Person-environment fit of self-initiated academic expatriates: The role of cross-cultural adjustment towards job attitudes

This study aims to reveal the direct and indirect relationships between person-environment fit, cross-cultural adjustment, job satisfaction, life satisfaction, and intention to leave. In line with this purpose, a research model has been established examining previous studies on the subject and research hypotheses have been developed. The data used to test these hypotheses developed within the scope of the study have been collected using the questionnaire method. A questionnaire has been applied to 415 foreign academics working in public and foundation universities in Turkey in this direction. The research findings were obtained by using exploratory factor analysis, correlation analysis, and hierarchical regression analysis in line with the purpose of the study. Findings obtained as a result of the analyses support research hypotheses to a large extent. Accordingly, the result of correlation analysis has revealed that person-environment fit predicts employee attitudes such as cross-cultural adjustment, job satisfaction, life satisfaction, and intention to leave. Similarly, cross-cultural adjustment has been found to be a significant predictor of job satisfaction, life satisfaction, and intention to leave. In addition, as a result of the hierarchical regression analysis, findings were obtained indicating that cross-cultural adjustment has a partial intermediary role in the relationship between person-environment fit and life satisfaction and intention to leave, while it has no intermediary role in the relationship between person-environment fit and job satisfaction. Finally, these results were discussed in the context of the studies in the relevant literature and several suggestions were made for both organizations and future studies.