A Dynamic Approach to the Language Adjustment of Expatriates and the Interaction of their Hierarchy Level and Assignment Vector

An Empirical Analysis

Diploma Thesis from the year 2010 in the subject Economics - Foreign Trade Theory, Trade Policy, grade: 2,0, Vienna University of Economics and Business (BWL des Außenhandels), course: SBWL des Außenhandels, language: English, abstract: Communicational antecedents obtain a supporting function for cross-cultural adjustment. Hence, this Master Thesis empirically seeks to find a divergence of language proficiency and willingness to communicate towards the adjustment dimensions and additionally investigates adjustment in the beginning of the international assignment and the current point-in-time. Furthermore, these relationships are examined on a potential interaction of the expatriates' hierarchical position, since it has been argued that language is more important for supervisory personnel and willingness to communicate more denoted to upper management levels. The moderating effect of the assignees' assignment vector is scrutinized in order to confirm whether the comprehensive model of international adjustment (Black et al, 1991) applies equally well to all 97 participating expatriates. Quantitative analysis revealed a positive relationship of both communication skills towards interaction and work adjustment dimension with a higher significance level at the current point-in-time and a slightly higher importance of willingness to communicate to explain the relationship. Hierarchy level and assignment vector, contrariwise, do not indicate any significant relevance on the adjustment progress.