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

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  • Dimitrova, Mihaela
  • Chia, Sherwin Ignatius
  • Shaffer, Margaret A.
  • Tay-Lee, Cheryl

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Dimitrova, Mihaela & Chia, Sherwin Ignatius & Shaffer, Margaret A. & Tay-Lee, Cheryl, 2020. "Forgotten travelers: Adjustment and career implications of international business travel for expatriates," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 26(1).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:intman:v:26:y:2020:i:1:s107542531830437x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.intman.2019.100707
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