Person–Environment Fit and Expatriate Job Satisfaction

Abstract

Despite the prominence of cross‐cultural adjustment in expatriate research, recent literature has criticized the theoretical foundation and dimensionality of this construct. Building on person–environment fit theory, we empirically investigate a multidimensional conceptualization of cross‐cultural adjustment in the work domain, considering expatriate abilities and needs as well as environmental demands and supplies. We conduct polynomial regression analysis on a sample of 175 expatriates in South Korea. Results show that job satisfaction increases as perceived organizational support exceeds expatriates’ need for organizational information. In a similar vein, job satisfaction increases as expatriates’ cultural skills exceed workplace social exclusion. We visualize the identified relationships using response surface analysis. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.