RES Forum launches new state-of-mobility study

Findings from the newly published RES Forum Annual Report were unveiled yesterday by its author, Professor Michael Dickmann, at the Oriental Club, London.

Digital and mobility sweetspot represented by transport image

Ruth Holmes

8 June 2018

More than 200 international companies participated in the research, which aims to chart the major trends relating to global mobility, and how professionals and vendors can respond.Among the key themes identified by Michael Dickmann, professor of international HRM at Cranfield University, is the move towards SAFE (smart, agile, flawless and efficient) global mobility and purposeful international work.Such approaches are likely to be useful for multinationals and across the whole spectrum of international assignments and enterprise, he suggests.

What is SAFE global mobility?

Speaking yesterday at the report’s launch, Professor Dickmann introduced the Annual Report’s five chapters. These address different elements of the SAFE GM agenda in depth, including:

Smart organisational development (OD)
Agile GM: living the purpose and increasing value
Flawless programme management
Efficient reward package design
SAFE GM – managing alternative forms of international work.

The RES Forum report’s findings prompted much discussion about the trends and success factors of non-traditional forms of GM, with practitioners attending sharing their experiences and insights. The rising importance of optimised programme management, employee experience and flexibility of approach were among the talking points.

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Scope for development in global mobility

Writing in the Executive Summary, Professor Dickmann suggests that for companies to deliver agility and with the flexibility now demanded by discerning employees, “GM professionals need to fill the role of strategic advisor and understand the manifold ramifications of their organisation’s strategy and the diverse GM avenues that could be pursued to realise their MNC’s ambition.” He makes a number of recommendations based on the findings, concluding: “The RES Forum data clearly indicates that in many MNCs, not all of these recommendations are enacted. Especially, the role of strategic advisor, global talent management interface and people effectiveness expert are seen to be areas where much progress can still be achieved.“This report hopefully provides food for thought that allows the reader to move forward on the road to GM refinement.”For related news and features, visit our Mobility Industry section. Find out who won in this year's Relocate Awards. Relocate’s new Global Mobility Toolkit provides free information, practical advice and support for HR, global mobility managers and global teams operating overseas.Access hundreds of global services and suppliers in our Online Directory

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