Dominant stressors on expatriate couples during international assignments

Abstract

Globalization is increasing the demand for expatriates, but there is evidence of resistance to international assignments in the traditional source pools due to career, family and stress concerns. Assignments increase stress on family members, and while its existence is well-established, much less is known about the specific sources of that stress. This study investigated the dominant sources of stress on expatriate couples while on assignment. It confirmed the findings of expatriate interview studies, and tested the hypothesis that longer assignment duration is associated with lower stress ratings. It also tested the hypothesis that the stressors differ between employee and spouse roles. Couples were jointly stressed by spending insufficient time together and by the uncertainty about their future after this assignment. Spouses were more stressed by the dominant stressors of Reduced Self, Local Pressures and Isolation, while employees were more stressed by Relationship Strains. The findings offer guidance for expatriates to initiate self-help activities, and for human resources and relocation professionals to tailor organizational policies and practices so that assignment stressors can be reduced.