Andresen, MaikeBergdolt, FranziskaMargenfeld, JilDickmann, Michael2019-11-282019-11-282014-01-14Andresen M, Bergdolt F, Margenfeld J, Dickmann M. (2014) Addressing international mobility confusion - developing definitions and differentiations for self-initiated and assigned expatriates as well as migrants. International Journal of Human Resource Management, Volume 25, Issue 16, 2014, pp. 2295-23180958-5192https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2013.877058http://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/handle/1826/14776The literature on international human resource management indicates a growing array of different forms of international work experiences such as assigned and self-initiated expatriation. However, the criteria for demarcation of these different forms and the term ‘migrant' are often unclear which leads to an unfortunate lack of comparability of research and a potential confusion for readers. Based on the sociological, psychological and economics literature, this article reviews and synthesizes the existing definitions of the three terms in the current research. A qualitative content analysis and the Rubicon model [Heckhausen, H., and Gollwitzer, P.M. (1987), ‘Thought Contents and Cognitive Functioning in Motivational Versus Volitional States of Mind', Motivation and Emotion, 1, 101-120.] are used as a theoretical base to structure the findings. The paper creates a criteria-based definition and differentiation of terms and then develops a typology of four different types of expatriates: assigned expatriates, interself- initiated expatriates, intra-self-initiated expatriates and drawn expatriates. Implications for management as well as for future research are outlined.enAttribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/assigned expatriatedrawn expatriateexpatriate typologyqualitative content analysismigrantself-initiated expatriateArticle4149265