Towards understanding how expatriates use the Internet in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Expatriate research has indicated that expatriates often experience a number of difficulties, which can impact on their successful assimilation in host countries. This failure to adjust can impact on an individual level, for example upheaval of family life, and on organizational level, for example loss of investment in expatriate development upon premature return to host country. Considering this issue, a study was undertaken in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to develop a substantive grounded theory aimed at understanding how expatriates use the Internet in KSA. The expatriates in this study resided in Riyadh, the capital of KSA, both on and off compounds. This paper will report on the context in which the study was conducted followed by the methodological and theoretical aspects considered. It will conclude with a brief discussion on the proposed theory which can be conceptualized as: Negotiating adjustment in KSA - the Internet as a lifeline to the “real” world. As this research is still in progress the paper concludes with a description of the way forward for on the research project.