Psychological adjustment and social capital: a qualitative investigation of Chinese expatriates
Cross Cultural & Strategic Management
ISSN: 2059-5794
Article publication date: 12 February 2019
Issue publication date: 18 April 2019
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the psychological adjustment process of expatriates from Chinese multinational enterprises, including how their social capital affects this process.
Design/methodology/approach
This qualitative investigation was based on semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 26 Chinese expatriates. The grounded theory method was applied to guide the data collection and analysis.
Findings
The psychological adjustment process of Chinese expatriates includes three periods: crisis, self-adjustment and self-growth period. In addition, bonding capital (including organizational, family and co-cultural colleagues’ support) is more conducive to Chinese expatriates’ psychological well-being than bridging capital (e.g. host-nationals’ support). Finally, a separation acculturation strategy is more conducive to psychological adjustment, rather than an integration strategy.
Research limitations/implications
This study focused on expatriates themselves. Future research should consider other stakeholders (e.g. organizations, family), and examine expatriate adjustment from new perspectives (e.g. strategic human resource management, work-family balance). This study had a small sample and focused on only one organization. Future research could usefully add other Chinese multinational corporations, and other Chinese expatriates to expand the generalizability of the current findings.
Practical implications
This study suggests the possible benefits of management practices for expatriates. Organizations can develop an “expatriate bubble” to help structure basic life overseas. Organizations could develop family-support programs and make them expatriate-supportive. Organizations should also strengthen the connections between expatriates and local colleagues.
Originality/value
Few scholars have elaborated on how different support groups (based on their cultural backgrounds) influence the psychological adjustment of expatriates. Until now, mainland Chinese expatriates have received little attention. In addition, this research takes a significant step forward by illuminating the psychological adjustment of Chinese expatriates from a social capital perspective.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Professor Kevin Y. Au and the two anonymous reviewers for their insightful suggestion and kind help. The authors would also like to thank all the respondents who participant in this research for sharing their valuable experience. The work of Beiting He and Ran An on this paper was supported by the Center of Public Diplomacy and Intercultural Communication Research of Guangdong Provincial Humanities and Social Sciences Grant (No. 2014WGJHZ001). The work of John Berry on this paper was carried out within the framework of the HSE University Basic Research Program and funded by the Russian Academic Excellence Project “5-100”.
Citation
He, B., An, R. and Berry, J. (2019), "Psychological adjustment and social capital: a qualitative investigation of Chinese expatriates", Cross Cultural & Strategic Management, Vol. 26 No. 1, pp. 67-92. https://doi.org/10.1108/CCSM-04-2018-0054
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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