The influences of cross-cultural adjustment and motivation on self-initiated expatriates' innovative work behavior

Abstract

PurposeDrawing upon the cross-cultural adjustment (CCA) model and self-determination theory, this study investigated the influence of CCA (work, interactional, and general adjustment) and motivation (autonomous and controlled) on the innovative work behavior of self-initiated expatriates (SIEs).Design/methodology/approachMulti-source data were collected from 213 SIEs and their supervisors working in the United Arab Emirates to provide an understanding of the role of SIEs' CCA and motivation and their innovative work behavior.FindingsFindings indicated that work, interactional, and general adjustment are positively related to innovative work behavior. Autonomous motivation positively predicts innovative work behavior, while controlled motivation does not. Additionally, autonomous motivation moderated the effects of work adjustment and interactional adjustment on SIEs' innovative work behavior, whereas controlled motivation moderates the effect of general adjustment on SIEs' innovative work behavior.Originality/valueSIEs are regarded as talents that have the skills and valuable knowledge gained from their international experience and can be utilized in organizations to perform innovative work behaviors. However, SIEs face adjustment challenges that may hinder their ability to be innovative. Despite their potential as innovation drivers in organizations, there are few studies on the factors that affect SIEs' innovative behavior. This study contributes to the literature by examining the effects of adjustment and motivation on SIEs' innovative work behavior.

The Influence of Personal Motivation and Innovative Climate on Innovative Behavior: Evidence from University Students in China

“…Intrinsic motivation does not help students achieve innovative results, which differs from previous studies that concluded that intrinsic motivation is a predictor of innovative behavior and has a significant positive motivational effect on such behavior. [45][46][47] This implies that the transformation of motivation into results requires certain conditions. Intrinsic motivation is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for innovative achievements, as it also requires students' efforts and implementation, while extrinsic motivation plays a positive role, which is inconsistent with extrinsic motivation affects creativity negatively by reducing intrinsic motivation.…”

Conceptual Framework of the Evolution of Self-Initiative Expatriates in a Global Landscape

“…Furthermore, this study investigates extrinsic variables, like worldwide employment prospects, cultural disparities, and support from organizations, which influence the development of self-initiative expatriates. By comprehending these aspects, both businesses and individuals can enhance their readiness in addressing the distinctive obstacles and prospects that self-initiative expatriates contribute to the global workforce (Hussain & Zhang, 2023). This section makes a valuable contribution to the overarching conceptual framework for comprehending the development of self-initiative expatriates, by conducting a thorough investigation of the various factors that influence them.…”

Self-initiated expatriates motivation and basic psychological needs – a generalization and extension replication

“…For example, expatriates with more intrinsic or autonomous motivation are more likely to be more creative, enjoy the task and accept challenging situations. Such as being more innovative or successful in cross-cultural adjustment during expatriation (Hussain and Zhang, 2023; Peltokorpi and Jintae Froese, 2009). Third, engagement and persistence in the behavior can be predicted, as intrinsic motivation is generally associated with greater satisfaction.…”

“…Expatriate research has focused heavily on expatriate success measured in several approaches; performance (Setti et al ., 2022; Zhao et al ., 2020), adjustment (Schreuders-van den Bergh and Du Plessis, 2016; Wechtler et al ., 2017), innovative behavior (Hussain and Zhang, 2023), retention (Richardson and Wong, 2018) and embeddedness (Chen and Shaffer, 2017).…”

“…SDT stands on two foundations: a) the Basic Psychological Needs (BPNs) of autonomy, relatedness and competence, and b) the regulatory motivations of amotivation (complete absence of motivation), extrinsic motivation, introjected motivation, identified motivation, integrated motivation and intrinsic motivation (Ryan and Deci, 2020). The research that dealt with expatriation from the perspective of SDT has only focused on certain types of regulatory motivations and ignored others (Chen and Shaffer, 2017;Hussain and Zhang, 2023;Presbitero, 2017), linked the SIEs to SDT qualitatively only (Despotovic et al, 2022;Oberholster et al, 2013), or primarily focused on the motivations of the SDT but ignored the BPNs and psychological well-being. However, Van den Broeck et al (2016) asserts that "Basic psychological needs are arguably the most important constructs within SDT" (p. 1198).…”