Title: The impact of relocation or short-term business travels on the spouses' sense of sacrificing

Authors: Hana Ornoy; Roni Segal-Moneta

Addresses: Ono Academic College, Kiryat Ono 55000, Israel; Department of Economics and Management, The Open University, 108 Ravutski Street, Rahanana 43107, Israel ' Psychology Department, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel

Abstract: International business travels (relocation or frequent travels) demand sacrificing not only from the expatriate but also from his/her escorting spouse. Studies reveal that dissatisfaction amongst the escorting spouse is the third major reason attributing to the failure of international assignments (33%). Our hypothesis claimed that escorting spouses in relocation assignments would sense higher levels of sacrifice, compared to short frequent business travels. Results reveal that spouses sense a feeling of sacrifice, however expatriate spouses, endure a wider-range of difficulties, affecting all spheres of life, due to cultural adaptions, and career loss. Another remarkable finding reveals that expatriates believe their spouses sacrificed more than they did. This unique research, which sampled 70 couples, studied the stance of the escorting spouses and expatriates themselves, in relation to the international assignment. Conclusions may thus assist both expatriates and organisations to handle more effectively the ramifications of the international assignments on the escorting spouse.

Keywords: business travels; relocation; sacrificial sense; escorting spouses.

DOI: 10.1504/WREMSD.2023.133742

World Review of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development, 2023 Vol.19 No.6, pp.562 - 574

Received: 08 Jan 2021
Accepted: 14 Feb 2021
Published online: 03 Oct 2023 *

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