Exploring motivations in Chinese corporate expatriation through the lens of Confucianism

Abstract

There is increasing interest in the human resource management strategies and practices of Chinese multinationals, including the important area of overseas assignments. This article focuses on the neglected area of employee perspectives, in particular workers’ motivations for accepting an international assignment (IA). It is based on qualitative interviews with 31 individuals recruited through a snowball technique. In contrast to the established (western) literature which understands IA motives from an individual rational-instrumental perspective, this study stresses the importance of Confucian values on motivations and in particular how these relate to perceived collective obligations to the family, the organisation and society. It is argued that the results add a different perspective for the academic study of IAs and have implications for the successful management of IAs more generally.