Adaptive Personality, Communication Patterns and Psychological Health: A Cross-cultural Adaptation Study of Korean Expatriates in Indonesia

Abstract

The present study examined the adaptive personality, communication patterns and the adaptation experience of Korean expatriates in Indonesia. Based on Y. Y. Kim’s (1988, 2001, 2005, 2012, 2015, 2018) Integrative Communication Theory of Cross-Cultural Adaptation, four hypotheses were developed linking three key factors: adaptive personality, host communication competence, host interpersonal communication and psychological health. Numeric data were collected in a questionnaire survey among 76 Korean expatriates living in Indonesia. As predicted, the positive correlations between the research variables suggest that expatriates with higher level of self-efficacy, host communication competence and more active engagements in interpersonal communication with host nationals experience greater psychological health vis-à-vis the host environment. The present study affirms Y. Y. Kim’s theorems that emphasize the centrality of communication in the process of expatriate workers’ cross-cultural adaptation. The present analysis highlights the practical insights on how to recruit, select and train international employees to facilitate their successful adaptation overseas.

Keywords

Self-efficacy / host communication competence / host interpersonal communication / psychological health / Korean expatriates in Indonesia

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