning based on self-assessments in both research and practice. The results offer insights for the design of CQ learning programs and underscore the need to consider the unique challenges faced by environmentally sensitive learners in enhancing their CQ.
Purpose This conceptual article outlines a strategic and moral case for why multinational enterprises should more seriously recognize the challenges experienced by host-country nationals (HCNs), the local staff who work with expatriates in these enterprises’ local subsidiaries. Design/methodology/approach Using job demands-resources theory (JD-R) and drawing on the limited number of studies of HCNs, we classify the major job demands and job resources influencing HCNs in their workplaces. From this mapping, we establish the case for getting HCN out of the “forgotten partner” category. We identify pressing future research avenues and considerations for practitioners wishing to better understand and support HCN employees. Findings We distill three main job demands that HCNs face when working with expatriates – extra-role behaviors, productivity losses and psychological burdens – and posit different forms of job resources that HCNs might use to effectively manage these. From this, we lay out directions for future research on HCNs, framed by JD-R, and suggest individual- and organizational-level interventions to recalibrate HCNs’ demands-resources ratio. Originality/value HCNs are important yet under-studied partners in global mobility. Research on them remains sparse. We infer that HCNs’ job demands are substantial and overlooked. HCNs’ personal and organizational resources to manage these are inadequately supported. This is unjustified and needs addressing. This article offers a voice that does that.
