Expatriates' salary expectations, age, experience and country image
ISSN: 0048-3486
Article publication date: 6 November 2020
Issue publication date: 4 February 2021
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explain how candidates' expectations of salary in relation to job offers as expatriates in developing societies are related to country image and to age.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from over 500 engineers living in France, Portugal and Spain, evaluating two hypothetical expatriate proposals to six different African and Latin American countries. Multivariate hierarchical regression was applied to statistically detect significant predictors, with a broad range of control variables, to investigate expatriate salary expectations.
Findings
Results evidence the role of age, seniority, previous international experience and culture attraction for the host country in influencing salary expectations for potential expatriate postings. These results are discussed at the light of selection, optimisation and compensation theory (SOC), conservation of resources theory (COR) and social identity theory.
Practical implications
Findings call for multinational companies to consider age, individual background, career attributes and location concerns when evaluating salary expectations involved in expatriation to developing countries.
Originality/value
The study shows how individual expectations about required salaries for accepting expatriate job offers in developing countries (hardly addressed in the extant literature) result from the potential for professional development opportunities and the responsibility of the jobs being offered, the country image, and the age and motivation of the individuals. Furthermore, it integrates research through use of SOC and COR theories.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial or non-for-profit sectors. There are no conflicts of interests.
Citation
Duarte, H., de Eccher, U. and Brewster, C. (2021), "Expatriates' salary expectations, age, experience and country image", Personnel Review, Vol. 50 No. 2, pp. 731-750. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-05-2019-0229
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited