Factors to Promote Japanese Expatriate's Cross-cultural Adjustments―Comparative Analyses by stages and dimensione in 53 countries―
2002 Volume 4 Issue 2 Pages 43-52
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2002 Volume 4 Issue 2 Pages 43-52
Along with the swift internationalization of Japanese companies, numbers of Japanese expatriates dispatching to overseas subsidiaries have been steadily growing. It is also likely found that emerging demand for international job rotations for the third country nationals have been increasing with the developing need of the high potential managers at Japanese companies.
On the other hand, it has been pointed out that international relocation influence expatriates work and life, which causes serious deterioration of individual and organizational performances through failure of cross-cultural adjustments.
In this study, author investigated factors that promote every dimensions of cross-cultural adjustment in each adjustment stage. A total of 1,945 samples were divided into six adjustment stages based on the study of Black and Mendenhall (l991), and promoting factors on each stage of respected dimension were identified by multivariate regression analyses.
Result of the analysis clearly indicated that different factors significantly explain to promote cross-cultural adjustments of different dimensions and stages. Specifically, for general adjustment, overall satisfaction for local life effected in all stages, and significance of English ability at beginning, as well as satisfaction for food was identified. For interpersonal adjustment, local language skill at beginning and satisfaction to the relationship with local people is essentially important throughout the expatriation. Finally, for job adjustment, English ability at beginning and intrinsic satisfaction for work is the key to promote the level of adjustment. Also, stress was identified as causing a negative effect on job adjustment.
For implication, it was suggested for company to provide appropriate supports during expatriation, depending on individual's cross-cultural aptitude and stage of adjustment. On the other hand, this study also tested that pre-discovered importance of language skills both in English and local language for Japanese expatriates to promote cross-cultural adjustments for every stage of each dimension of adjustment.
