Personnel mobility in German non-profit organizations – an institutional perspective
ISSN: 2049-8799
Article publication date: 3 November 2020
Issue publication date: 12 November 2020
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing on an institutional perspective, the purpose of this paper is to shed light on mobility patterns and assignment situations in 15 German non-profit organizations (NPOs) in the public diplomacy and international aid sectors. Its aim is to explore how differing field logics are related to international staffing practices in the different sectors.
Design/methodology/approach
A multiple case study approach was employed, based on 51 expert interviews and corresponding document analysis.
Findings
The findings display similarities between NPOs of the same sector but differences between the sectors with regard to numbers of “expensive” expatriates and the assignment situation; this is a result of the intersection of different institutional pressures in the respective fields.
Research limitations/implications
The article is based on a limited number of cases in the German context and does not allow for generalization. The results may be NPO specific; further research is necessary to compare the institutional embeddedness of staffing decisions in MNCs, other NPO sectors and country contexts.
Practical implications
Organizations in both fields find different answers to similar external pressures, which may encourage mutual learning.
Originality/value
This article highlights the neglected research topic of expatriation in non-corporate assignment settings and offers an alternative view on staffing decisions than the previously predominant rational one.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the reviewers for their dedicated and constructive reviews of the manuscript.
Citation
Maletzky, M. and Grosskopf, S. (2020), "Personnel mobility in German non-profit organizations – an institutional perspective", Journal of Global Mobility, Vol. 8 No. 3/4, pp. 353-380. https://doi.org/10.1108/JGM-04-2020-0028
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited