Expatriation From South Korea to South Delhi Case Study

Executive Summary

Adjusting to a new sociocultural environment is one of the main challenges that an expatriate will encounter in the context of a foreign country. The need to accept the new lifestyle, philosophy, and values already represents an excruciatingly difficult and emotionally taxing process. However, the specified task becomes particularly difficult when having to balance the work-related differences in the sociocultural perceptions with the ones faced in one’s personal life (Ozer and Schwartz, 2021). In the case under analysis, to assist Yeong-jin Lee with adjusting to the Indian sociocultural setting, one will have to apply the Hofstede model, the Internationalization Process Theory, and the W-Curve framework in order to gauge the extent of challenges that he faces and the range of strategies required to help him.

Presently, the integration of the training courses aimed at helping Yeong-jin Lee and his family members to develop critical language skills along with the understanding of key sociocultural cues, thus, developing marginal culture competence, will be needed. The proposed solution will allow Yeong-jin Lee to reduce the extent of emotional distress and tension, therefore, focusing on his workplace performance and management of work-life balance. In addition, emotional and psychological support will have to be offered to Yeong-jin Lee in the form of counseling services to help him embrace the differences between Indian and Korean cultures while also learning to adopt a more relaxed and flexible approach to managing cross-cultural misunderstandings and conflicts.

The proposed tools will be deployed as a part of the corporate IHRM strategy and align with the key theoretical premises of IHRM. Specifically, the developed approach aligns with the ideas of cross-cultural competence and the core tenets of the internationalization Process Theory, as well as the W-Curve Model. The proposed tools will offer an opportunity for Yeong-jin Lee and his family to lead a happy and satisfactory life in the Indian cultural setting.

Introduction

When addressing the case under analysis, one will need to introduce several core concepts based on which the problem will be assessed. Specifically, the case of Yeong-jin Lee features the necessity to introduce the principles of IHRM, namely, the framework for managing human resources’ needs in an international context. Additionally, essential HRM and human resource development (HRD) theories will be integrated into the analysis. Specifically, the organizational behavior theory will allow evaluating the environment in the target workplace setting, thus, defining the core of the observed conflict. In turn, the theoretical frameworks centering the idea of employee development and talent management will help design the framework that will serve as a solution for the observed issue of cultural integration and assimilation.

Thesis Statement

By incorporating combination of counseling as the means of guiding the employee toward the development of the necessary communication skills and offering him active training sessions for language development and the acquisition of core cultural competencies, thus, aligning the strategy with the core tenets of IHRM, the company managers will be able to address the challenges that Yeong-jin Lee has been experiencing while trying to acculturate to the Indian environment as an expatriate.

Theoretical Frameworks: Problem Identification

Taking a glance at the situation that Yeong-jin Lee has found himself in, one will notice that the core problems that he and his family have encountered in the Indian setting stem primarily from the incongruences between their cultural perspective and that one of Indian citizens. To understand the nature of the described issue more thoroughly, one will need to deploy Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Model, as well as his “mental programing” concept (Engle et al., 2008, p. 24). Specifically, applying the Cultural Dimensions Model, one will notice a substantial difference between the two cultures in question, which has been manifesting in the relationships of Yeong-jin Lee and his Indian coworkers, as well as Yeong-jin Lee’s family and their new neighbors.

Namely, the focus on embracing uncertainty observed in the Indian cultural context opposes quite starkly to the Korean propensity uncertainty avoidance, as the case under analysis shows. Specifically, the case details explicitly that Yeong-jin Lee has been quite uncomfortable with the lack of clarity concerning the issue of commitment, as well as specific values associated with project management and workplace responsibilities, in general. The described concerns aligns with Hofstede’s uncertainty avoidance dimension, which suggest that different cultures have different levels of uncertainty tolerance (Kaasa, 2021). Specifically, in the case under analysis, Yeong-jin Lee’s cultural perceptions of uncertainty as a tangible threat are misaligned with those of Indian people, who are significantly more flexible about managing uncertainty (Dhir and Dhir, 2018). The outlined inconsistency in the participants’ perceptions of their work can be determined as one of the core sources of Yeong-jin Lee’s current distress and frustration.

Additionally, the observed situation can be reviewed from the perspective of the Internationalization Process Theory. Implying that one intuitively seeks to model the scenarios in which uncertainty can be avoided at all or maintained at the lowest rate possible, the theory in question suggests that IHRM approaches for expatriate employees should be geared toward building awareness and keeping staff members’ knowledge of the target market and cultural setting updated (Cooke et al., 2019). Specifically, the theory posits that incremental exposure to culture-specific differences between the expatriate employee and staff members in the target context leads to proper acculturation and, eventually, assimilation: “The ‘experiential market knowledge’ of the managers is assumed to have a direct impact on the choice of foreign markets and thus, the internationalization process of the SME” (p. 97). Therefore, in the target context, the development of a leadership strategy that would allow managers to articulate the necessary guidelines for Yeong-jin Lee and his family to adapt to the Indian sociocultural environment is necessary.

