Search Results (102)

This paper presents a thematic literature review of 35 studies to examine key developmental factors influencing expatriate adaptation, including language, identity integration, cultural intelligence, and spousal/family relations, impacting expatriate adaptation and acclimation to the host country. For the purposes of this review, the term “expatriate” refers to individuals who temporarily relocate abroad for education or professional assignments (self-initiated and assigned), often accompanied by spouses or family members. “Adaptation” is defined as the multidimensional process of adjustment to new academic, workplace, and social environments, encompassing both practical adjustment (e.g., communication, work/study tasks) and psychological well-being. This review uses two bibliometric reviews to set the foundation for exploring the impacts of language, identity integration, cultural intelligence, and family, highlighting that interactions with locals foster language development, identity integration, and cultural intelligence, which collectively enhances expatriates’ perceived sense of comfort and belonging. Spousal and family dynamics appear to be particularly influential, with the potential to either support or hinder successful adaptation. Although prior literature often focuses on these factors in isolation, this paper synthesizes them to provide a more holistic understanding of expatriate acclimation. It emphasizes the need for future research to explore the interrelated nature of these variables and their combined impact on expatriate well-being. Full article

Objective: Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. Compared to developed countries, the prognosis of stroke is less favourable in developing countries. The objective of this study is to identify inter-ethnic variation in risk profiles and stroke outcomes amongst Bangladeshi, Indian, Nepalese, Pakistani, and Sri Lankan expatriates living in Qatar. Methods: Data from the Qatar Stroke Registry were retrospectively analyzed from April 2014 to June 2025. A total of 8825 patients were included. The chi-square test was used to analyze sociodemographic variables, while the Kruskal–Wallis test was used to analyze continuous variables. Post hoc analysis was performed. Multivariate logistic regression and multivariate multiple regression were used to identify the predictors associated with poor clinical outcomes and mortality at 90 days. Results: Ischemic stroke was the predominant stroke type in all groups, with Nepalese patients presenting with stroke at a younger age, whilst Pakistanis tended to be older (p < 0.001). In terms of stroke outcomes, Nepalese patients had the highest proportion of a poor functional outcome at 90 days as well as NIHSS at discharge (p < 0.05). However, Bangladeshis had the highest proportion of mortality at 90 days compared to the other cohorts. Multivariable logistic regression revealed that undiagnosed dyslipidemia, Nepalese ethnicity, and moderate and severe NIHSS admission scores were independent predictors of a poor functional outcome at 90 days, whilst male sex and prior antidiabetic therapy were protective factors (p < 0.001). In terms of mortality at 90 days, only a severe NIHSS admission score (>10) was a significant predictor (p < 0.001). A severe NIHSS admission score was also the only predictive factor of mortality and poor functional outcome at 90 days (p < 0.05). Conclusions: There was a significant variation in stroke presentation and outcomes among South Asian subpopulations in Qatar, suggesting the importance of tailored public health strategies as a uniform approach to stroke care is insufficient for this diverse population. Full article

Background: During the global outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) ranked second in terms of the highest rate of confirmed cases among the Arab Gulf countries. This situation significantly impacted its population, economy, and healthcare system, especially the psychological well-being of frontline healthcare workers, including frontline nurses. However, there is lack of studies on this topic, particularly on the experiences of frontline expatriate nurses in the KSA, necessitating the utilization of descriptive phenomenological design. Objective: This study aimed to explore the experiences of frontline expatriate nurses and their influence on psychological well-being while delivering care to patients with COVID-19. Methods: The study employed a qualitative, descriptive phenomenological design that adhered to the key features of Husserl’s phenomenological approach and purposive sampling to select 17 frontline expatriate nurses. They participated in face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Prior to the 17 semi-structured interviews, written consent was obtained from each of the frontline expatriate nurses. The qualitative data collected were analyzed through thematic analysis and rigor was ensured in this qualitative investigation. Results: Two primary themes were identified from the interviews: (1) psychological effects due to fear of contracting the corona virus, which included two sub-themes pertaining to organizational stressors resulting in having anxiety, depression, fear, mental stress, and stigmatization; and (2) resilience to cope with the challenges brought by the pandemic, which was characterized by three sub-themes focusing on the importance of accurate information, presence of family and social support, and maintaining good health. The expatriate status of frontline nurses is a key factor influencing in their psychological well-being and resilience. Conclusions: Findings indicated that the psychological well-being of frontline expatriate nurses was adversely affected during the pandemic while caring for COVID-19 patients. Consequently, targeted interventions aimed at alleviating the negative psychological impacts of the pandemic are urgently needed to bolster the resilience of frontline expatriate nurses in emergency situations such as the COVID-19 crisis to cope with the associated psychological challenges during the peak of the pandemic, particularly among expatriate nurses. Full article

