Adapting to a boundaryless world: A developmental expatriate model

Expatriate executives face a double-edged challenge to their mental and phy sical health: The stressors affecting them are not only new and unfamiliar, but the coping responses that worked at home may not do so abroad. The var ious stages involved in a successful adjustment are discussed. The executiv e's ability to identify with the host and the parent culture plays a critic al role in every stage of the adjustment process. Failure to accept that th e two cultural identities are not mutually exclusive is a source of interna l conflict among expatriates. Cross-cultural competence training and a sens ible repatriation plan help buffer the stressors encountered abroad. Howeve r, the willingness and courage to undergo the profound personal transformat ion associated with an international assignment are essential for a healthy expatriate adjustment, even after the expatriate's return. Learning to liv e with the paradox of dual identification is an essential coping mechanism for expatriate executives.