Self-initiated Expatriates Research Articles

Factors Contributing to the Success of Female Self-initiated Expatriate Service Workers in the United Arab Emirates

Research into self-initiated expatriate (SIE) success is important when a nation’s workforce is overwhelmingly comprised of expatriates. We examined the direct effect of perceived organizational support and adjustment on intent to stay and job engagement and the mediation effect of adjustment for lower-skilled, female SIEs in the UAE. Hypotheses were tested using correlation, multiple regression and bootstrapped mediation analysis. Perceived organizational support and work adjustment demonstrated a significant, positive, direct effect on intent to stay and engagement. Work adjustment partially mediated the effect of perceived organizational support on engagement and intent to stay. Results and implications are discussed.

KEMAHIRAN PENGGUNAAN BAHASA SEBAGAI SKIL UNIVERSAL DALAM IMPROVASI KEYAKINAN DAN KETERAMPILAN JATI DIRI AKADEMIK EKSPATRIAT DI UNIVERSITI AWAM MALAYSIA

The fundamental discussion in this paper focuses and explores the elements of identity associated with local language mastery among individuals who are self-initiated expatriates. As a result, they are taking proactive initiatives to put themselves in a good position in the organization for career enhancement in the home country. The discussion in this paper is therefore aimed at exploring the relationship between the elements of language skills in the transformation of identity and confidence among expatriate academics in Malaysian public universities. In other words, the situation refers to the expatriate academic proactive attitude of trying to replace the country's cultural identity and values such as releasing the native language and mastering the local language to improve communication skills in the future. The study utilises qualitative methods that included semi-structured interviews of 30 international staff status lecturers at Malaysian public universities. The findings of this study prove that self-confidence plays a role in developing one's thoughts and actions in communicating and interacting with social and phenomenological structures that bind one to another. Thus, in the context of this study, self-confidence is seen as more personal and dynamic. In line with the discussion of this paper, the expatriate's interpretation of the improvisation of confidence and self-esteem and helps the researcher better understand the expatriate's actions in interpreting the self-confidence gained from the experiment.

From expatriation to global migration

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is twofold. First, the authors aim to examine the role of talent management (TM) practices in talent migration from developed countries to Ghana that may enhance country’s economic development through knowledge transfer. The paper also investigates the determinants of migration to the African countries.Design/methodology/approachDiscussing the importance of self-initiated expatriates (SIEs), and how TM practices may contribute to global migration, the authors develop a set of propositions and build a theoretical framework showing how firms from Ghana can push SIEs to a longer stay in Ghana stimulating inward migration by implementing TM practices.FindingsThe authors claim that in the Ghanaian context expatriates may become migrants by overcoming negative perceptions about Ghana as a destination. Besides the authors argue that talent attraction and talent retention practices with governmental support, play an important role in inward migration to Ghana.Research limitations/implicationsNew agenda for talent managers in Africa, namely addressing the possibilities for expatriates’ retention by developing and implementing TM practices to ensure knowledge transferring from developed countries is suggested.Originality/valueThe theoretical framework provides a useful starting point for explaining the interconnections of TM and the conversion from expatriation to the global migration phenomena by African countries that broaden the TM scope beyond individual and organizational aspects. The authors state that TM systems take on the principal role of addressing talent migration especially in the African context and are capable of converting expatriates, specifically SIEs, into migrants to solve important tasks related to knowledge attraction to developing countries.

Role of social and organizational support in the adjustment of Tunisian self-initiated expatriates

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the lived experiences of Tunisian self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) for social and organizational support that they experienced during their international expatriation assignment in a host country.Design/methodology/approachThis study is a qualitative research. The data were collected from Tunisian Expatriates through semi-structured interviews.FindingsThis study has revealed diverse some interesting insights about the lived experiences of Tunisian SIEs about the support which they received from their family members, social network and members of the host-country organization. This study has also introduced a scale that can be used for measuring the level of social and organizational support received by SIEs.Practical implicationsThis study has offered some implications for the researchers and professionals to advance research and practice to regulate the lived experiences of SIEs.Originality/valueThis study has highlighted the lived experiences of SIEs for social and organizational support in the Tunisian context representing the collectivist Muslim society.

