Although the term expatriation is traditionally used for international assignments initiated by the employing company, there are a lot of so-called self-initiated expatriates as well. One may argue that self-initiated expatriates will be happier while staying abroad than company-initiated expatriates.
Fact or Fiction?
Expatriation is a broad term referring to a whole range of work experiences abroad. However, at closer inspection there are many different forms and classifications of expatriation.
When we speak of international assignees and their value, we tend to think about an expatriate employee moving from headquarters (HQ) to one of the company’s subsidiaries. A key purpose of this expatriation is the sharing of knowledge and connecting HQ to its subsidiaries. However, the role of connectors can be fulfilled not only by HQ staff transferred to a subsidiary, but also in the other direction.Thus, contrary to the term ‘expatriate’, an inpatriate is an employee that is transferred from a foreign subsidiary to the HQ.
Building relationships and making new friends is an inevitable part of building your positive expatriate experience. Having friendship ties with other expatriates or local people have both their pros and cons. Entering expat enclaves makes you feel understood but integrating into the local community is culturally more rewarding, though more difficult as well. So, what would you do, stretch for the difference or find comfort in being alike?
Have a look at what are the most frequently selected and what are the most challenging expatriate destinations.
The statement that living abroad makes you more creative is a fact. Being abroad does not make you create an artwork masterpiece, but under certain conditions, such as living, not just traveling abroad, and thorough integration into the local lifestyle and community, it may increase your creative performance and creative thinking within everyday life situations.
Moving abroad is a life-changing experience. In a foreign country people face new challenges, get introduced to a new culture, meet new people and, most importantly, learn. This is a time for new ideas, thoughts and approaches, and therefore we would assume that living abroad makes you more creative.
Fact or Fiction? Have a look at some evidence.
As my previous blog entry focused on the role of social media in expatriates’ personal life, now it is time to take a look at this from the professional side. Not only do communication technologies ease expat blues while living away from family and friends, they enable a new way, a virtual way, of organizing an international assignment.
The recent 2010 Expat Explorer Survey reports that for expatriates emotional worries cause much greater concerns than practical issues. More specifically, the survey results indicate that re-establishing a social life (41%) as well as feeling lonely and missing friends and family (34%) are topping the list of the most common expat concerns.
What is an ´average´ expat?
Take a look at the interesting data based on the 2010 Brookfield Global Relocation Survey results.
The retention of expatriates and repatriates has been and continues to be a major concern for multinational companies. However, so far the focus of researchers and managers alike has been to understand why international assignees leave the organization. In my latest study in collaboration with Maria Kraimer and Anne-Wil Harzing (2011) we decided to take a look at the retention concern from a different angle and explicitly investigate what makes international assignees stay.
Previous international experience facilitates an expatriate’s adjustment to a new country.
Fact or Fiction?
Please see the evidence…
Clearly, being an expat involves a number of important stressors in life, such as moving between countries, starting a new job or project, adjusting to a new culture, and having to build new relationships. Why is it worthwhile to tolerate these challenges?
They have many names, and expatriate is but one of them!
The debate about soft skills versus hard skills is not new in people management. These soft skills are usually differentiated from more technical skills, specialized knowledge and proficiency (also called hard skills), which traditionally have been the main focus of recruiters. However, which types of skills are more important for international assignments?
The gender distribution in the population of international assignees is not equal, with men taking a larger share of assignments than women. Fact or Fiction?
Have a look at the evidence.
