CH. 8 CROSS-CULTURAL TRANSITIONS: EXPATRIATE ENTRY AND REENTRY

CH. 8 CROSS-CULTURAL TRANSITIONS: EXPATRIATE ENTRY AND REENTRY By Nancy Adler

I. GLOBAL ASSIGNMENTS • A. SOURCES • Home country: expatriates; inpatriates • Third country: transpatriates • Host country: locals • B. PROCESS • Recruitment • Selection • Orientation sessions • Foreign assignment • Debriefing • Reentry

II. ENTERING A NEW CULTURE • A. CULTURE SHOCK • 6 months • Excitement of travel • Disillusionment of new place • Culture shock: reaction to unpredictable environment • Positive sign: shows sensitivity and adjustment • Manage the stress and learn the culture • Develop expertise in new culture • How to manage in the office • How to survive in the new environment

Stress • Causes • Change, newness, confusion • Failure in the office • Signs • Anger, anxiety, disappointment • Embarrassment, frustration • Insomnia, stomachaches,headaches • Reduction of stress • Physical exercise • Meditation and relaxation techniques • Journaling • Stability zones: home hotel, movies from home, familiar music • In the office: learn how to manage locally

Adjusting to living and working abroad • Learn what is meaningful and what isn’t • Learn what “yes” means • Learn what to focus on and what to ignore • Learn cultural behavior and individual behavior • Learn the language • Cross cultural appreciation • Cross cultural problem solving • Ineffective adjustments • Blaming host nationals • Blaming the company • Blaming one’s spouse • Blaming people at work

III. MANAGING EXPATRIATES EFFECTIVELY, EQUITABLY, AND ETHICALLY • A. ADJUSTING TO AMERICA • B. THE MORALITY OF HAVING FUN • IV. COMING HOME: REENTERING ONE’S OWN CULTURE • A. CULTURE SHOCK • Expect nothing has changed; but everything has • Family, friends, activities, house, job, culture • Remember things ideally • Have to readjust to a new culture • High mood, low mood, adjustment • 6 months

V. PROFESSIONAL REENTRY • A. STATUS CHANGE • 20% executives leave • No job • Reduced responsibilities • Colleagues have moved up • Job has changed; lack skills • International skills not appreciated • Frustrated with inefficiencies and bureaucracy • B. EFFECTIVENESS • Home country bosses see returnees as more effective than returnees see themselves

C. XENOPHOBIC RESPONSE • Individual returnees do not rate themselves same way as bosses • Bosses rate those as “least foreign” as most effective • Do not use foreign language • Do not have foreign friends • Were not born in foreign country • Bosses rate those as most effective • Did not explicitly use the skills and learnings gained abroad • Xenophobic response: fear of thingsforeign • This view is no longer acceptable • Managers are in learning race

D. WHAT DO MANAGERS LEARN ABROAD? • Managerial skills, not technical skills • Tolerance for ambiguity • Multiple perspectives • Ability to work with and manage others • E. TRANSITION STRATEGIES • Resocialized returnees • Do not use globally acquired skillsand learnings • Fit back into domestic structure • Most returnees • Alienated returnees • “go native” – assimilate foreign values and lifestyle • Reject home culture and become isolated back home

Proactive reenterers • Neither reject own or foreign culture • Combine aspects of both to create new approach • Recognize and use globally acquired skills • See themselves as more effective: synergistic approach • F. MANAGING REENTRY • Level of communication • Increase level of communication withhome office • Recognize both positive and negativeaspects • Extent of validation • The more validation for internationalassignment, the higher performance • “find a job within the company”

VI. UNDERUTILIZED GLOBAL MANAGERS • A. FIRMS CAN INCREASE EFFECTIVENESS • Stay in contact with expats • Plan for their return • Recognize value of their international experience • B. REENTRY DEBRIEFINGS • Facilitate transition back home • Management asks returnees what theylearned • Work together to integrate new skillsinto ongoing management • Increases global sophistication of all managers • Transcend personal experience and integrate perceptions into organization

VII. COACHING WOMEN FOR GLOBAL MANAGERIAL SUCCESS • A. FIRMS HESITATE TO SEND WOMEN ABROAD • Females 30% of MBAs, 14% in foreign postings • Males overestimate problems awaiting women • B. MISLEADING MYTHS • Global experience is not that important • Given my family commitments, I cannottake a global assignment • For global managers, being a woman is a disadvantage • Certain cultures make it impossible for women executives to succeed • To be taken seriously, a woman executive must hide her role as wife and mother

CH. 8 CROSS-CULTURAL TRANSITIONS: EXPATRIATE ENTRY AND REENTRY