TY - JOUR

T1 - Perceived organizational support and intention to stay in host countries among self-initiated expatriates

T2 - The role of career satisfaction and networks

AU - Cao, Lan

AU - Deller, Jürgen

AU - Hirschi, Andreas

N1 - Special Issue: New Analyses of Expatriation

PY - 2014/8/6

Y1 - 2014/8/6

N2 - Previous literature on self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) has mostly focused on an individual perspective and rarely on SIEs in an organizational context. This paper examines the effect of perceived organizational support (POS) on SIE employees' intention to stay in the host country, mediated by career satisfaction and moderated by career networks of host and home country nationals. Data from 112 SIE employees in Germany were collected and tested for moderated mediation. Results partially supported our proposed model: we found a direct positive effect between POS and intention to stay. However, there was a significant negative indirect effect between POS and intention to stay when the career network of home country nationals was large. Our study contributes to theories of POS, confirming its positive effect on SIEs' career satisfaction and intention to stay in the host country. For organizational practice, it provides insight to understand SIE employees' needs for support and mobility preferences.

AB - Previous literature on self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) has mostly focused on an individual perspective and rarely on SIEs in an organizational context. This paper examines the effect of perceived organizational support (POS) on SIE employees' intention to stay in the host country, mediated by career satisfaction and moderated by career networks of host and home country nationals. Data from 112 SIE employees in Germany were collected and tested for moderated mediation. Results partially supported our proposed model: we found a direct positive effect between POS and intention to stay. However, there was a significant negative indirect effect between POS and intention to stay when the career network of home country nationals was large. Our study contributes to theories of POS, confirming its positive effect on SIEs' career satisfaction and intention to stay in the host country. For organizational practice, it provides insight to understand SIE employees' needs for support and mobility preferences.

KW - Business psychology

KW - Self-initiated expatriation, protean career, cultural adjustment, career satisfaction, intention to stay, international mobility, cultural distance, expatriates

KW - career network

KW - career satisfaction

KW - global mobility

KW - intention to stay

KW - perceived organizational support

KW - self-initiated expatriate

KW - transnational network

KW - Management studies

KW - Self-initiated expatriation, protean career, cultural adjustment, career satisfaction, intention to stay, international mobility, cultural distance, expatriates

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84896548848&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1080/09585192.2013.870290

DO - 10.1080/09585192.2013.870290

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 25

SP - 2013

EP - 2032

JO - The International Journal of Human Resource Management

JF - The International Journal of Human Resource Management

SN - 0958-5192

IS - 14

ER -