Using embeddedness theory to explain self-initiated expatriation intention of entry-level job applicants

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explain why entry-level job applicants intend to leave their home country to work abroad by adopting the framework of country embeddedness (i.e. career and community embeddedness).Design/methodology/approachHypotheses are tested using survey data of a sample of prospective healthcare entry-level job applicants (i.e. last year medical students) using hierarchical regression analyses and bootstrapping procedures.FindingsResults show that, first, home country career and community embeddedness are negatively associated with self-initiated expatriation intention (SIE-intention). Second, developmental feedback reduces SIE-intention. This relationship is at least partly due to increased home country career embeddedness. Third, national identity reduces SIE-intention. The relationship is at least partly due to increased home country community embeddedness.Originality/valueThis paper advances the understanding of SIE by focusing on home country factors associated with the decision to work abroad, whereas the majority of current research mainly considers host country variables.

Determinants of innovative behaviors among self-initiated expatriates

PurposeExpatriate mobility is increasing globally, in volume and diversity. A growing element of this overall increase has been the greater share of self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) working outside their home countries. In some host countries, SIEs make up a majority of the overall workforce. The purpose of this paper is to examine the determinants of innovative work behavior (IWB) of SIEs in one such country. Drawing upon leader-member exchange (LMX) theory and the conceptual framework of the resource-based view of career capital, the authors’ examine the influences of LMX, perceived innovation-reward, job knowledge and contextual knowledge on SIEs’ IWB.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on the analysis of survey results from 229 SIEs based in the United Arab Emirates. The authors use hierarchal regression and an SPSS macro to assess the significance of the interaction effects.FindingsResults indicate significant direct effects for LMX and perceived innovation-reward on SIEs’ IWB. Results also reveal significant interaction effects suggesting that the relationship between LMX and SIEs’ IWB is stronger when job knowledge is high and when reward for innovation is high.Originality/valueThis is the first study to examine the determinants of SIE’s IWB. This study investigates the effect of LMX, career capital differences (job knowledge and contextual knowledge) and perceived innovation-reward on SIEs’ IWB. This is also the first study to examine the interaction effects of LMX and individual differences (job knowledge and contextual knowledge) on SIEs’ IWB.

Using Narratives to Understand the Experience of Career Success amongst Self-initiated Expatriates in South Africa

Calls have been made within the careers literature for studies focusing on the career experiences of sample groups often neglected in theorising. One could regard self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) as one of these sample groups, especially within the context of a developing country. An interpretivist paradigm, relying on interviews, was adopted for this study using a sample of 25 expatriates working at a South African university. Based on data generated, career success was framed through: 1) quest for career progression; 2) material possessions; and 3) research publication output. Participants deemed factors within the organisation as key to this framing of career success, particularly: 1) the value placed on social networks; 2) the quest for fair remuneration; and finally 3) the availability of opportunities within the organisation. In their endeavours to retain and attract foreign academics, human resources (HR) practitioners can use the findings of this study to inform strategies that assist in developing their staff.

What does it mean to be a ‘self-initiated’ expatriate in different contexts? A conceptual analysis and suggestions for future research

Personal initiative is an important behavior relevant to future workplaces that will require significant self-reliance. In research on self-initiated expatriates (SIE), it is assumed that those who move to another country and a new job show ‘initiative’ and yet it has received insufficient attention in empirical publications. We highlight the degree to which personal initiative shown by SIEs is context-dependent and conclude that it is untenable to attribute to all SIEs a homogeneous work behavior in terms of personal initiative. To improve the fast-growing SIE research, we incorporate a theory of personal initiative and advocate for, and give suggestions on how to measure initiative. We also, offer an initial model of how personal initiative will improve SIE outcomes. By offering specific guidance for future research, we seek to enhance the meaningfulness of future studies and thus increase their utility for organizations and policymakers alike. We conclude by expressing the importance of this conceptualization in practice.

