Exploring the development and transfer of career capital in an international governmental organization

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorDickmann, Michael
dc.contributor.authorCerdin, Jean-Luc
dc.date.accessioned2016-11-16T09:11:21Z
dc.date.available2016-11-16T09:11:21Z
dc.date.issued2016-10-05
dc.description.abstractThis study investigates global career self-management behaviors of staff in an international governmental organization (IGO). The literature on global careers argues that individuals should maximize their career capital, operationalized in the intelligent careers (IC) concept as competencies, social networks, and motivations of persons related to their careers. The IC concept implies that career capital is transferable and argues that IC components are interrelated and self-reinforcing. We explored these assumptions through a case study in a United Nations (UN) organization. Using the IC framework we undertook 29 semi-structured interviews with international assignees, HR, and operational experts and conducted one focus group discussion with seven staffing coordinators. We found that the UN organization had high barriers to career capital transfer between head office and field stations. Therefore, the IGO staff experienced conflicting demands in terms of their career capital behaviors. Many staff did not focus on maximizing their career-relevant capabilities or social networks. Instead, they pursued international careers that intentionally sacrificed internal career progression in favor of their humanitarian aid duties. The research adds to the insights of the global careers literature and refines our understanding of the relationship of the organizational center to its foreign affiliates. The findings expose potentially contradictory behavioral implications of elements of the IC concept and call for a context-sensitive refinement. Managerial implications for resourcing, development, career management, and retention are discussed.en_UK
dc.identifier.citationMichael Dickmann and Jean-Luc Cerdin. Exploring the development and transfer of career capital in an international governmental organization. International Journal of Human Resource Management, Volume 29, 2018, Issue 15, pp. 2253-2283en_UK
dc.identifier.issn0958-5192
dc.identifier.urihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2016.1239217
dc.identifier.urihttp://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/handle/1826/10986
dc.language.isoenen_UK
dc.publisherTaylor & Francis (Routledge): SSH Titlesen_UK
dc.rightsAttribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
dc.subjectGlobal careersen_UK
dc.subjectintelligent careersen_UK
dc.subjectinternational mobilityen_UK
dc.subjectinternational governmental organizationsen_UK
dc.subjecthead office-subsidiary relationshipen_UK
dc.titleExploring the development and transfer of career capital in an international governmental organizationen_UK
dc.typeArticleen_UK

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Exploring_the_development_and_transfer_of_career_capital-2016.pdf
Size:
183.01 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.79 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download

Collections

Staff publications (SoM)