Repatriation to France and Germany

A Comparative Study Based on Bourdieu’s Theory of Practice

Author: Matthias Walther

Publisher: Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden

Book Series : mir-Edition

Part of: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

Table of Contents

About this book

A significant amount of German and French career agents are involved with international careers. Applying Bourdieu’s Theory of Practice, Matthias Walther compares the repatriation of German and French career agents into the external labor markets of their parent country career fields. A qualitative content analysis of 40 semi-structured interviews shows that the German and French career agents’ career capital and habitus develops during expatriation, which has an important impact on the re-integration into the parent country career field. The Author shows that in an international career mobility context, the rules of the game change compared to the rules in a pure national career context, which challenges the pertinence of national career models in understanding repatriation in a Franco-German context.

Frontmatter

1. Introduction

Abstract

In times of an interdependent global economy and a rising number of MNEs (Irving, 2010; Stahl, Björkmann, & Morris, 2012), companies face an increasing need for “culturally sophisticated and globally savvy” workforce (Stahl, Chua, Caligiuri, Cerdin, & Taniguchi, 2009, p. 92). International work experiences play a critical role in the development of global leaders (e.g. Ng, van Dyne, & Ang, 2009). While some internationally mobile workers are sent abroad by their employing company to gain foreign work experiences (AEs: assigned expatriates), others initiate their expatriation on their own and move without company-support (SIEs: self-initiated expatriates) (Andresen, Bergdolt, & Margenfeld, 2013; Inkson, Arthur, Pringle, & Barry, 1997).

Matthias Walther

2. Bourdieu’s Theory of Practice as Theoretical Framework

Abstract

Having introduced our research project, this chapter serves to build up the theoretical foundation of our study. In a first step, we will introduce the main elements of Bourdieu’s Theory of Practice as our theoretical framework. Subsequently, we will apply these elements to an international career context whereupon we will lead a critical discussion and demonstrate the rationale for our choice of the theoretical framework.

Matthias Walther

3. Setting the Bourdieuian Scene of Return: Habitus, Field and Capital

Abstract

Having anchored our research in a theoretical framework, we will now review the relevant literature of our research field. The aim is to position this PhD-thesis in terms of existing knowledge and to work out the existing research gaps. First, we will demonstrate our chosen approach in cross-country comparative research. This section is ‘preparatory’ and aims at justifying how we will set the Franco-German scene of return. Subsequently, we will review the literature about the German and French cultural habitus, whereupon we describe the German and French fields of return. In this respect, we will focus on the economic, educational and career field. Finally, we will review the literature about the impact of international career mobility on career agents’ career capital and habitus as well as the transformation of international work experiences into symbolic capital.

Matthias Walther

4. Research Design

Abstract

Having reviewed the pertinent literature of our field of research and having demonstrated the pertinence of our study, this chapter serves to present our research design. We will first give an overview of epistemological positions in social research and then justify our choice of interpretivism as research paradigm. The most important part of this chapter will be devoted to the methodological framework of this thesis. Finally, we express our viewpoint with regard to quality criteria of our study and argue how we tried to take ethical considerations into account.

Matthias Walther

5. Results

Abstract

Having presented our epistemological and methodological approach, this chapter outlines the result of this thesis. Our results will be presented around the two stages of international career mobility, namely the expatriation and the repatriation phase. Similar to our undertaking in the literature-review section, we will take a strong Bourdieuian perspective when presenting our results. Every section will be accompanied by verbatim quotations we have translated from German and French into English in order to provide appropriate evidence.

Matthias Walther

6. Discussion and Conclusion

Abstract

Having presented the empirical results of our Franco-German comparative study where we had put emphasis on providing thick descriptions to prove the external validity of our results, this last chapter discusses our results in a broader context and confronts them with existing the literature in order to demonstrate our theoretical contribution. In order to make proof of our managerial contribution, we will also deduce practical recommendations before discussing limitations of our approach and suggesting areas for further research. In the last section, this cotutelle de thèse finishes with a summary of our most important findings and concluding remarks.

Matthias Walther

Backmatter

Title: Repatriation to France and Germany
Author: Matthias Walther
Publisher: Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden
Electronic ISBN: 978-3-658-05700-8
Print ISBN: 978-3-658-05699-5
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-05700-8