Abstract
We address repatriate retention from a career advancement perspective by developing a model that analyzes the effect of expatriate experiences and organizational career support on repatriates' career advancement upon return to the home country. Career advancement, in turn, is expected to affect the repatriate's perceived underemployment and turnover intentions. We collected data from a sample of 84 recently repatriated employees. Results revealed a curvilinear relationship between the number of international assignments and career advancement upon repatriation. Results also showed that developmental expatriate assignments were positively related to career advancement while the acquisition of managerial skills was negatively related to career advancement. Acquiring cultural skills, completing assignment objectives, and organizational career support did not relate to career advancement. In terms of outcomes, we found that perceived underemployment mediated the relationship between career advancement and turnover intentions. A lower level of organizational career support also resulted in greater turnover intentions.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 27-47 |
| Number of pages | 21 |
| Journal | Human Resource Management |
| Volume | 48 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 2009 |
| Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Applied Psychology
- Strategy and Management
- Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management
- Management of Technology and Innovation
Keywords
- Career advancement
- Repatriation
- Retention