SWIMMING AGAINST THE TIDE: OUTWARD STAFFING FLOWS FROM MULTINATIONAL SUBSIDIARIES
David G. Collings, Dr., Department of Management, J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Public Policy, National University of Ireland, Ireland
Anthony McDonnell, Department of Personnel and Employment Relations, Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick, Ireland
Patrick Gunnigle, Professor, Department of Personnel and Employment Relations, Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick, Ireland
Jonathan Lavelle, Department of Personnel and Employment Relations, Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick, Ireland

Abstract
While the study of flows of parent country nationals of MNCs to staff subsidiary operations has a relatively long tradition, the study of flows of subsidiary employees to other subsidiaries, as third country nationals, and to the head quarters, as inpatriates, has, empirically much less pedigree.  Drawing on a large scale empirical study of multinationals in Ireland, this paper charts outward flows of subsidiary mangers in MNCs. The findings indicate that approximately half of MNCs studied had some form of outward staffing flow. Although the significance levels varied between inpatriates and third country nationals,  two-way integration of the subsidiary in the MNC network, a tradition of expatriate flows within the MNC and method of establishment emerged as a strong indicators of outward flows.
Keywords: global staffing, TCN, inpatriate, Ireland