ABSTRACT
This chapter locates business travel within the portfolios of mobility which have been developed by large international companies. It also focuses firstly, the business travel is one of an interlinked set of mobilities used by international companies, where it fulfils a number of roles, including career development, project planning and implementation and a wide range of meetings. Secondly, the chapter examines the particular role in corporate knowledge transfer played by business travel and the degree to which there is substitution between it and virtual mobility in an era of concern about carbon emissions. The chapter draws on the findings of a research project conducted during 2005-2006 which examined the range of mobility types used by over 30 companies in their global operations. Business travel is a form of mobility of expertise. It interacts with other, longer duration moves to be a major element in the transfer of knowledge within global companies that is essential for their survival and development.
