First Advisor

Devorah Lieberman

Date of Publication

1991

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (M.S.) in Speech Communication

Department

Speech Communication

Language

English

Subjects

Reverse culture shock, International business enterprises -- Employees, Employees -- Relocation, American corporations -- Employees

DOI

10.15760/etd.6187

Physical Description

1 online resource (117 p.)

Abstract

While much research and attention have focused on sojourn adjustment to a new culture, very little research has addressed readjustment to the home culture. This research studies the problems of repatriation work adjustment experienced by U.S. corporate employees. This study also.suggests that cultural readjustment is situational and a multifaceted process which is influenced by many different variables. Interviews with 25 corporate repatriated employees were conducted using a 22-question survey instrument. Repatriates were asked to rate their readjustment experiences on a seven-item Likert scale. Respondents also had the opportunity to expand on their answers with open-ended questions. Fourteen variables were examined for their relationship to cultural readjustment and to each other. Of these 14 variables, the ability for repatriates to use job skills which were learned overseas and number of overseas assignments were found to positively relate to readjustment. As predicted, the amount of autonomy expatriates experienced overseas was found to relate negatively to repatriation work readjustment. Based on these findings, recommendations to facilitate readjustment to the corporate home environment are proposed.

Rights

In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

Comments

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Persistent Identifier

http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/25154

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