The motivation for the mobility – A comparison of the company assigned and self-initiated expatriates in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

This study explores the dominant motivational factors that govern the decision of a sample of 344 expatriates of diverse demographic to relocate from their home nations and move abroad to live and work in Saudi Arabia within the banking sector. These expatriates are grouped into two specific defined cohorts: self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) and company-assigned expatriates (CAEs). A principal components analysis (PCA) was conducted to validate a pull-push model of motivations governing the decision to expatriate. Six push-pull motivational hypotheses derived from a comprehensive review of the extant literature were tested, employing logistic regression using a stepwise forward procedure. The primary argument centred on a contention that SIEs would be more highly motivated by push factors, pull factors, as well as host-home and family dynamics compared to CAEs, while CAEs may be more highly motivated by career considerations. The results of the study revealed that the push factor emerged as the strongest predictor in distinguishing between SIE and CAE motivations to migrate abroad. SIEs were found to be more strongly motivated by push factors than CAEs. In contrast, none of the pull motivational factors produced significant results for either SIEs or CAEs. Key differences between each cohort of expatriates arise based on their unique personal and professional motivational factors, not their status as either a SIE or CAE. The reasons for these results and possible limitations of the study design and its specific Saudi Arabian context are further discussed.