Hsin-Pei Wu
Institute of Human Resource Management National Central University
Luo Lu
Department of Business Administration National Taiwan University
Su-Chen Lin
Department of Psychology Fu-Jen Catholic University
Chao-Ming Liu
Department of Psychology Fu-Jen Catholic University
This study aimed to explore how wives made the decision on whether to relocate overseas, and how they deal with their husbands’ expatriation. We found that wives could make joint decisions with their husbands about relocation, but not about expatriation. Wives may even decide to live separately from their husbands. Some of them didn’t relocate due to considerations such as their own career perspectives, not being able to adjust to foreign environment, poor local education for children, readjusting the conjugal relationship and maximizing family income. The others followed abroad due to considerations such as firming family affection, preventing affairs, meeting significant others’ expectations, avoiding living with in-laws, and taking advantage of family-friendly policies. No matter what they decided, wives were all strong supporters of their family, putting family welfare at the forefront.
Keywords: expatriation, wives, relocate overseas, decision-making process