In other words, the Internationalization Process Theory also indicates the presence of unreconciled differences in the Korean background of Yeong-jin Lee and his family and the Indian cultural context into which Yeong-jin Lee, his wife, and children have been placed. The theory points to a problem caused by a mismatch on the values and needs of Indian employees, and the values and needs of Yeong-jin Lee. For this reason, the focus on culture and the related issues needs to be maintained throughout the dialogue.

Evaluation: Problem Assessment

When delving into Yeong-jin Lee’s problem of integrating into the Indian environment, one will notice the presence of an evident incongruence between the objectives and percep5tions of Yeong-jin Lee and those of the Indian employees and local residents. Specifically, the inconsistency in the philosophies of Indian people, who prefer to adopt a significantly more relaxed approach to key goals and standards, and that one of Yeong-jin Lee, is apparent. When approaching the subject matter from the position of the W-Curve framework, one will notice that both Yeong-jin Lee and his family are currently at the regression stage of theory relationships with the target environment and its residents (Genkova and Pollinger, 2021). The specified stage occurs quite early in the W-Curve framework and suggests that a period of adjustment should take place before the participants can restore the relationships within the new environment by incorporating new solutions based on the outcomes of their acculturation (Furnham, 2019). However, in the case under analysis, Yeong-jin Lee and his family have been stuck at the regression phase.

Remarkably, approaching the case at hand from the W-Curve Model, one will realize that the Yeong-jin Lee family and Yeong-jin Lee himself have not even attempted at undergoing the adjustment process. Specifically, according to the W-Curve framework, the “honeymoon” phase, which marks the start of the transfer to a new cultural context, is quickly replaced by the regression process, during which the situation deteriorates, and is then replaced by the adjustment process (Čuhlová, 2019). In the course of the latter, one assesses the target setting and develops the behaviors and attitudes that will allow one to thrive on a new cultural environment (Kai Liao et al., 2021). Thus, the recovery stage occurs, allowing one to accept the process of healing and be introduce not the new sociocultural context.

Therefore, in the situation that Yeong-jin Lee and his family have ben facing, the necessity to kick start the adjustment phase that will be replaced by the recovery process is crucial. Otherwise, the opportunity for Yeong-jin Lee to cooperate with Indian employees successfully will be lost, and the company will sustain significant damages. Apart from experiencing a drastic loss of opportunities for international collaboration and the resulting production of innovative solutions to the emergent problems, the organization is also likely to lose Yeong-jin Lee as its devoted employee since Yeong-jin Lee is likely to underperform in the Indian context, thus, quickly becoming a burden rather than the asset for the company.

Possible Strategies: Selection

To manage the situation, strategies that will allow Yeong-jin Lee and his family to embrace the sociocultural differences between Korean and Indian settings and people will have to be deployed. Among the most evident solutions to the existing problem, one should mention training courses. As the application of several theoretical perspectives has shown, the necessity for Yeong-jin Lee to build the relevant language and cultural competence skills is vital. Indeed, the current mismatch between his attitudes and demands and those of his Indian coworkers represents the premise for a massive conflict. Therefore, training session aimed at building cultural awareness in Yeong-jin Lee and encouraging him to choose a different approach to managing workplace tasks in the Indian context particularly, collaborating with his Indian fellow employees, will be needed (Yari et al., 2020). The promotion of cultural competence is likely to represent a notable challenge for Yeong-jin Lee and his family, who have demonstrated an apparent lack of understanding of social, cultural, and religious nuances of Indian traditions and customs.

Additionally, counseling opportunities must be provided for Yeong-jin Lee and his family members, particularly, his wife. Namely, the option of receiving emotional and psychological support as the means of keeping Yeong-jin Lee and his family positive about their live in Indian and the associated changes in their lives will have to be introduced. The proposed interventions might seem as lacking in an immediate effect or the action that will serve as a starting point for change. However, the steady pace that they will offer to the target audience will allow guiding them toward a step-by-step change in their attitudes and perspectives, which, in turn, will help them to build resilience and acceptance that will percolate into every facet of their cross-cultural experiences. Frendika, Sule, and Kusman (2018b) confirm that the integration of counseling and other tools for emotional and psychological support is vital for expatriate employees undergoing the period of adjustment in a different country or a different cultural setting. Namely, Dowling, Festing and Engle (2013) state that the specified notion needs to be discussed as a part of the re-entering process:

