The role of family support in the success of expatriation

Abstract

This article provides an overview of the research findings that attempt to understand what expatriates and their families face during expatriation. Indeed, the role of family support in expatriation has become a key component of global mobility. In this literature review, several themes are discussed: the challenges of expatriation, its key success/failure factors, its different stages, the influence of the family on expatriates; family adaptation in the expatriation process; organizational practices to be adopted; and the social interaction of expatriate families. We also present research recommendations to advance longitudinal studies of all family members. As a whole, the various contributions of this article complement each other in illustrating the complexities of expatriates’ relocation and family life, raise theoretical discussions, point to possible empirical implications, and suggest avenues for further investigations.