Abstract
As COVID-19’ restrictions on global mobility decreased and Generation Z (Gen Z) entered the workforce, new issues to International Human Resource Management (IHRM) arose. An increasing number of young employees engaged in short-term global assignments (GA), and they behaved differently from the older generation. Given that young generation workers would become future leaders and operate global businesses, it is significant for HR practitioners to understand their complex needs /value systems to make timely adjustments to their talent management strategy. IHRM is primarily concerned with expatriate management and related issues, and it has developed into a broad research field (Festing et al., 2013). As a crucial way for MNEs to improve business strategy and facilitate knowledge transfer, global assignment (GA), or international assignment, has been explored from different aspects but some, such as the impact of Gen Z (Segal, 2023) and the global workforce remain underexplored (Cooke, Dickmann and Parry, 2020; Marques et al., 2023). Hence the intent of this study is to explore the relationship between GA and Generation Z, the youngest generation in the workplace to contribute to the ongoing debates in this area. Referencing the extant research and using Self-determination theory as a framework for analysis, this study explores the factors influencing Gen Z employees' interest in GA by examining motivations and considerations, benefits and challenges, and their suggestions for companies to improve assignment arrangements. The study adopts a qualitative methodology by conducting semi-structured interviews to gather insights from employees who belonged to the Gen Z group and had overseas assignment experiences. The findings showed that: 1) Gen Z workers were highly driven to participate in GA by the prospect of career progress; 2) Gen Z workers improved professional knowledge and had a deeper understanding of diversity, but they also suffered from health problems and cultural differences; 3) Gen Z workers emphasised mentorship and organisational relocation support in their recommendations for improving GA experiences. Theoretical and practical implications are provided to conclude the study.