It takes two to tango: A review of the empirical research on expatriate-local interactions

There has been a growing interest in the potentially positive impact of expatriate interactions with host nationals in International Human Resource Management (IHRM). This literature review provides an overview of this growing area of investigation, outlining research pertaining to the antecedents and outcomes on three different levels of analysis: individual, dyadic, and organizational. Most of the research has been done on the individual level of analysis, examining the impact of contact with host nationals on expatriate adjustment and performance. Several avenues and suggestions for future research are listed; an important starting point for future research is to clearly delineate which aspect of expatriate-local interactions is investigated – the frequency, depth, or breadth of the contact. This review counterbalances the predominant focus in IHRM on expatriates as sole actors in expatriate effectiveness, and provides directions and a research agenda for future research on expatriate-local interactions.