Adjustment to Pakistan among Finnish expatriates

In e na ional Jou nal o Resea ch S udies in Managemen 2016 Oc obe , Volume 5 Numbe 2, 65-77 © The Au ho (s) / A ibu ion-NonComme cial-NoDe i s CC BY-NC-ND Adjus men o Pakis an among Finnish expa ia es Salminen, Hanna Uni e si y o Tampe e, Finland (hanna.ma ia.salminen@s a .u a. i) Ma ila, Malla Uni e si y o Tampe e, Finland (malla.ma ila@s a .u a. i) Jokela, Ju a Cap Gemini, Finland (ju [email protected]) Recei ed: 19 May 2016 Re ised: 5 Augus 2016 Accep ed: 11 Augus 2016 A ailable Online: 18 Augus 2016 DOI: 10.5861/ij sm.2016.1539 ISSN: 2243-7770 Online ISSN: 2243-7789 OPEN ACCESS Abs ac Expa ia ion has become an insigh ul con ex o s udying employees' adjus men o di e en hos o ganisa ions and coun ies, because i con ains a as a ay o con adic ions and ensions. This con ex has a ac ed se e al s udies, which ha e s udied di e en cha ac e is ics o he adjus men as well as p ocessual aspec s in ol ed in i . The adjus men o sel -ini ia ed expa ia es wo king in dis an loca ions which a e subs an ially di e en om hei own - in pa icula he mo e om he de eloped o he de eloping coun y wi h e y di e en cul u al cha ac e is ics - has, howe e , gained less in e es . To de elop he cu en unde s anding abou wes e n expa ia es' adjus men in his se ing u he , he s udy adap s an indi idual-le el pe spec i e o expa ia ion and uses he meneu ical app oach o desc ibe and analyse he adjus men o Finnish expa ia es o Pakis an. A quali a i e s udy was ca ied ou ; se en Finnish expa ia es ha ing expa ia ion expe ience om Pakis an we e con ac ed and in e iewed, and he quali a i e con en analysis me hod was used o analyse and in e p e he gene a ed esea ch da a. The s udy shows how young Finnish expa ia e p oac i ely seek o e seas expe iences. They a e also la gely mo i a ed by al uism. Thei pe sonal ambi ions o do social good o bo h he local communi y and o he hos coun y d i e o expa ia ion. In addi ion, he s udied expa ia es ac i ely y o o e come he expe ienced cul u al di e ences. Howe e , he expe ienced o ganisa ional hie a chies, he expa ia es' eedom o choice, and he gende oles in luence hei adjus men , bo h ega ding o he hos o ganisa ion and he coun y. Keywo ds: adjus men ; expa ia ion; dis ance; secu i y; gende Salminen, H., Ma ila, M., & Jokela, J. 66 Conso ia Academia Publishing Adjus men o Pakis an among Finnish expa ia es 1. In oduc ion Today’s global economy means ha he numbe o expa ia es is g owing a a apid pace and wi h g ea e a ia ion han be o e (Selme & Lau ing, 2012). Fo example, many expa ia es a e now sen by eligious and humani a ian non-p o i o ganisa ions o dis an loca ions whe e hey may ace mul iple secu i y- ela ed challenges while wo king and li ing ab oad (Obe hols e , Cla ke, Bendixen, & Das oo , 2013). Howe e , mos s udies o expa ia es ha e concen a ed on adi ional o ganisa ional expa ia es (OEs) wo king o p i a e companies (Selme & Lau ing, 2012). In addi ion o OEs, mo e non- adi ional, sel -ini ia ed expa ia es (SIEs) a e ac i ely seeking wo k in o eign coun ies, e en in dis an (Hemmasi & Downes, 2013; Selme & Lau ing, 2012) and dange ous loca ions (Obe hols e e al., 2013). Al hough he numbe o emale expa ia es is inc easing, women as SIEs a e an unde -in es iga ed g oup ( an den Be gh & Du Plessis, 2012). As no ed by B ews e , Bonache, Ce din, and Suu a i (2014), p e ious expa ia ion s udies ha e been p ima ily conce ned wi h whi e male employees om Wes e n coun ies (mos no ably om No h Ame ica) sen on in e na ional wo k assignmen s by la ge mul ina ional co po a ions. The challenges aced by women du ing such o eign assignmen s can ela e, o example, o wo k oles (Ha is, 2004), gende disc imina ion, and amily esponsibili ies (Tzeng, 2006). Mos expa ia e s udies ha e been conduc ed om ei he an o ganisa ional o an indi idual pe spec i e. O ganisa ion-le el s udies ha e concen a ed on such issues as managing global alen (Minbae a & Collings, 2013). Indi idual-le el s udies ha e ocused on he expa ia ion p ocess, om ec ui men o