The relationships among cross-cultural learning activities, individual differences, and expatriate adaptation to the host country

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships among the extent of participant involvement in cross-cultural learning activities, individual differences of participants, and adaptation of expatriate managers to the host country in a Korean multinational corporation. Correlational research was used to investigate the relationships among the above variables. There were approximately six-hundred expatriate managers in twenty-nine different countries in the overseas employee population, people who were on an expatriate assignment at that point. The target sample of this study was mostly composed of managerial level employees due to the nature of their assignments. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis using a four-step procedure was conducted to identify the moderating effect between engagement in CCL activities and adaptation to the host country. The results showed that CCL activities were divided into three groups, pre-departure non-language CCL activities, pre-departure language related CCL activities, and on-site CCL activities. Pre-departure CCL activities occurred away from the work setting rather than in the actual work setting. Furthermore, these learning activities had moderately structured approaches with the active involvement of a trainer/facilitator. On-site CCL activities occurred in the actual work setting rather than away from the work setting, utilizing a less structured approach with limited or no involvement of a trainer/facilitator. In addition, demographic information was significantly related to the adaptation to the host culture. Specifically, the number of previous international assignments, tenure at the company, and whether or not spouse accompanied the employee each had a positive impact on expatriate cultural adaption. However, survey results showed that all demographic information was not related to job adaptation in the host country. Participant characteristics were significantly related to both cultural and job adaptation to the host country. In terms of observed variables, social networks with HCNs were significantly related to the cultural adaptation. Engagement in CCL activities had a direct significant effect on both cultural and job adaptation in the host country. In particular, host management practice for pre-departure CCL and host language training for on-site CCL were positively and significantly related to both adaptation to host culture and job. With regard to other observed variables, English language review was negatively related to the job adaptation. The results showed that demographic information, participant engagement in CCL activities, and participant characteristics were positively correlated to adaptation to the host culture. Specifically, tenure at the company was significantly related to cultural adaptation. However, job adaptation to the host country was not related to these three variables. No moderation of participant characteristics occurred between engagement in CCL activities and adaptation to the host country. In terms of observed variables, social networks with HCNs were significantly related to cultural adaptation. Finally, this study provides implications for future research and practices in CCL and HRD.