Career shocks and the sustainability of global careers: a mixed-methods study of assigned and self-initiated expatriates

This study explores the impact of career shocks on the sustainability of global careers, with a particular focus on the differences between assigned expatriates (those relocated by their organisations) and self-initiated expatriates (those who move abroad independently for career opportunities). Adopting a mixed-methods approach, Study 1 used a longitudinal qualitative design, tracking 26 expatriates in Australia over four years (n = 52 interviews). Drawing on event systems theory, we conceptualised career shocks at the individual, organisational, and institutional levels and identified their role in influencing proactive behaviours that shape career sustainability. Study 2, a time-lagged survey of 157 expatriates who completed three waves of data collection, tested these insights quantitatively. The results showed a stronger relationship between perceived career shocks and proactive career behaviours among assigned expatriates, suggesting that structural support may shape how agency is enacted in response to disruption. The study contributes to global careers literature by offering a multi-level understanding of career shocks and highlighting the contingent nature of proactive career behaviours in sustaining expatriate careers.