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How to Avoid Cultural Shock?Olya Bezvushko

Cultural shock is a kind of complex emotional stress that occurs when people move from one culture to another. It

happens when we understand that some basic presumptions we make about life and the way we live no longer seem

appropriate in a new environment. The necessity to deal with different language, new unspoken rules and unusual

physical surrounding can motivate some degree of culture shock and the bouts of depression that usually accompan

it. So youd better develop a strategy how to deal with it before you face it moving international.

Start with simple recognizing the problem. You may be surrounded by people who speak different language, you

might have a hard time understanding the local sense of humor and the way people take in information in that area,

but you do not need to consider cultural shock as a bad thing. Recognizing that you are experiencing it can help you

deal with it. Some scientists and psychologists believe that without going through cultural shock at some point, it is

impossible to adapt completely to the new situation.

Firstly, it can be useful to talk to another person who has had a similar experience. Find expatriates from your coun

and share your difficulties. Communicate with others who have traveled. Very often the knowing that others have

survived culture shock can calm you down.

Secondly, spend some time alone. Discover the place you live, take a walk in the city, find some interesting shop or

caf. You will find out that it is possible to live in this new place with all necessary conveniences. The shock fades

once you begin to learn more about a new culture and its people.

Take things slowly. Venture out to meet people and explore everything slowly. Read about the history and tradition

of your new locations, go sightseeing, taste new dishes and find a new favorite among them.

Moreover, try to remember time before you came to the US, the reasons why you wanted to do participate in the

program.

Open yourself to people from other countries, they face the same inconveniences that you do, therefore they will

understand your new feelings. You should give preference to people who actually love the city or town you are in.

Avoid the company of people who complain about the country a lot. Their friendship is very toxic and will prevent

you from settling down well.1

UNDERSTANDING CULTURE SHOCKThanks to the YFU exchange program for sharing this

As the world grows smaller, as ever-increasing numbers of people travel, work or study abroad, more attention is befocused on a kind of silent sickness that often afflicts the inexperienced traveler or the unwary expatriate. It's the losof emotional equilibrium that a person suffers when he moves from a familiar environment where he has learned to

function easily and successfully to one where he has not. The term used to describe this malady is "culture shock."

The effects of culture shock may range from mild uneasiness or temporary homesickness to acute unhappinesseven, in extreme cases; psychological panic, irritability, hypersensitivity and loss of perspective are commonsymptoms. Often the victim doesn't know what's the matter with him. He just knows that something's wrong - and hefeels miserable.

Not long ago a New York corporation sent a young employee to a Latin American country on a two-yearassignment. Six weeks after his arrival he wrote an emotional letter asking permission to come home. The natives, hsaid, were anti-American. Their food was odd. Their restaurants were unsanitary. Their business methods wereinefficient. No one was ever on time. He added-that he had acquired a rash that he feared might mark the onset of so

1 http://survival.abroadplanet.com/articles/20351

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dire disease. His superior in New York, who remembered his own experience under similar circumstances years befosent him a laconic cable: "Stick it out and be promoted or come home and be fired." The young man stayed.

In a typical year over eight million Americans leave the borders of their own country and immerse themselves,temporarily at least, in alien cultures. Not all, to be sure, suffer significant emotional disorientation. But a great manydo, especially those who have never before been away from home. Nor are Americans the only victims. Anyone isvulnerable who finds himself, as the Bible puts it, a stranger in a strange land."

Symptoms are the same regardless of nationality. Not long ago in a mid-western college town an American familyasked a Sudanese student to dinner. During the meal one of the children of the household kept dawdling over his fooHis father urged him to clean his plate, adding the well-meant but not-very-well-chosen remark that no doubt in the f

off Sudan many children would be glad to have such a meal. Infuriated by what he considered an insult to his counthe guest flung down his napkin and stormed out of the house, leaving everyone bewildered and upset.

