Exploring expatriate adjustment through identity perspective

•This study uses the identity theory to reveal multifaceted identities experienced by corporate expatriates.•This study shows how these multifaceted identities are related to the mode/degree of expatriate adjustment.•This study shows that these multifaceted identities through identity stability/chan...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International business review 2020-06, Vol.29 (3), p.101667, Article 101667
Main Authors: Peltokorpi, Vesa, Zhang, Ling Eleanor
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cross-cultural adjustment
Cultural identity
Expatriate identity
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Summary:•This study uses the identity theory to reveal multifaceted identities experienced by corporate expatriates.•This study shows how these multifaceted identities are related to the mode/degree of expatriate adjustment.•This study shows that these multifaceted identities through identity stability/change are related to expatriate adjustment. This study reveals multifaceted identities experienced by corporate expatriates and how these identities are related to expatriate host country work and non-work adjustment. Specifically, we take a symbolic interactionism-based identity theory perspective and examine qualitative data from 73 corporate expatriates in China and Japan, revealing an expatriate identity (i.e., identification with being a manager and a foreigner), and a cultural identity (i.e., identification with home and host country cultures) which through identity stability/change are related to the mode and degree of expatriate work and non-work adjustment. Our findings suggest that these identities explain how corporate expatriates shape their new environment to their preferences, instead of adjusting to it.
ISSN:0969-5931
1873-6149
DOI:10.1016/j.ibusrev.2020.101667