Words: 926
In this case, I believe most of the blame should be placed on Mark’s company, Energem. Having expatriates, the company should be prepared for situations like this. Mark and his family held up on their part of the deal by staying the whole time in England, and Energem did not have a plan for Mark and his family. They did not seem to give him any support to his family or his for his career back home in Singapore. What was Energem’s plan for Mark after he completed his expatriate duties in London? Part of it could also be blamed on just bad timing for Energem and Mark Chan’s family.
The economy back in the Asia-Pacific area was not the best for jobs. Energem seemed to virtually have not spot for Mark in the company anymore. The Regional General Manager position, that he was more than qualified for, was given to a colleague of his. The reasons aren’t given to as why Energem decided to move in a direction different than what they would have done in the past. There were several reasons for Mark and his family’s reentry problems. One of the main factors that affected Mark was the poor economy back in Singapore.
Mark couldn’t find a job to his liking, and everything he did find seemed as a demotion. Mark thought his career was going downhill and wasn’t happy at all. A factor that seemed to affect all of Mark’s family was that they had completely adjusted to living life in England. His son’s had trouble adjusting to Singaporean life. School seemed to be the hardest adjustment. They both felt out of place and had trouble making new friends. Language was also a problem for each, as they had trouble communicating back and forth with teachers and other students. Jeremy and John also found some of the schoolwork to be difficult.
Linda found that life in Singapore was not as satisfying as it was in England. She had trouble identifying with her friends again. Linda also had difficulty in finding another job in the banking industry, partially due to the poor economy at the time. The whole family was not ready to live life back in Singapore. Energem did a poor job making the move as easy as possible for the Chans. Another factor that the Chans found difficult to adjust to was the way they lived their lives. They were used to a “luxurious” lifestyle back in England. In England they left behind so much.
Their dog, open spaces, gardens, a large house, fancy cars, new relationships, and probably most important family time together. After 5 years of having what seemed to be everything, they had to give it all up in a short time. It would be hard for anyone to give up all that and still seem to be happy. There were several things that Energem could have done to make the transition for the Chans as easy as possible. Repatriation seems as it would be a very difficult issue for any human resource manager. Energem could have communicated with Mark and his family more before, during, and after his expat.
Before Mark and his family left for England Energem could have communicated more effectively about what was expected upon their return to Singapore. The organization could have appointed someone within the company to identify possible jobs that would suit the expatriate when they returned. A possible fallback position if the assignment doesn’t work out as planned. Not everything goes as it’s planned, especially with so many variables with the job and family that could cause the expatriate to return home. Backup plans should be established before the assignment is taken.
Also, the company could keep the expatriate familiar with what is going on within the organization. They could send possible job openings that would suit the person in case immediate return is necessary. The most important time to help the family would be after their return home, and trying to adjust to their old way of living. When the family returned, it would have been beneficial if Energem would establish some sort of support to help with the adjustment. Counseling the whole family and answered any questions or problems they had upon their return to ease the transition.
The company could have also reviewed the expats time abroad. The expat would have gained new knowledge and skills that could benefit both the company and the expat. With these new skills the expatriate could give valuable insight to the company and a possible new position that would suit the expat the most. Giving the expat a job that would still interest him, and keep him engaged in his job. The company should also help the spouse with getting a job. Linda couldn’t find a job that was in the same field as she was in before.
The company could have helped her out with her resume and interviewing techniques. An organization should also help and make the transition for the kids easy. Prepare them for how school will be back in their host country. Counseling the kids should be a must. These things would make the move from one culture to the next an easy transition, and benefit the family and the company both. Jaguar or bluebird? Case Study (A) Mark Chan’s decision to stay overseas or return home after his expatriate assignment Case written by: Gunter K. Stahl, Chei Hwee Chua, and Rebekah France