Knowledge Benefits of Social Capital upon Repatriation: A Longitudinal Study of International Assignees
Journal of Management Studies · 2012 · Volume 49 · Issue 6
DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-6486.2012.01050.x
Abstract
This study integrates social resources theory and social exchange theory arguments to examine the knowledge benefits that international assignees' host-unit social capital entails upon repatriation. Specifically, I hypothesize that assignees' host-unit social capital, operationalized as their number of work group contacts and their proportion of trusted ties at the host unit, positively relates to two specific knowledge benefits upon repatriation: continued access to host-unit knowledge; and continued transfer of host-unit knowledge to colleagues in assignees' new positions. Assignees' perceptions of career and repatriation support are expected to moderate these relationships. The hypotheses are tested with a longitudinal sample of 85 inpatriate assignees in 10 German multinationals. I contribute to the literatures on international assignments, social capital, and MNC knowledge flows by explaining how and under what conditions assignees' host-unit social capital entails knowledge benefits upon repatriation.
Keywords
inpatriates, longitudinal research, MNC knowledge flows, perceived organizational support, repatriation, social capital
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