Cross-Cultural

Adjustment
of

International Management_ Group 1

s3298145 Lee Seul A

Expatriates

s3298176 Tran Hoai Thu

s3310134
Linh

Nguyen Thi Phuong

CONTENTS
Expatriates
-

Expatriation

Advantages of expatriation

Expatriation failure

Cross-cultural adjustment process: U-curve

Contribution factors of successful adjustment

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Survey
10 expatriates from Western country
10 expatriates from Asian country
Key Survey Questions
What was the most important contribution
to your adaption of living in Vietnam?
What was your most unforgettable experience of
culture shock in Vietnam?
What would have been helpful for you to adjust to
the culture in Vietnam better/faster?
Do you have any advice for future expatriates?
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Expatriates (Expat)
Those who are living in a country
which is not their own

Ki
m

Ma
rk
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Sa
m

Expatriation

55% of revenues

from international operations

(Forbes 2000 cited in McCaughey & Bruning 2005)

Globalization
Expansion to Foreign
Expatriate
marketemployees

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Advantages of Expatriation
Facilitate communication and coordination
Forming relationship with host country
Increase managers international experience
and knowledge

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Expatriation Failure
High
Failure rate

16-70 %

depending on the host country

(Sims&Schraeder 2004 cited in Anne-Wil Harzing &Christensen 2004)

Substantial
loss

Average cost of failure

$65.000 ~ $300.000
(Zeira &Banai 1985 cited in Anne-Wil Harzing &Christensen 2004)

WHY
Inadequate cross-cultural
adjustment
?

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Cross-cultural adjustment process

Able to function
First week
Start to deal with effectively
Fascinated
theabout
real daily
new and conditions
different
culture
Learn to adapt to
Stressed,
the new culture
depressed ,
negative
even physicalReduce
ill
reaction to the
culture

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Proposed Model of
Cross-cultural adjustment
Dependent
variable

Independent
variables
Job Satisfaction
Family Support

Love & admiration, spousal adjustment

Cross-cultural
adjustment

An individual's motivation, desire, or

Learning Orientation
readiness to learn (Porter &Tansky, 1999)
develop an understanding of the value,
Organization
expected behaviors
, andSocialization
social knowledge

Cross-cultural Training
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Implication of Survey

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References
Anne-Wil Harzing & Christensen, C. 2004, "THINK PIECE: Expatriate
failure: time to abandon the concept?",Career Development
International,vol. 9, no. 6, pp. 616-626.
Chatman, J.A. (1991). Matching people and organizations:
Selection and socialization in public accounting firms.
Administrative Science Quarterly, 36,459-484.
Deresky, H. & Christopher, E. 2008, International Management:
Managing Across Borders and Cultures, Pearson Education
Australia.
McCaughey, D. & Bruning, N. 2005, "Enhancing Opportunities for
Expatriate Job Satisfaction: HR Strategies for Foreign Assignment
Success",People and Strategy,vol. 28, no. 4, pp. 21-29.
Porter, G. & Tansky, J. W. ( 1999). Expatriate success may depend
on learning orientation: Considerations for selection and training.
Human Resource Management, 38(1), 47-60.

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