epa ia ion, as well as on adjus men du ing expa ia ion and on expa ia es’ mo i es (B ews e e al., 2014). Recen s udies ha e explo ed he impac on adjus men o such ac o s as he cul u al dis ance be ween home and hos coun ies (Colakoglu & Caligiu i, 2008; Hemmasi & Downes, 2013). I has also been a gued ha SIEs’ mo i es o wo king ab oad may di e om hose o OEs (Selme & Lau ing, 2012; Suu a i & B ews e , 2000). P e ious Finnish expa ia ion s udies ha e analysed such ma e s as he ca ee s o expa ia es (Pel onen, 1998), expec a ions conce ning expa ia es’ epa ia ion (Suu a i & B ews e , 2003), and pe o mance managemen o expa ia es (Suu a i & Tah anainen, 2002), and he expe iences o Finnish expa ia es in Sweden, Russia, Ge many and China (Suu a i, 1996; 1998). In addi ion, Jokinen, Suu a i, and B ews e (2008) and Suu a i and B ews e (2000) ha e s udied di e ences be ween Finnish OEs and SIEs. One neglec ed a ea o esea ch is adjus men among Finnish ( emale) expa ia es wo king o o ganisa ions in egions whe e he secu i y si ua ion and cul u e di e s g ea ly om hei home coun y. The p esen s udy aims o b idge his gap, adop ing an indi idual-le el, he meneu ical app oach o empi ically desc ibe and analyse he adjus men o Finnish OEs and SIEs expa ia es in Pakis an. The s udy desc ibes expe ienced di e ences be ween Finnish and Pakis an o ganisa ional cul u es in e ms o hie a chy, independence, and gende equali y. I also demons a es how he secu i y si ua ion o he hos coun y plays a cen al ole in adjus men , de eloping a ulle unde s anding o young, sel -di ec ed, and ‘bounda yless’ indi iduals who p oac i ely seek new o sho e job oppo uni ies and expe iences. The es o he pape is s uc u ed as ollows. A e de ining he key concep s o he s udy, we e iew some heo e ical aspec s o he ac o s in luencing expa ia e adjus men . We hen discuss ou me hodological choices, and p esen he indings o he empi ical quali a i e s udy, concluding wi h discussion and ecommenda ions. 2. Theo e ical amewo k 2.1 Di e ences be ween OEs and SIEs T adi ionally, he e m expa ia e has been used o e e an employee who has been sen o e seas by his o Adjus men o Pakis an among Finnish expa ia es In e na ional Jou nal o Resea ch S udies in Managemen 67 he cu en employe — he so-called ‘o ganisa ional expa ia e’ (OE). To ing on, Hall, Taylo , and A kinson ha e de ined hese expa ia es as s a whose no mal place o wo k is in one coun y, bu who a e sen on secondmen o a pe iod o wo o h ee yea s o wo k o e seas, usually in a ela i ely senio posi ion, be o e e u ning home o hei o iginal wo kplace. (2011, p. 144) On he o he hand, he e m sel -ini ia ed expa ia e (SIE) has been used o e e o a pe son who is no sen by a pa en o ganisa ion bu is ins ead hi ed on a con ac ual basis (Selme & Lau ing, 2012, p. 667). As he Finnish expa ia es pa icipa ing in he p esen s udy a e d awn om bo h g oups, he gene al e m expa ia e is applied o all o hem. I has been a gued ha adi ional expa ia es di e om SIEs in e ms o hei goals and mo i es (Dohe y, Dickmann, & Mills, 2011). SIEs a e o en seeking ou new expe iences and may be pu suing a desi e o ‘ ind hemsel es’ (Inkson, A hu , P ingle, & Ba y, 1997). They o en also ep esen he ‘bounda yless’ ca ee model, d i en by indi idual a he han o ganisa ional pu poses (Inkson e al., 1997). As compa ed o OEs, SIEs’ mo i es o wo king ab oad can also ela e less o mone a y gain (Tung, 1998; see also Selme & Lau ing, 2012). Fo example, Dohe y e al. (2011, p. 595) demons a ed ha SIEs we e mo e s ongly mo i a ed by he loca ion and epu a ion o he hos coun y while OEs we e mo e o en mo i a ed by issues such as ca ee ad ancemen . Suu a i and B ews e (2000) demons a ed ha among Finnish expa ia es, SIEs we e mo e mo i a ed han OEs by in e na ional aspec s. Richa dson and McKenna (2002) iden i ied ou ypes o academic SIE: explo e s, e ugees, me cena ies, and a chi ec s. An explo e is d i en by a desi e o a el and ad en u e. Fo he e ugee ype, expa ia ion is an oppo uni y o escape some aspec o his o he p e ious li e, and o he