Yochanan Altman

Exploring international work: Types and dimensions of global careers

Contemporary global work comprises a wide and growing array of different modes of international work configurations. In this article, we offer a multidimensional framework for conceptual (theoretical and practical) underpinning of these different modes. Building on the extant literature and the Delphi approach, seven dimensions emerged: (i) time of exposure; (ii) intensity of international contact through work; (iii) breadth of interaction; (iv) legal context; (v) international work instigator; (vi) extent of cultural gap between an individuals country-of-origin and the context in which the international work takes place; and (vii) key cultural-related requirements of ones job/role. To these dimensions, we add individual and organizational contextual variables, e.g. diversity and occupational patterns, as well as career systems with a particular focus on the importance of globally orientated work. Furthermore, we list the major modes of global careers and draw a global career glossary. Both the multidimensional framework and the glossary should facilitate scholars and managers to systematize, analyse, manage and further develop their expatriation and repatriation career strategies, policies and practices.

Gender, age and the MBA: An analysis of extrinsic and intrinsic career benefits

Against the background of an earlier study, this article presents the findings of a Canadian-based survey of career benefits from the MBA. Results indicate first that gender and age interact to influence perceptions of career outcomes and second that both men and women gain intrinsic benefits from the MBA. However, intrinsic benefits vary by gender: Men in the study were more likely to gain confidence from having a fuller skill set, whereas women were more likely to gain confidence from feelings of self-worth. In addition, men emphasized how they had learned to give up control, whereas women argued that they had gained a voice in the organization. The role of the MBA in career self-management and in the acquisition of key skills is examined, as well as the implications for the design of programs in meeting the varied needs of men and women in different age groups.

Career progress and career barriers: women MBA graduates in Canada and the UK

This article explores the career progress of female MBA graduates in Canada and the UK and the nature of career barriers experienced in each context. Results suggest that while Canadian women have similar career profiles to men, women in the UK lag behind their male counterparts after graduation from the course. At the same time, UK women encounter more intractable career barriers in the form of negative attitudes and prejudice. A model of the “MBA effect” is proposed in terms of how the qualification may impact on career barriers. This incorporates three different types of barriers which are seen to operate at the individual level (person centred barriers) and at the intermediate/organizational level (organizational culture and attitudes, corporate practices) as well as, at the macro level, the impact of legislative frameworks. Results from the UK and Canadian surveys are discussed in relation to this model and in the context of feminist theory and women in management literature.

Women, aliens and international assignments

In this article we chart the rise of the female expatriate manager over the past generation, as a prelude to positing the question as to why the number of women on international assignments is even lower, proportionally, than their numbers in management overall. We argue that exploring the metaphor of the alien in the context of international assignments and the issue of gender will advance our understanding of this and related questions, since the concept of alien is inherent to the expatriate situation as well as to the position of women in organisations. We then forward seven propositions on two themes: the experience of being an alien and the consequences of being seen as an alien. We conclude that women expatriates are possibly better positioned to handle an expatriate assignment than men and we speculate that we will see them making inroads into international management for a variety of reasons.

What do we really know about corporate career women expatriates

Despite a significant and increasing volume of literature on womens expatriate corporate careers, our understanding of this field is patchy. We know that women expatriates adjust and perform well, despite the challenges that they face in selection and deployment, during the assignment and on repatriation. We also know that, despite their success, female expatriates meet their career goals less frequently than do men. Yet, our knowledge is limited by the absence of coherent detail and due to methodological deficiency. Thus, we do not have the full profiles of women who undertake international careers, what motivates them, or their career cycles. And there is significant inconsistency in the theoretical lenses used, the reporting protocol employed and considerable lack of comparable and sufficiently large samples and longitudinal studies. Through a detailed and thorough examination of the contents and context of womens expatriate career literature to date, we draw out key benchmarks and posit recommendations to improve on our current patchwork of knowledge.

Career Mobility in a Global Era: Advances in Managing Expatriation and Repatriation

The surge of interest in expatriation and repatriation within the broader discourse on labor mobility of professionals and high-skilled labor, human capital development, and the theory and practice of people management serves as the backdrop to this paper. We propose that expatriation and repatriation be framed in the context of global careers and embedded in the wider social-economic environment of globalization through the lens of a career ecosystem theory. We chart the evolution of scholarly publications on career mobility over the past four decades and highlight current trends, in particular the emergence of self-initiated expatriation as a pivotal change in the direction of expatriation studies and derived practice. We assess the rigor of empirical findings, weigh theoretical underpinnings, offer a research agenda for future research, and outline managerial implications.

International Strategic Human Resource Management: A Comparative Case Analysis of Spanish Firms in China

This study examines the role of human resources in strategy formulation processes in Chinas emerging market. Employing a qualitative data driven thematic analysis, we present evidence collected from six comparative case sites of Spanish firms in China. Our findings suggest that high performing firms use a dynamic adaptive logic while lower performing firms use a static structural logic. A dynamic adaptive model of strategic human resource management is identified, emphasizing a fluid and informal process between strategy, human resources and international management.

Welcome to the New Journal of Management, Spirituality and Religion

he remarkable explosion of scholarship in the fields of management, business, work and organizations creates the T impetus for the evolvement of more specialized interest areas. One area whose time has come is that of Spirituality and Religion their role in shaping organizations: structures, decision making, management style, mission and strategy, organizational culture, human resource management, finance and accounting, marketing and sales in short: all aspects of organizing and managing resources and people.

Strategies for Revising and Resubmitting Papers to Refereed Journals

We explored what authors allegedly do and why, when invited to revise and resubmit manuscripts to refereed journals. Based on responses from 249 business and management scholars from the UK and USA, we found that authors preferred to resubmit to the original journal, whether the required revision was minor or major, and that under certain circumstances other options would be considered: submitting to alternative journals, sometimes without revising at all; discarding the paper; or challenging the editor. Experience in publishing was found to be an important moderator. As to ‘why’ they purport to do so, a classification of qualitative responses yielded a matrix of four optional strategies, grouped along two axes: rationale (instrumental reasoning versus ethical reasoning) and agency (individually centred reasoning versus community-centred reasoning). Most responses were located in the instrumental/self-centred quadrant.

In search of spiritual leadership

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide an interview with Lynne Sedgmore, CBE, Executive Director of 157 Group UK.Design/methodology/approach – This briefing is prepared by an independent interviewer.Findings – Lynne Sedgmore, CBE, is executive director of the 157 Group UK and was formerly chief executive of the UK Centre for Excellence in Leadership. A corporate mystic, her leadership style in her role as principal of Guildford College of Further and Higher Education, UK, was subject of a PhD dissertation. The achievements of the Centre for Excellence in Leadership under her leadership (2003‐2008) have been documented in a series of reports and papers and are now a topic for a book (in writing). The Centre for Excellence in Leadership was awarded the International Spirit at Work Award for its achievements as a spiritual organization. Lynne Sedgmore was awarded the CBE for services to education in 2004.Practical implications – Provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenc...