THE ROLE OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND CROSS-CULTURAL ADJUSTMENT ON JOB PERFORMANCE OF SELF-INITIATED EXPATRIATES WITH ORIGINS FROM CENTRAL ASIAN COUNTRIES

Abstract

The current empirical study observes the impact of Emotional Intelligence (EI) and Cross-Cultural Adjustment (CCA) on Job Performance (JP) particularly Task Performance (TP) and Contextual Performance (CP) of Self-Initiated Expatriates (SIE) located in Central-Eastern Europe countries. The PLS SEM technique was implemented to analyze the data from a survey of 314 self-initiated expatriates. The findings showed that Emotional Intelligence has a strong impact on CCA and Task Performance. As to CCA it has an influence on contextual performance. Considering that there have been few empirical investigations on the influence of Emotional Intelligence and cross-cultural adjustment on job performance of self-initiated expatriates, the insights gained from current study will contribute to the body of knowledge in the field of expatriate research, particularly in the areas of international human resource management and cross-cultural management. The practical significance of the findings will be valuable to HR professionals and multinational companies, especially in the area of expatriate selection, recruitment, and intercultural training and development.