Communication Strategies and Intercultural Adjustments of Indonesian SIE in Germany

Abstract

As a result of globalization, the chances for self-initiated expatriates (SIE) to work abroad have broadened. Germany is one of the countries that has opened its borders to expatriates due to the workforce crisis in that developed nation. Despite Germany’s reputation as full of ‘unfriendly people’, Indonesian self-initiated expatriates still decide to work there. This phenomenon attracts the researcher to conduct research within the focus areas of self-initiated expatriates' intercultural adjustment and communication strategies. The goal of this study is to understand how Indonesian self-initiated expatriates adjust themselves to German culture and the communication strategies they use to solve intercultural communication problems during their adjustment period. For the data collection, this study employs semi-structured interviews. The participants of this study are three Indonesian female professionals who work at educational institutions in Germany and three Indonesian male professionals who work in the engineering industries in Germany. The results of the interview sessions showed that the most difficult work adjustment challenges faced by Indonesian self-initiated expatriates are related to language barriers and cultural differences.  To navigate the world of work in developed Germany, the communication strategies frequently utilized by these Indonesian self-initiated expatriates are non-verbal language, achieving clarity, and information-seeking.