ABSTRACT
Getting in touch with locals of the host country can have many benefits for expats as well as the locals themselves. Benefits occur both at work and in private life, for example in terms of performance, knowledge sharing, culture learning, social support and adjustment. Many factors determine how the contact between expats and locals from the host country works out. At the level of the individual, factors such as personality, the attitude one has towards interacting with people from other cultures, the local’s willingness to help the expat, intercultural competence and host language skills influence how successful interactions between expats and locals are. At the interpersonal level, the similarity between the expat and the local plays a role, as well as the trust that is established between them and whether they are colleagues or friends. The context in which expats and locals from the host country meet also makes a difference for if and how the relationship develops, for example, some characteristics of a country (culture, language) may make it more difficult for expats to meet locals. A supportive organisational context might compensate for this, and positively influence the outcomes of the contact between expats and locals.
