Task

- Do you agree/disagree with the opinionbelow? Why?
- Can you add more insights to the analysis below?

Below,you can see a personal opinion about the research approach adopted in the attached paper "Understanding and supporting the career implications of international assignments" by (Collings, D. G., Doherty, N., Luethy, M., & Osborn, D. 2011.)

Opinion:

Collings et al devoted their paper to examining the plight of expatriate workers with a research focus consisting of individual and corporate needs with an emphasis on the organization providing support to the international employee before, during and after their time abroad. While novel in their approach to long term individual needs, I question the relevance of their study in view of the new economy, short term employment, contract employment and the gig economy. This conflict is particularly evident in Table 1 (Collings, p 363), which demonstrates almost a 6-year organizational responsibility between the employer and employee when they accept foreign postings.

While their ideas are supported by a variety of theoretical and empirical sources, it fails to resonate with my own experience or that of a majority of my peers and coworkers. Since the date of their publication, I have worked for three difference organizations on 5 separate projects across 3 continents. This imposes a direct cognitive bias within myself regarding their research viability. The only immediate utility to this article for managerial decision making would potentially on section of personnel for deployed jobs as well as calculating the total cost of sending long term employees abroad.

References:

Collings, D. G., N. Doherty, M. Luethy, & D. Osborn, (2011) ‘Understanding and Supporting the Career Implications of International Assignments', Journal of Vocational Behavior, 78 (1) pp. 361-371(Please see attached the paper)