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Revisiting repatriation concerns: organizational support versus career and contextual influences

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Abstract

This paper reviews and integrates two perspectives on repatriate retention: a traditional one, which suggests that the main determinant of repatriate retention is the availability of repatriation support programs; and an emerging one, which focuses on individual career activism in a changing employment context. Results of a study of 133 expatriates from 14 MNCs indicate that both views contribute to our understanding of repatriate retention. Building on the results of our study, we put forward a framework to guide future research.

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Notes

  1. Further details of the results of the CFA are available from the corresponding author upon request.

  2. Please note that the word ‘prediction’ is used in this section to establish consistency with Pedhazur's (1997) text, rather than to express causation.

  3. All above-mentioned analyses are available from the corresponding author upon request.

  4. We thank an anonymous reviewer for encouraging us to develop this argument.

  5. We thank an anonymous reviewer for the suggestion to develop this argument.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank David C Thomas and three anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments, which greatly improved this paper. We are also grateful to the departmental editor, Mary Anne Von Glinow, for her suggestions and encouragement, and to Paula M Caligiuri for her help and advice in the early stages of this project.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Business Administration, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

    Mila B Lazarova

  2. ESSEC Business School, Cergy-Pontoise, France

    Jean-Luc Cerdin

Authors
  1. Mila B Lazarova
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  2. Jean-Luc Cerdin
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Correspondence to Mila B Lazarova.

Additional information

Accepted by Mary Ann von Glinow, Departmental Editor, 18 July 2006. This paper has been with the authors for three revisions.

Appendix: Survey scales

Appendix: Survey scales

Anchors for all scales except Repatriation Support Practices Availability

1=Strongly disagree; 2=Disagree; 3=Neutral; 4=Agree somewhat; 5=Strongly agree

(R)=reverse-coded

Intention to leave (based on Wayne et al., 1997)

  1. 1

    I do not intend to leave [name of organization] in the near future (R).

  2. 2

    I believe I will be working for my company in the future (R).

  3. 3

    I am often thinking about of quitting my job at [name of organization].

  4. 4

    I am not actively looking for a job outside [name of organization] (R).

  5. 5

    I am seriously thinking about quitting my job.

  6. 6

    As soon as I find a better job, I will leave this company.

Alternative employment opportunities (based on Billings and Wemmens (1983), and Peters et al,. 1981)

  1. 1

    It is possible for me to find a better job than the one I have now.

  2. 2

    I believe that acceptable jobs can always be found.

  3. 3

    There is no doubt in my mind that I can find a job at least as good as the one I have now.

  4. 4

    Even if I really looked for a job, I probably could not find a better one (R).

  5. 5

    There will always be another job as good as this one that I could get.

  6. 6

    If I have to leave this job, I would have another job as good as this one within a month.

Career activism (Krieger, 1995)

Getting advice/intervention

  1. 1

    I have contacted others to get information about specific positions.

  2. 2

    I have contacted others to get general information about careers.

  3. 3

    I have subscribed to job journals or other written sources of job listings.

  4. 4

    I have revised and sent out my resume.

  5. 5

    I have contacted others for their intervention on my behalf with regard to a job.

  6. 6

    I have asked others to refer me for special positions.

  7. 7

    I have requested personal references from others.

Strategic planning

  1. 1

    I have rejected/accepted specific assignments in keeping with my career plan.

  2. 2

    I have requested specific assignments.

  3. 3

    I have attended company functions to meet specific or influential people.

  4. 4

    I have attended job related conferences and/or lectures.

  5. 5

    I have attended job related education seminars.

  6. 6

    I have taken advantage of company tuition reimbursement policies.

  7. 7

    I have participated in assessment techniques.

  8. 8

    I have participated in company sponsored career advising.

  9. 9

    I have cut back on one aspect of my work in order to focus more on another.

Outside information gathering

  1. 1

    I have looked at newspaper want-ads.

  2. 2

    I have asked a co-worker about an outside company.

  3. 3

    I have asked a co-worker about a specific job in an outside company.

  4. 4

    I have asked a coworker for a reference for an outside company or job.

Company-provided repatriation support practices (Lazarova and Caligiuri, 2001)

The following section describes repatriation policies and practices used by multinational companies to facilitate the transition of their employees back to their home organization. Now that you have gone through the repatriation process yourself, please indicate whether these specific practices/programs were made available to you by [name of organization] upon your return. (Anchors: 1=Yes, 0=No)

  1. 1

    Pre-departure briefings on what to expect during the period of repatriation.

  2. 2

    Career planning sessions to discuss concerns regarding repatriation.

  3. 3

    A written guarantee or a repatriation agreement outlining the type of position expatriates will be placed in upon repatriation.

  4. 4

    Mentoring programs while on assignment.

  5. 5

    Reorientation program provided immediately upon return to brief expatriates on the changes in the company.

  6. 6

    Repatriation training seminars that prepare employees and their families on what to expect regarding the emotional response upon returning home.

  7. 7

    Financial counseling and financial/tax assistance to help expatriates adjust back to their lifestyle at home.

  8. 8

    Lifestyle assistance and counseling to prepare expatriates for the changes that are likely to occur in their lifestyles upon return.

  9. 9

    Continuous communications with the home office.

  10. 10

    Visible signs that the company values international experience to demonstrate within the organization that global experience is beneficial to one's career.

  11. 11

    Communications with the home office about the details of the repatriation process.

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Lazarova, M., Cerdin, JL. Revisiting repatriation concerns: organizational support versus career and contextual influences. J Int Bus Stud 38, 404–429 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8400273

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