ANTECEDENTS AND CONSEQUENCES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL WORKPLACE STRAIN DURING EXPATRIATION: A CROSS‐SECTIONAL AND LONGITUDINAL INVESTIGATION

Abstract

In this study, we examined nonlinear/interaction effects associated with the antecedents and consequences of psychological workplace strain, using cross‐sectional ( N = 165) and longitudinal ( N = 133) data collected from Western expatriates in China. The results of this study indicate that family characteristics interact to affect the level of psychological workplace strain experienced by expatriates. In addition, we find an inverse u‐curve relationship between psychological workplace strain and supervisory rated job performance for both cross‐sectional and longitudinal analyses. Finally, the empirical results lend support to the hypothesized positive relationship between work adjustment measured at Time 1 and job performance measured at Time 2. Implications for expatriate adjustment research and practice are discussed.