Strengthening Family Resilience during Accompanied Humanitarian Assignments

350 Pages·2014·5.95 MB·English

Centre for International Health

Strengthening Family Resilience during Accompanied
Humanitarian Assignments

Elisa C Pepall

This thesis is presented for the Degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
of
Curtin University

September 2014
Declaration

To the best of my knowledge and belief this thesis contains no material previously
published by any other person except where due acknowledgement has been made.

This thesis contains no material that has been accepted for the award of any other
degree or diploma in any university.

Elisa Pepall 13/9/2014
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Acknowledgements

A number of parties have greatly assisted in the completion of this thesis. I am
extremely grateful, firstly, for the guidance and support provided by my primary
supervisor, Dr Jaya Earnest, Associate Professor at the Centre for International
Health, Curtin University. I also appreciate the feedback and direction provided by
the other member of my thesis committee, Dr Pamela O’Connor. I wish to
acknowledge the work of Maureen Storey for her meticulous and timely interview
transcriptions, and Dr Ross James, who provided professional editorial advice. To
Michelle Lewis Sandall, Ingrid Watts, Lisa McKay and Renee Martyna: thank you
for your belief in the significance of this research study and your time and effort in
reviewing many draft documents and proposed strategies and plans.

Importantly, I would like to thank each of the accompanying partners who
participated in this study. Without your trust, honesty and openness, this research
would not have been possible. I hope that I have adequately represented your
experiences and thoughts. I also want to acknowledge those senior INGO staff who
were willing to be interviewed. Your perspective added greater depth to the findings
and your endorsement of the need for greater organisational family supports and
responsiveness was a significant validation of the importance of this research.

I acknowledge the Australian Postgraduate Award and Curtin University
Postgraduate Scholarship, without which I would have struggled to conduct this
study.

Finally, my deepest gratitude goes to my immediate family, my husband Josh and
our two children, for their enduring support and patience. Thank you Josh for
consistently appreciating my need to find time and space to focus and for always
believing in both my research ability and the importance of this enquiry. I am
grateful also to my mother, Christine Kirby, who provided many hours of editing
support, reviewing both this thesis and various articles for publication. To my friends
who have “cheered me on,” thank you for the encouragement you have provided
over the past few years.
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Abstract

Today, many international humanitarian employees are skilled professionals seeking
a long-term career within the industry. Such individuals often have family
responsibilities in addition to demanding work duties. While appreciation of the
psychological consequences of humanitarian work has seen an increase in staff care
services provided to employees, scant attention has been given to the accompanying
families of expatriate staff. Given acknowledgement of the important role families
play in helping buffer worker stress this shortcoming is intriguing. Additionally,
research on missionary or corporate globally-mobile families, has consistently
emphasised the significant role family adjustment (especially that of the partner or
spouse) has on worker performance, organisational commitment and retention. Given
high levels of burnout and staff turnover within the humanitarian sector, and
demands for greater fiscal accountability, the need for greater consideration of the
experiences and support needs of expatriate families is compelling.

Underpinned by constructivist grounded theory methodology, this qualitative study
explored the experiences of accompanying families in the humanitarian international
non-governmental organisational (INGO) sector. In particular, it focussed on
understanding the stressors faced by such families and the resilience processes used
to manage these challenges. Multiple data collection methods, including in-depth
partner and key informant interviews and a systematic scoping review were
undertaken for this study.

Between December 2010 and October 2012, 23 interviews were conducted with
accompanying partners of humanitarian INGO workers in addition to eight key
informant interviews with senior human resources (HR) and staff care professionals
from humanitarian INGOs. Accompanying partners were recruited for the study from
Africa, Asia, Australia and Europe, including partners in remote postings and high-
risk conflict settings (e.g. Afghanistan). Aged between 29 and 50 years, most were
living abroad, while three had recently repatriated to their home countries. As
families (usually with accompanying children) they had lived abroad from one to 22
years. Key informants who included HR and staff care professionals represented a
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variety of humanitarian organisations. Their average length of tenure was 10 years,
and the majority of key informants had lived as expatriates themselves.

