Who adapts better to Brazil: Expatriates from developed or Latin American countries? Revisiting cultural distance

Abstract

This study aimed to compare transcultural adaptation for expatriates from Latin American countries with those from developed countries, with the intent of evaluating the premise of a negative association between cultural distance and adaptation for the Brazilian context. A final valid sample of 217 cases was reached. Our results suggest that the theory of cultural distance as a predictor of difficulties in transcultural adaptation cannot be generalized for the Brazilian expatriate host environment context. Participants’ responses show that expatriates originating from developed countries adapt in a more satisfactory manner than Latin American expatriates, even though they are more culturally distant.