Cultural humility and low ethnocentrism as facilitators of expatriate performance

Abstract

Purpose – For decades, expatriate scholars have understood that the individual factors of cultural humility and ethnocentrism and the contextual factors of feedback and support affect expatriates’ outcomes. The study, rooted in the observation that great advice and support are often ignored by expatriates, seeks to uncover why. Based in the humility literature, the authors test whether individual differences interact with support to affect expatriate performance. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – The authors surveyed a matched sample of 62 expatriates and their supervisors from one multinational organization. Findings – The study found that expatriates higher in cultural humility benefit more from the support and feedback offered in the host national work environment which, in turn, facilitates better supervisor ratings of performance. The authors also found that expatriates’ ethnocentrism has a direct negative influence on their ratings of performance. Research limitations/implications – The findings in the study are focussed and robust, but tested within a single organization. That said, the authors believe the results have implications for expatriate selection and for ways to manage the host national environment to improve expatriate performance. Originality/value – The study joins the research conversation on how expatriates’ individual differences interact with the environments in which they are placed to affect their success. This study also underscores the importance of humility in the global professional context.

Holding On While Letting Go: Neocolonialism as Organizational Identity Work in a Multinational Corporation

“…The focus has been on relations and interaction between the HQ and foreign subsidiaries and especially on the negative consequences of HQ ethnocentrism (see e.g. Caligiuri, Baytalskaya, & Lazarova, 2016; Muratbekova-Touron, 2008; Pocovnicu & Vasilache, 2012). Perlmutter’s (1969) ideas have been valuable in alerting scholars to the potential perils of ethnocentrism (if not neocolonialism) in HQ–subsidiary relations.…”

The Role of Extraversion and Openness on Host Country Nationals’ Task Performance and Contextual Performance at Work

“…The function of job performance can be represented by the amount of time, energy, and effort that individuals allocate to their job and colleagues. 20 According to Caliguri, job performance is conceptualized as a multidimensional construct consisting of more than one kind of behavior. Lee et al 21 reported that in cross-cultural studies, two sub-dimensions of job performance, namely, task and contextual performance, are the most significant factors predicting the job performance of individuals during their global work experience.…”

Global Talent Management and Staffing in MNEs: An Introduction to the Edited Volume of International Business and Management

“…The motivation of the individual to accept an expatriate assignment and work away for home for an extended period of time is some times overlooked by organizations. An individual may want to accept the task for intrinsic reasons: such as to further their learning, and gain relevant experience; and/or for more extrinsic reasons: such as increase in salary, or a promotion, or living in a city that is seen to be more desirable for their lifestyle (Caligiuri, Baytalskaya, & Lazarova, 2016). If the task for which the individual is selected only fulfills their extrinsic desires, then the long-term job satisfaction may not be there, and can affect the individual's motivation.…”