Influences on expatriate social networks in China

Moderating Effect of Paternalistic Leadership on the Relationship between Thriving at Work and Expatriate Performance

This study explores the effect of thriving at work on expatriate performance and determines whether the paternalistic leadership of the local supervisor in a host country moderates this relationship. Convenience sampling was adopted. In total, 300 questionnaires were distributed, and 182 responses (20 invalid and 162 valid) were returned (effective questionnaire recovery rate = 54.00%). A regression model was applied to examine the causal relationship between thriving at work and expatriate performance and the moderating effect of paternalistic leadership. The analysis results indicated that more obvious learning and vitality characteristics were associated with higher task and contextual performances among expatriates. Furthermore, host country supervisors’ moral leadership moderated the relationship between expatriate task performance and both learning and vitality. Moreover, host country supervisors’ authoritarian leadership moderated the relationship between learning and expatriate task performance. Finally, host country supervisors’ authoritarian leadership moderated the relationship between vitality and expatriate contextual performance. Theoretically, this study is expected to fill the research gap in the expatriate literature pertaining to expatriate performance, thriving at work, and paternalistic leadership, because the relevant expatriate literature is quite lacking in this area. In practice, this study can be used as a reference by multinational corporations to create or shape a supportive employment environment, thereby enhancing expatriate performance.

How do low-status expatriates deal with crises? Stress, external support and personal coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose

Low-status expatriates (LSEs), a highly vulnerable group, have been significantly affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This study explores the stressors that continue to impact LSEs in Germany and their access to support during the pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

An interpretivist, qualitative research approach was employed. The authors utilised a multi-level data collection strategy that combined interview and questionnaire data from 16 expatriates and 16 social actors. The data were analysed using a directed content analysis method.

Findings

LSEs experienced high levels of stress that were further exacerbated by the introduction of COVID-19 control measures that were intended to slow the spread of the virus. LSEs are particularly vulnerable due to their overrepresentation in precarious professions and the associated job insecurity. Critically, external support from employers and social actors is generally lacking, leaving LSEs to rely on their own personal coping strategies in difficult times.

Research limitations/implications

The earlier Expatriate crisis Framework highlights the importance of external support for expatriates. However, this framework does not sufficiently account for personal coping strategies that are particularly important for individuals that cannot access such external support (e.g. LSEs). Herein, the authors offer a revised framework that is more applicable to LSEs.

Practical implications

Current practices are problematic, necessitating policy changes at both governmental and organisational levels.

Originality/value

This study provides unique insights into the ways in which the pandemic has affected the already precarious position of LSEs and identifies the importance of personal coping strategies in the absence of external sources of support.

Highway to Hell? Managing expatriates in crisis

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual framework of severe expatriate crises focusing on the occurrence of “fit-dependent” crisis events, which is when the crisis is “man made” and triggered by expatriates’ maladjustment or acculturation stress in the host country. The authors focus on the causes, prevention and management of fit-dependent expatriate crises.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors develop a conceptual framework of fit-dependent expatriate crises that involves different levels of analysis.

Findings

The conceptual framework shows that crises can be triggered at micro, meso and macro levels ranging from the personal and family domains (micro), to the network and organisational domains (meso) as well as the host country domain (macro). The authors conceptualise these “domains of causes” as triggering maladjustment and acculturation stress that ultimately leads to a severe crisis event with correspondingly serious and potentially life-changing consequences. Furthermore, using a process perspective, the authors outline strategies for preventing and managing crises before, during and after the crisis occurs, discussing the support roles of various internal (organisational) and external (specialist) stakeholders.

Originality/value

Studying the link between expatriation and crises is a highly relevant research endeavour because severe crisis events will impact on HRM policies, processes and procedures for dealing with employees living abroad, and will create additional challenges for HRM beyond what could normally be expected. Using attribution theory to explain why organisational support and intervention to assist expatriates during a crisis is not always forthcoming, and theories of social networks to elucidate the “first responder” roles of various support actors, the authors contribute to the expatriate literature by opening up the field to a better understanding of the dark side of expatriation that includes crisis definition, prevention, management and solutions.

