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The Perspective of Host Country Nationals in Socializing Expatriates:The Importance of Foreign-Local Relations
Abstract
Failure to adapt is one of the most often cited reasons for the premature return of
expatriate assignees. This chapter reviews and builds on research that suggests that the
expatriate socialization process involves multiple stakeholders. We review the state of the
expatriate socialization literature and introduce recent theoretical developments on the
process of expatriate socialization by adopting the host country national’s (HCN)
perspective, and propose that HCNs have a potentially important role as socializing
agents for expatriates. Drawing on social identity and justice theories, we identify
relevant social cognitions and organizational practice that influence HCN coworkers’
decision to play this role – providing social support and sharing information with
expatriates. A broader definition of expatriate success that includes the outcomes of
HCNs is also proposed. We conclude by highlighting new theoretical perspectives and
research directions for developing our understanding of the expatriate socialization
processes.
... This was not expected, given that a significant proportion of survey respondents are expatriates. The literature on expatriate management has widely documented the difficulties expatriates have in building deep social networks in the host country (e.g., Toh, DeNisi, and Leonardelli, 2011). The reliability of the four-item measure (Chronbach's α) is 0.93. ...
... Rather, what seems to matters is the person's ability to build strong social networks in country. This result is consistent with previous research on expatriate management (see, e.g., Toh, et al., 2011), and is an extremely important finding for those companies recruiting senior managers to work in challenging environments. Many companies make the mistake of hiring locals believing they will give an added value to the company, without understanding that the ability to develop robust social networks in the host country is more relevant when it comes to making strategic decisions. ...
During emerging market political crises, managers of MNC subsidiaries have to make tough decisions. Drawing from research on MNCs' subsidiary-level response to political risk, we examine how firm and managerial experience and social embeddedness affect the decision to stay or go. Using survey data from top managers at 101 MNCs in Mozambique, we find that MNC crisis experience increases managers' threat perception but has no direct influence on the likelihood of MNC subsidiary exit. Threat perception directly increases the likelihood of exit, but companies with a socially embedded local manager are less likely to exit, even if threat perception is high. The research contributes to a broader understanding of how experience, threat perception and social embeddedness affect resilience building and subsidiary decisions in risky environments.
... More specific research questions would be revealing for theory and practice. Based on our conceptual framework, future research could spotlight specific cultural groups at different levels within the organization (Saks et al., 2012;Toh et al., 2012) as well as their impact for migrants, colleagues, organizations, and societies. For each of the multiple cultures, research could launch a debate on respective assimilation, integration versus segregation effects and consequences for the retention of migrants and thus for the sustainable use of migrants' skills for the organization. ...
This paper examines the integration of highly skilled migrants into organizations. Whereas prior research has mainly focused on macro-economic and macro-political analysis, little is known about the dynamic process of organizational level integration. Applying Strauss’ theory of social worlds and the concept of multiple cultures, we dismantle the boundaries of an organization describing the integration processes of migrants from the perspective of different social worlds that intersect an organization. We use social worlds which form around a core activity or context of action to describe different levels of cultures within an organization. Via multifaceted identification with these multiple cultures, we suggest that person–organization interaction and mutual intercultural learning processes with colleagues result in organizations conveying values, norms, behavior, language and social contacts that prove valuable and integrative, especially to newcomers. Based on three qualitative case studies in German SMEs, migrants’ experiences during the integration process show the central role organizations play inhibiting previously overlooked multi-cultural social worlds which lead not only to their organizational integration, but to societal integration as well. Organizations thus contribute to different forms of integration. Consequently, this paper extends traditional integration perspectives at the national or transnational level of analysis by differentiating into multiple cultures that provide integrative knowledge both internally and beyond the organization. In particular, interaction with colleagues as socialization agents leads to integration. Theory and practice should draw conclusions from this to consider integration as a multilayered opportunity.
