Call for papers: The Role of Expatriates, Inpatriates and Cross-functional Global Teams in Transition Economies

A special issue of International Journal of Human Resources Development and Management

During the last 20 years the transition countries have experienced different degrees of decentralization, deregulation, and market-oriented transformation. They have also changed the characteristics of the labour market from an exclusively formal and public one to one that is extremely polarized, with pre-transition formal employment in the state sector coexisting with an often highly informal emerging private market.

Current transformations of CEE (Central Eastern Europe) needs:

• A highly skilled professional workforce for the new 'knowledge-economy';
• comparability of educational outputs and knowledge worldwide;
• mobility of graduates and workforce;
• growing employability in MNCs.

For over 30 years, much of the literature on IHRM has focused on the issue of expatriation. The Grainger, R. J. & Nankervis, A. R. (2001) paper examines the foundations of earlier views of 'expatriate management', and suggests ways in which a new paradigm, more reflective of modern globalisation, might be developed. Gerhart (2005, 178) justifies the question, to what extent Western Strategic Global Human Resource Management (SGHRM) framework is valid for other (in this case, CEE) contexts by saying: “This is a concern because it seems unlikely that one set of HR practices will work equally well no matter what context This requires the effective identification and specification of the issue of expatriation and inpatriation. Although CEE is still comprised of mostly ‘sending’ countries, it is likely that some of them will soon become ‘receiving’ countries, suggesting a shift to the brain circulation form of migration. These countries, also called ‘buffer zone countries’, will probably become attractive for immigrants from distant places because they are located along the EU border (IOM 2003).

As the globalisation of the business world continues with ever faster changes, new trends have emerged within the field of role of expatriate management for transition countries. To what extent and in what ways are MNCs and their managers becoming truly “international”? This special issue aims to give voice to researchers from around the world on this issue of innovative SGHRM practices and specifically questions how SGHRM practices, such as the role of global organizations’ recruitment, retraining and redeployment, performance appraisal and compensation, enhance corporate performance during the change process. To what extent is SGHRM practice predominantly ethnocentric or ‘truly global’?

Although submitted manuscripts may focus on theory development, empirical testing, or case analysis, they should further understanding of why and how knowledge transfer can and do influence economic development in theory and practice. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Knowledge paradigm in transition countries
• Internationalization of HRM through reverse transfer
• Role of MNC for transition countries
• Learning transfer in multinational companies
• Approaches in the diffusion of knowledge or
• Careers and flexibility in the new economy
• Importance of knowledge network
• Dual careers
• Global careers
• Internal and external social networks
• Cross cultural training
• The language barrier
• Global virtual teams
• 'Born global' or international entrepreneurial ventures
• Important implications for Western-CEE partners in HRM
• The role of expatriates, inpatriates and cross-functional global teams in developing and disseminating effective HR practices
• Organizational learning in MNCs
• Global organizations: an ethical perspective
• Role of multiculturalism
• Knowledge sourcing by foreign multinational
• Government funded programmes
• Grants and cooperative agreements

Important Date
Paper Submission Deadline: 31 October, 2010