| dc.description.abstract | In partnership with the American Chamber of Commerce in Saudi Arabia (AmCham), the goal of this project is to diagnose the drivers of expatriate cultural adaptation in Saudi Arabia, with a particular focus on the contextual factors influencing onboarding success. The project focused on the three stages of expatriate onboarding that occur prior to arriving in Saudi Arabia: 1) expatriate job design; 2) recruiting and selection; and 3) pre-departure training. The data collection included an AmCham member survey, alongside ten stakeholders interviews of senior leaders with expertise in hiring expatriates. The team utilized a conceptual framework that emphasized uncertainty reduction theory, high-context versus low-context cultures, and emotional intelligence. Overall, the project found that cultural awareness is a key driver of expatriate adaptation. During the pre-departure phase of onboarding, companies should emphasize activities that prepare expatriates for the high-context scenarios that occur within The Kingdom. Five recommendations were identified, which addressed the job design, recruiting, and training phases of the onboarding process. | |
