The effect of an international assignment on the cultural adaptation of French expatriates in Lebanon

Abstract

This research study examines the effect of a previous international assignment of French expatriates residing and working in Lebanon, on the relationship between cultural intelligence (CQ) and adaptation measures. The proposed model expands already existing models concerning the relationship of the facets of cultural intelligence - cognitive, meta-cognitive, motivational, and behavioral CQ - and the dimensions of cross-cultural adjustment - interaction, general, and work adjustment -with measures of the willingness to adjust. Questionnaires have been sent to 200 French expatriates residing and working in Lebanon. 67 were returned duly completed, which is in line with the response rate of similar studies. This research is of importance because it will highlight the main aspects of intercultural adaptation of expatriates; mainly the French expatriates in Lebanon. It is important to note that the French expatriate population residing in Lebanon is the largest compared to those of other European countries. The findings of this study will contribute to the existing literature in cross-cultural management and will as well be useful for practitioners in the area of hiring international candidates. The results of our analysis support the findings of Ang. et al.(2003) proving that CQ is positively related to cross cultural adaptation (CCA) and some of the facets of CQ are positively related to the dimensions of adaptability and willingness to adapt. These findings will allow management of multi-national companies (MNCs) to better select their candidates for international assignments and improve the CQ of their employees.