Determining the Challenges Encountered by Chinese Expatriates in Pakistan

Muhammad Noman, Muhammad Safdar Sial, Talles Vianna Brugni, Jinsoo Hwang, Muhammad Yaseen Bhutto and Thai Hong Thuy Khanh
Additional contact information
Muhammad Noman: School of Journalism and mass communication, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
Muhammad Safdar Sial: Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
Talles Vianna Brugni: Accounting Department, FUCAPE Business School, Av. Fernando Ferrari, 1358, Boa Vista, Vitória–ES 29075-505, Brazil
Jinsoo Hwang: The College of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Sejong University, 98 Gunja-Dong, Gwanjin-Gu, Seoul 143-747, Korea
Muhammad Yaseen Bhutto: Economics and Management School, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
Thai Hong Thuy Khanh: Faculty of Finance and Accounting, Nguyen Tat Thanh University, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 4, 1-16

Abstract: The workforce of growing globalization has led to a large number of expatriate employees working overseas for short term employment. An expatriate assignment is strongly correlated with a variety of difficulties that affect expatriates’ adjustment abroad. Therefore, the aim of this article is: (1) to determine the challenges encountered by Chinese expatriates in Pakistan and (2) to determine the role of cross-cultural training for a successful international assignment. The paper adopts a qualitative approach by conducting semi-structured interviews; the interviews were conducted with 22 males and eight females, forming a total of 30 Chinese employees with the average age of 34.5 years, working in different Chinese organizations in Pakistan in 2018. The findings of this study revealed that the most significant challenges faced by Chinese expatriates in Pakistan were cultural differences and language barriers in both work and non-work factors, whereas, those Chinese expatriates who were trained through formal and informal learning techniques could facilitate their cross-cultural adjustment.

Keywords: cross-cultural adjustment; cross-cultural training (CCT); challenges; Chinese expatriates; formal and informal learning (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:4:p:1327-:d:319487

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