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Ramsin Yakob, University of Gothenburg, School of Business Economics and Law, Gothenburg, Sweden

Many repatriates continue to find their international experiences undervalued upon returning home. This undervaluation is often due to a lack of understanding and appreciation of the competencies gained during their time abroad. The misalignment between the enhanced career capital of repatriates and the roles available at home leads to frustration and a sense of career stagnation. Many employees' international assignments expecting a career boost, only to find the reality falling short due to organizational short-sightedness and inadequate planning. This disconnect can lead to career setbacks and diminished job satisfaction, emphasizing the need for proactive career management and organizational support.

Organizations must value international experience and integrate it into their career planning processes. Organizational support plays a crucial role in the effective transfer and utilization, and consequently, valuation, of career capital. Yet, many organizations fail to provide the necessary support, resulting in a loss of valuable skills and knowledge. This failure is often due to a lack of strategic alignment between the organization's motives for the assignment and the individual's career development goals. On one hand, individuals willingly accept international assignments with the expectation that the experience will yield career capital effects. On the other hand, organizations have their own motives for selecting suitable candidates for international assignments. Depending on the individual's motive, and the organizations motive, for the international assignment a reinforcing, deepening, augmenting, or creating effect on the individuals career capital is identified.

The focus on how different types of international assignments influence career capital is pivotal for understanding the potential drawbacks of going on international assignments. There is a need to recognize that not all assignments are the same, and that they also carry different consequences for the individual development of career capital. For instance, functional assignments, which are task-specific, tend to reinforce an individual's existing skills and knowledge. On the other hand, developmental assignments, which aim to broaden an employee's skill set through new challenges, contribute to creating and enhancing career capital. Functional assignments should come with clear career advancement plans, while developmental assignments should facilitate significant learning and growth.

For organizations, aligning organizational goals with individual career aspirations to enhance the effectiveness of international assignments is pivotal. There is a need for a reevaluation of expatriate management practices, suggesting that organizations develop robust repatriation strategies to ensure the skills and knowledge gained abroad are effectively utilized. This approach would help both the company and its employees fully benefit from global mobility. This study provides crucial insights into the complexities of career capital development and transfer in international assignments. By addressing the highlighted issues, organizations can improve their expatriate management practices, leading to more effective international assignments and better career outcomes for employees. This research highlights the need for a strategic approach to expatriate assignments, ensuring that the experiences and skills gained are recognized and utilized to their fullest potential, ultimately benefiting both the individuals and the organizations they work for.

To read this article, please see the Journal of Global Mobility publication:

Yakob, R. (2024), "Mind the professional void! Career capital development and transfer in international assignments", Journal of Global Mobility, Vol. 12 No. 2, pp. 219-240. https://doi.org/10.1108/JGM-08-2023-0058" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://doi.org/10.1108/JGM-08-2023-0058