Tech Report Number
1994-018
Abstract
This study investigates how two managerial interventions, pre-assignment training and post-assignmnet support, mediate the relationship between a set of personal & job characteristics and a broad measure of foreign assignment success, quality of work life (QWL). To accomplish this, we studied 199 expatriates posted form the Republic of China (Taiwan) to the People's Republic of China (PRC), a host ocutnry with a similar language, race, and cultural background. Using this setting, we were better able to isolate the mediating effects of these human resource interventions on the assignee's adjustment and success. In the end, it appears that some of the personal (locus of control) and job characteristics (work roles) are related to QWL. In addition, pre-assignment training and post-assignment supprot, which were observed to mediate the relationships between these factors and QWL, appear to ameliorate the adverse consequences attributable to expatriates muddled work roles and perceptions of powerlessness.
Date of this Version
1994