The relationship between expatriates' personality traits and their adjustment to international assignments

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between personality traits of expatriates and their adjustment to international assignments. We focused in particular on the Big Five personality traits: extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism and openness to experience. We sampled eighty-three US expatriates in Taiwan and found statistically significant relationships between expatriate adjustment and three personality traits in theoretically reasonable directions. Specifically, our results showed that a US expatriate's general living adjustment in Taiwan is positively related to his or her degree of extroversion and openness to experience. We found that extroversion and agreeableness are both positively related to interaction adjustment (i.e. relationships with local people). Furthermore, a US expatriate's work adjustment is positively related to his or her openness to experience. Unlike prior research on expatriate adjustment, we have examined multiple traits rooted in personality theory, and we have derived hypotheses that are specific to a Chinese context.

The Relationship between the Personality and Gender and the Adjustment to a Foreign Culture: Comparative Research between Expatriates and Business Trip Travelers

“…Previous research studies linked the worker's level of adjustment to his level of performances on the international assignment (Raduan, Subramaniam, Jegak, & Naresh, 2010) and found that workers who adjust well have more available psychological resources, which help them in the expatriate assignment (Shaffer, Harrison, Gilley, & Luk, 2001). For example, established relationships were found between personality characteristics and adjustment to a foreign culture among workers sent for long expatriate assignments (Huang et al, 2005;Lee & Sukoco, 2008). However, a research has yet to be performed that examines the relationship between personality characteristics and adjustment to a foreign culture among workers who go on short and frequent business trips in the framework of their job.…”

“…Expatriate effectiveness, therefore, depends largely on the expatriates' level of adjustment to the host country (Harvey & Novicevic, 2001). Therefore, it is not surprising that many research studies chose to focus on the issue of the adjustment to a foreign culture among expatriates (for example, Caligiuri, 2000;Huang et al, 2005).…”

“…Agreeableness is a person's tendency to develop interpersonal relations and to be altruistic and cooperative. Openness expresses openness to new ideas, tolerance of ambiguity, curiosity, and desire to learn .Neuroticism is linked to low emotional stability, agitation, and tendency to mood swings (Huang et al, 2005). …”

“…To act effectively and to succeed in the assignment, the worker must adjust his behaviors so that they will fit the host culture (Huang et al, 2005). Previous research studies linked the worker's level of adjustment to his level of performances on the international assignment (Raduan, Subramaniam, Jegak, & Naresh, 2010) and found that workers who adjust well have more available psychological resources, which help them in the expatriate assignment (Shaffer, Harrison, Gilley, & Luk, 2001).…”

“…Expatriation is the old method and is more known and researched. This method describes a situation in which a worker is sent to a foreign country for a lengthy period (a number of years) by the organization in which he is employed for a long-term goal (Huang, Chi, & Lawler, 2005). The traditional format of international assignments through expatriation was joined by a new format of short assignments -frequent business trips.…”