Breaking out of the Expat Bubble

Moving abroad means having to settle into a new host country. This book enables expats and those who support them to create intercultural connections and friendships both within and outside the workplace. Having left behind a large part of their social network, expats need to make local friends to really settle in. This book shows you how this works, and that breaking out of the expat bubble and making local friends helps you adjust and settle in the new place you call home. Organisations and societies should also support expats if they would like to retain this international talent. It is important to create the conditions for expats to build a social network, for example by connecting them with a local buddy. Learn more in this book about the advantages of such contact and how to set up and manage a buddy system to the benefit of both your expats and your organisation or community. The book is illustrated by many quotes from almost 20 years of research and features 11 real-world experiences of expats around the world. It also includes practical recommendations for expats, organisations and societies. An invaluable resource on creating more intercultural connections and friendships in the workplace and the local community, this book will be well placed in the hand luggage of expats - especially those who go without much organisational support - as well as on the desks of managers and HR professionals who would like to better support expats on this great adventure.

Marian van Bakel is Associate Professor at the University of Southern Denmark, where she conducts research in international human resource management, with an emphasis on expatriate management. She is passionate about bridging the gap between theory and practice to make sure practitioners benefit from her research. She is from the Netherlands and lived in France and the United Kingdom. She has been living in Denmark for 10 years now.

Foreword. Preface. Introduction. Part I: Building a new social network abroad. Chapter 1: A dive into the deep end of the social pool. Chapter 2: How do expats make new friends abroad. Chapter 3: Developing competences for making intercultural friends. Part II: Connecting with locals. Chapter 4: The benefits of expat contact with locals. Chapter 5: Connecting with locals in the workplace. Chapter 6: Intercultural mentoring. Part III: How to bridge the gap. Chapter 7: The value of buddy systems. Chapter 8: The importance of the quality of the contact. Chapter 9: How to set up a buddy system. Chapter 10: Recommendations for expats, organisations, and societies