Konanahalli, A; Oyedele, L O; Spillane, J and Marinelli, M (2014) The outcomes of cross-cultural adjustment: A case of British expatriates working on international architectural, engineering and construction assignments. In: Raiden, A and Aboagye-Nimo, E (eds.) Proceedings of 30th Annual ARCOM Conference, 1-3 September 2014, Portsmouth, UK.
Abstract
The main aim of this study is to investigate the consequences of cross-cultural adjustment in an under researched sample of British expatriates working on International Architectural, Engineering and Construction (AEC) assignments. Adjustment is the primary outcome of an expatriate assignment. According to Bhaskar-Srinivas et al., (2005), Harrison et al., (2004) it is viewed to affect other work related outcomes which could eventually predict expatriate success. To address the scarcity of literature on expatriate management in the AEC sector, an exploratory design was adopted. Phase one is characterised by extensive review of extant literature, whereas phase two was qualitative exploration from British expatriatesÕ perspective; here seven unstructured interviews were carried out. Further, cognitive mapping analysis through Banaxia decision explorer software was conducted to develop a theoretical framework and propose various hypotheses. The findings imply that British AEC firms could sustain their already established competitive advantage in the global marketplace by acknowledging the complexity of international assignments, prioritising expatriate management and offering a well-rounded support to facilitate expatriate adjustment and ultimately achieve critical outcomes like performance, assignment completion and job satisfaction.
| Item Type: | Conference Paper (Paper) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | British expatriate; adjustment; performance; job satisfaction; assignment completion; international assignments |
| Index terms: | prioritizing, interview, competitive advantage, British expatriate, job satisfaction, cross-cultural adjustment, cognitive mapping, exploration, international assignments, complexity |
| Subjects: | systems engineering, decision analysis, sociology, cognitive psychology, cross-cultural studies, market analysis, management, environmental resource management, strategic management, data collection methods |
| Topics: | Engineering Principles, Research Practice, Sustainability, Risk Management, International Construction, Human Resources |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCE |
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