Canadian Diplomatic Family Network

TL;DR:

Expatriates often face high levels of stress due to isolation, cultural differences, and uncertainty in their new environment. This stress can lead to increased substance use (SU), encompassing both alcohol and drugs, as a coping mechanism. The study aims to understand the link between stress and SU among expatriates, identify factors that make some individuals more vulnerable, and examine the impact of SU on work adjustment.

Historical context shows that expatriates tend to consume more alcohol and drugs than their domestic counterparts. For instance, a clinical study by Anderzén and Arnetz (1997) found that alcohol and cigarette consumption increased significantly among expatriates in their first year abroad.

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Expatriation, Alcohol, and Drugs: Antecedents and Consequences of Substance Use in Expatriation

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Full Study Reference :

Wurtz, O. (2018). Expatriation, alcohol and drugs: antecedents and consequences of substance use in expatriation. Journal of Global Mobility: The Home of Expatriate Management Research, 6(3/4), 316-334.
https://doi.org/10.1108/JGM-08-2017-0035

One-pager Summary:

Main Challenge:

Expatriates experience higher stress levels than domestic employees, leading to increased substance use (SU) as a coping mechanism.

Key Findings:

Stress has a curvilinear relationship with SU: low stress decreases SU, while medium to high stress increases it.
Male expatriates are more likely to resort to SU in response to stress than female expatriates.
Expatriates with more international experience are surprisingly more prone to stress-induced SU.
Organizational social support does not significantly buffer the stress-SU relationship.
SU negatively impacts professional adjustment, as perceived by supervisors.

Vulnerable Groups:

Male expatriates and those with extensive international experience are at higher risk.
Consequences: SU impairs work performance and adjustment, potentially leading to a negative cycle of stress, SU, and maladjustment.

Recommendations:

Human Resources (HR) managers should be aware of the risks and implement preventive measures.
Stress-reduction programs, cross-cultural training, and support networks should be provided.
Targeted support for high-risk groups (male and experienced expatriates) is crucial.
Further research is needed to understand the nuances of SU among expatriates.

Dig Deeper (Long Summary):

Introduction:

Expatriation is inherently stressful due to factors like isolation, cultural differences, language barriers, and uncertainty about the new environment and future.
Stress levels are often higher among expatriates compared to domestic workers (Anderzén and Arnetz, 1997).
Substance use (SU), including alcohol and drugs (prescription and illicit), is seen as a way to reduce tension and cope with stress (Conger, 1956; Belogolovsky et al., 2012).
Previous studies indicate that expatriates consume more substances than domestic employees (Anderzén and Arnetz, 1997; Truman et al., 2011).
SU can negatively impact expatriates’ professional performance, personal life, and health. It can also harm the organization’s reputation and lead to increased costs.

This study aims to:

Determine the impact of stress on SU during expatriation.
Investigate how contextual and personal factors influence the stress-SU relationship.
Reveal the consequences of SU among expatriate employees.

The Influence of Stress on SU in Expatriation:

Tension reduction theory suggests that individuals use substances to reduce tension and strain caused by stress (Conger, 1956).
Stress is expected to facilitate SU during expatriation, as expatriates may turn to substances to cope with work challenges, isolation, and the absence of familiar support systems.
The relationship between stress and SU is likely curvilinear: low stress may not trigger SU, while medium to high stress is expected to increase it (Anderson, 1976; Takeuchi et al., 2005, 2007).

Protective/Vulnerability Factors:

The stress-SU relationship is not uniform and is influenced by various individual and contextual factors (Cooper et al., 1988, 1992; Liu et al., 2009).

This study focuses on three moderators: organizational social support, experience, and gender.

Organizational Social Support:

Social support can buffer against substance consumption (Cohen and Wills, 1985).

Organizational support may be particularly important for expatriates due to their limited social networks.
Hypothesis 2 (H2): The relationship between stress and SU will depend on the organizational social support received by the expatriate. Stress will trigger more extensive SU among expatriates receiving less support.

Experience:

Prior international experience may equip expatriates with better coping mechanisms, reducing their vulnerability to SU (Yavas and Bodur, 1999; Caligiuri, 2000).
Hypothesis 3 (H3): The relationship between stress and SU will depend on the individual expatriate experience. Stress will trigger more extensive SU among less-experienced expatriates.

Gender:

Men are more likely than women to use substances to cope with stress (Dawson et al., 2005; Cooper et al., 1992).
Hypothesis 4 (H4): The relationship between stress and SU will depend on the gender of the expatriate. Stress will trigger more extensive SU among men.

