When learning is not enough: A process model of expatriate adjustment as cultural cognitive dissonance reduction

Carl P. Maertz , Ahmad Hassan and Peter Magnusson

Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 2009, vol. 108, issue 1, pages 66-78

Abstract: Although considerable organizational research exists on the topic of expatriate adjustment and early departure, little has focused on the actual psychological processes causing change in adjustment outcomes. Specifically, researchers have not focused on cognitive dissonance that arises from adopting or condoning culturally expected behaviors that are inconsistent with the expatriate's own values or attitudes. We propose that dissonance experiences and the methods used for dissonance reduction influence expatriates' adjustment outcomes and, in turn, their tendency for early departure. We further specify key situational and individual difference constructs that regulate these causal relationships. Along with a greater understanding of cross-cultural adjustment, the current model suggests new directions for expatriate research and management.

Keywords: Expatriate; management; Expatriate; adjustment; Expatriate; withdrawal; Cognitive; dissonance; Cross-cultural; adjustment; process (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6WP2 ... 154aa71cf59c09c53b32
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: http://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jobhdp:v:108:y:2009:i:1:p:66-78

Access Statistics for this article

Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes is edited by John M. Schaubroeck

More articles in Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes from Elsevier
Series data maintained by Heidi Boesdal ().