Crucial Role of Motivational CQ on SIEs' Intention to Stay and In-role Job Performance

Abstract

Although self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) have become the target of recruitment when multinationals hunt for international talent, they are still considered as a risk to corporate personnel security because of their mobility. In order to help companies turn this risk into a rare resource, this study analyzes how SIEs' motivational CQ impacts their intention to stay and in-role job performance by investigating 250 SIEs in China-based companies. Our findings indicate that SIEs' motivational CQ is a significant predictor of their intention to stay with their employer and their in-role job performance. We also find that SIEs' intention to stay partially mediates the positive relationship between their motivational CQ and in-role job performance under the condition of low power distance and high role ambiguity. Our findings add new empirical evidence to the existing literature on SIE management, cultural intelligence, and person-environment fit, and has important implications for SIE management.