Expatriates, Rise of Telecommuting and Implications for International Business

The purpose of this chapter is to highlight the important role of travel in international business and contemplate on the potential influences of the current COVID-19 pandemic on it. We offer conceptual discussion substantiated by practical examples from the press to analyze different aspects associated with this topic. The chapter offers a discussion on pros and cons of telecommuting in general which is later linked to potential of applicability of telecommuting in the context of IB travel. Based on our analysis, we infer that IB travel will continue in one form or another, although the frequency will be significantly lower than pre COVID-19 times. However, we also refer the possibility of increased rail usage with well-connected western European countries for the IB travel. Moreover, it is also possible that advanced technologies like hologram may emerge as a replacement for personal presence in important IB negotiations and meetings globally