| Although the growth in expatriate assignments | | | | Noteworthy is that the relational ability of |
| slowed significantly during 2007 and 2008, | | | | expatriates in regard to host country nationals has |
| economic growth in newly industrialized countries | | | | been found to support both interaction among |
| is picking up in 2009. With increasing GDP-figures | | | | expatriate and host country nationals and |
| growing numbers of expatriates are sought to fill | | | | expatriate effectiveness. As well, relation skills are |
| managerial positions in developing economies. | | | | also important when adjusting to new cultures. A |
| Despite the increased demand for expatriate | | | | meta-analytic study of 8,474 expatriates in 66 |
| employment, expatriate failure rates remain high | | | | studies concluded that cultural adjustment is |
| and costly. Overall, financial costs of failed | | | | "perhaps the strongest determinant of |
| expatriate assignments have been estimated | | | | disengagement and withdrawal decisions |
| between $2 and $2.5 billion in recent research. | | | | (Bhaskar-Shrinivas et al., 2005, p.273)." A clear |
| Personal effects include for example reduced | | | | relationship between levels of adjustment and |
| self-esteem, ego and reputation, which may | | | | overall performance was established. |
| affect careers. It has also been observed that | | | | Lastly, group processes on the work floor play |
| employees who fail in an overseas assignment | | | | role that were previously unaccounted for. |
| have more difficulty in adjusting to corporate | | | | Individuals recognize that memberships of various |
| structures when back at home. | | | | groups get incorporated into the self-concept, |
| Not surprisingly, expatriate selection practices | | | | therefore, these social identifications have |
| have been critically reviewed during the last | | | | important consequences for behavior. Group |
| decades. Where leadership skills, technical | | | | categorization was found to be negatively related |
| competence and domestic track record were | | | | to the provision of social support by host country |
| viewed as the prime selection criteria until the | | | | nationals in recent research. Interaction between |
| 1990s, senior executives in 2005 considered the | | | | groups has a positive effect on group and work |
| ability to control emotions as more important than | | | | effectiveness, however, expatriates' ethnocentric |
| technical skills. Traditional selection criteria are now | | | | beliefs have been found to emphasize group |
| considered additional to softer selection criteria. | | | | differences resulting in various negative |
| The observation that technical training and current | | | | consequences. These negative consequences are |
| cross-cultural training programmes do not seem | | | | related to intergroup behaviour and fall back on |
| to address expatriate failure complicates matters. | | | | social identity and categorization processes. |
| During the 1980s and 1990s it became obvious | | | | Therefore, appropriate expatriate selection |
| that expatriate maladjustment was a main cause | | | | processes should emphasize non-ethnocentric |
| of ineffective expatriate performance and | | | | traits and soft skills in expatriates next to |
| premature returns. Which additional skills and | | | | additional harder selection criteria. A 'misfit' will |
| competencies are then required to make | | | | likely affect the expatriate's adjustment process |
| expatriation a success? | | | | as well as the psychological wellbeing of |
| Firstly, several selection criteria are not related to | | | | expatriates. |
| individual skills but are of utmost relevance. Family | | | | Cross-cultural training could provide potential |
| suitably, opportunities for spouse employment, | | | | expatriates access to the evaluations of their |
| possible disruptions of the children's education, for | | | | strengths and weaknesses in acculturation-related |
| instance, will affect expatriate job satisfaction and | | | | skills in order to focus training on skills that need |
| the intent to complete the assignment. The Global | | | | development. However, not all skills and traits are |
| Relocation Trends 2005 survey report found that | | | | 'trainable.' Appropriate expatriate selection |
| for 67% of respondents family concerns were | | | | procedures focusing on the right balance of soft |
| the dominant cause of premature return and that | | | | hard skills and non-ethnocentric traits may |
| spouse/partner dissatisfaction was the number | | | | prevent future expatriate failure. The potential |
| one reason for assignment failure. | | | | valuable input in cross-cultural training of the host |
| Secondly, soft skills such as relation skills affect | | | | country employees in identifying specific work |
| expatriate success significantly. | | | | interaction demands could assist expatriates in |
| Agreeableness or non-judgementalism were, in a | | | | making the required transition. Expatriates do not |
| recent study, considered to be an important | | | | act in a vacuum; the interaction in a social web |
| predictor of both adjustment and performance. | | | | strongly impacts on their adjustment and |
| Further, cross-cultural communication skills and | | | | wellbeing. Appropriate attention to strategies that |
| personal characteristics in dealing with host | | | | enhance positive interaction at the workplace |
| country nationals have been found key variables. | | | | therefore seems desirable. |