Abstract

The paper argues the importance of addressing homesickness as an illness. It uses psychological and sociological literature to highlight the negative effects of homesickness on migrant workers and possibly on expatriates. These effects range from psychological disruptions to physical manifestations which affect the health and welfare of the individuals, and could ultimately impact on their performance in the expatriate assignment. The paper concludes that given the significant amount of evidence found to substantiate the argument that homesickness is an illness and detrimental to psychological and social well-being of displaced people, it is crucial that further research is undertaken in this area as affecting expatriates because the size of the investment in expatriate assignment commands that the risks of failure are minimised.