Expatriates are indispensable to many multinational companies, and their importance has increased in recent decades. Yet, given the challenge of integrating employees from different countries and cultural backgrounds, expatriates are a costly and risky investment for companies. Previous research has shown that proficiency in English or the host country language is an important, though not prioritized, success factor to consider when recruiting expatriates. Nevertheless, the evidence on the importance of language proficiency for expatriate work outcomes is inconsistent in terms of the direction and magnitude of the effect sizes and rarely based on theoretical frameworks.

Previous meta-analyses in this field lack profound moderator analyses and are based only on small sample sizes. Therefore, we meta-analytically synthesize the relationships between foreign language proficiency and six work-related outcomes (expatriation intention, cross-cultural adjustment, job satisfaction, job performance, life satisfaction, and turnover intention). The bivariate analyses are supplemented by several moderator analyses. The results expose significant relationships for all direct effects and uncover several significant moderators. The project shows that language skills are an important success factor. Thus, through language training, expatriates can better cope with the difficult situation abroad, and both recruiters and expatriates can increase the success of international assignments.

Projekt im Forschungsportal ansehen

This project aims to increase the understanding of how different dimensions of information technology (IT) capabilities are related to different firm performance facets. Previous research has found that IT capabilities significantly improve firms’ economic performance. However, primary studies have often operationalized and labeled the various IT capability dimensions in different ways, making it difficult to synthesize existing findings. Furthermore, previous studies are characterized by inconclusive results, showing variation in the direction and magnitude of effect sizes. As a result, we lack a comprehensive understanding whether, to which degree, how, and when IT capability dimensions are associated with different firm performance outcomes.

The main objectives of this project are fourfold. First, we utilize a systematic review to integrate and categorize different IT capability dimensions. As a result, we provide a more systematic and complete conceptualization of the IT capabilities construct. Second, based on the developed categorization we meta-analytically synthesize the existing results for the main categories of IT capabilities, providing more accurate estimates of the average effect sizes of different categories of IT capabilities. Third, based on the bivariate meta-analytic findings and the intercorrelations we use commonality analysis to examine the unique and shared relationships of IT capabilities and firm performance. In this way we provide a more nuanced and holistic understanding of the unique contribution of each IT capability and the variance in firm performance that is explained jointly by different sets of categories. Finally, we use moderator analysis to assess the boundary conditions that may account for the variability in the direction and magnitude of effect sizes.

Projekt im Forschungsportal ansehen

The organizational learning literature is characterized by a large number of different constructs that aim to measure the degree of organizational learning, the orientation towards learning, or the capability to learn. These construct are operationalized using different facets and dimensions. The major purpose of this research project is to provide a systematic review of the literature by conducting three meta-analyses that bring togehter the findings of the existing quantitative empirical primary studies in the respective field. These studies contribute to the literature by examining the relationship with overall firm innovativeness and firm performance and by exploring the boundary conditions of the effects.

Projekt im Forschungsportal ansehen

Given the importance of entrepreneurial activity in the economic development of a nation, there is a continuing need to examine and develop entrepreneurial models. The purpose of the first study of a total of three studies is to test the ability of Ajzen s theory of planned behavior to predict entrepreneurial intent and to test the moderating role of national cultures. The second study develops a survey instrument from the World Bank s Doing Business Report and other sources in order to examine the relationship between selected formal and informal institutions and entrepreneurial intent. The third study examines the impact of personal characteristics and skills on the decision to become an entrepreneur. Moreover, the study explores which triggers affected the entrepreneurs to actually start the business. The results of the first two studies show that national frameworks moderate the relation between the perception of institutions, social norms, attitudes, as well as behavioural control and entrepreneurial intent. There are a number of implications of these results including guidance for government policy makers.

Projekt im Forschungsportal ansehen