Acculturating non-traditional expatriates: A case study of single parent, overseas adoption, split family, and lesbian assignees

While much has been written and studied about traditional expatriates - typically senior, Western males in their late 40s or early 50s, with an accompanying female spouse and children - very little is known about non-traditional expatriates and the extent to which their hyper-diversity shapes and impacts on their international assignment experience. In this article, I examine the acculturation experiences of non-traditional expatriates in relation to: (a) the stressors they face when relocating abroad, including the barriers and challenges that arise in deciding whether or not to relocate; (b) how these stressors can be mitigated both by the companies employing them and expatriates themselves; and (c) how their hyper-diversity translates into reality, that is, meaningful outcomes that impact on their international assignment experience. Using case studies of four non-traditional expatriates, including single parent, lesbian, split family, and overseas adoption assignees, I engage in a debate as to whether current theories about acculturation hold true in the case of non-traditional expatriates and where future research on this important topic needs to be directed.