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What, When, and with Whom? Investigating Expatriate Reentry Training with a Proximal Approach
Author(s) -
Szkudlarek Betina,
Sumpter Dana McDaniel
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
human resource management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.888
H-Index - 94
eISSN - 1099-050X
pISSN - 0090-4848
DOI - 10.1002/hrm.21647
Subject(s) - reentry , expatriate , training (meteorology) , ideal (ethics) , psychology , qualitative property , applied psychology , computer science , public relations , political science , physics , neuroscience , machine learning , meteorology , law
While reentry transition has long been regarded as one of the most challenging phases of an expatriate assignment cycle, reentry training has received little scholarly attention. Using a qualitative research design based on interviews with 31 training providers, we bring the issue of reentry training into focus. Our findings shed light on three components of training design and execution: content, timing, and participant format. Our comparison of actual reentry training practice with an ideal, theory‐driven design revealed numerous inconsistencies. Further investigation of these inconsistencies led us to theorize how training practices may predominantly be shaped by contextual factors. Our findings accentuate the challenges of HRM practices more broadly, showing how practice design can be driven by logistical matters and organizational interests, rather than by evidence‐based precepts. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.