Repatriation: The Assignment Phase We Still Underestimate

Episode Description 
Repatriation is one of the most critical — and most overlooked — phases of Global Mobility. In this episode, Ben explores why repatriation so often becomes an “out-of-sight, out-of-mind” issue, how misaligned expectations create long-term fallout, and why Global Mobility teams are frequently left managing problems they did not cause.

Rather than offering quick fixes, the episode invites reflection through key diagnostic questions that help assess how repatriation is really working inside organizations.

What This Episode Covers 
• why repatriation receives less attention than outbound assignment phases

• how poor planning and unclear ownership create frustration on return

• the link between repatriation challenges and psychological contract breaches

• why the real issues are often relational rather than logistical

• how organizational signals shape the repatriation experience

Key Reflection Questions
• who truly owns repatriation outcomes in the organization?

• when do meaningful repatriation conversations actually begin?

• what signals does the organization send about the value of international experience?

Key Insight 
Repatriation is not an afterthought. It is a decisive moment where the long-term value of international assignments is either reinforced or quietly undermined.

Related Episodes 
This episode connects to earlier discussions on psychological contracts and expectation management in Global Mobility. Feel free to (re)listen to those, you find them right here in the history of the podcast.

Host 
Hosted by Benjamin Bader, Professor of International HRM and co-founder of MasteringGM®.

Subscribe 
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