Expatriate family adjustment: How organisational support on international assignments matters

This research examines how organisational support mechanisms extended to expatriate families influence the adjustment of the expatriate, the spouse, and accompanying children. We present data from 173 accompanying expatriate spouses in China and 135 expatriates employed in foreign and local multinationals in China. We report on expatriates' perceptions about the impact of organisational support on the adjustment of their spouse and children. We also report on their perception of how organisational support influences their own adjustment. Our study reveals that organisational support positively influences the adjustment of expatriates, their spouses and children, although the dynamics among family members differ. Noteworthy results include that children's adjustment impacts the expatriate spouse directly and the expatriate's adjustment indirectly, emphasizing the importance of direct organisational support for the family unit beyond the expatriate. The paper offers implications for international human resource management researchers and practitioners.