CROSS-CULTURAL TRAINING, EXPATRIATE ADJUSTMENT, AND THE CASCADING PATH TO SATISFACTION, PERFORMANCE, AND RETENTION

Semere Haile
Augustine Yao Dzathor
Grambling State University
ABSTRACT
As multinational corporations expand globally, the strategic development of expatriates has
become crucial for sustaining international operations and facilitating the transfer of knowledge.
Yet, expatriates frequently encounter challenges that undermine their effectiveness, stress,
satisfaction, and retention. This study reviews and analyses the critical antecedents of expatriation.
Drawing on recent international business and human resource management literature, this study
demonstrates that cross-cultural training reduces expatriate stress, enhances expatriate job
satisfaction, and increases expatriate life satisfaction. By the same token, each of the reduced
expatriate stress, expatriate job satisfaction, and expatriate life satisfaction drives superior
expatriate performance and expatriate retention. The cascading relationships highlight adjustment
as the linchpin of expatriate success, aligning with the job demands–resources framework and the
happy-productive worker thesis. By integrating psychological well-being, satisfaction, and
organizational support, the model underscores the importance of holistic expatriate management
strategies. This study concludes with implications for international human resources management.
Keywords: Cross-cultural training, expatriate adjustment, expatriate stress, job satisfaction, life satisfaction,
expatriate performance, expatriate retention, international human resource management, global
mobility, multinational corporation.