As more companies enter the international market, the need for skilled expatriate managers will continue to grow. This demand for skilled expatriate managers is particularly evident when high international standards of service are desired for serving guests from disparate locations. Although expatriates perform an important role with the success of the home company heavily dependent on them, limited research has been conducted to examine organizational-level factors regarding expatriate adjustment. This research provides a contribution to the existing literature by investigating the relationship between perceived organizational climate and adjustment. Four dimensions of perceived organizational climate of the open system model were derived from the literature: commitment to learning, shared vision, open-mindedness, and innovativeness. To measure expatriate adjustment, three facets of adjustment [(i) general, (ii) interactional, and (iii) work adjustment,] are utilized to test the influence of the perceived organizational climate. A self-administrated online survey was distributed to expatriate hotel managers via email and 71 usable responses were received. Results were analyzed using multiple regression analysis and Baron and Kenny's (1986) procedure. The results found in this study indicate that the overall perceived organizational climate of the open system model significantly influences the adjustment of expatriate hotel managers. The perceived organizational climate dimension of open-mindedness, however, is the only significant predictor of the general, interactional, and work adjustment of expatriate hotel managers. This study also reveals that the perceived organizational climate mediates the relationship between expatriate training and the adjustment of expatriate hotel managers. / Master of Science

In Strategic International Human Resource Management (SIHRM), the human resource function is actively involved in the strategic activities of the firm. While the idea holds promise as a useful response to global competition, previous research has provided limited supporting empirical evidence. Specifically, few studies have sought to equate certain outcomes with the degree of SIHRM practiced across various types of international firms. By separating firms into categories such as multidomestic, global, and hybrid, and by classifying SIHRM according to the degree of integration with strategic planning, a clearer picture could emerge as to the relationship between firm and SIHRMtype. To that end, top strategic executives, such as CEOs, and top HRM executives from eighty four U.S. based firms were surveyed regarding their firm type, the degree of SIHRM practiced, and certain outcomes such as amount of expatriate training and expatriate failure. Additionally, financial results were obtained to determine performance of various firms. Results indicated that while many companies choose a highly integrated formof SIHRM, there is no significant relationship between firm type and SIHRMtype. Additionally, there was no association detected between SIHRMtype and expatriate training and expatriate failure. Finally, there was no significant difference infinancialperformance between firms with the most integrated type of SIHRMand firms with less integrated versions. Interestingly, the HRMprofessionals were more likely to equate their firms with the most integrated types of SIHRMthan were other managers. This may mean that the relationship between HRM and strategic planning is often one of perception. A model of the relationships between SIHRM, firm type, HRM activities, and outcomes is proposed, along with suggestions for future research and limitations of the study.