In Atlanta last year a native of Calcutta, an engineering student at Georgia Tech, came to his faculty advisor indespair. His wife, he said, had become so alarmed from reading reports of crime in the streets that she would notventure out of their apartment. She sat there all day weeping and wishing herself back in India. Various people triedbut no one could console the young woman. The transition to another culture (crime in the streets was only the tip othe iceberg) was too much for her. In the end, her husband gave up and took her home.

Most experts in intercultural communication agree that the basic cause of culture shock is the abrupt loss of thefamiliar, which in turn causes a sense of isolation and diminished self-importance. "Culture shock," saysanthropologist Kalvero Oberg, "is brought on by the anxiety that results from losing all our familiar signs and symboof social intercourse.

These signs or cues include the thousand and one ways in which we orient ourselves to the situations of daily lifwhen to shake hands and what to say when we meet people; when and how to give tips; how to give orders toservants; how to make purchases; wh4n to accept and when to refuse invitations; when to take statements seriouslyand when not."

According to Dr. Oberg, these cues, which may be words, gestures, facial expressions or customs, are acquired all of us in the course of growing up and are as much a part of our culture as the language we speak or the beliefs waccept. All of us depend for our peace of mind on hundreds of these cues, even though we may not be consciouslyaware of them. "When an individual enters a strange culture," Dr. Oberg says, "all or most of these familiar cues areremoved. He or she is like a fish out of water. No matter how broad-minded or full of good will he may be, a series ofprops has been knocked out from under him."

Sometimes the transition to an alien culture has an immediate impact. A short term American visitor to certainEastern European countries may find himself dismayed or depressed by living conditions that seem perfectly normaand acceptable to the people of that country - toilets with no seats, for example, or even more primitive bathroomfacilities. It may come as a real shock to a teen-ager from Texas to find that hamburgers are non-existent, or that lochairdressers never heard of plastic curlers.

More insidious is what might be termed delayed culture shock. Often when a person takes up residence in aforeign country there's a period of excitement and exhilaration when everything seems new and challenging andfascinating. If one has friends or business connections one may be asked to dinner, taken sight-seeing, made much- at first. Also, in the beginning similarities between cultures are more apparent than differences. Almost everywherepeople live in houses, go to work, relax on weekends, do the shopping, eat three meals a day and so on. All this seemreassuring.

It's not until this honeymoon period ends that the newcomer begins to realize that there are endless subtledifferences that leave him facing a host of perplexing problems. Many of these problems never bothered him at hombecause they solved themselves almost automatically. Now, to his increasing dismay, he finds that he has languagetroubles, housing troubles, money troubles, transportation troubles, food troubles, recreation troubles, perhaps evehealth troubles. All of these things drain away his reservoir of good-humor and equanimity. Having his laundry donemay become a major struggle. Making a telephone call may be a small crisis. It may seem to him that people say yeswhen they mean no and promise to do things which they never do. Time may be regarded quite differently by thepeople among whom he finds himself. So may space; in some countries people like to stand very close together whethey converse, in others this violates a deep-rooted sense of privacy.

Underlying all these difficulties is the uncomfortable feeling of not really belonging, of being an outsider. Inchanging cultures, the newcomer has inevitably changed his own status. At home he was "somebody," or at least hiplace in society was established and recognized; here he is a relative "nobody." As a foreigner, he is a member of aminority whose voice counts for little or nothing. He may find that his homeland, so important to him, is regarded wit

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suspicion or dismissed as unimportant. In short, as one observer put it, he finds himself in "circumstances ofbeleaguered self-esteem."

A mature, confident person may be able to shrug off these circumstances. But if the newc6mer is insecure orsensitive or shy, they may seem overwhelming. Furthermore, as troubles pile up and he begins to look around for hehe may conclude that the natives of the country in which he finds himself are either incapable of understanding hisplight or are indifferent to it. This in turn triggers the emotion that is one of the surest signs of culture shock: hostilitto the new environment. The victim says to himself, "These people don't seem to know or care what I'm going througTherefore they must be selfish, insensitive people. Therefore I don't like them."

Inevitably this reaction tends to increase the isolation of the unhappy visitor because people sense his antagonis

and begin to avoid him. When this happens, he may seek out other disgruntled souls, usually expatriates like himseland find melancholy relief in criticizing all aspects of the host country. These discussions almost never lead to anyhonest evaluation of the situation or awareness that the difficulty may lie in the attitude of the critics themselves, Thare simply gripe-sessions in which the virtues of the home country are exaggerated almost as much as the allegedfailing of the country being visited. As Dr. Oberg says, "When Americans or other foreigners get together to grouseabout the host country and its people, you can be sure they are suffering from culture shock."

Sometimes the victims of culture shock may go to the other extreme, surrendering his own identity and trying toimitate all the customs and attitudes of the alien culture. Or he may try to solve the problem by withdrawing intohimself, refusing to learn the native language, making no effort to find friends among the local people, taking nointerest in their history, art, architecture, or any other aspects of their culture. While in this state of mind he maydisplay a variety of unattractive symptoms. One is a tendency to over-react to minor frustrations or delays orinconveniences with irritation or anger out of all proportion to the cause. Another is to be unduly suspicious, to think

that people are out to cheat or swindle him because he is a foreigner. Yet another is over-concern about cleanlinessunwarranted conviction that water, food or dishes are unsanitary when in fact they are not. Often the person is unawof the extent to which he is displaying these symptoms. As anthropologist George M. Foster says, "Culture shock ismental illness, and as is true of much mental illness, the victim usually does not know that he is afflicted."

He does know, however, that he is miserable and that the casual remedies recommended to him - patience, hardwork, mastery of the language and so on - don't seem to do much good. Sometimes he will develop a marked degreeover-dependence on people from his own country who have passed through their own period of culture shock and aresiding successfully and happily in the host country. If they in turn can display wisdom, patience and understandinof his symptoms, they often are able to shorten the span of his misery.

One reason the unhappy expatriate gravitates toward his own countrymen is that in their company he can at leastfeel sure of being understood. Underlying much of his confusion is the fact that even if he speaks the language of th

country there remain endless opportunities for misunderstanding. All experts in communication emphasize the factthat language and voice are by no means our only form of communication; they are supported by hundreds of gestuand facial expressions that are easily misinterpreted.

Professor Larry M. Barna of Portland State University in Oregon tells of an American girl in an interculturalcommunication class who asked an Arab student how he would signify non-verbally that he liked her. His responsewas to smooth back his hair, which to her was a common nervous gesture signifying nothing. She repeated herquestion three times. The Arab smoothed his hair three times. Finally, realizing that she was not getting the messagehe ducked his head and stuck out his tongue slightly, his automatic response to embarrassment. This behavior wasnoticed by the girl and she happily interpreted it as the answer to her question.

Friction may also arise between two persons of different cultures when one or both have little knowledge of theother's background. In his booklet Global Village Conversation, Dr. Reginald Smart, Director of International Studies

State University College in Buffalo, New York tells of such a dialogue between a Kenyan visiting the USA and anAmerican. The American, impressed by the visitor's impeccable accent, asked him, "How is it that your English is sogood?" He meant the question as a compliment, an acknowledgement that the Kenyan's diction was superior to hisown, and he was also expressing a genuine desire to know why this was so. The Kenyan decoded the message asmeaning, "I can't under- stand how someone from such a primitive, backward country could be so well-educated." Hanswered, very shortly, "Did anyone ever ask you that question?" meaning that he had been brought up in an Englisspeaking environment and thought such a question not only insulting but stupid. Dr. Smart adds dryly that perhaps iwas just as well that the questioner didn't know how to decode the reply.

