International Human Resource Management-MJ Version

Source of

interactions

Family

Colleagues

Host nationals

Mentors

Other expatriates

Functionaries

Type of interactions

Instrumental

Emotional

Informational

Cross-cultural

adjustment

Moderating variables: relationship-formation antecedents

Affiliating personality characteristics

Cultural constraints, e.g. host national cultural norms towards developing

relationships with women

Situational constraints, e.g. language skills, job constraints

tremendous disruption in the lives of all family members (Guzzo et al., 1994;
Munton, 1990; Noe and Barbar, 1993). Work – life issues are amongst the most
cited problems associated with international working patterns for those in
relationships as well as for single employees (CReME, 2000; Fenwick, 2001;
Peltonen, 2001).
Whilst work–family balance has been the focus of a great deal of organisa-
tional, governmental and academic interest, it has remained a predominantly
domestic-based issue. Work–family conflict is, however, likely to increase in
international working scenarios, which may involve the physical relocation of
the entire family. In such cases, the boundaries between work and home
become blurred due to the involvement of the whole family (Harvey, 1985). In
dual-career couples, the partner’s career may be disrupted and his or her sense
of worth and identity may suffer (Harvey, 1997). The children’s education may
also be interrupted (Fukuda and Chu, 1994) and their social networks
destroyed, which may affect their feelings of security and well-being (Harvey,
1985). In short, in international assignments, family life becomes more impor-
tant because the whole family is uprooted. Even in the case of short-term

368 International Human Resource Management

FIGURE 14.1

Social interaction and social support as antecedents to female expatriates’

cross-cultural adjustement (Caligiuri and Lazarova, 2002: 763)