Expats: Married Executives Juggle International Moves

Hi Everyone, Last month, The Wall Street Journal published an interesting article by Joann S. Lublin entitled Married Executives Juggle International Moves. 

The challenges faced by dual-career couples on the highly-mobile expat circuit are not new, but they are ongoing and they are increasingly a roadblock for some couples when one member of the couple is offered the chance to work abroad.  So it's great that the WSJ devoted some space to profile this issue and hopefully it will raise some more awareness of the difficult decisions that dual-career couples face - especially when one member of the couple has to give up their career/job to trail their spouse/partner to foreign lands...

Thanks go to Danielle Dayries of Ricklin-Echikson Associates for sending us this article.  If you see high-profile articles like this about expat life, please send them here, anytime.  Thanks, Andrea.

Dual-Career Academic Couples

Hello Everyone, I received an email yesterday from Stanford University’s Clayman Institute for Gender Research. (Perhaps because of the post earlier this week on Dual Career Households.)

They wanted to share their latest US-based research on the topic: Dual-Career Academic Couples: What Universities Need to Know.

The research report does not have any expat focus, but it is still interesting, particularly if you are part of an expat dual career couple in academia, you are a HR Manager in academia and/or if you are doing complementary research in this area. Here is their blurb:

"Announcing New Research on Dual-Career Academic Couples – exploring hiring and retention of top talent, increasing diversity, and workplace culture.

Dual-career issues are increasingly important in higher education today. Over 70 percent of faculty are in dual-career relationships; more than a third are partnered with another academic. This trend is particularly strong among women scientists and people in more junior positions. As the number of women receiving Ph.D.s continues to rise, U.S. universities will see an increasing number of high quality candidates for faculty positions partnered with another academic. This presents universities with a challenge, but also a great opportunity to access new candidates and diversify their faculty.

Based on a major survey of full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty at thirteen leading US universities, plus interviews with administrators at eighteen universities, Dual-Career Academic Couples explores the impact of dual-career partnering on hiring, retention, professional attitudes, and work culture in the U.S. university sector. It also makes recommendations for improving the way universities work with dual-career candidates and strengthen overall communication with their faculty on hiring and retention issues. It is vital reading for anyone interested in the continuing strength and competitiveness of US universities.

Lead author Londa Schiebinger, Director of the Clayman Institute and Professor of the History of Science, welcomes questions and comments on the research."

Here is the link to their Executive Summary. Happy reading, Andrea

Challenges Of Dual Career Households In A Global Economy (For Americans Abroad)

Hello Everyone, If the topic of expat dual careers interests you, we invite you to read Leila Heron's article that we uploaded this week.

Leila's research and focus concentrates on US expats, but there might just be something in the article for you, even if you are not American. (The data table itself is very interesting.) :-)

Here is Leila's Executive Summary:

"The global economy, growing numbers of dual income households, and the increase of international assignments are producing pressure on American multinationals and the Federal Government to provide career transition assistance to spouses/partners worldwide. New support programs emphasizing entrepreneurial skills training and internet savvy show promise to boost employment opportunities abroad."

Have a great day/evening! Andrea