Expatriates are employees that are sent overseas by their companies and organizations to venture and start up new markets for the company’s products or services. They are usually expected to achieve the organizational goals, and, therefore, require a lot of preparation. Expatriates act as a link between the native and foreign operations, and for that reason, the success of the global markets largely depends on them. Therefore, their experience and knowledge about the company’s or organization’s operations are necessary because it will determine the business performance. As a consequence, it is essential to look at the factors linked to expatriates adjustment and presentation in foreign assignments and environments. Expatriates flourishing achievement depends on the suitability and reliability of the training processes provided (Collins, Scullion & Morley, 2007). Lack of or deficient training and preparation may result in poor performance, which is costly as the company may have heavily invested in the project.
As globalization continues to present more opportunities, it compels companies and organizations to venture in global markets. As a result the need to understand the significance of expatriates which are the representatives of these organizations is important. Their effectiveness directly affects the performance of the business. Today, there has been a tendency where people think that expatriation is a difficult task that needs modification and management whereas others see it as an opportunity for one's career development. There have been many incidences where expatriates withdraw from their assignments due to unsuccessful adjustment (Harzing, 2001; Tu & Sullivan, 1994). At first, many scholars regarded expatriate as a challenging assignment; many studies have been carried out to identify factors for expatriate adjustment; it ranged from the individual level to the organizational level. These factors included personality, interpersonal skills, training, family adjustment, and corporate support. Studies have proved that organizations that considered these modifications have shown an increased use of expatriate assignments.
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The main reason it’s crucial to provide expatriate training is to improve the expatriate’s skills and abilities to adjust in a distant environment, to be aware of the local culture, and to be prepared for unforeseen events overseas. Studies found that expatriate training was time after time reported to be a positive influence on interpersonal relationships, cross-cultural perception, adjustment, skill development, and performance. It demonstrated that expatriate training is crucial as far as the effectiveness of expatriate is concerned.
An effective expatriate training would address these crucial areas: cultural awareness, the task assignment and the interpersonal skills suitable for the culture.
In this scenario, we would use Kirkpatrick’s (1994) four levels of training which applies to expatriate adjustment situation.
A Four-Level Training Model
Level 1: Reaction
This level assesses the trainees’ reactions to the training. The rationale for measuring reaction is to help understand if the training was well received by the audience. It also helps identify the strengths and the weaknesses of the training which will in turn help improve future training. To do this, one will use questionnaires or ask trainees directly about their experience.
Level 2: Learning
At this stage, the trainer assesses the trainees understanding after the training. You can measure this by observing changes in attitude, knowledge or skills. It is important because one will know what your trainees are learning and what they are not.
Level 3: Behaviour
At this stage, one will evaluate their behaviour after the training. They will observe how the trainees apply the knowledge they acquired from the training. One way to do this is to observe and conduct interviews over time.
Level 4: Results
At this level, draw your conclusions by analysing the findings of your training. Identify appropriate outcomes that are beneficial and are linked to the training and find an appropriate method to quantify these outcomes over a long period.
References
Ferraro, G. P., & Briody, E. K. (2017). The cultural dimension of global business. Taylor & Francis.
Papademetriou, C. (2015). Investigating the Impact of Sequential Cross-Cultural Training on the Level of Sociocultural and Psychological Adjustment of Expatriate Managers (Doctoral dissertation, School of Management).
Sarkiunaite, I., & Rocke, D. (2015). The expatriate experience: the factors of international assignment success. Transformations in Business & Economics, 34(1), 20-47.