Accompanying partner interview feedback identified eight dominant types of
challenges impacting families, highlighting in particular the significant cost
accompanied assignments can have on relationships and the careers of accompanying
partners. One in four partners also experienced at least one (self-defined) crisis
during their time abroad. In addition to highlighting the beneficial aspects of
expatriate living, interviews also depicted accompanying families as demonstrating
resilience. Specific coping strategies and growth were repeatedly reported at both the
individual-level (i.e. accompanying partners) and family-level (i.e. between couples
or between parents and children). Family-level strategies closely reflected F. Walsh’s
(2006) family resilience framework and included beliefs like positive thinking and
putting the family first, and behaviours such as seeking social, professional,
occupational and economic supports. Both accompanying partners and key
informants identified desired organisational family supports at each stage of the
deployment cycle. Recommendations included greater pre-deployment
communication with families (especially accompanying partners), improved
responsiveness and social networking while abroad, and partner debriefing at
assignment completion.

This PhD study is among the first of its kind, focusing on resilience within expatriate
families and seeking specifically to give voice to accompanying spouses and partners
of humanitarian workers. As an understudied topic, the research offers new insights
in regards to expatriate family resilience and the mechanisms families use to thrive.
More specifically, the research highlights the resilience processes in expatriate
humanitarian families. Whilst not exclusive to expatriate humanitarian families
alone, the research findings found this population to be particularly vulnerable to
unfavorable impacts associated with frequent employee travel, short employment
contracts, vicarious trauma and ethical and moral dilemmas. This study also
confirmed that the expectations of the humanitarian worker, the accompanying
partner and the hiring organisation each significantly influence the success or
outcome of an international assignment. Research findings contributed to the
development of a new and expanded model of expatriate humanitarian family
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adjustment and proposed practical recommendations for expatriate families seeking
to pursue resilience and thriving, despite the many risks encountered in the
humanitarian sector. This model and separate recommendations for humanitarian
organisations were also offered, thereby providing important guidance for agencies
desiring to better support expatriate staff and accompanying dependants.
Underpinning these recommendations is the assertion that greater acknowledgement
and support of accompanying families will ultimately improve employee
performance and retention and contribute to better outcomes for the communities the
humanitarian worker serves. It is also hoped that the model will help enhance partner
and spouse relationships amongst humanitarian workers.
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Table of Contents

Declaration ............................................................................................................... i
Acknowledgements ................................................................................................... ii
Abstract ................................................................................................................... iii
Table of Contents .................................................................................................... vi
List of Figures ......................................................................................................... xi
List of Tables .......................................................................................................... xii
List of Appendices ................................................................................................. xiii
List of Abbreviations ............................................................................................. xiv
List of Key Terms .................................................................................................. xvi
List of Presentations and Publications .................................................................. xx
Chapter One: Introduction and Overview ........................................... 1
1.0 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 1
1.1 Researcher’s Motivation and Interest .............................................................. 1
1.2 Background and Rationale for the Study ......................................................... 2

1.2.1 Humanitarian Action and INGOs .................................................................................... 3

1.2.2 Expatriate INGO Workers ............................................................................................... 5

1.2.3 Individual Stress and Humanitarian Work ....................................................................... 5

1.2.4 Stress and Humanitarian Organisations ........................................................................... 8

1.2.5 Managing Stress ............................................................................................................... 9

1.2.6 The Families of Humanitarian Workers ......................................................................... 10
1.3 Aims and Objectives ....................................................................................... 11
1.4 Methods .......................................................................................................... 12
1.5 Overview of Key Findings .............................................................................. 13

1.5.1 Lack of Knowledge ........................................................................................................ 13

