Using the model of reconciliation, how can Marcus and Heidi resolve the dilemma in order to enable them to work together efficiently and effectively? Expatriate’s first job in Switzerland Marcus, an American whose parents had been born in India, arrived in Zurich with his Swiss wife. They were both excited about starting a new chapter in their life together. After spending four years in San Diego, they were keen for a change, although Marcus had mixed feelings about job prospects for himself in Switzerland.

Four months into their new environment they were elated when Marcus found a challenging new position at Kraft Jacobs Suchard, managing its international assignments programme.

Though this was now a US company (Jacobs Suchard having been acquired three years before) and quite a few expatriates of varying backgrounds worked in the Zurich regional head office where Marcus was posted, there were nevertheless some strong Swiss work attitudes that pervaded the work environment, much to the confusion and chagrin of Marcus.

One area of confusion and some conflict had to do with teamwork and the boundaries of job descriptions.

A newcomer to a function or a department, as Marcus was, will have a rather steep learning curve for the first few months on the job. From this perspective, Marcus presumed that his new Swiss colleague Heidi would help with the vast amount of learning that he faced, particularly as there was no formal training for this posting. This was a natural assumption given that this is what he had experienced in various jobs in the US.

However, this was not to be the case in Zurich. Although Heidi did lend some assistance to Marcus (by telling him, for instance, when she normally had lunch), she made it plain that she considered giving any sort of training to Marcus to be beyond her job description. And she stuck to this position adamantly. This left Marcus in a quandary. How could he gain the knowledge he needed to be effective in this new job?

Another point of contention was overtime. Since the Zurich regional head office was in frequent contact with the head office in New York, Zurich staff had to stay later because of the time difference (Zurich is seven hours ahead of New York). During Marcus’ interviews for the position, it was made clear that overtime would be required because of this time difference. Marcus did not feel this was unusual for someone in a salaried position, particularly since he had had similar experience dealing with different time zones when working in the US. Heidi, however, did not feel the same way. Her work responsibilities, she felt, ended at 5pm, prompt. Naturally, this left Marcus having to deal most evenings with the less uptight (relatively speaking of course) New Yorkers.

But was this fair? And how could Marcus achieve a more equitable work balance while at the same time build a working relationship with Heidi, whose knowledge he needed to become proficient in his job?