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Running Head: EXPATRIATE PROBLEMS, CONSEQUENCES AND SOLUTIONS.

Expatriate Problems, Consequences and Solutions.

Name
Institution
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EXPATRIATE PROBLEMS, CONSEQUENCES AND SOLUTIONS.
An expatriate is a person who is sent overseas to work in a given period ranging from six

months to five years. As much as expatriates are excited to travel abroad, they are also frightened

given that starting a life in a place far from your home country requires a lot of adjustments from

food, language among other factors. The main problem faced is the challenge in adjusting to the

host country’s business and physical environment as well as the responsibilities overseas. This

problem can have consequences to the organization, worker and the host country and every party

involved must have the responsibility of preventing the occurrence of the problems.

The other problem lies in the inability to establish a social life in the host country given

that making new friends could be challenging as this means the person needs to find a way of

blending in such as establishing new hobbies, interests, and activities. The problem could cause

loneliness especially if you left your family behind (Meyer et al., 2016). This means low

productivity and performance at work which is bad for the company. This can be solved by

searching for clubs where one can join, volunteering in community service and making a friendly

introduction to neighbors and workers. The firm can prevent such problem by ensuring it sends

people in pairs or more.

Cultural barrier is another challenge which causes problems to the expatriate. The

expatriate may be unable or unwilling to blend in the new culture including the norms and

traditions of the people in the host country (Stewart & Gregersen, 2019). This results in the

inability to establish business relationships with co-workers, clients, and managers which could

affect productivity at work. The other problem could be the feeling of one’s culture as the most

superior especially for expatriates working in low-income countries. The problem can be solved

by conducting cultural training and learning the host country’s language before relocation. This
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EXPATRIATE PROBLEMS, CONSEQUENCES AND SOLUTIONS.
will ensure cases of expatriate failure reduce as the family will have an easier time adjusting to

the new environment.

Solving expatriate failure is a shared responsibility between the firm, the host country and

the employee as an early fright home can be a disappointment to the company and the employee

career. The firm needs to make proper arrangements by preparing the expatriate emotionally,

mentally and physically for the assignment ahead. Choosing the right candidate for the job is the

firm’s responsibility as the employee need to be adaptable, social and self-motivated to ensure

success.
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EXPATRIATE PROBLEMS, CONSEQUENCES AND SOLUTIONS.
References

Stewart, J.B., & Gregersen, H. (2019). The Right Way to Manage Expats. Havard Business

Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/1999/03/the-right-way-to-manage-expats

Meyer, B., Meyer, V., Viera, K., & Mallmann, L.F. (2016). Managing Expatriates: Analyzing

The Experience of an Internationalized Brazilian Company. Retrieved from

https://www.redalyc.org/html/2735/273548892011/