The impact of career capital on expatriates’ perceived marketability

We examine how the development of three types of career capital (knowing how, knowing whom, and knowing why) during an international assignment affects the perceived marketability of organizational expatriates. Using the perceived marketability perspective and long-term follow-up data, we show that knowing how is seen as the most transferable type of career capital, while the development of other aspects of career capital has little impact on perceived marketability. We also show that career capital development is more recognized in the external market than by current employers. Our findings expand our understanding of long-term career marketability among people who have completed international assignments.

The career competencies of self-initiated and assigned expatriates: assessing the development of career capital over time

Building on a modern careers approach, we assess the effects of working abroad on individuals’ career capital. Given the dearth of longitudinal studies, we return to a sample of economics graduates in Finland eight years later. We measure changes in three dimensions of career capital; ‘knowing how’, ‘knowing whom’, ‘knowing why’ and find that company assigned expatriates learn more than self-initiated expatriates. All three career capital areas benefit from international experience and all are increasingly valued over time. Based on our findings we conclude that a dynamic notion of career capital acquisition and use is needed. Managerial implications include the need for a wider view of talent management for international businesses.

Self-initiated expatriates and their career success

Purpose This paper aims to provide conceptual clarity by distinguishing self‐initiated expatriates (SIEs) from company‐assigned expatriates (AEs), and skilled migrants; most importantly, it introduces an overarching conceptual framework based on career capital theory to explain SIEs’ career success. Design/methodology/approach This conceptual framework is based on a review of the relevant literature on SIE, expatriation, career studies, cross‐cultural studies, migration, and other related areas. Findings Protean career attitude, career networks, and cultural intelligence are identified as three major types of career capital influencing SIEs career success positively; the predicting relationships between these are mediated by cultural adjustment in the host country. Cultural distance acts as the moderator, which highlights the influence of macro‐contextual factors on SIEs’ career development. Research limitations/implications The current paper applied career capital theory and did not integrate the impact of family and labour market situation on SIEs’ career development. Further research should test the proposed framework empirically, and integrate the impact of family‐ and career‐related factors into a holistic approach. Practical implications When constructing international talent acquisition and retention strategies, organizations and receiving countries should understand the different career development needs and provide SIEs with opportunities to increase career capital during expatriation. Furthermore, the current framework suggests how to adjust to the host country in order to meet career development goals. Originality/value The multi‐level and sequential framework adds value by identifying specific types of career capital for SIEs and providing a conceptual underpinning for explaining how they interact and foster SIEs’ career success. Moreover, the framework embraces SIEs from both developed and developing economies.

Self-initiation expatriation: A focus on Italian and Portuguese students

The purpose of this work project is to analyze the phenomenon of self-initiated expatriation (SIE) through its link to the Protean Career and Career Capital theories, focusing in particular on Italian and Portuguese students attending a Master in the business area. The main research questions are to understand the reasons driving the intention to expatriate, after the conclusion of the academic path, using three main categories (Adventure Motivation, Work Characteristic Motivation and instrumental Motivation) and the intention to repatriate. A sample of Italian and Portuguese students was obtained. Italians show a higher intention to expatriate relative to Portuguese; nevertheless, no other significant differences were found among the two populations, because of the similar cultural background and economic situation. Additionally, several heterogeneities were observed considering other clusters defined by Gender, Teaching Language of the Master and Past International Experiences, across the two nationalities. Furthermore, possible future researches and practical implications were discussed.

Career concerns: a human capital perspective

We introduce human capital accumulation, in the form of learning by doing, in a life cycle model of career concerns and analyze how human capital acquisition a ects implicit incentives for performance. We show that standard results from the career concerns literature can be reversed in the presence of human capital accumulation. Namely, implicit incentives need not decrease over time and may decrease with the degree of uncertainty about an individual's talent. Furthermore, increasing the pre-cision of output measurement can weaken rather than strengthen implicit incentives. Overall, our results contribute to shed new light on the ability of markets to discipline moral hazard in the absence of explicit contracts linking pay to performance.

