Managerial Willingness to Assume Traveling, Short-term and Long-term Global Assignments

Abstract

Drawing on reasoned action and family systems theories, as well as the domestic and international job transfer and relocation, global assignments, personality and work-life balance research domains, this study examines managers’ willingness to assume global assignments. We propose a multi-factor model and test several hypotheses using survey data collected from 431 global managers and 162 spouses/significant others that examine the degree to which individual, family, and organizational variables influence managerial willingness to accept not only the more traditional multi-year, but also the increasingly common traveling and short-term global assignments. Results suggest that individual (adventurousness and destination country), family (eldercare, children at home, community tenure, and spouse/significant other relocation willingness), and organizational (compensatory rewards/benefits and career fit) factors influence managerial willingness to assume global assignments.