Determining the Types of Training and Development Supports for Expatriates

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the types of training and development supports provided to expatriates prior to the departure, after arrival, and upon repatriation. This study used qualitative approach to gather valuable views from four human resource practitioners with regards to training and development programmes offered by the companies. The findings revealed that many companies provide relocation supports, language training, cross-cultural training and orientation to expatriates and their family members before assignment and after arrival to enhance their adaptability and familiarization to the host country environment, culture, as well as to reduce the culture shock effect.

Nepali Migrant Workers and the Need for Pre-departure Training on Mental Health: A Qualitative Study

“…Migration is a stress-inducing phenomenon [25,26] and migrant workers have to cope with psychologically stressful conditions, for example, lack of preparation and difficulties in adjusting to the new environment, which may lead to depression and anxiety [25,27]. Cross-cultural training and orientation to migrant workers may enhance their adaptability to and familiarization with the host country environment [28]. As most Nepali labour migrant workers are from low educational background and may not be fully aware of potential health risks (including mental health), an orientation programme may help to minimize the risks through: (a) offering sessions to improve language skills they communicate at work; (b) providing adequate information about health risk such as 'what causes poor mental health' and offer information about the service points they may visit to access information and health care; (c) encourage to enroll for health insurance; and, (d) conducting awareness programme focusing on female migrant workers to reduce physical abuse including violence.…”

Repatriation: a qualitative study of repatriates after returning from China assignments

“…Primary, open-ended questions were used to begin the conversation (Guttormsen, 2016; Richardson and McKenna, 2014; Stahl and Caligiuri, 2005). The recorded dialogues between the interviewer and the participants were fully transcribed and edited by the researcher to reflect summarized responses, with the interviewee reviewing, editing and approving these transcripts to ensure accuracy (Abdullah and Jin, 2015; Creswell, 2014; Mejia et al , 2014).…”

Expatriation Process in Indonesian Local Firms

“…The selection criteria were more based on technical competence and price suitability (lower price was more preferred). Considering the result of KT, companies which consider cultural suitability as one of the selection criteria (as argued by Abdullah and Jin [10]) seemed to had more successful KT. Nevertheless, when the expatriate did not have this character, but this character appeared in the co-workers.…”

“…There are eight types of training with different focus and timing, which can be conducted as pre-departure or as post-arrivals (ibid). In general, training should be customized in terms of the duration and method to reflect whether the expatriate already had similar experience overseas, while also taking into account the cultural distance of the home and the host country [10].…”