International Business Travel Research Articles

Forgotten travelers: Adjustment and career implications of international business travel for expatriates

Abstract In this study, we demonstrate the importance of assessing international business travel in the context of expatriation. Based on the Job Demands-Resources theory, we suggest that engaging in international business travel is beneficial for expatriates when certain conditions are in place and detrimental when they are not. We propose that expatriates who have adequate job resources will reap the benefits of international business travel and achieve better adjustment to living and working in the host country and have greater career satisfaction. Survey results based on a sample of 161 expatriates provide support that engaging in international business travel is positively and indirectly related to expatriates' career satisfaction through expatriate adjustment when job resources are abundant, and it has a negative indirect association when resources are low. We further find that job resources play a role in the relationship between international business travel and career satisfaction primarily when the host-country culture is similar to that of the home country.

Of Discovery and Dread: Unpacking the Complex Effects of International Business Travel Frequency

The ever-increasing need for a globally mobile workforce has led many employees to take on an often difficult global work role, one requiring frequent international business travel. Due to the dual nature of international business travel – both enriching and depleting – it is still unclear when and how it enables some international business travelers (IBTs) to thrive and embrace their global work role responsibilities, while pushing others to abandon this line of work all together. Following, I suggest that organizations need to provide IBTs with ample developmental opportunities (i.e., work role challenges) as part of their overall work role responsibilities, so as to motivate IBTs and help them to see frequent travel as an enriching, rather than a depleting experience. By integrating two theories of motivation - conservation of resources theory and the challenge-hindrance demands framework - I develop and test a model where, through the psychological state of thriving at work, travel frequency could have both positive and negative indirect effects on IBTs’ intent to abandon their global work role responsibilities (i.e., global role turnover intentions). Using latent moderated structural equation modeling (LMS) to test the proposed model on a sample of 204 IBTs, collected at two different points in time, I found that travel frequency did indeed indirectly affect IBTs’ global role turnover intentions through thriving. The nature of these indirect effects largely depended on the level of work role challenges.

Individual and job-related antecedents of a global mindset: An analysis of international business travelers’ characteristics and experiences abroad

International organizations face an increasing need for employees, such as international business travelers (IBTs), with a global mindset to successfully conduct business abroad. But we lack knowledge about levers that are conducive to IBTs’ developing a global mindset. We collected quantitative data from 624 mainly German IBTs to measure their global mindset along with theory-driven individual and job-related antecedents. Structural equation modelling revealed that individuals’ personality traits (openness to experience, agreeableness), motivation (work-related travel readiness) and job-related factors (complexity of global roles, contact quality with foreign nationals) were positively related to the IBTs’ level of global mindset. Our study contributes, first, to research on global mindset, by identifying antecedents to its development and, second, to research on international business travel, by showing how specific features of travel experiences can be managed in order to enhance IBTs’ learning experiences.

In Case You Haven't Heard

Mental Health WeeklyVolume 28, Issue 44 p. 8-8 In Case You Haven't Heard In Case You Haven't Heard First published: 19 November 2018 https://doi.org/10.1002/mhw.31683Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Abstract A new survey by International SOS and Kingston University suggests business travel can have a considerable negative impact on mental health, the International Travel & Health Insurance Journal reported Nov. 14. The survey, which took in 200 international business travelers, found that 45 percent of respondents reported feeling more stressed than usual while on work trips. Thirty-one percent said they experienced emotional exhaustion while traveling on such trips, while around 25 percent said they found issues like anxiety and depression were more prevalent compared with leisure travel. Additionally, 76 percent of respondents said they were less likely to remember to eat in a balanced manner and take exercise while traveling for business, and 73 percent said their sleep was of a worse quality than when at home. It's not all bad news, though — 67 percent of survey respondents reported feeling more engaged with their jobs while traveling for business, and 59 percent stated that they saw it as an opportunity to enjoy a bit of freedom from their home life (although arguably this could be seen as being somewhat unhealthy). Volume28, Issue4419 November 2018Pages 8-8 RelatedInformation

Expatriates on the Go: International Business Travel during Expatriation

Research on global employees has treated expatriates and international business travelers as distinct employee groups, thus assuming that travel is not an integral part of the expatriate experience...

