Best cross-cultural training practices for North American and European expatriates in China: A Delphi study

The deployment of expatriate managers by business leaders is expensive, with the cost reported to be in the millions of lost revenue dollars when expatriates fail at their assignment. The rate of failure, which can result in financial loss and talent depletion, necessitates an examination of successful training strategies and techniques used by North American or European expatriates, especially in China, where expatriates face many cross-cultural challenges. The purpose of the qualitative, modified three-round Delphi study was to explore the strategies and techniques used to prepare expatriates before relocating to China and to develop consensus on the elements most necessary for a successful cross-cultural training program. Twenty-three expatriates with at least 1 year of experience in a foreign assignment participated in the study. Three rounds of data collection and analysis resulted in consensus for the inclusion of 61 cross-cultural training outcomes, covering the seven categories for adaptation. The categories were (a) cultural shock and transition; (b) professional and working life, which was grouped into two subcategories of skills and knowledge and cultural awareness and understanding; (c) language and communication; (d) general cultural training; (e) living in China; and (f) training methods. The findings in the current study are significant with respect to the identification of a multidimensional theoretical construct for the development of practitioner training programs.