Dimensions, Determinants, and Differences in the Expatriate Adjustment Process

Margaret A Shaffer, David A Harrison and K Matthew Gilley
Additional contact information
Margaret A Shaffer: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
David A Harrison: University of Texas at Arlington
K Matthew Gilley: Oklahoma State University

Journal of International Business Studies, 1999, vol. 30, issue 3, 557-581

Abstract: We comprehensively test the Black, Mendenhall, and Oddou (1991) model of the dimensions and determinants of adjustment to international assignments. We also expand the model to examine two individual factors (i.e., previous assignments and language fluency) and three positional factors (i.e., hierarchical level, functional area, and assignment vector) as moderators of adjustment determinants. Surveys were completed by 452 expatriates from 29 different countries assigned to 45 host countries by large multinational firms. The multi-dimensionality of adjustment was investigated and confirmed. Support for the expanded Black et al. (1991) model was found. Several significant moderating effects emerged, showing different patterns of adjustment for those with different amounts of previous expatriate experience and levels of host country language fluency. Hierarchical level and assignment vector were also important moderators, but the effects for functional area were generally weak.© 1999 JIBS. Journal of International Business Studies (1999) 30, 557–581

Date: 1999
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (47)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.palgrave-journals.com/jibs/journal/v30/n3/pdf/8490083a.pdf Link to full text PDF (application/pdf)
http://www.palgrave-journals.com/jibs/journal/v30/n3/full/8490083a.html Link to full text HTML (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

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: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:pal:jintbs:v:30:y:1999:i:3:p:557-581

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.springer. ... nt/journal/41267/PS2

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of International Business Studies is currently edited by John Cantwell

More articles in Journal of International Business Studies from Palgrave Macmillan, Academy of International Business
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().