IndexSUMMARYINTRODUCTIONLITERATURE REVIEWINTERVIEW RESULTS AND ANALYSISCONCLUSIONSUMMARYThis essay focuses on the challenges and benefits of working for an international company and the need for emotional intelligence and personality traits to be adapt to intercultural experiences. The challenges for expatriates in cross-cultural adaptations (CCA) are personal, work and non-work needs. Effective expatriate management (EM) is essential for effective diversity management in international companies. Cultural diversity in multinational companies can lead to an increase in corporate profits, corporate image and customer satisfaction. Hofstede's cultural dimensions and institutional theory are important frameworks for understanding intercultural experiences. Possessing cultural intelligence is essential for better adaptation to cultural differences. Failure to adapt effectively in the new organization or country can lead to divorce (McNulty, 2015) and negative job performance (Kraimer, Wayne & Jaworski, 2001). Therefore, successful expatriates or employees are usually associated with better adaptation to both work and non-work environments (Zhang, 2013). An individual will be interviewed through a casual conversation on Whatsapp in order to analyze his experiences working for an international company along with supporting arguments from reputable magazines and articles. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayINTRODUCTIONHuman resources are known to represent an invaluable competitive advantage for businesses. As a result, international companies are increasingly looking for well-equipped human resources with mobile capabilities to ensure cross-border operations are carried out successfully (Aracı, 2015). However, employees of international organizations, especially expatriates, face various challenges, especially in terms of cross-cultural adaptations (CCA) to the host environment or country (Aracı, 2015; Koveshnikov, Wechtler, & Dejoux, 2014; Richardson, Tan & Kiumarsi, 2018 ). Based on the Job Demands-Resources (JDR) of Bakker & Demerouti (2007) and Demerouti, Bakker, Nachreiner, and Schaufeli (2001), challenges can be identified as personal demands, work demands, and non-work demands (Shaffer, Kraimer, Chen & Bolino, 2012). Personal demands are mostly related to stress from the foreign organization or culture, coping strategies, and identity transformation. Work demands, on the other hand, include career adjustment processes as well as structural and perceptual barriers, while nonwork demands focus on family issues (Shaffer et al. 2012). The growing trend of expatriates employed in international companies has called for effective Expatriate Management (EM) measures in human resource management (HRM) (Aracı, 2015). An effective EM system would result in effective diversity management within international corporations where multicultural teams have proven useful in understanding market dynamics and promoting innovation (Ehrenmann & Tekic, 2011). Based on the research of Köppel, Yan, and Lüdicke (2007), cultural diversity could lead to increased corporate profits, corporate image, and customer satisfaction (Velten & Lashley, 2018). Therefore, the objective of this assignment is to analyze the benefits and challenges of working for an international company based critically on the interview findings and further supported by empirical evidencefrom academic journals to strengthen the analysis. The assignment is structured with a literature review along with interview results, analysis and conclusions. LITERATURE REVIEW Corporate culture focuses culture primarily on the economic level and organizational culture (Kwantes & Sharon, 2017). Corporate personality can be seen through its organizational culture as it defines regulations and serves as unique characteristics that differentiate an organization (Taslim, 2011). Organizational culture is shaped by both “formal organizations” (specific tasks performed in the workplace) and “informal organizations” (networks of relationships) (Meyer & Rowan, 1977, as cited in Kwantes & Sharon, 2017). Hofstede's cultural dimension is one of the renowned cultural theoretical frameworks in which he researched comparative cross-cultural management studies (Minkov & Hofstede, 2012). Hofstede's framework has six dimensions which are (1) power distance; (2) indulgence and restrictions; (3) avoid uncertainty; (4) temporal orientation; (5) masculinity and femininity; and (6) individualism and collectivism (Hofstede, Hofstede & Minkov, 2010). The framework helps evaluate the range of cultural differences between each country across several dimensions. Institutional theory has a strong connection with an organizational culture that represents more than tasks, but also attributes, roles and common understanding and results in decision-making consensus. -making (Suddaby, Elsbach, Greenwood, Meyer & Zilber, 2010). An individual can be a voluntary or involuntary member of the organizational culture, and the basis of membership has a real impact on his or her adaptation and acceptance of the culture (Kwantes & Sharon, 2017). Leadership is also an integral part of shaping organizational culture (Kwantes & Sharon, 2017). Culture develops from (1) the beliefs and values ​​of the organization's founder; (2) the member's acquisition of knowledge as the organization develops; and (3) new members and the new leader's beliefs and values ​​(Schein, 2004). In addition to this, organizational culture also indirectly reflects the personality traits of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) (Giberson et al., 2009). Possessing cultural intelligence (CQ) or intercultural competence (3C) has been implied as imperative traits required for individuals to be successful in their international assignments. They can be defined as the abilities to act appropriately in intercultural situations (Thomas, 2006, cited in Kwantes & Sharon, 2017). Thomas (2006) stated that there are three factors needed to operationalize CQ, which consisted of knowledge, awareness, and behaviors. Although some elements of CQ or 3C can be learned in the classroom, they can only be successfully developed through cross-cultural experiences that include interactions, awareness, interest, and growth through experiences. Additionally, the desire to have cross-cultural experiences also leads to openness to learning and trying new foods and cultural activities. In short, an individual is more likely to become highly culturally intelligent as he or she has more cross-cultural experiences and has greater awareness of those experiences (Kwantes & Sharon, 2017). INTERVIEW RESULTS AND ANALYSIS Based on an interview with Mohd Alwi, a Malaysian expatriate in Germany, working at Beck GmbH Druckkontrolltechnik in Steinenbronn as a mechanical engineer (R&D) from 2009 to 2014, he identified several advantages and challenges in working for a international company. One of the benefits is that he has managed to improve and become a better version of himself over the years. Besides that, work experience helps develop his tolerance level. This is proven that expats do.