Expatriates’ success in Ethiopia: Empirical evidence on the overlooked impact of cultural value alignment

The present study assessed the impact on the work engagement of expatriates’ personal value orientation alignment with the host country’s national culture. Participants were 231 expatriates from seven countries who are working in Ethiopia (females = 17%; mean age = 36 years, SD = 2.72 years). The expatriates completed measures of personal value orientation, cross-culture adjustment, and work engagement levels. Structural equation modelling analysis indicated expatriates with personal value orientations that align with the host country’s national culture to have a higher work engagement level. Cross-cultural adjustment mediated the relationship between personal value orientation and work engagement. Expatriates’ personal value orientation fit with the host country’s national culture is a resource to accomplish their work successfully.     

The Antecedent Impact of Culture and Economic Growth on Nations` Creativity and Innovation Capability

Even though the literature has widely examined culture’s effect on nations’ creativity and innovation level, it has done little to address the system theory’s perspective. However, as proponents of the system theory have argued, nations’ creativity and innovation is the cumulative effort of the various stakeholders who operate as a system, so any assessment of a nation’s creativity and innovation must consider these stakeholders’ role. This study examines the overlooked effect of culture on the broader system aspect of eighty nations’ creativity and innovationto ensure representation by both developed and developing countries. Structural equation modeling using partial least squares software is applied to analyze the data. The study found out that nations with individualist and low power distance cultural values have the highest creativity and innovation, and that a nation’s economic growth level moderates the impact of the individualist cultural value. Policymakers who seek to develop a strategy that promotes creativity and innovation at the national level benefit from these findings. Future research directions are suggested.     

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

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.     

Psychosocial responses associated with perceived risk of cancer in an African-American community

This epidemiologic health survey study examined the association between health risk perceptions and psychosocial factors in 145 African Americans in East Montgomery, Alabama. The survey gathered information on demographics, population dynamics, health risk perceptions, and coping behaviors. Psychosocial variables measured were worries, concern, stress, and trauma associated with perceived risk of cancer. Results indicated that women were more concerned about the environmental health risks in their community than men. Compared to men, women were highly concerned about the economic effect of perceived environmental health risk. The findings indicate that an individual's health status and educational level were significant predictors of psychosocial responses.