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van Bakel M, Vance CM. Breaking out of the expatriate bubble in Denmark: insights from the challenge of making connections with local Danes. JOURNAL OF GLOBAL MOBILITY: THE HOME OF EXPATRIATE MANAGEMENT RESEARCH 2023. [DOI: 10.1108/jgm-06-2022-0022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
PurposeThe social context of expatriation is crucial for expatriate success, including for building local host country national (HCN) social network support that can facilitate effective adjustment through information exchange. However, expatriates have particular difficulties in breaking out of the expatriate bubble and building social ties with HCNs in certain countries, especially in Scandinavia. This paper focuses on the case of Denmark and explains why many expatriates find it difficult to make social connections with Danes.Design/methodology/approachThis study involves a meta-ethnography of literature on Danish culture, as well as semistructured interviews with a total of 16 expatriates in Denmark.FindingsThree main cultural elements are identified as crucial for explaining the difficulty expatriates face in connecting with Danes, namely homogeneity, the value placed on equality and the public–private divide. The homogeneity and inward-looking mentality make it more difficult for outsiders to break into the social circle. Outsiders have to earn the trust that is difficult to obtain, reflecting Denmark's high score on GLOBE's institutional collectivism.Practical implicationsIn light of the challenges that many expatriates face in creating a new social network abroad, organizations can support them in several ways. The authors discuss context-specific strategies for making new social connections in Denmark, which may be usefully applied in other countries.Originality/valueThis study focuses on the context of expatriate social network formation and shows that cultural differences in socializing affect the ease with which expatriates can make connections with HCNs, who can have a positive impact on expatriate adjustment and performance success.
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Primecz H. Expatriate bubbles in Dubai: expatriates from West and East cohabitating with locals. JOURNAL OF GLOBAL MOBILITY: THE HOME OF EXPATRIATE MANAGEMENT RESEARCH 2023. [DOI: 10.1108/jgm-06-2022-0032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
PurposeFocussing on the stratification of expatriates and the boundaries between different types of expatriates and locals, this study investigates the lived experiences and testimonies of Eastern European expatriates and their relationships in Dubai. The purpose of this article to develop the current knowledge on expatriates cohabiting in a cosmopolitan city by providing empirical evidence on expatriate bubbles in Dubai.Design/methodology/approachExplorative qualitative research was conducted using online and face-to-face interviews, along with a week-long intensive ethnography with observations, interviews and informal discussions.FindingsThree distinct groups of people live in Dubai, namely, Westerners, expatriates from the East and Emiratis. They hardly mingle with each other on equal terms, but they do work in a complementary fashion. In Dubai, the status of East European experts, a subgroup of Westerners, is similar to their Western counterparts and in that they are considered European. Consequently, they experience a slight status development in comparison to when they work in the West. The research provides evidence on social stratification of expatriate bubbles.Research limitations/implicationsThis very short ethnography with a relatively small number of qualitative interviews could be complemented by a further in-depth study.Originality/valueExpatriate bubbles have not previously been empirically investigated from an Eastern European perspective, nor has the unique case of Dubai been analysed extensively. Distinct expatriate bubbles with their stratified hierarchies have been identified in this study.
