Expatriate success or failure : A study on expatriate assumptions

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions that the expatriates have on what personal characteristics a good expatriate should possess as well as their view on cross-cultural training (CCT). The study was conducted on two groups of expatriates from European companies – those who took part in some form of CCT when preparing for the assignment abroad and those who did not. The results show that some of the views are shared by both groups of the respondents. However, there are some difference in the way both groups think, which might depend on the fact that the two companies focus on different factors regarding the view on what features are important for an expatriate to have and how s/he should be prepared for the job. The three main conclusions of this study is that expatriates need to be motivated, willing and able to adjust and flexible to better acclimate themselves to new situations and environments; the family should be incorporated in the training to improve the chances of success; finally, CCT is perceived by the respondents as a good tool for expatriates going on assignment. This study can be seen as an introduction to more detailed studies on the effectiveness of CCT and decrease of expatriate failure.