Ridderprint

Expatriate support and success: A systematic review 81 4.8 Co-worker Support Nine studies in the current review have examined the effect of perceived co-worker support on the success of IAs. However, the studies in this review often did not explicitly define the hierarchical proximity between the supporting co-worker(s) and the expatriate. While some studies investigate the support by co-workers regardless of hierarchy (e.g., Malek et al., 2015), others specifically examine support by peers (e.g., Stroppa & Spieß, 2011) or by subordinates (Harrison & Shaffer, 2005). Moreover, only two included studies define how similar the co-workers were to the expatriate in terms of their geographic location, their employment situation and/or their cultural background (Claus et al., 2015; Johnson et al., 2003) 4.8.1 Co-worker Support and Success The studies demonstrated mixed effects of co-worker support on IA success. Regarding expatriates’ job satisfaction, one study found a positive effect of co-worker support in general (Bozionelos, 2009), whereas another study investigating peer support found no effect (Stroppa & Spieß, 2011). While no study examined co-worker support in relation to the commitment of expatriates, Bozionelos (2009) found that the retention of expatriates did not improve as a consequence of co-worker support (Bozionelos, 2009). Additionally, several studies demonstrated how support from co-workers stimulates the adjustment of expatriates (Chen et al., 2011; Harrison & Shaffer, 2005; Johnson et al., 2003; Lee & Kartika, 2014), whereas other studies found no effect (Malek et al., 2015) or even negative effects (Bruning et al., 2012; Claus et al., 2015; Johnson et al., 2003). An effect of co-worker support on expatriate performance seems absent (Stroppa & Spieß, 2011), except in studies examining specifically the assistance HCN co-workers provide to expatriates. In these latter studies, the support HCNs provide consistently stimulated expatriate performance (Bader & Berg, 2013; Bruning et al., 2012; Chen et al., 2011; Harrison & Shaffer, 2005). 4.8.2 Moderating Factors One main factor seems to consistently influence the results of the reviewed studies, namely the proximity between the supporting co-worker and the expatriate. Additionally, one study found that the personal characteristics of expatriates may influence the value of co-worker support. Two studies of co-worker support demonstrate that geographical proximity may influence the extent to which support by co-workers is beneficial to IA success. Claus and colleagues (2015) found that expatriates who more frequently experience virtual rather than face-to-face co-worker support report lower levels of adjustment. Although not the focus of their research, this suggests that face-to-face interactions between colleagues at the same geographical location are more valuable for adjustment purposes than virtual interactions between globally dispersed colleagues. Cao and colleagues (2014) demonstrate how expatriates’ professional networks in the home and host country fulfil different supportive functions and therefore differentially affect expatriate satisfaction and retention.