Career Adaptability and Job Embeddedness of Self-Initiated Expatriates in the United Arab Emirates: A Mediated Model of Job Crafting and Job Satisfaction

Abstract

This study aimed to examine career adaptability, job crafting, and job satisfaction as predictors of job embeddedness of SIEs in the UAE. A systematic literature review on organisational behaviour, HRM and strategic management was conducted to fulfil the purpose. A conceptual framework was established through several hypotheses by reviewing the literature on career adaptability, job crafting, and job satisfaction on job embeddedness. When validating the instrument, 250 samples were analysed, and 881 samples were examined to test the conceptual model. The study applied SEM-AMOS path modelling to estimate the hierarchical model and test the causality among constructs. The findings of this study confirmed the research model has adequate measurement and structural properties, proving two hypotheses of the main effects model and one hypothesis of mediating effect model. In addition, the study demonstrated the considerable effect of career adaptability and job crafting as the predictor of job embeddedness and the significant role of job crafting as a mediator in the relationship between career adaptability and job embeddedness. However, as a predictor of job embeddedness, the study did not support the role of career adaptability as a predictor of job satisfaction and job satisfaction. Furthermore, v job satisfaction was also found to mediate the relationship between career adaptability and job embeddedness. Overall, the study's significant contribution is the crucial insight into SIE’s job embeddedness research through re-designing the causality model between career adaptability, job crafting, job satisfaction and job embeddedness. These relationships of the research model are based on adequate logical (i.e., the theory is internally consistent), epistemological (i.e., rigour in research design) and empirical (i.e., robust findings) evidence. The study's findings are precious to organisations and expatriate professionals to capture SIEs perceptions on collecting factors that influence their retention, evidenced as hierarchical and multidimensional. Contemporary employers should understand the role and societal demands of SIEs. Therefore, organisations need to introduce policies that satisfy SIEs and encourage them to stay for long periods to build a positive working environment. In that respect, it would be necessary to prioritise proven criteria of embedding issues of SIEs. This knowledge constitutes an important step in ensuring conceptual clarity and practical solution that can be used strategically to SIEs retention challenges of organisations in the UAE. We anticipate that this research will catalyse action by pushing both researchers and practitioners to embrace the dynamic relationship between the predictors of job-embeddedness that can change over time.

Keywords Career adaptability; Job crafting; Job satisfaction; Job embeddedness, Self-initiated expatriate, United Arab Emirates