The potential for mismatch of expectations regarding the future may be addressed as part of re-entry training before the return, and discussed during re-entry counseling sessions (sometimes referred to as debriefing) between the receiving organization in the home country and the repatriate. (Dowling et al., 2013, p. 205)

Arguably, the case under analysis does not suggest that the re-entry process should be considered as a necessary part of the intervention. Specifically, while Yeong-jin Lee and his family have been experiencing certain distress, the obstacles that they have encountered have not ruined their relationships with others to the point where a re-entry strategy should be utilized. Instead, the existing situation demands that Yeong-jin Lee and his wife should be provided with the tools for building an effective approach to communicating with their neighbors and especially for improving the understanding between Yeong-jin Lee and his coworkers (Frendika, Sule, and Kusman, 2018a). Thus, Yeong-jin Lee will be able to implement projects within a team of his Indian team members effectively.

Additionally, one may need to add an extra element to the proposed intervention. Specifically, the spouse assistance component needs to be integrated into the counseling and support program described above. While the specified term typically implies the provision of financial assistance to the spouse, it should incorporate opportunities for Yeong-jin Lee’s wife to make a social adjustment to the target setting as well (Abu-Bakar et al., 2020). Specifically, opportunities to engage with neighbors and develop a rapport must be provided to both Yeong-jin Lee and his wife so that they could feel comfortable in the Indian social and workplace contexts respectively.

Finally, since Yeong-jin Lee’s motivation rates have been spiraling down due to the challenges that he and his family have been experiencing in the target setting, opportunities for maintaining his engagement and loyalty to the company must be considered. Given the fact that Yeong-jin Lee is a valuable asset to the organization, additional benefits must be provided to him to ensure that he remains loyal and willing to cooperate. The importance of maintaining the extent of employee motivation and engagement in the workplace, as well as the positive correlation and causation between motivation, employee engagement, and employee retention rates, have been confirmed multiple times in numerous studies (Gard, Dar, and Mishra, 2018; Abarantyne, Naidoo, and Rugimbana, 2019; Chib, 2019). Indeed the existing motivation theories, from Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to Herzberg’s Hygiene Theory, insist that the presence of incentives and other signs of a company valuing a staff member contributes to the employee’s decision to stay within the company and increase its performance by enhancing theirs (Holston-Okae and Mushi, 2018). Therefore, in Yeong-jin Lee’s case, provision of incentives aimed at supporting him and his family in the difficult period of transition and cultural acclimatization is crucial.

Finally and most importantly, the language issue must be addressed as one of the core concerns and sources of Yeong-jin Lee’s distress. Namely, apart from offering general training courses aimed at helping Yeong-jin Lee develop basic language speaking skills, strategies aimed at maintaining his understanding of the linguistic nuances and, therefore, remaining informed about the unique turns of phrases that this colleagues use in the workplace, will lead to major improvements in Yeong-jin Lee’s perception of his job. Specifically, the language issues need to be addressed by introducing active support and coaching for Yeong-jin Lee (Jawad, 2021).

Remarkably, Dowling et al. (2013) outline the exceptional significance of teaching expatriate staff members the language of the country to which they migrate as an indispensable step in addressing the possible issues emerging in the workplace. Specifically, the authors outline the associated role of an HR manager as the facilitator of the resources and the support system needed for the staff member to gain the required language skills since the lack thereof typically represents a major impediment to successful performance: “Common reasons for this include the unsatisfactory quality of products or services, problems of management control, the rapid turnover of local staff and language problems” (Dowling et al., 2013, p. 258). Therefore, ensuring that Yeong-jin Lee has sufficient resources for acquiring the necessary language competencies, communicating his ideas clearly to his Indian colleagues, and understanding their messages will contribute to a significant improvement tin the observed situation.

The specified language skills will also be required for Yeong-jin Lee’s wife and the rest of his family. As the case study shows, the lack of rapport with local residents, including the inability to build connections with neighbors, represents major obstacle to integrating into the environment of the Indian suburbia for Yeong-jin Lee’s family. Thus, all family members will need to gain the necessary language skills in order to interact with their Indian neighbors and develop a rapport with them.

The management of frustration that Yeong-jin Lee has been experiencing due to the lack of responsibility and skill in his Indian colleagues should also be viewed as one of the essential elements of the acclimatization and acculturation processes. While it is not demanded that Yeong-jin Lee himself should abandon his concept of workplace ethic, it is strongly advised that he should adopt a more related approach toward the key workplace tasks in order to minimize the number of conflicts that aggravate the situation and reduce the efficacy of the team. Dowling et al. (2013) mention that the problem of skill shortages in developing countries such as India is an inevitable factor that one must reconcile with: “Another important issue that might be addressed when discussing skill shortages in emerging countries points to a group of people who originate from these countries, have studied abroad and return back to their home countries” (Dowling et al., 2013, p. 259). Therefore, Yeong-jin Lee should be advised to shift his perspective slightly, while also retaining his model behavior in order to serve as an example for his Indian colleagues.

