外派的選擇與代價：台籍餐飲業外派人員情緒耗竭之質性探究

Understanding Emotional Exhaustion During Expatriation: A Qualitative Study of Taiwanese Restaurant Industry Expatriates

本研究旨在探討台籍餐飲業外派人員產生情緒耗竭的關鍵因素，並深入分析其背後的社會文化脈絡與個人生命經驗。研究採用質性研究方法，於2025年8月至12月期間，針對五位派駐上海的台籍餐飲從業人員進行半結構式訪談，了解其外派歷程、心理壓力與職涯選擇。
研究結果顯示，餐飲業外派人員的外派動機呈現多元交織的結構，可歸納為「經濟與財務誘因」、「個人特質與韌性」、「專業能力與職涯發展」、「關係與信任連結」以及「環境與適應性考量」五大類型。受訪者的決策往往並非由單一因素驅動，而是個人意願與組織安排的混合結果。
在心理機制方面，研究發現初始外派動機與情緒耗竭之間的直接關聯性較弱。相較之下，情緒耗竭與「付出–回報失調感」（Effort–Reward Imbalance, ERI）密切相關。當外派人員在面對高工時、角色超載及跨文化情緒勞務時，若主觀感知其投入的努力未能獲得組織在薪資、升遷、心理認同或職涯銜接上的合理回報，其情緒耗竭的風險將顯著提升。
本研究不僅對外派動機與心理健康領域有所貢獻，亦針對企業的人力資源管理提出實務建議：企業應針對不同動機類型的員工提供多元化支持方案，並建立公平透明的回報與支持機制，以降低外派人員的心理耗損並促進其職涯發展。

This study aims to explore the key factors contributing to emotional exhaustion among Taiwanese expatriates in the restaurant industry and to examine the socio-cultural contexts and personal life experiences underlying this phenomenon. Adopting a qualitative research design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with five Taiwanese restaurant professionals assigned to Shanghai between August and December 2025. The interviews focused on participants’expatriation experiences, psychological stressors, and career decision-making processes.
The findings indicate that expatriation motives among restaurant industry expatriates are multidimensional and intertwined. These motives can be categorized into five major types: economic and financial incentives, professional competence and career development, individual characteristics and resilience, relational trust and social ties, and environmental and adaptability considerations. Expatriation decisions were rarely driven by a single factor; rather, they emerged from the interaction between personal intentions and organizational arrangements.
Regarding psychological mechanisms, the results suggest that the direct relationship between initial expatriation motives and emotional exhaustion is relatively weak. In contrast, emotional exhaustion was found to be closely associated with perceived effort–reward imbalance (ERI). When expatriates were exposed to long working hours, role overload, and intensive cross-cultural emotional labor, their risk of emotional exhaustion increased significantly if they perceived that their efforts were not adequately reciprocated through compensation, promotion opportunities, psychological recognition, or career continuity.
This study contributes to the literature on expatriation motives and occupational mental health by highlighting the limitations of motive-based explanations and emphasizing the importance of effort–reward perceptions during the expatriation process. From a practical perspective, the findings suggest that organizations should develop differentiated support strategies tailored to diverse expatriation motives and establish fair and transparent reward and support mechanisms. Such efforts may help reduce psychological strain among expatriates and promote their sustainable career development.