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Expatriate support and success: A systematic review 65 4.1 Introduction The transition implied by an international assignment (IA) often brings about situational uncertainty and elevated job demands for the expatriate, who simultaneously needs to leave behind most of his/her professional and personal social networks. Overseas transfers may therefore have serious consequences for expatriates’ well-being, adjustment and performance in their new roles (Baruch et al., 2016; Black et al., 1991). An expatriate’s social environment can, however, provide the necessary resources that allow him/her to address this transition (Adelman, 1988; Caligiuri & Lazarova, 2002; House, 1981; Lin, 1999). Social support from within organizations is widely acknowledged as crucial to the success of IAs (see Bhaskar-Shrinivas et al., 2005), but several factors seem to moderate its impact. First, expatriates distinguish among different sources of organization-based social support and these vary in terms of their impact on IA success (Kraimer & Wayne, 2004; Kraimer et al., 2001). In part, this may be due to the (perceived) proximity between the source of support and the expatriate (Altman & Taylor, 1973; Byrne, 1971; Ibarra, 1992). This proximity can be hierarchical, geographical, situational and/or cultural, and determines, among other things, the frequency and formality of contact, the content and mode of interaction, the shared (overseas work) experiences and the (perceived) cultural gap (Claus et al., 2015; Gudykunst & Nishida, 2001; Johnson et al., 2003; Ng & Sorensen, 2008). Second, the context in which the social support is provided can affect its value. On the one hand, the value of social support may increase with the demands of the IA (Bakker et al., 2007). On the other hand, social support can be less valuable when substitutes are available, such as assistance from other sources (see Podsakoff et al., 1996). Multiple criteria have been used to measure the success of IAs. In general, the effect of social support seems stronger when evaluated using more “proximal” criteria (Harrison & Shaffer, 2005), but studies show that the moderating factors described above introduce exceptions. For example, social support by supervisors directly stimulates distal criteria such as expatriate performance and retention, whereas organizational support has its effect through processes of adjustment and commitment (e.g., Kraimer & Wayne, 2004; Kraimer et al., 2001). This paper examines how these moderating factors have influenced the relationship between organization-based social support and the success of international assignments. This may provide clarity regarding which criterion of international success is affected by which type of assistance, by whom, and under which conditions. Such clarity holds value for both academia and practice. Future expatriate management research may be aided by understanding the factors that need to be taken into account when investigating social support. Moreover, this review may provide insights into the (causal) relationships between social support and proximal and distal success criteria. In terms of practical value, this review provides a basis of evidence for the decisions human resource and global mobility professionals need tomake regarding the implementation of practices and policies. In particular, the insights of this study may shed light on the optimal design of the overseas transfer and socialization process. Based on the results, organizations may