Chao, Hung-Chieh, Morrison, Alastair ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0754-1083 and Wu, Bihu (2019) All work and no play? Antecedents of the leisure involvement of Taiwan expatriate managers in mainland China. International Journal of Manpower, 40 (7). pp. 1215-1238. ISSN 0143-7720 (doi:10.1108/IJM-12-2017-0347)

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Abstract

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to construct and test an antecedent relationship path model for the leisure involvement of Taiwan expatriate managers working in Mainland China. A leisure temporal-spatial involvement (LTSI) was developed.
Design/methodology/approach
Burnout, perceived freedom in leisure and leisure coping strategies were proposed in the conceptual model as antecedents of leisure involvement. A questionnaire survey gathered information on the characteristics of respondents, including demographic/socio-economic details, expatriate profile and leisure activity participation. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used in this research to measure the relationships among the four scale variables (job burnout, perceived freedom in leisure, leisure coping strategies and leisure involvement).
Findings
The expatriate managers experienced high burnout levels, particularly in the form of exhaustion. Their leisure involvement was mainly influenced by perceived freedom in leisure.
Research limitations/implications
This work contributes to the research on leisure and expatriation in several ways. It is one of the first empirical studies to examine prominent leisure concepts (freedom, coping and involvement) within the milieu of expatriation. The findings provide further support to the notion of the “presumed cultural similarity paradox,” in that expatriates of Chinese ethnicity still had significant adjustment difficulties in Mainland China. The research again confirms the challenges of Mainland China as an expatriation destination.
Practical implications
The research results have significant practical value and may assist Taiwan-capital enterprises in improving expatriates’ leisure life management. The section on Managerial and policy implications outlines the implications for the actors involved.
Social implications
This work has social implications since the Taiwan expatriate managers are not effectively adjusting to their work–life environments in Guangzhou. Greater social contact between locals and these managers is recommended in the future.
Originality/value
A new scale for leisure involvement (LTSI), expressed in temporal and spatial dimensions, is developed to fit the particular situations faced by expatriates. This is also one of only a few empirical research studies to consider leisure involvement within an expatriation framework.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	expatriates; Human Resource management; employee involvement; Human Resource strategies; burnout; data analysis; hours of work; employees behaviour; employee turnover; ethnic groups
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > HD28 Management. Industrial Management
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Business
Last Modified:	06 May 2024 13:31
URI:	http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/46999

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