Expatriates and missionaries in China played a significant role in the development and transformation of Chinese architecture in the Late Qing period. However, a systematic comparison of their discourses and proposals on Chinese architecture has been hindered by a lack of historical literature and the complexities of fragmented data and methodologies. This article examines and compares the two most influential non-native newspapers: The North-China Daily News in English, edited by expatriates, and The Review of the Times in Chinese, founded by missionaries. By analyzing these two groups’ discourses and narratives on Chinese architecture, the study explores their similarities and distinctions, revealing the characteristics, strategies, attitudes, interests, and opinions of expatriates, missionaries, and non-missionaries in China on the transmission and transformation of architecture knowledge. The research highlights differences in their preferences for specific text types, subjects, and themes on Chinese architecture, as well as their attitudes toward native and foreign architecture, professional education, and architecture regulations in individual and official spheres. Despite these differences, overlapping characteristics and proposals existed among the three groups. The study further investigates the underlying reasons and mechanisms for their similar or divergent mindsets and behavioral patterns, drawing on human responsive psychology rather than relying on postcolonial or cultural theories. Full article

Background/Objectives: With the globalization of companies, the cross-cultural adjustment of expatriates working overseas is becoming an increasingly important topic. However, little research has been carried out on the brain, which is the source of the ability to adapt. Methods: Therefore, we conducted a pilot study on 10 expatriates working for Japanese local subsidiaries in the United States to analyze the relationship between their gray matter volume (GMV) measured by the Gray Matter Brain Healthcare Quotient and their cross-cultural adjustment and lifestyle. Results: As a result, in a partial correlation analysis controlled for demographic variables, there was a significant correlation between whole-brain GMV and general adjustment. A relationship was also shown between the local GMV of the default mode network and central executive network and interaction adjustment. Conclusions: This is the first pilot study to clarify the relationship between expatriates’ brain structure and cross-cultural adjustment, suggesting the effectiveness of a biological approach in cross-cultural adjustment research. Full article

V. S. Naipaul’s 1975 novel Guerrillas is the earliest example of Caribbean fiction that purports to provide a realistic depiction of Trinidad’s brief but historically significant Black Power movement. Naipaul was an Indo-Trinidadian expatriate who immigrated to the U.K. in 1950 and remained there until his death in 2018. He was famously Anglophilic; and given his notorious insistence that culturally the West Indies are derivative, not creative, it is unsurprising that Naipaul depicts Black Power as an empty form that Trinidad and Great Britain import to their detriment from the U.S. In its fictionalization of the story of a real-life figure on the periphery of Black Power, Guerrillas presents Black Power’s presence in Trinidad and the UK as a failure and a sham. My article traces Naipaul’s transformation of what was originally a journalistic account into his novel Guerrillas in order to highlight the tendentiousness of his representation of Trinidadian Black Power. The plot of the novel repurposes the crux of Naipaul’s essay “The Killings in Trinidad” in which he reports how a Trinidadian Black Power poseur known as “Michael X” conspired in the January 1972 murder of a white woman named Gale Ann Benson. Crucial to Naipaul’s dismissal of Black Power as a derivative fiction, this article argues, is the fraudulent Michael X, himself a mimic man par excellence in his embodiment of Black Power as an empty and parodic form devoid of original content. I demonstrate how Naipaul’s marginalization of Caribbean Black Power depends on formal mimicry and on his selection of this marginal player/mimic man as representative of the movement in Trinidad. Full article

This study investigates the relationship between human resource management (HRM) practices and the phenomenon of brain drain in Greece during the period 2020–2024. In the context of economic uncertainty and demographic shifts, the emigration of skilled professionals has posed serious challenges to the country’s labor market and long-term development. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the research combines quantitative data from national labor force surveys and HR statistics with qualitative insights gathered through semi-structured interviews with HR professionals and expatriates. The study applies descriptive and inferential statistical methods, including regression analysis, to examine how key HRM dimensions—such as workplace flexibility, career development, and performance-based incentives—affect employee retention. Results reveal a significant inverse relationship between HRM quality and brain drain rates, with workplace flexibility and career development emerging as critical predictors. The findings highlight the need for strategic HRM reforms tailored to the Greek context and offer evidence-based recommendations for mitigating talent outflows. This research contributes to both academic discourse and policy design by clarifying the role of HRM in supporting workforce stability in crisis-prone economies. Full article

