Surviving Expatriate Adjustment

This book aims to unravel failure and adjustment factors of expatriate employees and their families in terms of individual and contextual determinants. The author aims to help prospective expatriates to perform a self assessment that will improve insight into their particular risk factors and contribute towards crafting individual development plans that will prepare them for expatriate life.

With the trends of business operations becoming more global, the effective employment of expatriate employees has become of critical strategic importance. To ensure the success of an expatriate assignment, greater attention needs to be paid to expatriate adjustment to both the work and socio-cultural environment. Expatriate employees can cost an average of up to three times the cost of a similar level employee in their home country, and the successful assessment, selection and adjustment of expatriates are important to ensure the successful completion of their contracts. The author hopes to reveal to expatriate candidates, their accompanying family members and expatriate employers the psychological, socio-cultural, family and contextual adjustment factors and preconditions. In addition, the book attempts to assist with developing the necessary precautions before failure is experienced by the individual and the organization, which could result in great financial and emotional losses on both sides. To accomplish the above objectives the book will attempt to answer the following questions: • What are the typical causes of failure of the majority of expatriate assignments? • What does the typical personality profile of a successful expatriate look like? • What knowledge, skills and attitudes/dispositions would improve an expatriate’s chances of success? • What are the individual and family-related factors that influence expatriate adjustment and success? • How do expatriates and their accompanying families typically respond to expatriate life? • How can expatriates improve their chances of successful adjustment to their host countries and the expatriate assignment? • What are key attributes that potential ex-pats should be able to compromise/give up?

Dr Rudolph Young has been a Human Resources professional in the international financial services, retail, logistics, educational and consulting sectors for more than three decades. During his career he has worked on strategic HR assignments and cross-cultural executive coaching in the UK, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. He is the co-author of the book Managing Information Systems Professionals and has written frequently about International Human Resources Management topics. Rudolph is the recipient of several HR service awards and he regularly speaks at international conferences. He has studied at the Universities of Leicester, Derby, Stellenbosch, and Cape Town where his academic achievements include degrees in Psychology, Cultural Anthropology, Human Resources and Information Technology Management, an MSc in International HR Management, MBA and a Doctorate in Applied Psychology.