Knowledge transfer between self-initiated expatriates and their organizations: Research propositions for managing SIEs

Knowledge management is increasingly recognized as a key aspect of international business and management. This paper offers research avenues for investigating knowledge transfer between self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) and their employer organizations. Building on the existing literature on expatriation and knowledge transfer, it offers a series of research propositions. It illustrates the knowledge transfer process in three phases: opportunity seeking, knowledge sharing, and knowledge application. We suggest that different characteristics of SIEs and their organizations can influence the knowledge transfer process. Furthermore, we advance that SIEs may be a source of sustained competitive advantage to their companies. Several implications for future empirical research are also discussed and the paper concludes with practical implications for SIE talent management.

Changing psychological contracts and organisational commitment: a longitudinal comparison of assigned and self-initiated expatriates in Australia

This paper compares the psychological contracts and the organisational commitment of company-assigned expatriates (AEs) and self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) in Australia. This was accomplished by conducting a qualitative longitudinal research, which draws on three phases of repeat semi-structured in-depth interviews with 25 participants over four years (2010–2014). Findings reveal that the differences between AEs’ and SEs’ PCs are mostly grounded in the emotional attachment individuals express towards their employment relationships. Findings also uncover how AEs commitment changes over time. This paper contributes to the literature by responding to calls for further study about similarities and differences between AEs and SIEs in the context of the global quest for talent. It further contributes to reconceptualising the PC and organisational commitment in contemporary employment relationships, such as the relationships that AEs and SIEs have with their employers.

Fitting in: Different Types of Person-Environment Fit as Drivers of Career Self-management in Kuwait

Contributing to emerging efforts to integrate the understudied career self-management (CSM) with person- environment fit research, this study aims to assess the unique effects of person-organization, person-coworkers and needs-supplies fits on employees’ deployment of career advancement strategies. A questionnaire was completed by 548 highly educated young Kuwaitis and self-initiated expatriates (Arab and South Asian) working in medium and large Kuwaiti organizations. The simultaneous effects of the three types of fits is assessed and the findings demonstrate that an increase in person-coworkers fit and decrease in person-organization and needs-supplies fits consistently encourage the deployment of career advancement strategies concerning accessing influential networks, self-promotion, competence building and psychological boundaryless. A relatively more robust effect of person-coworker fit has been detected. It is attributed to the Arab collectivistic culture and to the construct being a career competency and a contextual factor as per the “intelligent career” theory. Interventions should be mindful of the differential effects of different types of fit on CSM. Developing organizational ‘standards of fit’ and CSM skills are essential for individual career development and organizational success. The study provides unique information about the understudied constructs of CSM and person-environment fit in a traditional and high inequality Arab Middle Eastern country, and infers the causes of the inconsistent effects of contextual factors reported by previous studies. 

Work-life balance among self-initiated expatriates in Singapore: Definitions, challenges, and resources

With the globalization of the labor market, the number of self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) continues to increase. This study contributes to the emerging literature on SIEs by exploring issues of work-life balance (WLB). We conducted a qualitative study utilizing a grounded theory approach through semi-structured face-to-face interviews to explore the definition of, challenges to, and resources for WLB among SIEs. Based on the literature, individuals who initiated international relocation, possess professional qualifications, have the intention to stay in the host country temporarily, and have a regular employment status were interviewed (N = 14). The results revealed four themes in the definition of WLB: time management; psychological detachment; fulfillment at work and outside work; and diverse perspectives. Regarding factors that shape WLB, our findings suggest that SIEs’ WLB is shaped by a complex interplay of factors in the work domain, the nonwork domain, and individual attributes. The results also highlight the multi-faceted nature of SIEs – individuals who share commonalities with assigned expatriates (AEs) and domestic employees while possessing unique characteristics as those who initiate the expatriation on their own. Considering that WLB is a salient issue among SIEs, support that mitigates the challenges and builds the resources to foster WLB will aid global talent management.

