Perceived organizational support and expatriate performance: understanding a mediated model

Expatriates’ Embeddedness and Host Country Withdrawal Intention: A Social Exchange Perspective

In this study, we conceptualize the thus far little explored relationship between expatriate and host country as a form of social exchange governed by the norm of reciprocity. Drawing from social exchange theory and our analysis of 451 self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) living and working in the United Arab Emirates, we examine whether the degree of SIEs’ career and community embeddedness explains their host country withdrawal intention via enhanced perceived institutional trust and a more tolerant attitude toward workplace discrimination. Our results provide general support for our theoretical model and most of our hypotheses. In this way, our article makes three contributions. First, it suggests a novel way to conceptualize the relationship between SIEs and host country as a form of social exchange. Second, it differentiates between two dimensions of embeddedness and explicates how the two contribute to SIEs’ intentions to stay in the host country. Finally, the analysis theorizes and empirically tests two previously little explored mechanisms of enhanced institutional trust and a more tolerant attitude toward workplace discrimination through which SIEs’ host country embeddedness influences their host country withdrawal intentions.

The impact of self-directed team on high-performance organization with the mediating role of knowledge sharing culture: Organizational support as a moderator

The primary aim of this investigation is to identify the relationship between self-directed teams and high-performance organizations (work). Furthermore, exploring the mediating role of knowledge-sharing culture with the self-directed team and high-performance organization relationships. Moreover, this study analyzed the moderating role of a sense of organizational support in the relationship between knowledge-sharing culture and high-performance organizations. Using the PLS-SEM approach (SmartPLS 3.3.7) in this study, we obtained data from employees of high-tech enterprises listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange China to analyze this study. The present research seeks to determine the direct and indirect effects of the study-related factors on the outcome of the investigation. According to the findings, a self-directed team positively impacts knowledge sharing culture, knowledge sharing behavior, knowledge sharing strategy, and mutual trust among its members. Knowledge-sharing culture has no mediating role and its component in the relationship between independent and dependent constructs. This study also indicated that a sense of organizational support has no moderating effect on the relationship between a knowledge-sharing culture and high-performance organizations. This study may practically contribute to high-tech enterprises to develop and implement business development and proper self-directed team, knowledge-sharing culture, and sense of organizational support, and consequently, can contribute to the growth of overall high-performance organizations.

Perceived risk and sensitivity and their influence on expatriate performance during the COVID‐19 pandemic

The COVID 19 pandemic has changed the way that global businesses function, and has been the driving force behind a reevaluation of the factors that influence expatriate performance. This study empirically examines the mediating effects of perceived risk and sensitivity in the relationship between self‐initiated expatriates support mechanisms (perceived organizational support and host‐country national support) and expatriate performance during the COVID‐19 pandemic. The data from 114 expatriates working and residing in Malaysia between March 27 and May 14, 2020 was analyzed using structural equation modelling. The results from the study indicate that host country national support significantly influences expatriate performance indirectly through expatriate engagement, while perceived risk and sensitivity moderate the relationship between perceived organizational support and host country national support through expatriate engagement. The integration of factors that influence work performance during a pandemic, such as perceived risk and sensitivity, leads to a more concise view of expatriation. Organizations need to be more prepared in terms of risk induced scenarios, and propose suitable intervention programs to mitigate the potential negative outcomes due to a pandemic.

The effects of transformational leadership on perceived organizational support and organizational identity

BACKGROUND: This study examines the relationship among transformational leadership dimensions, perceived organizational support, and organizational identity in the banking sector which has been scarce theoretically and tested empirically in a Turkish context. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study to explore the impact of transformational leadership on perceived organizational support and organizational identity. It is predicted that transformational leadership will stimulate organizational identity of employees working in banking sector through their perceived organizational support. METHODS: Using the survey method, 227 responses were collected from employees. A partial least squares structural equation model was constructed to test the reliability and validity of the measurement and the structural model. RESULTS: The study results show that inspirational motivation and individual consideration dimensions of transformational leadership are found to influence employees perceived organizational support whereas perceived organizational support has a strong effect on employees’ organizational identity. However, perceived organizational support is found to mediate the relationship between inspirational motivation dimension of transformational leadership and organizational identity. The study also found a significant impact of individual consideration dimension of transformational leadership on employees’ organizational identity. CONCLUSIONS: We believe that strong genuine organizational identity should result in organizational commitment. In the long run, we need to keep caring and addressing the maturity of individual consideration in the relationship between the employee and the organization within transformational leadership model.

The effects of perceived organisational support on expatriate adjustment, assignment completion and job satisfaction

This study examines the influence of perceived organisational support (POS) on expatriates’ cross-cultural adjustment, assignment completion and job satisfaction in the sub-Saharan African context. While multinationals depend on expatriates to manage their foreign subsidiaries, successful expatriation is influenced by expatriates’ cross-cultural adjustment to their host country’s environment. Survey responses from 229 expatriates were analysed using partial least squares path modelling. The results reveal that support from their organisations relates positively to expatriate adjustment, assignment completion and job satisfaction. The empirical results also demonstrate that expatriate adjustment partially mediates the relationship between POS and assignment completion and job satisfaction. Furthermore, findings suggest that assignment completion positively influences job satisfaction and partially mediates the association between POS and job satisfaction. The findings of this research have important theoretical and practical implications for multinational companies operating in sub-Saharan Africa.

