Rethinking Self-Initiated Expatriation in International Highly Skilled Migration

Abstract

International migration and mobility, and the concept of self-initiated expatriation (SIE) (SIE as abbreviation is used for self-initiated expatriation as a concept, and for a self-initiated expatriate (SIE) or self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) as individuals) are intensively debated, ranging from research and politics to families and corporate recruiting strategies. Today, previously nonexistent possibilities and contexts enable and advance new processes and patterns of highly skilled mobility, such as self-initiated expatriation. An emerging field of study examines the concept of SIE and boundaryless career building processes from the perspectives of highly skilled people and human resource management. The importance of ‘global talents’, the demand for skills in globalizing labour markets, and the phenomenon of individualization influence policies at multiple levels and pull highly skilled people in diverse destinations. International opportunities beyond traditional corporate assignments generate various life and career options for these ‘talents’. The aim of the chapter is to foster reconceptualization and contextualization of SIE and its cross-dissemination. It provides an overview of the approaches and debates in international migration and mobility research, and focuses on these talents as embedded individuals. The chapter addresses recent theory discussions, such as the ‘mobility turn’ and the ‘big data’ in empirical social research, and it synthesizes a theory landscape on SIE research. It incorporates various disciplinary angles, interlinking different lenses, framings and mechanisms to trigger future research. The contribution broadens understanding of SIE concept both empirically and theoretically with particular insights from the Finnish context.