... Expatriates gain valuable knowledge from HCNs to be able to effectively manage their experience of culture shock, achieve a higher level of social integration with the host culture, and overcome the difficulties associated with their assignment (Takeuchi, 2010;Toh et al., 2012). Expatriates' instrumental, emotional, and informational interaction with HCNs, other expatriates, and colleagues facilitate their interaction adjustment (Caligiuri & Lazarova, 2002). ...
Introduction
Research on expatriates has typically left underexplored the critical antecedents of expatriates’ organizational citizenship behavior (OCB).
Objectives
This study aims to fill this research gap by studying the effects of constructs specific and nonspecific to the expatriate context of expatriates’ OCB performance.
Methods
Using online surveys, data were collected from 200 expatriates and 280 of their coworkers working in 62 host countries. The hypotheses were tested with structural equation modeling analysis.
Results
First, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, job satisfaction, work adjustment and interaction adjustment all had unique contributions in predicting expatriates’ OCB. Second, there was initial support for the indirect effect of the host country coworkers’ OCB performance targeted at expatriates on expatriates’ OCB-I performance. Finally, the results did not provide support for the indirect effect of personality factors on expatriates’ OCB performance.
Conclusion
Compared to job satisfaction, expatriates’ personality traits (i.e., Agreeableness and Conscientiousness) may have a stronger effect on expatriates’ OCB performance.
... AEs ackowledged the difficulty of getting close to locals yet highlighted the importance of this relationship with host-country nationals in their work performance, in solving problems, and as a support system in general as suggested by previous studies (Peltokorpi, 2020;Toh et al., 2012). Moreover, they stressed the importance of their corporate network in the home country. ...
Expatriation has been a topic of much research recently. The important role expatriates play in the internationalisation of an organisation and the resultant effects of such a work experience on the expatriates themselves, have fuelled the interest in this domain. This edited volume serves to provide fresh and timely insights into four areas, covering the individual, over the organisational, to the macro-level. First, the career paths of the expatriates, which not only garners them the career capital they may be able to utilise later in their career but also, the impacts of such an experience on their longer-term career success are in focus. The second block concerns the expatriation phase itself. A critical look is taken into the expatriates’ identity and how it changes over time. Moreover, it discusses factors influencing the expatriates’ well-being, embeddedness, and socio-cultural integration during their time abroad. Third, some key global mobility management challenges that organisations face, when managing expatriation, are introduced —such as flexible language management and how to become an international employer. Finally, insights are provided into the role of the host country policies – more specifically hostile environment and migration policies – on expatriate attitudes and behaviour, which has received less attention in previous research. All four areas are finally brought together to present a rich overview of future research questions that shall stimulate researchers and practitioners in their further deliberations. The chapters are based on selected results from the respective research subprojects of the Early Stage Researchers of the Horizon 2020 Global Mobility of Employees (GLOMO) project. This project was funded under the European Union’s Research and Innovation Programme H2020 in the framework of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Grant Agreement No 765355.
Literature shows that not all individuals are equally suited to embark on a new life in another country, and self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) could be particularly susceptible to failure since they have no support from a home organization. The study sought to examine the moderation role of Social Support in relation to Cultural intelligence (CQ) Cross-Cultural Adjustment of Chinese Self-initiated Expatriates (SIEs) in Ghana. A sample of 400 respondents was selected for the study. Questionnaires were used to collect data via an online survey. Data was analyzed using PLS-SEM for the analysis, PLS algorithms and Bootstrapping tests were performed. Findings suggested that social support acquired by Chinese SIEs from host country citizens had no moderating influence on the relationship between their CQ and their capacity to adapt cross culturally to Ghanaian cultural situations. The study's findings will help SIEs, human resource practitioners, and cross-cultural managers who work with SIEs to understand the requirements for effective cross-cultural management towards reducing expats failure.
This chapter will examine the pre-arrival, arrival and orientation, and transition phases of international school onboarding programs. The elements are the social media group, internet platform, airport protocol, arrival dossier, orientation schedule, events itinerary, and transition partnership. The phases were delineated based on a robust literature review and Klein and Heuser's inform-welcome-guide framework. The elements were created in alignment with the adult learning principles put forth by Knowles et al. and the concept of fulfilling a newcomer's psychological contract. The three phases and seven elements of the international school onboarding program are substantiated and moderately substantiated using the Delphi method. International school leaders, educators, and coordinators can use the findings to create a site-specific onboarding program.
