Abstract:
With the impact of globalization, number of expatriates across the world is increasing at a rapid rate and most of them
are Self-Initiated Expatriate (SIE) workers. Substantial number of Sri Lankan migrant professionals are currently working
or hoping to work in Middle East. Past research indicates several social issues arising out of these migrant workers as
well as their career satisfaction is low. There is little research on antecedents of career satisfaction of SIE professionals
working in Middle East from South Asia. The objective of this research was to identify the antecedents of career
satisfaction of Sri Lankan SIE professionals in Oman and Qatar. A quantitative research study was designed, and three
hypotheses were tested. The data used in this study were obtained from 105 respondents. Results indicate that career
capital significantly positively affect the career adjustment and career satisfaction of the migrant professionals. Further,
career capital and career adjustment explained 33% of the variance of career satisfaction. This research highlights the
importance of proactive personality, motivation for expatriation, cultural intelligence on cultural adjustment and career
satisfaction. This research gives valuable input to policy making in selection and encouragement of most suitable
professional migrant workers who expect to migrate to Middle East from Sri Lanka.
