Gao, L; Luo, X; Wang, Y; Zhang, N and Deng, X (2024) Retention in challenging international construction assignments: Role of expatriate resilience. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 150(2): 04023158, ISSN 0733-9364
Abstract
Using the broaden-and-build theory, this study aimed to analyze the sufficient and necessary conditions that affect retention intention from the perspective of expatriate psychological resilience at an individual level. The study also explored how to enable construction workers to increase their efficiency at facing adversities during assignments and identify the types of construction workers who are best suited for overseas assignments in relation to the positions they hold. We applied multigroup structural equation modeling (SEM) and necessary condition analysis (NCA) to data obtained from 353 migrant construction workers in international construction projects. Among them, 243 participants were project managerial personnel (Group 1) and 110 were general project workers (Group 2). The SEM results showed that cross-cultural adjustment, self-efficacy, active coping style, and social support were significant predictors of expatriate resilience and retention intention via resilience in the two groups. The indirect effect of social support on retention intention through resilience was significantly higher in Group 2 compared with Group 1. The NCA results showed that social support was a sufficient and necessary condition for retention intention in the two groups. According to this finding, support systems are essential for expatriates. Moreover, expatriate resilience, active coping, self-efficacy, and cross-cultural adjustment were necessary for retention intention in the managerial group, whereas no minimum requirements were necessary for the nonmanagerial group. This complementary approach provides a guideline for construction managers and academics to identify essential bottlenecks, set priorities for improving expatriates' resilience, and choose more suitable candidates for working on international projects according to the roles. Organizational managers can use expatriate psychological resilience as one criterion for selecting migrant project managers. The results also provide clear priorities and strategies for organizational managers to improve expatriate workers' retention intentions, particularly because social support is extremely important for expatriates in nonmanagerial groups.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | migrant construction workers; multigroup analysis; necessary condition analysis; psychological resilience; retention intention |
| Index terms: | self-efficacy, construction worker, international construction, cross-cultural adjustment, coping, retention, project manager, efficiency, international construction project, international project, construction manager, indirect effect, strategy, structural equation modelling, manager, personnel |
| Subjects: | analytical methods, human factors and perception, practitioner, strategic management, profession, behavioral psychology, statistical analysis, cross-cultural studies, performance management, management |
| Topics: | Quality Management, Human Resources, International Construction, Roles and Professions, Business Strategy, Research Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here