Towards a theory of effective cross-cultural capacity development: the experiences of Australian international NGO expatriates in Vietnam

It takes two to tango: a review of the empirical research on expatriate-local interactions

“…The previously mentioned study by Van Bakel et al (2015) also highlighted communication barriers as a factor that influences the relationship quality between expatriates and their local host. This factor is also found in other studies; several qualitative studies have documented the lack of a shared language as a barrier to intercultural communication (Sriussadaporn, 2006;Peltokorpi, 2006Peltokorpi, , 2007Peltokorpi, , 2010Peltokorpi & Clausen 2011;Shimoda, 2013;Chang & Smale, 2014), which makes it more difficult to build meaningful relationships with HCNs (Shen & Kram, 2011;Fee et al, 2015), receive social support from 'local friends' (Wang & Nayir 2006), and which may also impede adjustment to interacting with HCNs, as has been shown for expatriates in China and Hong Kong (Selmer, 1999;Selmer, 2006;Zhang & Peltokorpi, 2016). Some studies also point to the importance of trust in the other person, a lack of which may lead to communication problems (Sriussadaporn, 2006), reduced information sharing (Shimoda, 2013;Hong, Snell, & Mak, 2016), or difficulty in developing a mentoring relationship with HCNs (Shen & Kram, 2011).…”

“…On an individual level, the motivation to establish the contact, possible anxiety (e.g., in terms of language skills) and expectations about the contact, the time both parties had available for the contact, and how long after arrival the contact was established (timing of the contact), all influenced the development of a high-quality contact relationship. Fee et al (2015) confirmed important factors such as time to interact and build a relationship outside of work. These two studies shed some interesting light on the processes at play when expatriates try to establish a relationship with a HCN.…”

“…First, the trait agreeableness has been found to be related to the ease of interacting with HCNs (Huang, Chi & Lawler, 2005;Ramalu, Rose, Uli & Samy, 2010). Second, Caligiuri (2000) found that openness to peoplewillingness to communicate and receptivity to learnis crucial for expatriates to benefit from contact with HCNs in terms of adjustment -and this goes both ways (Fee, Heizmann, & Gray, 2015). On the other hand, openness to experiences was not related to expatriate general adjustment and performance (Bruning et al, 2012).…”

“…The fact the expatriate is another nationality than his or her colleagues may have a negative impact on the establishment of trust, but only if the workplace is culturally homogeneous (Banai & Reisel, 1999). Fee et al (2015) also pointed to the crucial role of shared trust between the expatriate and the HCN for effective cross-cultural relationships.…”

Compreendendo os resultados de aprendizagem em intercâmbios voluntários internacionais

“…Com os negócios e os profissionais se tornando cada vez mais especializados, a competição por talentos aumenta em intensidade e complexidade (Berlato & Corrêa, 2017;Santos, Bronzo, Oliveira, & Resende, 2014;Reis, Fleury, Fleury, & Zambaldi, 2015, Govindarajan & Gupta, 2001. Muitas das habilidades desenvolvidas por voluntários internacionais se encaixam em uma classe específica e de interesse do mercado de trabalho (Fee et al, 2015;Black, Morrison, & Gregersen, 1999a). Essas qualidades chamadas por Black et al (1999a) como "soft skills" são de difícil aprendizado e desenvolvimento e, não frequentemente encontradas nas pessoas (King & Raghuram, 2013;Brook et al, 2007).…”