Expatriates' Intercultural Effectiveness: Relevant Variables and Implications

Behavioural, attitudinal, cognitive, and personality traits factors have been recognized as the main determinants of intercultural effectiveness. This paper argues for the need to recognize that expatriates having similar behavioural, attitudinal, cognitive, and traits characteristics may vary significantly in their intercultural effectiveness. This is because some expatriates may be effective or ineffective by chance or birth (ascribed rather than achieved). Therefore, the expatriate’s ’socio-biographical ’ background such as his/her ethnicity, age, nationality, educational qualification, profession (role) and religion is noted as among the most significant factors that can influence intercultural effect-iveness. It is argued that these variables deserve serious attention given that the national and ethnic backgrounds of expatriates are very diverse. The implications of the ’socio-biograpbical ’ factor on expatriate management is also discussed. Globalization of world markets ensures that organizations which address the issue of culture will gain an edge over their rivals (Rhinesmith, 1992). Many organization