Purpose
Despite being one of the most used dependent variables in expatriate management research, no clear-cut understanding exists of what expatriate success means. Thus, this study aims to propose an integrative definition of expatriate success by providing an overview of expatriate success's dimensions, antecedents, and their interplay.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted to achieve the purpose. A total of 249 empirical studies (quantitative 111, qualitative 50, mixed-methods 17), literature reviews (67) and meta-analyses (4) on expatriate success were reviewed from Web of Science and Scopus databases published from 1990 until December 2021. The study selection criteria followed the PRISMA flowchart steps, and then descriptive and network analyses were performed to identify expatriates' success dimensions, antecedents and their interplay.
Findings
The findings show the interplay among antecedents and dimensions of expatriate success across three levels (individual, interpersonal and organisational) to clarify the concept of expatriate success. Also, the study offers a comprehensive definition of expatriate success based on the dimensions identified.
Research limitations/implications
The suggested definition of expatriate success elucidates the “atheoretical”, multidimensional and socially constructed nature of the construct and hence, calls for more “theoretical”, multidimensional and subjective considerations of the term to ground human resource management practices addressed to attain expatriates' success.
Originality/value
This paper provides an integrative definition of expatriate success, giving greater insight into the construct, in addition to critically reflecting on it.
Purpose
Conflict is one of the important aspects of the expatriate-host country nationals (HCNs) dyad. The purpose of this study is to understand how the level of conflict between assigned expatriates and HCNs emerges and evolves during acculturation over time.
Design/methodology/approach
Building on expatriate literature, diversity literature, and acculturation literature, the authors adopted a longitudinal lens and developed a conceptual model to describe the dynamic process of conflict emergence and evolvement between assigned expatriates and HCNs.
Findings
This study offers a dynamic multi-stage conceptual model with the authors' novel propositions to explain how conflicts between assigned expatriates and HCNs emerge and evolve through the acculturation process.
Originality/value
This study provided a theoretical framework demonstrating when and how conflicts between HCNs and expatriates emerge and evolve during acculturation. In doing so, the authors integrate the conflict and diversity literature with the expatriate literature and offer a theoretical foundation to enrich the authors' understanding of the conflict between expatriates and HCNs.
Against the backdrop of host-country national (HCN) research, this chapter reviews and analyzes the role of HCNs in the context of expatriate management, shedding more light on the HCN perspective of being considered a source of help for expatriates, agents of knowledge and innovation for MNEs, as well as stakeholders in their own right. Based on this review and analysis, a research agenda is developed, which aims to change the conversation about how we understand the relationship between HCNs and expatriates. Furthermore, we want to uncover and propose three new narratives, neocolonialism, critical race theory, and sustainable development, that might set the research direction for the following years.
This research investigates the process through which individuals build cohesive relationships in positively connected exchange relations. Positive connections exist any time exchange in one relation must precede exchange in another. Such situations arise through gatekeeping, in generalized exchange contexts, and when resources diffuse across a network. Prior exchange research has focused primarily on negative connections, whose defining feature is competition, leaving theoretical understanding of cohesion-building in positive connections relatively underdeveloped. A key feature of positive connections is that unlike negative connections, they allow actors to exchange often even if their relationship is power-imbalanced. Consequently, we propose that in positive connections, structural power affects cohesion primarily through the mediating effects of power use and emotions, but not through exchange frequency and uncertainty. Results of a laboratory experiment support this causal model and enhance our understanding of the distinctive processes operating in positive connections.
