Of the four types of adaptation formed in the qualitative phase three could be included in the converted data analysis. The type not adapted could not be included in the analysis as such due the small size of the group. The respondents in this type were nevertheless also coded to dichotomies in the converted variables of dimensions, and the other converted data concerning this type were also available. The results were mentioned as well as compared to other types. I will begin the inference with the ideally adapted.
10.2.1 IDEALLY ADAPTED IN INFERENCE
In qualitative analysis those who were ideally adapted were described as follows: “Overall competence and fluency in new situations as well as success in social relationships and communication competence were ubiquitous in this group.” The motivation toward change was also positive in this group. The statistical analysis strengthened the picture of good adaptation in several ways. Almost all the ideally adapted belonged to extensive broadmindedness, inclusive flexibility, and the majority were also natural extroverts. Two-thirds
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of those who spoke of adventurousness were ideally adapted. Some mentioned self-efficacy, but the majority did not bring the subject up. Almost all the ideally adapted had a multicultural friendship network and over half were fluent either in French or Flemish. A remarkable feature here is that ideally adapted individuals had lived on average significantly longer abroad (M = 10.0 years) than the respondents in other groups. There are two possible explanations: either the years spent abroad eventually led to ideal adaptation, or those who adapt easier may choose to stay longer abroad. Regarding values and empathy, ideally adapted respondents scored significantly higher on self-direction and significantly lower on personal distress than positively or ambiguously adapting, which favours the latter explanation, as values and personal distress in particular are relatively stable.
10.2.2 POSITIVELY ADAPTING IN INFERENCE
The characteristics of this type in the qualitative phase provided the picture of an ongoing process of adaptation. Life and coping was described in a positive light, but with some factors missing that could be found in the ideally adapted.
Most often this factor was either inadequate language ability and due to that limited possibilities to broaden friendship networks, or a still ongoing effort to learn to cope in a foreign environment, and to understand how to act in various situations. For some the considerable workload also restricted social relationships and through this slowed the adaptation process. But as the name of this type describes, the positive motivation to change was present in each interviewee’s descriptions. The analyses in the conversion mixed data analysis gave further details on factors that distinguished the positively adapting group from the ideally adapted. In the four dimensions, broadmindedness, flexibility, extroversion and adventurousness, the differences compared to the ideally adapted were evident: The majority of those positively adapting were in the growing broadmindedness. Two-thirds of the positively adapting type described inclusive flexibility while one-third were in the evolving flexibility.
Concerning the extrovert dimension the majority of the positively adapting were striving extroverts. Some positively adapting respondents did mention adventurousness, but fewer than the ideally adapted group. There is one issue worth mentioning here about self-efficacy: almost half (10/21) of those who spoke of increased self-efficacy were in the positively adapting group. This supports picture of those positively adapting having confidence in their own abilities to manage and learn to cope. To give further support to the idea of an ongoing process the average time the positively adapting had spent abroad (M
= 4.5 years) was significantly less than with the ideally adapted. Regarding friendship networks, a slight majority (56%) had multicultural friendship networks, while the rest mainly had Finnish friends.
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10.2.3 AMBIGUOUSLY ADAPTING IN INFERENCE
The ambiguously adapting type was described in the qualitative phase as on average having many competencies needed for adaptation, but with one distinct feature compared to the positively adapting (and the ideally adapted).
This factor was an ambiguous attitude towards the motivation to change. As already mentioned in the qualitative analysis, this factor could be connected to the broadmindedness and flexibility dimensions. Conversion data analysis confirmed this. All the ambiguously adapting respondents except for one were represented in growing broadmindedness. As the flexibility was divided into inclusive flexibility and evolving flexibility, all respondents in the ambiguously adapting group were represented in evolving flexibility. In addition, none in the ambiguously adapting group mentioned adventurousness, and the majority were striving extroverts. They differed only a little from the positively adapting in the friendship networking, having slightly more often Finnish friends than multicultural friendship networks; the difference in friendship networks was only remarkable when compared to the ideally adapted. The average years spent abroad with the ambiguously adapting was in fact slightly more than with the positively adapting, the mean being 5.4 years. All but one of the ambiguously adapting respondents were women.
10.2.4 NOT ADAPTED IN INFERENCE
In the qualitative phase it was mentioned that these individuals felt themselves failure in adapting. The general descriptions were about failure in attempts to learn the language, understand different ways of life, and build satisfying friendship networks. The motivation to change was also missing in this group. As this group was significantly smaller than the other types, it was omitted from the statistical analyses. Comparisons were deduced though from the results. Compared to other types, the not adapted group rarely mentioned broadmindedness, but it was nevertheless present in some sentences. Having difficulties in a foreign environment had made some of these individuals understand the difficulties other foreigners might have. Flexibility was also present, but it was clearly evolving and uncertain, and more like an attempt to understand what had gone wrong in various situations. This was also present in other types, especially with the ambiguously adapting, but with more success in understanding. None of the not adapted described any features of natural extroversion, but some had evidently tried to be extrovert and had tried to make contacts. Language ability, or rather the lack of it, had nevertheless limited the success. Two said they had been unable to make any friends, and one had some Finnish friends. An interesting finding with the not adapted was that two out of three felt their self-efficacy had grown remarkably. So despite their general feelings of failure they had managed to
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cope somehow in daily life or work, which gave them feelings of success in some aspects.
Regarding the time of living abroad, the not adapted had lived abroad only on average two years, considerably less than the average in other types. All the persons in this type were women.