me cena y, inancial incen i es a e he p ima y mo i e. A chi ec expa ia es a e mo i a ed by a desi e o ad ance hei ca ee . Howe e , i should be no ed ha sel -ini ia ed expa ia ion is an ongoing p ocess, and ha he p ima y mo i e may change o e ime (Selme & Lau ing, 2012). Obe hols e e al. (2013) ha e also demons a ed ha he mo i es o expa ia es om de eloped and de eloping coun ies also di e ; inancial incen i es we e ound o be less impo an o expa ia es om de eloped coun ies as compa ed o hose om de eloping coun ies. 2.2 Fac o s in luencing expa ia e adjus men Adjus men is a complex phenomenon ha has been de ined in di e en ways (Ha is, 2004; Aycan, 1997). Concep s such as adjus men , adap a ion, accul u a ion, and assimila ion a e o en used in e changeably in expa ia ion s udies (Hemmasi & Downes, 2013). He e, we use he e m adjus men o con ey he eelings o sa is ac ion and com o expe ienced by expa ia es (Aycan, 1997; Black, 1988). While good adjus men does no necessa y p ecede good job pe o mance (Holopainen & Bjö kman, 2005), success ul adjus men o OEs can be seen as a p ima y goal o he home o ganisa ion, as poo adjus men o he hos coun y can cause nega i e sen imen , mone a y losses, and low wo k mo i a ion, as well as p ema u e e-en y (Holopainen & Bjö kman, 2005). P e ious s udies ha e iden i ied a numbe o pe sonal, wo k- ela ed, and non-wo k ac o s ha in luence he adjus men o expa ia es. In ela ion o pe sonal ac o s, a dis inc ion can be d awn be ween ‘ha d’ and ‘so ’ issues (Canhilal, Shemueli, & Dolan, 2015). While he o me e e o such ma e s as biog aphical da a, echnical knowledge and skills, and amily adap a ion, he la e ela e o mo i a ion, social skills, and c oss-cul u al adjus men (Canhilal e al., 2015). Fo in e na ional assignmen s, along wi h echnical compe ences, ‘so e ’ skills a e seen o play an impo an ole in job pe o mance (Minbae a & Collings, 2013). In pa icula , c oss-cul u al adjus men has been iden i ied as a key de e minan o success ul adjus men o expa ia es (Jackson & Mande scheid, 2015). Fo example, Canhilal e al. (2015) ound ha c oss-cul u al abili ies mos s ongly accoun ed o success ul expa ia ion. Salminen, H., Ma ila, M., & Jokela, J. 68 Conso ia Academia Publishing Acco ding o Aycan (1997), adjus men as accul u a ion can be seen o consis o psychological, sociocul u al, and wo k dimensions. The psychological dimension e e s o psychological well-being, and he sociocul u al dimension ela es o social and cul u al unc ioning. The wo k dimension e e s o e ec i eness and a i ude owa d one’s job. A low s ess le el and deep in eg a ion may also con ibu e o imp o ed pe o mance a wo k, and suppo om he expa ia e’s o ganisa ion has been ound o play an impo an ole in success ul adjus men (Aycan, 1997). Black, Mendenhall and Oddou (1991) dis inguished be ween gene al, in e ac ion, and wo k adjus men (see Ha is, 2004). Gene al adjus men ela es o an expa ia e’s adjus men o he hos coun y’s cul u e, including clima e, ood, and housing. In e ac ion adjus men e e s o in e ac ions wi h hos na ionals. Whe eas, wo k du ies and esponsibili ies, as well as pe o mance s anda ds, a e ela ed o wo k adjus men (Ha is, 2004). Success ul adap a ion in ol es all h ee o hese dimensions (Jackson & Mande scheid, 2015). Ren, Sha e , Ha ison, Fu, and Fodchuk (2014) no ed ha he dominan iew o expa ia e adjus men has been ai ly ‘ eac i e’, and ha a mo e ‘p oac i e’ pe spec i e is needed. This p oac i e app oach emphasises he ac i e ole o expa ia es in acqui ing and using hei own esou ces in adjus ing o he o eign locale. In p ac ice, his in ol es such ac i i ies as ge ing acquain ed wi h new people and ac i ely sou cing new in o ma ion (Ren e al., 2014). A numbe o models o adjus men ha e ocused on p ocessual aspec s. Among he bes known o hese is Obe g’s (1960) U-cu e model, which desc ibes expa ia es’ adjus men o e ime (F iedman, Dyke, & Mu phy, 2009). The s ages o adap a ion a e cha ac e ised as honeymoon, cul u al shock, adjus men , and mas e y (F iedman e al., 2009; Black & Mendenhall, 