Yet another stumbling block that compounds the problems of culture shock is the tendency of many people to thinof members of other cultures in terms of stereotypes. The excitable Arabs. The amorous French. The touchy ItaliansThe lazy Latins. The volatile Hungarians. The materialistic Americans. Some psychologists think that anxiety-pronepeople cling to stereotypes because it lessens the threat of the unknown by making the world predictable ... and wha

the victim of culture shock needs desperately is a familiar, predictable world. The trouble with such blanket-labeling

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that it blocks any realistic or fair-minded appraisal of the person's surroundings and delays his emergence from hisstate of culture shock.

Almost always, fortunately, symptoms of culture shock subside with the passage of time. The first sign of recovermay well be the reappearance of the victim's sense of humor; he begins to smile or even laugh at some of the thingsthat irritated him so much at first. As familiarity with local language and customs increases, his self-confidence andself-esteem begin to return. He comes out of his shell and makes tentative overtures to the people around him - and soon as he starts being friendly, they stop seeming hostile. Slowly he progresses from a grudging acceptance of hissurroundings to a genuine fondness for them and becomes proud of his growing ability to function in them. in the enhe wonders what he was so unhappy about in the beginning.

Is it possible to shorten the duration of culture shock or minimize its impact? The experts think so. Here are threesuggestions they offer to anyone planning a stay in a foreign land.

First, be aware that such a thing as culture shock exists, that it will probably affect you one way or another, but thit doesn't last forever.

Next, try .to remember, if and when you become thoroughly disenchanted with your surroundings, that the probleprobably isn't so much in them as it is in you.

Third, accept the idea that while it may be somewhat painful, culture shock can be a very valuable experience, amind-stretching process that will leave you with broader perspectives, deeper insight into yourself and wider toleranfor other people. A close student of the subject, Peter S. Adler, calls it "a very powerful and personal form of learninThe whole experience, he says, "is that rare set of situations which forces the individual into experimenting with new

forms of attitude and behavior."

In addition to these main points, the experts offer a handful of common sense do's and don'ts to anyone who mayfind himself exposed to culture shock:

If it happens to you, don't think that you're strange or abnormal. If you had a happy life back home, why shouldn'tyou miss some aspects of it or feel a sense of loss? You'd be abnormal if you didn't.

If it happens to you, don't sit around being negative and critical; this just prolongs and deepens your gloom. Try tkeep busy. Arrange something pleasant to look forward to. Set goals for yourself - learning ten new foreign phraseseach day, for example - and stick to them. Observers in the USA have noticed that when foreign students bring theirwives with them, the women are more susceptible to culture shock because they have fewer specific goals and less

do.

If it happens to you, try not to be judgmental. Everyone has an ethnocentric tendency to think that his own culturesuperior to all others. Actually, any culture is a good culture, if it provides an environment that meets basic humanneeds.

If it happens to you, force yourself to look for the best, not the worst, in your situation. People who go aroundlooking for trouble usually manage to find it. Train yourself to enjoy the diversity of people and cultures, not fear it oshy away from it. Recently in Russia two members of an American tour-group at different times during the day bougha candy bar from a booth in a railroad station. Each was given his change in the form of chocolate wafers. OneAmerican, disturbed by this departure from the familiar, felt that he was being victimized and protested vehemently.The other, charmed by what seemed to him a quaint and delightful custom, regarded it as a novel and refreshingexperience and even bragged about it to his fellow tourists. The first American, it seems reasonable to say, was far

more a prisoner of his own culture, than the second.

In sum, before he leaves home the visitor to a foreign land should make up his mind neither to resist the culture inwhich he finds himself nor surrender to it. What he needs to do is fight or grope or inch his way toward a new andflexible personality, a personality that retains its own cultural identity but recognizes the right of members of othercultures to retain theirs.

If that new personality can help him toward a better understanding of himself and of others, if it can enable him tocommunicate easily and convey warmth and under- standing and good will across the culture barricades, then the pof culture shock will have served its purpose, and the recovered victim will truly have the best of two worlds.2

2http://www.rotary5080ye.org/understanding_culture_shock.htm

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Cultural Studies is an international journal which explores the relation between cultural practices, everyday life,material, economic, political, geographical and historical contexts. It fosters more open analytic, critical and politic

conversations by encouraging people to push the dialogue into fresh, uncharted territory. It also aims to intervene in

the processes by which the existing techniques, institutions and structures of power are reproduced, resisted and

transformed.

