Is it the end of the era of Western expatriate managers?

A recent article in the McKinsey Quarterly by Manpower CEO, Jeffrey A Joerres, argued that the era of the Western expatriate manager is ending. 

Reasons given included the “notoriously bad” cultural adaptation of Western expatriates, the career limitations placed on locals by having expats in senior positions, and a costly dearth of intimate local knowledge.  All are valid reasons.  And all things that nobody in the global mobility industry wants to see.

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The house makes a difference in expatriate assignment success

Housing is often seen as a necessary aspect to be arranged for expatriates.  Something to be taken care of quickly so they can then focus on the business needs.   And perhaps you may be thinking the house itself is less important but the location or the size of the house is more important.

Well you would be wrong!

Recent research conducted by Dr Anne Copeland of The Interchange Institute reviewed the links between expatriate housing decisions and aspects such as overall assignment satisfaction, loyalty to employer, decision to continue in the assignment or take another assignment as well as the mental health and well-being of the expatriates.

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When a house is a doorway to a culture

How important is the house you live in to your satisfaction with an overseas assignment?

Intuitively we would say of course it’s important!  Just how important was shown in research conducted by Dr Anne P Copeland of the Interchange Institute last year which found feeling settled in their homes was consistently related, not just to the expatriates’ positive perceptions of the assignment but also to their mental health, their happiness levels, their loyalty to their employers and their intention to accept future overseas assignments. 

This research raised a number of interesting issues around homes, highlighting the importance of making the right choice of home, settling in quickly, and the style of house which influence assignment satisfaction.  Many of these factors impact on organisational aspects such as housing policies, or strategies expats and those assisting them can adopt to encourage a more positive overseas assignment experience. 

But one factor leapt out at me. 

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Productivity down as home hurts

I haven’t been very productive this past week. 

Too often I’ve started things and been distracted or completely forgotten what I was supposed to be doing.

It’s a common response to shock so my academic brain isn’t surprised. 

My heart has been in Christchurch. 

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This wasn’t what I signed up for

When the early days of an overseas posting go wrong

In the past month massive floods have inundated many areas of Australia. 

In Queensland alone the flood zone covers an area larger than France and Germany combined, or for those of you in the USA, an area greater than the state of Texas.   97 towns or cities have been affected by flooding or isolation. Since Christmas Eve tens of thousands of houses have been flooded to varying degrees with many uninhabitable. Around 6,000 people have moved to evacuation centres.  As at January 21^st 33 people have lost their lives with more still missing. 

These are the facts that describe much hardship and sadness for thousands of people. 

Like most people in Australia my thoughts and prayers are with those I know who are affected as well as those we have met through the tragedies shown through the media. 

In addition my thoughts are also with those expats who I know will have recently arrived in Australia to begin work with their employers, to set up their homes and establish their families in their new locations.

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