For decades, the concept of expatriate adjustment has centered on the traditional long-term assignment: a 3-to-5-year relocation to another country, often with family in tow. Researchers and practitioners alike have focused on how well expatriates adapt to the host country’s culture, their new workplace, and daily life abroad. But in today’s world of global work, […]
Embracing the Power of Many Tongues: How Language Diversity Can Strengthen Your Organization
In today’s global workplace, language is often treated as a problem to be solved — a barrier to communication, a source of misunderstanding, or a trigger for status imbalances. But what if we flipped the script? Recent research I’ve conducted with colleagues suggests a powerful and underappreciated truth: language diversity in organizations can be a […]
How to Turn Your International Experience into a Lasting Advantage
Living and working in a foreign country is a transformative experience that shapes both personal and professional growth. As Ernest Hemingway famously said, “If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young [person], then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a […]
Supporting Your Partner Abroad Can Boost Your Resilience at Work
Expatriate assignments often come with significant professional challenges—new roles, unfamiliar environments, and the constant need to adapt. But what if the secret to navigating these hurdles effectively lies not just in your personal strategies but in your family dynamics, specifically your relationship with your partner? Recent research that I conducted together with my colleagues Mihaela […]
Self-Discovery Through Global Work: Lessons from Siddhartha
It is almost ironic that it took me over 40 years to finally read the classic novel “Siddhartha” by author and compatriot Hermann Hesse – and only after my wife had discussed the book in her book club:-) The novel depicts the spiritual journey of self-discovery of the book’s protagonist named Siddhartha during the time […]
Finding Awe Through Global Work: Lessons from Dacher Keltner’s “Awe”
In his groundbreaking book “Awe” which I have just finished reading, renowned psychologist Dacher Keltner explores the transformative emotion that makes us feel part of something larger than ourselves. While awe is an emotion that is beneficial in all life domains, I have found that his insights have particular resonance for those of us navigating […]
Work design and less-hierarchical organizing in global companies
By 2022, German athletic apparel and footwear manufacturer Adidas seemed to have lost its way. External criticism pressured the company to break its lucrative Yeezy collaboration with divisive celebrity Kanye West after the rapper’s increasingly inflammatory public comments. The company was burning money, losing almost $800 million in the fourth quarter of 2022. And it […]
Why It Pays Off to Be Fluent in a Multinational Team’s Official Language
Multinational teams come in many different forms, from diverse teams in club football to musical ensembles, product development teams, or engineering and consulting teams. Many professionals collaborate in such multinational teams, me included, which means that they need to agree on a common language to be able to converse and get work done. Most multinational teams […]
Plug in, Ponder or Pause? Dealing with Major Disruptions to Our Work
In 2019, I was fortunate enough to receive funding from IESE’s High Impact research initiative to study how global professionals manage their work. So I teamed up with Maïlys George as both of us have been fascinated by cross-cultural experiences, and especially how individuals manage their work and nonwork lives across borders. Our focus was […]
Is DEI Coming of Age?
As Mahatma Gandhi supposedly said, “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” A good sign that an initiative or social movement is receiving the attention it deserves is when it has to deal with relevant public resistance. And this is exactly what has been happening to […]
Welcoming and Nurturing the Value Skilled Migrants Bring
Developed and emerging economies face increasing workforce shortages. This makes skilled migrants an important part of the global labor market. We know that skilled worker migration has significant consequences for nations and firms. For example, in the US, a migrant arriving at age 25 with a college degree pays about half a million dollars more […]
How to manage your energy in a global role
Having just returned from our annual family skiing trip I have been reminded of how important it is to conserve and restore your energy resources. A few consecutive, full days of skiing can easily sap your physical energy. But we all know that our mental energy is a finite resource as well. And sometimes it […]
What Will the Future of Global Mobility Look Like?
As 2023 draws to a close, I would like to look back and ahead as I have done in past years. The ancient Roman god Janus—the god of beginnings and endings, gates, transitions, time and, duality—is not only an apt metaphor for this yearly review but it is quite fitting for the global mobility landscape […]
Will Extreme Heat Reshape the World of Work?
Summer is meant to be hot. Indeed, more often than not vacationers might complain about the lack of sufficiently warm ‘beach’ weather or the rainy days that interfere with their planned activities. Yet, with increased regularity we are also experiencing dangerous heatwaves and their impactful consequences. Just a couple of weeks ago southern Europe was […]
How Do We Address Our Lost Attention? A Follow-up
In my last blog post, I wrote about Johann Hari’s latest bestseller Stolen Focus. In the book Johann creates urgency about the collective collapse of our ability to pay attention. His main premise is that our decline of attention is not a fault of everyone’s lack of willpower, but rather a result of systemic forces, […]
Can I Have Your Attention, Please?
What are the essential skills in the 21st century? A quick internet search suggests that these are skill sets that enable success in a globalized and technological world. As such, we can think of soft skills, such as communication, teamwork, and emotional intelligence, which all help to manage an increasingly collaborative and diverse work environment. […]
