Research Catalog

Title

The adventure of working abroad : hero tales from the global frontier / Joyce Sautters Osland.

Author

Osland, Joyce

Publication

San Francisco : Jossey-Bass Publishers, ©1995.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Description

xxii, 244 pages; 24 cm

Summary

"Every year, hundreds of thousands of Americans and their families accept the challenge of living and working abroad with little idea of the extraordinary experience that awaits them." "The Adventure of Working Abroad won't prescribe what to pack or how to find the train station, but it will provide a pragmatic framework for understanding - and mastering - the predictable challenges of each stage in the expatriate journey." "Here thirty-five experienced expatriates tell in their own words of the unexpected perils and enormous opportunities, the turmoil and triumphs, or life in an exotic new world. Osland uses their personal stories to provide insights and important tips that will help expatriates adjust to diverse cultural norms, face new responsibilities and sudden autonomy, and better equip themselves for the difficulties of repatriation." "Osland also explores why U.S. companies are not as proficient as European and Japanese firms at preparing employees to work abroad and, as a result, suffer higher early-return rates. She provides compelling and persuasive remedies that will aid businesses and institutions in preparing their workers before they leave home, supporting them during their assignments abroad, and learning from them upon their return. For to complete the hero's journey is not only to return transformed but also to bring back the gifts of knowledge and experience so vital to success in the global economy."--Jacket.

Subject

• Americans > Employment > Foreign countries
• International business enterprises > Personnel management
• Cross-cultural orientation > United States
• Cross-cultural orientation
• Arbeitswelt
• Auslandstätigkeit
• Internationaal bedrijfsleven
• Personeelsmanagement
• Organisatiecultuur
• International business enterprises > Employees
• United States

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references (p. 233-237) and index.

Contents

From innocence to mastery : expatriate stories and the myth of the hero's journey -- The call to adventure : accepting the challenge -- The belly of the whale : stepping into an unknown world -- The magical friend : discovering a cultural mentor -- The road of trials : learning to live with paradox -- The ultimate boon : transforming and enriching ourselves -- The return : making meaning of the experience -- Appreciating the journey : how companies can support and learn from expatriate successes.

ISBN

• 0787901083
• 9780787901080

LCCN

95008629

OCLC

• ocm32314014
• 32314014
• SCSB-2064124

Owning Institutions

Princeton University Library