1991). Acco ding o Black and Mendenhall (1991), in he honeymoon s age, an expa ia e is o en exci ed by he new cul u e. The second s age is cul u al shock, cha ac e ised by con usion and anxie y abou cul u al di e ences such as alues and communica ion no ms. This leads e en ually o he adjus men s age, as he expa ia e lea ns and adjus s o local cus oms and no ms. In he inal s age o mas e y, he expa ia e ealises ha hey ha e acqui ed su icien knowledge o pe o m e ec i ely in he o eign cul u e. In hei empi ical e iew, Black and Mendenhall (1991) ound ha 12 o 18 empi ical s udies suppo ed he U-hypo hesis. C i icism o he U-cu e model ela es especially o i s lack o heo e ical explana ion o how and why expa ia es p oceed om one s age o ano he (Black & Mendenhall, 1991). Mo e ecen ly, a numbe o s udies ha e ocused on he signi icance o he adap a ion p ocess o he cul u al dis ance be ween home and hos coun ies (Hemmasi & Downes, 2013; Jenkins & Mockai is, 2010). Gene ally speaking, cul u al dis ance e e s o di e ences be ween home and hos cul u es (Hemmasi & Downes, 2013). Beyond objec i e di e ences o his kind, i has been a gued ha he mindse o expa ia es in luences he adap a ion p ocess, as in hei men al image o he o eign coun y and he alidi y o his image (Jenkins & Mockai is, 2010). 3. Resea ch me hodology 3.1 Con ex o he s udy T ade be ween Finland and Pakis an has been ela i ely low in ecen yea s. In 2012, Finnish expo s o Pakis an we e alued a 60 million Eu os, and impo s om Pakis an o alled 50 million Eu os (Minis y o Fo eign A ai s o Finland, 2014). A he momen , only a ew la ge Finnish companies ope a e in Pakis an (e.g. S o a-Enso, Vaisala, Wä silä), bu Pakis an has a ac ed g owing in e es among Finnish companies (Minis y o Fo eign A ai s o Finland, 2014). Finland has also p o ided humani a ian aid o Pakis an, and Finland’s Fo eign Minis y has p o ided inancial suppo o non-go e nmen al o ganisa ions ope a ing in Pakis an (Minis y o Fo eign A ai s o Finland, 2014). The cul u al dis ance be ween Finland and Pakis an is high. Ho s ede (1984) has ca ego ised na ional cul u es along ou cul u al dimensions: (1) powe dis ance, (2) indi idualism e sus collec i ism, (3) Adjus men o Pakis an among Finnish expa ia es In e na ional Jou nal o Resea ch S udies in Managemen 69 masculini y e sus eminism, and (4) unce ain y a oidance. He subsequen ly added wo u he dimensions o his model: (5) long- e m e sus sho - e m o ien a ion and (6) indulgence e sus es ain (Ho s ede, Ho s ede, & Minko , 2010). Di e ences be ween Finland and Pakis an on hese dimensions a e p esen ed in Table 1. Table 1 Di e ences in na ional cul u e be ween Finland and Pakis an Dimension Finland index Pakis an index Powe dis ance 33 55 Indi idualism 63 14 Masculini y 26 50 Unce ain y a oidance 59 70 Long- e m o ien a ion 38 50 Indulgence 57 0 Sou ce. The Ho s ede Cen e , h p://gee -ho s ede.com/ Acco ding o Ho s ede e al.’s (2010) classi ica ion, Finland sco es lowe han Pakis an on he powe –dis ance dimension, indica ing ha Finnish employees a ou a pa icipa i e leade ship s yle (Islam, 2004). Finland is also a mo e indi idualis ic and eminine coun y, as e idenced by he alue assigned o equali y and well-being in wo king li e (The Ho s ede Cen e , h p://gee -ho s ede.com/ inland.h ml). Finnish women ha e a long his o y o being ac i e pa icipan s in wo king li e, and Finland is conside ed o be among he mos gende -equal coun ies, along wi h o he he No dic s a es o Sweden, No way, Denma k, and Iceland. Compa ed o Pakis an, Finland is also mo e sho - e m o ien ed. In con as , Pakis an is an Islamic coun y wi h a adi ion o male dominance in wo king li e (Ali, 2013). The unce ain y a oidance is highe in Pakis an han in Finland. On he indulgence- es ain dimension, Finland is seen o be highly indulgence-o ien ed while Pakis an can be seen o ep esen a es ain cul u e (The Ho s ede Cen e , h p://gee -ho s ede.com/ inland.h ml). 