Hong Kong-born British writer Timothy Mo’s novel An Insular Possession (1986) focuses on the First Opium War (1839–1842) and critically examines global inequalities. This article explores cosmopolitanism as a potential framework for mitigating cross-cultural conflicts. Instead of embracing cosmopolitanism as an inherently positive vision, the novel critiques two cosmopolitan worldviews—British colonialism and the Chinese Tianxia concept—and reveals the potential complicity of cosmopolitanism in consolidating hierarchical world orders. Through the protagonist Gideon Chase, an American expatriate engaged in studying Chinese language and culture, Mo envisions a de-colonial cosmopolitan vision that seeks to transcend the center/margin dynamic and fosters more equitable cross-cultural interactions. Gideon’s ultimate failure to alleviate Sino–British tensions prompts reflections on global justice and underscores the urgent need to establish a cosmopolitan world order marked by peace, mutual respect and tolerance of difference. Full article

Although the Middle East is often perceived as politically, economically, and socially unstable, Saudi Arabia offers a different narrative. Inspired by the country’s vision (Vision 2030) and the growing body of research exploring its socio-economic transformation, this article examines how organizational strategy theories and practices can be advanced by inviting researchers to focus on Saudi Arabia’s evolving context. To achieve this, the article addresses three pivotal questions: (a) Why should academics consider conducting research in Saudi Arabia? (b) What research topics could significantly advance organizational strategy theories and practices? (c) What are the primary barriers to conducting research in Saudi Arabia? Using a comprehensive review of existing literature, socio-economic analysis, and an evaluation of Vision 2030 targets, the article identifies three key themes: (1) socio-cultural dynamics and their influence on organizational strategies, (2) economic diversification and its impact on strategic resilience, and (3) the strategic alignment of foreign direct investment (FDI) with expatriate mission success. These findings lead to distinct research agendas linked to relevant theoretical frameworks, including Cross-Cultural Theory, Institutional Theory, and the Resource-Based View. The article concludes by inviting scholars to explore these themes and generate findings that contribute to existing organizational strategy theories and practical solutions, fostering a deeper understanding of organizational strategy within Saudi Arabia and the broader global landscape. Full article

This study explores the strategic implementation of social support enablers to address expatriate turnover and the shortage of skilled labour in Thailand’s hospitality industry, particularly in the post-COVID-19 context. By integrating Social Support Theory, Cultural Intelligence Theory, and Social Capital Theory, this research identifies and prioritises key enablers essential for expatriate success. We employed a novel three-phase methodology, which included a literature review, a hybrid Best–Worst Method (BWM), Grey Relational Analysis (GRA), and semi-structured interviews with experts. The findings reveal a hierarchical framework of social support enablers, with health and psychological adjustment support, work–life balance initiatives, career development opportunities, and national support for the host country emerging as top priorities. Implementing these enablers effectively addresses expatriates’ adaptation challenges and significantly enhances their performance, well-being, and retention. This study contributes to the literature by providing the first empirically derived, prioritised approach to social support enablers implementation and practical guidance for developing holistic support systems in multicultural hospitality environments. Focusing on Thailand, the methodology and framework offer a robust foundation for future cross-cultural comparisons in expatriate management research. Full article

Nurse turnover presents a significant challenge for healthcare organizations worldwide, impacting patient care quality and organizational stability. Understanding the determinants of nurse turnover, particularly job satisfaction, intention to stay, organizational commitment, and general self-efficacy, is crucial for developing effective retention strategies. This study aimed to explore the relationships among job satisfaction, intention to stay, organizational commitment, general self-efficacy, and demographic variables. A cross-sectional, correlational research design was employed, with data collected through validated questionnaires distributed to a total convenience sample of 227 clinical nurses in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia between July 2023 and August 2023. Validated measurement tools, including the Job Satisfaction Index, the Intent to Stay Scale, the Organizational Commitment Scale, and the General Self-Efficacy Scale, were utilized. Descriptive statistics were employed to summarize demographic information, and a correlation analysis was conducted to explore the relationships between the study variables. The findings revealed moderate levels of job satisfaction, intention to stay, organizational commitment, and general self-efficacy among the clinical nurses, with significant positive correlations observed among these variables as well as the nurses’ sociodemographic characteristics. Notably, clinical nurses constituted a significant portion of the sample, suggesting the need for targeted interventions tailored to this demographic group as well as non-Saudi nurses (expatriate nurses), particularly in enhancing their organizational commitment and self-efficacy. The study found significant and positive associations between the four study variables and the nurses’ demographic characteristics. Tailored interventions addressing job satisfaction, intent to stay, organizational commitment, self-efficacy, and demographic variables are essential for mitigating nurse turnover. By fostering a supportive work environment and implementing targeted retention strategies informed by demographic insights and determinants of turnover, healthcare organizations can enhance nurse retention rates and ensure a stable and fulfilled nursing workforce. Full article

