Expatriation in the Light of Post-Conventional Ego-Development: Working with Expatriate Clients in a Developmental Context

Abstract

This heuristic research study places the phenomenon of expatriation into a developmental context and explores how cultural relocation may contribute towards individuals’ post-conventional ego-development. The expansion of the phenomenon due to the accelerated process of globalisation has resulted in an increasing need for a better understanding of cross-cultural transitions. The research initiated a qualitative observation of six expatriates’ transition and developmental experiences, enabling a perhaps more refined and accurate comprehension of the process of growth than the quantitative methods. The study, however, goes beyond the cultural perspectives and proposes a holistic developmental approach to coaching expatriates, including characteristic developmental themes identified in the research participants’ stories.