Several empirical and theoretical researches continuously report on the lack of knowledge and understanding within the field of assessing value of international assignments. A recent article by Australian scholars McNulty and De Cieri (2011) contribute to our limited knowledge by presenting a framework of expatriate ROI from the perspective of long-term assignments.
Expat partner roles identified
A recent expatriate study by Finnish scholars Mäkelä, Känsälä and Suutari (2011) looked into the partner roles of expatriates and identified six different types, namely “supporting”, “flexible”, “determining”, “restricting”, “instrumental”, and “equal partner” roles.
Highly mobile expatriates don’t attach any sense of home to the different places they travel to? Some evidence.
Whether expatriates do not feel ‘at home’ in the host country and refer to their country of origin as their home can be true for some expats and false for others, as it depends on many factors. However, the notion that expatriates overall lose a feeling of home and become ‘placeless’ needs to be contested.
Take a look at some evidence.
Expatriate compensation: a review
From an organizational perspective, thinking about expatriation often starts with thinking about expatriate compensation.
Broadly speaking, we can differentiate between two different approaches to expatriate compensation: the balance sheet approach and the going rate approach. Have a look at the review.
Expatriates have less work-life balance abroad than at home. Some evidence.
The statement that expatriates have less work-life balance abroad than at home is a Fact. Expatriate survey findings indicate that expatriates spend longer hours at work than they do in their home countries, working on average 13.4 hours per week more.
Expatriation close-up – Calling things by their right names
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.
Friendships abroad: stretch for the difference or find comfort in being alike?
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?
Social media create another form of expatriate – a virtual one
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.
Social media help to ease “Expat Blues”
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.
Statement: Previous international experience facilitates an expatriate’s adjustment to a new country.
Previous international experience facilitates an expatriate’s adjustment to a new country.
Fact or Fiction?
Please see the evidence…
Statement: Starting an expatriate assignment requires more company support than repatriation
Company support at the outset of the assignment is much more important than when completing the assignment and returning home.
Fact or Fiction?
Have a look at the evidence..