Making the Connection- The Real ROI of the Mobility Investment Panel:Gail Reinhart, TheMIGroup Yvonne McNulty, Expat Research

Small $$...Big Payoff!! Destination Services Intercultural Training Language Training Spousal Assistance =

Getting the ROI from Support Services Significant time savings for assignee and family Shorter and less stressful adjustment period Successful transition to the assignment location Successful assignment !

Why Bother? Success of the assignment Happy family = engaged employee ROI OR

ROI and Family Support Reasons for assignment refusal  1. Family concerns – 34% Critical family challenges  1. Spouse resistance – 47%  2. Family adjustment – 32%  3. Children’s education – 29% Reasons for premature return  1. Family concerns – 34% Causes of assignment failure  1. Spouse dissatisfaction – 18% Source: Cartus, 2014; Brookfield, 2014

What Support Services Should You Invest In? City Orientation Home Finding School Search Government Compliance

In Addition… Intercultural Training Language Training Spousal Assistance

Intercultural Training Understand culture and culture shock Culture-specific orientation Communication strategies Important to include spouse AND children Reduces the potential for assignment failure/personal and family issues Hall of Integration Temple of Confucius, Qufu Shandong Province, China

Culture Shock Psychological process of adjusting to a living environment that is unfamiliar Three stages of adjustment: Honeymoon Phase Negotiation Phase Adjustment Phase Significant expense for corporation if new employee returns to home country

Language Training Alleviates anxiety and fear in communicating in new culture Allows assignee to understand and communicate with staff in assignment location Required in some parts of the world, e.g., South America, China Critical for spouse

ROI and Family Support [popular solution] throw money at the problem [money cannot solve] professional status (dual-career) marital stress identity [unpopular solution] enable spouse to help themselves by providing: destination services tailored support tools and resources

Dual-Career Issue 84% of trailing spouses have a tertiary qualification or a college education 79% had a career prior to relocating only 36% able to continue their career once relocated due to work permit, language, and licensing restrictions of those that do, many change careers or settle for a “job” that is less prestigious than what they had Source: McNulty, 2012

Spousal Support Home-based support network removed Forced to set up a household while dealing with culture shock and potential language barriers Many spouses give up career Provide more than just ‘career’ assistance which is typically job search, etc.

Source: McNulty, 2012 “I do not live for my husband, nor do I live for his work and the company just couldn’t understand that. He did not marry a housewife and I will never be one”

Marital Stress Source: McNulty, 2012 married (97%) for at least 4 years (72%) with children (57%) 99% rate ‘strong and stable marriage’ as most important perceived adjustment factor, then ‘lack of stress in the marriage’ (94%) ahead of ‘ability to earn an income’ (52%) and ‘business travel’ (43%)

Source: McNulty, 2012 “the breaking up of marriages is dealt with like an embarrassing individual failure … the more than 50% separations and divorces is simply ignored”

And it costs how much? Destination Services = $1,000 - $5,000 Intercultural Training = $3,000 - $10,000 Language Training = $3,000 - $15,000 Spousal Support = $5,000 - $10,000

[ resources ]

[dual-career] reimburse costs associated with career coaching maintain remote connection to career – pay for subscriptions, memberships education support

[marital stress] EAP programs counseling selection interviews with couples A moveable marriage: Relocating your relationship without breaking it By Robin Pascoe Expatriate Press Limited (North Vancouver, BC, 2003)

A portable identity: A woman's guide to maintaining a sense of self while moving overseas By Debra Bryson and Charise Hoge Transition Press International (Glen Echo, MD, 2005) aportableidentity.com [identity]

Journal of Global Mobility: The home of expatriate management research [JGM] is the premier publishing outlet for authors and readers interested in topics and issues associated with expatriate management and global mobility. JGM caters to a community of scholars and practitioners interested in theoretical and empirical perspectives of physical global mobility as well as antecedents, correlates and consequences of activities and phenomena associated with global mobility.

Expat Women: Confessions – 50 Answers to Your Real-Life Questions About Living Abroad By Andrea Martins & Victoria Hepworth Expat Women Enterprises Pty Ltd (Buderim, Australia, 2011)

A Broad Abroad: The Expat Wife's Guide to Successful Living Abroad By Robin Pascoe Expatriate Press Limited (2009)

Expat Teens Talk: Peers, parents and professionals offer support, advice and solutions in response to expat life challenges as shared by expat teens by Diana Smit and Lisa Pittman Summertime (January 20, 2012) twitter.com/expatteenstalk

Emotional Resilience and the Expat Child By Julia Simens Summertime (May 10, 2011) Tel:

Raising Global Nomads: Parenting Abroad in an On-Demand World by Robin Pascoe Publisher: Expatriate Press

Belonging Everywhere and Nowhere: Insights into Counseling the Globally Mobile by Lois Bushong Mango Tree Intercultural Services (October, 2013)

Part I: Expatriation and ROI Introduction Chap 1: Basics of Expatriation Chap 2: Expatriation and ROI Part II: Understanding Expatriates Chap 3: Expatriate Compensation Chap 4: Expatriate Families Chap 5: Global Careers Chap 6: Expatriate Psychological Contracts Part III: Managing Expatriation Using ROI Chap 7: A New Model of Expatriate ROI Chap 8: Evaluating Expatriate ROI Chap 9: Five Core Principles for Effective ROI Appendices / Notes / References / Glossary / Index