The repatriate experience as seen by American expatriates

In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 former expatriates in seven American multinational companies (MNCs) in the Pacific Northwest who had returned to their home country. Narrative analysis was used to categorize their responses to what they had learned about themselves during and after their foreign posting, as well as their views on the effectiveness of their firms' repatriation policies and practices. There were many insights gained from the interviews that reinforced earlier findings from surveys of repatriates, as well as providing deeper understanding of the repatriation process than found in most field survey studies. Implications for management were discussed.