Career adaptability and the success of self-initiated expatriates in China

PurposeUsing a career lens, the purpose of this paper is to examine the psychological factors related to the career success (e.g. performance and adjustment) of self-initiated expatriates (SIEs).Design/methodology/approachThis research examines the previously unstudied relationship between career adaptability and career success. Data were collected by surveying 273 SIEs employed in professional jobs in China.FindingsAs hypothesized, career adaptability was positively related to performance as well as to adjustment. Psychological availability mediated the relationships of career adaptability with performance and with adjustment. Contrary to expectations, supportive supervision did not moderate the relationship between career adaptability and either performance or adjustment.Research limitations/implicationsBecause the data were collected in a single, self-report survey, future studies should collect longitudinal data so that the effects of changes in career adaptability on adjustment and performance can be determined. In addition, as all of the participants were professionals, future research should examine SIEs employed in blue-collar jobs.Originality/valueAs this is the first study to consider how career adaptability may influence SIEs’ performance and adjustment, it offers unique insights into the work experiences of SIEs. Additionally, this study examines the theoretical underpinnings of career construction theory, namely, the previously hypothesized but untested relationship between career adaptability and adjustment.

Self-Initiated Expatriates' Career Success:

This study uses a career lens to better understand the psychological factors related to the career success (e.g., performance and adjustment) of self-initiated expatriates (SIEs). Using data collec...

Self-Initiated Expatriates: Psychological Contracts and Host Country Language Proficiency

Self-Initiated Expatriates: Psychological Contracts and Host Country Language Proficiency

Self-initiated expatriates in the local organizations of developing countries

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to report three main findings. First, the paper reports why local organizations in developing countries would demand self-initiated expatriates (SIEs); second, the paper reports why SIEs accept employment with such organizations; and third, the paper reports the factors that seem to govern the role allocation to SIEs. Design/methodology/approach The authors used semi-structured interviews to elicit and collect data. The authors followed the procedures of grounded theory for data analysis. Findings Local organizations in developing countries seem increasingly willing to employ SIEs. Emergence of hitherto nonexistent businesses, rapid expansion, global ambition and organizational maturity seem to drive the demand for SIEs. Industrial decline elsewhere, attractiveness of emerging economies, challenging role, prior experience within similar countries and non-working spouse are factors that enable the SIEs’ acceptance of employment with such organizations. Required boundary spanning and repatriation status determine the role allocation for SIEs. Research limitations/implications The findings may be idiosyncratic as they result from a qualitative research design. External validity could, therefore, be low. Practical implications Managers can benefit by comprehending the factors motivating SIEs to work for local organizations in developing countries. SIEs can benefit by understanding why such organizations need them, and the roles they are likely to get therein. Originality/value Unlike the typical SIEs studied in literature, the authors theorize about SIEs who move from developed countries to work in developing countries and occupy senior positions. Additionally, unlike a typical SIE study, the authors gathered the perspectives of both SIEs and organizations. Lastly, the paper is about an emerging trend: SIEs’ employment in the local organizations of developing countries.

Demographic Differences in Protean Career Behavior: A Study of a High Demographic Inequality Labor Market

The protean career concept is dominating recent career research. Demographic groups are postulated to differ on protean career behavior with implications for career development, social equity and management of an increasingly diversified workforce. The purpose of this paper is to explore the unique contributions of employees’ gender, nationality, sector and age in the deployment of career advancement strategies in the high demographic inequality labor market of Kuwait. This is one of the few studies with an exclusive focus on demographic differences in protean behavior. Most protean career research treats demographic difference as an ancillary focus, even though demographic differences are part of the foundation of psychological sciences. The study utilized a set of questionnaires on a sample of 908 highly educated young employees working in Kuwait. Primary findings are that there are greater demographic differences in protean career in Kuwait than in the West. Men, Kuwaitis, private sector and younger employees deploy significantly more career advancement strategies and have stronger strategy orientations than women, self-initiated expatriates (SIEs), civil servants and older employees. The results are attributed to contextual inequalities in opportunities because they echo the Kuwaiti segmented labor market by gender, nationality and sector. They also reveal that women’s and SIEs’ proactive career histories have not been sustained in the Kuwaiti workplace. These demographic differences in protean behavior suggest that the potential benefits of this behavior are limited to members of particular groups, and any intervention strategies to support career development may, therefore, benefit a large portion of the workforce that is impacted by the inequalities. The originality and value of this study stems from addressing four literature gaps. Specifically, it examines the understudied protean behavior as most studies have focused on attitudes. It centers on demographic differences in protean career behavior, utilizes native and SIE samples working in high inequality non-Western context.

