Why we need to know more about diversity among the globally mobile: a systematic literature review of non-traditional expatriate research and future research agenda for minority expatriates

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to provide a systematic literature review of research on non-traditional expatriates (NTEs) and an agenda for future research.Design/methodology/approachThe systematic literature review of NTEs 2010–2020 followed Moher et al.'s flow chart approach to undertaking a systematic literature review and included research on various categories of NTEs.FindingsThe article explains how the author developed an interest in NTEs and provides a brief distillation of the author's research on NTEs and its key contributions. The article then presents the findings of the systematic literature review of NTEs and highlights the key aspects and contributions of this research. The article examines the strengths and weaknesses of the body of research, how it relates to global mobility research broadly and presents some issues for future literature reviews.Research limitations/implicationsThe article highlights the limited research undertaken on some types of NTEs and issues of construct definition. The article presents issues for future research on NTEs including examining a wider range of NTEs, the impact of changing locations for NTEs, identity and intersectionality of NTEs, and methodological issues within NTE research. Moreover, the call for future research suggests the need for greater construct clarity including proposing a new term to define this group, namely, minority expatriates.Originality/valueThe article is original in terms of building on earlier examinations of NTEs to provide a systematic literature review of NTEs 2010–2020 and an extensive agenda for further research in the field.