Cross- cultural Communication This page intentionally left blank

Repatriation: the problems of return
Repatriation or re- entry is the transition from the foreign country back to 
one’s own after living overseas for a significant period of time. This section 
covers the return of people who have been living and working overseas in 
the international community. Many suffer from what has been described 
as reverse culture shock. ‘I never expected to feel like a stranger in my own 
country’ is a cry that one often hears.
Research has indicated that one of the main problems encountered 
by international companies with their expatriates and their families is 
re- entry and
re- adaptation back into the home country after a period 
overseas. The main concerns include the loss of autonomy, lesser status, 
lack of career direction and lack of recognition of expatriate experience. 
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118 Cross-Cultural Communication
The following two quotations sum up the problems experienced upon 
repatriation:
‘The thing which gives expatriation a bad reputation faster than anything 
else is poor reintegration.
Re- entry is the toughest assignment of all’ 
(Tung, 1998).
‘Returnees come back neither to the world they left nor to the world they 
are anticipating’ (Adler, 1997).
Having established a home and a life in a new culture and made the neces-
sary cultural adjustments, ‘coming home’ again is often viewed as presenting 
few difficulties. However, there are real problems encountered on return. 
Whereas pre- departure preparation and cultural orientation training are now 
recognized by many companies as important for both the employed partner 
and the family, in many cases little is done to prepare for return to the home 
country. In particular, a sudden imposed return to the home country because 
of a natural disaster or a change in the local political situation almost certainly 
heightens the need for support because of the organizational difficulties in 
reacting quickly to the situation and the pressure on those involved.