Gestão de recursos humanos na indústria do turismo em Portugal: tendências futuras do capital humano: um estudo exploratório em unidades hoteleiras no Distrito de Coimbra

No setor do turismo, devido a evolução social e tecnológica, surgiram exigências relativamente ao conhecimento, inovação, informação e qualidade, que resultaram numa maior procura de perfis profissionais adaptados às necessidades a médio prazo (Eurico, 2012). Assim, as unidades hoteleiras têm sentido uma forte necessidade de recrutar e reter pessoas qualificadas e capazes de antecipar múltiplos fatores decisivos na satisfação do cliente. Neste sentido, o presente estudo procura explorar e compreender as tendências futuras ao nível do Capital Humano na indústria do Turismo, mais especificamente no que respeita as unidades hoteleiras, tendo como amostra unidades localizadas no distrito de Coimbra. A análise incidiu nas competências específicas requeridas no setor, qualificações, formação profissional, recrutamento e seleção, sistema de remuneração e recompensa e do sistema de progressão na carreira. Assim, foi escolhido para o presente estudo a metodologia qualitativa, em que os dados foram recolhidos a partir do inquérito por entrevista realizado a sete Diretores e um assistente de direção de oito unidades hoteleiras no Distrito de Coimbra. Para o tratamento dos dados foi aplicada a análise do conteúdo através do processo de preparação das entrevistas transcritas, que, após uma leitura exaustiva, foram transformados em unidades de análise que permitiram a criação de categorias dessas unidades. Após a criação de categorias de análise foi possível realizar a descrição através de uma síntese dos dados fazendo uso de citações diretas dos dados recolhidos. Por fim, foi realizada a interpretação dos dados que traduz-se na relação das categorias das unidades de análise e a fundamentação teórica presente neste estudo (Santos, 2012). Os resultados obtidos a partir deste estudo revelam que os requisitos exigidos para os colaboradores e para determinadas práticas de gestão de recursos humanos nas unidades hoteleiras atualmente e num futuro próximo serão essencialmente os mesmos. Todavia, foi possível estabelecer o perfil ideal dos futuros colaboradores das unidades hoteleiras e tendências de práticas de gestão de recursos humanos como formação e desenvolvimento, recrutamento e seleção, planos de progressão na carreira e sistemas de remuneração e recompensa. Foi igualmente possível verificar que a maioria das unidades hoteleiras analisadas é de pequena e média dimensão não dispõe de um departamento de Recursos Humanos, sendo aplicada pelos gestores de topo.

Human Capital Questionnaire (PHCQ): Assessment of European nurses' perception as indicators of human capital quality

Healthcare accreditation models generally include indicators related to healthcare employees' perceptions (e.g. satisfaction, career development, and health safety). During the accreditation process, organizations are asked to demonstrate the methods with which assessments are made. However, none of the models provide standardized systems for the assessment of employees. In this study, we analyzed the psychometric properties of an instrument for the assessment of nurses' perceptions as indicators of human capital quality in healthcare organizations. The Human Capital Questionnaire was applied to a sample of 902 nurses in four European countries (Spain, Portugal, Poland, and the UK). Exploratory factor analysis identified six factors: satisfaction with leadership, identification and commitment, satisfaction with participation, staff well-being, career development opportunities, and motivation. The results showed the validity and reliability of the questionnaire, which when applied to healthcare organizations, provide a better understanding of nurses' perceptions, and is a parsimonious instrument for assessment and organizational accreditation. From a practical point of view, improving the quality of human capital, by analyzing nurses and other healthcare employees' perceptions, is related to workforce empowerment.

Human Capital Questionnaire (PHCQ): Assessment of European nurses' perception as indicators of human capital quality

Healthcare accreditation models generally include indicators related to healthcare employees' perceptions (e.g. satisfaction, career development, and health safety). During the accreditation process, organizations are asked to demonstrate the methods with which assessments are made. However, none of the models provide standardized systems for the assessment of employees. In this study, we analyzed the psychometric properties of an instrument for the assessment of nurses' perceptions as indicators of human capital quality in healthcare organizations. The Human Capital Questionnaire was applied to a sample of 902 nurses in four European countries (Spain, Portugal, Poland, and the UK). Exploratory factor analysis identified six factors: satisfaction with leadership, identification and commitment, satisfaction with participation, staff well-being, career development opportunities, and motivation. The results showed the validity and reliability of the questionnaire, which when applied to healthcare organizations, provide a better understanding of nurses' perceptions, and is a parsimonious instrument for assessment and organizational accreditation. From a practical point of view, improving the quality of human capital, by analyzing nurses and other healthcare employees' perceptions, is related to workforce empowerment.

ontoReadiness: A meta-ontology for readiness certification and career portability

This paper argues the need for the information communication technology (ICT), labor exchange (job boards), and Human Capital ontology engineers (ontoEngineers) to jointly design and socialize an upper level meta-ontology for people readiness and career portability. These enticing ontology research topics have yielded "independent" results, but have yet to meet the more broader or "universal" requirement that emerging frameworks demand. This paper will focus on the need to universally develop an upper level ontology and provide the reader concepts and models that can be transformed into marketable solutions.

