Cognitive adjustment and psychological capital influences on expatriate workers’ job performance: An Ethiopian study

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between cognitive adjustment and expatriates’ performance in the foreign host-country, and the moderating role of psychological capital in this relationship. The expatriates (N = 1 229; female = 32%; mean international tenure = 2.99, SD = 4.44) completed measures of cognitive adjustments (work and non-work related), psychological capital, job-performance, and organisational culture. Results from the data analysis, using the product least square method, indicate expatriates’ cognitive adjustments (work and non-work related) and psychological capital to singularly predict job performance. Psychological capital partly moderated the relationship between cognitive adjustment (work related) and expatriates’ performance.

Keywords:

• cognitive adjustment
• East Africa
• expatriates
• international organisation
• psychological capital

Acknowledgements

We want to acknowledge the vital support of the human resource managers, officers, and professionals in various international and multinational organisations in Ethiopia who contributed their valuable time to facilitate the data collection process and complete the questionnaires.

ORCID

Wondwossen Kassa Tsegaye http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8764-3097