Repatriation Challenges in International HR Management

Introduction

Mark could have done many things to avoid his current professional and personal unhappiness with repatriation to Singapore. This paper outlines recommendations for planning, understanding repatriation challenges, and forming realistic career expectations that could have helped to avert Mark's dissatisfaction.

Plan for the Future

The catalyst for wanting to return to Singapore was the death of his wife's father and her desire to help care for her mother. The family was also concerned about the ongoing education of their young children. However, these were all foreseeable events, and Mark should have thought about his long-term future — both from a personal and a business perspective — when deciding to work internationally.

Specifically, Mark should have done much more to ensure a successful reentry to Singapore, since that appeared to be his initial goal. He should have communicated his future plans to his company and sought a formal "reentry guarantee." As noted in the literature, "expatriates are often equipped with a so-called 'reentry guarantee' in their foreign service contract, stating that the relocating department or division guarantees a reentry position at least at the same level as the one they are leaving — or, in some companies, the one they previously held in the foreign country" (Andreas Weber's reward for success in an international assignment).

Given that Mark lacked such a reentry agreement, he should have started networking with hiring managers and colleagues at headquarters as soon as he arrived in England. He complained that someone less qualified than he was had obtained a position he had interviewed for, yet he failed to factor in the critical importance of personal relationships in securing senior executive positions.

Clearly, Mark and his family had become accustomed to the English lifestyle, and Mark had enjoyed his assignment in England. As such, he should have reviewed research on repatriation and considered the challenges it could bring to their own lives. "Immersion in a foreign culture is a profoundly transforming experience, and it should not be surprising to find that the person who comes home is not the same person who left" (Longatan, 2009). In fact, many studies show that adjusting to one's home culture can be even more difficult than adapting to a foreign culture (Adler, 2002; Stroh et al., 1998). Problems of repatriation stem from reabsorption, both professionally and personally (Tung, 1988).

Adler (2002) summarizes the results of a number of studies that demonstrate the impact of repatriation on careers:

Better Understand Repatriation Challenges

These statistics could have served as a wake-up call for Mark, signaling that he needed to think far more carefully about what repatriation would mean for his own career.

Mark's expectations for his career were unrealistic, and he could have formed more grounded hopes by researching the issue and assessing the situation at his company. Research suggests that one of the most devastating experiences for a repatriate is being placed in a "holding pattern" upon return from a foreign assignment (Murray, 1973). Yet Mark assumed his situation would be only temporary and that he would soon be back on track for a senior management position in Singapore. He had not factored in business conditions back home or the reality that few new openings ever materialize there. He also knew from his earlier rejection for a position in Singapore that the most qualified candidate does not necessarily get the job in the world of corporate politics within a large organization. At the very least, many executives experience disillusionment when colleagues who did not take foreign assignments are promoted above them (Harvey & Lusch, 1982). Perhaps Mark simply did not want to confront the obvious: a senior executive position at his company would not be available for some time, if ever.

Linda mistakenly believed she would be able to easily resume her banking career once she returned to Singapore. The reality, however, was that banking jobs in Singapore were scarce and that reentering the job market would be very challenging. She should have done her homework to understand the local job market and to appreciate how difficult the return to her banking career was going to be.

In conclusion, Mark failed to begin the planning process early in his career as he moved forward with international positions. He then underestimated how difficult returning home would be after being away from Singapore for so long. Both he and his wife failed to conduct basic career due diligence to understand the opportunities that would realistically be available to them upon their return.

Conclusion

Stroh, K. L., Gregersen, H. B., & Black, J. S. (1998). Closing the gap: Expectations vs. reality among repatriates. Journal of World Business, 33, 111–124.

Tung, R. L. (1988). Career issues in international assignments. Academy of Management Executive, 1(1), 241–244.