Does the overall justice climate enhance self-initiated expatriates' creativity during uncertain times ? The mediating role of cross-cultural psychological capital

Abstract

PurposeBuilding on the conservation of resources (COR) theory, this study aims to explore how overall justice climate (OJC) and cross-cultural psychological capital (CCPsyCap) help highly skilled expatriates develop creative behaviours despite disruptive global macro-events. This topic has not been extensively researched in the context of expatriation, especially amongst self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries.Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected through a web-based questionnaire from 307 SIEs coming from the MENA region and working in different sectors of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The responses were analysed via partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM).FindingsEmpirical evidence shows that no significant direct correlation exists between the OJC and the creativity of SIEs. However, the results demonstrate that this relationship was completely mediated by CCPsyCap.Practical implicationsThe context of high uncertainty may limit individuals' cognitive abilities amongst individuals, in turn, reducing their level of creativity. In this regard, this study identifies the need for host organisations to develop fair human resource policies to enhance creative behaviours amongst SIEs in such a context. It also underlines the role of psychological resources as a coping mechanism that helps those expatriates cope with the diverse challenges of their international assignments.Originality/valueThis study offers new theoretical support for understanding how the combination of OJC and psychological resources constitutes a springboard for enhancing SIEs' creativity in a context of hardship. This study also advances the COR theory by adopting a “cross-level resources caravans” approach.

Expatriate Academics’ Positive Affectivity and Its Influence on Creativity in the Workforce Indigenization Context: Revealing the Role of Perceived Fairness

“…Higher education institutions consider academics' skills and creativity as key assets (Khan et al 2023;Stoermer et al 2020) in the context of the competition for talent where skill shortages are accentuated (Amari et al 2023). Creativity involves the brainstorming of useful and novel ideas in any domain emanating from individuals or teams (Amabile et al 1996).…”

“…Concomitantly, workforce indigenization in organizations within Gulf Corporation Council (GCC) countries, including higher education institutions, has accelerated during the last decade (Jabeen et al 2018). Indigenization refers to the adaptation or localization of human resource (HR) policies and practices to suit the cultural context of particular countries or regions (Amari et al 2023;Darwish et al 2022) and align with local norms, values, and legal requirements, which ensures that HR practices are relevant, effective, and respectful of the local culture. Then, inclusive HR policies (e.g., training and recruitment) are employed to activate the localization agenda in KSA, called "Saudization".…”

“…These challenges have changed their abilities to enhance their performance (Bader et al 2022;Caligiuri et al 2020). Among these challenges, expatriation scholars point out the hostility and discrimination against international workers (Bader et al 2018;Peltokorpi et al 2021;Amari et al 2021), turnover intention (Davies et al 2019;Amari 2022); mental health problems (Selmer and Lauring 2014;Amari et al 2023;Tripathi and Singh 2021), and indigenization of the workforce (Darwish et al 2022;Jabeen et al 2018;Amari et al 2023). Yet, in spite of this abundant research, little is known about how expatriates experience these challenges (Bader et al 2022).…”

“…Recently, scholars have argued that exposure to the indigenization of HR policies could prevent expatriates from expressing their creativity (Amari et al 2023). In other words, a two-tier HR system may reinforce feelings of discomfort among individuals at work and subsequently lower organizational commitment and job satisfaction (Sanchez and Brock 1996), thereby compromising their potential, especially in terms of creativity (Amari et al 2023). However, few studies focus on the effects of workforce indigenization on expatriate performance, including creativity.…”

“…PA can be described as a person's tendency to respond positively to environmental stimuli, entailing emotional responses such as interest, enthusiasm, excitement, or attentiveness (Watson et al 1988;Cropanzano et al 1993;Stoermer et al 2020). International academics face countless challenges owing to volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environments (Caligiuri et al 2020;Bastida et al 2023;Bader et al 2022) that threaten their mental abilities (Amari et al 2023). This context may further stifle international workers' aptitudes in terms of creativity for goal achievement (Gocłowska et al 2018;Amari et al 2023).…”