8/11 First topic - Life Abroad Succeeds if the Kids are Alright

[Choro-이철호]

Life Abroad Succeeds if the Kids are Alright

Life Abroad Succeeds if the Kids are Alright.docx

When the school year ends in Beijing, many foreign families will go home, never to return. A recent Financial Times report said expatriates had become sick of the pollution which, on some days in January, had reached levels nearly 40 times higher than the World Health Organisation’s safe limit.

In the past, expatriate managers, especially British ones, did not worry about children adapting to foreign countries because they left them in boarding schools at home. But the business of sending managers abroadhas changed. Families now matter. And, often, they refuse to go.

First, the family member who used to follow the manager abroad often now has a career of their own. A 2005 surveyfound that both partners worked outside the home in 70 per cent of US professional families, compared with 60 per cent in 1995.

Then there are the children, who most parents now prefer to have living with them. For a family, moving to a new country can be an adventure, one that opens children’s minds to new cultures and even another language. Children and the following parent sometimes make better local friendships than the parent working in the company does.

On the other hand, a foreign position can be a disaster. Any family problems can be made worse by a move away from family, friends and the educational and cultural knowledge of home.

And then there is the children’s health. As Professor Michael Harvey, of Mississippi University and Australia’s Bond University says, many of the big job opportunities are in countries where crime can be high, infectious diseases common and the air unclean. While expatriate parents may be prepared to make compromises, “child safety is not one of them”.

What can companies do? First, they should change their thinking about who goes abroad. Many companies assume that someone who works well at home can do the same in the new country. While an increasing number of companies offer help to the family, Prof Harvey suggests that improvements can still be made.

In fact, several studies have shown that “the failure of the family and partner to adjust to foreign environments is the number one reason for expatriate failure”, he writes. These failures are expensive for the company and can damage the career of the expatriate.

How can companies avoid these problems? Companies could send managers abroad before they have children. Many female professionals start families later anyway and may welcome the chance to work somewhere else and advance their careers.

Finally, the pace and scale of international migration means large companies are often staffed by people from all over the world. Companies can send their foreign-born managers back to their home countries. They speak the language and know the culture, while understanding how the company works.

Of course, if Chinese managers go back to Beijing, they will have to be prepared to expose their children to the pollution too.

1)    Would you ever live abroad? Tell us about your story.

2)    When was the first time in another country? And what happened at that time?

3)    Is it easy for you and families to adjust to a new country and culture?

4)    Do you agree with the article’s suggestions for improving the lives of expatriate workers?

5)    Which country would you prefer to go for immigration? Why? And How do you think about it?

6) How do you think about going abroad for studying, how about study English in an English academy?

7)    If you can travel only one country in your lifetime. Where do you want to go? Why?

[chloe(엄은조)]

회장님 감사합니다

[Choro-이철호]

회장님이라니 ㅡ.ㅡ 좀 낯 간지럽네요^^

[ihwa(신이화)]

회장님, 회장님, 우리 회장님.. 이라는 개그가 있었죠. 옛날 옛적에.. ^^

[hovi(황진환)]

좋은 토픽 감사합니다.