Effects of Cross-cultural Adjustment of Chinese Expatriates in Thailand on Perceived Supervisor Support and Subordinates’ Commitment
Article Sidebar
Published:
Oct 17, 2019
Keywords:
Cross-cultural adaptation, expatriates, multinational enterprises, leadership, cultures
Main Article Content
Abstract
The contribution of expatriates’ cross-cultural adaptation to perceived supervisor support and subordinate commitment was investigated. Survey data were collected from Chinese expatriates who held supervisory positions at subsidiaries of Chinese companies in Thailand. In order to prevent common method bias from single-source data collection, data that measured cross-cultural adaptation were collected from Chinese expatriates, whereas data that measured perceived supervisor support and subordinates’ commitment were collected from Thai employees who worked for Chinese expatriates. A sample of 169 pairs of expatriates-subordinates was obtained. The results from partial least squares structural equation modeling showed that Chinese expatriates who exhibited a higher degree of cross-cultural adaptation tended to be evaluated more favorably in terms of perceived supervisor support. However, this positive contribution was only found among respondents who had longer length of work relationships. Analysis also showed that the contribution of cross-cultural adaptation to subordinate commitment was fully mediated by perceived supervisor support.
Article Details
Section
Research Articles
Copyright: Asia-Pacific International University reserve exclusive rights to publish, reproduce and distribute the manuscript and all contents therein.
References
Aiken, L., & West, S. (1991). Multiple regression: Testing and interpreting interactions. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Inc.
Bennett, R., Aston, A., & Colquhoun, T. (2000). Cross-cultural training: A critical step in ensuring the success of international assignments. Human Resource Management, 39(2–3), 239–250.
Black, J. (1988). Work role transitions: A study of American expatriate managers in Japan. Journal of International Business Studies, 19(2), 277–294.
Black, J., & Stephens, G. (1989). The influence of the spouse on American expatriate adjustment and intent to stay in Pacific Rim overseas assignments. Journal of Management, 15(4), 529–544.
Blau, P. (1964). Exchange and power in social life. New York, NY: Wiley.
Charoensukmongkol, P., Murad, M., & Gutierrez-Wirsching, S. (2016). The role of coworker and supervisor support on job burnout and job satisfaction. Journal of Advances in Management Research, 13(1), 4–22.
Cheng, B., Jiang, D., & Riley, J. (2003). Organizational commitment, supervisory commitment, and employee outcomes in the Chinese context: Proximal hypothesis or global hypothesis? Journal of Organizational Behavior: The International Journal of Industrial, Occupational and Organizational Psychology and Behavior, 24(3), 313–334.
Cheng, C., Jiang, D., Cheng, B., Riley, J., & Jen, C. (2015). When do subordinates commit to their supervisors? Different effects of perceived supervisor integrity and support on Chinese and American employees. The Leadership Quarterly, 26(1), 81–97.
Cropanzano, R., Anthony, E., Daniels, S., & Hall, A. (2017). Social exchange theory: A critical review with theoretical remedies. Academy of Management Annals, 11(1), 479–516. doi:10.5465/annals.2015.0099
Davies, S., Kraeh, A., & Froese, F. (2015). Burden or support? The influence of partner nationality on expatriate cross-cultural adjustment. Journal of Global Mobility, 3(2), 169–182.
Edström, A., & Galbraith, J. (1977). Transfer of managers as a coordination and control strategy in multinational organizations. Administrative Science Quarterly, 22(2), 248–263.
Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. (1981). Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39–50.
Gudykunst, W. (2005). An anxiety/uncertainty management (AUM) theory of strangers’ intercultural adjustment. In W. B.
Gudykunst (Ed.), Theorizing about intercultural communication (pp. 419–457). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Ltd.
Gullekson, N., & Dumaisnil, A. (2016). Expanding horizons on expatriate adjustment: A look at the role of emotional display and status. Human Resource Management Review, 26(3), 260–269.
Haar, J. (2006). Challenge and hindrance stressors in New Zealand: Exploring social exchange theory outcomes. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 17(11), 1942–1950. doi:10.1080/0958519060100 0147
Hair, J., Black, W., Babin, B., & Anderson, R. (2010). Multivariate data analysis (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Harrison, D., & Shaffer, M. (2005). Mapping the criterion space for expatriate success: Task-and relationship-based performance, effort and adaptation. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 16(8), 1454–1474.
Jyoti, J., & Kour, S. (2015). Assessing the cultural intelligence and task performance equation: Mediating role of cultural adjustment. Cross Cultural Management An International Journal, 22(2), 236–258.
Kalidass, A., & Bahron, A. (2015). The relationship between perceived supervisor support, perceived organizational support, organizational commitment and employee turnover intention. International Journal of Business Administration, 6(5), 82–89.
Kock, N., & Lynn, G. (2012). Lateral collinearity and misleading results in variance-based SEM: An illustration and recommendations. Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 13(7), 546–580.
Kühlmann, T., & Hutchings, K. (2010). Expatriate assignments vs localization of management in China: Staffing choices of Australian and German companies. Career Development International, 15(1), 20–38.
Kurtessis, J., Eisenberger, R., Ford, M., Buffardi, L., Stewart, K., & Adis, C. (2017). Perceived Organizational Support: A Meta-Analytic Evaluation of Organizational Support Theory. Journal of Management, 43(6), 1854–1884. doi:10.1177/0149206315575554
Liu, C., & Lee, H. (2008). A proposed model of expatriates in multinational corporations. Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal, 15(2), 176–193.
Mahajan, A., & Toh, S. (2014). Facilitating expatriate adjustment: The role of advice-seeking from host country nationals. Journal of World Business, 49(4), 476–487.
Okpara, J., & Kabongo, J. (2011). Cross-cultural training and expatriate adjustment: A study of western expatriates in Nigeria. Journal of World Business, 46(1), 22–30.
Peterson, B. (2004). Cultural intelligence: A guide to working with people from other cultures (1st ed.) Boston, MA: Intercultural Press.
Phungsoonthorn, T., & Charoensukmongkol, P. (2018). The Preventive role of transformational leadership and trust in the leader on employee turnover risk of Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand: The moderating role of salary and job tenure. Journal of Risk Management and Insurance, 22(2), 66–82.
Podsakoff, P., MacKenzie, S., Lee, J., & Podsakoff, N. (2003). Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(5), 879–903.
Preacher, K., & Hayes, A. (2004). SPSS and SAS procedures for estimating indirect effects in simple mediation models. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers, 36(4), 717–731.
Puck, J., Holtbrügge, D., & Dölling, S. (2003). Determinants and consequences of expatriate adjustment: A review of existing studies, Working Paper, 3, 2003.
Richardson, C. (2018). Personality traits and expatriate adjustment in Malaysia. Journal of Asia Business Studies, 12(4), 594–612. doi:10.1108/JABS-06-2017-0091
Salamin, X., & Davoine, E. (2015). International adjustment of female vs male business expatriates. A replication study in Switzerland. Journal of Global Mobility, 3(2), 183–212.
Salgado, J., & Bastida, M. (2017). Predicting expatriate effectiveness: The role of personality, cross-cultural adjustment, and organizational support. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 25(3), 267–275. doi:10.1111/ijsa.12178
Sambasivan, M., Sadoughi, M., & Esmaeilzadeh, P. (2017). Investigating the factors influencing cultural adjustment and expatriate performance: The case of Malaysia. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 66(8), 1002–1019.
Selmer, J., & Lauring, J. (2016). Work engagement and intercultural adjustment. International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, 16(1), 33–51.
Shanock, L., & Eisenberger, R. (2006). When supervisors feel supported: Relationships with subordinates' perceived supervisor support, perceived organizational support, and performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 91(3), 689–695.
Shay, J., & Baack, S. (2006). An empirical investigation of the relationships between modes and degree of expatriate adjustment and multiple measures of performance. International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, 6(3), 275–294.
Sit, A., Mak, A., & Neill, J. (2017). Does cross-cultural training in tertiary education enhance cross-cultural adjustment? A systematic review. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 57, 1–18. doi:https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2017.01.001
Sonesh, S., & DeNisi, A. (2016). The categorization of expatriates and the support offered by host country nationals. Journal of Global Mobility, 4(1), 18–43.
Sorndee, K., Siengthai, S., & Swierczek, F. (2017). Closing cultural distance: The cultural adaptability in Chinese-related firms in Thailand. Journal of Asia Business Studies, 11(2), 229–250.
Tian, A., Cordery, J., & Gamble, J. (2016). Returning the favor: positive employee responses to supervisor and peer support for training transfer. International Journal of Training and Development, 20(1), 1–16. doi:10.1111/ijtd.12066
Tung, R. (1987). Expatriate assignments: Enhancing success and minimizing failure. The Academy of Management Executive (1987–1989), 1(2), 117–125.
