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1 – 2 of 2Maike Andresen and Jil Margenfeld
International relocation for work reasons implies uncertainty and stress, resulting in high expatriate failure rates. Hence, organizations should consider employee’s international…
Abstract
Purpose
International relocation for work reasons implies uncertainty and stress, resulting in high expatriate failure rates. Hence, organizations should consider employee’s international relocation mobility readiness (IRMR) in selection processes. The purpose of this paper is to identify personal as well as social antecedents of IRMR.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were gathered by an online survey (n=273 German employees) and analyzed using SEM.
Findings
SEM results indicate that attitudinal (boundaryless mindset), biographical (previous international work experience) and social variables (the perceived social endorsement of international relocation mobility) are positively related to IRMR. The positive relationship between personality variables (uncertainty tolerance, proactive personality) and IRMR is mediated by boundaryless mindset.
Research limitations/implications
The sampling method applied limits the generalization of the results.
Practical implications
Results can be applied in personnel selection to find employees with a strong IRMR. Thus, expatriate failure rates could be reduced.
Originality/value
This is the first study that addressed personal as well as social antecedents of IRMR.
Details
Keywords
Employees’ readiness to relocate abroad plays a crucial role for the success or failure of expatriate assignments. Hence, companies should consider employees’ international…
Abstract
Purpose
Employees’ readiness to relocate abroad plays a crucial role for the success or failure of expatriate assignments. Hence, companies should consider employees’ international relocation mobility readiness (IRMR) when selecting candidates for international postings. However, past research has conceptualized and measured IRMR heterogeneously, hampering the interpretation and comparability of IRMR research results. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to provide a new conceptualization of IRMR and to give recommendations for its measurement.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the business, psychological and sociological literature, this paper reviews and categorizes how IRMR has been conceptualized and measured. To structure the findings, a directed content analysis was applied. The sample comprises 88 journal articles.
Findings
The results reveal that studies seldom provide a conceptualization of IRMR. While the authors often find a misfit between the studies’ explicit conceptualization and the actual measurement of IRMR, most scales actually measure willingness (i.e. usually a predictor of risky and spontaneous behavior).
Research limitations/implications
Based on the results and the Rubicon model of action phases (Heckhausen and Gollwitzer, 1987), the authors recommend future research to conceptualize IRMR as a dynamic multidimensional construct, covering the different phases of an individual’s decision to relocate internationally. Future, IRMR measurements should also cover the complexity of IRMR, e.g. regarding specific location characteristics.
Practical implications
Companies should consider the whole decision-making process regarding IRMR to apply specific measures at the best possible time.
Originality/value
This paper investigates IRMR scales according to their scientific validity and hence provides the basic ground for future scale development studies.
Details