Self-initiated expatriation has attracted a growing interest since the classical articles by Inkson, Arthur, Pringle and Barry (1997) and Suutari and Brewster (2000). By now, we have gained a general understanding of the phenomenon. However, looking at the samples underlying publications on self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) shows that the term SIE has been employed to cover a large variety of distinct populations that differ in a number of key contextual factors such as educational level, profession, gender and family status, country of origin and destination country as well as employing organizations.
But context matters: expatriates in and from different places, at different times and in different kinds of organizations present different challenges for SIEs which impacts the extent of required personal initiative, their work experiences and career trajectories (Andresen, Pattie, & Hippler, 2020). For instance, diverse dangers in physically (COVID-19 pandemic, terrorism) or psychological environments have a substantial impact on SIEs’ behaviors, attitudes and careers (Bader, Schuster, & Dickmann, 2019). In most of SIE research samples are mixed, allowing us to draw only limited conclusions about the relevance and influence of contextual factors. This impedes the systematic comparison and integration of SIE knowledge. Thus, the role of context and its impact on SIEs’ career-related decisions and behaviours needs further exploration.
Submissions to the Special Issue are open to participants attending the 2nd International Conference on Self-Initiated Expatriation and all other authors. Submissions to CDI open 30th April 2022 and the submission due date is 30th July 2022.
Please submit enquiries to Maike.Andresen@uni-bamberg.de.
Submissions should be made through ScholarOne Manuscripts: https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/cdevi
Specific details on the format for submitted manuscripts can be found at the journal’s website https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/journal/cdi
Please direct any general questions about the journal or any administrative matters to the Editor, Professor Jim Jawahar (jimoham@ilstu.edu).
Exemplary research questions within the intended scope of this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. Contextual influences of space on SIEs
2. Contextual influence of time on SIEs
3. Contextual influence of institutions on SIEs