Expatriate Preparation: A Critical Analysis of 25 Years of Cross-Cultural Training Research

Abstract

Although much research in the 1960s and 1970s was devoted to crosscultural issues such as expatriate employment, researchers moved away from doing cross-cultural research in order to direct their efforts toward the hot topics of the time. However, the past few decades have seen an exponential increase in the globalization of our economy, and this ever-increasing globalization has made the need for cross-cultural research salient once again. In the past decade alone, there has been an explosion of research examining the components and effectiveness of cross-cultural training (CCT) for expatriate preparation. Thus, the ultimate purpose of this literature review is to present the past 25 years of CCT research relevant to expatriate preparation by examining the following: the need for CCT research, the deficiencies in past research, typical training components, training delivery, theory pertaining to CCT, potential moderators of the relationship between CCT and expatriate performance, the effectiveness of CCT in enhancing expatriate performance, suggestions for future research, and strategies for improving CCT implementation and research. After reviewing the past 25 years of CCT research, it is evident that CCT is effective in facilitating success on expatriate assignments. However, additional empirical research is needed on moderators, expatriate selection, training program at FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIV on June 18, 2015 hrd.sagepub.com Downloaded from

Enhancing Cross-Cultural Training Efficacy on Expatriate Adjustment through Emotional Intelligence and Social Capital

“…For example Lievens et al (2003) mention that some previous scholars showed that cross-cultural training contributes to expatriate adjustment and performance. However, other scholars found the results to be inconclusive (Littrell et al 2006). To that end, there is no single answer to the relationship between the effectiveness of cross-cultural training and expatriate adjustment and performance.…”

Developing cross-cultural healthcare workers: content, process and mentoring

“…33,34 CCT is traditionally designed for preparing international trainees by targeting cultural issues. 33 CCT aims to develop the skills and knowledge needed to interact appropriately and effectively with host-country nationals (HCNs) 34,35 and with members of multicultural teams. 35 Researchers have identified three goals for CCT.…”

“…33 CCT aims to develop the skills and knowledge needed to interact appropriately and effectively with host-country nationals (HCNs) 34,35 and with members of multicultural teams. 35 Researchers have identified three goals for CCT. The first is to assist expatriates in determining acceptable cultural behaviors and appropriate ways to complete tasks in a new environment.…”

“…The third goal of CCT is to help the expatriate define realistic expectations for life and work in a new country. 33,35 Ultimately, CCT aims to predispose members of one culture to rapid adjustment in their host culture. 26 However, some studies have found that cross-cultural training may not provide significant benefit for expatriate adjustment.…”

“…35 They wrote that CCT was positively correlated with adjustability and cross cultural adjustment, while negatively correlated with early return rates.…”