Surviving and Thriving as a Global Employee

Research in global careers has increased substantially in the last 20 years, due to a need from organizations for global skills in critical business activities (Shaffer, Kraimer, Chen, & Bolino, 2012). Much research has been conducted on the challenges and outcome of global careers, but a gap exists in understanding how global employees survive and thrive in global assignments. We have brought together five papers that discuss different types of international assignments, and how employees not only survive, but thrive, in their global careers. Following presentations on international business travel, expatriate adjustment, relational creativity of global employees, thriving as an expatriate, and the networks and social support of global employees in high risk areas, our discussant will engage the audience in a large-group discussion on these topics, expand on areas of interest to the audience, and discuss ideas for future research.

Support for female international business travellers in dual-career families

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to evaluate experiences of female international business travellers living in dual-career families (DCFs) who also have childcare obligations. In particular, the paper explores in which way different sources of support – specifically organizational support – are perceived as important and are available to the women under research. Because of the women’s regular absences due to business trips and the fulfilment of their family role, challenges regarding childcare or household responsibilities may occur. Consequently and also according to social support theory, different types of support may be necessary to organize family and international career, and effectively perform in both environments.Design/methodology/approachThis paper examines the experiences and thoughts of these women with special regards on support issues. Data are collected from 51 semi-structured interviews with internationally travelling women in DCF situations originating from seven Western and non-Western countries. The interviews are analysed applying template analysis.FindingsResults show that, across countries, support is mainly derived from within family. Regarding institutional or organizational support, however, the reported expectations and actually offered activities differ because of local institutional and cultural variations. The examined women value different forms of organizational support, but do not necessarily expect it.Originality/valueThis paper represents the first exploratory examinations of various forms of support for female international business travellers in DCFs suggested by social support theory. It includes a culturally diverse sample and contributes to cross-cultural career research.

Global boundary work tactics: managing work and family transitions in a 24–7 global context

ABSTRACTThis study addresses how today’s global managers navigate their work and family transitions through employing various boundary work tactics in a global context. Interviews with 25 global travelers or international business travelers in dual-career families uncovered how they handle global workflows and protect family time when working domestically or abroad. Patterns emerged across a typology of temporal, communicative, behavioral and physical boundary work tactics. A key contribution is that workplace flexibility in addition to technology allows global managers to maintain connectivity beyond spatial or temporal boundaries. Moreover, technology was perceived as an integral tool by global managers, with few cases of tensions reported from a blurring of boundaries. The research contributes to the nascent literature on work-life balance among global managers. It also provides evidence of how mobile and telepresence technologies are being used in performing global work. Companies are encouraged to foster flexibility among their global managers around viewing time and using communication techniques and technology to manage role transitions. Results suggest that global work approached in this manner can be sustainable as well as beneficial to the individual, his/her family, and the organization.

The occupational stress in International Business Travellers of a multinational of the automotive sector

The occupational stress in International Business Travellers of a multinational of the automotive sector

The complexity of outsourced services and the role of international business travel

We hypothesize that face-to-face communication between international business partners is a valuable mechanism for reducing transaction costs, even in contexts where electronic communication is pervasive. Specifically, we examine whether face-to-face interactions (as measured by international business travel) have greater impacts where transaction costs are higher, e.g., where services with greater complexity are outsourced offshore. Matching data from the Survey of International Air Travelers with Bureau of Economic Analysis data on U.S. service outsourcing, we find that international business travel leads to more outsourcing of more complex services. We further provide evidence on the differential role of international business travel by showing that: (i) business travel by managers leads to relatively more outsourcing of more complex services and (ii) business travel by non-diaspora members leads to relatively more outsourcing of more complex services.

An Update on Travel Vaccines and Issues in Travel and International Medicine.

The fields of travel and international medicine are rapidly changing and growing. The role of occupational and travel health nurses is expanding and should be a focus for the future. At the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses Annual meeting on March 24, 2015, in Boston, five presentations were included in the session, An Update on Travel Vaccines and Issues in Travel and International Medicine. This article summarizes three of the presentations and includes a portion of the information generated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) included in the fourth presentation. The first section focuses on the Essential Elements of Travel Medicine Programs including the pre-travel care assessment, trip research and risk identification, medication intervention review, non-pharmaceutical and prevention strategies, and post-travel care. The next section is an overview of key issues for business travelers. The growth in the number of international business travelers and unique aspects of business travel are emphasized in a comprehensive travel health program. This section also includes a discussion of expatriates and their special risks identified in recent literature (e.g., an assessment of the significant costs of health events and productivity losses by both business travelers and expatriates). The final section offers a specific example of a vaccine-preventable disease, namely, Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus, and needed changes in JE vaccine recommendations.