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Horak S, Paik Y. Informal network context: deepening the knowledge and extending the boundaries of social network research in international human resource management. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/09585192.2022.2090268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sven Horak
- The Peter J. Tobin College of Business, St. John’s University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yongsun Paik
- Department of Management, College of Business Administration, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Yamao S, Yoshikawa T, Choi D, Toh SM. When do host country nationals help expatriates? The roles of identification with the multinational enterprise and career development support by the subsidiary. JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intman.2020.100778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Faeth PC, Kittler MG. Expatriate management in hostile environments from a multi-stakeholder perspective – a systematic review. JOURNAL OF GLOBAL MOBILITY: THE HOME OF EXPATRIATE MANAGEMENT RESEARCH 2020. [DOI: 10.1108/jgm-07-2019-0035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
PurposeThe successful management of business expatriates and their families in hostile environments (HE) is a current concern for academics and human resources (HR) practitioners alike. Terrorism and other forms of violent crime have become salient topics on the public agenda, and international organizations are increasingly affected. Hence, scholarly interest in the HR implications for organizations sending staff to HEs has recently grown, and a nascent research area has emerged. This paper is the first systematic review synthesizing emerging literature in the field of expatriate management in HEs and its theoretical foundations, applying a multi-stakeholder perspective.Design/methodology/approachFollowing accepted review procedures, systematic searches were conducted across three major databases. Manual search in target journals provided additional scrutiny.FindingsAfter analysing 28 articles, four main stakeholders were identified as follows: environments, expatriates, assigning organizations and the expatriates' social networks. Findings reveal the ways of how all stakeholders can affect expatiation success or be affected so that the success of the assignment is jeopardised.Originality/valueOur paper illustrates how these diverse articles can be linked within a comprehensive multi-stakeholder framework and provides avenues for future research. We also shift attention to neglected theoretical perspectives that might further improve the understanding of expatriates in HEs while offering actionable guidance for managerial and organizational practices.
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Noethen D, Alcazar R. Experimental research in expatriation and its challenges: A literature review and recommendations. GERMAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT-ZEITSCHRIFT FUR PERSONALFORSCHUNG 2020. [DOI: 10.1177/2397002220908424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Via a systematic literature review, this article draws attention to the alarming scarcity of experimental studies and the ensuing shortness of evidence for causality in the field of expatriate management. Only 17 articles could be identified, published over more than 20 years, which utilize randomized experiments or quasi-experiments on topics of expatriation. Moreover, these articles show specific patterns, such as dealing exclusively with pre-departure and on-assignment issues, or, in their majority, sampling individuals who interact with expatriates rather than expatriates themselves. This lack of experimental studies is problematic, as it is difficult to establish causality between different variables without conducting experimental studies. Yet many critical issues in expatriation are precisely questions of causality. Hence, in this article, we provide resources to help move the expatriation field toward a more balanced use of different research methodologies and, thus, a greater understanding of the many relationships uncovered in past research. First, we identify four main challenges unique to conducting experimental research in the context of expatriation: Challenging data access, global sample dispersion, restricted manipulability of variables, and cultural boundedness of constructs and interpretations. Second, we provide strategies to overcome these challenges, based on studies included in the review as well as taking ideas from neighboring fields such as cross-cultural psychology. The article concludes with a discussion of how experimental research can take the field of expatriation forward and improve the decision-making process of practitioners managing international assignees.
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Andersen N. Mapping the expatriate literature: a bibliometric review of the field from 1998 to 2017 and identification of current research fronts. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/09585192.2019.1661267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Njål Andersen
- Department of Leadership and Organizational Behaviour, BI Norwegian Business School, Oslo, Norway
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Nery-Kjerfve T, Wang J. Transfer from expatriate to local contracts: a multiple case study of an unexpected career transition. HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT INTERNATIONAL 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/13678868.2019.1570776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jia Wang
- Department of Education Administration and Human Resource Development, Texas A & M University, College Station, USA
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Adler NJ, Aycan Z. Cross-Cultural Interaction: What We Know and What We Need to Know. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY AND ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR 2018. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-032117-104528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Pervasive forms of worldwide communication now connect us instantly and constantly, and yet we all too often fail to understand each other. Rather than benefiting from our globally interconnected reality, the world continues to fall back on divisiveness, a widening schism exacerbated by some of the most pronounced divisions in history along lines of wealth, culture, religion, ideology, class, gender, and race. Cross-cultural dynamics are rife within multinational organizations and among people who regularly work with people from other cultures. This article reviews what we know from our scholarship on cross-cultural interaction among expatriates, negotiators, and teams that work in international contexts. Perhaps more important, this article outlines what we need to learn—and to unlearn—to be able to see diversity as an asset in helping individuals, organizations, and society to succeed rather than continuing to understand it primarily as a source of problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy J. Adler
- Desautels Faculty of Management, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 1G5
| | - Zeynep Aycan
- Department of Psychology, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey 34460
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