Factors affecting Singaporeans' acceptance of international postings

Abstract

Singapore is a cosmopolitan city. With the rapid globalisation of businesses and the government's call for Singapore companies to "go global", to what extent are Singaporeans ready to take up foreign assignments? Location-related factors have often been cited in the popular press as one of the most powerful barriers to expatriation. This study aims to ascertain: the willingness of Singaporeans to consider overseas assignments with specific reference to the cultural distance between the host and home countries; and the relative importance of different contributing factors (demographic attributes, individual personality traits, job and community tenure, spouse-related attributes and company relocation policy) in determining Singaporeans' willingness to accept expatriate assignments. Results from a survey of 200 working adults reveal that Singaporeans, in general, prefer to work in a culturally similar host country rather than an unfamiliar place. For both locations, the most influential antecedent of expatriation appears to be a company's relocation policy.