Investigating causality in international air freight and business travel: The case of Australia

Few studies have examined the link between air cargo and business travel, despite there being a generally accepted understanding that these two variables are inextricably related to each other. This paper examines the relationship between air cargo and business travel at the international level and analyses how these two variables are causally related. Moreover, we break down the sample into three major Australian states (New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria), as each possesses a distinct flavour in trade and commerce. Utilising Granger causality methods, we have found evidence that there is a direct causal relationship between business travel and air cargo in the short run, and a bi-directional relationship in periods of 12 months and longer. The nature of the Granger causality at the state-level substantially differs from state to state, suggesting that the economic landscape of Australia’s local economy has a significant impact on the air cargo and business travel relationship.

International business travelers’ psychological well-being: the role of supportive HR practices

This study examines the effects of the job demands and job resources typical of international business travel (IBT) on psychological well-being (job exhaustion, vigor and satisfaction with work-related travel) among 232 Finnish IBTs. The study is theoretically based on the job demands-resources model and both health impairment and motivational processes were examined alongside the interaction effects of job demands and job resources. Path analysis based on structural equation modeling showed that, of the job demands, workload and pressure experienced in work demanding IBT predicted job exhaustion, but risks related to travel destinations did not. Viewed as job resources, supportive HR practices for traveling (well-functioning and safe travel arrangements and an opportunity for post-travel recovery) predicted vigor and satisfaction with traveling work. They also provided a buffer against the negative effects of the risks of travel destinations on job exhaustion and boosted satisfaction with work travel under circumstances of high risk related to travel destinations. Our findings indicate that organizations should pay greater attention to the workload and the pressure under which IBTs work, and develop supportive HR practices, especially for IBTs who experience high safety and health risks, for example, at their destination.

Stretching the borders: how international business travel affects the work–family balance

ABSTRACTThis study examined the consequences of international business travel for the balance between work–family domains by exploring how international business travellers and travellers’ partners manage the boundaries between work and family in order to maintain the balance. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used in analysing the semi-structured interviews of 10 male travellers and 10 partners. Because of its irregular nature, international business travel affects the personal life and the family of business travellers. Work-related travel also has an impact on how travellers and their partners construct, manage and negotiate borders between work and family in order to avoid an imbalance between these domains. Integration of work and family is usually inevitable in international business traveler families. Integration may lead to role blurring and thus lead to imbalance.

Experienced international business traveller’s behaviour in Iran: A partial least squares path modelling analysis

Few researchers have examined travellers’ experience with destinations despite the importance of their attitudes, behaviour and perception in selecting destinations. Current study aims to examine the relationship between risk perceptions, motivation, information source, travel experience and destination image among experienced international business travellers in Iran. The total number of 234 valid questionnaires was collected from international business travellers and structural equation modelling was employed using partial least squares path-modelling analysis to assess measurement and structural model for reflective constructs. Our empirical results support the negative relationship between destination image and risk perception, travel experience and risk perception while information sources were found to be unrelated to travellers risk perceptions. The results further shown that information sources and destination image, information sources and motivation, motivation and travel experience and destination image are related. However, the partial least squares-multigroup analysis results reveal that the significance of path coefficients differs across various demographic subgroups. Moreover, our results support experience and risk perception as a second-order reflective construct. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed along with a discussion on research limitations.

Married, mom and manager – how can this be combined with an international career?

The purpose of this paper is to examine the experiences of females combining global careers, in particular, frequent international business travel and a dual-career family. With the increasing popularity of alternate forms of expatriation, females have the opportunity to follow a global career while being in a dual-career partnership and having children. Previous research has suggested that alternatives to long-term expatriation, such as international business travel, are considered more family friendly. Integrating family and international business travel, however, still poses many challenges to women. This paper examines the ways in which they handle this challenging situation according to social capital theory. It presents initial exploratory insights stemming from interview data including 25 female international business travelers living in dual-career families from four Western and non-Western countries on four different continents. These interviews, which were analyzed using template analysis, show common ways and similar experiences and understanding of integrating family and career life as female non-traditional expatriates across cultures. Differences remain, however, because of conditions in the local environment.

