---

When an organization sends its employees on an international assignment, these expatriates and their accompanying families are faced with a different cultural environment. An expatriate community is an important support system for expatriates; it establishes a wide institutional network which caters primarily or exclusively to the needs of its members. In this book, institutions are classified into five categories: medical, administrative, educational, social and cultural/religious institutions. The following insights can be gained: Do the existing institutions cover all the basic expatriate needs? Should some institutions be reinforced? Are there any institutions that are less relevant or even needless? Is there any additional demand for other institutions? This book might be of interest for expatriates and their families as they are getting to know the institutional network of different expatriate communities and how these institutions are able to satisfy their needs. International companies are learning how to use expatriate communities to increase the success of their employees abroad.

---

Sophie Guschlbauer, born 1983 in Vienna/Austria, studied International Business at the WU Vienna. During her studies she specialized in International HRM. Besides a number of travels all around the world, she spent her exchange semester in Perth/Australia. Currently she is working as a general manager for Wombat`s City Hostels Vienna.

---