International Human Resource Management-MJ Version

general adjustment was not confirmed. Supervisor support did not have any
significant influence on adjustment. Cultural novelty and spousal adjustment
had a very strong impact on general adjustment and a weaker, though still very
significant, impact on interaction adjustment. Spousal adjustment did not
influence work adjustment. The two self-efficacy variables seemed completely
unrelated to adjustment, but contrary to the authors’ expectations both the
number of previous assignments and language fluency have a significant positive
direct effect on interaction adjustment.
As expected, both previous experience and language fluency had impor-
tant moderating effects as well. Previous experience moderated the relationship
between supervisor and co-worker support. For expatriates on their first assign-
ments, supervisor support was negatively related to all aspects of adjustment,

272 International Human Resource Management

* Numbers in parentheses indicate the corresponding dependent variables. Underlined relationships

were confirmed.

Job factors

+ Role clarity (1)

+ Role discretion (1)

− Role conflict (1)

− Role novelty (1) (3)

Organisational factors

+ Supervisor support (2)

+ Co-worker support (2)

+ Logistical support (2,3)

Non-work factors

− Culture novelty (2,3)

+ Spouse adjustment (1,2,3)

Individual factors

+ Achievement self-efficacy (1,2,3)

+ Social self-efficacy (1,2,3)

+ Previous assignments (1,2,3)

+ Language fluency (1,2,3)

Expatriate adjustment

(1) Work

(2) Interaction

(3) General

FIGURE 10.2

Determinants of expatriate adjustment (adapted from Black et al., 1991

and Shaffer et al., 1999)*