SPOUSE’S ROLE ALSO IMPORTANT IN MAKING OVERSEAS TRANSFERS

ATLANTA COMPANIES CAN REDUCE THE FAILURE RATE OF EXPATRIATE EXECUTIVE ASSIGNMENTS BY PROVIDING SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE TO THE EMPLOYEE’S SPOUSE IN RELOCATING AND FINDING A NEW JOB, SAID TAMARA HOMBURG, A CONSULTANT FOR CHICAGO-BASED BENNETT AND ASSOCIATES, AN INTERCULTURAL MANAGEMENT, TRAINING AND CONSULTING FIRM, AT A SEMINAR ON DUAL INTERNATIONAL CAREER COUPLES ON JUNE 26.

MS. HOMBURG, A FORMER EXPATRIATE WIFE HERSELF, TOLD ATTENDEES AT THE SEMINAR, HOSTED BY ARTHUR ANDERSEN & CO., THAT “THE SINGLE MOST COMMON REASON FOR FAILURE OF AN EXPATRIATE ASSIGNMENT IS FAMILY UNHAPPINESS.”

IF THE SPOUSE GIVES UP A CAREER TO FOLLOW THE EMPLOYEE, AND IS UNABLE TO ADJUST TO THE NEW COUNTRY, SAID MS. HOMBURG, HE OR SHE CAN LOSE CONFIDENCE AND BECOME DEPRESSED.

EVEN IF THE SPOUSE’S UNHAPPINESS DOESN’T CAUSE AN EARLY RETURN, SHE ADDED, “IF THE EMPLOYEE BECOMES THE PRIMARY CAREGIVER FOR THE SPOUSE, IT TAKES HIS OR HER ATTENTION AWAY FROM WORK, AND LESSENS PRODUCTIVITY.”

MEASURES SUCH AS LANGUAGE TRAINING, CAREER COUNSELING OR TEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT WITH THE ASSIGNEE’S COMPANY CAN HELP THE SPOUSE ADJUST AND REDUCE THE RISK THAT THE ASSIGNMENT WILL FAIL OR BE LESS PRODUCTIVE THAN IT COULD HAVE BEEN, SAID MS. HOMBURG.

AS THE ECONOMY BECAME MORE INTERNATIONAL AND OVERSEAS ASSIGNMENTS MORE COMMON IN THE 1980’S, SHE SAID, “COMPANIES DID NOT RESPOND WELL.”  BECAUSE MOST OF THE ASSIGNEES WERE MEN, COMPANIES GENERALLY ASSUMED THAT THE WIFE WOULD STAY HOME AND TAKE CARE OF THE CHILDREN AND HOUSE, MS. HOMBURG SAID.

EVEN THOUGH THE IMPORTANCE OF A SPOUSE’S CAREER IS NOW RECOGNIZED, SHE SAID, COMPANIES HAVE NOT BACKED THAT RECOGNITION UP WITH ACTION.

A 1993 SURVEY BY BENNETT AND ASSOCIATES FOUND THAT THE MOST COMMON SUPPORT FOR EXPATRIATE ASSIGNMENTS, CROSS-CULTURAL TRAINING, WAS OFFERED BY ONLY 45% OF THE COMPANIES SURVEYED, SHE SAID, WITH ONLY 23% OFFERING WORK PERMIT ASSISTANCE, 19% ENGAGING IN NETWORKING TO FIND EMPLOYMENT FOR THE SPOUSE, AND 11% OFFERING PROVISIONS FOR CHILDCARE.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL JOHN HAUPT OF ARTHUR ANDERSEN AT (404) 223-7163.  ARTHUR ANDERSEN’S WEB PAGE FOR EXPATRIATES AND HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGERS CAN BE ACCESSED AT HTTP://WWW.ARTHURANDERSEN.COM/IES.

MS. HOMBURG CAN BE REACHED AT (312) 251-9000.