The Dimensions of Expatriates Acculturation in China: A Review
Fangling Bi, Anees Janee Ali

Universiti Sanis Malaysia

Abstract

Trade globalization pushes multinational corporations (MNCs) to conduct business in many geographic regions. As a result, talent flow has emerged as one of the main avenues for building the competitive advantage of international organizations. Expatriates^ work performance is crucial for MNCs in terms of significant financial losses if expatriates^ failure rate is high. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to identifying what causes the failure of the oversea assignment especially in the era of Covid-19. Drawing on Black^s theory of cross-cultural adjustment, this paper reviews empirical studies on the impact of expatriate management practices on work performance with facets of cross-cultural adjustment as a mediating variable. This paper proposes a new dimension that influences the cross-cultural adjustment of expatriates in China, namely Guanxi. Guanxi is introduced into the research framework of factors influencing the cross-cultural adaptation of expatriates in China. Instead of relying solely on either of the literatures, this integration offers a more comprehensive framework. The findings are expected to add to a growing body of literature on cross-cultural adjustment and work performance of expats and to serve as a base for future research.

Keywords: MNCs, Work performance, Expatriates, Guanxi, Cross-cultural adjustment.

Topic: Management (HR, Marketing, Finance, Operational, and Strategic Management)