Cultural Studies understands the term 'culture' inclusively rather than exclusively, and publishes essays which

encourage significant intellectual and political experimentation, intervention and dialogue. Special issues focus on

specific topics, often not traditionally associated with cultural studies, and occasional issues present a body of workfrom a particular national, ethnic or special tradition.

The journal represents the truly international and interdisciplinary nature of contemporary work in cultural studies,

and since its inception in 1987, has reflected the discipline in becoming ever more global in scope and perspective(s

Contents

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1 Introduction

2 Culture

o 2.1 Definitions of cultureo 2.2 Characteristics of culture

3 Culture shock

4 Phases of culture shock

o 4.1 Symptoms of culture shock

o 4.2 Positive effects of culture shock

o 4.3 Critique of Obergs model

o 4.4 The W-curve

5 Causes of culture shock

6 Actions against culture shock

o 6.1 Competencies for managing internationally

o 6.2 General tips for managers going abroado 6.3 How can expatriates help each other?

7 Conclusion

8 References

9 Gallery

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Introduction

"Diversity both domestic and international will be the engine that drives the corporation of the 21st century.Successful global managers will be able to manage this diversity for the innovative and competitive edge of theircorporations."(Rhinesmith, 1993, p. 5)

Taking into consideration the Rhinesmiths quote the global manager of today [1] has to be open-minded, sensitive

and responsive to national differences in order to leverage benefits of cultural diversity.

The term globalization covers a wide range of distinct political, economic, and cultural trends and has quickly beco

one of the most fashionable buzzwords of contemporary political and academic debate. [2] Globalization has becoma much more pressing issue and even small local companies are required to be globally efficient and competitive by

integrating activities and coordinating resources across national borders. In order to keep their competitive edge sm

3http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/routledge/09502386.html

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and medium enterprises as well as large corporation need to employ successful global managers that have the abilitto deal with different cultures and countries. Dealing with different cultures or countries more often means global

managers will have to make a geographic move to a different country.

The following paper on culture shock shall analyse how people especially mangers working in a global context,

connect with other people from culturally different back-grounds. The paper shall evaluate the reasons and effects oculture shock, while portraying its different stages and concluding with possibilities of making assimilation easier a

preventing culture shock in depth.

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Culture

The term culture comes from the Latin word colere, meaning to build on, to cultivate or to foster[3]. The termculture however is so vast and encompasses various dimensions, so that it is hard to define.

Culture can best be compared to an iceberg: Just as an iceberg has a visible section above the waterline, and a large

invisible section below the waterline, culture has some aspects that are observable and others that can only besuspected, imagined, or intuited.[4]

Figure 1: Iceberg model

The tip of the iceberg represents a cultural subset: behaviours, words, customs or traditions. The biggest and most

important part nevertheless the cultural values, beliefs, assumptions, attitudes or feelings are hidden below thesurface. This hidden part of culture is vital to how people all over the world operate, however largely unconscious a

usually not articulated.

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Definitions of culture

Let my house not be walled on four sides, let all the windows be open, let all the cultures blow in, but let n

culture blow me off my feet. (Mahatma Gandhi)

To understand culture, we need to be able to define it although there are various definitions to culture. The followindefinitions shall display the main components of culture. Geert Hofstedes definition of culture in his book Culture

and Organizations: Software of the Mind is: Culture consists of unwritten rules of the social game. It is the

collective programming of the human mind that distinguishes the members of one human group from those of

another. Culture in this sense is a system of collectively held values.

