Just recently the Obamas selected to enroll their daughters in the exclusive Sidwell Friends Quaker Day School rather than the public schools within the District of Columbia. Their decision may be in contrast to the hundreds if not thousands of families who are faced with a similar dilemma—but differing outcome.<< MORE >>

A complete expatriate package should include the following: 1. Relocation expenses such as packing of household materials, shipping furniture from one location to the other, payment of taxes once the furniture and household items have been received by customs at the new host country. Use of agent services to clear your household and personal belongings through customs. << MORE >>

Is your expatriate pool in need of a transfusion? Perhaps one of the best ways to support the life blood of global expansion is through the creation, institution and management of innovative work and family support policies. For instance, depending upon the research source cited, around 69% to 80% of the expatriates accepting overseas assignments are married (Harrison, 2001; Windham, 1999). Spouses accompany roughly 77% of married expatriates (Windham, 1999). According to the literature presented by academe, expert consultants, and practitioners in the field, the accompanying spouse is of critical importance to the success of an overseas assignment (Torbiorn, 1982; Arthur and Bennett, 1995; Punnett, 1997). With regards to dual career couples, Harvey (1998) considered spousal adjustment an important aspect of the spouse’s overall satisfaction with the international relocation. << MORE >>

Here are some helpful tips for the repatriated family returning home after living overseas for an extensive period of time. Say Goodbye to the Past. In the rush to pack your belongings, order shipping containers and/or oversee the entire moving process with professional movers, take the time to wish farewell to your dear friends, surrogate sisters, business colleagues and even acquaintances. If you have children, make sure that you provide opportunities for your teenagers, kids, and even toddlers to arrange sleepovers and farewell parties. And in your haste, don’t forget to offer support to your expatriate spouse. If you don’t have the time, hire a temporary personal assistant to collect, store and computerize contact information from business cards and memoranda. Provide suggestions to create a telephone tree to gather USA-based network of professional referrals and contacts. Even if your spouse maintains his position with his present employer, an expanded USA-based network can open doors for future opportunities.<< MORE >>

This paper examines the expatriate and family as elusive participants in management research. It reviews the current literature and focuses on inappropriate sampling which may lead to research manipulation. Furthermore, it seeks to challenge the view that family and spousal problems are responsible for most assignment failures and early departures. In addition to traditional methods, this research used electronic mail surveys, group computer mediated communications, computerized self administered questionnaires, and foreign field research. Such methodologies introduced findings that corporate support policies inadequately address the needs of internationally mobile families. Keywords: expatriate, accompanying partner, failure rate, early departure<< MORE >>

The main goal of this article is to offer a 'things to do list' for the over 40 crowd or over-educated entangled in the over-under-un- employed job market. It is a companion piece to the abstract and more philosophical advice posted earlier. Refer to the article here. To Do List 1. Be open to re-invention. According to Ret. General Colin Powell, "nowadays, every one of our jobs is becoming obsolete. The proper response is to obsolete our activities before someone else does. " 2. Look at your job in a different way. Based upon your expertise, what could be done differently to reduce costs, increase margins and/or improve process flows, product quality and increase customer satisfaction?<< MORE >>

What does all of this have to do with Captain Sullenberger, the hero pilot of the Hudson River and Ret. General Colin Powell? The Art of Re-Invention According to the leadership principles of Ret. General Colin Powell, "nowadays, every one of our jobs is becoming obsolete. The proper response is to obsolete our activities before someone else does. Effective leaders create a climate where worth is determined by the willingness to learn new skills and grab new responsibilities, thus perpetually reinventing one's job." Early Self Knowledge Captain Sullenberger 'Sully' earned his private pilot's license at the age of 14 years. He knew what he wanted. He went out and realized his dream. It is never too early to find your mission in life. << MORE >>

A Primer for Parents, Teachers, Administrators
This is in loving memory of Aquan Lewis, the 10 year old fifth grader found hanging from a coat hook in the boys bathroom at an elementary school in Chicago.

Suicides Among Young Children- A Rarity.. 
In the US, during a six year period from 1999 to 2005, there were just 10 suicides among 10-year-olds the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's for Injury Prevention and Control reported.

De-Bunked Myth. 
Contrary to popular myths, kids in lower level grades may partake in
more active violence than high school students. DoSomething.Org provides facts
that show middle school ...<< MORE >>

Communication, the string that connects everyone together in the universal web of life. Ineffective Communication thwarts Negotiation Uhmm, yes you’ve got your legal language in contracts, joint venture agreements, memorandum of understanding rock solid, air tight. You’ve aligned your procedures with federal regulations for compliance; the one deal breaker though is the manner in which said agreements are communicated verbally. According to the Harvard Center for Negotiation, 70% of all strategic partnerships and joint ventures fail because business people could not navigate around the complex relationships that required difficult conversations. Darn. Ineffective Communication increases Employee Grievances Although well written personnel performance appraisals are important, numerous studies undertaken by Henry Mintzberg found that executives spend most of their days communicating with other people. Even so, when employees of 1,400 employers in the United Kingdom were surveyed regarding formalized employee grievances against their managers, poor communication skills ranked evenly with ‘stealing credit for work.’ << MORE >>

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