Wadei, K., Chen, L., Wu, W., & Sampong, F. (2019). How transformational leadership shapes R&D creativity? A motivated information processing perspective. Academy of Management Proceedings, 2019(1), 11058. doi:10.5465/AMBPP.2019.11058abstract
Wu, P., & Ang, S. (2011). The impact of expatriate supporting practices and cultural intelligence on cross-cultural adjustment and performance of expatriates in Singapore. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 22(13), 2683–2702.
Zhu, J., Wanberg, C., Harrison, D., & Diehn, E. (2016). Ups and downs of the expatriate experience? Understanding work adjustment trajectories and career outcomes. Journal of Applied Psychology, 101(4), 549–568.
Bennett, R., Aston, A., & Colquhoun, T. (2000). Cross-cultural training: A critical step in ensuring the success of international assignments. Human Resource Management, 39(2–3), 239–250.
Black, J. (1988). Work role transitions: A study of American expatriate managers in Japan. Journal of International Business Studies, 19(2), 277–294.
Black, J., & Stephens, G. (1989). The influence of the spouse on American expatriate adjustment and intent to stay in Pacific Rim overseas assignments. Journal of Management, 15(4), 529–544.
Blau, P. (1964). Exchange and power in social life. New York, NY: Wiley.
Charoensukmongkol, P., Murad, M., & Gutierrez-Wirsching, S. (2016). The role of coworker and supervisor support on job burnout and job satisfaction. Journal of Advances in Management Research, 13(1), 4–22.
Cheng, B., Jiang, D., & Riley, J. (2003). Organizational commitment, supervisory commitment, and employee outcomes in the Chinese context: Proximal hypothesis or global hypothesis? Journal of Organizational Behavior: The International Journal of Industrial, Occupational and Organizational Psychology and Behavior, 24(3), 313–334.
Cheng, C., Jiang, D., Cheng, B., Riley, J., & Jen, C. (2015). When do subordinates commit to their supervisors? Different effects of perceived supervisor integrity and support on Chinese and American employees. The Leadership Quarterly, 26(1), 81–97.
Cropanzano, R., Anthony, E., Daniels, S., & Hall, A. (2017). Social exchange theory: A critical review with theoretical remedies. Academy of Management Annals, 11(1), 479–516. doi:10.5465/annals.2015.0099
Davies, S., Kraeh, A., & Froese, F. (2015). Burden or support? The influence of partner nationality on expatriate cross-cultural adjustment. Journal of Global Mobility, 3(2), 169–182.
Edström, A., & Galbraith, J. (1977). Transfer of managers as a coordination and control strategy in multinational organizations. Administrative Science Quarterly, 22(2), 248–263.
Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. (1981). Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39–50.
Gudykunst, W. (2005). An anxiety/uncertainty management (AUM) theory of strangers’ intercultural adjustment. In W. B.
Gudykunst (Ed.), Theorizing about intercultural communication (pp. 419–457). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Ltd.
Gullekson, N., & Dumaisnil, A. (2016). Expanding horizons on expatriate adjustment: A look at the role of emotional display and status. Human Resource Management Review, 26(3), 260–269.
Haar, J. (2006). Challenge and hindrance stressors in New Zealand: Exploring social exchange theory outcomes. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 17(11), 1942–1950. doi:10.1080/0958519060100 0147
Hair, J., Black, W., Babin, B., & Anderson, R. (2010). Multivariate data analysis (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Harrison, D., & Shaffer, M. (2005). Mapping the criterion space for expatriate success: Task-and relationship-based performance, effort and adaptation. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 16(8), 1454–1474.
Jyoti, J., & Kour, S. (2015). Assessing the cultural intelligence and task performance equation: Mediating role of cultural adjustment. Cross Cultural Management An International Journal, 22(2), 236–258.
Kalidass, A., & Bahron, A. (2015). The relationship between perceived supervisor support, perceived organizational support, organizational commitment and employee turnover intention. International Journal of Business Administration, 6(5), 82–89.
Kock, N., & Lynn, G. (2012). Lateral collinearity and misleading results in variance-based SEM: An illustration and recommendations. Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 13(7), 546–580.
Kühlmann, T., & Hutchings, K. (2010). Expatriate assignments vs localization of management in China: Staffing choices of Australian and German companies. Career Development International, 15(1), 20–38.