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Frans Trompenaars defines culture as a shared system of meaning. It dictates what we pay attention to, how we acand what we value. We can clearly see that culture defines a social structure, communication styles, behaviour,

decision making. It covers the relationship between various dimensions and can be viewed as a shared solution to

problems of external adaptation and internal integration. Managing solutions regarding problems of external adapti

include assumptions concerning control and uncertainty, the nature of human activity, and the nature of truth andreality, or the way we know the environment. Managing solutions to problems of internal integration includes

assumptions regarding the importance of relationship over task achievement, relationships with superiors and

subordinates, individualism and collectivism. (Schneider, Barsoux, 2003, p.34)

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Characteristics of culture

Cultures around the world share four common characteristics: culture is shared, it is learned, it is based on symbols

and it is integrated. (Haviland, 2002, pp. 34-42). The members of a culture share a set of "ideals, values, and

standards of behaviour," and this set of shared ideals is what give meaning to their lives, and what bonds them

together as a culture. (Haviland, 2002, p. 34)

Figure 2: Navigating the seas of international business

Culture is not an innate behavior, but rather it is an acquired characteristic. In every culture children unconsciously

begin learning about their particular cultures through their immediate families how these interact with each other

their dress, and the traditions that are followed and performed. A system of symbols e.g. language, art or religion, irequired to translate the ideals of the culture to its members. (Haviland, 2002, p. 41). Culture however also has an

important function for a society. It gives a society an all encompassing pattern to live by: it provides us orientation,

guidelines and rules to follow.

Keeping in mind the definition and characteristics of culture the question is: What hap-pens when individuals or

groups are exposed to unfamiliar environments? How do companies select, train and support staff going abroad to l

in a new cultural surrounding?

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Culture shock

When individuals are exposed to a new and unfamiliar surrounding with a different culture they often tend to say:

Oh, what a culture shock it was.

This chapter aims at defining what a culture shock actually is and which stages culture shock covers and why it

happens. Furthermore the question whether people can be trained to alleviate culture shock and whether it can bemanaged shall be analysed.

Culture shock is defined as the trauma you experience when you move into a culture different from your homeculture (Chaney, Martin, 2000, p.154). In 1960 the Finnish anthropologist Kalvero Oberg was the first to apply the

term culture shock for all people travelling abroad to new cultures, even though the phenomena of culture shockedindividuals had been known beforehand (Kodzik, 2007, p.8).

Culture shock is precipitated by the anxiety that results from losing all our familiar signs and symbols of social

intercourse. These signs include the thousand and one ways in which we orient ourselves in the situations of daily

life. (Oberg, 1960, quoted from Gibson, 2000, p.24) These signs and symbols represent the above mentionedcharacter-istics of a culture like language, religion or art and usually give us a sense of orientation and guideline.

When losing these signs individuals may feel distressed, insecure or helpless.

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Phases of culture shock

Culture shock as a process of adjusting to a foreign culture is said to follow a so-called U-Curve model by Oberg,

which comprises four main stages.

Figure 3: U-Curve

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According to Schneider and Barsoux the initial stage of elation and optimism The Honeymoon Stage is where thindividual will overlook minor problems and look forward to learning new things. Cultural differences are seen as

charming and merely the positive aspects of this different culture are identified. This phase can last from a few day

about six weeks. The individual can be described as interested, curious and open-minded and is ready to accept the

situation during this first stage.

The second stage is the actual Culture Shock Stage. This stage begins when the individual begins to view the ne

surroundings in a less idealistic and more realistic way and therefore also seeing the negative aspects of the host

country. This period is characterised by irritability, frustration, and confusion (also called the morning after stageEspecially the differences in language can present a huge barrier, as well as different values, beliefs or symbols of t

host country to ones home country. The individual finds himself in a situation of disappointment or rejection of the

new culture as a result of the discrepancy between expectations and reality. Due to this discrepancy the individual w

need to adjust to the new circumstances. During this phase most assignments are at risk of failure as the increasedinvolvement with the new culture brings the realization that there are unsettling differences in interpersonal behavio

as well as work behaviour. The same emotions may be experienced for the return journey, whereby the shock of

returning home can be more severe as it would be less expected.

