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Erhan Atay: Newcastle School of Business, Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK

Serkan Bayraktaroglu: Sprott School of Business, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada

Yin Teng Elaine Chew: School of Business, Monash University Malaysia, Subang Jaya, Malaysia

Living in a foreign country, particularly Korea, presents a unique set of challenges for Eurasian Independent Immigrants (SIEs). Even if they excel in their jobs and are financially stable, psychological comfort can be elusive. Understanding the host country's culture is not a guarantee of full acceptance and contentment. This study delves into the unique experiences of Eurasian SIEs in Korea, exploring their cognitive, emotional, and behavioural adjustments and how Korea's Confucian-oriented culture influences their lives.

Our study involved interviews with 27 Eurasian self-immigrants living and working in Korea. We aimed to understand their cognitive, emotional, and behavioural adjustments. In Korea, cultural traits like paternalistic leadership, respect for age, group harmony, and informal relationships, deeply rooted in Confucianism, play a significant role in social and business life. However, these cultural norms can pose challenges for SIEs, affecting their work-life balance and integration into social networks.

Interestingly, despite language ability and cultural knowledge, SIEs still struggle with emotional adjustment and often contemplate leaving the country. Our findings reveal that while many adapt well cognitively and behaviourally, emotional adjustment stays elusive for most, affecting their overall satisfaction and intent to stay.

Surprisingly, most participants find it challenging to adapt to informal cultural norms in and out of the workplace. This includes participating in social gatherings, navigating office politics, and integrating into social circles. These challenges hinder their sense of belonging and perpetuate the feeling of being an outsider.

Our findings underscore the need for organisations to prioritise inclusive practices to address these challenges. By acknowledging and accommodating the unique needs of Eurasian SIEs, organisations can create a more collaborative and supportive environment, fostering trust, unity, and commitment among employees, and leading to positive outcomes for individuals and organisations.

To read this article, please see the Journal of Global Mobility publication:

Atay, E., Bayraktaroglu, S. and Chew, Y.T.E. (2024), "Multi-dimensional adjustment of Eurasian self-initiated expatriates in Korea", Journal of Global Mobility, Vol. 12 No. 1, pp. 1-30. https://doi.org/10.1108/JGM-02-2023-0010" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://doi.org/10.1108/JGM-02-2023-0010