Title: Examining the crossover effects of spousal and repatriate adjustment: a case study

Authors: Ana Aguado-Sanchez; Maria Eugenia Sanchez-Vidal; Raquel Sanz-Valle

Addresses: Department of Management and Finance, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100, Murcia, Spain. ' Department of Business Administration, Universidad Politecnica de Cartagena, C/ Real 3, 30201 Cartagena, Murcia, Spain. ' Department of Management and Finance, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100, Murcia, Spain

Abstract: In spite of the costs involved in international mobility of workers, firms seek to encourage the practice on the grounds that it is the main mechanism for knowledge transfer between its locations, thus helping the business to be more competitive. International workers' contribution to the firm depends on the degree to which they are able to adjust both during the expatriation and on their return home, that is to say, on their repatriation. Recent literature highlights the role of the family in the adjustment process of repatriated workers. However, there is a lack of research on this topic. This paper uses the crossover effects approach to analyse the relationship between spousal and repatriate adjustment.

Keywords: repatriate adjustment; spouse adjustment; cross-cultural adjustment; crossover effects; case study; knowledge transfer; worker mobility; international mobility; repatriation; family role; repatriated workers.

DOI: 10.1504/IJAMS.2012.046230

International Journal of Applied Management Science, 2012 Vol.4 No.2, pp.130 - 147

Published online: 06 Aug 2014 *

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