COMING HOME TO THE ARCTIC COLD - ANTECEDENTS TO FINNISH EXPATRIATE AND SPOUSE REPATRIATION ADJUSTMENT

Building on repatriation adjustment research for U.S. managers and spo uses, this study is one of the first to identify potential cross-cultu ral differences by assessing these processes theoretically and empiric ally in a non-U.S. sample. Focusing on Finnish expatriates and spouses , this study examined anticipatory and in-country variables related to work, interaction, and general repatriation adjustment. Specifically, time overseas, time since returning home, role discretion, and role c larity were significant correlates of Finnish repatriates' work adjust ment. Time overseas, culture novelty, and social status correlated sig nificantly with repatriates' adjustment to interacting with home count ry nationals. Time overseas and time back home correlated significantl y with repatriates' general adjustment. For Finnish repatriates' spous es, time back home, culture novelty, and housing conditions correlated significantly with adjustment to interacting with home country nation als. For spouses' general adjustment, time overseas, time back home, c ulture novelty, and housing conditions were significant correlates. Im plications of these findings for researchers and practitioners are exp lored.