Managing repatriation : case studies of three international companies

In order to handle the increasing competition internationally, more and more companies are using international assignment as a critical competitive advantage to cope with the international environment. One phase of the international assignment is repatriation, which has been identified as the most difficult phase of the international assignment. In order to best utilize the international experiences the repatriate acquires abroad it is important for the companies to support the repatriate through the re-entry prrocess in order to develop the individual as well as enriches the organization. This Master's thesis aims to explore and describe and also start to explain factors that affect repatriation, repatriation program, and benefits that can be derived from repatriation, both for the individual and the organization. We have done a qualitative multiple-case study with three international companies: Saab, Scania, and Pharmacia, where we conducted telephone interviews with respondents at each of the companies. Our findings show that the repatriation process is more important for the repatriate than for the organization where social factors, such as family adjustment, are very important. The repatriation processes also tend to be more informal within the organizations, where guidelines for handling the entire repatriation process are not always formally outlined. By supporting and utilizing the repatriate and the individual's experiences htrough a well developed repatriation program, the main benefit is that it is possible to reduce inaccurate expectations and thereby the re-entry phase will become easier for all parties involved.Validerat; 20101217 (root