Figure 4: Stages of culture shock

The term culture shock for this stage is rather misleading, as it suggests an impact with a single cause. It is in fac

result of a simmering reaction to a succession of minor events which are difficult to identity.

The third stage is the period of Adjustment or Recovery and is seen as the turning point. During this stage theindividual returns home (expatriate failure) or he gains understanding and adjust to the local culture. In the context this paper only the latter option shall be closely analysed. The adjustment to the hose country is thought to evolve

through acquiring greater knowledge of the local culture and language. Especially for the manager working togethe

while achieving shared goals leads to this phase of culture shock recovery. More interaction simultaneously increasthe likelihood of shared understandings, providing a greater sense of predictability and control (Triandis et al, 1994

pp.769-772) while reducing we-they stereotypes and perceiving cultural similarities (Khlmann, 1995, p.10).

The fourth stage of the U-Curve is the period of Mastery. This stage can best be de-scribed as one of integration.

The individual recognizes that the new culture has much to offer and develops a sense of dual cultural identity

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(biculturalism). The individual accepts the new culture, feels integrated and even absorbs the habits of the new sociwhich in return makes him feel secure in his position.

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Symptoms of culture shock

Summing up the symptoms of cultural malaise we can evidently see that they can appear in form of various differenemotions (Wagner, 1996, p.13):

Simple embarrassment

Homesickness

Identity confusion

Depression

Frustration

Strain on family ties

Feeling confused and uncomfortable Stereotypes are being reinforced Friction

Anxiety

Positive effects of culture shock

Culture shock however should not only be looked upon as purely negative. Managers on an international assignmen

should look on the bright side of any cultural shock as it can have following positive aspects as well. First, it signalthat the expatriate manager has started becoming more involved in the new culture, not hiding out in an expatriate

ghetto (Schneider, Barsoux, 2003, p.189). Second, it provides the motivation to try to understand and evaluate the

cultural differences.

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Critique of Obergs model

Obergs U-Curve model merely describes the phases of culture shock without providing reasons why culture shockhappens, which criteria lead to it and how it can be prevented or overcome. The model cannot be universally accept

for every individual that goes abroad and not every phase of the U-Curve must be traversed. One the one hand not a

cultural conflicts can actually be solved and on the other hand there can be conflict-free confrontations with an alie

culture (Wagner, 1996, p.) especially when having made intercultural experience beforehand. The intensity of these

reactions often depends upon the motivation and prior expectations of the expatriates and their family to go abroad,the amount of cultural distance between the home and host countries, and the degree of uncertainty in job or daily

living activities (Schneider, Barsoux, 2003, p.188). Furthermore, the linear process of Obergs U-Curve gives roomfor another area of critique.

Figure 5: Critique on U-Curve

Marx (1999) model displayed in direct comparison to Obergs model demonstrates that stages of culture shock andrecovery can appear alternating and must not necessarily emerge in a linear manner. The different stages of culture

shock are seldom periodical. A culture shocked individual may feel recovered from the initial frustration but mightactually fall back into anxiety and feel homesick.

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The W-curve

When monitoring the expatriate manager on his international assignment the W-curve gives us the chance to analys

what he and his family experience upon return into their home country. Coming home for expatriates can feel as if

never having been there before; a sort of"jamais-vu" (Schneider, Barsoux, 2003, p.188).

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Figure 6: W-Curve

This shock of returning home is called Re-Entry Shock and often can be more severe than the initial culture sho

in the host country as it is less expected. This stage describes the interaction and confrontation of the returning

manager with his home country. Primary reason for this reaction might be the experiences he has made and theadjustment to the host country. He might be so used to the host countrys culture, that his own culture may seem ali

to him. During his international assignment the manager has gotten used to a different set of values, behaviours and

attitudes that may not find any room in his home country. The returning manager now has a widened cultural horizois flexible and has developed empathy and openness of mind. Similar to recovery and adjustment phases in the host

country, the returning manager has to re-adjust to his home country and the way of life there. Only after the initial Rentry Shock a feeling ofRe-Integration sets in and the manager finds a sense of balance between his new old ho

and the country he has just left.

