Exploring the impact of family-related factors on international assignments Hsiu-ching Ko Assistant professor Chang Lung Christian University, Taiwan

Introduction Globalization has driven demands for MNCs: – cultivate global leaders with the abilities to effectively perform their assignments overseas – maintain global competitiveness The ratio of expatriate failure is still high with the figure of percent (Scullion & Collings, 2006). Family-related problems were found to be the main factors influencing expatriates’ performance (Briscoe & Schuler, 2004), thus making understanding family-related factors on expatriate international assignments is imperative.

Purpose of the study This study explores critical family-related factors influencing expatriates’ international assignments.

Methods Qualitative in-depth interview approach Participants 13 Taiwanese male expatriates working for Taiwan-based MNCs were recruited. Their ages range from with 2-30 years of expatriate experiences.

Methods Data collection semi-structured interview Each interview was completed in two hours. The interview questions centered on issues of cross-cultural adjustment, willingness to accept an international assignment, and performance. Data interviewed were transcribed verbatim and were sent to participants for corrections and verifications.

Methods Data analysis Open coding and constant comparative method were adopted.

Results The analysis of the data yielded three main constructs found to be the major factors affecting expatriate performance: (1)spouse adjustment (2)children’s education and adjustment (3) care for parents.

(1) Spouse adjustment No friends Depending on others in living life Language barrier Helplessness and boredom Spouse adjustment problems triggered quarrels between expatriates and his wife

(1) Spouse adjustment For my wife, life in the U. S. was very difficult. She was not proficient in English. I could not deal with a lot of her problems because I had to work. Therefore, she had to deal with them by herself, taking care of children, even paying utility bills and making phone calls. These were all big challenges for her. No wonder, then that she felt so depressed for some time. We often quarreled. The pressure was just too much at that time. It is really too much. (Case 9)

(2) Children’s education and adjustment different educational systems The consistency of children’s education when they were in the host country and when they returned home was the main concern. Children “suffered tremendous pressure” right after moving to host country due to language problems and cultural differences.

(3) Care for parents The care of one’s parents, especially one’s parents’ health conditions, was another family issue many participants mentioned as an inevitable concern while they were on international assignments. a grim “dilemma”

The most difficult situation for us [expatriates] to deal with our family members. It is not an easy matter to handle. I was facing a dilemma by going abroad. My wife, my children, and I all lived together with my parents. My father was 85 and my mother was 75 at the time. I was the only male adult who could take care of them and of the family’s children. So when I left, my parents felt very helpless. I used to always drive my father to the hospital when he had a heart attack. This became my wife’s task while I was on international assignment. It put an enormous pressure on her. Sometimes she had to call a taxi at 2:00 am to drive my father to the hospital because he had a heart attack. (Case 9)

Theoretical propositions 1. The spouse’s adjustment is a concern for expatriate managers, but it does not impede their mission and completion of their assignment. 2.Spouse’s support is critical to the success of an expatriate manager on overseas assignments. 3. Care for parents and their health conditions are major concerns for prospective expatriate managers that may lead them to refuse an overseas assignment. 4.The education of the children is another major concern of expatriate managers.

Discussion Of the 13 participants, six were accompanied by their spouses, and three brought their children along. Although most accompanying spouses and children suffered serious problems of adjustment in the initial stage of the overseas assignment, and this situation caused concern for the participants, these problems did not hinder their determination to pursue their career development.

Discussion Family situation, including spouse adjustment, the children’s education, and the care for parents, appeared to influence the decision on whether to accept an overseas assignment as well as the overall adjustment in a new environment. But it seems to have no direct influence on job performance.

Discussion 1: Spouse adjustment The support of the spouse was critical for the success of the expatriate managers and influenced their decisions to accept another overseas assignment or not. Well-adjusted spouses preferred not to move back to Taiwan, but stay in the host country. Having the support and friendship of the local Taiwanese community was the main reason making cross-cultural adjustment easier and more quickly.

Discussion 1: Spouse adjustment Most accompanying spouses suffered more serious culture shock than the expatriate managers. The major factors were the language barrier and loneliness. This made the expatriate managers believe that there was a need to incorporate spouses and children into the cross-cultural training program when this was available.

Discussion 2: Children’s education and adjustment The education and adjustment of the children are the major concerns of expatriate managers in the initial stage of the international assignments. Over time, once the children had adapted well to the local living conditions and the educational environment, these concerns turned into appreciation. appreciation to their companies appreciation to their spouse

Discussion 2: Children’s education and adjustment The researcher would argue that the children’s education and adjustment problems became priorities for the accompanying spouses, and their own difficulties were seen as secondary or even trivial. The good of the children came first.

Discussion 3: The impact of Chinese culture Traditional Chinese culture has an impact on the decision about an overseas assignment. Care for parents was always on the minds of expatriates. This is typically a case of the influence of a traditional Chinese cultural value, namely, filial piety. Expatriates with accompanying spouse credited the willingness and determination of their spouse to get whole family well-adjusted to the traditional virtue of the Chinese women.

Recommendations MNCs MNCs should incorporate spouses into cross-cultural training programs, particularly language training. MNCs should also provide expatriates who have children accompanying them with a clear picture of the education system of the country or city where they will be relocated. MNCs should provide expatriates who have aged parents in the home country who need care, some support for this purpose.

Recommendations Future study Future research should incorporate the perspectives of the spouses of expatriate managers.