The experience of Icelandic expats employees in distant countries

Abstract

Good adjustment can make a crucial contribution to expatriates completing their projects or contracts abroad. Research has shown that both good preparation and compensation from employers can make a difference in order to achieve the best possible adjustment. The cost for corporations and organizations of sending employees from their home country to work in other countries is much higher than that of having employees on payroll in their home country. Therefore, it is important for all those involved that foreign projects are successful. This article reviews the experiences of Icelandic expatriates of cross-cultural adjustment at hardship locations. Furthermore, the purpose is to examine their own as well as their employers ́ preparation before moving abroad. It is also examined whether any compensation is provided by their employers and, if there is any, then what kind. A qualitative study was conducted involving interviews with nine expatriates, who were living in various hardship locations in the world when the interviews were conducted, for the purpose of answering the abovementioned speculations. The results of the study indicate that overall the adaptation of the participants was good, but the support of employers to their employees was generally not great nor were the preparations in the home country before their relocations.