Cross-Cultural Adjustment of Expatriate Academics in Selected Higher Education Institutions in the United Arab Emirates
| dc.Location | 2017 LB 1778 Q36 | |
| dc.Supervisor | Dr Abdulai Abukari | |
| dc.contributor.author | QUANSAH, DAVID KWAME | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2018-02-26T12:59:16Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2018-02-26T12:59:16Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2017-05 | |
| dc.description.abstract | This study investigates the cross-cultural adjustment of expatriate academics in selected higher education institutions (HEIs) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The focus is on cross-cultural adjustment across three facets of adjustment: general, work, and social interaction. The study is based on the frameworks of Black et al. (1991), Miller’s (2009) Identity Development Trajectory, and Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner's Seven Dimensions of Culture model (1998). These frameworks are successfully applied through questionnaire and face-to-face interviews. A total of 324 expatriate academics employed in three HEIs in the UAE responded to the questionnaire, and 57 of them participated in face-to-face interviews. The results obtained through this study affirm, to a large extent, the findings of previous studies which are discussed in the literature review. The model devised by Black et al. (1991) is found to be applicable to the cross-cultural adjustment of expatriate academics in HEIs in the UAE. This finding justifies the development of a model that explains the process of cross-cultural adjustment among the expatriate academics. Factors such as gender, family status, language, prior overseas experience, and cross-cultural training are found be the strongest determinants of the expatriates’ cross-cultural adjustment. Anticipatory adjustment significantly contributes to their cross-cultural adjustment. Social adjustment, family-related factors and financial factors are found to be the major contributors to the expatriate academics’ intent to stay longer in the UAE or in the organization. The most important area of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and experiences that were identified by the respondents as the prerequisite for expatriate academics to successfully adjust, consist of the following components; professional, demographic, individual personality, social and intercultural, organization, and country. Most respondents also indicate that their employers have adopted a vi “swim or sink without help” approach with regards to their cross-cultural adjustment. Based on the findings from this research, the researcher has been able to gain more insight into the cross-cultural adjustment of expatriate academics in HEIs in the UAE and the need for HEIs to ensure a smoother cross-cultural adjustment of expatriate academics. Although the purpose of this study is not to generalize, the researcher suggests future research involving host country nationals, students, recruitment specialists, and cross-cultural training specialists or consultants. By expanding the sample size and including various parties or stakeholders including different methodologies for data collection, this topic can be explored further, and the range of issues discussed in this thesis can be expanded. | en_US |
| dc.identifier.other | 120012 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://bspace.buid.ac.ae/handle/1234/1116 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
| dc.publisher | The British University in Dubai (BUiD) | en_US |
| dc.subject | College teachers -- Employment -- Cross- cultural studies. | en_US |
| dc.subject | expatriate academics | en_US |
| dc.subject | higher education institutions | en_US |
| dc.subject | United Arab Emirates (UAE) | en_US |
| dc.title | Cross-Cultural Adjustment of Expatriate Academics in Selected Higher Education Institutions in the United Arab Emirates | en_US |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_US |