WHAT KEEPS CHINESE EXPATRIATES IN GLOBAL CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS? MULTI-COUNTRY EVIDENCE ON CROSS-CULTURAL ADJUSTMENT, COMPENSATION, AND TRAINING
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/IJIREV.825028Keywords:
Compensation And Benefits, Construction Industry, Cross-Cultural Adjustment, Chinese Expatriates, Expatriate, Retention, TrainingAbstract
The management of international operations by expatriate workers has been linked to growth in the construction industry, aided by advances in globalization. Nevertheless, retaining expatriates from a developed country like China is a major challenge. This study aims to evaluate the factors that influence Chinese expatriates’ retention in construction by focusing on cross-cultural adjustment, benefits and compensation, and training. The study also addresses the concern that many expatriates are planning to return due to cultural difficulties, inadequate funding, and a lack of training. With a quantitative approach, this study adopted a purposive sampling strategy, employing a snowball technique to reach the target population of 213 Chinese expatriates (general managers, middle managers, & operational staff). A total of 213 expatriates from Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Zambia, and South Africa comprised the sample. Findings from the study indicate that cross-cultural adjustment and compensation are connected to the retention intentions, while training has a trivial effect. Further findings reveal that there are varying factors that influence the retention of expatriates across countries. The findings aim to assist construction firms in improving expatriate retention by dealing with key issues that lead to the departure. Based on the researcher's findings, this study is the first to examine this topic across multiple countries using data on Chinese construction expatriates.
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