3.2 Da a gene a ion and analysis The p esen app oach can be desc ibed as a phenomenological he meneu ics (Lindse h & No be g, 2004; see Thompson, 1981 o a ious pe spec i es). We belie e ha he he meneu ical app oach se es o elucida e expa ia es’ subjec i e pe cep ions and li ed expe iences conce ning hei adjus men o Pakis an, on he assump ion ha hese li ed eali ies can be accessed h ough ex s ha con ey he pa icipan s’ meanings, a i udes, and beha iou s. The he meneu ical app oach also enabled us o play an ac i e ole as in e p e e s o he empi ical in e iew da a, d awing on he esea che s’ p e-exis ing unde s andings o he esea ch phenomenon. Da a we e collec ed om se en in e iews wi h Finnish expa ia es in Pakis an, yielding 85 pages in o al o ansc ibed ex . The pa icipa ing expa ia es we e con ac ed by one o he au ho s, who had es ablished con ac s wi h o he Finnish expa ia es in Pakis an while wo king in a mul ina ional co po a ion he e o one yea . A ha ime, he e we e app oxima ely 20 Finns wo king in Pakis an. The in e iews we e conduc ed in 2013, ei he ia Skype o ace- o- ace, a e he pa icipan s had e u ned o Finland. The du a ion o in e iews a ied om 40 o 80 minu es. All in e iews we e conduc ed in Finnish, eco ded, and ansc ibed, omi ing only pa icles like ‘um’ and ‘you know’. The in e iews we e ‘emo ionalis ’ (Sil e man, 2013), in ha hey aimed o gi e he esea che s an au hen ic insigh in o he expe iences o SIEs and OEs in adjus ing o Pakis an. In e iews we e semi-s uc u ed (E iksson & Ko alainen, 2016), in o med by one au ho ’s own expe iences o wo king as an expa ia e in Pakis an and he desi e o sys ema ically compa e he in o ma ion p o ided by in e iewees. Be o e he in e iews, pa icipan s ecei ed a p elimina y ques ionnai e asking abou hei backg ound and leng h o expa ia ion in Pakis an. The in e iews co e ed h ee b oad hemes: adjus men , lea ning, and expe iences ela ed o he objec i es o expa ia ion and how hese we e me . The same hemes we e explo ed wi h each o he in e iewees, bu he o de and o m o ques ions (bo h ‘wha ’ and ‘how’) a ied wi h he cou se o each in e iew. All o he in e iewees we e ela i ely young, anging in age om 26 o 39; i e o he se en we e emale. Salminen, H., Ma ila, M., & Jokela, J. 70 Conso ia Academia Publishing Only one was ma ied. Th ee in e iewees held a manage ial posi ion. Some wo ked in he non-p o i sec o , and o he s wo ked o adi ional companies (e.g. e ail and FMCG). Two o he in e iewees had wo ked in wo di e en o ganisa ions du ing hei ime in Pakis an. Wo king expe iences in Pakis an a ied in du a ion om wo mon hs o almos eigh yea s. Two in e iewees had wo ked he e o less han ou mon hs; he es had wo ked he e o a leas one yea . The median leng h o expa ia ion was 22 mon hs. Fou expa ia es we e SIEs, and h ee we e OEs. The da a we e analysed using quali a i e con en analysis (E iksson & Ko alainen, 2016) guided by deduc ion o o e all analysis and in e p e a ion. This decision can be jus i ied on he basis o exis ing heo e ical knowledge abou adjus men p ocesses and ac o s in luencing adjus men . To begin, a uni o analysis was de e mined—in his case, he heme. A semi-s uc u ed amewo k o analysis was hen c ea ed, based on he exis ing adjus men li e a u e. Finally, he esea ch da a we e ca ego ized in o hemes and sub- hemes acco ding o his amewo k. As one o he au ho s has pe sonal expe ience as an SIE in Pakis an, his p e-unde s anding may ha e a ec ed he p ocess o in e p e a ion and analysis. To b oaden he unde s anding o he esea ch phenomenon and o mi iga e he likelihood o in oducing assump ions oo ea ly and o e looking con adic o y esul s, he au ho s ca e ully e iewed p e ious s udies ela ed o he esea ch phenomenon. Addi ionally, he con ex , cha ac e is ics o he in e iewees, and p ocess o in e p e a ion and analysis we e desc ibed in as much de ail as possible o maximise he c edibili y o he analysis. 