Moving Abroad Can Harm Career Development, But Not Always

Tuesday, March 26, 2019 - 16:30

The opinion that it is necessary for researchers to work abroad for some time to advance their careers is widespread in academia. However, a new study published in the Academy of Management Learning and Education journal suggests that the relationship between international mobility and academic career outcomes is less straightforward.

In their exploration of mobility’s link to research performance and academic promotion, Olga Ryazanova and Peter Mc Namara of Maynooth University’s School of Business studied careers of 376 tenured faculty members in 20 prominent European business schools located in 10 countries. The authors found that, while internationally mobile academics had higher number of journal publications and were more widely cited, they were promoted later than their non-mobile peers.

The study also highlighted multiple ways in which female academics are disadvantaged in their careers. Female faculty was significantly less likely to move internationally, with resulting detrimental effect in publication outcomes. It also took female faculty longer to be promoted to an equivalent of a tenured rank (senior lecturer or associate professor) and to full professorship.
Ryazanova, O. and Mc Namara, P. (in press) Choices and consequences: Impact of mobility on research-career capital and promotion in business schools. Academy of Management Learning and Education. https://doi.org/10.5465/amle.2017.0389

The Academy of Management Learning and Education is the only journal in management education field rated as 4 by the Chartered Association of Business Schools.
“All journals rated 4 publish the most original and best-executed research. As top journals in their field, these journals typically have high submission and low acceptance rates. Papers are heavily refereed. Top journals generally have the highest citation impact factors within their field.” (Chartered Association of Business Schools’ Academic Journal Guide)