in the home office should be encouraged to continuously communicate
with each other in order to maintain an extended professional network. As
the repatriation date approaches, expatriates could also be offered
extended home visits timed so that they can participate in networking
activities with key people and maintain high visibility at the office
(Adler, 1997; Black, 1994; Gomez-Mejia and Balkin, 1987; Gregersen and
Stroh, 1997).- Mentoring programs while on assignment:In addition to encouraging
informal mentoring, MNCs should assign formal mentors to expatriates.
The mentors’ role would be to guide expatriates’ future careers with the
organization by being their internal champions. Mentors should keep
expatriates abreast of important occurrences in the home office and
should help them stay connected with important people in the organi-
zation during the period of the assignment (Black et al., 1992b;
Conference Board, 1996; Gomez-Mejia and Balkin, 1987; Napier and
Peterson, 1991).
(c) Immediately preceding repatriation:
- Career management activities:Organizations should provide help in
repatriates’ career planning. Between 6 and 12 months before the end of
the global assignment, MNCs should offer multiple career planning ses-
sions to discuss the expatriate’s concerns regarding repatriation, for
example career objectives, performance, etc. (Adler, 1981, 1997; Black,
1992; Black et al., 1992a; Conference Board, 1996). The intention of
these career planning re-entry sessions is to give the expatriate a sense
of security regarding his or her future with the company. This planning
may utilize the skills of a team, including HR, the sending manager, the
business unit leader (Black et al., 1992a). In addition, expatriates should
be assigned to projects that require them to work closely with the home
office at least a few months before repatriation if not throughout
their assignment (if such an alternative is feasible, of course). They
should also be kept in mind for potential positions to be taken upon
repatriation. - Pre-departure briefings on the details of the repatriation process:
MNCs should ensure that all elements of the repatriation process are
transparent. The expatriate needs to be given specific information on the
company policies on travel reimbursement, shipping of household goods,
compensation immediately before and after return; contact information
of the person they need to report to upon arrival, etc. Clarity of the repa-
triation process could reduce the uncertainty associated with returning
home and thereby could facilitate adjustment (Black, 1994; Black and
Gregersen, 1991).
340 International Human Resource Management