What makes organization-assigned expatriates perform in the host country? A moderated mediation analysis in the India-China context

Abstract

While drawing from the convergence/divergence debate in international human resource management, this study applies goal-setting theory (GST) to investigate how does organizationally assigned expatriates' level of psychological empowerment is influenced by the organizational culture in an international assignment to impact their job performance. Further, it also explores the moderating role of host country language ability in this connection. Consistent with GST, the results indicated a positive and partial mediating role of psychological empowerment in the relationship between organizational culture and job performance. Further, the findings suggested for the moderating advantage of expatriate’s host country language ability in enhancing their job performance. The implication and contribution of the study has been discussed in the context of international human resource management (IHRM) and international management (IM).