International migration and mobility, and the concept of self-initiated
expatriation (SIE) (SIE as abbreviation is used for self-initiated
expatriation as a concept, and for a self-initiated expatriate (SIE) or
self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) as individuals) are intensively
debated, ranging from research and politics to families and corporate
recruiting strategies. Today, previously nonexistent possibilities and
contexts enable and advance new processes and patterns of highly skilled
mobility, such as self-initiated expatriation. An emerging field of
study examines the concept of SIE and boundaryless career building
processes from the perspectives of highly skilled people and human
resource management. The importance of ‘global talents’, the demand for
skills in globalizing labour markets, and the phenomenon of
individualization influence policies at multiple levels and pull highly
skilled people in diverse destinations. International opportunities
beyond traditional corporate assignments generate various life and
career options for these ‘talents’. The aim of the chapter is to foster
reconceptualization and contextualization of SIE and its
cross-dissemination. It provides an overview of the approaches and
debates in international migration and mobility research, and focuses on
these talents as embedded individuals. The chapter addresses recent
theory discussions, such as the ‘mobility turn’ and the ‘big data’ in
empirical social research, and it synthesizes a theory landscape on SIE
research. It incorporates various disciplinary angles, interlinking
different lenses, framings and mechanisms to trigger future research.
The contribution broadens understanding of SIE concept both empirically
and theoretically with particular insights from the Finnish context.