Globalisation of the Executive Search Industry in Europe, 1980-2007

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.Globalisation of the Executive Search Industry in Europe, 1980-2007 aimed to develop knowledge and understanding of the contemporary globalisation of the head-hunting 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 European Union (EU), thereby offering a unique environment in which to study the changing practices of the head-hunting industry. Theoretically, the project, firstly, develops existing knowledge and understanding of the strategic and operational transnational capacities of knowledge-intensive professional services in a globally connected business environment; and secondly, explores the role of head-hunters as key ‘intermediaries’ in the reproduction and management of executive labour in Europe’s knowledge-based economy. Quantitative time series data (1980-2005) of the office locations of executive search firms have been collected from the Executive Grapevine. These can be used to map the initial internationalisation and recent globalisation geographies in Europe. 51 case study interviews have been undertaken with the leading firms and professional bodies based in London and several European cities (also one association in New York). These provide original insights into and understanding of executive search firms' strategies and their intermediary role in Europe’s elite labour market. All research participants and their employing firms have been made anonymous and unidentifiable throughout the data. This includes removing their names, the firm names, references to particular projects and their career histories. Further information is available from the ESRC Award web page and the Headhunters project web page.Main Topics:The globalisation of the executive search industry in Europe as understood by executive search consultants, researchers and associations