Inpatriates' adjustment to home country headquarters: a social cultural conundrum

• Published in: Leadership & organization development journal Vol. 31; no. 1; pp. 71 - 93
• Main Authors: Williams, Wallace A., Moeller, Miriam, Harvey, Michael
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bradford Emerald Group Publishing Limited 06-02-2010
• Subjects: Adjustment; Corporate culture; Cultural differences; Decision making; Emerging markets; Employees; Expatriates; Strategic management; Studies; National cultures; Organizational culture; Employees
• ISSN: 0143-7739; 1472-5347
• DOI: 10.1108/01437731011010399

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine Trompenaars' cultural dimensions using reference point theory to propose the adjustment difficulties that inpatriates will experience when entering the home market global headquarters organization culture.Design methodology approach - Specifically, it examines means by which the organization may maintain the inpatriate's perspective while at the same time provide training development to assist in integrating the inpatriate manager into the global management team.Findings - The paper proposes that the inpatriate's origin plays a significant part in determining the difficulty of adjusting to the headquarter culture as well as to the general culture of the new home country. The need for reference points (internal, external and time) becomes vital in that each allows for a better understanding of the adjustment process.Research limitations implications - With regard to the two variables (macro and organizational culture) examined, it should be noted that cultural distance is not of sole importance in the adjustment process of the inpatriate. Additional factors to consider include job type, previous experience in home country of the organization, local support groups and other socialization tactics.Practical implications - To facilitate the cross-cultural adjustment process, active attempts by human resource management staff must be undertaken to help ensure adjustment. Successful adjustment would allow inpatriates to provide valuable insight and contribute to the global organizations' success.Originality value - This paper adds value by providing a theoretically based framework for the adjustment of inpatriates that can be tested and modified by future researchers. Furthermore, it provides a guide to inpatriate adjustment so that their maximum value to the organization can be achieved.