IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/iburev/v29y2020i3s0969593120300056.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Exploring expatriate adjustment through identity perspective

Author

Listed:
  • Peltokorpi, Vesa
  • Zhang, Ling Eleanor

Abstract

This study reveals multifaceted identities experienced by corporate expatriates and how these identities are related to expatriate host country work and non-work adjustment. Specifically, we take a symbolic interactionism-based identity theory perspective and examine qualitative data from 73 corporate expatriates in China and Japan, revealing an expatriate identity (i.e., identification with being a manager and a foreigner), and a cultural identity (i.e., identification with home and host country cultures) which through identity stability/change are related to the mode and degree of expatriate work and non-work adjustment. Our findings suggest that these identities explain how corporate expatriates shape their new environment to their preferences, instead of adjusting to it.

Suggested Citation

  • Peltokorpi, Vesa & Zhang, Ling Eleanor, 2020. "Exploring expatriate adjustment through identity perspective," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(3).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:iburev:v:29:y:2020:i:3:s0969593120300056
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ibusrev.2020.101667
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969593120300056
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2020.101667?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Selmer, Jan, 1999. "Culture shock in China?: Adjustment pattern of western expatriate business managers," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 8(5-6), pages 515-534, October.
    2. Grinstein, Amir & Wathieu, Luc, 2012. "Happily (mal)adjusted: Cosmopolitan identity and expatriate adjustment," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 29(4), pages 337-345.
    3. Guo, Ying & Rammal, Hussain G. & Benson, John & Zhu, Ying & Dowling, Peter J., 2018. "Interpersonal relations in China: Expatriates’ perspective on the development and use of guanxi," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 27(2), pages 455-464.
    4. Harzing, Anne-Wil, 2001. "Of bears, bumble-bees, and spiders: the role of expatriates in controlling foreign subsidiaries," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 36(4), pages 366-379, January.
    5. Maertz Jr., Carl P. & Hassan, Ahmad & Magnusson, Peter, 2009. "When learning is not enough: A process model of expatriate adjustment as cultural cognitive dissonance reduction," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 108(1), pages 66-78, January.
    6. Kohonen, Eeva, 2008. "The impact of international assignments on expatriates' identity and career aspirations: Reflections upon re-entry," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 24(4), pages 320-329, December.
    7. Meg G Birdseye & John S Hill, 1995. "Individual, Organizational/Work and Environmental Influences on Expatriate Turnover Tendencies: An Empirical Study," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 26(4), pages 787-813, December.
    8. Teagarden, Mary B. & Von Glinow, Mary Ann & Mellahi, Kamel, 2018. "Contextualizing international business research: Enhancing rigor and relevance," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 53(3), pages 303-306.
    9. Julian Birkinshaw & Mary Yoko Brannen & Rosalie L Tung, 2011. "From a distance and generalizable to up close and grounded: Reclaiming a place for qualitative methods in international business research," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 42(5), pages 573-581, June.
    10. Davina Vora & Tatiana Kostova & Kendall Roth, 2007. "Roles of subsidiary managers in multinational corporations: The effect of dual organizational identification," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 47(4), pages 595-620, October.
    11. David M Gligor & Carol L Esmark & Ismail Gölgeci, 2016. "Building international business theory: A grounded theory approach," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 47(1), pages 93-111, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Sana Mumtaz & Sadia Nadeem, 2022. "Understanding the Integration of Psychological and Socio-cultural Factors in Adjustment of Expatriates: An AUM Process Model," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(1), pages 21582440221, February.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Peltokorpi, Vesa & Zhang, Ling Eleanor, 2022. "Host country culture and language identification, and their workplace manifestations: A study on corporate expatriates in China and Japan," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 28(3).
    2. Florian Becker-Ritterspach & Christoph Dörrenbächer, 2011. "An Organizational Politics Perspective on Intra-firm Competition in Multinational Corporations," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 51(4), pages 533-559, August.
    3. Klaus E. Meyer & Chengguang Li & Andreas P. J. Schotter, 0. "Managing the MNE subsidiary: Advancing a multi-level and dynamic research agenda," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 0, pages 1-39.
    4. Bi-Juan Zhong & Yaping Gong & Oded Shenkar & Yadong Luo & Zhixing Xiao & Shuming Zhao, 2023. "Managing the hearts of boundary spanners: CEO organizational identification and international joint venture performance," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 40(1), pages 87-119, March.
    5. Fee, Anthony & Gray, Sidney J., 2013. "Transformational learning experiences of international development volunteers in the Asia-Pacific: The case of a multinational NGO," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 48(2), pages 196-208.
    6. Guo, Ying & Rammal, Hussain Gulzar & Pereira, Vijay, 2021. "Am I ‘In or Out’? A social identity approach to studying expatriates’ social networks and adjustment in a host country context," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 558-566.
    7. Tony Edwards & Olga Tregaskis & David Collings & Patrice Jalette & Lourdes Susaeta, 2013. "Control over Employment Practice in Multinationals: Subsidiary Functions, Corporate Structures, and National Systems," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 66(3), pages 670-695, May.
    8. Magnani, Giovanna & Gioia, Denny, 2023. "Using the Gioia Methodology in international business and entrepreneurship research," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(2).
    9. Conroy, Kieran M. & Collings, David G., 2016. "The legitimacy of subsidiary issue selling: Balancing positive & negative attention from corporate headquarters," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 51(4), pages 612-627.
    10. Outila, Virpi & Fey, Carl F., 2022. "“We have performance appraisal every day and every hour”: Transferring performance management to Russia," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 28(2).
    11. Grinstein, Amir & Wathieu, Luc, 2012. "Happily (mal)adjusted: Cosmopolitan identity and expatriate adjustment," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 29(4), pages 337-345.
    12. Baier-Fuentes, Hugo & Guerrero, Maribel & Amorós, José Ernesto, 2021. "Does triple helix collaboration matter for the early internationalisation of technology-based firms in emerging Economies?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).
    13. Lauring, Jakob & Klitmøller, Anders, 2015. "Corporate language-based communication avoidance in MNCs: A multi-sited ethnography approach," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 50(1), pages 46-55.
    14. Heim, Irina & Kalyuzhnova, Yelena & Ghobadian, Abby, 2023. "Win-win strategies for firms operating in resource-abundant countries: Technological spillovers and a collaborative diversification policy," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    15. Klaus E. Meyer & Chengguang Li & Andreas P. J. Schotter, 2020. "Managing the MNE subsidiary: Advancing a multi-level and dynamic research agenda," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 51(4), pages 538-576, June.
    16. Jiang, Fuming & Travaglione, Tony & Liu, Li Xian & Li, Jizhong, 2021. "When does the global mindset affect headquarters–subsidiary relationships?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 523-542.
    17. Nguyen, Duc Cuong & Tull, John, 2022. "Context and contextualization: The extended case method in qualitative international business research," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 57(5).
    18. Eugenia Sánchez Vidal, M & Valle, Raquel Sanz & Isabel Barba Aragón, M, 2007. "Antecedents of repatriates' job satisfaction and its influence on turnover intentions: Evidence from Spanish repatriated managers," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 60(12), pages 1272-1281, December.
    19. Liu, Yipeng & Meyer, Klaus E., 2020. "Boundary spanners, HRM practices, and reverse knowledge transfer: The case of Chinese cross-border acquisitions," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 55(2).
    20. Elenkov, Detelin S. & Manev, Ivan M., 2009. "Senior expatriate leadership's effects on innovation and the role of cultural intelligence," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 44(4), pages 357-369, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:iburev:v:29:y:2020:i:3:s0969593120300056. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/133/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.