Do global talent management programs help to retain talent? A career-related framework

Global talent management is a key success factor for multinational corporations, as investments made to attract and retain talent are enormous. However, the link between talent management practices and retention is under-researched. In this paper, we fill this research gap by proposing a conceptual framework linking global talent management practices and talent retention in multinational corporations, by exploring the role of individual careers through knowing-whom career capital and career success. We conducted a survey among talent and a control group within a multinational company, to test our framework through structural equation modeling. The main results show that talent management practices have a positive effect on talent’s intention to stay and that career-related aspects are key factors in retaining this talent on a global scale. Thus, our contribution is threefold: a conceptual framework, empirical evidence, and a new literature-based TM index, which makes the perceived intensity of TM programs measurable.