Repatriation in Australian organisations: why is it not considered critical to internationalisation?

Research has suggested that organisations that do not successfully repatriate their employees lose financially and developmentally from high rates of repatriate turnover and the loss of repatriates' international experience. While research has demonstrated that intense repatriation programs are the most effective means of countering these trends many organisations continue not to utilise repatriation programs or provide any tangible work or social support for repatriates and their families. This paper investigates factors that influence how likely Australian organisations are to utilise repatriation programs. The research was based on a quantitative survey of 52 organisations and follow-up in-depth semi-structured interviews with 10 HR managers. The findings reported herein refer specifically to the qualitative research in order to highlight not what organisations are doing in respect to repatriation, but why they make certain repatriation choices. The research concludes that while organisations theoretically recognise the importance of repatriation, they actually continue to provide insufficient support. Moreover, the findings suggest that the willingness of organisations to provide support for repatriates is directly related to the value that they place on internationalisation and the international experience.