Matthew MacLachlan

One of Farnham Castle's leading intercultural trainers, Philippe Nitzer, has devised this short quiz for you to test your knowledge...

It's good to be back - or is it? The shock of going home, and other issues surrounding repatriation were the subject of a recent seminar at Farnham castle International briefing and Conference Centre. The theme for the workshop was to look at the impact on the family and the employee's effectiveness when returning home after an assignment.

The phrase,' going home' evokes strong and very individual emotions for the repatriating family, none more so perhaps, than for the repatriating teenager, for whom until now, home has always been where his globally nomadic parents happen to be living at that moment.

The opportunity of an overseas assignment can be an enriching experience enabling personal as well as professional development. This of course necessitates change which will inevitably present some challenges as well as opportunities. Adequate preparation for change is essential to ensure a smooth transition and also requires good communication.

Most companies who transfer staff internationally are not paying enough attention to "softer" family and relationship issues and most line managers and human resource functions have neither the time nor the expertise to handle these matters.

As business becomes more global, we are speaking to an ever-wider range of nationalities and people. This is true not only in the multi-nationals, but also in the professions and the public sector. It is giving us greater opportunities for wider relationships and more business. Increasingly, the world is using English, and this appears to give native speakers great advantages. However, there are dangers as well...

With so much uncertainty surrounding global working, companies need to convince their employees that everything possible has been put in place to make the assignment worthwhile to them, their career and, not least, their family.

The level of globalisation seen in the last 20 years is not going to go away. Companies need to operate worldwide businesses, and they will continue to do so. Because so many multinational companies receive substantial revenues outside their home country, they cannot withdraw their current management, operations and resources without huge consequences. Substantial planning and structural changes are necessary before such decisions can be made.

Organisations of the 21st century can no longer limit themselves to producing and marketing products or services without any concerns for the impact they have on society. If they want to be trusted by their customers, employees and the public at large, they have to be more socially responsible. One key issue of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) which needs to be addressed is the integration of ethnic minorities in the workplace and the community.

Getting to know the British at work