Expatriate Failure And Cross Cultural Communication

Essay by PaperNerd ContributorUniversity, Master's April 2001

download word file, 5 pages 2.0

It is essential for businesses that are sending expatriate overseas to take precautions to ensure the success of the expatriate in effectively reaching his/her assigned goals. Expatriate failure rate is very high amongst U.S. managers (50%, APG Class Session #13) for many reasons. The failure of an expatriate can be very costly and time consuming for the companies who employ them. The question that needs to be answered is why expatriates fail so frequently and what can MNC's do to lower this failure rate and produce effective expatriate managers. Yet, another reason that companies fail when doing business overseas is the lack of emphasis placed on communication. In all areas of the world communication is done in many different ways. In order to effectively do business in Israel we must learn and understand the diverse ways that their culture must learn and understand the diverse ways that we communicate on a business as well as a social level.

If RL Furniture Company can effectively choose or train an adaptive and knowledgeable employee who understands culture and its effects on business and can accompany that along with excellent communication skills, MNC's can directly lower the failure rate amongst expatriates.

Expatriates Expatriate Failure There are several reasons why our expatriate may fail in Israel. Expatriate failure can be very costly and can turn a possibly successful business venture into a disaster. The first reason for expatriate failure stems from adaptation problems with the physical and social environments. (Rodrigues pg. 264) This holds especially true when these environments are especially at odds with those of the expatriate's home country. We have an advantage in sending our expat, Israelis cultural dimension similarities outweigh their differences, this will make it easier for us to understand their negotiating style before arriving. Some expatriates feel separation anxiety...