The impact of career capital on expatriates’ perceived marketability

Mäkelä, L., Suutari, V., Brewster, C. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5314-1518, Dickmann, M. and Tornikoski, C. (2016) The impact of career capital on expatriates’ perceived marketability. Thunderbird International Business Review, 58 (1). pp. 29-40. ISSN 1520-6874 doi: 10.1002/tie.21742

Abstract/Summary

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.