Background In a global market where competition is constantly growing, organizations need to staff employees from the home country company in the subsidiaries abroad in order to create a local presence and sustain the international competition which is referred to as expatria-tion. The expatriation process requires lots of planning and training before departure and adaptation when on place and also re-adaptation of oneself when coming back to the home country. Problems that occur during the international assignment might lead to ex-patriate failure which is termination of the assignment prematurely. Purpose The purpose of this thesis is to contribute with an understanding of problems expatriates encounter during their expatriation period and how the expatriation process can be im-proved. Method A qualitative study with in-depth interviews has been carried out. Seven case studies have been conducted with seven expatriates from three different organizations, who have been working in different countries. The personnel who work with the expatriation process have also been interviewed in order to gain a better understanding about how the expatriation process is planned and supported. Conclusion The empirical findings show that the pre-departure training expatriates receive are focused on work related issues, hence cultural awareness training are often neglected. This leads to problems for the expatriates, like for example integration problems, adjustment problems for the expatriate and his/her family members, and not being able to communicate in the local language. Also the support received from the home country company are many times insufficient, and the home country companies rarely provide the expatriates with any form of repatriation program to ease their re-adjustment process. This study shows that many organizations need to improve the different parts of their expatriation process. The organizations should especially focus on developing their pre-departure training to include cultural training for both the expatriate and the spouse, and develop a sufficient repatria-tion program.

<p>Background</p><p>In a global market where competition is constantly growing, organizations need to staff employees from the home country company in the subsidiaries abroad in order to create a local presence and sustain the international competition which is referred to as expatria-tion. The expatriation process requires lots of planning and training before departure and adaptation when on place and also re-adaptation of oneself when coming back to the home country. Problems that occur during the international assignment might lead to ex-patriate failure which is termination of the assignment prematurely.</p><p>Purpose</p><p>The purpose of this thesis is to contribute with an understanding of problems expatriates encounter during their expatriation period and how the expatriation process can be im-proved.</p><p>Method</p><p>A qualitative study with in-depth interviews has been carried out. Seven case studies have been conducted with seven expatriates from three different organizations, who have been working in different countries. The personnel who work with the expatriation process have also been interviewed in order to gain a better understanding about how the expatriation process is planned and supported.</p><p>Conclusion</p><p>The empirical findings show that the pre-departure training expatriates receive are focused on work related issues, hence cultural awareness training are often neglected. This leads to problems for the expatriates, like for example integration problems, adjustment problems for the expatriate and his/her family members, and not being able to communicate in the local language. Also the support received from the home country company are many times insufficient, and the home country companies rarely provide the expatriates with any form of repatriation program to ease their re-adjustment process. This study shows that many organizations need to improve the different parts of their expatriation process. The organizations should especially focus on developing their pre-departure training to include cultural training for both the expatriate and the spouse, and develop a sufficient repatria-tion program.</p>

Learning/volunteer abroad (LVA) programs offer important opportunities for students to develop cross-cultural skills and global competence. Universities recognize the value of international experiential learning programs in terms of skills development and career preparation as one component in their internationalization policies and priorities. Scholarly studies on international education and LVA programs have examined university internationalization priorities in promoting international experiential learning. Other scholarly contributions to the field of LVA have documented the nature of students’ experiences, learning outcomes, critical analysis of impacts, and motivations, among other important research areas. Within the LVA scholarship, there are frequent references to the importance of pre-departure training and preparation of students. Many of the references to the value of pre-departure training move beyond practical information (such as staying safe and staying healthy while abroad) to more critical discussions of cross-cultural learning opportunities, ethical considerations, and impacts. Despite these references to the importance of pre-departure training, there are few studies documenting the nature and content of pre-departure training for students participating in international experiences through an academic institution. As a result, there is no clear sense of the range of pre-departure training programs, what information students are receiving as part of their pre-departure training or the impact of training on the outcomes of the students’ learning. This thesis aimed to fill this gap by examining the preparation and training provided to students prior to their international experiences. Through the utilization of a case study approach based on the University of Ottawa’s LVA programs’ pre-departure training, this research specifically analysed the content that is currently employed during pre-departure training and how it ranged across LVA programs. The findings demonstrate that, while all LVA programs provided pre-departure training and covered similar content themes, there was also a range in the content provided across the LVA programs’ pre-departure training. Specifically, the greatest diversity in content was found in the depth of discussion provided to students regarding cross-cultural understanding, ethics, experiential learning, and reflection. Analysis of the identified differences across LVA programs suggest there are likely implications for students’ learning generated from their experience abroad. When students are not prepared to critically understand the complexities associated with living, studying, and/or working cross-culturally and how to reflect upon and generate knowledge from their experiences overseas, learn/volunteer programs may have limited or even negative impacts on cross-cultural understanding and global competence.