The Work Adjustment of Expatriate Teachers Employed in Chinese Internationalized Schools: A Hermeneutical Phenomenology

The purpose of this hermeneutical phenomenological study was to understand the work adjustment of expatriate teachers employed in Chinese internationalized schools. The theory guiding the study was Dawis and Lofquist’s theory of work adjustment. This theory explained the process of employee adjustment at the workplace as the result of job dissatisfaction leading to attempts at restoring the person-environment fit. The central research question was: How do expatriate teachers experience work adjustment in Chinese internationalized schools? The four sub-questions addressed the facets of work adjustment: activeness, reactiveness, perseverance, and flexibility. Chinese internationalized schools were an appropriate setting for the study because of the extraordinary work adjustment challenges in these institutions. The study employed a purposefully selected sample of 16 expatriate teachers who have worked in Chinese internationalized schools for at least one school year and have experienced work adjustment. Three data collection methods aided in gathering in-depth descriptions of participants’ lived experiences: individual interviews, written protocols, and focus groups. Data analysis relied on eclectic coding and van Manen’s hermeneutical framework. Four major themes summarized participants’ work adjustment experiences: discovering what lies behind the façade, trying to be a real teacher, navigating relationships with the paying customers, and trying to function in a multicultural work environment. Ryan and Deci’s self-determination theory aided the interpretation of findings and linked participants’ adjustment attempts to unfulfilled needs for relatedness, competence, and autonomy

To Leave or to Stay: Faculty Mobility in the Middle East

Existing research on faculty mobility generally investigates the issue in the context of Western postsecondary institutions. This study adds to the body of knowledge through studying higher education faculty in six Middle Eastern countries. Participants of the study were higher education faculty members in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Out of 600 faculty members initially invited, 139 completed the electronic survey, whichwas administered in the 2017–2018 academic year. The findings show that factors both internal and external to an institution contributed to a faculty member’s decision to stay or leave. It also shows that gender and experience in the GCC Universities had no significant effect on faculty members’ intentions to leave or to stay

Experiences of North American Teachers Working Overseas Who Broke Their Contracts Within One Year

The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain insight into the experiences of North American teachers working in international schools and why they chose to leave within the first year. The findings offer insights into the following questions; (1) How do these teachers experience relationships with leadership and students? (2) What role, if any, did their recruitment and induction have on these teachers’ decision to leave? (3) What role, if any, did the culture of the host country play in these teachers’ decision to leave? The struggles experienced from these conditions led teachers to abruptly leave their contracted international positions. The study took place in the Middle Eastern region and the population targeted were North Americans working in international schools within the Middle East. For the purposes of this study, the term North American referred to United States and Canadian citizens. This qualitative study used a phenomenological design and allowed the researcher the opportunity to investigate and gather data through two open-ended interviews, which were recorded and transcribed. Data analyses involved coding to identify themes related to the research questions. The data collected during the interviews established five themes: lack of trust, power struggle, student behavior, lack of vision, and lack of communication the participants experienced while working at their international school. The participants reflected on their individual experiences and shared that they were able to develop personally from their experience. This phenomenological study had 10 participants, and their lived personal, professional, and cultural experience while teaching internationally could be beneficial to current and potential teachers and school leaders in international schools

FINANCING EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT IN ERITREA – SOME IMPLICATIONS

Education has long been recognized as a central element in development. The human capital formation is receiving increased attention from policy makers and scholars in different parts of the world particularly in developing countries. Eritrea is a newly born nation in Africa and is striving hard to develop its higher education. An attempt is made in this paper to analyze the sources of finance, the strategies and challenges for higher educational development in the country. Furthermore, the paper also delves the development of higher education in the country since independence. The paper provides some implications for the for the policy purpose to develop higher education so as to curb the use of expatriate manpower in different sectors of the economy.Higher Education, Economic Development, Unit costs, Eritrea, Africa, Human capital

Investigating Factors Affecting the Attraction and Retention of Overseas Teachers in the United Arab Emirates