Digital technology and creative arts career patterns in the UK creative economy

The creative industries have attracted the attention of academics and policy makers for the complexity surrounding their development, supply-chains and models of production. In particular, many have recognised the difficulty in capturing the role that digital technologies play within the creative industries. Digital technologies are embedded in the production and market structures of the creative industries and are also partially distinct and discernible from it. This paper unfolds the role played by digital technologies focusing on a key aspect of its development: human capital. Using student micro-data collected by the Higher Education Statistical Agency (HESA) in the United Kingdom, we investigate the characteristics and location determinants of digital graduates. The paper deals specifically with understanding whether digital skills in the UK are equally embedded across the creative industries, or are concentrated in other sub-sectors. Furthermore, it explores the role that these graduates play in each sub-sector and their financial rewards. Findings suggest that digital technology graduates tend to concentrate in the software and gaming sub-sector of the creative industries but also are likely to be in embedded creative jobs outside of the creative industries. Although they are more likely to be in full-time employment than part-time or self-employment, they also suffer from a higher level of unemployment.

Dreaming up the right career: an exploratory study of the career aspirations of low-income adolescents living in urban São Paulo

No Brasil, os jovens de baixa renda estão propensos ao desemprego, o que é particularmente problemático em uma economia emergente onde a desigualdade de renda é relativamente alta, e onde o desenvolvimento socioeconômico futuro pode depender do crescimento e da estabilidade de uma classe média já vulnerável. Além disso, o desemprego entre os jovens, especialmente em cidades urbanas, está associado a elevada incidência de violência, comportamento ilegal, aumento da desigualdade e instabilidade sociopolítica. Este estudo complementa tentativas existentes de promover as perspectivas de emprego da juventude brasileira, investigando as aspirações profissionais de 25 adolescentes que vivem em comunidades de baixa renda na zona urbana de São Paulo. A pesquisa foi realizada através de grupos de foco durante o período de quatro encontros nas comunidades paulistanas de Vila Albertina, Heliópolis, Vila Prudente e Vila Nova Esperança. Os resultados da pesquisa repetem, em grande parte, o conhecimento existente que diz respeito a adolescentes; eles confirmam o papel importante que o mérito individual, o microambiente e os modelos exemplares (isto é, familiares, colegas e educadores locais) têm de moldar e possibilitar (ou impedir) os planos de carreira de jovens adultos, e destacam a flexibilidade e a diversidade de interesses profissionais nesta faixa etária. Ademais, os resultados revelam atitudes paradoxais face às comunidades de baixa renda em São Paulo. Todos os participantes pareciam empoderados por elementos dentro de seu microambiente, exibiam sentimentos de orgulho e que faziam parte de sua comunidade; porém, muitos pareciam perturbados pela maneira como pessoas de fora estereotipam ou estigmatizam os moradores da "favela". Ao todo, o estudo destaca tendências que sustentam razões para maiores investimentos no desenvolvimento profissional dos jovens de baixa renda. Na qualidade de um ecossistema com potencial para desenvolvimento socioeconômico, as comunidades de baixa renda podem constituir uma fonte rica não apenas de recursos humanos, mas também de oportunidades comerciais e empregos.

General (in-house) counsels in Brazil: career, professional profile and a new role

This paper discusses who the legal directors are in private companies in Brazil, emphasizing their profile, career, and performance, focusing on the period of 2008- 2013, investigating changes which have occurred to legal departments in those companies, and to legal directors’ careers. Our argument is that since the expansion of legal departments in Brazil in the 1990s, with expanding privatizing of companies and further opening of the Brazilian market to foreign capital, the profiles and careers of legal directors have undergone several transformations, culminating in more value and prestige being given to those professionals inside companies. This paper explores these transformations and the a series of implications generated for the corporate legal market in the country, ranging from changing the criteria for hiring professionals, to creating new demands for more sophisticated legal services.