From: Do three years make a difference? An updated review and analysis of self-initiated expatriation
Variables | Differences between the two type of expatriates | Similarities between the two types of expatriates | Authors | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Self-inititated expatriates (SIEs) | Assigned expatriates (AEs) | |||
Motivational drivers | Interest in internationalism and poor employment situation | Employer initiative | Suutari and Brewster (2000) | |
Location and host country reputation | Career factors | Doherty et al. (2011) | ||
Geographical mobility | More likely to move from peripheral to economically advanced countries | Move more easily to peripheral countries | Peiperl et al. (2014) | |
Move where conditions offer greater economic prospects | Move to less developed countries and support the company subsidiary there | |||
Demographics and individual characteristics | Slightly younger, more females and singles, accompanied with spouses working abroad | Older, more males, married, accompanied with spouses not working abroad | ||
More proficient in host country language | Less proficient in host country language | No significant difference were found in age, gender, marital status or education | Froese and Peltokorpi (2013) | |
SIE spend more time in host country | Have more international experience in working abroad | High open-mindedness, cultural empathy and social initiative | ||
Career | Lower levels of knowing whom | Higher levels of knowing whom | High levels of knowing how and knowing why | Jokinen et al. (2008) |
More stable career orientation/personal investment in career and career progression sustained over time | Career orientation decreases with age | Biemann and Andresen (2010) | ||
Security anchor | Internationalism anchor | Lifestyle anchor | Cerdin and Le Pargneux (2010) | |
Boundaryless career | Protean | Inkson et al. (1997) | ||
Employer, job and task variables | More often employed at lower organizational levels | Occupy high organizational level/managerial positions | ||
Employment organizations are international or foreign private companies | Tend to work in home country companies and their respective subsidiaries | |||
Undertake relatively unskilled, casual roles, often below their capabilities | Roles are broader and more challenging, according to their capabilities | Inkson et al. (1997) | ||
Higher organizational mobility and intention to change organization | Lower organizational mobility and intention to change organization | Biemann and Andresen (2010) | ||
Less satisfaction with job | Higher levels of job satisfaction | Froese and Peltokorpi (2013) | ||
Compensation | High variations in net salary levels | Less variation in salary | Suutari and Brewster (2000) | |
Less common or inexistent additional competitive compensation packages (assignment insurance, overseas premiums, house and education allowances) | Very common additional competitive compensation packages (assignment insurance, overseas premiums, house and education allowances) | |||
Coping strategies | Less critical and more willing to emulate typical host country behaviors for resolving problems related to adaptation to the country | Negative interpretation of the entire cultural system and dissatisfied | von Borell de Araujo et al. (2014) | |
Adjustment | Interact with local populations, understand better the language and culture, adjusting more easily | Do not interact as much with host country nationals, and have more difficulties to adjust | Sargent (2002), Peltokorpi and Froese (2009), Froese and Peltokorpi (2013) | |
Challenges to adjustment related to obtaining a visa, renting a house, contracting for utilities and paying taxes | von Borell de Araujo et al. (2014) | |||
Repatriation | No repatriation agreement is made prior to departure, and are more willingly to accept another working period abroad | Usually move abroad with a definite timeframe and repatriation agreement | Suutari and Brewster (2000) |