The Career Development of Former Chinese International Students in Japan: Influences of Their Developmental Networks

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between the developmental networks of skilled Chinese employees in Japan and their career outcomes in relation to career satisfaction, organizational commitment, and turnover intention. The participants included 115 former Chinese international students who completed an online survey. The results revealed that there were multiple developers within and beyond the workplace that were involved in their career development. Furthermore, the content and structure of the skilled Chinese employees’ developmental networks were crucial for their career development in the host country and led to various career outcomes. Frequent communication with developers of the networks enhanced their career satisfaction in Japanese companies. Career support provided by developers within the organization played an essential role in their organizational commitment. However, their developmental networks were not associated with their turnover intention. The current study was the first to explore the influences of the developmental networks of former Chinese international students on their career development in Japan. This study contributes to an enhanced understanding of how to improve Chinese skilled migrants’ career outcomes in Japan.

Keywords

Former Chinese international students / Japan / developmental networks / human resource management / job satisfaction / organizational commitment / turnover intention

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