The Comparative Roles of Third Country Nationals (TCNs) and Host Country Nationals (HCNs) in Expatriate Adjustment: A Theoretical Approach

Expatriate managers often face difficulties adjusting to professional, cultural and environmental differences when performing overseas assignments. Failure of an expatriate manager to adjust to the foreign work and living environment may undermine an entire overseas project. A broad spectrum of factors determining the success of expatriate adjustment has been explored in the research. Specifically, interaction with Host Country Nationals (HCNs), leading to the inclusion of such HCNs in an expatriate’s support network, has been identified as an important determinant of successful adjustment of expatriate managers. However, many firms, including Korean construction firms, send large numbers of Third Country Nationals (TCNs) who share cultural similarity with expatriate managers as laborers on overseas assignments, yet expatriate interaction with these TCNs has not yet been examined in the adjustment literature. This study seeks to offer a theoretical classification of the impact of TCNs on expatriate adjustment in line with models of forming networking ties for support. This study also provides a framework for future empirical investigations into the role of TCNs on expatriate adjustment, expanding the application of the theoretical foundation offered in this study to academia and business practice in the areas of international management, foreign direct investment, expatriate management and global human resource development.