Page 96 - DMGT548_GLOBAL_HRM

Unit 5: Recruitment and Selection for International Assignments

Notes
Figure 5.3: A Theoretical Model for Expatriate Adjustment
Anticipatory Adjustment In-country Adjustment

Individual Individual Organisation
Socialisation
(1, 2, 3) Self-efficacy
Previous
Training
experience (1, 2, 3) Relation skills Socialisation tactics
(1, 2, 3) Perception skills Socialisation content
ä
Accurate expectations ä
ä Mode of Adjustment
Job ä ä
(1) Role clarity ä Degree of Adjustment
Anticipatory (1) Role discretion
Adjustment ä 1. Work adjustment
(1) Role novelty ä 2. Interaction adjustment
ä (1) Role conflict 3. General adjustment
ä
Organisation ä
Organisation
Culture Non-work
(1) O r g a n i z a t i o n
Selection (1) Culture novelty
culture novelty
mechanisms (1,2,3) Family-spouse
and criteria (1) Social support adjustment
(2,3) Logistical help
(Numbers in parentheses indicate the numbered facet(s) of adjustment to which the specific
variable is expected to relate.)

Source: Academy of Management Review, April 1991 (p. 303)
2. The job factor itself as reflected by the role the expatriate plays in managing the host
country’s management team, the authority he/she has to make the decisions, the new
ambience of work-related challenges and the amount of role-conflict that exists.
3. Organisational culture and how easily the expatriate can adjust to it.
4. The non-work factors such as the toughness with which the expatriate can adjust to the
rigours of the new cultural experience and how well his or her family can adjust to the
rigours of the new assignment.

5. Effective socialisation tactics, to know ‘what is what’ and ‘who is who’ in the host’s
organisation.
These anticipatory and in-country factors will influence the expatriate’s mode and degree of
adjustment to an overseas assignment. This explains why effective selection is so important and
difficult.

Length of assignment: There is some evidence that length of assignment does contribute to
adjustment and performance. A longer assignment allows the expatriate more time to adjust to
the foreign situation and become productive.

Example: Japanese firms often do not expect the expatriate to perform up to full capacity
until the third year; the first year of the foreign assignment is seen mainly as a period of
adjustment to the foreign environment.

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