Political skill and cross-cultural adjustment among self-initiated expatriates: the role of host employer's psychological contract fulfillment

Alexei Koveshnikov, Heidi Wechtler, Miriam Moeller and Cecile Dejoux

Journal of Global Mobility, 2022, vol. 10, issue 3, 312-331

Abstract: Purpose - Using social influence theory, this study examines the relationship between self-initiated expatriates' (SIE) political skill, as a measure of their social effectiveness, and cross-cultural adjustment (CCA). It also tests whether the host employer's psychological contract (PC) fulfillment mediates this relationship. Design/methodology/approach - Partial least square structural equation modeling (covariance-based SEM) technique is employed to analyze a sample of 209 SIEs. Findings - The study finds SIEs' political skill positively and significantly associated with SIEs' work-related adjustment. The relationship with interactional adjustment is only marginally significant. It also finds that SIEs' PC fulfillment mediates the relationship between SIEs' political skill and work-related adjustment. The mediation is marginally significant for the relationship between SIEs' political skill and general living adjustment. Originality/value - The study adds to the literature on expatriates' skills and CCA by theorizing and testing the hitherto unexplored role of SIEs' political skill in their work and non-work CCA. It also theorizes and examines the host employer's PC fulfillment as a mediating mechanism, through which SIEs' political skill facilitates their CCA. Finally, it advances the literature on political skill by testing the construct's application in the cross-cultural and non-work domain.

Keywords: Self-initiated expatriates; Political skill; Psychological contract; Cross-cultural adjustment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eme:jgmpps:jgm-12-2021-0100

DOI: 10.1108/JGM-12-2021-0100

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