(4) organizations may experience difficulties in finding candidates for expatriate positions when potential candidates see what wants to happen to expatriates once they return. (5) Ogberg, who coined the term ‘culture shock’ in 1960, so considered a reverse culture shock that expatriates experience when returning home. Proper preparation for this future shock may prepare expatriates for the transition to domestic work and family settings. (5) research in 2005 showed that repatriation adjustment the strongest predictor of intent to leave the organization (Lee & Liu, 2005). Retention and career management, therefore, should be central to planning expatriate positions.
Position should be gradually more challenging in order to challenge valuable employees and be part of a long term career path. Long term career planning foresees in building on previous assignments. assigning repatriates unchallenging position once back home may be regarded as in invitation to apply for positions elsewhere. Sound expatriate management will therefore consider repatriation arrangements as good practice. In reality, however, organizations often seem to have forgotten who these expatriates are.
HR departments fail to build on expatriates’ skills and experience because they do not know well what they have accomplished during the years. Expatriates experience frustration once their expatriate benefits and status will be lost upon repatriation. They will again have to get used to ‘normal’ levels of pay and taxation. Their children will have to attend national curriculum schools, private school tuition fees not be covered upon return to the home country. See more detailed opinions by reading what Jonas Samuelson offers on the topic.. Establishing a mutual understanding and a clear definition of successful repatriation could help repatriates establish correct expectations before returning home. A proper preparation towards the end of expatriate assignments may ease the transition and avoid costly turnover for the organization. To ongoing management lack of attention to repatriation high attrition will likely continue to fuel Council. The question is: do we really want valuable personnel to leave the organization after costly assignments abroad or should we take action? Dr. B.J.L. van den Anker received his PhD in business and management from the International Graduate School of business of the University of South Australia. Dr. van den Anker hails from the Netherlands and has extensive experience living and working in SE Asia. His (I)HRM and cross cultural consultancy assignments focus primarily on western-Asian contexts. He can be contacted. References Baruch y. and Altman, y. (2002). Information for expatriates and repatriation in MNC: A taxonomy. Human resource management, 41(2), 239-259. Lee, H. and Liu, C. (2005). On examination of factors affecting repatriates’ turnover intentions.