Experiences of Danish Business Expatriates in Russia: Power Distance in Organizational Communication

Chudnovskaya, Elena V.; O’Hara, Laura

doi:10.1080/17475759.2016.1188408

Cited by 7 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 68 publications

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“…Most studies of expatriates examine the expatriates’ experiences such as their cultural adjustment (e.g., Firth et al, 2014), the communication challenges they face (e.g., Chudnovskaya & O’Hara, 2016), their roles as expatriates (e.g., Kobrin, 1988; Riusala & Suutari, 2004), and the effects of training and mentoring before and during their assignments (e.g., Black & Mendenhall, 1990; Carraher et al, 2008). Although it is important to understand expatriates’ experiences during their assignments to help them overcome challenges and enhance their experiences, the experiences of the large number of local employees affected by expatriate assignments are a key to organizational success.…”

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confidence: 99%

“They Are Nothing More Than His Spies on the Floor”: Local Employees’ Sensemaking and Interpretation of Expatriates’ Roles and Responsibilities

Wyant

Kramer

2021

Management Communication Quarterly

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This study examines how local employees gain information and make sense of new expatriates’ roles and responsibilities in multinational corporations by applying Weick’s sensemaking theory. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews of 17 local employees working for a Japan-based automotive manufacturing company in a Midwestern U.S. city. Results revealed that local employees extracted cues from their environment to make sense of expatriates’ roles and responsibilities by communicating directly with others, observing expatriates communicating with others, and applying knowledge from previous experiences with expatriates. In making sense of the information, local employees compared their expectations for expatriates with their experiences and interpreted expatriates’ roles and responsibilities negatively when there was a discrepancy between them. This study provides valuable insights into the sensemaking process of local employees as they adapt to expatriates as part of their ongoing socialization process.

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