Cross-culture adjustment and integration of Western expatriate women in Bangkok

Abstract

The topic of this thesis is Western expatriate women working in Bangkok, Thailand. The problem concerns their degree of integration into Thai society. More specifically, has the increased involvement of expatriate women in the workplace led to increased social and cultural integration? Both the measurement and explanation of the degree of integration are explored in terms of three key concepts: language and communication, socialization and cultural adjustment. Through an extensive quantitative survey of Western expatriate women working in Bangkok, the author scrutinizes their level of integration based on the three concepts identified above. The results of this investigation suggest that overall their levels of integration are low. The salient causative factors for these low levels of integration are identified and tested through a series of relevant indicators. The results of these tests indicate that the following may be factor that hinder the willingness or ability of the respondents to integrate into Thai society; expatriate status, global homogeneity and a lack of social networks. In conclusion, the author argues that more emphasis should be put on the important of language learning in expatriate situations. Additionally, expatriate groups and organizations should examine their roles within their host communities with a view to placing higher value on integration. Finally, the author identifies the importance of increased understanding between expatriates and the local community, in terns of cultural perceptions and acceptance