ABSTRACT
For many employees and their families, repatriation conjures up images of joyous
reunions and settling comfortably into a familiar life back home. All too frequently,
though, the reality is very different; most repatriates are lucky to receive any welcome at
all. As the spouse of one American expatriate put it, “If you look at repatriation as a
homecoming, you’re setting yourself up for failure.” Sadly, in many cases, this sense of
failure encompasses every facet of the returning employee’s life.