4. Resul s 4.1 Cul u al dis ance and o ganisa ional cul u e in luence adjus men Cul u al dis ance - All he in e iewees s a ed ha hey we e awa e o he conside able di e ences be ween he cul u es o Finland and Pakis an be o e mo ing he e, and mos said hey had some p e-knowledge o expe ience o Pakis an. Th ee had Pakis ani iends in Finland, and one had isi ed Pakis an p io o expa ia ion. Howe e , wo o he in e iewees el ha hei knowledge o Pakis an be o e hei expa ia ion was qui e weak. A ew o he pa icipan s s essed he impo ance o hei wo k om a social pe spec i e, in ela ion o de elopmen co-ope a ion. P e ious s udies ha e indica ed ha expa ia es wo king in eligious and humani a ian o ganisa ions a e mo i a ed by al uism and ‘making a di e ence’ (Obe hols e e al., 2013). The pa icipa ing expa ia es can be classi ied as ‘explo e s’ (Richa dson & McKenna, 2002) because hey saw he mo e o Pakis an as a pe sonal challenge ha hey wan ed o success ully mee : …one big mo i a o o he expa ia ion in Pakis an was ha I did no know any hing abou he egion … I wan ed o lea n, o unde s and he cus oms o ha egion and Islam. And i el ha I lea ned mo e han I could ha e expec ed o. (Female in e iewee F) Cul u al dis ance was especially highligh ed in he con ex o secu i y issues. Acco ding o he in e iewees, he secu i y si ua ion in Pakis an a ied du ing hei expa ia ion. In gene al, hey would ha e liked o a el mo e a ound Pakis an, and he secu i y ules and egula ions o he hos o ganisa ions we e pe cei ed as impinging on hei e e yday li es: I was kind o shock o me, because I am an adul pe son, ha someone es ic s whe e I can walk and whe e I can a el. As a Scandina ian and Wes e ne , I am e y independen . I was also e y ha d o me o accep ha he e we e wo secu i y gua ds in my house a all imes …. E en hough I unde s and ha i was o my own good, I el ha my p i acy was comple ely iola ed … and e e y ime I wan ed o a el somewhe e, I needed o ask pe mission. I was i i a ed by he si ua ion ha , as an adul woman, I was no allowed o make my own decisions whe e o a el. (Female in e iewee E) Adjus men o Pakis an among Finnish expa ia es In e na ional Jou nal o Resea ch S udies in Managemen 71 O ganisa ional cul u e - The expa ia es’ wo k se ings included bo h Wes e n and Islamic o ganisa ional cul u es. Some o he in e iewees also ecognised colonial an eceden s ha in luence he cul u e in Pakis ani o ganisa ions (Islam, 2014). Familia i y wi h he o ganisa ional cul u e and job esponsibili ies made he adjus men easie . Mos o he pa icipan s had clea ly de ined job du ies, which made i easie o hem o unde s and wha was expec ed o hem: The o ganisa ional cul u e was a combina ion o Wes e n and Islamic alues … he his o ical oo s ha Pakis an has wi h he Uni ed Kingdom we e in a way alued in he wo kplace. Because I wo ked in a mul ina ional co po a ion, he wo king me hods we e almos comple ely he same. (Male in e iewee G) The non-go e nmen al o ganisa ion was an in e na ional o ganisa ion, wi h in e na ional ules and s anda ds conce ning wo k. Ou eam was in e na ional … I had p e iously wo ked in he same non-go e nmen al o ganisa ion in Finland, so my knowledge and amilia i y o he o ganisa ion made i easie o me o adap . (Female in e iewee C) Adjus men o wo k also mean adjus ing o di e en ways o communica ing wi h subo dina es: The hie a chy was one o he mos di icul hings abou he job, bu in he end, I lea ned some hing abou i . (Female in e iewee C) The o ganisa ional cul u e was o ally di e en … In Finland, people a e no used o a si ua ion whe e you canno ha e a discussion wi h you boss o supe io . We [Finns] a e used o di ec communica ion, whe eas in Pakis an, people say “Yes boss, i is a g ea idea”, and ac ually, hey a e a aid o ask o ad ice abou how o do i in p ac ice. (Female in e iewee B) A i s , I was i i a ed because in Finland you a e used o making plans based on he ac s … and ha o he s keep hei p omises. La e on, I go used o he ac ha i someone said ha she o he is going o do some hing … I al eady knew a ha ime ha i was no going o happen. I lea ned ha … i is mo e poli e o say “I’ll do i ”, e en hough you won’ do i , a he han e using o do i . (Female in e iewee A) Cul u al di e ences in he ole o supe iso s we e discussed wi h Finnish expa ia es who