The personal quest for building global competence: A taxonomy of self-initiating career path strategies for gaining business experience abroad

Work experience abroad can be valuable for developing global competencies that promote organizational effectiveness and individual career success. However, the literature has taken a mostly organizational perspective, with little attention about what individuals can self-initiate to advance their international career and competencies development. Especially lacking is research on preparatory activities and career strategies that individuals may select leading to significant foreign work experience. Based on interviews with 48 American expatriates in five major cities in East Asia, this study presents a illuminating taxonomy of “pre-international” self-initiating career path strategies and activities for gaining valuable international business experience for building global competencies.