Surviving Corporate Moves: Sources of Stress and Adaption among Corporate Executive Families

Abstract

Employment transfers and the visible impact of geographic dislocation have been identified as prevalent aspects of our society. According to the U.S. Census Bureau nearly 40 million Americans, or one out of five, moved every year during the early 1970's. More than one-half of these individuals, or 22 million people, made moves that were job related. It has been estimated that the average person entering the job market today can expect to move 13 times and to change jobs seven times during his career (Gaylord, 1979). Bane (1976) has observed that mobility is not evenly distributed among the entire population. It is the young, upwardly mobile executive who moves most frequently. Packard (1972) concludes that employee transfers contribute heavily to the breakup of upwardly mobile families, the increased isolation of individuals, and disrupt the natural continuity of life. Defenders of employee transfers state that the negative impact of moving is vastly overrated and insist that transfers usually are beneficial to