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You can take it with you: individual differences and expatriate effectiveness
Margaret A Shaffer1, David A Harrison, Hal Gregersen
1Department of Management, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon, Hong Kong. shafferm@uwm.edu
The Journal of Applied Psychology
|January 27, 2006
Summary
Understanding expatriate success requires examining both personality traits (Big Five) and behavioral competencies. These factors significantly impact psychological adjustment, job performance, and reduce withdrawal intentions for international assignments.
Area of Science:
- Organizational Psychology
- Cross-Cultural Management
- International Human Resource Management
Background:
- Expatriate effectiveness is crucial for global business success.
- Previous research has focused on either personality traits or behavioral competencies, but not both concurrently.
- Understanding individual differences is key to predicting expatriate adjustment and performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the independent and combined effects of the Big Five personality traits and specific behavioral competencies on expatriate effectiveness.
- To examine the predictive validity of personality traits and competencies on psychological adjustment, assignment withdrawal cognitions, and job performance.
- To differentiate between stable personality traits and adaptable behavioral competencies in the context of expatriation.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of multiple-source, longitudinal data from three distinct expatriate studies.
- Inclusion of diverse expatriate samples in Hong Kong, and Korean and Japanese expatriates globally.
- Statistical modeling to assess direct effects and incremental prediction of individual difference variables.
Main Results:
- Both stable personality traits (Big Five) and specific behavioral competencies (cultural flexibility, task/people orientations, ethnocentrism) directly influence expatriate effectiveness.
- Distinctive predictive power was found for both traits and competencies.
- Competencies offered incremental prediction of expatriate effectiveness beyond personality traits, and vice versa.
Conclusions:
- Individual differences, encompassing both personality and behavioral competencies, are significant predictors of expatriate success.
- A comprehensive approach considering both stable traits and adaptable competencies provides a more complete understanding of expatriate effectiveness.
- Future international HR practices should consider assessing a broader range of individual difference factors for expatriate selection and development.
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