We are experiencing a rapid transformation of the world of work. Just within the few last years we have seen a dramatic increase in virtual work, gig work, different forms of collaborations beyond organizational boundaries, and artificial intelligence. All these changes guide new thinking about how work could and should be done, and organizations are […]
Great Promise for Virtual Global Mobility!
As one of the Covid related jokes go, Covid happened to teach us how to properly wash our hands and keep the distance. Indeed, one may hope that the useful health and hygiene routines are here to stay even as the pandemic subsides. Covid also taught us how to work remotely, and what we can […]
The Expatriate Work–Family Interface: A Case of Self-Efficacy
Expatriate experiences, and adjustment in particular, have been one of the most prominent research topics in the field of global mobility. Rightfully so, given the multitude of challenges that expatriates face, such as increased job responsibilities, excessive travel, major life changes, and dealing with cultural others. Industry surveys (e.g. Santa Fe Relocation) indicate that many […]
What Makes Repatriates More Likely to Transfer Knowledge upon Their Return?
In a recent post I wrote about the research my colleagues and I conducted on inpatriation and knowledge transfer. Based on the research data we concluded that inpatriates contribute considerably to knowledge transfer and subsidiary development, leading us to recommend multinational corporations (MNCs) to view inpatriation from a more strategic perspective. As a follow-up on […]
Why the Strategic Use of Inpatriation Benefits Multinationals
You have probably heard an old aphorism – Time is Money. Today, in the knowledge economy, it is more suitable to equate money with knowledge though. I believe that any contemporary economist would argue that knowledge (and technology) are the required components for enhanced productivity and economic growth. This premise holds particularly true for multinational […]
When the Pandemic Isn’t the Only Reason to Work from Home
By now, the majority of us have at least some experience of setting up our office in our living room, commuting to work within seconds of stepping from one room into another, and ‘bumping’ into your colleagues for ‘random’ chit chat at scheduled times and through prepared online meetings… yes, the work-from-home experience, which, as […]
On Global Leadership, Humility, Biden and Hopes for the Next Years
About four years ago my first blog post of the year 2017 was about Trump’s inauguration. Back then I wrote about the feelings of uncertainty and anticipation of an era of protectionism and populism. Four years forward, we are all quite familiar with how his ‘America first’ philosophy turned out, and each of us can hold their own […]
Covid-19 and the Unfolding of Global Leadership
As Covid-19 unfolded, it became quite clear that leaders in all countries had to face and cope with a globally interconnected health crisis. This global crisis demands committed global leadership, which however has greatly varied in approaches, styles and actions, as all of us could experience and witness. Driven by our curiosity of what we […]
When an Ostrich, a Bird, a Frog and a Lizard are moved to a foreign environment…
Here is a puzzle: if an Ostrich, a Bird, a Frog and a Lizard are moved to a foreign environment, which one of them has the best chance of successful adaption and adjustment? Taken literally, the puzzle sounds like a case for environmental biologists… yet, let’s look at it metaphorically and explore the theme of […]
Latest Research: How Do Employees Respond to a Radical Global Language Change over Time?
Radical change, such as through mergers or acquisitions, is integral to organizational life. Radical changes bring about qualitative changes in the ways people in the organization cognitively, emotionally and behaviourally interact with each other and the world around them. One increasingly common form of radical change in global organizations is replacing the native language of […]
Gender Bias in Academia: Latest Study Results
I have touched upon the topic of gender equality in my blog on several occasions, be it about gender diversity in the workplace, the gender pay gap, or gender imbalances in expatriation. As such, the topic is far from being new, yet it cannot be dismissed, as the challenge of gender equality continues to persist. […]
Four Worlds of Work: Which One Shall We Pick for Our Future?
The world of work is changing, we all hear about it, read about it and experience it. There is an increasing amount of self-checkout machines in customer care, more and more people are getting involved in virtual jobs, and employers are ever more eager to hire people with abilities to learn and adapt, rather than with […]
Should I Control You, if I Trust You? Recent Research on the Trust-Control Link in Russia
Reflecting about what nurtures personal and professional relationships, we are probably quick to think about trust as a main ingredient. And when you are asked what trust means, you probably think ‘less control’. If I trust you, I shouldn’t need or want to control you, right? Well, this logic is challenged as soon as you become a […]
Growth Mindset in Global Work: The Impact of the Belief of Malleability
In my last blog post I discussed Dweck’s mindsets theory and its implications in organizational settings, namely in relation to employees’ interests and inter-disciplinary problem solving skills. Today I would like to follow-up on the topic by looking more specifically into mindsets theory in the context of global work and expatriation. Indeed, the possible impact of a growth […]
Cosmopolitan Imaginary: Insights from the Latest Research
How do we understand the idea of cosmopolitanism? As an ideology and notion of self that doesn’t belong to any culture or country? As belonging to the world as a whole with no narrower cultural identifications? According to Gianpiero Petriglieri of INSEAD, cosmopolitanism is the aspiration to become a citizen of the world, it is […]
Human Diversity: Benefits for CEOs and Their Companies?
Embracing human diversityis not the strongest side of human nature. Plenty of social psychology concepts and research indicate how we tend to prefer people who are like us, form relationships with people who are alike rather than different, and categorize people similar to us into an ‘in-group’ and dissimilar people into an ‘out-group’. Evolutionary psychologists […]
