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This project aims to develop knowledge and understanding of the contemporary globalization of the headhunting industry in Europe and its implications for new forms and geographies of executive search and selection. Europe has become the most complex and sophisticated pan-regional market for executive search, fuelled by free labour mobility within the EU, thereby offering a unique environment in which to study the changing practices of the headhunting industry.

Theoretically, the project will: first, develop existing knowledge and understanding of the strategic and operational transnational capacities of knowledge-intensive professional services in a globally connected business environment; and second, explore the role of headhunters as key ‘intermediaries’ in the reproduction and management of executive labour in Europe’s knowledge-based economy.

Empirically, the project will identify the leading European headhunters and use time-series data to map their initial internationalisation and recent globalization geographies in Europe. Case study interviews will also be undertaken with the leading firms and professional bodies based in London and several European cities. These will provide original insights into and understanding of executive search firm’s strategies and their intermediary role in Europe’s elite labour market. Findings will be disseminated to academics and other relevant stakeholders.

Award/Grant Outputs and Documents
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