Master of Arts (Counselling & Guidance)

Cross-cultural adjustment on the part of an expatriate and spouse is often crucial for his/her successful completion of work assignment in a foreign land. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the status of Norwegian expatriates’ cross-cultural adjustment in host country Singapore. Sixty-one Norwegians in study sample were administered a survey instrument, comprising Black and Stephens’(1989) adapted version of the Cross-Cultural Adjustment Scale and a biographical questionnaire. Two aspects of adjustment were examined, namely general adjustment and adjustment to cultural novelty. Four demographic factors were observed for their patterns of influence on the Norwegian expatriates’ cross-cultural adjustment. The study revealed some interesting and pertinent findings. Overall, Norwegian expatriates in Singapore achieve good general adjustment. But they adjust less well in their socialization and interaction with local people, and to the school system. Climate and the school system are deemed to be “novel” by the Norwegian expatriates. There are indications that factors like age, occupational status, whether they are with/without children, and length of stay influence how well Norwegian expatriates adjust cross-culturally in Singapore. With these insights of Norwegian expatriates’ cross-cultural adjustment in Singapore, implications for guidance and counselling to the Norwegian community in general and Norwegians identified to be in special need are discussed.