This mixed-method study investigated the attraction and retention of overseas teachers in the United Arab Emirates. The study, involving 866 participants, identifies the types of motivators that make international teacher relocation most viable along with the key obstacles to successful teacher adjustment. The study provides valuable contributions to the decision making of education administrators through identifying the attributes of teachers who are most likely to succeed in the host country

The ‘Brain Drain’ Academic and Skilled Migration to the UK and its Impacts on Africa

In December 2004 the Association of University Teachers and the College and Lecturers Union NATFHE jointly commissioned research to review some of the literature on ‘the Brain Drain’ with a specific emphasis on developing countries in Africa and on academic labour in the UK. This report is the culmination of that research. The project aimed to review some of the available literature on the ‘Brain Drain’, to locate this in debates and contemporary approaches to international development and to consider especially the impact of the Brain Drain on Africa, where possible drawing reference to the impact on higher education. The report also considers the scale of migration to work in UK higher education and suggests ways in which AUT/NATFHE might work together and with others to offset the impact of Brain Drain factors and to build the capacity of higher education, and those working in it, in developing countries. Migration is an emotive issue and debate in this country is often shaped by populist and right-wing arguments, sometimes with racist and xenophobic undertones. This project aimed to develop a more progressive approach to the debate on migration, explicitly addressing the motivations behind migration decisions. This project was shaped by a background understanding that the UK undoubtedly benefits enormously from skilled labour migration, economically, socially and culturally. However, the project is also shaped by a concern to ensure that individual choices to migrate are taken freely, not as a result of political repression, a lack of life chances or vocational opportunities. The project also aimed to assess the extent to which skilled labour migration, and the unequal relationships between rich and developing countries which drives it, is further embedding that inequality. Failing to address these issues, risks leaving the debate on migration to those that seek to use the issue to generate a regressive and dangerous politics of fear and difference

Investigating the Employment Motivation and Job Satisfaction of Expatriate Language Teachers

Opened in 2006, Xi’an Jiao Tong-Liverpool University (XJTLU), the largest joint venture in China (XJTLU, 2019a), has grown rapidly in the intervening period, from initially teaching in a single building to now running two Suzhou campuses and an affiliated campus in the satellite city of Taicang. As an English Medium of Instruction (EMI) educational provider, English clearly plays a paramount role at this institution, and its teaching is provided at one of the largest language centres in Asia. The English Language Centre (ELC), formerly the Language Centre (LC), therefore has to employ a considerable number of staff, a high proportion of whom are expatriates. Unfortunately, the ELC, which now resides within the School of Languages, has experienced a prolonged period of upheaval, uncertainty and discontinuity, culminating in a formal complaint being lodged against the then leadership and a series of resignations and departures towards the end of 2019. Against this background and in the hope of providing insightful understanding of expatriate teachers’ lived experience this research project considers the employment motives and job satisfaction of expatriate ELC teachers covering a range of service periods. This research has a strong significance for teacher development in a globalised Higher Education (HE) sector as employment motivation and subsequent job satisfaction are core determinants to job retention and academic well-being. Besides the financial and time costs of recruitment initiatives, there is the damage of high turnover, as much for those who remain as those who depart. Therefore, a better understanding of these under researched employment and educational domains, in an institution which would consequently benefit, demonstrates the practical and academic value underpinning this study. It also comes from studying an under researched institutional type and demographic group in an increasingly important and competitive transnational field. Additional academic value comes from having conducted an extensive literature review and determined that new conceptual frameworks were warranted for both employment motivation and job satisfaction. By adopting an exploratory interpretive research design, and drawing on the insights of 20 practitioners, through administering semi-structured interviews, this study seeks to better understand staff feelings and their perceptions of working experiences. The results suggest that while the institution has a number of appealing points for prospective and current staff, such as their co-workers, the students and the employment package, attention is needed in areas such as recognition, progression and leadership. This is because positive features were being overshadowed by negative aspects, which had tilted the equilibrium for the worse and led to a number of staff either considering departing or actually leaving. This study offers useful insights for educational providers, policy makers, leaders and educators

Understanding The Factors Affecing Expatriate Teacher Retention In a Cross-Cultural Setting: A Case Study of an American International Sschool In Panama

