AbstractThis study assesses the need for local support services for the families of expatriate employees working in foreign countries. One major finding is that the spouses of expatriate employees have significantly different attitudes toward the need for local services than do company management. Second, our results indicate that the country of origin has a significant effect on the spouses' assessment of the need for local support and assistance. As a result of these findings, we conclude that the existence of local support services may have a significant impact on the location decisions, success, and retention of international firms. © 1995 John Wiley&Sons, Inc