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 […]
The New World of Work Calls for New Work Designs
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 […]
ChatGPT and the Future of Work: Job Theft or Upskilling for New Opportunities?
Five years ago I wrote about the automation of jobs, as it was already a prominent and somewhat anxiety provoking topic back then. In 2018 the general sense around automation was that even though robots are there to do more of the easier and ‘linear’ tasks, for example replacing cashiers in the grocery stores, more […]
In Search of a Good New Year’s Resolution?
In early 2021, labour markets witnessed a huge wave of job quitting, which was termed ‘The Great Resignation’, and much has been written about it. Now, we are approaching the end of 2022 with a newly emerged term, ‘quiet quitting´. In contrast with the ‘loud quitting’ of the resignation wave, ‘quiet quitting’ seems to be […]
Let’s Nurture High-Quality Connections at Work
As the December festivities approach, it is a great time to think about important people in our lives and feel gratitude for them, as, indeed, our close relationships are one of the greatest resources we have. In his recently released bestseller ‘Plays well with others´, author and speaker Eric Barker relies on relevant research to […]
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 […]
Poor Sleep = Poor Business?
Let me start by wishing you a good night’s sleep tonight! According to science there are not many other wishes that can trump this one… In his bestselling book about sleep, Matthew Walker, neuroscientist and the director of the Center for Human Sleep Science at the University of California, puts together a compelling case for […]
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 […]
The Fragmented Figures of Refugees
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Europe has been facing the fastest growing exodus of people since World War II. It is estimated that by now there are millions of refugees who have crossed Ukrainian borders, and many more people who had to relocate within the country. Refugees, by definition, are people who […]
When Putin’s War Meets Zelensky’s Leadership
Some time ago, when the Covid crisis unfolded, I wrote about global leadership lessons, as such instances of global disruptions have the capacity to reveal how leaders operate and who they really are. Currently, we are into the fourth month of Putin’s war in Ukraine. Zooming out from the real suffering and emotional burden of […]
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 […]
What Motivates People to Take on Global Work?
Although travel restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic are taking a toll on physically mobile people such as expatriates or migrants, the number of people working across national boundaries is nowhere near stagnating. In fact, studies such as the Santa Fe Relocation Global Mobility Survey 2020/21 suggest that the nature of global mobility is evolving […]
The Problems of Our Left Brained World
Many of us have grown up with respect and admiration for logic, reason, and rational thinking. Broadly speaking, Western educational systems aim at developing these exact skills and qualities, teaching us to think methodically, to organize, structure and categorize knowledge, to think in abstract terms and derive mental representations of different experiences. According to Ian […]
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 […]
What If Santa Asked ’Have You Been a Good Employer’?
As 2021 is drawing to a close, we probably agree that we have been better adjusted and equipped for this second year of the pandemic. For one thing, there has been a global Covid vaccine rollout, which likely helped many countries across the world to manage the situation better and keep their economies relatively open. […]
Ted Lasso: An Example of a Global Leader Who Wins Over People
Do you remember the TV series The Office? The American series aired in 2005, ran a total of 201 episodes, won several awards, and surely made it to the list of favourites for many viewers. Probably echoing the perceptions of many, I would argue that the series was indeed quite entertaining and funny, especially because […]
Global Leadership Succession: Is Merkel Irreplaceable?
On September 26th Germany voted for a new government—and a new leader! As the election results in Germany unravelled, the whole of Europe and the world watched carefully. Indeed, Angela Merkel’s departure is significant and marks an end of an era. Merkel is the first German chancellor, who has served a record four terms in […]
