Demographic Profiles for Cross-Cultural Adjustment of Expatriates in Nigeria

Abstract

This paper offers insight into the demographic profiles of expatriates for successful cross-cultural adjustments in the context of Nigeria. It considers the following demographics: age, gender, marital status, international work experience, and time spent in the host country. The study adopted cross-sectional survey research by utilizing a questionnaire to collect data from one hundred and fifty-two (152) expatriate residents in Nigeria, who relocated from 22 different countries and who have worked and lived in Nigeria for over six months. The paper discovered that marital status, international work experience, and length of stay in Nigeria rather than age and gender are the demographic profiles influencing and required for the successful cross-cultural adjustment of expatriates in the Nigerian context. It concludes that the more organizations recruit, select, and deploy expatriates whose demographic profiles reflect the higher length of stay/time in Nigeria, higher level of international work experience, and single/unmarried, the higher the successful cross-cultural adjustment of such expatriates in the Nigerian context.