held manage ial posi ions in hei hos o ganisa ions. Du ing expa ia ion, hey lea ned o be s ic and o exp ess p ecisely wha hey expec ed o hei subo dina es: In Finnish wo king li e … he di e ences be ween supe iso and employee a e no so clea … you can be iends wi h you boss ou side wo k … whe eas in Pakis an cul u e, he hie a chy is eally s ong. (Male in e iewee D) In Finland, i is s aigh o wa d eam wo k, no e y hie a chical, a he mo e like b ains o ming. Bu he e [in Pakis an], i seemed e y di icul . Fo hem [Pakis anis], i was e y impo an ha he e is someone who says how hings should be done, and e e yone s icks o hei own du y. (Female in e iewee F) In gene al, he mos dis inc challenges o wo k adjus men ela ed o hie a chy, independence, and supe iso y oles. Finns a e used o less hie a chy, an independen wo king s yle, and a communica i e ela ionship wi h supe iso s; in Pakis an, hey had o adap o a mo e s ic ly de ined ole in a hie a chical o ganisa ion, whe e he oles o supe iso s and subo dina es a e clea ly exp essed. As mos o he pa icipan s we e emale ( i e ou o se en), wo k adjus men was also challenging in e ms o gende issues. All he women epo ed some o m o di icul y based on hei gende , especially when wo king in a manage ial posi ion: Salminen, H., Ma ila, M., & Jokela, J. 72 Conso ia Academia Publishing They p obably did no ake me so se iously. A i s , i was di icul o hem…how can his young emale know abou any hing? (Female in e iewee F) My own gende complica ed my adjus men … I encoun e ed some p ejudices in he wo k en i onmen . (Female in e iewee E) Adjus men o Pakis an—le ’s pu i his way ... as a man, i was a he easy. (Male in e iewee G) The emale expa ia es also el hey we e ea ed di e en ly as compa ed o hei local coun e pa s. They el ha because hei s a us as o eigne s ga e hem an ad an age o e local wo ke s, hey we e less nega i ely a ec ed by gende issues han local emale employees: Fo example, i was kind o con using ha we also had Pakis ani emale employees, along wi h emale expa ia es. Howe e , he local male employees we e no willing o wo k wi h hem in he same oom o o ake o de s om hem. (Female in e iewee F) This suppo s Adle ’s (1994) inding ha emale expa ia es wo king in Asian o ganisa ions we e iewed p ima ily as o eigne s by he local manage s. In o he wo ds, he pe cei ed di e ence in ea men o expa ia e and local emale employees can be unde s ood as a esul o e hnic dis ance be ween expa ia es and locals (Tzeng, 2006). 4.2 The adjus men p ocess The honeymoon phase - Those who had wo ked in Pakis an o six mon hs o less expe ienced he adjus men as ela i ely easy. Thei ime in Pakis an lew by quickly, illed wi h wo k and new iends, and local people we e ound o beha e poli ely, helping he expa ia es o ge acquain ed wi h new places and cus oms. Thei epo ed scep icism owa ds he hos coun y engende ed a ‘men al s a e’ ha se ed as a kind o acili a o ha eased he ini ial adjus men : I was easy o adap a i s … I wen he e wi h he a i ude ha I was p epa ed o he wo s … my expec a ions we e no e y high, and I had no g ea expec a ions conce ning he job— a he , I wen he e o cu iosi y, o new expe iences … Maybe o ha eason, he adjus men wen be e han I expec ed, as I was p epa ed o he wo s … And hen I el ha e e y hing was ine; I had a a he nice la , he e we e no many hings I was a aid o … i was no oo di y … and I could walk alone—i did no eel i dange ous a all. (Female in e iewee A) In he U-model, p esen ed by Obe g (1960), he i s mon hs a e desc ibed as a ‘honeymoon pe iod’, a e which di icul ies o en begin o su ace in he o m o i i a ion and annoyance owa ds he local cul u e. This was con i med by he pa icipan s in he p esen s udy. The shock phase - Those who had wo ked in Pakis an o mo e han six mon hs a gued ha hey we e impac ed a some poin by cul u al shock, which las ed o a ew mon hs. Common hemes ela ed o his phase we e he secu i y si ua ion and equali y issues ela ing o he independence and posi ion o women and social classes: Then, a e abou a mon h, he classical cul u e