Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the psychological adjustment process of expatriates from Chinese multinational enterprises, including how their social capital affects this process.Design/methodology/approach: This qualitative investigation was based on semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 26 Chinese expatriates. The grounded theory method was applied to guide the data collection and analysis.Findings: The psychological adjustment process of Chinese expatriates includes three periods: crisis, self-adjustment and self-growth period. In addition, bonding capital (including organizational, family and co-cultural colleagues’ support) is more conducive to Chinese expatriates’ psychological well-being than bridging capital (e.g. host-nationals’ support). Finally, a separation acculturation strategy is more conducive to psychological adjustment, rather than an integration strategy.Research limitations/implications: This study focused on expatriates themselves. Future research should consider other stakeholders (e.g. organizations, family), and examine expatriate adjustment from new perspectives (e.g. strategic human resource management, work-family balance). This study had a small sample and focused on only one organization. Future research could usefully add other Chinese multinational corporations, and other Chinese expatriates to expand the generalizability of the current findings.Practical implications: This study suggests the possible benefits of management practices for expatriates. Organizations can develop an “expatriate bubble” to help structure basic life overseas. Organizations could develop family-support programs and make them expatriate-supportive. Organizations should also strengthen the connections between expatriates and local colleagues.Originality/value: Few scholars have elaborated on how different support groups (based on their cultural backgrounds) influence the psychological adjustment of expatriates. Until now, mainland Chinese expatriates have received little attention. In addition, this research takes a significant step forward by illuminating the psychological adjustment of Chinese expatriates from a social capital perspective.

This study aims to explore the influence mechanism of cultural intelligence on work–family conflict for Chinese expatriates in cross-cultural non-profit organizations. Drawing on conservation of resources theory, this longitudinal study (six-month time lag) is the first to examine cultural intelligence as an antecedent of work–family conflict. The study also examines the mediating role of work engagement and the moderating role of leader–member exchange (LMX) in the cultural intelligence and work–family conflict relationship. The sample comprises 206 expatriate Chinese language teachers working at 45 Confucius Institutes in the US, Canada, and Russia. Results show that cultural intelligence not only reduces work–family conflict but also promotes expatriates’ work engagement. The higher the work engagement, the higher the work–family conflict experienced by expatriates. LMX moderates not only the positive relationship between work engagement and work–family conflict but also the indirect effect of cultural intelligence on work–family conflict through work engagement. Thus, the indirect effect of cultural intelligence on work–family conflict through work engagement is stronger with low (compared to high) LMX. This study’s findings provide implications for managers of cross-cultural non-profit organizations to better understand and solve expatriates’ work–family conflict problem.

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This study examines the acculturation characteristics of Chinese students in the context of a multicultural classroom. The Chinese yin-yang philosophy is used to provide another dimension of interpretation and analysis in addition to Berry's acculturation strategy framework. Qualitative data over a five-year period reveal their changing psychological states in a multicultural classroom. Four stages of acculturation were identified: initial, contact, reflection, and change. At each stage, Chinese students dynamically react and change in the acculturation process, which is similar to the intertwining process of yin and yang, a metaphorical image seen in the Chinese yin-yang philosophy.

With the advancement of digitalization and blended learning, the integration of internationalization and technology has become increasingly significant in the context of English-medium Instruction (EMI). Both in-person and live online EMI courses delivered by foreign teachers (EMI-FT) have emerged as key components of Chinese universities' internationalization strategies. EMI refers to the use of English to teach academic subjects in non-English-speaking countries, exposing students to the challenges of intercultural learning and communication. Prior research indicates that such environments often provoke emotional disturbances, especially in virtual settings where interpersonal engagement is limited. As an essential component of intercultural competence, intercultural sensitivity (IS) is believed to play a crucial role in enhancing students' ability to adapt and succeed in EMI-FT environments. Specifically, IS may influence deep learning (DL), which promotes a deeper understanding and the application of knowledge. However, existing studies have rarely examined how IS affects students' learning experiences and outcomes in both in-person and online EMI-FT contexts. Guided by Biggs' 3P (Presage-Process-Product) model, our study constructs a mediation framework to investigate the relationships among IS, DL, and learning outcomes (LO) across both delivery modes. Data were collected using self-reported instruments from 1192 students across five universities in southern China. The results revealed that: (1) students perceived live online EMI-FT as less effective than in-person EMI-FT in promoting DL and LO; (2) IS was positively associated with both DL and LO; (3) DL mediated the relationship between IS and LO, with a more substantial mediation effect in the online setting; and (4) multi-group analysis revealed significant differences in the IS-DL-LO pathways between in-person and online samples. These findings offer actionable insights for universities seeking to tailor EMI-FT strategies to enhance student engagement and learning across diverse instructional formats.