No expatriate is an island: The role of salient stakeholders' support in international assignments

Hak Liong Chan and Dahlia Zawawi and Siew Imm Ng and Debbra Toria Anak Nipo (2022) No expatriate is an island: The role of salient stakeholders' support in international assignments. International Journal of Manpower, 43. pp. 1001-1018. ISSN 0143-7720

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Abstract

International assignments are an effective tool to develop employees’ cultural competencies, yet expatriate failure rates remain high. This paper aims to examine salient stakeholders’ (i.e. organizations, host country nationals (HCNs) and spouses) support as antecedents of expatriates’ work adjustment and task performance. It also explores work adjustment as a mediator between support and task performance. Design/methodology/approach – Adopting the quantitative approach, survey data were collected from 112 expatriates who were married and based in organizations in Malaysia. Partial least squares-structural equation modelling was employed to Analyse the data. Findings – The findings validate the direct influences of perceived organizational support (POS) on work adjustment, HCN support on work adjustment, and spousal support on task performance. The indirect effect of HCN support on task performance through work adjustment was also established. When expatriates’ work adjustment improves as a result of receiving HCN support, their task performance is enhanced. Practical implications – This study evidence that expatriate-hiring firms should provide suitable support for expatriates when they work overseas. Local employees and spouses should likewise be tasked to help expatriates maximize their full potential in achieving successful performance in their assignments. Originality/value – The contribution of this study is the exploration of the relationships between support, work adjustment and task performance among expatriates. It also adds to the limited knowledge on the role of specific stakeholders in the expatriate context.

Item Type:	Article
Keyword:	Work adjustment, Support, Stakeholders, Task performance, Malaysia
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HF Commerce > HF1-6182 Commerce > HF5001-6182 Business > HF5548.7-5548.85 Industrial psychology H Social Sciences > HF Commerce > HF1-6182 Commerce > HF5001-6182 Business > HF5549-5549.5 Personnel management. Employment management
Department:	FACULTY > Faculty of Business, Economics and Accounting
Depositing User:	JUNAINE JASNI -
Date Deposited:	03 Sep 2025 10:31
Last Modified:	03 Sep 2025 10:31
URI:	https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/45114

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