Influence of Informal Relationships on Expatriate Career Performance in China: The Moderating Role of Cultural Intelligence

Pursuing an international career in China can be risky particularly when there is a lack of informal relationships and knowledge of the socio-cultural environment of the country. Drawing from social capital theory of career success and intelligence theory, this study investigates the influence of expatriate manager-local subordinate guanxi on expatriate managers’ career performance and the contingency role of cultural intelligence. Using multi-source data from a sample (N = 154) of expatriate managers in China, our results show that expatriate manager-local subordinate guanxi positively influences expatriate career performance, and that this relationship is positively moderated by expatriates’ cultural intelligence. The broader theoretical and practical implications of the findings for international careers are fully discussed.

Does work engagement mediate the perceived career support- and career adaptability- work performance relationship?

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating role of work engagement between the relationship of perceived career support and work performance as well as between the relationship of career adaptability and work performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected form 606 i-generation liquid knowledge workers. They had completed their internship program in the industry for a period of at least one month. Regression analysis was carried out to test the hypothesized framework.

Findings

Most of the results indicated support for the hypotheses. Work engagement was found to be mediating the perceived career support and work performance relationship fully. However, work engagement was found to be mediating the career adaptability and work performance relationship only partially.

Research limitations/implications

Engaging liquid workers plays a crucial role in passing the positive effects of perceived career support and career adaptability to work performance.

Practical implications

The findings suggest that managers may take steps to enhance engagement levels of the employees so that it can help the interns high on perceived career support and career adaptability perform well at work.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is unique that tests and finds the intervening role of work engagement between work performance and the two career-related constructs.

A Tight Spot: How Personality Moderates the Impact of Social Norms on Sojourner Adaptation

How do you navigate the norms of your new culture when living abroad? Taking an interactionist perspective, we examined how contextual factors and personality traits jointly affect sojourners’ adaptation to the host-country culture. We hypothesized that tightness (strong, rigidly imposed norms) of the host culture would be associated with lower levels of adaptation and that tightness of the home culture would be associated with higher levels of adaptation. Further, we proposed that the impact of tightness should be dependent on personality traits associated with navigating social norms (agreeableness, conscientiousness, and honesty-humility). We analyzed longitudinal data from intercultural exchange students (N = 889) traveling from and to 23 different countries. Multilevel modeling showed that sojourners living in a tighter culture had poorer adaptation than those in a looser culture. In contrast, sojourners originating from a tighter culture showed better adaptation. The negative effect of cultural tightness was moderated by agreeableness and honesty-humility but not conscientiousness.

Expatriate mentoring: The case of a multinational corporation in Abu Dhabi

Orientation: Despite numerous studies on the adjustment challenges faced by expatriates, not much emphasis has been placed on mentoring and what mentoring plans should entail. This also pertains to research on expatriate mentoring in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which has experienced massive economic growth and an influx of expatriates from across the globe.Research purpose: The main purpose of the study was to propose guidelines to a multinational corporation in Abu Dhabi on compiling an expatriate mentoring plan.Motivation for the study: The prevalence of expatriate assignments to the UAE and the fact that multinational companies report high failure rates served as the motivation for the study.Research approach/design and method: A mixed-method approach was followed, and a case study design was applied. A structured questionnaire was administered to 391 expatriate employees, after which principles for expatriate mentoring were formulated and presented to a focus group for discussion.Main findings: The findings show that expatriates faced challenges regarding work-related and personal-level adaptations, which emphasise the need for an expatriate mentoring plan.Practical/managerial implications: Principles for expatriate mentoring emanated from this study, namely structured interaction, clear objectives, target dates, regular reflection on challenges, formal evaluation and remedial action. These principles informed a proposed expatriate mentoring plan.Contribution/value-add: The study contributes both theoretically and empirically to the compilation of an expatriate mentoring plan.

To relocate internationally or not to relocate internationally: a Taiwanese case study

Purpose

Multinational organizations are often unable to send their first-choice candidates on international assignments because employees are unwilling to relocate internationally. The purpose of this paper is to understand how organizations can effectively increase employees’ willingness to relocate internationally.

Design/methodology/approach

The study sample consisted of 229 employees who have not previously worked abroad in a large and global-minded Taiwanese bank.

Findings

This study found that when employees perceived international assignment experience to be valuable to their career and valued by their organization, they reported a higher level of willingness to relocate internationally. Moreover, this study also found the perceived organizational support (POS) on career and adjustment as moderators.

Research limitations/implications

The use of one company in Taiwan as the source of the sample may limit the generalizability of the results. The cross-sectional design of this study also makes it impossible to examine the causality among variables.

Practical implications

To enhance employees’ willingness to relocate internationally, organizations should ensure that they communicate clearly that organizations value employees’ international assignment experience before, during, and after the assignment.

Originality/value

This study uses social informational processing theory to examine the effects of international assignment value on employee willingness to relocate internationally, as well as the effects of POS for international assignment on employee willingness to relocate internationally.

Employee Status and the Consequences of Perceived Organizational Support

Abstract. Incorporating organizational support and status theory, this study examines whether employees’ status moderates both the relationship between perceived organizational support (POS) and affective organizational commitment (AOC) as well as POS-AOS-job performance relationships. Based on two studies using different types of status measures (i.e., objective and subjective), our findings demonstrate that both the POS-AOC relationship and the entire mediation process were moderated by employee status such that low-status employees showed a greater improvement in effects. This study represents a novel attempt to clarify the critical role of individual status, which has largely been neglected in the field of I/O psychology and organizational behavior, in the complex mechanism of POS and subsequent outcomes.