A causal-comparative study of American expatriate adjustment in Russia and job-specific attributes

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62910/transame25001

Keywords:

Expatriates, cross-cultural adjustment, international experience, expatriate adjustment scale, organizational performance, productivity

Abstract

Employees of US-based MNCs working in other nations on expatriate stints must cope with cross-cultural adjustment and work-performance problems that affect their employer operations, productivity and profitability, and organizational morale. Americans’ adjustment in Russia is the subject of this work, specifically the role of job characteristics, rank, and previous overseas experience. Following a quantitative causal-comparative research design, a purposive sample of 197 expatriates from the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia (ACCR) completed an anonymous online survey developed from the Peltokorpi-Cultural Adjustment scale. A one-way ANOVA did not show a significant difference for job type or position for adjustment, but prior international stay was found significant (p<.05). Among the implications of the study are: First, managers of U.S.-based MNCs should use these findings in their operations; Second, recommendations call on the U.S Chamber of Commerce to develop support programs for better expatriate adjustment. Some of the areas for further research could be a closer look at the effectiveness of the pre-assignment training done and a closer look at how different facets of job characteristics influence adjustment.

Author Biography

  • Vahick A. Yedgarian , University of California (UCLA), Los Angeles, California, USA

    University Professor - UCLA and International American University (IAU), Los Angeles, CA, USA.

References

Allport, G. (1954). The nature of prejudice. Reading, MA: Addison Wesley.

Bashir, S. (2012). Perceived organizational support and the cross‐cultural adjustment of expatriates in the UAE. Education, Business and Society: Contemporary Middle Eastern Issues, 5(1), 63–82. https://doi.org/10.1108/17537981211225862

Bhatti, A. M., Battour, M. M., & Ismail, R. A. (2013). Expatriates’ adjustment and job performance. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 62(7), 694–717. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijppm-12-2012-0132

Bickle, M. C., & Harrill, R. (2010). Avoiding cultural misconceptions during globalization of tourism. International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, 4(4), 283–286. https://doi.org/10.1108/17506181011081460

Blanco-Jiménez, M., Romo, H., & Cruz-Álvarez, J. (2013). Exploring global competence of American and Mexican managers working in a multicultural environment. Journal of International Management Studies, 13(4), 113–126.https://doi.org/10.18374/jims-13-4.14

English, D. A. (2015, October). A case study of consumer language between business enterprise owners and foreigners in Seoul, South Korea. Transnational Marketing Journal, 3(2), 12-129.

Faul, F., Erdfelder, E., Lang, A.-G., & Buchner, A. (2007). G*Power 3: A flexible statistical power analysis program for the social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences. Behavior Research Methods, 39(2), 175–191. https://doi.org/10.3758/bf03193146

Green, J. M. (2012). The relationship between adjustment and personal and work variables among American government employees and their spouses stationed abroad. (Order No. 3504813, Northcentral University). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, 172.

Hofstede, G. (2009). Geert Hofstede™ Cultural Dimensions. http://www.geerthofstede.com

Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G. A., & Minkov, M. (2010). Cultures and organizations: Software of the mind (3rd ed.). McGraw- Hill.

Kittler, M. G., Rygl, D., Mackinnon, A., & Wiedemann, K. (2011). Work role and work adjustment in emerging markets. Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal, 18(2), 165–184. https://doi.org/10.1108/13527601111126003

Kolancian, V. G. (2012). Causes of American company expatriates' failures to complete offshore-work assignments. (Order No. 3544176, Walden University). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, 152.

Koveshnikov, A. (2012). A framework of successful organizational practices in Western multinational companies operating in Russia. Strategic Direction, 28(10), 371–382. https://doi.org/10.1108/sd.2012.05628jaa.011

Kraimer, M. L., Shaffer, M. A., & Bolino, M. C. (2009). The influence of expatriate and repatriate experiences on career advancement and repatriate retention. Human Resource Management, 48(1), 27–47. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.20265

Mertler, C. A., & Vannatta, R. A. (2010). Advanced and Multivariate Statistical Methods: Practical Application and Interpretation (4th ed.). Pyrczak Publishing.

Morley, J. (2014). U.S., EU sanction Russia's arms sector. Arms Control Today, 44(7), 33-34.

Okoro, E. (2012). Cross-cultural etiquette and communication in global business: Toward a strategic framework for managing corporate expansion. International Journal of Business and Management, 7(16), 130–138. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijbm.v7n16p130

Peltokorpi, V. (2008). Cross-cultural adjustment of expatriates in Japan. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 19(9), 1588–1606. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585190802294903

Peltokorpi, V., & Froese, F. J. (2012). The impact of expatriate personality traits on cross-cultural adjustment: A study with expatriates in Japan. International Business Review, 21(4), 734–746. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2011.08.006

Pillay, S., & Dorasamy, N. (2010). Linking cultural dimensions with the nature of corruption: An institutional theory perspective. International Journal of Cross-cultural Management, 10(3), 363–378. https://doi.org/10.1177/1470595810389793

Qin, C., & Baruch, Y. (2010). The impact of cross‐cultural training for expatriates in a Chinese firm. Career Development International, 15(3), 296–318. https://doi.org/10.1108/13620431011053758

Ramalu, S., Rose, R., Kumar, N., & Uli, J. (2010a). Doing business in global arena: An examination of the relationship between cultural intelligence and cross-cultural adjustment. Asian Academy of Management Journal, 15(1), 79-97.

Ramalu, S., Wei, C. C., Rose, R. C. (2011). The effects of cultural intelligence on cross-cultural adjustment and job performance amongst expatriates in Malaysia. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 2(9), 59-71.

Ryan, G. D. (2012). Persistence in expatriate academic assignments in the United Arab Emirates: A case study. (Order No. 3514589, Northcentral University). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, 229.

Selmer, J. (2009). Expatriate cross‐cultural training for China: Views and experience of “China hands.” Management Research Review, 33(1), 41–53. https://doi.org/10.1108/01409171011011553

Varma, A., Budhwar, P., & Pichler, S. (2011a). Chinese host country nationals’ willingness to help expatriates: The role of social categorization. Thunderbird International Business Review, 53(3), 353–364. https://doi.org/10.1002/tie.20413

Varma, A., Pichler, S., & Budhwar, P. (2011). The relationship between expatriate job level and host country national categorization: An investigation in the UK. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 22(1), 103–120. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2011.538971

Varma, A., Pichler, S., Budhwar, P., & Kupferer, S. (2012). Expatriate‐local interactions: An investigation in China. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 27(7), 753–768. https://doi.org/10.1108/02683941211259557

Vogt, P. W. (2007). Qualitative research methods for professionals. Pearson.

Wood, E. D. (2010). Post-arrival performance interventions that assist expatriates' Adjustment and performance. (Order No. 3439120, Indiana State University). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, 151.

Wortman, C., Biernat, M., & Lang, E. (1991). Coping with role overload. Women, Work, and Health, 85–110. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-3712-0_5

Wu, P.-C., & Ang, S. H. (2011). The impact of expatriate supporting practices and cultural intelligence on cross-cultural adjustment and performance of expatriates in Singapore. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 22(13), 2683–2702. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2011.599956

Zhang, Y. (2012). Expatriate development for cross-cultural adjustment. Human Resource Development Review, 12(2), 177–199. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534484312461637

Downloads

Published

2025-01-31

Issue

Section

Original articles from the Americas

How to Cite

Yedgarian , V. A. (2025). A causal-comparative study of American expatriate adjustment in Russia and job-specific attributes. TransAmerica Review, 3(1), e25001. https://doi.org/10.62910/transame25001