Study Released on Short-Term Assignments
July 22, 2009
Sponsored by Dwellworks, The Interchange Institute recently released a second study examining the impact of short-term assignments on employees and their families.
Unaccompanied short-term assignments and extended business travel have increased over the past years in the face of high expatriate costs, security issues, and family resistance to moving. While these assignments avoid a number of family complications, they potentially raise others. Voices From The Road, released in 2008, focused on the assignee. The current companion study, Voices From Home: The Personal and Family Side of International Short-Term Assignments, surveyed families living at home while their spouses were on assignment.
The study’s objective was to understand what factors led to more successful assignments and to offer data-supported recommendations on improving the success of such assignments. The survey revealed that participants who had input during the decision making process, clarity about the length of the assignment and received support at home, were more positive about the experience and the employer. On the other hand, a mere 30% of participants felt adequately compensated for the additional costs related to the assignment. Only 41% said they would encourage their spouses to accept another short-term assignment.
Employers are advised to involve the spouse early in the process, communicate proactively with the family throughout the assignment (not just with the employee) and provide services and financial compensation to help with additional responsibilities and costs associated with the assignment.
Participants in the study were 88% female, represented 21 nationalities (with 28% being U.S. citizens) and had spouses working in 17 countries. The survey included both short-term assignments (66%) and extended business travel (34%).
About The Interchange Institute: founded in 1997 by Dr. Anne P. Copeland, Ph.D., The Interchange Institute is a non-profit research organization that also provides cross-cultural training to corporations, non-profits, and the military through online distance learning webinars. Dr. Copeland has directed several research studies on expatriate families’ experience, including two multinational in-depth analyses of the social, familial, and personal aspects of moving to a new country.
About Dwellworks: The company provides a comprehensive suite of Destination and Residential Services including: area orientation, home finding, settling-in, education services, valuation services, property management, and more. With a nationwide network of local experts, Dwellworks provides an efficient and cost-effective business model to support its clients.
For more information about this announcement or the survey, please contact:
Ronald Huiskamp
Dwellworks, LLC
Phone: 425-896-0361
Email: ronald.huiskamp@dwellworks.com
