Psychological contract breach and emotional exhaustion among self-initiated expatriates: The role of social support and cultural orientation.

This article examines how psychological contract breaches (PCBs)—perceived failures by organizations to fulfill promised obligations—affect the emotional exhaustion of self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) working in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It finds that SIEs with a collectivist cultural orientation experience less emotional exhaustion following PCBs, particularly when they receive strong social support from co-workers and supervisors, whereas individualist-oriented SIEs do not benefit similarly from such support. The study highlights that co-worker support notably buffers the negative impact of PCBs, while supervisor support alone does not, and that the joint presence of collectivist orientation and social support further reduces emotional exhaustion. These findings underscore the importance of considering individual cultural values and social support networks in managing expatriate well-being in culturally diverse and collectivist host environments.