The adjustment of expatriate teenagers

Purpose ‐ The purpose of this paper is to develop a model regarding adolescent adjustment issues overseas. Design/methodology/approach ‐ Using previous literature on expatriate adjustment and in-depth interviews with students currently living abroad, a model of expatriate teens' adjustment is developed. Findings ‐ Interviews found that although some issues of adolescent adjustment are similar to expatriate and spouse issues, several were unique. In addition, the interviews suggested that the effective adjustment of the adolescent might lead the expatriate to stay abroad longer than originally planned. Research limitations/implications ‐ Small sample size and limited generalizability form the main limitations of the exercise. Practical implications ‐ Effective predeparture training for all family members is imperative for expatriate success. Originality/value ‐ The papers represent the first comprehensive look at the issues that affect the adjustment of expatriate teens.