The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors that affect expatriate teacher retention. The research aimed to identify the factors that contribute to expatriate teacher adaptation and retention in cross-cultural settings. As the demand for expatriate teachers has increased with the growth of international schools, retaining them has become a persistent challenge. The scarcity of literature on expatriate teacher retention, combined with high turnover rates and an expanding demand for such teachers, highlights the need for further research in this area. Therefore, this study aimed to fill this gap by exploring the factors that impact expatriate teacher retention and ultimately provide valuable insights to improve support for expatriate teachers in cross-cultural settings. The study investigated the factors that influence expatriate teachers\u27 decisions to renew their contracts at the end of their term. The research findings revealed that expatriate teachers with higher levels of intercultural competence were more likely to adapt to new environments and foster positive relationships with students, colleagues, and the local community. These positive experiences increased their motivation to stay at their current school and renew their contracts. Moreover, the study identified the importance of organizational conditions and leadership factors in shaping expatriate teachers\u27 retention decisions. Therefore, the research emphasizes the significance of intercultural competence, organizational support, and leadership in promoting expatriate teacher retention in cross-cultural settings. The researcher utilized both quantitative and qualitative assessment methods to comprehensively investigate the phenomenon in the context of teacher retention in cross-cultural settings. In addition to this, the researcher conducted in-depth interviews with the participants to gain a deeper understanding of their personal experiences and perceptions. The findings of this study indicate that intercultural competence plays a pivotal role in retaining teachers in cross-cultural settings. Furthermore, the study highlights the significance of organizational conditions and leadership factors in shaping expatriates\u27 decisions to remain at a school. To enhance support for expatriate teachers in adapting to cross-cultural environments and improving retention rates, further research in these areas is crucial. However, it is essential to exercise caution when extrapolating the results of this study to other expatriates in cross-cultural settings, as wider generalizations necessitate additional research

AN EXPATRIATE MENTORING PLAN FOR ABU DHABI OIL AND GAS INDUSTRIES (GASCO)

Published ThesisMultinational Corporations (MNCs) are an essential part of the modern globalised business environment (Chen, Tzeng & Tang, 2005:278). Within an increasingly competitive global market, it is understandable that MNCs employ highly skilled expatriates from across the globe. Expatriates are individuals from one country who work and live in another country (Hill, 2005:618). According to Peiperl, Levy and Sorell (2014:45), skilled expatriates form the backbone of MNCs, and many MNCs fail due to a shortage of skilled labour (Abdullah & Jin, 2015:548-549). Purgal-Popiela (2011:27) attests, however, that one out of three expatriates perform below expectation. On average, 40% of expatriates who complete their foreign assignments are ineffective or marginally effective (Deresky, 2002:398). The US reports an annual loss of around $4 billion due to failed foreign assignments (Cole & Nesbeth, 2014:71). Numerous authors propose mentoring as a strategy to support expatriates in adjusting to the new environment (Cullen & Parboteeah, 2010; Feldman & Bolino, 1999; Forret, Turban & Dougherty, 1996; Gibb, 1999; Mezias & Scandura, 2005; Zhuanga et al., 2013). The majority of research on expatriates focuses on the mentor, but ignore the levels, methods and techniques that an expatriate mentoring plan should contain. The focus of this study was to develop a customised mentoring plan for Abu Dhabi Oil and Gas Industries (GASCO). The company has around 7150 expatriate employees from 19 different countries. As GASCO has also reported high expatriate failure rates, this investigation was aimed at ascertaining work-related adjustments, personal-level adjustments and the extent to which expatriates have formed a new identity. Mixed-method research (both quantitative and qualitative) was used in this study which consisted of two phases. Phase 1 involved a structured questionnaire that was administered to all GASCO’s expatriate employees who have been employed for two years or more. The quantitative findings confirmed that there was a lack of expatriate support pertaining to work-related and personal-level adjustments. Findings were supported by the inferential statistics performed on the data. This enabled the construction of a proposed mentoring plan for GASCO. During Phase 2 the mentoring plan was presented to a focus group for discussion and further refinement before finalisation