International Career During Pandemic? Individual-Level Determinants of Global Talent Mobility

Abstract

The prospect to pursue an international career and participate in global talent mobility has been challenged by the pandemic. So what prompts an individual to remain interested in pursuing an international career during such a disruptive global event? In this study, we provide some answers to this timely question. We ground our assertions on Social Cognitive Career Theory to theoretically explain how an individual’s international career self-efficacy would relate to interest in international career during pandemic. We then assert the critical role of international career optimism as a mediator and risk taking as a conditional moderator which can influence interest in international career. To test these assertions, we conducted two studies in Australia (Study 1; one wave of data; n=340 and Study 2; two waves of data; n=245) and our findings provide contextualized insights on critical individual-level determinants of global talent mobility in time of global crisis. Our findings also offer practical insights for international management particularly for individuals who aspire to engage in global talent mobility as well as for firms that aim to recruit global talents during pandemic.