Expatriate adjustment process: the influence of colonial history and status evaluations

Abstract

International assignments have become increasingly common in global organizations. However, a successful assignment requires organizations to take measures to support expatriate adjustment. Research has extensively examined the factors influencing this process, and building on this, the present study introduces a new perspective by incorporating the historical relations between an expatriate’s home and host country, as well as the status evaluations made by the host country supervisor, into the research on expatriate adjustment. The impact of these factors in the expatriate context remains understudied. However, based on previous research, it can be assumed that a history of colonization is linked to adjustment, particularly through status evaluations. Additionally, support from the host organization is expected to mediate the relationship between status evaluations and adjustment. A key focus of this study is the relationship between the expatriate and their host organization supervisor. The theoretical framework draws on both the expatriate adjustment model and the social identity approach, which examines expatriate adjustment through intergroup relations.

The study’s quantitative data consists of 244 expatriate-supervisor pairs, collected in Russia, a former colonizer of some expatriates' home countries. The primary research method is regression analysis using the PROCESS macro tool, which is applied to examine the mediating effects of both expatriate status and host organization support in the adjustment process. The findings indicate that both status and organizational support play a mediating role in the examined relationships. However, the impact of status on the connection between colonial history and adjustment is more complex than expected, while its influence on host organization support and adjustment is clear. The results provide new insights into the factors shaping the relationship between expatriates and host country supervisors, emphasizing the significance of supervisors’ attitudes toward the support expatriates receive from the host organization and its effects on adjustment. The study encourages organizations to invest in developing the relationships between expatriates and their host country supervisors.