Much has changed for international transferees in recent years. Trends in the global business environment as well as the approaches that companies are taking to manage moves abroad have affected (a) the types of transfer assignments, (b) the employees who are sent abroad and their assignment objectives, and (c) the forms of support for assignees and families. This entry covers each of these major trends.

There is considerable evidence that global mobility is becoming both more critical to corporate strategy and more complex. Nearly 80% of the companies surveyed indicate that mobility will become more important to them over the next 3 to 5 years.

A number of factors have contributed to the greater significance of mobility: