Beyond “good” and “bad” adapters: a person-centered approach to expatriate resilience and adjustment in international engineering projects

Purpose In the high-stakes context of international engineering projects, the adaptation and resilience of expatriates are critical to project success and talent retention. This study challenges traditional “one-size-fits-all” approaches by employing a person-centered methodology to uncover the heterogeneous patterns of resilience and adjustment among this key professional group. Design/methodology/approach We conducted a large-scale survey of 2058 expatriates from a leading international engineering enterprise. Latent Profile Analysis was used to identify distinct profiles based on employee resilience and three dimensions of expatriate adjustment (general, interactional, and work). Subsequently, we examined how prior international experience, perceived organizational support, and a hostile environment predict profile membership, and how these profiles, in turn, affect expatriate performance and retention intention. Findings The analysis revealed five distinct expatriate profiles: Thriving Expatriates, Resilient but Maladjusted, Moderately Adjusted, Task-Focused Adapters, and Struggling Expatriates. A key finding was the “Resilient but Maladjusted” profile, a large subgroup (24.5%) with high personal resilience but poor adjustment, presenting a significant organizational risk. Perceived organizational support and a hostile environment were powerful predictors of profile membership, while international experience was not. Profile membership was significantly associated with both performance and retention intention, with thriving expatriates reporting the highest and struggling expatriates the lowest outcome. Originality/value By identifying distinct, and at times paradoxical, adaptation profiles, our research moves beyond simplistic linear models and provides a more nuanced, ecologically valid understanding of expatriate psychological states. The findings offer actionable, evidence-based insights for engineering firms to develop more precise talent management strategies for selection, support, and retention, ultimately linking expatriate well-being to project performance.