Organizations that put an aggressive international business strategy into practice send their finest people on international assignments to develop intercontinental associations and to assure the firm’s global occurrence as well. These internationally deployed ‘expatriates’ try to utilize their energies in the best way to achieve the firm’s core objectives. It is a not a simple process for employers to send employees and in some cases their families to the international location. In order to accept and settle in a new and unknown cultural setup, many adjustments need to be made by both the employer and employees for performing their professional duties. Regardlessness of nationality and new social pyramids to adopt various other issues may affect expatriate’s physiological and psychological states. Although these employees may have great career opportunities as compares to those offered in the domestic market, many fear factors could frequently be found among expatriates (Selmer 50).
1) To pursue new business opportunities, employers must go through a proper research over results of diversification and need to select highly competent employees by all mean to perform business activities. As a strategic partner human resource (HR) division keenly analyse all possible risks that an expat might face and develop a plan of actions including repatriation line up before departure. Cultural and language barriers, social and religious ideologies, health care systems, customs and values practices, eating patterns and lifestyles, local laws, family boundaries and children upbringing can be major hurdles which expats can experience. These risks components can be handled effectively by providing general knowledge of culture via different tools, cultural orientation of host country and by provide training to develop coping sense, structured optimistic personality personas, enhance acceptance behaviour and most important to keep company’s priorities over expats’ own issues.
2) Expatriates are considered important for business expansion in the global market. The measures of success and failures of expatriates are very much apparent as the expats who successfully meet the contract terms, and conditions imply success and pre-return expats result in a failure. It is not possible to precisely estimate the failure causes, but it is easy to identify sources of discomforts that question mark expats capabilities and competencies. Researchers believe that ‘simplicity’ and ‘misleading” are two key issues of failures. Moreover, limited or less cross-cultural knowledge, family issues, and irrelevant training can also cause upset expats (Selmer 97).
3) Successful Expatriation may fail due to the feeling of homesickness experienced by expats or family illness that makes it impossible to continue working overseas. Spouse employment and spouse career issues may also cause distress among expats. During the expatriation period, various phases from honeymoon phase to realization phase are observed. In this situation, the HR division plays a major role to best tailor the spouse plan for an expat. A partner is the best supporter in the expat’s life. Therefore, the HR should best address expats’ issues and make some sound initiatives to make best expatriation conditions (Selmer 49).
4) Although international tasks offer great career opportunities, some aspects should be clear before making the deciding to accept the offer. When an individual needs to decide to move abroad, he or she must analyse the balance between work and family. Benefits and drawbacks of the decision must be acknowledged and evaluated. The HR department wisely nominates the name of potential employee among the pool of employees for international placement, therefore, the nominee does not want to lose this opportunity. The most common anxieties which a nominated employee expresses are general compensation and benefits, cost of living allowance, goods and services differentials, tax reimbursement and tax compliance, visa policies, assignment or project tasks and children education assistance, home leaves, relocation time period, spouse career and payroll clearance (Hallam 188).
5) It is difficult for a winning expat to return easily. Differences in cultural and social experiences can develop confusing and discomforted boundaries around successful expats to re-recognise the home culture again. Many returning expatriates want to share their best and enthusiastic adventures and experiences. Many organizations not typically believe to design and implement repatriation training and plan for home returning employees. However, firms should deeply go through with the following steps to reduce the potential losses and difficulties of foreign homecoming employees.
• Must acknowledge their achievements and contributions.
• Design repatriation cultural training that helps them to differentiate between new and old cultures.
• Provide professional coaching.
• Avoid demoralisation and undervaluing feelings.
Works Cited
Hallam, Andrew. The Global Expatriate's Guide to Investing. Singapore: Wiley, 2014. Print.
Selmer, Jan. Expatriates Management. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1995. Print.
