Navigating cultural in-betweenness: A qualitative study of identity reconstruction among transnational returnees in Southeast Asia

Abstract

Transnational mobility has become an increasingly defining feature of contemporary higher education and professional life, yet the identity experiences of individuals who traverse multiple national and cultural contexts remain insufficiently understood, particularly within the Southeast Asian region. This study examines how transnational educational mobility shapes identity formation among individuals who have crossed national borders for education and subsequently returned to their country of origin or professional base. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with four participants: two Indonesian nationals who completed their education in Indonesia before relocating to work in Singapore, and two Indonesian academics who pursued postgraduate education abroad before returning to teaching positions in Indonesia. Drawing on the Transnational-Transcultural Self-Formation and Belonging (TTSB) framework, thematic analysis identified four primary themes: (1) identity negotiation between dual cultural affiliations, (2) linguistic challenges and their relationship to belonging, (3) professional identity transformation following return, and (4) adaptive strategies for cultural identity reconstruction. Findings suggest that returnees consistently inhabit an "in-between" identity space, neither fully identifying with their country of origin nor their country of study, and that this liminality simultaneously poses challenges and confers professional advantages. The study contributes to cross-cultural management literature by foregrounding underrepresented Southeast Asian returnee perspectives and offers practical implications for educational institutions and organisations managing internationally mobile talent. These findings underscore the urgency of designing culturally responsive support systems that recognise plural identity repertoires as legitimate professional competencies.

Keywords: transnational identity; returnee experience; cross-cultural management; sense of belonging; Southeast Asia