The #1 Reason Expatriation Fails — and How to Make It a Success

Do you know what research shows to be the number one cause of expatriation failure?It’s not the employee’s performance at work. It’s the difficulty of the partner in adjusting to the new life abroad.

This reality has prompted more and more studies to focus on the experiences of expatriate partners and the resources that can help them adapt successfully.

Expatriation Affects the Whole Family

For companies, the first essential point to recognize is that expatriation impacts the entire family system, not just the employee. While the expatriate professional faces the challenge of navigating a new work environment and workplace culture, their partner encounters equally significant — and often more constant — cultural and personal adjustments.

The spouse often becomes the one responsible for managing daily logistics, from setting up the household to handling schooling, healthcare, and community life. They do this while simultaneously losing much of the support system they had at home: family, friends, familiar routines, and cultural anchors.

Compounding this, the working spouse is often absorbed by long hours and increased professional demands, leaving less time for emotional and practical support.

The Identity Shift of the Accompanying Partner

Perhaps the most profound challenge lies in the identity transformation that many partners undergo.

• Social identity: Adapting to new groups, building friendships, and finding communities that share one’s values and lifestyle can be daunting. The risk is feeling like you never fully belong, or that you must adjust your identity just to fit in.

• Professional identity: Many partners leave behind careers to follow their spouse abroad. Even when this choice is embraced, it has consequences: financial dependence, changes in the division of roles within the household, and the emotional impact of stepping away from professional recognition and autonomy.

For women in particular, the shift from being a working professional to a stay-at-home partner can trigger mixed feelings. Some mourn the loss of a career, while others embrace their new role but worry about the long-term effects on their résumés. Employment opportunities abroad may also be limited by regulations, pay gaps, or frequent relocations.

Thriving Through Reinvention

The partners who thrive are often those who view expatriation as an opportunity for reinvention. They explore new paths:

• pursuing further studies,

• starting a business,

• engaging in creative projects,

• or building new networks of meaning and purpose.

This perspective aligns with the principles of Self-Determination Theory, which highlight three basic psychological needs for well-being:

• Autonomy – feeling in control of one’s choices and actions,

• Competence – feeling capable and effective,

• Relatedness – feeling connected and belonging to a community.

When these needs are met, adaptation is easier and the expatriation experience becomes far more enriching.

What Employers Can Do

For an expatriation to be truly successful, companies must recognize the crucial role of the partner. Practical steps include:

• Ensuring partners are included in the decision-making process before the move,

• Offering cultural orientation and training,

• Providing logistical and emotional support systems,

• Facilitating access to networks and opportunities for personal growth.

Final Thoughts

Expatriation is not just a professional relocation — it is a family transformation. Success depends not only on the employee’s ability to adapt at work, but also on the partner’s ability to build a meaningful, fulfilling life abroad.

When both partners are prepared, supported, and aligned in their expectations, expatriation can shift from being a source of stress to an opportunity for growth, discovery, and resilience.