The Symbolic Capital of International Work Experiences
Résumé
Investigating repatriation from an external labor market perspective is a pertinent, but largely under-researched topic. Drawing on Bourdieu's Theory of Practice and using data from 40 semi-structured interviews with German and French repatriates, this manuscript compares the transformation of acquired International Work Experiences (IWEs) into symbolic capital for the re-entry into the German and French career fields. We found some similarities, but more differences in the value and the transformation mechanisms of IWEs into symbolic capital on the German and French labor markets that are explainable by cultural and institutional factors. This study shows that existing national career models are only limitedly convenient to understand careers in an international career mobility context. Our research also demonstrates that especially Bourdieu's concept of (cultural) habitus allows to understand the logical bridges between the micro, meso- and macro levels of international careers. Managerial implications are discussed; limitations of our study and avenues for further research are outlined.