The cultural adjustment of self-initiated expatriate doctors working and living in Ireland

Abstract

Understanding how expatriates adjust to the various aspects of the host environment has been a focal point of research within international management literature for several decades. Many healthcare systems throughout the world are heavily reliant on internationally trained doctors to fill vacancies in their health services arising from the fact that significant numbers of homegrown doctors seek opportunities abroad. As self-initiated expatriates, little is known about their adjustment to working and living while in their host culture. This paper examines the cultural adjustment of internationally trained hospital doctors working in Ireland. Three hundred and sixty-nine respondents working across 34 public hospitals completed a questionnaire relating to their experience of living and working in the host culture. The results indicate that international trained doctors are somewhat adjusted to working and living in Ireland, but there is a clear lack of organizational support for these doctors while in the host culture. Health care policy makers must focus on the development and implementation of robust policies and supports to facilitate internationally trained doctors’ adjustment to their host culture.