Kurtessis, J., Eisenberger, R., Ford, M., Buffardi, L., Stewart, K., & Adis, C. (2017). Perceived Organizational Support: A Meta-Analytic Evaluation of Organizational Support Theory. Journal of Management, 43(6), 1854–1884. doi:10.1177/0149206315575554
Liu, C., & Lee, H. (2008). A proposed model of expatriates in multinational corporations. Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal, 15(2), 176–193.
Mahajan, A., & Toh, S. (2014). Facilitating expatriate adjustment: The role of advice-seeking from host country nationals. Journal of World Business, 49(4), 476–487.
Okpara, J., & Kabongo, J. (2011). Cross-cultural training and expatriate adjustment: A study of western expatriates in Nigeria. Journal of World Business, 46(1), 22–30.
Peterson, B. (2004). Cultural intelligence: A guide to working with people from other cultures (1st ed.) Boston, MA: Intercultural Press.
Phungsoonthorn, T., & Charoensukmongkol, P. (2018). The Preventive role of transformational leadership and trust in the leader on employee turnover risk of Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand: The moderating role of salary and job tenure. Journal of Risk Management and Insurance, 22(2), 66–82.
Podsakoff, P., MacKenzie, S., Lee, J., & Podsakoff, N. (2003). Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(5), 879–903.
Preacher, K., & Hayes, A. (2004). SPSS and SAS procedures for estimating indirect effects in simple mediation models. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers, 36(4), 717–731.
Puck, J., Holtbrügge, D., & Dölling, S. (2003). Determinants and consequences of expatriate adjustment: A review of existing studies, Working Paper, 3, 2003.
Richardson, C. (2018). Personality traits and expatriate adjustment in Malaysia. Journal of Asia Business Studies, 12(4), 594–612. doi:10.1108/JABS-06-2017-0091
Salamin, X., & Davoine, E. (2015). International adjustment of female vs male business expatriates. A replication study in Switzerland. Journal of Global Mobility, 3(2), 183–212.
Salgado, J., & Bastida, M. (2017). Predicting expatriate effectiveness: The role of personality, cross-cultural adjustment, and organizational support. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 25(3), 267–275. doi:10.1111/ijsa.12178
Sambasivan, M., Sadoughi, M., & Esmaeilzadeh, P. (2017). Investigating the factors influencing cultural adjustment and expatriate performance: The case of Malaysia. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 66(8), 1002–1019.
Selmer, J., & Lauring, J. (2016). Work engagement and intercultural adjustment. International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, 16(1), 33–51.
Shanock, L., & Eisenberger, R. (2006). When supervisors feel supported: Relationships with subordinates' perceived supervisor support, perceived organizational support, and performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 91(3), 689–695.
Shay, J., & Baack, S. (2006). An empirical investigation of the relationships between modes and degree of expatriate adjustment and multiple measures of performance. International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, 6(3), 275–294.
Sit, A., Mak, A., & Neill, J. (2017). Does cross-cultural training in tertiary education enhance cross-cultural adjustment? A systematic review. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 57, 1–18. doi:https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2017.01.001
Sonesh, S., & DeNisi, A. (2016). The categorization of expatriates and the support offered by host country nationals. Journal of Global Mobility, 4(1), 18–43.
Sorndee, K., Siengthai, S., & Swierczek, F. (2017). Closing cultural distance: The cultural adaptability in Chinese-related firms in Thailand. Journal of Asia Business Studies, 11(2), 229–250.
Tian, A., Cordery, J., & Gamble, J. (2016). Returning the favor: positive employee responses to supervisor and peer support for training transfer. International Journal of Training and Development, 20(1), 1–16. doi:10.1111/ijtd.12066
Tung, R. (1987). Expatriate assignments: Enhancing success and minimizing failure. The Academy of Management Executive (1987–1989), 1(2), 117–125.
Wadei, K., Chen, L., Wu, W., & Sampong, F. (2019). How transformational leadership shapes R&D creativity? A motivated information processing perspective. Academy of Management Proceedings, 2019(1), 11058. doi:10.5465/AMBPP.2019.11058abstract
Wu, P., & Ang, S. (2011). The impact of expatriate supporting practices and cultural intelligence on cross-cultural adjustment and performance of expatriates in Singapore. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 22(13), 2683–2702.
Zhu, J., Wanberg, C., Harrison, D., & Diehn, E. (2016). Ups and downs of the expatriate experience? Understanding work adjustment trajectories and career outcomes. Journal of Applied Psychology, 101(4), 549–568.