It was only supposed to be temporary: exploring assigned expatriates’ decision to becoming long-term migrants in their host country

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine push and pull factors influencing assigned expatriates’ (AEs) decision to remain in their host countries indefinitely as long-term migrants. Design/methodology/approach - In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 individuals from different developed countries on renewable visas in their host country of Malaysia, having arrived initially as AEs. Interview data were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. Findings - The findings highlight push and pull factors and suggest that AEs’ decisions to become long-term migrants can be attributed to three contextual factors: personal, organizational and country. Practical implications - This study provides insights for human resource managers to understand potential motivating factors that might influence an AE to consider remaining indefinitely in their host country as a long-term migrant, thus terminating their contract with their MNC employer. Originality/value - This is among the first empirical studies in the field of international business on AEs who subsequently became long-term migrants in a host country. Moreover, it highlights the possible change in expatriates’ temporary status. It contributes to global mobility literature by examining how in highly skilled professionals, the pursuit of a long-term professional career and lifestyle improvement correlates with a “privileged” position in a host country.