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Introduction
Expatriates employed overseas can have problems with adjustment in general, as well as with interaction with host country residents and the new work environment. One of the main issues multinational corporations (MNCs) face in their global operations is expatriate failure. The cost for each expatriate failure is significant and could range from US$150,000 to US$200,000 (Selmer, 1999). It is estimated that 10-80 percent of expatriates sent on overseas assignments return home early. One of the reasons cited for the premature return was a lack of cross-cultural training (CCT). Although studies have examined CCT and expatriates' adjustment (Black and Mendenhall, 1990; Deshpande and Viswesvaran, 1992; El Mansour and Wood, 2010; Qin and Baruch, 2010; Selmer, 2005, 2010; Susanto and Rostiani, 2012; Waxin and Panaccio, 2005; Tung, 1981, 1982; Zakaria, 2000), very few of these studies have been conducted in Africa in general or Nigeria in particular. Since there are so little studies in this region, there is a knowledge gap in this area. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between CCT and expatriates' adjustment in Nigeria. This paper is significant in several ways: first, the results are important in aiding international human resource managers in identifying and developing effective CCT programs that could assist expatriates and their families in making the necessary adjustment in the host country; second, it adds to the body of knowledge and bridges the gap in the literature, specifically on the topic of cross-cultural adjustment in African in general and particularly in Nigeria; third, it may stimulate further research on this topic in other emerging economies in Africa and elsewhere; and fourth, it may increase an awareness and understating of the history, culture, and behavior of Nigeria people would help in reducing expatriates level of frustration, shock, anxiety, and concern (Okpara and Kabongo, 2011).
Research context
Nigeria is located in Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin and Cameroon. Nigeria has approximately 174 million people (CIA World Factbook, 2016). According to CIA World Factbook, Nigeria's population is projected to grow from more than 186 million people in 2016 to 392 million in 2050, becoming the world's fourth most populous country.
Nigeria's economy is the largest in Africa with more than $500 billion, and ranked the...