Building on the domestic multiple commitment literature, recent international research found that upon repatriation, U.S. expatriates exhibited dual commitments to the parent corporation and local work unit. These results, however, may have been a function of specific cultural values of American managers and may not be generalizable to other samples. Thus, this study examines theoretically and empirically the degree to which Japanese expatriates returning home from international assignments exhibit single or dual commitments; it also analyzes the antecedents of such commitments upon repatriation. Initially, factor analysis indicated that in contrast to U.S. repatriates, Japanese repatriates in this study exhibited a single, global commitment to the organization. Next, multiple regression analysis found that a firm’s valuing international experience was the primary correlate of organizational commitment for Japanese repatriates. Finally, this study’s results raise important questions about the generalizability of multiple commitments and their potential antecedents across cultural boundaries.
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