International experience, growth opportunities, and repatriate job satisfaction

Abstract

Multinational Enterprises expect to retain repatriates (i.e., returning employees from international assignments) and to gain from the new knowledge and experience they bring back from international assignments. Drawing insights from social exchange theory and using the perspective of psychological contracts, our study findings demonstrate that repatriate perception of recognition of foreign experience influences their job satisfaction, and this influence is mediated by perceived growth opportunities in the organization. Further, this mediation is nuanced in that it is stronger when there is an organization repatriation plan in place. The study contributes to the theoretical underpinnings of the antecedents of repatriate job satisfaction. Moreover, it demonstrates the need to have a strong repatriation plan in place along with growth opportunities within the organization to heighten job satisfaction of these highly valued employees upon their return from an international assignment.