Repatriation

Questions about repatriation should be addressed before assignment begins Issues of: Professional readjustment Psychological/social re adjustment Concepts Lecture Three Role of international assignees Agent of control expatriates can be a bureaucratic control mechanism for ensuring compliance through direct supervision Agent of socialization There is an expectation that expatriates will assist in the transfer shared values and beliefs. Knowledge sharing and competence transfer. Network builder - assignments are a way of developing social capital. Making interpersonal relationships can be useful for informal control and communication purposes. Boundary spanner expatriates are spanners because they can collect hostcountry information, act as representatives of their firms in the host country and can influence agents Overcome skills shortages. Develop global leadership. Diffusion of Knowledge

Cultural/Institutional adjustment - Social Cultural Environment (communication, relations to locals, norms etc) - General Environment (Directions, transportation, climate, living standards etc) - Work Environment (relates directly to job performance) Honeymoon ->Culture Shock->Pulling Up ->Adjustment

Lecture Four Types of Adjustment Assimilation - Go Native Integration - Dual Citizen Marginalize - Free Agent Separation - Hearts at Home

Modes of Adjustment Replication assignee attempts not to change or to change the environment. Absorption assignee attempts to change only themselves. Determination assignee attempts to change environment. Exploration- combines absorption and determination. Withdrawal avoids engagement at any level.

Lecture Five Return on Investment A calculation in which the financial and non-financial benefits to the firm are compared with the financial and non-financial costs of the international assignment, as is relevant and appropriate to the assignments purpose Continuous Assignment Review R.O.I mobility Champion a specific manager who is in charge of expatriate success on assignment. They track the progress of assignment and assignee. Lecture Seven Repatriation Phases - Preparation tidying up. - Physical relocation the physical act of removal. Of importance here is the need to reduce the uncertainty, stress and disruption experienced by the expatriate and family. - Transition Re-settling. - Readjustment dealing with reverse culture shock etc

Readjustment Factors Job-related factors 1) Career Anxiety: out of sight/out of mind, demotion upon return/guaranteed re-entry position, restructuring, retrenchment 2) The Value of International Experience Traditionally undervalued but this has changed in recent years Returnees may face less challenging work and global talent requires challenge to be retained.. Career development Plan

3) Coping with Re-entry role Re-adjustment will depend partly on the type of adjustment they made overseas. In the case Mark Chan & co. integrated well into the new setting. Role clarity, role conflict and role discretion appear to be linked to positive re-adjustment.

4) Loss of status and Pay - The big fish and the small pond. - Pay and benefits.