Introductions and orientation: why do people migrate and what does it have to do with us and business?

Provide introduction to the course and explain why we need to study about global mobility to better understand the current business activities. Presentation of intended learning outcomes, schedule, and students’ assessment methods. Students will be divided into groups.

The background of labor migration and overview of people involved in global mobility

Explain the background and reasons of expatriation and labor migration. Provide an overview of people (our focus) involved in international mobility.

The relationship between global mobility and business

Explain why migration are crucial for business studies and how internationally mobile talent pools can improve and provide possibilities for innovation, entrepreneurships and internationalization.

High-status expatriates

Introduce business expatriation and various expatriates. Distinguish between assigned and self-initiated expatriates.

Low-status expatriates

Introduce the largest group of expatriates in the world, who have been hidden from scholarly attentions: low-skilled or low-status SIEs. Discuss the recruitment and management of low-skilled SIEs and migrant workforces in MNCs’global value chain.

Migrant, refugee and other types of international workers

Introduce students to the scholarly discussions on the definitions and concept of migrant, and introduce refugee and other types of international workers such as short-term assignees, international business travelers and international commuters. Discuss the employment and management of these international workers, and discuss the potentials for better supporting the migrant workers and refugees.

Mid-term group presentation

Group presentation, analysis and discussion. Choose a type of international workers that you are interested, or you have observed in your country, and make a presentation.

International workers in Japan

Introduce the common types of international workers in Japan, including high-status business expatriates, low-status workers(e.g. technical interns) and skilled migrants. Discuss the role of companies in reflecting and reshaping the experiences of expatriation and migration.

Global mobility in Asia and the return of migrant workers

Introduce the contemporary migrant worker issue in Asia and discuss the return of the migrant workers.

Expatriate adjustment and performance

Introduce how companies and HR staffs address the management issues of expatriates and the related challenges in the process. Introduce the concept and practices of expatriate adjustment and performance.

New directions for working internationally

Introduce the new types of mobility such as virtual expatriates, and understand the relevant changes that are occurring in organizations and the impacts on global HRM.

Final presentation on group project (1)

Each group is required to do a research on how businesses utilize and manage a certain type of international workers that have been introduced and discussed so far, and make a presentation and write a report on it.

Final presentation on group project (2)

Final presentation and the summary for the course. Students are required to submit the final report for the group project

Participation (attendance and discussion in classes): 20%
One individual report: 20%
Two group presentation: 20% * 2
Group final report 20%