Adapting to a Boundaryless World: A Developmental Expatriate Model

Expatriate executives face a double-edged challenge to their mental and physical health: The stressors affecting them are not only new and unfamiliar, but the coping responses that worked at home may not do so abroad. The various stages involved in a successful adjustment are discussed. The executive\u27s ability to identify with the host and the parent culture plays a critical role in every stage of the adjustment process. Failure to accept that the two cultural identities are not mutually exclusive is a source of internal conflict among expatriates. Cross-cultural competence training and a sensible repatriation plan help buffer the stressors encountered abroad. However, the willingness and courage to undergo the profound personal transformation associated with an international assignment are essential for a healthy expatriate adjustment, even after the expatriate\u27s return. Learning to live with the paradox of dual identification is an essential coping mechanism for expatriate executives