Expatriates are employees that are sent overseas bytheir companies and organizations to venture and start up new markets for thecompany’s products or services. They are usually expected to achieve theorganizational goals, and, therefore, require a lot of preparation. Expatriatesact as a link between the native and foreign operations, and for that reason,the success of the global markets largely depends on them. Therefore, theirexperience and knowledge about the company’s or organization’s operations arenecessary because it will determine the business performance. As a consequence,it is essential to look at the factors linked to expatriates adjustment andpresentation in foreign assignments and environments. Expatriates flourishingachievement depends on the suitability and reliability of the trainingprocesses provided (Collins, Scullion & Morley, 2007). Lack of or deficienttraining and preparation may result in poor performance, which is costly as thecompany may have heavily invested in the project.
As globalization continues to present moreopportunities, it compels companies and organizations to venture in globalmarkets. As a result the need to understand the significance of expatriateswhich are the representatives of these organizations is important. Theireffectiveness directly affects the performance of the business. Today, therehas been a tendency where people think that expatriation is a difficult taskthat needs modification and management whereas others see it as an opportunityfor one’s career development. There have been many incidences where expatriateswithdraw from their assignments due to unsuccessful adjustment (Harzing, 2001;Tu & Sullivan, 1994).
At first, many scholars regarded expatriate as achallenging assignment; many studies have been carried out to identify factorsfor expatriate adjustment; it ranged from the individual level to the organizationallevel. These factors included personality, interpersonal skills, training,family adjustment, and corporate support. Studies have proved thatorganizations that considered these modifications have shown an increased useof expatriate assignments.The main reason it’s crucial to provide expatriatetraining is to improve the expatriate’s skills and abilities to adjust in adistant environment, to be aware of the local culture, and to be prepared forunforeseen events overseas. Studies found that expatriate training was timeafter time reported to be a positive influence on interpersonal relationships,cross-cultural perception, adjustment, skill development, and performance. Itdemonstrated that expatriate training is crucial as far as the effectiveness ofexpatriate is concerned.Aneffective expatriate training would address these crucial areas: culturalawareness, the task assignment and the interpersonal skills suitable for theculture.
