Cross Cultural and Strategic Management: a retrospective overview using bibliometric analysis

PurposeCross Cultural and Strategic Management (CCSM) began publication in 1994 and completed its 27th year in 2020. The purpose of this study is to provide a bibliometric analysis of CCSM during the period between 1994 and 2020.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses a variety of bibliometric tools including performance analysis, authorship analysis, bibliographic coupling, keyword co-occurrence and regression analysis to present the retrospect of CCSM.FindingsCCSM's publication and citations continue to enjoy consistent growth throughout the years. While most contributions originate in the United States, the diversity of both research and the researchers themselves continues to grow. Over the period, the emphasis has been on quantitative research design. Archival data have been the most preferred data source, and content analysis the most used data analysis method, although its use has somewhat declined over the years. Major recurring themes in the journal include cultural barriers, concept of culture, national culture, culture and organizational practices, and expatriate employees. Important drivers of citations are also identified.Research limitations/implicationsThe study’s contributions are twofold. First, the authors’ comprehensive bibliometric analysis of published research in CCSM helps uncover its underlying intellectual structure and the evolution of its research themes over time. Awareness of these patterns and major themes should help future CCSM scholars to better situate their studies within the extant body of knowledge. Second, the authors’ analysis should also aid in shaping future editorial strategies for CCSM as it continues to compete with other similar journals in the fields of international business, international management and strategy.Originality/valueCCSM earned its reputation for quality, and as a result is currently one of the leading journals in its field. Therefore, by closely examining its underlying knowledge structure, the authors provide a more complete understanding of the intellectual progress made to date in CCSM, while also shedding light on its future.

Antecedents of career self-management: home country and international careers in Kuwait

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine how leadership aspiration mediates the effect of career self-efficacy on employees' engagement in career self-management (CSM; i.e. deployment of career advancement strategies concerning access to power, psychological boundaryless and self-promotion), whether self-efficacy directly influences CSM, and whether these relations are conditional upon nationality (which is a proxy for domestic and international careers in Kuwait).Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire was completed by 615 highly educated young Kuwaitis and self-initiated expatriates (SIEs; Arab and South Asian nationals) working in Kuwait.FindingsThe results demonstrate that self-efficacy, directly and indirectly (mediated by leadership aspiration), influences the three types of career advancement strategies. Moderated-mediation analyses suggest that SIEs and Kuwaitis engage in similar CSM behaviors when it is motivated by self-efficacy, which is mediated by leadership aspiration. Also, self-efficacy has greater direct effect on SIEs' CSM than Kuwaitis', but Kuwaitis have higher tendency for CSM behavior.Practical implicationsInterventions aiming to improve employees' engagement in CSM may focus on enhancing their psychological capital and contexts, while minding the differential effects of nationality and self-efficacy on CSM of Kuwaitis and SIEs.Originality/valueThe study provides unique information about CSM utilizing understudied populations namely, Middle-Eastern and self-initiated expatriate employees. It confirms the effects of self-efficacy and leadership aspiration on CSM and reveals different effects of nationality depending on the motivators at play.

The impact of team potency and leadership member exchange on expatriate creative work involvement

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine whether team potency moderates the effect of the leader member exchange (LMX) on the expatriate's creative work involvement such that the effect of leader member exchange on creative work involvement becomes less when team potency is high.Design/methodology/approachData were gathered via a printed survey instrument, using a purposive sampling approach and administered directly to 150 expatriate (non-Emirate nationals) employees located in the Jabal Ali Dubai Free Zone of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).FindingsOur findings indicate that the higher the level of team potency the less the effect of LMX on expatriate creative work involvement.Practical implicationsThe findings suggest that, team potency, which is an asset in certain situations, can be a liability suppressing the effect of LMX on the expatriate employees creative work involvement. Expatriate employees experiencing satisfaction and fulfillment through the leadership exchange feel sufficiently empowered in their abilities to engage in creative work behaviors.Originality/valueTesting a theoretical model within the intranational cultural diversity of an expatriate workforce may be a stronger source of diversity than other sources, providing for an original theoretical contribution to the extant literature. Moreover, the UAE, with its prominent network of expatriate employment integrated within the national economy presents a highly relevant contextual environment in which to study expatriate behavior.

Cultural identities for expatriate workers

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings Performance of multinational corporations (MNCs) on the global stage can become more effective when expatriate employees adapt positively within different cultural surroundings. How they choose to respond helps ascertain the type of cultural identity strategy potentially most suitable for the host culture in question. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Determining the Challenges Encountered by Chinese Expatriates in Pakistan

The workforce of growing globalization has led to a large number of expatriate employees working overseas for short term employment. An expatriate assignment is strongly correlated with a variety of difficulties that affect expatriates’ adjustment abroad. Therefore, the aim of this article is: (1) to determine the challenges encountered by Chinese expatriates in Pakistan and (2) to determine the role of cross-cultural training for a successful international assignment. The paper adopts a qualitative approach by conducting semi-structured interviews; the interviews were conducted with 22 males and eight females, forming a total of 30 Chinese employees with the average age of 34.5 years, working in different Chinese organizations in Pakistan in 2018. The findings of this study revealed that the most significant challenges faced by Chinese expatriates in Pakistan were cultural differences and language barriers in both work and non-work factors, whereas, those Chinese expatriates who were trained through formal and informal learning techniques could facilitate their cross-cultural adjustment.

Technology Based Assessment of Cross Cultural Training with The Expatriate’s Performance using Structural Equation Model

In order to meet the global demand and face the international competition it has become inevitable for the MNCs to send employees overseas and accomplish the targets. But one of the most important problems that MNCs are troubled with is that of expatriate failure and premature arrival. It is estimated that around 10 to 80 percent of the expatriates sent abroad return back home early. The main reason behind premature return happens to be the cultural diversity and the associated problems faced by the expatriate employees in the host country. Also the lack of proper training to adjust to the changed surroundings makes the employees return back quickly. The expatriate managers face many difficulties and challenges in different forms. They can handle these difficulties only when they are properly prepared for the same through sound cross cultural training. The study includes the qualitative in depth interview with a specific pattern of questionnaire approaching both the employees and their supervisors to understand the effectiveness of cross-cultural training programs on the performance and adjustment levels of the expatriates in the host country. It also focuses on the approaches in the cross-cultural training programs and on the skills needed for effective cross-cultural communication

Interrelationship of expatriate employees' personality, cultural intelligence, cross-cultural adjustment, and entrepreneurship

In this study we combined the organizational behavior literature with international human resource management theory to investigate expatriates in the context of the interrelationship of the Big Five personality traits, cultural intelligence, cross-cultural adjustment, and entrepreneurship. We used a data sample of 230 individuals to empirically confirm that expatriates' personality, cultural intelligence, and cross-cultural adjustment are key factors in successful expatriate entrepreneurship in a cross-cultural context. Our results provide a deeper understanding of the antecedents of entrepreneurship that affect expatriates' entrepreneurial performance in an overseas posting.

Host Country Nationals’ Attitudes, Social Support and Willingness to Work with Expatriates

This study investigates host country nationals’ (HCNs) attitudes towards expatriates and their implications for willingness to co-work and offer social support. Survey data from 211 HCNs indicate that attitudes of HCNs directly influence their willingness to provide social support to expatriate employees in host subsidiaries. The results of the study also reveal that HCNs’ attitudes are positively related to the willingness of host employees to co-work with expatriates. Implications of our findings for research and practice are presented.