The symbolic value of the journey has been widely explored in literary theory, educational science, history and philosophy. However, is it possible to approach travel from a theological point of view? The aim of our article is to answer this question. In order to do so, we essentially seek a biblical and theological–spiritual foundation for our research. First, we start from the experience contained in travel books as well as from the notion of the journey as a path to wisdom as it appears in some literary works. After examining the pedagogical value of the notion of the journey as an adventure in which the hero is formed, and the philosophical value of the concept of the journey as a search for the meaning of life, we intend to develop the theological approach on three levels: examining the notion of the journey as a metaphor for the Christian way; the experience of the journey as expatriation; and the relationship between the journey and conversion. Full article

The Harrist Church in Ivory Coast, West Africa, emerged from the ministry of Liberian William Wadé Harris who baptized between 100,000 and 200,000 people during his eighteen-month evangelistic tour, 1913–1915. This story is full of linguistic complexities and anomalies. Harris himself spoke only English and his own local Liberian Glebo language. He was therefore compelled to work through expatriate English-speaking merchants, knowledgeable of and conversant in local languages, as interpreters and translators in addressing the twelve ethnic groups who heard and accepted his message. Harris encouraged new converts to compose hymns in their own indigenous languages by transforming musical genres embedded in their local musical traditions. Additionally fascinating is that during this early colonial period, the twelve ethnic groups impacted by Harris’s ministry lived in almost total isolation from each other and developed their own hymn traditions for thirty-five years (1914–1949), unaware of the existence of churches and worship patterns in neighboring ethnic districts. Only in 1949 did they suddenly become acquainted with the broader, multi-musical, multilingual reality of the Harrist movement. Since then, individual musicians and choirs from local congregations have gradually begun to sing a few of each other’s songs, though the challenge of becoming a truly multicultural, multiethnic church remains a work in progress. Documentation of these developments include written colonial and early Protestant and Catholic missionary sources and a large number of eye-witness interviews. Primary research methods employed here come from four intersecting disciplines and theoretical frameworks: orality studies, with particular focus on oral sources in constructing historical narrative; religious phenomenology; mission history; and ethnodoxological research. Full article

Workforce indigenization in Gulf Corporation Council (GCC) countries is under-researched in international business literature, especially among expatriate academics from the Middle East and North Africa regions working in GCC countries. Therefore, drawing from the social exchange and conservation of resources theories, this study examines the moderating effect of perceived fairness on the relationship between positive affectivity (PA) and creativity in the context of enhanced indigenization of human resource (HR) policies in GCC countries. This study collects data from 228 mobile academics working in Saudi universities. Principal least squares structural equation modeling results show that PA positively impacts creativity. Further, perceived fairness is found to reinforce the connection between PA and creativity. This study’s results indicate that host universities must build appealing HR policies to cope with the diverse challenges related to the indigenization of HR policies. Furthermore, this study highlights the role of positive personality traits in enhancing creativity. Full article

Mega sports events generate significant media coverage and have a considerable economic impact on the host cities. Organizing such events is a complex task that requires extensive planning. The success of these events hinges on the attendees’ satisfaction. Therefore, accurately predicting the number of fans from each country is essential for the organizers to optimize planning and ensure a positive experience. This study aims to introduce a new application for machine learning in order to accurately predict the number of attendees. The model is developed using attendance data from the FIFA World Cup (FWC) Russia 2018 to forecast the FWC Qatar 2022 attendance. Stochastic gradient descent (SGD) was found to be the top-performing algorithm, achieving an R² metric of 0.633 in an Auto-Sklearn experiment that considered a total of 2523 models. After a thorough analysis of the result, it was found that team qualification has the highest impact on attendance. Other factors such as distance, number of expatriates in the host country, and socio-geopolitical factors have a considerable influence on visitor counts. Although the model produces good results, with ML it is always recommended to have more data inputs. Therefore, using previous tournament data has the potential to increase the accuracy of the results. Full article