shock hi me … and I emembe hinking ha now I jus wo k he e, bu I won’ s ay he e he es o my li e. I was kind o di icul a i s … and he secu i y si ua ion was kind o s ess ul. (Female in e iewee F) I was no p epa ed o he di e ences be ween social classes … O cou se, I had hea d ha ich people ha e hei own se an s and so on, bu somehow, I did no unde s and i be o ehand … ha he e a e uly hose people who a e almos s a ing … and hen he ich people, wi h whom I became amilia because hey we e my co-wo ke s … somehow I el i so un ai , e en hough I Adjus men o Pakis an among Finnish expa ia es In e na ional Jou nal o Resea ch S udies in Managemen 73 eally ied o g asp ha hey li e in a di e en kind o socie y … and hen, he e we e he gende oles, di e ences be ween emale and male. (Female in e iewee A) Howe e , he pa icipan s did no eel ha hey had expe ienced any majo cul u e shock. One e en a gued ha he coun y, cul u e, and language played no impo an ole in his adjus men because he knew ha he would ind like-minded people: Well, I did no expe ience any eal cul u al shock because I le wi h a ue open mind. (Male in e iewee G) The phases o g adual adjus men and mas e y - Cul u al shock was ollowed by a phase o g adual adjus men . In his s age, hings p e iously pe cei ed as odd began o eel mo e na u al, and p oblema ic si ua ions occu ed less equen ly: I ecall ha , when I a i ed he e [Pakis an] a he end o July, i [adjus men ] became easie nea Ch is mas; a e Ch is mas, i was comple ely di e en … when I s a ed o adap , and I was no longe me ely “an ou side obse e ”, hings s a ed o un smoo he .” (Female in e iewee F) I was acknowledged ha deep in eg a ion (o ‘mas e y’ (Obe g, 1960)) in o he local cul u e would ake a long ime—possibly yea s. Howe e , he pe sis en ‘Finnish men ali y and mind se ’ was hough o assis in eg a ion. Deep in eg a ion was also desc ibed as a lea ning p ocess, whe e one’s alues and ways o hinking con e ge wi h hose o he local cul u e: I eally akes a e y long ime be o e you can ully in eg a e in o he socie y; I don’ know whe he you can e e o ally in eg a e, because you look o ally di e en , and e e ybody s a es a you on he s ee . (Female in e iewee A) I I hadn’ adap ed [ o Pakis an], I would ha e le a e a yea o a yea and a hal . Bu hen I would ha e no had he expe iences o lea ned he hings ha I ha e lea ned now. (Male in e iewee D) 5. Conclusions This pape has desc ibed and analysed he adjus men o Finnish o ganisa ional and sel -ini ia ed expa ia es o Pakis an. To his end, we adop ed an indi idual-le el pe spec i e on expa ia ion. The issue o adjus men was examined in a quali a i e s udy o se en Finnish expa ia es who had wo ked in Pakis an, applying a he meneu ical app oach o elici he pa icipan s’ subjec i e and li ed expe iences. The s udy’s main con ibu ion o he li e a u e on wes e n expa ia es’ adjus men o cul u ally dis an coun ies is o add o unde s anding o young, sel -di ec ed, and ‘bounda yless’ indi iduals who p oac i ely seek new job oppo uni ies and expe iences. The s udy highligh s sel -ini ia ion among expa ia es and he issue o gende in he p ocess o adjus men . I also aligns wi h hose expa ia ion s udies ha iden i y he in luence o mul iple indi idual, o ganisa ional, and en i onmen al ac o s in expa ia es’ adjus men . 5.1 Manage ial implica ions and ecommenda ions Based on ou indings, a i s ecommenda ion is ha manage s in home and hos o ganisa ions should unde s and ha expa ia es a y mo e nowadays in e ms o o ganisa ional and indi idual backg ound. The e is also an inc easing numbe o mission-o ien ed expa ia es, wo king in non-p o i o ganisa ions, as dis inc om hose wo king in mul ina ional companies wi h mo e p o i ocused mindse s (Obe hols e e al., 2013). The indings con i m ha , along wi h ‘ adi ional’ expa ia es, he e a e hose, bo h male and emale and ela i ely young, who ac i ely seek wo k in a a ie y o o ganisa ions o e seas o in dis an loca ions, and who a e mo i a ed by al uism a he han by mone a y ewa d o ca ee de elopmen . Thei pe sonal goals and he