The psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on expatriates’ host country withdrawal intentions, with Alexei Koveshnikov and Miikka Lehtonen.
Highlights
The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed expatriates to increasingly consider leaving their host countries thus posing serious economic threats to these countries. In this study, we develop a model explaining the psychological mechanisms behind expatriates’ host country withdrawal intentions in the pandemic times. We examine whether expatriates’ intra-family health and safety concerns caused by the pandemic translate into higher psychological stress ultimately decreasing these expatriates’ work and nonwork adjustment and increasing their host country withdrawal intentions. Based on our analysis of 451 expatriates living and working in the UAE, we find support for the proposed model and relationships. The study underscores the importance of considering the role of expatriates’ family when assessing expatriates’ decisions and behaviors during expatriation and especially when faced with external threats. Moreover, the analysis is among the first ones to shed light on the effects of COVID-19 on expatriates’ wellbeing and host country withdrawal intentions.
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Koveshnikov, A., Lethonen, M., and Wechtler, H., (2022). Expatriates on the run: The psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on expatriates’ host country withdrawal intentions. International Business Review .