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Executive Overview Expatriate executives face a double-edged challenge to their mental and physical health: The stressors affecting them are not only new and unfamiliar, but the coping responses that worked at home may not do so abroad. The various stages involved in a successful adjustment are discussed. The executive's ability to identify with the host and the parent culture plays a critical role in every stage of the adjustment process. Failure to accept that the two cultural identities are not mutually exclusive is a source of internal conflict among expatriates. Cross-cultural competence training and a sensible repatriation plan help buffer the stressors encountered abroad. However, the willingness and courage to undergo the profound personal transformation associated with an international assignment are essential for a healthy expatriate adjustment, even after the expatriate's return. Learning to live with the paradox of dual identification is an essential coping mechanism for expatriate executives.
Sánchez et al. (2000) studied this question.