Kim J.P.M. van Erp

Let it be: expatriate couples' adjustment and the upside of avoiding conflicts

This research examines the moderating effect of conflict avoidance on the relationship between conflict and psychological adjustment among 45 expatriate couples at two points in time. We propose a model based on the actor–partner interdependence model, which assumes both intrapersonal and interpersonal effects, to address simultaneously the effects of ones own and the others avoidance behavior. We found substantial support for our model, especially for expatriate spouses. As expected, and only for expatriate spouses, avoidance moderated the conflict–adjustment relationship such that both ones own and ones counterparts avoidance behavior diminished the negative effect of conflicts. Because these effects were observed only at T2 and psychological adjustment decreased from T1 to T2, our research suggests that the impact of expatriation-associated interaction particularly manifests itself in the long run.

Lean on me : The importance of one’s own and partner’s intercultural personality for expatriate’s and expatriate spouse’s successful adjustment abroad

This research explores the role of three intercultural personality traits—emotional stability, social initiative, and open-mindedness—as coping resources for expatriate couples’ adjustment. First, we examined the direct relationships of expatriates’ and expatriate spouses’ personality trait levels with psychological and sociocultural adjustment. Psychological adjustment refers to internal psychological outcomes such as mental health and personal satisfaction, whereas sociocultural adjustment refers to more externally oriented psychological outcomes that link the individual to the new environment. Second, we examined the association of expatriates’ personality trait levels with professional adjustment, which was defined in terms of job performance and organizational commitment. Cross-sectional analyses among 196 expatriates and expatriate spouses (i.e., 98 expatriate couples) revealed that the three dimensions are each associated with specific facets of adjustment. A longitudinal analysis among a subsample (45 couples) partially confirmed these findings. Furthermore, we obtained evidence for a resource compensation effect, that is, the compensatory process whereby one partners lack of sufficiently high levels of a certain personality trait is compensated for by the other partners high(er) levels of this traits. Through this resource compensation effect, the negative consequences of a lack of sufficient levels of a personality trait on adjustment can be diminished. Apparently, in the absence of sufficiently high trait levels, individuals can benefit from personality resources in their partners.

Dual-earner couples’ willingness to relocate abroad: the reciprocal influence of both partners’ career role salience and partner role salience.

ABSTRACT Successful international assignments are important for international organizations. Research has shown that employee willingness to relocate internationally strongly depends on spouse’s willingness to follow. However, the mechanisms driving these effects are not thoroughly investigated. This study gives more insight into the processes that explain both partners’ willingness to (co-)relocate internationally. We examine the influence of both partners’ career role and partner role salience on each other’s (co-)relocation willingness. On the basis of Identity theory, Interdependency theory, and Attachment theory, we hypothesize combined interaction effects of career and partner role salience. Data were collected from 226 couples (professional employees and their spouses) working in a multinational Anglo-Dutch company. Results show that, in particular, spouses’ willingness to follow their partners abroad is determined by both career importance and partner role salience. We conclude that, for theory and for organizational practice, it is indeed crucial to involve both the employees and their spouses in the decision-making for an international relocation.

When bystanders become bothersome: the negative consequences of bystander conflict and the moderating role of resilience

Bystander conflict is a situation in which employees are hindered in their work by parties not involved in the primary process. Public service employees and emergency care workers, such as ambulance employees and firefighters, often encounter this kind of conflict with potentially far-reaching detrimental effects for public or patient safety. Unfortunately, until now, bystander conflict has hardly received scientific attention. In this paper, we will present the results of an experiment (Study 1) and a simulation study (Study 2). Taken together, the results indicate that bystander conflict is negatively related to the affective, behavioural, and cognitive outcomes of individuals. Higher levels of bystander conflict were associated with more negative and less positive feelings (Studies 1, 2), unfavourable bystander appraisals (Studies 1, 2), and lower levels of performance (Study 2). Additionally, Study 2 revealed that bystander conflict was negatively and indirectly related to positive affect and performance through cognitive capacity. We investigated the moderating role of resilience, in order to provide insight into potential factors alleviating these negative associations. In both studies, resilience alleviated the negative associations of bystander conflict. Overall, the results of the two studies provide a first step towards a theory on bystander conflict.

Understanding high-stakes conflicts

In this chapter we argue that an important dimension for understanding how conflict evolves is whether it concerns low- or high-stakes conflicts. As a point of departure, we introduce three recent research projects on high-stakes conflicts, subsequently focusing on: (1) conflicts in close relationships following an expatriation assignment for one of the partners; (2) third-party intervention in neighborhood conflicts by community mediators; and (3) crisis negotiations between the police and hostage takers. Our discussion highlights four key areas of attention: the importance of including notions of conflict asymmetry, incorporating a time horizon, alternative conflict management frameworks, and the connection with technological developments.

Expatriate Couples’ Adjustment: The Pros and Cons of Avoiding Interpersonal Conflict

This research examines the moderating effect of conflict avoidance on the relationship between interpersonal conflict and psychological adjustment among 56 expatriate couples at two points in time. We propose a model based on the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model - which assumes both individual and “cross-party” effects - to address simultaneously the effects of own and other’s avoidance behavior. We found substantial support for our model, in that both parties’ conflict perceptions were detrimental to their own psychological adjustment. Additionally, regarding avoidance, three factors were essential: I) role (expatriate versus expatriate partner), II) level of conflict, and III) time. First, direct and moderating effects of avoidance were only significant for expatriate partners, suggesting that expatriate partners are more sensitive to reaction to conflict than expatriates. Second, high conflict resulted in higher adjustment when avoidance was high, whereas low conflict resulted in higher adjustment when avoidance was low. Presumably, severe threats to the intimate relationship, that is, high conflict is better avoided, whereas smaller threats should be faced. Third, the findings were significant at Time 2, but not at Time 1. Implications of the findings for our understanding of expatriation are discussed.

Expatriate Adjustment: The Role of Conflict and Justice in Intimate Relationships

This research examines the influence of perceived relationship justice and conflict on the psychological adjustment of expatriates and their spouses. We proposed an interdependence model - in which both ego and alter effects were assumed - to address the influence spouses exert on each other. Two hundred and six participants (103 couples) completed a questionnaire. Hypotheses were largely supported but only for expatriate partners. Expatriate partners perception of interpersonal justice was positively associated to psychological adjustment of both the expatriate partner and the expatriate. These relationships were mediated by expatriate partners en expatriates level of personal conflict. Among expatriates distributive justice was a strong predictor of ones own and the expatriate partners level of personal conflict. As expected detrimental effect on psychological adjustment were found for personal conflict rather than task conflict.