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partner/spouse’s careers and employment;
health and security;
assistance and information regarding relocation on their return to the 
home country;
recognition and involvement of spouses in pre- departure briefing.
As a result of the Survey, Shell introduced a number of ‘mobility lubricants’ 
to help ease some of these problem areas. These included:
primary and/or secondary education of children in their own language 
in host country – setting up company schools or providing places in 
international schools;
financial assistance with boarding education in the home country;
provision of company medical facilities;
assisted passages to the home country;
assistance in finding suitable employment for the spouse/partner.
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106 Cross-Cultural Communication
The Survey stated that: ‘The aims of expatriation policies are to ensure that 
sufficient members of staff are fully mobile for international service and that 
satisfaction of staff and their families is maintained at a high level.’
The 1997/8 PricewaterhouseCooper Survey reported that cultural awareness 
training, although the most common form of
pre- departure training, 
was still often offered on a voluntary basis rather than being mandatory. 
However, the Survey acknowledged that there was a gradual increasing 
awareness of the need to provide at least some basic cross- cultural training 
for the employee’s acompanying partner and the rest of the family.
A further survey was made in 2002 of 400 European companies. A total 
of 50 per cent of these companies reported that they had experienced 
difficulties when trying to place staff in other countries in Europe regard-
ing employment legislation, health care, taxation, education of children 
and knowledge of foreign languages. As a result, the company noticed an 
increase in the number of staff members who were prepared to commute 
back to the UK at weekends.
There are a range of other issues that may affect the non- working partner 
rather than the working partner. These include the following: