The high-density nature of expatriate work: Comparing self-initiated expatriates and assigned expatriates

Mello, R., Suutari, V. and Brewster, C. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5314-1518 (2026) The high-density nature of expatriate work: Comparing self-initiated expatriates and assigned expatriates. In: Presbitero, A. and Taras, V. (eds.) Handbook of Cross-cultural Management. Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, pp. 410-423. ISBN 9781035331031 doi: 10.4337/9781035331048.00011 (In Press)

Abstract/Summary

Global work can be described as a high-density (H-D) type of work characterised by its complexity, intensity and developmental potential (Shaffer et al., 2012; Kraimer et al., 2022). We examine the concept by restricting ourselves, like most of the business and management literature in this area, to qualified, high-status expatriates as informants (for information on low-status expatriates, see Haak-Saheem & Brewster 2017; Haak-Saheem, Wilkinson & Brewster, 2024). Shaffer et al. (2012, p. 1299) refer to H-D global work as any global work that has ‘the potential to provide the employee with rich, developmental experiences’. The concept is grounded in the theory of work experience, which articulates density as the character of work that leads to a developmental punch of intense experience over time (Tesluk & Jacobs, 1998, p. 329). H-D global work includes both quantitative (e.g., time-based measures) and qualitative (e.g., job complexity) aspects of work (Akkan et al., 2021). The nature of H-D global work demands that individuals continually adapt, both during and after their work experiences, to align with new work environments (Guan et al., 2019).