International employees make up almost 5% of the global workforce. A recent study by Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) shed light on the under-researched aspects of international employee adjustment and suggested directions for future research.
The researchers examined 222 scientific articles from the past 32 years on the adjustment of international employees. They found that most studies (72%) focus on assigned expatriates—employees sent abroad by their organizations.
The least studied group is migrants, who make up around 4% of the global population. This number has tripled in the last 50 years.
“With increasing international human mobility, more attention should be given to self-initiated expatriates and migrants,” the researchers suggest.
Choosing to move
In management and business, self-initiated expatriates are defined as those who move to another country for work on their own initiative, intending to stay for a limited time. Migrants, on the other hand, move with the intention of staying long-term and often becoming citizens.
Self-initiated expatriates and migrants form the largest segment of international employees worldwide.
The study reviewed 222 articles from 1990 to 2022, analyzing abstracts from the Web of Science Core Collection database to trace the field’s evolution and identify new research directions.
Beyond the noted lack of research on migrants and self-initiated expatriates, the study highlighted several other gaps. Most samples focused on individuals moving between Asia, Europe, and North America, neglecting high migration areas like Africa.
Affecting adjustment
“Our study also identified factors affecting international employee adjustment that can help businesses support their international staff better. Successful adjustment improves employee well-being and productivity, enhancing organizational competitive advantage,” the researchers explain.
Organizational support should encompass not just work-related information but also guidance on living in the country, covering transport, shopping, healthcare, and necessary facilities. Support from host country nationals is crucial in helping international employees acclimate both at work and in their new environment.
“While these studies primarily involve expatriates sent by organizations, support is vital for all international workers, especially self-initiated expatriates who secure jobs independently,” the authors note.
In the analyzed articles, individual factors were the most researched (155), followed by organizational (95) and country-related (78) factors. Only 14 articles examined the impact of demographics on international employee adjustment.
“Using Hofstede’s classification, countries can be categorized as individualistic vs. collectivistic, short-term oriented vs. long-term oriented, etc. Individuals from individualistic countries focus more on personal achievements, whereas those from collectivistic countries prioritize cooperation and societal goals,” the researchers explain.
Cultural intelligence
They identify cultural intelligence as the most beneficial trait for international employee adjustment, noting that curiosity, interest in other cultures, travel, foreign language skills, and a positive attitude facilitate better cultural understanding and adjustment.
Global mobility is unlikely to decrease, and more companies will need to hire international staff as the workforce demand grows, especially in aging European countries. While countries like the U.S. and Germany remain top destinations for international employees, migration flows impact all nations.
“In our recent study, we found that Lithuania and Estonia have transitioned from migrant-sending to migrant-receiving countries since gaining independence in 1990,” the authors conclude.
“At the national level, these countries are not fully prepared to receive international employees due to a lack of information in various languages and basic guidelines. However, there is significant support for international employees at the organizational level.”
