Cultural learning in the adjustment process of academic expatriates

Abstract

The recent rise in academic expatriates brings to the forefront the need for research to further explore this specific group of self-initiated expatriates. The purpose of this research is to study the relationship between cultural learning and adjustment of academic expatriates. Cultural learning of an academic expatriate is the strengthening and development of his/her cultural understanding, competence, and intelligence, whilst adjustment is the personal, social, and work adaptation leading to feelings of comfort towards the environment and better functioning. The main hypothesis is that increased cultural learning, which is manifested as cultural competence, is linked to well-adjusted academic expatriates. The dual theoretical framework is the theory of cultural learning and the model of cultural adjustment. The study was carried out amongst 103 academic expatriates in the UAE using quantitative methodology. The main conclusions are that: academic expatriates in the UAE are culturally competent and well adjusted; there is a positive relationship between cultural competence and adjustment in academic expatriates; cultural competence and adjustment increase with years of experience and age; expatriates from different cultural backgrounds to the host country adjust better and are more culturally competent.