Tassilo Schuster, Judith Ambrosius and Benjamin Bader
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of personality and mentorship on expatriates’ psychological well-being. The authors argue that certain personality traits…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of personality and mentorship on expatriates’ psychological well-being. The authors argue that certain personality traits (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and openness to experience) have positive effects on expatriates’ psychological well-being and that these personality traits enable them to derive a greater benefit from mentorship. By doing so, this study identifies for which personality traits which type of mentoring (home or host country mentor) is most beneficial.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on socioanalytic theory, the authors develop theory-driven hypotheses and test them against data of 334 expatriates.
Findings
The study shows that several personality traits as well as home country mentorship have a significant positive impact on psychological well-being, whereas host country mentorship shows no significant positive effects. Moreover, the study indicates that home and host country mentorship partially moderates the relationship between personality traits and psychological well-being.
Originality/value
Since the authors derive important implications for the selection process of expatriates as well as for the implementation of mentoring in multinational corporations, this study is of value for researchers and practitioners in the areas of human resource management and organizational studies.
Details
Keywords
This research develops a dynamic theoretical framework to study the interaction between migrants' remittances and entrepreneurship, together with the effect of these phenomena on…
Abstract
Purpose
This research develops a dynamic theoretical framework to study the interaction between migrants' remittances and entrepreneurship, together with the effect of these phenomena on inequality and income distribution.
Design/methodology/approach
It is based on an overlapping generations model in which inequalities are explained by a combination of capital market imperfections and fixed costs of investment. Together, these features give rise to credit rationing such that some members of the population are denied opportunities that would otherwise make them better off. Within this framework, the author studies the implications of remittances associated with child migration.
Findings
The author considers two alternative scenarios which differ according to who receives remittances – parents or siblings. The author found that when migrant children send remittances to their parents, such transfer would result in higher bequests though not necessarily initiate entrepreneurial activities and a reduction in the extent of inequality. On the other hand, when migrant children send remittances to their siblings, such transfer would not only result in greater bequests, but also it reduces the critical level of wealth needed to get access to capital market, implying that remittance flow generates investment opportunity to even poorer members of the society.
Practical implications
To enhance the income equalising effect of remittances, the government might consider providing extended support to households who are sending (relatively) younger members of the family abroad to earn higher wages.
Originality/value
Studying how dynamic effects of remittances depend critically on the heterogeneity of recipients offers a further perspective that has not been explored before.