Prof. Dr. Vilmantė Kumpikaitė-Valiūnienė et al.
Prof. Vilmantė Kumpikaitė-Valiūnienė, Dr. Jurga Duobienė, Dr. Kęstutis Duoba (Kaunas University of Technology, Lithuania) & Barbara Scharrer (University of Latvia, Latvia; GSK Stockmann, Munich, Germany)
Possibilities and Challenges of the Adjustment of Expatriates
Comparative perspectives from the Baltic States and Germany

Work-related, global mobility becomes more and more popular. In some countries, such as Germany, the phenomenon has already existed for decades. For the Baltic countries, however, it is quite new. Despite the plethora of career studies as well as studies of diversity and inclusion in organizations we know very little about the organizational factors facilitating and impeding the adjustment of highly-skilled workers. Within the scope of a project with the title "Adjustment of Expatriates in the Baltic States", funded by the Baltic-German University Liaison Office, we have established ground for a pilot study in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Germany. This study investigates the motivations and barriers for work-related mobility of highly-skilled workers, as well as support structures and challenges related to their integration into the local context of their host organisations and host societies. Hereby, we focus on individual and institutionalised support provided by both the sending and receiving environment. During our talk, we will present the preliminary findings of our study and provide an opportunity for discussion from a comparative perspective.
Vilmantė Kumpikaitė-Valiūnienė is a professor at the School of Economics and Management and head of the research group "International Migration" at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU). Her research topics include expatriation management, international migration, human resource training and development, modern teaching/learning methods.
Jurga Duobienė is an assistant professor at the School of Economics and Management at Kaunas University of Technology. Her research focuses on organizational development through internal architecture of corporate entrepreneurship and human resource management.
Kęstutis Duoba is vice-dean for research and former vice-dean for internationalization at the School of Economics and Management at Kaunas University of Technology and associate professor at KTU Digitalization Research Group. His research interests include cooperation of organisations, networked organisations, virtual organisations, virtual workplaces, and management of expatriates.
Barbara Scharrer is a lawyer, of-counsel at the law firm GSK Stockmann, and PhD candidate at the University of Latvia. She is a supervisory board member for a German automobile supplier in Germany and China, and a lecturer at several universities in Germany. Her research focuses on cross-cultural aspects of management within the German, Austrian and Chinese context.
Wednesday, 29 November 2017, 4.00–5.30 p.m. | Vogelpothsweg 78 (CDI building), room 114
Center for Higher Education (zhb)
Professorship of Higher Education
Search & People Search
Location & approach
The campus of TU Dortmund University is located close to interstate junction Dortmund West, where the Sauerlandlinie A 45 (Frankfurt-Dortmund) crosses the Ruhrschnellweg B 1 / A 40. The best interstate exit to take from A 45 is "Dortmund-Eichlinghofen" (closer to Campus Süd), and from B 1 / A 40 "Dortmund-Dorstfeld" (closer to Campus Nord). Signs for the university are located at both exits. Also, there is a new exit before you pass over the B 1-bridge leading into Dortmund.
To get from Campus Nord to Campus Süd by car, there is the connection via Vogelpothsweg/Baroper Straße. We recommend you leave your car on one of the parking lots at Campus Nord and use the H-Bahn (suspended monorail system), which conveniently connects the two campuses.
TU Dortmund University has its own train station ("Dortmund Universität"). From there, suburban trains (S-Bahn) leave for Dortmund main station ("Dortmund Hauptbahnhof") and Düsseldorf main station via the "Düsseldorf Airport Train Station" (take S-Bahn number 1, which leaves every 15 or 30 minutes). The university is easily reached from Bochum, Essen, Mülheim an der Ruhr and Duisburg.
You can also take the bus or subway train from Dortmund city to the university: From Dortmund main station, you can take any train bound for the Station "Stadtgarten", usually lines U41, U45, U 47 and U49. At "Stadtgarten" you switch trains and get on line U42 towards "Hombruch". Look out for the Station "An der Palmweide". From the bus stop just across the road, busses bound for TU Dortmund University leave every ten minutes (445, 447 and 462). Another option is to take the subway routes U41, U45, U47 and U49 from Dortmund main station to the stop "Dortmund Kampstraße". From there, take U43 or U44 to the stop "Dortmund Wittener Straße". Switch to bus line 447 and get off at "Dortmund Universität S".
The H-Bahn is one of the hallmarks of TU Dortmund University. There are two stations on Campus Nord. One ("Dortmund Universität S") is directly located at the suburban train stop, which connects the university directly with the city of Dortmund and the rest of the Ruhr Area. Also from this station, there are connections to the "Technologiepark" and (via Campus Süd) Eichlinghofen. The other station is located at the dining hall at Campus Nord and offers a direct connection to Campus Süd every five minutes.
The AirportExpress is a fast and convenient means of transport from Dortmund Airport (DTM) to Dortmund Central Station, taking you there in little more than 20 minutes. From Dortmund Central Station, you can continue to the university campus by interurban railway (S-Bahn). A larger range of international flight connections is offered at Düsseldorf Airport (DUS), which is about 60 kilometres away and can be directly reached by S-Bahn from the university station.
Interactive map
The facilities of TU Dortmund University are spread over two campuses, the larger Campus North and the smaller Campus South. Additionally, some areas of the university are located in the adjacent "Technologiepark".
