WHEN EXPATRIATION MEETS JOB RELOCATION: CRAFTING INDIVIDUAL OFFSHORING

Abstract

International assignments no longer succeed in retaining talent, even though their cost remains high. Individual offshoring thus appears to be a new form of expatriation, halfway between self-initiated expatriation and international corporate assignment. This study seeks to understand this new form of expatriation, which is distinguished by two main aspects: the non-involvement of the family in the offshoring process and the absence of a return policy since the individual is not expected to return. This work shows how individual offshoring can become an alternative to current forms of expatriation.