1.5.2 The Impact of Humanitarian Work upon Families ........................................................ 13

1.5.3 Expatriate Family Resilience ......................................................................................... 14

1.5.4 Organisational Family Supports ..................................................................................... 14
1.6 Significance .................................................................................................... 15
1.7 Thesis Overview ............................................................................................. 16
Chapter Two: Expatriate Families and Family Resilience ............... 18
2.0 Introduction .................................................................................................... 18
2.1 Part One: Expatriate Families ....................................................................... 18
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2.1.1 Expatriate Family Roles and Norms .............................................................................. 19

2.1.2 Expatriate Families in the For-Profit Sector .................................................................. 24

2.1.3 Missionary Families ....................................................................................................... 30
2.2 Part Two: Theoretical Constructs Related to Expatriate Adjustment ............ 33

2.2.1 Theoretical Models Related to Expatriate Family Adjustment ...................................... 38
2.3 Part Three: Family Resilience ....................................................................... 40

2.3.1 Resilience ....................................................................................................................... 41

2.3.2 Family Resilience: An Emerging Construct................................................................... 43
2.4 Part Four: Theoretical Constructs relating to Family Resilience ................. 45

2.4.1 Theoretical Models Related to Family Resilience ......................................................... 46

2.4.2 Reflections on Resilience and Family Resilience .......................................................... 50
2.5 Family Resilience within Expatriate Families and the Humanitarian
Sector .............................................................................................................. 53
2.6 Chapter Summary ........................................................................................... 55
Chapter Three: Methodology .............................................................. 56
3.0 Introduction .................................................................................................... 56
3.1 Aims and Objectives ....................................................................................... 56
3.2 Research Design ............................................................................................. 57

3.2.1 Rationale for use of Qualitative Research ...................................................................... 57

3.2.2 Grounded Theory ........................................................................................................... 58

3.2.3 Reflexivity and Reducing Researcher Bias .................................................................... 63
3.3 Research Methods .......................................................................................... 65
3.4 Scoping Study Methodology ........................................................................... 67
3.5 Intensive In-depth Interviews with Accompanying Partners .......................... 68

3.5.1 Accompanying Partner Recruitment .............................................................................. 68

3.5.2 Accompanying Partner Data Collection Tools............................................................... 72
3.6 Key Informant Interviews ............................................................................... 73

3.6.1 Key Informant Recruitment ........................................................................................... 73

3.6.2 Key Informant Data Collection Tools ............................................................................ 74
3.7 Data Analysis ................................................................................................. 75
3.8 Research Rigour / Trustworthiness ................................................................ 78

3.8.1 Reference Group ............................................................................................................ 81
3.9 Ethical Considerations ................................................................................... 83

3.9.1 Informed Consent........................................................................................................... 83

3.9.2 Confidentiality ............................................................................................................... 83
3.10 Chapter Summary ........................................................................................... 83
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Chapter Four: Scoping Review ............................................................ 84
4.0 Introduction .................................................................................................... 84
4.1 Method ............................................................................................................ 84

4.1.1 Development of a Research Question ............................................................................ 84

4.1.2 Stakeholder Consultation ............................................................................................... 85

4.1.3 Search Strategy .............................................................................................................. 85

4.1.4 Study Selection .............................................................................................................. 89

4.1.5 Charting the Data ........................................................................................................... 89

4.1.6 Summation, Collation and Synthesis ............................................................................. 90
4.2 Results: Families and International Humanitarian Work .............................. 90

4.2.1 Search Strategy, Study Selection and Data Extraction................................................... 90

4.2.2 The Scope of the Literature ............................................................................................ 92
4.3 Results: Resilience and Expatriate Families .................................................. 96

4.3.1 Search Strategy, Study Selection and Data Extraction................................................... 96

4.3.2 The Scope of the Literature ............................................................................................ 96
4.4 Discussion ...................................................................................................... 99

