An Intensive Review of Expatriates' Issues in China

Abstract

Expatriation plays a crucial role in the sustainability and competitiveness of Multinational organisations. The cost of hiring expatriates is much higher than local employees; however, the contribution to company performance is significant. Therefore, China has become the main attraction for international business companies and an essential destination for expatriates worldwide. However, the literature reported that expatriates face several issues and challenges. Hence, this paper aims to identify the main issues expatriates face in China that influence their adaption and performance. This paper adopts a qualitative approach by using literature reviews. Forty-nine related articles were reviewed, and the finding revealed that the expatriates in China claimed they were having issues with language, culture and motivation. The result also indicated that the expatriates have difficulty adopting work and non-work culture, as well as their work performance, due to these issues. Therefore, this study suggested that further studies are needed, which is significant to the international human resource and expatriates that intend to work in China.