The Process
The Expats & Spouses Monitor carries out survey-based research on expatriates and expatriates’ partners in Germany.
In order to guarantee the quality and the relevance of the information collected by the survey, we went through the series of methodological steps described in this section. The survey was launched in January 2021 and closed at early March 2021. The report Expats & Spouses In Focus with key research findings was published in September 2021.
Interview Phase

Goal
To explore opinions, viewpoints and feelings of our respondents. We sought for a close understanding of the different dimensions in the life of expats and their partners.
How
Creating a conversational atmosphere around the subject, allowing participants to freely disclose their opinions and experiences in Germany without time or topic constraint.
Outcome
Identifying key dimensions of expatriates’ and their partners’ life in Germany.

Goal
● To search for comprehensive details about the major dimensions identified throughout the exploratory interviews.
● To ensure that every relevant dimension in expats’ and partners’ life is properly portrayed by including also the perspective of HR managers.
How
Through structured interviews that allowed us to get in-depth information about the key dimensions identified in the previous phase.
Outcome
Essential input to create the questionnaire.
Developmental Loop
Goal
- To ensure the quality of the questionnaire.
- To test the online questionnaire implementation.
How
Creating an initial questionnaire and improving it by searching for feedback about:
Clarity: Is the meaning of the questions easy to understand?
Sensitivity: Do people feel comfortable answering the questions?
Logic: Are the questions applicable to the situation of each individual?
Content: Do the questions recall expats’ and partners’ experiences?
Completeness: Are all the key topics included in the questionnaire?
Outcome
After 5 iterations of the Developmental Loop, the final version of the Expats & Spouses Monitor questionnaire.

Final Questionnaire
The questionnaire collects comprehensive information about the following areas
Work and Occupational Situation
Personal and Family Life
Career and Career Development
Opinion about Germany and their city
Social Life and Integration
Demographics
Its design allows to perform different analyses
It also includes two validated scales extensively used in social-sciences research