The Determinants of the Boundary-spanning Functions of Japanese Self-initiated Expatriates in Japanese Subsidiaries in China: Individual Skills and Human Resource Management

Abstract Self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) who work for a subsidiary of a multinational enterprise from their country of origin and hence are familiar with both countries' language and culture can be expected to act as boundary-spanners between the assigned expatriates sent from the parent country and host country nationals, and between the headquarters and the subsidiary. We develop a new model of boundary-spanning that encompasses both individual and organizational antecedents and validate the model using survey data from Japanese-affiliated companies in China. We find that familiarity with Chinese language and culture and the potential dual allegiance of SIEs contribute to enhancing their boundary-spanning behavior. We also find that relationships of trust among the parties concerned (social capital) and global career opportunities for such self-initiated expatriates (geocentric staffing) have positive influences on their dual allegiance. Finally, normative and systems integration of human resource management are associated with increasing levels of social capital and geocentric staffing.

Telling tales

Purpose South Africa has witnessed an increase in self-initiated academic expatriates (SIAEs) coming into the country from all over the world. This movement of labour can result in South Africa performing better than any other African country. However, expatriation is accompanied by several challenges which affect both work and non-work scopes. Given that more is needed to understand the lived experiences of the expatriates, especially self-initiated expatriates from and in Africa, the purpose of this paper is to provide the basis for interventions to assist the expatriates in overcoming challenges by understanding their lived experiences. Design/methodology/approach The study used an interpretivist approach to understand the lived experiences of SIAEs. The data were collected through the use of unstructured interviews of 25 expatriate academics within South Africa. The individual narratives were analysed through structural and thematic analysis to develop themes. Findings Through the stories and narratives, the expatriation experience was one framed to be a challenging process. The lived experiences can be grouped into life and career experiences. The life experiences consist of immigration difficulties, family separation, social adjustment difficulties and unavailability of accommodation. Career experiences include remuneration differences, gender discrimination, limited professional development opportunities and communication difficulties, which affect both work and non-work experiences. Person–environment fit did not play a significant role in the experiences of the academic expatriates. Practical implications The findings showed that the lived experiences of SIAEs in Africa were mostly negative. Higher education institutions looking at hiring academic expatriates should assist the expatriates to have better experiences not only for individual benefit but for institutional benefit as well. However, this role is not only placed in the hands of the organisation but may also require individual effort. Originality/value The findings outlined in this study provide a picture of the lived experiences of SIAEs in an African context. The findings are fundamental in understanding this neglected sample group in the extant literature. They also assist in advancing literature and proposing possible solutions. All this is important, given global talent shortages which have warranted the need for highly skilled employees in countries like South Africa.

Embeddedness and the repatriation intention of assigned and self-initiated expatriates

Expatriation research has been intrigued by the question of how to prevent the unplanned return of expatriates to their home country. Although a majority of studies have focused on assigned expatriates (AEs), only recently have researchers expanded the scope of analysis by focusing on self-initiated expatriates (SIEs). For SIEs, research has identified job embeddedness as a key explanatory concept for early repatriation without yet acknowledging its potential to also explain the early expatriation of AEs. However, because AEs and SIEs differ in important motivational and behavioral aspects, the lack of comparative studies prohibits a deeper understanding of the mechanisms through which job embeddedness influences early repatriation. We build on belongingness theory to conceptualize early repatriation as a compensatory reaction of expatriates to an inhibited need to belong. Using a unique sample of 345 expatriates from 40 countries, we show that off-the-job embeddedness is more important for explaining the repatriation intention of AEs than of SIEs, whereas on-the-job embeddedness is more important for explaining the repatriation of SIEs compared to AEs. Our integrative model carries important theoretical implications for expatriation research and provides managerial implications for recruiting and retaining AEs and SIEs.