Facilitating cross-cultural adjustment : the case of North European expatriates in China

Abstract

Cross-cultural adjustment is considered crucial for expatriate success. Such adjustment may be enhanced by providing the expatriates with the knowledge and awareness of norms and appropriate behaviours of the host country by means of cross-cultural training. Language training may also facilitate interaction with host nationals, thereby providing the expatriate with insight into the host country’s culture increase their understanding of the new environment. Further, cross-cultural training and language training may facilitate the development of intercultural effectiveness skills. These skills, in turn, are suggested to enhance the expatriate’s cross-cultural adjustment. The present study set out to investigate the impact of cross-cultural training, language training, and intercultural effectiveness skills on cross-cultural adjustment. The sample consisted of 67 North European expatriates located in China, an environment that is particularly challenging for these expatriates because the cultural distance between home and host country is large. Intercultural effectiveness skills were found to be important predictors of cross-cultural adjustment. Cross-cultural training did not prove to have any effect on cross-cultural adjustment, nor intercultural effectiveness skills. Language training, on the other hand, seemed to have a significant impact on cross-cultural interaction and general adjustment, a relationship that was mediated by intercultural communication skills. The results from this study point out the importance of language training, especially for North European expatriates in China. Further, the results encourage organisations to consider the intercultural effectiveness skills of potential candidates when selecting employees for expatriate assignments.