The Serviced Apartment Industry of South Africa: A New Phenomenon in Urban Tourism

Serviced apartments are a distinctive form of tourism product which have attracted only limited research attention. The objective is to examine the emergence and characteristics of the serviced apartment sector in South Africa as a new phenomenon within the urban tourism economy. The findings show its growth as linked to the expanding trend for business professionals and consultants to work abroad for an extended period of time, a globalisation tendency accelerated in South Africa by the brain drain of skilled professionals. The evidence from this investigation reveals that serviced apartment complexes currently are geographically concentrated in the country’s major hubs for international business travel and that, within cities, the location of these facilities is focused mainly in upmarket residential areas which offer high quality living environments and access to business and entertainment nodes.

Work- and family-role adjustment of different types of global professionals: Scale development and validation

Although the original model of expatriate adjustment proposed by Black and colleagues has received substantial empirical support, it has come under increased academic scrutiny, due to both the conceptual overlap among its dimensions and its limited applicability for global professionals who interact with individuals from diverse cultures. Drawing on role theory, we conceptualize and develop a multidimensional scale of the work- and family-role adjustment of global professionals. We assess this scale through five interlocking studies using data from a total of 1231 corporate and self-initiated expatriates, international business travelers, and global domestics. After confirming the scale’s dimensionality, we provide evidence for convergent, discriminant, nomological, and predictive validity. We also demonstrate differences in levels of adjustment and in relationships between work and family demands and resources and their respective forms of adjustment across various types of global professionals. We contribute to international business research, and the organizational behavior and work–family literatures, by offering a theoretically based scale that assesses adjustment to both work and family roles for a wide range of global employees. Our scale further lends itself as a diagnostic tool during the selection, training, and support of global professionals and their families.

Work-family conflict faced by international business travellers

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to examine the direct and moderating effect of gender and parental status on the relationship between international business travel days and work-to-family conflict (WFC) among international business travellers (IBTs) on the basis of the conservation of resources theory.Design/methodology/approach– The study was conducted among 1,366 Finnish people in jobs demanding international business travel and a moderated hierarchical regression was utilised in data analysis.Findings– An increase in the number of international business travel days and being a parent is positively related to WFC. Women with dependent children experience a lower level of WFC than do men with dependent children. However, a significant interaction effect between international business travel days, parental status and gender was found that indicates that the volume of travel days increases the level of WFC for those women who have children more than it does for women who do not have children. For men, increased numbers of travel days raises levels of WFC, as does having children, but there is no interaction between travel days and parental status among men. An increased number of travel days was least critical for WFC among women without dependent children and most critical for WFC among women with dependent children However, women with dependent children were able to travel to a considerable extent before their levels of WFC overtook those of men with dependent children.Practical implications– The findings indicate that organisations should pay particular attention to developing policies and practices that take account of the family status of the traveller. In addition, to assist IBTs to cope with their WFC, attention should be paid to the intensity of work-related travel. However, gender seemed not to play a particularly important role in WFC, indicating that organisations need not be wary of recruiting both men and women into roles involving international business travel.Originality/value– This is the first study focusing on IBTs WFC that simultaneously takes account of how the intensity of business travel and both gender and parenthood are related to it.

“Keeping the family side ticking along”

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the work-family interface of two non-traditional forms of expatriation. The paper contributes to existing research by comparing and contrasting the experiences of international business travellers and rotational assignees, pointing out the similarities in their experiences but also showing considerable differences in how the work-family interface plays out in these two groups. Design/methodology/approach – In line with the exploratory nature of the research, the authors carried out a qualitative case study drawing on interview data with rotators and international business travellers (n=20). In order to get more in-depth insights into the experiences of these two groups of assignees, the authors also used the photo-elicitation technique, which corresponds with the recent recognition that the evolving nature of international assignments requires alternative methods of inquiry to enhance the understanding of the challenges faced by them. Findings – The study points to four major factors affecting the work-family interface: time spent away, unpredictability of work schedules, limited ability to exercise control over it as well as limited availability of organisational support. The findings illustrate that while these factors impact international business travellers and rotators alike, their intensity varies considerably in the experiences of these two groups. Research limitations/implications – The research is based on a single case study and a small sample which needs to be considered when discussing the implications of the findings. Future research can valuably extend and build on the here reported observations. Practical implications – A number of practical implications are discussed, notably pertaining to the ways in which organisations can mitigate the challenges encountered by international business travellers and rotators. Originality/value – The papers focuses on two groups of assignees that are underrepresented in the expatriate literature despite their increasing empirical significance in international business.