Assertiveness and flourishing in self-intiated expatriates: A self-determination theory approach

• Main Authors: Ampil, Diana Angelica E., Balmes, Jasper Agustin T., Uy, John Vincent O., Wong, Desiree Hannah M.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2019
• Subjects: Determination (Personality trait); Assertiveness (Psychology); Psychology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/6987
• Institution: De La Salle University

Self-initiated expatriates (SIE) are individuals who decide to work overseas on their own volition and their unique motives sparked interest in research to determine how they reach optimal adjustment in their host countries. This study used Deci and Ryan's (2000) Self-Determination Theory (SDT) to propose assertiveness in SIEs as a personal resource that can influence the satisfaction of the three basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, in turn, lead to higher levels of autonomous motivation which ultimately leads to flourishing. Responses from 105 SIEs were analyzed through path analysis. The results indicated the relationships between autonomy, competence, and relatedness and autonomous motivation were significant. Their relationships between autonomous motivation and flourishing and between assertiveness and competence were also significant. The results suggest assertiveness as a questionable personal resource given only one of three psychological needs were satisfied. However, the significance of the rest of the model from autonomy, competence and relatedness to autonomous motivation to flourishing was consistent with the SDT, supporting the important role of SDT and its concept ot the unique experiences of SIEs as suggested by existing literature. Further discussion and limitations are also presented in the paper.