Undergraduate Research Proposal

A Study on Work-life balance on expatriates in Malaysia

Introduction and Background
The research proposal I am preparing is going to be addressing the challenges faced by
expatriates while working outside their home countries. The aim of the research is to view how
these challenges are overcome and give way to job satisfaction and how the expatriates adjust
themselves in unfamiliar surroundings.

Globalisation of business and economic transactions has led international assignment to
be a regular practice for many employees (Bonache, 2005). Expatriates are a companys
resources of accomplishing management, coordination, and information processing inside the
corporation system and have revealed that multinational firms depend more on expatriates when
there is a greater necessity for control (enforcing and protecting company interests) and
management. In short, when global companies need to maintain their identity, they rely on
expatriates (Edstrom 1977, Gupta 1991, cited in Tan & Mahoney, 2006). Other reason for the
use of expatriates is that a larger cultural difference between the parent company and the
overseas business guides to an apparent need for control and communication, and for this reason
results in a greater dependence on expatriates (Harzing, 2001 cited in Tan & Mahoney 2003).
Lee and Croker (2006) conclude that expatriates execute a vital role to their organisation such as
managing, coordinating and sending information in between multinational and international
businesses. It is also believed that expatriates ease the link of companies with other operations in
nearby countries, improve the companys international knowledge and promote a clear
understanding of international business (Boyacigiller, 1990 cited in Selmer & Leung, 2002).

With globalization affecting the world of business, the needs of expatriates has increased
more and more. When companies expand abroad or participate in international arrangement, they
need the help of people who already know the core activities of the corporation that they can
deploy abroad to manage the subsidiaries. But often, this action neglects the implications of
being in unfamiliar surroundings where expatriates have to face several challenges that are not
only related to work but also to personal life particularly in Asian countries which consist of
many diverse nations and cultures each with its own traits. For example a manager job
Undergraduate Research Proposal
satisfaction in a foreign country could be affected by the thoughts of having a family behind and
facing cultural dissimilarities or having to even adjust his whole family that he brought to a new
environment. Thus the satisfaction of the expatriates could be affected by these kinds of factors.

Therefore knowing the reasons that enable expatriates to balance their work and life role
in Malaysia perhaps will help an organization experience a good job performance from the
expatriate and also the parent company to teach the expatriates about many things prior to
sending them on international assignment.

Research Objectives
The aim of the research is to illustrate how the problems faced by expatriates abroad are
surmounted. Therefore, the research will try to answer the following questions:
What is the relationship between adjustment and satisfaction?
What are the reasons behind expatriates success?
How expatriates adjust their work role to that of their personal life?

Research Methodology
The perfect methodology should be employed in order to answer the objective of the
research paper.

The table bellow explains the difference between qualitative and quantitative method of research:
Quantitative Qualitative
-Inquiry from the outside
-Underpinned by a completely different set of
epistemological foundations from those in
qualitative research
-Are simply different ways to the same end?
-Involves the following of various state of the
scientific research
-The results are said to be hard generalisable
data
-Inquiry from the inside
-An attempt to take account of differences
between people
-Aimed at flexibility and lack of structure, in
order to allow theory and concepts to proceed
in tandem
-The results are said to be, through
theoretical generalisation, Deep, rich and
meaningful
Undergraduate Research Proposal
-Inductive-where propositions may develop
not only from practice, or literature review
but also from ideas themselves
-An approach to the study of the social word,
which seek to describe and analyse the
culture and behaviour of humans and their
groups from the point of view of those being
studied
Source: Amaratunga, Baldry, Sarshar & Newton (2002)

To be able to collect the best information to answer my objectives, it is first important to
collect secondary data which is information that has been gathered for some purpose other than
the current research; it can be information that the organisation has or information that has been
published and is accessible through electronic source coming from outside the organisation
(Wilson, 2006, p 36). This information will be valuable to my research because it will allow me
to first see the relationships existing between work-life balance, and based on the information I
will develop my questions accordingly.

The second method I will be using is the collection of primary data defined as data
collected by a program of observation, qualitative or quantitative research either separately or in
combination to meet the specific objectives of a research project (Wilson, 2006, p 413). This
technique will solely be based on my own findings. I will use the quantitative method of research
which is defined as the use of a structured approach with a sample of the population to produce
quantifiable insights into behaviour, motivation and attitudes (Wilson, 2006, p 37). To evaluate
the work-life balance of expatriates in Malaysia, I will design questions that will be distributed to
some particular companies employees such as HSBC, PETRONAS, and academic schools to
name a few. These employees would be my population of interest which is known as the total
group of people that the researcher wishes to examine, study or obtain information from
(Wilson, 2006, p 197). The questionnaires will be based on my literature review since the
literature review illustrated that there are many reasons expatriates become unsatisfied at work
and also the reasons that make them succeed in international assignment. These are industries
Undergraduate Research Proposal
that employ many expatriates. So getting the answers from this sample group would be highly
helpful for my final year project. Therefore the need of the research will be highly accurate. The
questionnaires will be addressing the motives of expatriates and job satisfaction. I intend to
distribute the questionnaires and come back the next day to get them back. This will give the
respondents sufficient time to go through them because they are busy with work. After receiving
the data from the questionnaires, I intend to use the SPSS software to analyse the responses.
These responses would be interpreted using the software and thus would help me to further
justify the findings of this research.

Timescale


Months/
Activities
Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr
Introduction and
Background

Literature Review


Questionnaires
Design

Distribution of
Questionnaires

Collection of Data


Data Analysis


Writing Report



This is very important in terms of achieving the final year project on time.
I believe it will take me two months to come up with my introduction to the project and
writing the background.
Writing the literature review requires lots of reading. So it is vital to schedule about three
months to complete the reading and writing. Within those months, I am positive that I
will be able to access the Anglia Ruskin University digital library databases to get some
journal articles and the FTMS college library (Books) for the collection of secondary
Undergraduate Research Proposal
research. The first two months of the time scale will be combined with writing the
background and introduction as well as the literature review.
The third month for the literature review will also be used to design my questionnaires.
I will dedicate two months for the distribution of questionnaires to expatriates.
I will also allocate the same two months as the distribution of questionnaires for the
collection of primary data. Within the two months periods, I will be able to get the
approval from the companies representatives then I will proceed to the gathering
process.
I will plan another two months for data analyses where the last month of this activity will
be combined with the remaining months that will be allocated to editing the report and
finishing writing it. Then I will get ready for the report presentation.
Resources
To be able to collect the secondary research, I will have to access the best databases for academic
studies.

The best source I have available for me with no restrictions is the Anglia Ruskin University
library. The university digital library has many databases that are helpful in finding information
related to my proposal. However, this database only allows me to get journal articles. The other
source I will also use is the FTMS College library which has many books connected to my
project. The obstacle I will face in collecting this information I believe is the finding of
documents exactly related to my topics. Many studies I suppose have been done on my topic for
other purposes. So I will face the challenges of sorting out information and make sure that the
ones I get are exactly related to my topic.

The way I am going to collect the primary data through the questions is by going to companies
that employ expatriates around Kuala Lumpur such as HSBC, PETRONAS and academic
schools. As I mentioned earlier these companies employ many expatriates. But before I go to
these companies, I would have to get a letter of permission from FTMS College (Research Letter
or Authorisation Letter). This letter will allow me to go and hand out my questions to
companies expatriates. Also, prior to distributing the questions, I will have to talk to a
representative of each company and explain to them the reasons I am conducting the research
Undergraduate Research Proposal
and the benefit both I and companies will gain from the research. Only then with their consent of
course I will be able to distribute the questions. The possible difficulties I will face in
distributing my questions will be: the representative of each company will have to first look at
my questions and probably make sure that they do not hinder the image of their company. For
instance questions that could make their employees regard the company as unfavourable. One
other problem is that the concept of Hallo Effect might arise: instead of paying attention to the
questions one by one, the respondents might get on the whole feelings of liking or disliking them
and as result answer incorrectly or perhaps not answer.

Ethical Consideration
When conducting the research, I will have to pay attention to the ethical issues that surround my
research project.

When obtaining information from the Anglia Ruskin University databases and the FTMS
College library, I will have to make sure that I acknowledge the sources of the information on
my research and give credit to authors who have made my research so much convenient.

Prior to the collection of primary data, I will have to get the approval of companies first to ensure
that the questions are fit to the respondents. I will have to show them my questions and make
sure that they do not harm the respondents and the companies reputation. Upon approval of the
respective companies, I will also make sure that I get the consent of respondents. Once I obtain
the approval, I will collect the information conveniently. Also, when I get the answers from the
respondents, I will have to make sure that I keep it confidentially so the answers would not come
back and hurt them.





Reference list
Undergraduate Research Proposal
Amaratunga, D, Baldry, D, Sarshar, M & Newton, R. (2002). Quantitative and qualitative
research in the built environment: application of mixed research approach. Work Study. 51(1), pp
17-31

Bonache, J. (2005). Job satisfaction among expatriates, repatriates and domestic employees: The
perceived impact of international assignments on work-related variables. Personnel Review.
34(1), pp 110-124

Lee, L & Croker, R. (2006). A contingency model to promote the effectiveness of expatriate
training. Industrial Management & Data System. 106(8), pp 1187-1205
Selmer, J & Leung, A. (2002). Career management issues of female business expatriates. Career
Development International. 7(6), pp 348-358

Tan, D & Mahoney, J. (2006). Why a Multinational firm Chooses Expatriates: Integrating
Resource-Based, Agency and Transaction Cost Perspectives. Journal of Management Studies. 43
(3)

Tan, D & Mahoney, J. (2003). Explaining The Utilisation Of Managerial Expatriates From The
perspectives Of Resource-Based, Agency, And Transaction-Costs Theories. Advances in
International Management.15, pp 179-205