‘Many places to call home’: a typology of job embeddedness among internationally relocated workers and its relationship to personal initiative, intent to stay in the host country, and intent to stay in the organization

Abstract

In recent years, the literature on job embeddedness among internationally relocated workers (IRWs), i.e. diverse individuals who relocated and execute employment abroad, has developed significantly. However, these studies have predominantly relied on a variable-centered approach, which has major shortcomings that have led to inconsistent and potentially misleading results. In this research, we employed a person-centered approach along with Latent Class Analysis (LCA) to discern various types of embedders among IRWs. We also delved into the relationships between these embedding types and the desire to remain in their current employer organizations and countries, and the influence of personal initiative on the emergence of these embedding types. Our data was gathered from a sample of 707 IRWs residing in Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. The findings from the LCA revealed the presence of four distinct embedding types: ‘home country-focused embedders’, ‘host country community-focused embedders’, ‘host country career-focused embedders’, and ‘transnational embedders’. Among them, ‘transnational embedders’ exhibited the strongest intent to stay in both host countries and organizations. Of the two groups embedded in the host country, those whose embeddedness was private life-oriented were more likely to stay than those whose embeddedness was work-focused. Personal initiative significantly predicted embedding types. On the basis of these findings, we derived implications for theory, research, and practice.