The willingness of host country nationals (HCNs) to provide support to the expatriate has received a lot of attention in the literature on international assignments. Surprisingly, though, the number of empirical studies examining this relationship is extremely limited. This study examines the role of HCNs' collectivistic orientation, interpersonal affect, and guanxi in relation to their willingness to support expatriates. Using data from 212 HCNs in China, it is found that HCNs' perceived relationship quality with the expatriate has a significant impact on their willingness to provide assistance, both role information and social support, to expatriates. Further, it is found that relationship quality is related to perceived cultural similarity. The results reinforce the importance of paying attention to the perceptions and reactions of HCNs towards expatriates. Implications of the findings are discussed, and suggestions are offered for future research.
The purpose of this investigation was to study the effect of socialization-related attitudes and behaviors exhibited by insiders on the development of organizational newcomers. New graduate students, advanced graduate students, and faculty members responded to surveys at two different time periods. Insiders’ attitudes toward socialization were predictive of their involvement in socialization activities. New student involvement in activities that were initiated by faculty members and advanced students was related to role conflict, role ambiguity, and service to the department. Faculty and advanced student attitudes and behaviors, aggregated to the department level, predicted new student departmental service. The authors conclude that the recent call for renewed interest in the role of insiders in the socialization process is warranted.
Within a framework of international strategy for multinational corporations, this chapter examines the important opportunities afforded by taking a more inclusive approach to the foreign subsidiary host country workforce (HCW). It argues that past international management writing and practice, with its expatriate bias, has neglected consideration of this important resource. Not only can the HCW help expatriate managers be more successful and have a better experience in the host country, but it can contribute to and benefit from the corporate knowledge base, leading to more effective global knowledge management. The authors discuss means by which a multinational corporation can effectively include the HCW in its knowledge management activities.
The Psychology of Prosocial Behavior provides original contributions that examine current perspectives and promising directions for future research on helping behaviors and related core issues. • Covers contributions which deal explicitly with interventions designed to foster out-group helping (and to improve its quality) in real world settings • Provides the reader with a cohesive look at helping and prosocial behaviors using a combination of theoretical work with research on interventions in applied settings • Examines helping from multiple perspectives in order to recognize the diverse influences that promote actions for the benefit of others • Contributors to this volume include cutting-edge researchers using both field studies and laboratory experiments.
The present study was designed to better understand the antecedents and consequences of expatriate adjustment in an international assignment. The researchers surveyed Japanese expatriates assigned to the United States. Structural equation modeling was utilized to test our hypotheses and model. The results indicated that previous knowledge of the host country, language proficiency, willingness to communicate and perception of the novelty of the host culture were differentially related to expatriates' adjustment to the host country. General and work adjustments were negatively related to expatriates' intent to return early. In addition, interrelationships among the adjustment dimensions were examined and the results indicated that general adjustment leads to work adjustment, which, in turn, influences interactional adjustment. Implications for future research are presented.
To understand the effects of host country nationals (HCNs) on expatriate effectiveness, we draw upon social capital theory to develop and test a model of expatriate adjustment and performance. This social capital model predicts that social networks and access to information and resources (opportunities), trust and norm of reciprocity (motivation) and HCNs' intercultural competencies and reliable task performance (abilities) have direct effects on expatriate adjustment and performance. To test the proposed model, we conducted a field study and collected data from 147 expatriate managers working in Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai. The social capital variables were strong predictors of expatriate performance but were relatively weak for adjustment. Having adopted a new perspective for examining expatriate effectiveness, this research offers some new directions for future studies in expatriate research as well as in social capital.
Existing literature on expatriate managers tends to focus on their adjustment from the point of view of individual well-being. This article, in pointing out that international assignments are an opportunity to internationalize the company through a learning process, has a different emphasis. Japanese companies tend to employ many Japanese expatriate managers in overseas locations. The development of cross-cultural adaptation among expatriate Japanese managers in two retail subsidiary companies in Hong Kong was studied. In both companies, the expatriates learned reactively rather than proactively, so that either zero or single-loop organizational learning ensued for the parent company. The reactive learning approach stemmed from expatriates perceiving that their career prospects related more to events back at the parent company than to the success or failure of the local subsidiary, and that it might be harmful to their career if they internationalized themselves during the overseas assignment.