4.4.1 Challenges and Limitations ............................................................................................ 99

4.4.2 Key Findings ................................................................................................................ 102
4.5 Blogs and Social Networking Sites: What do They Reveal? ........................ 107
4.6 Chapter Summary ......................................................................................... 110
Chapter Five: Partner Interviews – The Challenges and Rewards
of Expatriate Family Life ................................................................... 111
5.0 Introduction .................................................................................................. 111
5.1 The Participants and Their International Experience ................................. 111

5.1.1 Demographic Profile of Participants ............................................................................ 111

5.1.2 The International Experience of Participants ............................................................... 113
5.2 Challenges and Crises: Expatriate Families within Humanitarian
INGOs ........................................................................................................... 116

5.2.1 Relationship Concerns ................................................................................................. 116

5.2.2 Personal and Professional Concerns of the Accompanying Partner ............................ 120

5.2.3 Transition and Relocation Concerns ............................................................................ 123

5.2.4 Parenting Concerns ...................................................................................................... 125

5.2.5 Adverse Impacts of Humanitarian Work Upon the Family ......................................... 126

5.2.6 Health Concerns ........................................................................................................... 129

5.2.7 Safety and Security Concerns ...................................................................................... 131

5.2.8 Environmental, Contextual and Cultural Concerns ...................................................... 134

5.2.9 Specific Crises or Challenging Experiences ................................................................ 136
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5.2.10 Unique Challenges or Features of Expatriate Humanitarian INGO Families .............. 137
5.3 Benefits: Expatriate Families within Humanitarian INGOs ........................ 138

5.3.1 Exposure to Travel and Alternate Ways of Living ...................................................... 138

5.3.2 Lifestyle Benefits ......................................................................................................... 139

5.3.3 Family Time ................................................................................................................. 140

5.3.4 Social Networks ........................................................................................................... 141

5.3.5 Meaningful Work and Volunteer Opportunities .......................................................... 142
5.4 Growth by Participants and their Families .................................................. 142

5.4.1 Antecedents for Growth: Adversity, Cross-cultural Engagement and Experience ...... 143

5.4.2 Stories of Growth: Individuals and Families................................................................ 143
5.5 Chapter Summary ......................................................................................... 145
Chapter Six: Partner Interviews – Coping Skills, Advice and
Agency Supports.................................................................................. 146
6.0 Introduction .................................................................................................. 146
6.1 Coping Strategies Employed by Participants and their Families ................ 146

6.1.1 Accompanying Partners’ Individual Coping Strategies ............................................... 147

6.1.2 Family Coping Strategies ............................................................................................. 152

6.1.3 Coping Strategies: Pulling it All Together ................................................................... 162
6.2 Advice for Others ......................................................................................... 165

6.2.1 Advice for Others: Pulling it All Together................................................................... 168
6.3 Humanitarian INGOs and Families ............................................................. 168

6.3.1 Effective Family Support Strategies ............................................................................ 169

6.3.2 Why Family Issues Matter ........................................................................................... 177
6.4 Chapter Summary ......................................................................................... 179
Chapter Seven: Key Informant Interviews – Expatriate Families
and Family Supports ........................................................................... 180
7.0 Introduction .................................................................................................. 180
7.1 The Key Informant Sample ........................................................................... 180

7.1.1 Demographic Profile of Key Informants ...................................................................... 180

7.1.2 The Expatriate Experience of Key Informants ............................................................. 182
7.2 Perceptions of Expatriate Families in the Humanitarian INGO Sector ...... 182

7.2.1. Needs of Accompanying Expatriate Families .............................................................. 182

7.2.2. Risks and Benefits for Accompanying Expatriate Families ......................................... 184

7.2.3 Advice for Accompanying Partners and Recommended Family Strengths ................. 185
7.3. INGOs and Family Support .......................................................................... 187

7.3.1 Why Family Support Matters ....................................................................................... 187
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