Repatriation Experiences Research Articles

Repatriation of European female corporate executives: an empirical study

The increased internationalization of business in recent years has made the understanding of international human resource management problems more important for executives in multinational companies. In recent years, researchers have paid considerable attention to the issues of adjustment of managers to international assignments. Interestingly, comparatively little research has been undertaken on the topic of repatriation, i.e. re-entry and readjustment of international managers and their families to their home countries. Despite the growth of women in international management there are very few studies that document the repatriation experiences of female international managers. In particular, very few studies have been conducted outside North America on the topic of repatriation of female corporate executives. This paper reports on the experiences of re-entry to home organizations and home countries by an exclusively senior sample of female international managers in Western Europe. Based on extensive empirical research, the findings establish that the repatriation phase of the international career move may be even more stressful than expatriation. The findings also establish that female international managers experience more difficulties than their male counterparts because of their pioneering roles. Finally, the paper suggests that home-based mentors and access to networks while abroad are important factors in contributing to the successful repatriation of international managers. The research findings make a theoretical contribution, not only to the analysis of gender and international human resource management but, also, to wider debates within the contemporary women in management and career theory literatures.

A Framework and Model for Studying the Repatriation Experiences of Expatriates from Developing Nations

ABSTRACT Why is the issue of repatriation relevant for Malaysian expatriates and Malaysian Multinational Enterprises as well as for expatriates from other developing nations? Repatriation is in need of further examination, as it pertains to people of all nations, not just to Westerners serving Western enterprises abroad. For example, Malaysian expatriates are in increasing demand by Malaysian enterprises which are growing into regional and global competitors. The focus here is on presenting a framework and model for future research into the study of repatriation's relevance to developing nations. Extensive interview and questionnaire data were gathered on six Malaysian expatriates, three academics who studied abroad, and three business people who were assigned overseas. These data were consolidated to form two composite Malaysian to present a framework and model of repatriation that is flexible enough to systematize research and be adapted for practical use in developing nations as well as for comparative research purposes.

Repatriation transitions: psychological preparedness, cultural identity, and attributions among American managers

The research examined preparedness for repatriation, cultural identity change, and attributions of causality on the repatriation experience. Forty-four American managers returning from 6 months to 4 years abroad participated in the study. In line with the predictions, preparedness for repatriation and cultural identity change predicted repatriation distress. Those repatriates who were the least prepared and had the most cultural identity change experienced more severe repatriate distress. Additionally, confirming a third hypothesis, sojourners attributed the cause of the distress more to situational locus of causality, more to external control and less to personal control. Preparedness and repatriation experience were assessed by several new author-designed measures. The repatriation preparedness scale, the psychological subscale of the repatriation experience assessment, and a scale of self-change as an outcome of overseas living were highly internally consistent.

Posttraumatic stress disorder and other predictors of health care consumption by Vietnam veterans.

A total of 641 randomly selected Australian veterans of the Vietnam War were interviewed about their use of health care in the previous two weeks to determine what factors contributed to health care consumption. Seventy-three variables were examined by univariate linear regression and then grouped into seven categories relating to age, physical and mental health, predisposition to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), deployment and repatriation experiences, and membership in veterans groups. PTSD was associated with an additional cost of $79 in health care for the two-week period. Each physical diagnosis was associated with an additional $28. Alcohol consumption was not related to health care costs. Other important variables contributing to costs were depression, educational status, the quality of the repatriation experience, and social support.

Guest Commentary: A Review and Framework for Studying the Repatriation Experiences of Malaysian Faculty

The repatriation process often is assumed to be an easy one when in fact it is not. The literature on repatriation is predominantly Western; therefore, this issue needs further examination as it pertains to people of all nationalities. A framework for further systematic study of developing nation expatriates is presented together with some preliminary results of an exploratory nature, based on extensive interviews and questionnaire data gathered on seven Malaysian faculty. We present these results in the form of a composite case to protect confidentiality of our small sample of subjects. Our focus is on reverse culture shock upon repatriation. We conclude with a reminder that this is exploratory research, and as such has several limitations, and with some suggestions for a more systematic approach to future research on repatriation. ABSTRAK Proses repatriasi sering diandaikan sebagai proses yang mudah sedangkan ia tidak. Kebanyakan kajian tentang repatriasi dijalankan di Barat; oleh itu, isu ini perlu dikaji dengan lebih mendalam lagi kerana ia melibatkan orang dari negara-negara Timur juga. Satu rangka bagi kajian sistematik tentang ekspatriat dari negara-negara membangun dikemukakan bersama-sama dapatan awal kajian rintisan ini. Data diperoleh daripada tujuh ahli akademik di Malaysia melalui temu bual terperinci dan soal selidik. Hasil kajian dikemukakan dalam bentuk kes komposit bagi menunjamin kerahsiaan subjek, memandangkan saiz sampel adalah kecil. Fokus kajian kami ialah isu kejutan budaya songsangan sewaktu repatriusi. Oleh sebah kajian ini hanya kajian rintisan, kami telah menyatakan beberapa kelemahannya.Kami juga mengemukakan beberapa cadangan bagi menjalankan kajian repatriusi yang lebih bersistematik pada masa akan datang.

Explaining Differences in Repatriation Experiences: The Discovery of Coupled and Decoupled Systems

We report the results of a four-year, multiphase study on the overseas assignment at General Motors Corporation (GM). Our objective is to explain variation in the repatriation experiences of International Service Personnel (ISPs). While our principal focus is the documentation of an inductive discovery process facilitated through interviews with a wide variety of GM employees, we also present a preliminary test of an explanatory hypothesis. The hypothesis states that variation in repatriation experiences is related directly to variation in the structure and ideology of organizational units that send and receive ISPs. Units with direct linkages between GM's domestic and overseas operations (coupled systems) are associated with a pro-international ideology and positive ISP repatriation experiences. Units with no administrative or operational linkages between the domestic and overseas arenas (decoupled systems) are associated with an anti-international ideology and negative ISP repatriation experiences. Our findings suggest that the structural and ideological properties of organizational units affect both repatriation from overseas assignments and ISP career paths.