Organisational, Host Country and Work Factors Influencing a British Expatriate’s Adjustment on International Architectural Engineering and Construction Projects
Year: 2011
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: Increased globalisation within the British AEC sector has augmented the need for\ntransferring UK nationals to manage overseas operations. To be able to perform\nabroad, expatriates have to harmonise themselves with the conditions prevailing in the\nhost country which includes getting accustomed to living, working and interacting\nwith the host country nationals. This process is commonly referred to as ‘crosscultural\nadjustment’. To identify key factors influencing adjustment, a qualitative\nstudy was undertaken which mainly comprised of comprehensive literature review\nand interviews with organisational British expatriates within the international AEC\nsector. The current study explicitly focuses on exploring the role of the organization,\nhost country and work related factors. The findings suggest that success of\nexpatriation does not entirely rest on an expatriate's ability but also on organisational\nsupport and assistance that expats receive during and prior to the assignment.\nOrganisational factors like, expatriate selection, job design, training, logistical and\nsocial support, mentoring etc. influence various aspects of expatriate adjustment.\nCultural distance between the home and host nation salso dictates the level of support\nrequired, suggesting that expatriate relocation to less developed, remote or politically\nunstable regions demands additional support and consideration by the parent\ncompany. Further, AEC projects overseas are deeply influenced by the culture of the\nhost country and operate under different set of rules and regulations which potentially\naffect the sojourners own adjustment to work. This study is of particular relevance to\nthe British AEC organisations, who need to be cognizant of the issues highlighted to\nmake rational and informed decisions when handling international assignments. A\nbetter understanding of these issues will actually provide them with valuable direction\nto formulate or revise strategies to ensure successful international assignments.
Language: English
Subfield: Communication
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2601089020