How do we understand the idea of cosmopolitanism? As an ideology and notion of self that doesn’t belong to any culture or country? As belonging to the world as a whole with no narrower cultural identifications? According to Gianpiero Petriglieri of INSEAD, cosmopolitanism is the aspiration to become a citizen of the world, it is […]
Cultural Differences: Are We Oversimplifying?
Globalism, crossing borders and interacting with people from other countries go hand in hand with cultural intelligence, that is, being aware of cultural differences, and being willing and able to adapt to them. With that notion in mind, I would dare to say that the majority of international companies take at least some initiatives towards […]
Christmas: Expats NOT Going Home?
As Christmas is around the corner, there is no better topic than writing about expats and Christmas. Last year about the same time I reflected on the unexpected difficulties of going back home for Christmas. Holidays at home may sound like a great idea indeed, as one naturally expects the comfort and familiarity of one’s […]
Expats: Love is in the Air?
Although spring is far gone, summer is leaving us, and the colder, darker and, oftentimes grumpier, seasons are ahead, I have chosen to write about expats’ love and committed relationships today. At first sight, this topic may not seem as important as matters of adjustment, organizational support, child education possibilities and host country climate; yet, […]
Expats vs. Immigrants: (How Much) Do We Discriminate?
On the surface it seems that discrimination based on race, gender and sexual orientation is fading into the past. For example, the times of separated public transport, schools and eating establishments based on race, which were part of a philosophy of ‘separate but equal’ in the US, are long gone. Instead, today is about equality […]
Returning Back Home: Losing All the Magic?
Alongside the topic of cross-cultural adjustment upon relocation, the topic of repatriation back home is also receiving increasing attention. Multinational organizations are concerned with the turnover of repatriated expats, the population of international workers and students are made aware of reverse culture shock, and travel bloggers write about feeling misplaced and having the insatiable travel […]
The Short-Termism of Expatriates: Ideas and Implications
Have you ever been in a situation where you needed to buy a piece of clothing just for one single event or occasion, knowing that you would not use it much afterwards? If so, I bet you didn’t spend much time to pick it and much money to spend on it. Similarly, have you ever […]
The F-Day
‘It’s F-Day – the day half the world has awaited with bated breath for the past two years’ – that is the introduction for one of the many articles covering one of the most recent hot topics in the business world. Specifically, F-Day refers to the 1st of July 2014, which is when a new […]