| DEVELOPING A PROCESS MODEL OF OVERSEAS ASSIGNMENT SU-HEN LU Issue 25 (Vol. 13 No. 1) pp. 87-106 To minimize adverse impact on expatriation, multinational companies need to recognize the elements that facilitate expatriate managers and their spouses� smooth adjustment to a new work environment and everyday living. This paper presents an extensive literature review of the expatriate context and seeks to detail the importance of a variety of factors that could improve the chances of an expatriate manager�s survival rate in a foreign environment. The paper then develops a process model of foreign assignments to help multinational companies understand the complex issues in regard to the management of expatriates, the concern of expatriates� spouses, and the various prerequisites for successful expatriation. Additionally, it presents a conceptual framework by offering seven propositions regarding the expatriate context for future studies as in testing a hypothesis. |