How does the type of perceived organizational support affect expatriates' sense of belonging, and does extraversion moderate these effects?
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2025-06-26
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en
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In this thesis the effect of perceived emotional and instrumental support on the sense of belonging among self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) in the Netherlands is investigated, and whether extraversion moderates these relationships. This thesis draws on Perceived Organisational Support theory, Social Exchange Theory, Job Demands-Resources mode, and Person-Environment Fit theory, and analyses perceived emotional and instrumental support as distinct constructs instead of one general construct. A cross-sectional survey of 100 SIEs was conducted to collect data, and this data was analysed using hierarchical multiple regressions. Both perceived emotional support and instrumental support significantly and positively predicted sense of belonging. Perceived emotional support had a slightly stronger effect. Extraversion did not significantly moderate the relationship between the support types and sense of belonging, but a marginal interaction effect for perceived emotional support (p = .059) gave rise to further analysis. Simple slopes analyses showed that perceived emotional support predicted sense of belonging for both introverted and extraverted individuals, but the effect was almost twice as strong for introverts. Based on these findings it is concluded that both perceived emotional and instrumental support are important for fostering a sense of belonging among SIEs, even when Extraversion is considered. Also, even though all support structures are valuable for all SIEs, perceived emotional support may be particularly important for introverted individuals. This thesis offers a better understanding of perceived organisational support and can be used as a guideline for HR managers to better the sense of belonging among SIEs.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen