Study of American expatriate experiences in Taiwan

Summary form only as given. Past international human resource management literature has suggested that most American multinational firms that employ expatriate managers have difficulty successfully retaining these managers in overseas assignments. The purpose of this study is to examine the main reasons for the high failure rate of American expatriates in Taiwan and to seek proper methods to improve their chances of succeeding overseas. First, in order to delineate the current state of overseas relocation programs in US multinational corporations, the extensive literature was reviewed in the areas of expatriate failure rates, adjustment, selection criteria, preparation and training, long term management development strategies and repatriations. A questionnaire was administered on a group basis to 30 American expatriates who are currently working in Taiwan. Information gathered from those expatriates was used to examine their overall adjustment, with three different types of statistical analyses used to measure the results. Preparatory training for recently expatriated and lengths of time on current assignment were found to influence overall adjustment, while the marital status, previous international work experience, preparatory training, age, home countries (US, Europe and Canada) and cultural novelty had no relationship with the overall adjustment of American expatriates in Taiwan. Finally, the implication of the study´s findings for American expatriates in Taiwan are discussed and recommendations for policy change are offered. Both research and practical implications of these findings are explored