Corporate Mobility

After the Move, What Do the Children Think?

Abstract

This study investigated the assumption that corporate mobility disrupts children's lives. First, the study assessed the degree of premove-postmove change in the amount of time children said they spent in eight different activities. Second, we modeled the changes in activities using premove activities and children's age, sex, degree of school change, and mother's wellbeing. Third, we tried to account for changes in children's premove-postmove attitudes toward moving, school, and their new neighborhood. The sample for this study was 56 children whose parents were participating in a longitudinal study of the effect of corporate moves on employees and their families. The data were collected in telephone interviews prior to the move and 3 months after the move. Results showed that children construct a postmove life that looks very similar to their premove life. Although there were significant changes in the children's activities premove to postmove, the best predictors of postmove activities were still premove levels of time spent in these activities. Results with respect to children's attitudes are consistent with current findings regarding children of divorce. Mother's wellbeing significantly predicted a child's postmove attitude toward having moved and toward the new neighborhood. In addition, number of moves significantly and positively predicted a child's premove attitude toward moving; age and time of year moved did not.