Where Are We Now?

1. Where are we now?

Right now we are at the stage of conducting research on the different determinants of the ease of cross-cultural adjustment among expatriates. In this research, a few points have been discovered about the subject matter. This includes identifying cultural intelligence as crucial in determining how the cross-cultural adjustment among expatriates will proceed. There have also been four dimensions that are thought to determine cultural intelligence. These dimensions include, metacognitive, cognitive, motivational, and behavioral. Metacognitive cultural; intelligence has been seen to be affected by the level authoritarianism in the host environment. This in effect affects the rate at which expatriates make their cross-cultural adjustments.

2. Where are we going

We are aiming at identifying all the different aspects that affect the rate at which expatriates assimilate new cultures. Exploiting the opportunities in these aspects will help expatriates fit in new environments faster. This will lead to faster achieving of their goals and improve the general relationship (Caligiuri, 2002). The aim is to understanding the effects of cultural flow to the overall rate of assimilation of new cultures among expatriates and fully understanding the effects of changes of authoritarianism to different expatriates. Understanding of such will go a long way in helping different countries allocate their expatriates in ways that they will not be negatively affected by different systems in the countries they will be visiting.

3. How do we get there?

We will get there by applying the lessons that we will learn about the different aspects that affect the rate of assimilating new cultures. After learning, we will need to make the appropriate changes to make these aspects work in our favor. The aim of this is to allow governments to choose the right people as expatriates with the right cultural experiences and backgrounds (Selmer, 2001). Application of this and eradication of the past ways will enable countries to get effective candidates for the task of being expatriates. The result of this will be the expansion of two-way flow in the work of expatriation. This will serve well in monitoring the rapid speed of globalization. International ties will be strengthened, country relationships and cooperation will become more productive for all involved.

4. How will we know when we have finished?

Our target will be achieved once a country has started to see the roles of their expatriates being achieved early at the beginning of their terms of service (Harzing, 2004). More cooperation between countries and faster solving of conflicts will also be a sign of our achieving of these goals. Creation of new treaties between nations will be another sign of accomplishing these goals.    

Where Are We Going?

Small amount of sample size

One of the challenges is that the research was done by another researcher and having to take the research data without any verification or any further research provided for the small amount of sample size might be more complicated. To draw a conclusive analysis that is a dependable conclusion requires a bigger sample size. Although there is no a specific amount of the right size of data, the data provided in this research provides a limiting amount of data to go with and make any conclusion about the subject matter (Davis, 2014).

Sampling bias

Taking data collected by another researcher exposes any conclusions made from this research to a lot of questions. The validity of any conclusion made from data can only be vouched by the researcher himself. Having not collected the data, the conclusion I drew from the data remains prone to either intentional or none intentional bias from the researcher. Bias, especially in a case such as this, is very likely to affect the data collected. This is because the researcher’s feeling or beliefs may interfere with the data collected. This can happen whether intentionally or none intentionally. In the case where the researcher has personally invested in the subject question, he or she could non-intentionally exaggerate or under report some aspects of the research.

Work repetition

While trying to collaborate some of the conclusions done by the researcher, I had to conduct some of the research that should have been done by the researcher to ascertain the conclusion drawn. This increases the time needed to finish the research due to the time needed to redo the work that was already done by the researcher.

Lack of completeness in the work

Conducting research from the raw data and drawing the conclusion from the processed data creates a feeling of wholeness about the project (Takeuchi, 2002). Having to pick the data from another source and drawing a conclusion from these data takes away from this feeling.

Lots of assumptions

The topic question involves some subjective aspects like trusting that a person with proper credentials of cultural experience should automatically be good with people. Learning a new culture calls for a good relationship with the natives. How to cultivate this relationship is not solely determined by one cultural experience but one‘s personality and characteristics.  Making a conclusion about one’s ability to learn a new culture based solely on their cultural experience was problematic as well.

How Do We Get There?

What type of issues/questions should be explored?

In choosing the types of questions to be explored, one must consider the research that is being conducted. In this case, the research touches on the expatriates. It is for this matter that only questions related to issues relating to expatriates should be explored (Zhang & Oczkowski). Some of the questions are;

1. What are the factors that affect the expatriates in adopting new environment
2. How long does it take for an expatriate to fit in a new environment completely
3. How can cross-cultural effects be minimized
4. What leads to cross-cultural difference

Interview guide

• What is one of the biggest challenges in fitting in a new environment?
• Apart from challenges, are there benefits to living in a new environment?
• What are some of the best way to get familiar with a new environment quickly?
• Is the hosting culture hostile?
• Are the hosting groups welcoming?

How many groups, interviews or case studies would you recommend?

Three groups would be better to work with because of collecting diverse information. The number of interviews would depend on the number of people in a given group. However, the interviews should be at least fifteen (Bryman, 2015).

How will you select the sample of research participants?

I would randomly select the sample of the research participants. The reason for doing so is to eliminate biases. However, the random sample selection would be applied in a population that has people who are of interest to the research and who can provide answers to the research questions.

Location

The best location to conduct the research is where there are a big number of expatriates.

How would you propose the data be analyzed?

The qualitative method will be used in analyzing the data that will be collected. This means that after collecting data, the conclusions will only be based on the findings.

What are the ethical implications of your research, and how will they be addressed?

Some of the ethical implications are making the expatriates feel like they are still viewed as outsiders, and that might affect them mentally and emotionally. To avoid such, the interviewers will take their time to be open to the subjects and tell them the reason why they are conducting the interview (Bryman, 2015). Questions that might make the subjects feel more marginalized will be avoided at all cost.

References

Bryman, A. (2015). Social research methods. Oxford University Press.

Davis, B. 2014. Eight Challenges of Data Analysis for Marketers. Retrieved from https://econsultancy.com/blog/64990-eight-challenges-of-data-analysis-for-marketers/ 

Caligiuri, P. M. (2000). Selecting expatriates for personality characteristics: moderating effect of personality on A relationship between national host contact and cross-cultural adjustment. MIR: Management International Review, 61-80.

Takeuchi, R. Tesluk, P.E. & Yun, S. (2002). Examination of crossover and spillover effects of spousal and expatriate cross-cultural adjustment on expatriate outcomes. Journal of applied psychology, 87(4), 655.

MacEachren, A. M., & Kraak, M. J. (2001). Research challenges in visualization. Cartography and geographic information science, 28(1), 3-12.

Harzing, A. W., & Christensen, C. (2004). Expatriate failure: time to abandon the concept?. Career Development International, 9(7), 616-626.

Selmer, J. (2001). Expatriate selection: back to basics?. International Journal: Human Resource Management, 12(8), 1219-1233.

Zhang, Y. and Oczkowski, E. (2016) Exploring the potential effects of expatriate adjustment direction. Cross Cultural & Strategic Management, 23(1), pp158-183.