Internal Mobility: A Review and Agenda for Future Research

Abstract

Internal mobility, or movement of individuals within organizations, is a frequently occurring phenomenon that can have ripple effects throughout organizations. Internal mobility can impact individuals, units, and organizations and several decades of work on the topic provide evidence of its causes and consequences. While a recent uptick in research on internal mobility aligns with upward trends in the use of internal labor markets within organizations, the literature is currently not well integrated with a variety of terms and characteristics used to describe internal mobility, siloed single-level research on either individual or organization perspectives, and poor integration with other forms of mobility that makes it difficult to fully understand its impact. This review of the 202 articles on internal mobility reconciles these issues by defining internal mobility, creating a model based around the two primary types of internal mobility, transfers and promotions, and integrating research from varied organizational actors (individuals, organizations) that cause and are affected by internal mobility. This review culminates with a future research agenda designed to extend research on internal mobility.