Consequences of SU in Expatriation:

Impaired functioning theory posits that substance abuse negatively affects professional life (Newcomb and Bentler, 1988; Kaplan and Demphouse, 1995).
SU can impair motivation, energy, attention, and health (Galaif et al., 2001).
In expatriation, the negative effects of SU may be amplified due to the heightened demands of adjustment.
Hypothesis 5 (H5): SU is negatively correlated with professional adjustment.

Method:

Two studies were conducted using different data collection rounds.
Study 1 focused on the antecedents of SU, while Study 2 examined its outcomes.

Study 1:

Data collected from 205 expatriates working in 34 countries.
Participants were recruited through personal and professional networks.
Measures included SU (Brissette et al., 2002), stress (DASS-21; Antony et al., 1998), organizational social support (Caplan et al., 1975), experience (number of countries worked in), and demographics.

Study 2:

Data collected from 96 expatriate-supervisor dyads in two multinational companies.
Measures included professional adjustment (Black and Stephens, 1989), SU, and length of stay.

Results:

Study 1:

14% of expatriates reported using substances to cope with hardship.
55% reported being sometimes stressed, and 8% reported being considerably stressed.
H1 (curvilinear relationship between stress and SU) was supported. Low stress decreased SU, while medium to high stress increased it.
H2 (moderating effect of organizational social support) was not supported.
H3 (moderating effect of experience) was not supported. Surprisingly, more experienced expatriates showed a stronger positive relationship between stress and SU.
H4 (moderating effect of gender) was supported. Stress significantly increased SU among men but not among women.

Study 2:

H5 (negative correlation between SU and professional adjustment) was supported. SU was negatively associated with supervisor-rated professional adjustment.

Discussion:

The study provides support for the application of tension reduction theory to expatriation, particularly for men.
The curvilinear relationship between stress and SU highlights the importance of moderate stress levels for optimal functioning.
Gender differences in the stress-SU relationship align with previous research (e.g., Cooper et al., 1992; Belogolovsky et al., 2012) and suggest different coping mechanisms for men and women.
The unexpected positive moderating effect of experience suggests that experienced expatriates may be more vulnerable to SU due to factors like immediate experience of culture shock (Takeuchi and Chen, 2013) or negative outcomes of international experience (Lu et al., 2017).
The lack of support for organizational social support as a moderator may be due to the specificity hypothesis (Cohen and Wills, 1985; Peirce et al., 1996), suggesting that support needs to be relevant to the source of stress. Expatriate stress may stem from both work and non-work sources.
The negative impact of SU on professional adjustment confirms impaired functioning theory and highlights the importance of addressing SU in expatriate populations.

Practical Implications:

HR managers should be aware of the heightened risk of SU among expatriates and prioritize preventive measures.
Local HR managers should organize policies and support initiatives to limit SU, such as anonymous support groups and testing in dangerous work environments.
Candidates for expatriate positions should be informed about the risks of SU.
Stress-reduction programs (e.g., meditation, yoga), cross-cultural training, and coaching should be implemented.
Targeted support for high-risk groups (male and experienced expatriates) is essential.
Special attention should be paid to expatriates in high-stress locations.

Limitations and Future Research:

SU was self-reported, potentially leading to underreporting.
Common method bias may have affected the analyses in Study 1.
The cross-sectional design of Study 1 limits causal interpretations.
The samples were of limited size and convenience-based, raising questions about generalizability.
Future research should:
- Involve medical professionals and other data sources (e.g., partners) to improve SU measurement.
- Investigate other determinants of SU, such as prior habits and expectations.
- Examine the role of specific stressors.
- Explore the impact of social norms and local business culture on SU.
- Distinguish between different types and patterns of SU.
- Conduct qualitative research to gain a deeper understanding of expatriate SU.

Conclusion:

Expatriation presents numerous challenges that can lead to increased stress and substance use among expatriates. This study sheds light on the complex relationship between stress and SU, identifying vulnerable populations and highlighting the detrimental consequences of SU on work adjustment. Further research is crucial to inform effective interventions and support systems that can enhance expatriate well-being and success. HR managers play a vital role in implementing preventive measures and providing targeted support to those at risk. By addressing the challenges of expatriation and promoting healthy coping mechanisms, organizations can foster a more positive and productive experience for their global workforce.

Full Study Reference :
Wurtz, O. (2018). Expatriation, alcohol and drugs: antecedents and consequences of substance use in expatriation. Journal of Global Mobility: The Home of Expatriate Management Research, 6(3/4), 316-334.
https://doi.org/10.1108/JGM-08-2017-0035