At the same time, it would be unreasonable to demand that Yeong-jin Lee should avoid any confrontations in the Indian workplace context and remain strictly compliant instead. On the contrary, workplace conflicts ought to be seen as scenarios with high potential for successful cross-cultural awareness building and active learning. Namely, when coordinated properly and geared toward searching for an objective solution as opposed to targeting individuals, conflicts in the workplace may lead to productive and imaginative strategies of managing emergent issues (Azahari, Ason, and Yahaya, 2019). Therefore, Yeong-jin Lee may also need to use developing conflicts and misunderstandings with his staff members as a chance to learn about Indian culture, as well as develop the path toward a reasonable compromise between his own perception of workplace ethics and that one of his colleagues.

Overall, the case under analysis represents a combination of sociocultural and language-related concerns that have developed into a major conundrum for the expatriate staff member. For this reason, the focus must be kept on Yeong-jin Lee as the company’s priority. Increasing employee engagement and loyalty will lead to an enhanced chance of retention, which, in the specific case under analysis, will imply ensuring that the company will keep a substantial part of its competitive advantage. Indeed, given the levels of Yeong-jin Lee’s commitment and competency, providing him with an opportunity to feel comfortable and welcome in the new organizational setting is critical. For this reason, facilitating active support and consultations should be deemed as the most sensible solution. Coupled with workplace benefits and the extended opportunities for professional development, including the acquisition of critical cross-cultural communication skills and new cultural competencies, the proposed framework is believed to produce the required outcome. Namely, Yeong-jin Lee will be integrated into the target setting successfully and develop strong and robust relationships with his new team members, accepting the specifics of their culture and adjusting his performance style to theirs. While the issue of workplace ethics must not be overlooked, and Yeong-jin Lee should not view breaches thereof as acceptable, providing him with an alternative perspective on the management of workplace tasks should become one of the main tasks when assisting him and his family in adjusting to the specified cultural context.

Conclusion and Recommendations

Overall, it is strongly recommended that the process of Yeong-jin Lee and his family’s integration into the Indian cultural context should be altered so that t Yeong-jin Lee and his wife could receive extensive support and training to develop the necessary cultural competence and communication skills to avoid misunderstandings and conflicts. Moreover, the training process should also be adapted toward the requirements associated with helping Yeong-jin Lee to align his workplace philosophy with that one of his Indian coworkers. Specifically, Yeong-jin Lee’s uncompromising perspective on the management of tasks needs to be adjusted so that he could adopt a more flexible approach to working within the team of Indian partners. Thus, Yeong-jin Lee’s distress rates will be reduced, and his ability to cooperate will increase substantially.

The language issue is another point of concern that must be addressed immediately. Apart from teaching Yeong-jin Lee the fundamental principles of Indian culture, the essential language-related nuances will have to be explained to him. Specifically, the proposed training process should be shaped toward building the language competence needed to recognize the unique communication tools used by the target population. Thus, Yeong-jin Lee’s integration into the Indian professional and cultural setting will be complete.

Finally, to ensure that Yeong-jin Lee remains loyal to the organization and satisfied with the manner in which his issue is addressed, extra benefits will have to be provided to him and his family. Investing in employees’ successful integration into the target community is critical for an organization that strives to align its values with its HRM strategies, specifically, the IHRM approaches (Farooq, Bhatti, and Latif, 2019). Therefore, the introduction of benefits into the equation to adders the observed concern is fully justified.

The proposed solutions will allow investing in the development and further progress of the company’s human resources as its key asset. Specifically, in addition to reinforcing staff members’ idea of the company providing constant and professional support, the proposed framework will encourage employees, particularly, Yeong-jin Lee, to develop new skills and cultural competencies, therefore, becoming even more proficient tin their target area. Furthermore, the introduction of the principles of cultural competence and workplace flexibility will create platform for Yeong-jin Lee to integrate into other culture-specific settings naturally, which will lead to him becoming a particularly important asset to the company. The ability to communicate on a cross-cultural level and prevent conflicts and misunderstandings form taking place is a vital skill that international organizations must foster in their staff members.

In turn, the provision of benefits and the development of a functional support system ill guide employees toward personal and professional development, allowing them to build new skills and acquire the ability to collaborate in an intercultural setting. Moreover, the proposed framework will allow the company to create a culture of support and engagement as the basis for its IHRM, therefore, keeping the needs of its staff members met. As a result, an opportunity for building a strong bond between the organization and its employees will emerge, encouraging the later to increase their engagement and corporate loyalty.

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