Understanding the Psychological Well-Being of Expatriates in Times of Natural Crisis, the case of Albania & Montenegro

Albana Boriçi – University “Luigj Gurakuqi”, Faculty of Economy, Jeronim De Rada 12, 4001, Shkodër, Albania

Ardita Boriçi – University “Luigj Gurakuqi”, Faculty of Economy, Jeronim De Rada 12, 4001, Shkodër, Albania

Arjola Halluni – University “Luigj Gurakuqi”, Faculty of Economy, Jeronim De Rada 12, 4001, Shkodër, Albania

Jetmir Muja – University “Luigj Gurakuqi”, Faculty of Economy, Jeronim De Rada 12, 4001, Shkodër, Albania

Abstract: Expatriates, or “expats,” are a key segment of the global workforce, working abroad through employer-arranged or self-initiated assignments. International Human Resource Management (IHRM) research has highlighted the challenges expatriates face, including cultural adaptation, role performance, and personal relationships, as well as their vulnerability to crises. While the impact of human-made crises like political instability has been studied, natural crises’ effects on expa­triates’ psychological well-being remain underexplored. The Covid-19 pandemic emphasized the need to understand expatriates’ psychological resilience during natural crises. Building on Bader and Berg’s (2014) terrorism-related stress model, Tripathi and Singh (2022) proposed a framework identifying stressors expatriates may face during natural crises and their impact on well-being and performance.

This study applies their framework to expatriates in Albania and Montenegro during the pandemic, using a survey to: a) assess the relevance of psychological and situational stressors; b) evaluate the relevance of perceived organizational, family, and social network support as support factors; and c) analyze relationships between stressors, support factors, and expatriates’ psychological well-being. The findings enhance understanding of expatriates’ experiences during natural crises and inform improved support mechanisms.

8th International Scientific Conference on Recent Advances in Information Technology, Tourism, Economics, Management and Agriculture – ITEMA 2024 – Selected Papers, Hybrid (Zayed University, Dubai, UAE), October 24, 2024

ITEMA Selected Papers published by: Association of Economists and Managers of the Balkans – Belgrade, Serbia

ITEMA conference partners: Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Maribor, Slovenia; Faculty of Organization and Informatics, University of Zagreb, Varaždin; Faculty of Geography, University of Belgrade, Serbia; Institute of Marketing, Poznan University of Economics and Business, Poland; Faculty of Agriculture, Banat’s University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine ”King Michael I of Romania”, Romania

ITEMA Conference 2024 Selected Papers: ISBN 978-86-80194-90-5, ISSN 2683-5991, DOI: https://doi.org/10.31410/ITEMA.S.P.2024

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