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The number of self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) is growing, yet we know relatively little about their work experiences, especially how they react to stress. The purpose of this study is to examine whether challenge and hindrance stressors influence SIEs' intent to remain as well as the possible influence of emotional resilience and cultural novelty upon these relationships.

Data were collected from 249 SIEs working in China.

As hypothesized, hindrance stressors were negatively related to the SIEs' intent to remain. Contrary to expectations, challenge stressors were not associated with intent to remain. Hindrance (challenge) stressors were negatively (positively) related to emotional resilience, and resilience mediated the relationship between stressors and intent to remain. Cultural novelty failed to moderate the relationship between emotional resilience and intent to remain and did not moderate the mediated effects of challenge stressors on intent to remain via emotional resilience. Cultural novelty did moderate the mediated effects of hindrance stressors on intent to remain via emotional resilience, but not in the hypothesized direction.

This study was cross-sectional. It examined SIEs working in China, and its findings may not be generalizable to SIEs working in other countries.

This is the first study to examine how emotional resilience may mediate the relationship between stressors and SIEs' intent to remain and also considered the possible moderating effects of cultural novelty. In addition, unlike most studies that focus only on the negative outcomes of hindrance stressors, this study tested the possible positive effects of challenge stressors.

Using a career lens, the purpose of this paper is to examine the psychological factors related to the career success (e.g. performance and adjustment) of self-initiated expatriates (SIEs).

This research examines the previously unstudied relationship between career adaptability and career success. Data were collected by surveying 273 SIEs employed in professional jobs in China.

As hypothesized, career adaptability was positively related to performance as well as to adjustment. Psychological availability mediated the relationships of career adaptability with performance and with adjustment. Contrary to expectations, supportive supervision did not moderate the relationship between career adaptability and either performance or adjustment.

Because the data were collected in a single, self-report survey, future studies should collect longitudinal data so that the effects of changes in career adaptability on adjustment and performance can be determined. In addition, as all of the participants were professionals, future research should examine SIEs employed in blue-collar jobs.

As this is the first study to consider how career adaptability may influence SIEs’ performance and adjustment, it offers unique insights into the work experiences of SIEs. Additionally, this study examines the theoretical underpinnings of career construction theory, namely, the previously hypothesized but untested relationship between career adaptability and adjustment.

The continued expansion of organizations outside China's planned economy due to the Belt-and-Road Initiative (BRI) is expected to increase recruitment of self-initiated expatriates (SIEs). Drawing on social capital, motivation and socialization theories, this study examines the experiences of SIEs in China, which is considered one of the most difficult locations for foreigners to work. While previous research has focused on the impact of individual characteristics on adjustment, this study explores the interplay among relationship quality (trust and shared vision), autonomous work motivation, socialization experience and adjustment.

Based on the developed theoretical framework, hypotheses are proposed and tested using data collected by surveying 274 SIEs in China.

Relationship quality with host country nationals (HCNs) was positively associated with adjustment, and autonomous work motivation fully mediated this relationship. Socialization experience moderated the association between relationship quality and autonomous work motivation. Specifically, SIEs' socialization experience strengthened the associations of trust and shared vision with autonomous work motivation. However, socialization experiences failed to moderate the mediated effects of trust and shared vision on adjustment via autonomous work motivation.

This study answers repeated calls for more research on SIEs' adjustment and SIEs working in non-Western countries, especially China. The findings underscore the importance of studying SIE-HCN work relationships and the theoretical value of autonomous work motivation as an underlying mechanism by which the quality of an SIE's relationship with an HCN colleague influences adjustment.