Work‐To‐Life Conflict and Enrichment Among International Business Travelers: The Role of International Career Orientation

• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.21629
• Date: 01 May 2015
• Author: Ulla Kinnunen,Liisa Mäkelä,Vesa Suutari
• Published date: 01 May 2015

Human Resource Management, May–June 2015, Vol. 54, No. 3. Pp. 517–531

© 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com).

DOI:10.1002/hrm.21629

Correspondence to: Liisa Mäkelä, Department of Management, University of Vaasa, P.O. Box 700,

65101Vaasa,Finland, Phone: +358 29 4498447, E-mail:liisa.makela@uva.fi.

WORK-TO-LIFE CONFLICT

AND ENRICHMENT AMONG

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

TRAVELERS: THE ROLE

OFINTERNATIONAL CAREER

ORIENTATION

LIISA MÄKELÄ, ULLA KINNUNEN,

ANDVESASUUTARI

The present study examines the direct and moderating effects of an interna-

tional career orientation in the relationship between frequency and duration

of international business traveling and work-to-life confl ict and enrichment.

In addition, the effort-reward imbalance that potentially features in the in-

ternational business traveler’s job was examined in relation to work-to-life

confl ict and enrichment. The study was conducted among 232 Finnish peo-

ple in jobs requiring international business travel. A moderated hierarchical

regression analysis shows that travel of considerable duration and a pro-

nounced effort-reward imbalance had direct links to work-to-life confl ict.

In contrast, low effort-reward imbalance and a strong international career

orientation had direct links to work-to-life enrichment. In addition, having a

strong orientation to an international career decreases work-to-life confl ict

when a job requires very frequent traveling, but the moderation effect was

not found in relation to duration of traveling. Our fi ndings indicate that inter-

ventions aimed at reducing work-to-life confl ict and increasing work-to-life

enrichment among international business travelers should focus on foster-

ing a balance between efforts and rewards at work. The extent of employees’

internationalism should also be considered when recruiting people into jobs

involving international business travel. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Keywords: international business traveler, work-to-life confl ict, work-to-life

enrichment, effort-reward imbalance, career orientation