So Far Away yet So Close: Nostalgia Facilitates Repatriation Success

Abstract

Repatriation often fails, as manifested by low job satisfaction among the repatriates. Cultural distance between home and host countries exacerbates the challenges of repatriation. We theorized and found evidence that feeling nostalgic about a host culture (i.e., hostalgia) contributes to repatriation success. Specifically, we studied a sample of over 700 international teachers who worked in the U.S. (host country) and then returned to their home countries. Results suggested that cultural distance was negatively associated with repatriates’ job satisfaction when hostalgia was low but not when hostalgia was high, and that the relationship was mediated by self-continuity. The findings have implications for (a) the literatures on multicultural experience, international adjustment, and organizational effectiveness, and (b) the emotion of nostalgia and its contribution to repatriation success.