The document discusses challenges faced by employees returning from international assignments (repatriation) and how achieving a state of "flow" at work can help address these challenges. It notes that 30-40% of repatriates experience discomfort upon returning home. Common difficulties include career anxiety, feeling their international experience is devalued, adjusting to a new role after culture shock, and loss of status or benefits. The concept of "flow" - a state of full focus and enjoyment in an activity - is introduced, along with conditions needed to achieve it. Discomfort factors for repatriates often disrupt these flow conditions. The document suggests initiatives companies and employees can take, like repatriation training and clear goals, to

1. M.P.J. Sinninghe Damsté
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2. Table of contents
1. Introduction
2. Job-related difficulties in repatriations
3. The concept of Flow
4. Re-achieving Flow
5. Conclusion
6. Questions

3. 1. Introduction
Selection
Training
Assignment
Repatriation
Many companies close their
eyes to repatriation: ‘they are
coming home.’

4. 1. Introduction
30%
40%
30%
Repatriates
No discomfort
Discomfort
Leaves the company

5. 1. Introduction
Possible
solutions
Job-related
difficulties at
repatriation
The concept
of Flow

6. 2. Job-related difficulties
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
W-shaped curve
Sojourn
Based on: Szkudlarek 2008

7. 2. Job-related difficulties
DISCOMFORT
Career anxiety/insufficient
planning
Devaluating international
experience
Coping with new role
demand / reverse culture
shock
Loss of status
Loss of material benefits
Influenced by:
• Gender
• Age
• Personality
• Religion
• Marital status
• Prior
experiences
• Length of
sojourn
• Cultural
distance
• Time
• Contact with
home
• Housing
conditions

8. 3. The concept of Flow
 Flow is mental state in which a person performing an
activity is fully immersed in feeling of energized focus,
full involvement and enjoyment
 Concept proposed by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi

9. 3. The concept of Flow
Concentration
FLOW
Merging of
action and
awareness
Loss of
reflective self-consciousness
Sense of
control over
actions
Experience
activity as
intrinsically
rewarding
Distortion of
temporal
experience

10. 3. The concept of Flow
Concentration
FLOW
Merging of
action and
awareness
Loss of
reflective self-consciousness
Sense of
control over
actions
Experience
activity as
intrinsically
rewarding
Distortion of
temporal
experience
Fitting
challenges
Clear
approximate
goals
Immediate
feedback
No
disturbances
(Shaffer)

11. 3. The concept of Flow

12. 3. The concept of Flow
Adapted from the Oxford Handbook of Positive Psychology (2009)

13. 3. The concept of Flow
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
-0.1
-0.2
-0.3
-0.4
-0.5
High CH, low SK High CH, high SK Low CH, high SK Low CH, low SK
Concentration
Importance for future goals
Self-esteem
Enjoyment
Wish to be doing the activity
Adapted from the Oxford Handbook of Positive Psychology (2009)

14. 3. The concept of Flow
Challenge Feedback Goal Distraction
Career anxiety No Yes Yes Yes
Devaluation of
Yes No No Yes
international
experience
Coping with
new role
demand /
reverse culture
shock
No Yes No Yes
Status loss Yes Yes No Yes
Material
No No No Yes
benefits loss

15. 4. Re-achieving Flow
Initiatives from the company:
 Repatriation training (but training alone is not
enough!)
 Strategic purpose for relocation
 Clarity in advance
 Attention to spouse and children to prevent private
discomfort to ‘overflow’ into the work and cause
distraction
 Communicate, communicate, communicate….

16. 4. Re-achieving Flow
Initiatives from the employee
 Keep professional knowledge up to date
 Communicate, communicate, communicate…

17. 5. Conclusion
 Link exists between discomfort factors and
disturbances of flow
 Each factor disrupts one or more of the conditions for
flow
 If the conditions are breached, no flow can be reached
 The most interested aspect in work is taken away
 Result: demotivation, disappointment, exodus of
experienced skilled staff

18. 5. Conclusion
Concentration
FLOW
Merging of
action and
awareness
Loss of
reflective self-consciousness
Sense of
control over
actions
Experience
activity as
intrinsically
rewarding
Distortion of
temporal
experience
Fitting
challenges
Clear
approximate
goals
Immediate
feedback
No
disturbances
(Shaffer)

19. 5. Conclusion
Challenge Feedback Goal Distraction Solutions
Career anxiety No Yes Yes Yes Contact
Training
Strategic purpose
Planning
Devaluation of
international
experience
Yes No No Yes Contact
Training
Strategic purpose
Planning
Coping with new
role demand /
reverse culture
shock
No Yes No Yes Contact
Training
Status loss Yes Yes No Yes Contact
Training
Strategic purpose
Planning
Material benefits
loss
No No No Yes N/A

20. 5. Conclusion

21. 5. Conclusion
Concentration
FLOW
Merging of
action and
awareness
Loss of
reflective self-consciousness
Sense of
control over
actions
Experience
activity as
intrinsically
rewarding
Distortion of
temporal
experience
Fitting
challenges
Clear
approximate
goals
Immediate
feedback
No
disturbances
(Shaffer)

22. 6. Questions?