Titel:
Bridging the gap: a holistic view of repatriate social capital outcomes at the individual and organizational levels
Author(s):
Inés Escobar Borruel (University of Vaasa). Contact: iescobar@uwasa.fi
Abstract
In today’s globalized world, transnational firms are dealing with increasing levels of complexity and interdependence among domestic and international business units. In this context, social capital has been identified as a crucial means of informal coordination and cooperation for multinational organizations wanting to succeed in the international arena (Kostova & Roth, 2003; Taylor, 2007).
Social capital can be defined as the aggregate of tangible and intangible resources that are embedded in social structures (i.e., families, work and friend groups, organizations, etc.), and which can be accessed or mobilized through conscious actions for different purposes (Lin, 2001, p. 29).
Expatriate employees are uniquely positioned to accumulate valuable forms of social capital across organizational and national boundaries, which may benefit their individual situation, but also their companies as a whole. Still, previous studies have tended to paint social capital as an individual endeavor, or an organizational source of advantage, and not both.
This is probably due to the general disagreement that already existed among the original proponents of social capital theory, whereby social capital tends to be alternatively conceptualized as an individual asset (Bourdieu, 1986; Nahapiet & Ghoshal, 1998), a collective good (Coleman, 1988; Putnam, 2000), or a resource embedded in social structures that individuals can access (Lin, 2001).
Another lasting misconception in the international careers literature is that the relationships and networks that expatriates get to develop while abroad do not matter beyond the international work experience itself. Instead, their social capital may be even more relevant for them and their organizations once they are back home, as repatriates.
For instance, the international social capital of repatriates can promote the flow of highly strategic and tacit knowledge across organizations, giving them a competitive advantage long after their time abroad (Reiche, 2012; Oddou et al., 2013). Additionally, at the individual level, international contacts may inform expatriates of superior career opportunities back at the home country, easing the repatriation process and providing better chances for individual career success and satisfaction upon return (Seibert et al, 2001).
Given how a holistic, repatriate-specific view of social capital is woefully missing in the international careers literature, this chapter will build on much needed empirical evidence to explore the full breadth of outcomes associated with the social capital of repatriates. Unlike most previous research, we will cover outcomes both at the individual (i.e., career success, well-being) and organizational levels (i.e., knowledge sharing and performance).
To obtain a multi-level view of social capital outcomes, the empirical data will be collected through semi-structured interviews with Finland-based repatriates (individual level) and organizational representatives, including line managers and HR professionals (organizational level). This will enable us to capture a more in-depth picture of the social capital of repatriates and its outcomes.
By espousing a more holistic, multi-level view of social capital in a single study, this book chapter will therefore address the current knowledge gaps in the global mobility literature, but also in social capital theory at large. At last, our chapter will provide a series of evidence-based practical recommendations to improve how individual repatriates can employ and enhance their unique social capital to secure desirable career outcomes, and how MNCs can better manage and leverage this crucial asset to obtain a competitive edge in the international arena.
- [Paper](Book chapter details.pdf)
Data used:
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Description of the dataset
- Organizations in charge: University of Vaasa.
- Population covered: expatriates, repatriates, and HR experts.
- Frequency of data collection: Panel data.
- Time reference: Previous quantitative surveys in 2015/16 and 2020. Interviews for the qualitative extension that informs the current paper were carried out between May and July 2021.
Variables
Group 1 (for example demographic variables)
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- Variable 2
- Variable 3
Group 2
- Variable 1
- Variable 2
- Variable 3
Group 3
- Variable 1
- Variable 2
- Variable 3
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