Barriers in international mobility: When family and culture derail the move

Our previous post examined the pre-departure barriers that often prevent international assignments from starting. In this second instalment, we turn to a challenge that intensifies after deployment: the overlooked but critical issue of family and cultural adaptation. 

Growth of family challenges 

The first post in this series showed that while financial issues tend to be barriers only before international moves begin, family challenges overseas affect every stage of the cycle. These challenges are escalating, with adaptation issues for employees or their families becoming an increasingly frequent cause of moves ending earlier than planned. 

Adaptation difficulties - whether cultural, social, or family-related - frequently lead to underperformance, which remains the leading cause of assignment failure, with poor adaptation a common underlying risk. The business impact can be significant: early returns lead to sudden recruitment and relocation costs, while disrupted projects and local team instability add further strain. These challenges make adaptation issues more than personal hurdles, but a critical factor in protecting global investment. 

These challenges become significantly more acute in organisations with larger expatriate populations. As seen in our latest Managing Mobility Survey, those managing over 200 internationally mobile employees are nearly twice as likely to report adaptation issues derailing assignments compared to those managing up to 50. With greater scale comes greater risk, as well as complexity. 

As expatriate populations grow, organisations often rely more heavily on standardised policies and processes for operational efficiency. However, the unique pressures families face abroad - from cultural dislocation and partner career disruption to challenges with children’s education - rarely follow predictable patterns, revealing the limitations of a one-size-fits-all approach. 

This makes a strong case for a more nuanced approach. As mobility programmes scale, striking the right balance between streamlined processes and tailored support is a key part of sustaining long-term assignment success. 

Mitigating the main barriers to adaptation 

There are a range of factors leading to difficulties adapting, with each having a different impact, but cultural issues stand out as the most common factor. 

One of the clearest ways to reduce this risk is through effective preparation and support before the move even begins. Look-see visits, for example, allow prospective assignees and their families to assess the suitability of the host location. Though they come at a cost, these visits can identify potential issues early, helping to avoid expensive failures down the line. 

Once the move is underway, orientation services play a significant role in helping families settle in. Our International Relocation Benefits Survey shows that almost two-thirds of companies offer such services to assignees. However, cultural and language training are provided less frequently than core support like tax briefings or home search, despite their contribution to long-term adaptation challenges. 

Encouragingly, many companies extend the support they offer to family members, particularly spouses. This broader support helps address not only cultural adjustment but also the isolation that many accompanying partners experience. Expanding these services can build shared understanding, strengthen social networks, and enhance emotional resilience across the household. 

There are clear opportunities to enhance the support offered to relocating families. For accompanied moves, ECA’s Benefits for International Assignments Survey shows that fewer than half of companies provide structured partner support. When the employee is not accompanied by their family, just 22% pay for dependants to visit the assignee in the host location, with 39% allowing the employee to use their home leave entitlement for their dependants to visit. Addressing these gaps can help reduce family isolation and stress, making adaptation smoother and assignments more successful. 

Providing comprehensive support to the whole family from the outset reduces adaptation barriers and contributes towards assignment success. Integrating tailored preparation and ongoing assistance for partners and children helps reduce the risk of moves failing, as well as building a more resilient international workforce. 

The final post in this series will look at the impact GM can have on talent management, as well as examining whether who delivers support can act as a barrier to assignment success. 

  FIND OUT MORE