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IHRM identifies career adaptability and cross-cultural adjustment as the central tenants for expatriate career. The present study focuses on; (1) it employs the theoretical framework of career construction theory (CCT) to examine the relationship between adaptive readiness, resources and responses by examining the relationship between protean career orientation, career adaptability and cross-cultural adjustment of self-initiated expatriates (SIE) and (2) it explores the moderating role of frequency of interaction that SIEs possess with HCN.

A total of 278 Indian SIEs engaged in different occupational roles in different sectors, working in six different countries, i.e. United Arab Emirates, Canada, Germany, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the USA responded through primary survey.

Consistent with CCT conceptualization, the study illustrates a positive partial mediating effect of career adaptability on the direct relationship between protean career orientation and cross-cultural adjustment. Furthermore, the findings of the moderation analysis suggest that frequent interaction of the SIE facilitates the enhancing of cross-cultural adjustment.

The study suggests that lack of protean career orientation might result in lowering employee interest in the job or assignment, and affect effectiveness, satisfaction, productivity and cross-cultural adjustment. The study also recommends systematically increasing the interaction frequency with the HCNs to facilitate SIEs employees for facilitating cross-cultural adjustments (CCA).

The study theoretically and empirically contributes to protean career orientation and career adaptability in the context of expatriates, which is an enabling factor for CCA in job contexts. The relevance of interaction frequency is acknowledged for the adaptability and adjustments for the international workforce perspective.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in countries reacting differently to an ongoing crisis. Latent to this reaction mechanism is the inherent cultural characteristics of each society resulting in differential responses to the epidemic spread. In this study, the moderated moderation role of culture, on information dissemination by media during epidemic recovery-phase has been investigated.

Hofstede’s cultural factors are hypothesized to moderate the moderating effect of free-liberal media on the relationship of COVID-19 recovery rate and human mobility. Panel regression model, using mobility data and recovery rate across 95 countries for a period of 170 days has been preferred to test the hypotheses. The results are further substantiated using factor wise interaction plots and slope difference analysis.

The findings suggest that societies with high power distance and masculinity scores strengthen the impact of media on the relationship between COVID-19 recovery rate and mobility whereas, high individualistic and long-term orientation societies weaken the same effect. However, similar conclusions were not confirmed for uncertainty avoidance. Cross-cultural impact, as elucidated by this study, forms a crucial element in policy formulation on epidemic control by indigenous Governing bodies.

While most of the studies emphasizing on cultural characteristics of a society in an epidemic situation covers the growth phase of infection, This research talks about the recovery-phase of the epidemic and the effect of culture.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-04-2023-0314

Jobs at call centers have received numerous negative undertones. Research has only highlighted the negative impact and dismal psychological consequences of call center jobs on their employees. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the possibilities of positive impact of call center jobs on their employees. The study hypothesizes that the employees working at the call centers with high self-worth (i.e. self-esteem) and high job worth (perceived worth of job (PWJ)) would perceive lesser work stress and have greater job satisfaction.

The study is based on data collected from 152 call-center employees through self-reporting questionnaire. Regression and mediation analysis was done to analyze the results.

Analysis revealed that those with high self-esteem and high PWJ experience less stress and higher job satisfaction. Stress partially mediates between PWJ and job satisfaction and between self-esteem and job satisfaction. Results confirm that call center jobs do not always create negative impact on the employees and have a positive side too. It is a significant finding for the call center industry which is presently facing high attrition.

The value of the present study lies in analyzing the importance of PWJ, which is a subjective perception. It is an imperative factor in generating positive or negative effect on the psychological well-being of the employee.