Abstract
PurposeThe purpose of this qualitative study is to explore well-being experiences of international business travellers (IBTs) and contribute to our understanding of personal and job characteristics as antecedents of ill- or well-being.Design/methodology/approachThe authors’ insights are based on semi-structured in-depth interviews with 32 IBTs assigned to various destinations ranging from single-country travel to global operation. Participants in this study represent a range of traveller personas (regarding demographics, type of work, travel patterns). Thematic analysis is used to reveal new insights.FindingsThe authors’ analysis revealed trip-load (i.e. workload, control, organisational support) and intensity of travel (i.e. frequency, duration and quality) as job characteristics that sit on an energy stimulation continuum, driving work-related outcomes such as stress and burnout or health and well-being. Energy draining and boosting processes are moderated by cognitive flexibility and behavioural characteristics.Practical implicationsFindings represent a framework for managing IBT well-being via adjustments in job and travel characteristics, plus guidance for training and development to help IBTs self-manage.Originality/valueThe insights within this paper contribute to the conversation around how to enhance well-being for IBTs and frequent flyers. The study intends to offer direction as to which specific job, psychological and behavioural characteristics to focus on, introducing a novel framework for understanding and avoiding serious consequences associated with international mobility such as increased stress, burnout and ill-health.
Highlights
Managing an internationally mobile workforce successfully is associated with effective employees, workforces and organisations (Sparrow, 2012)
We suggest that job demands–resources (JD-R) theory does not fully capture the situation of individuals being deployed and travelling internationally, so we offer a revised model of international business travellers (IBTs) well-being that includes previously untested work and individual characteristics necessary for this context
There is potential to flow between these categories depending on the degree of presence or absence in the stimulation of positive or negative energy associated with well-being
Summary
Managing an internationally mobile workforce successfully (i.e. in human resources, travel management and global mobility) is associated with effective employees, workforces and organisations (Sparrow, 2012). In an increasingly internationalised business world, there currently is a rising demand in people working abroad (Brookfield Global Relocation Services, 2016), posing challenges to both the international organisations and the individuals deployed outside their home countries. In addition to traditional forms of expatriation McNulty and Brewster, 2017 for an overview) newer forms of international work yield further complexity. The full terms of this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode
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