A diary study of expatriate adjustment: Collaborative mechanisms of social support

Understanding the antecedents of expatriate adjustment is vital for the success of international assignments. Social support is one of the most critical predictors of cross-cultural adjustment. Nevertheless, the nuances and interaction of diverse sources and types of support in the expatriates’ social networks need further scrutiny. This study examines the distinct and collaborative role of four different social groups in the expatriates’ social network, specifically host country nationals, home country nationals, compatriots, and foreign expatriates, on expatriate adjustment. For that purpose, an exploratory qualitative approach was adopted by using a diary study. The study was conducted with 42 single expatriates working in 21 different countries. The results showed that the nature of support provided by each social group was distinct, contributing to expatriate adjustment via different mechanisms. Moreover, it was found that these mechanisms worked collaboratively toward facilitating the expatriate adjustment.

The Influence of Work-Family Conflict on Taiwanese Expatriates' Burnout and Turnover Intention in China: Guanxi as a Moderator

Guanxi has been shown to play an important role in the management of Taiwanese expatriates assigned to China. In this study, we examined the relationships between expatriates’ work-family conflict, burnout, and intent to return early and the moderate role of supervisor-subordinate Guanxi in these relationships from the perspective of job demands-resources model. We used a two-waved data from a sample of 257 Taiwanese expatriates in China, and the results supported the moderating hypotheses of supervisor-subordinate Guanxi. Besides, burnout mediated the effect of work-family conflict on intent to return early, only when Taiwanese expatriates perceived low levels of supervisor-subordinate Guanxi. Finally, Guanxi would be a buffer for expatriate assignment management in the Chinese context.

An exploratory study into organizational repatriates’ emotional support network

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine how repatriates’ emotional support network affects their experience of re-entry.

Design/methodology/approach

This inductive, qualitative study is based on 27 semi-structured, in-depth interviews with Belgian organizational repatriates.

Findings

The analyses suggest that expatriation empathy is a key attribute of organizational repatriates’ main emotional support providers. In addition, the results show that although partners are a main source of emotional support on re-entry, they are also important potential causes of distress. Lastly, the results suggest that the cultural diversity of a repatriate’s emotional support network is linked with characteristics of the assignment and that it affects the experience of repatriation.

Research limitations/implications

The results provide empirical evidence that the expatriation empathy of repatriates’ support providers is a more informative characteristic to consider compared with whether they have personal experience of expatriation. In addition, the results suggest that research should also take into account the negative side of social support, and, for example, consider the influence of crossover distress of partners who experience relocation difficulties themselves.

Practical implications

This study points to the possible benefits of organizing social activities or training for repatriates and their partner and any children, as well as the advantages of encouraging expatriates to invite home-country friends to visit.

Originality/value

Although most scholars agree on the importance of support for expatriates’ well-being, the sources of relevant emotional support have received little research attention so far, as has how this influences the repatriation experience.

Religious expatriates’ cultural intelligence and adaptation

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide new insights into religious expatriates’ cultural intelligence, adaptation and the role of motivation. Drawing mainly from the theory of intelligence (Sternberg, 1999) and theory of self-determination (Deci and Ryan, 2000), the study posits that cultural intelligence of a religious expatriate is positively and significantly related to his or her psychological and sociocultural adaptation. Moreover, the study hypothesizes that intrinsic motivation, as a type of motivation, plays a significant role in moderating the relationship between cultural intelligence and adaptation (both psychological and sociocultural).

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 110 religious expatriates from various religious communities were surveyed. They were asked to rate their cultural intelligence, intrinsic motivation and adaptation (i.e. psychological and sociocultural).

Findings

The results demonstrate that cultural intelligence is positively and significantly related to both psychological and sociocultural adaptation. Furthermore, results show that intrinsic motivation, as a type of motivation, moderates the relationship between cultural intelligence and adaptation (both psychological and sociocultural).

Originality/value

The study contributes to the limited studies on non-corporate expatriation focusing mainly on religious expatriation. In addition, it adds value by generating new insights into the importance not only of cultural intelligence but also of intrinsic motivation in ensuring high levels of psychological and sociocultural adaptation. It further offers a number of practical insights that can be relevant for both corporate and non-corporate expatriates.