How Organisational Support Facilitates the Relationship Between Expatriate Adjustment and Commitment: A Case Study on Finnish Expatriate Managers in China
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School of Business |
Master's thesis
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Authors
Date
2018
Department
Major/Subject
Mcode
Degree programme
Strategy
Language
en
Pages
108 + 18
Series
Abstract
This Master’s thesis researches key factors which impact expatriate adjustment in expatriate managers. Furthermore, the research aims to find a linkage between successful adjustment and affective expatriate commitment. Due to the highly globalised business world of today, expatriation has become a norm in the workplace, however companies still struggle with maintaining the commitment of the expatriate managers, leading to loss of significant skill and investment. Thus, the end-target of the research study is to provide recommendations for multinational companies sending expatriates on foreign assignments. The key objectives of this study are threefold. Firstly, the study aims to examine which factors influence adjustment in expatriate managers. Secondly, it aims to examine the linkage between expatriate adjustment and commitment. Thirdly, the study examines the role of organisational support in facilitating the relationship between expatriate adjustment and commitment. The research is approached with a qualitative tradition. The data collection is conducted with semi-structured interviews with past expatriate managers. The research study is approached from a case study perspective, focusing on Finnish expatriate managers who have completed assignments in China. Six past expatriate managers were interviewed for the sake of the research. The sample used was relatively homogenous, as all the expatriate managers had somewhat similar demographic backgrounds. All the collected data was transcribed and coded using thematic analysis. The research study has three main findings. Firstly, it concludes that the expatriate adjustment process is a highly complex one and is impacted by myriad factors. Furthermore, the research observes that adjustment is subjective in nature, therefore effects each expatriate in an individual manner. Secondly, the research study identifies a two-directional connection between expatriate adjustment and commitment and notes that ensuring affective commitment in expatriate managers is a highly beneficial long-term investment. Thirdly, the study observes that multinational companies need to find a balance between organisational support and trust. The thesis identifies four recommendations for multinational companies: time, trust, train and tailor. Firstly, companies need to give expatriate managers enough time to prepare for their assignments, so they can acquire any needed country-specific skills. Secondly, expatriate managers should be trusted with relatively loose reins in their professional lives, as they will be more likely to have strong workplace morale and strive for high performance. Thirdly, companies should offer expatriate managers both pre-departure and in-country training to enhance their adjustment and satisfaction. The extent and type of training required is determined by the host country in question. Lastly, expatriate training should be tailored to the specific needs of the expatriate manager.Description
Thesis advisor
Koveshnikov, AlexeiKeywords
expatriate, expatriate adjustment, expatriate commitment, China