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Causes of culture shock

Culture shocked individuals experience culture shock in different way and forms and therefore display diverse

symptoms. Is there any influence on whether or not culture shock occurs? Why does it occur in the first place? Wha

are the strongest influences and criteria of culture shock? The following chapter aims at finding answers to thesequestions.

Furnham and Bochner (1982, p.171) identified three categories that may cause cultural shock, and that influence its

length and intensity.

Cultural differences the quality, quantity and length of culture shock seems to be a function of the differences

between the home and the host culture. Research has found that European managers based in other European

countries than their own reported as paradox as it seems less cultural interaction than those based in the United

States or Asia. It seems that being closer to home (both in terms of culture and geography) may limit the neededcultural interaction and potentially impair adjustment. (Janssens, 1995, p.155)

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Individual differences There are major differences between individuals and their capability to deal with socialsituations. Especially their demographic and psychographic make-up poses a difference at this point.

Sojourn experiences How an individual deals with culture shock and how he adapts to a new culture, depends on

his intercultural experiences, especially with the host culture (cultural briefings, language training, suggested

readings as How to do business in).

One of the main factors that influence culture shock is the inability to communicate with the local culture as well aslack of knowledge about the host country. The better the linguistic ability of the manager the more he will be able t

understand the culture of the host country. As Hofstede remarked: "Having to express oneself in another language

means learning to adopt someone elses reference frame. (1999, p.212) This implies that language can help duringthe socio-cultural adjustment process, as it makes interactions with locals easier and prevents misunderstandings an

"faux-pas".

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Actions against culture shock

What can we do to prevent culture shock or to ease its effects? How can culture shocked managers assimilate more

easily? And how can expatriates help themselves and each other? How can we use the advantages of cultural

diversity?

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Competencies for managing internationally

Schneider and Barsoux (2003, p.190) identified following main competencies for a global manager:

Interpersonal skills: Crucial skills that facilitate the transfer of knowledge, and improve coordination andcontrol, establishing relationships, and building trust (allows expatriate manager to tap into critical

information).

Linguistic ability: helps establish contact especially bits of conversational currency (local expressions,

information, and interests.

Motivation to live abroad (cultural curiosity): key ingredient to a successful adaption of expatriates and th

families, genuine interest in other cultures and new experiences.

Tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity: circumstances change unexpectedly, behaviour and reactions o

local employees unpredictable (high level of adaption needed from global manager), acknowledging thatuncertainty and ambiguity exist (not everything is straight forward but multiple perspectives possible).

Patience and respect: respect towards the new culture without benchmarking it against the home culture,instead trying to understand local reasons for the way things happen.

Cultural empathy: appreciating thoughts, feelings, and experiences of others, focused listeners and non-

judgemental approach.

Strong sense of self(or ego strength): a healthy narcissism necessary to allow inter-action with another

culture without fear of losing ones own identity, enabling the expatriate to be self-critical and open to

feedback.

Sense of humour: important as a coping mechanism and for relationship building, and to buffer frustration

uncertainty and confusion.

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Some of the abilities and skills needed to be effective in the international working place cannot be acquired but aredeeply rooted in ones character.

What is necessary for managing cultural differences, whether at home or abroad, is referred as a global mindset.

Global managers are defined by their state of mind: as people who can work effectively across organizational,

functional and cross-cultural boundaries (Evans et al, 2001, p.385).

Suggestions for managing cultural differences (Schneider, Barsoux, 2003, p. 212)

Diversity as an engine

Use a cultural-general approach diagnose cultural dimensions, not countries.

Avoid assuming differences or similarities where there are none. Seek similarities as well as differences.

Analyse different levels of culture: use multiple approaches of observation, questioning, and interpretation. Recognize your own cultural profile. Anticipate clashes with others.

Recognize individual variance within your own culture as well as the other in terms of specific dimensions.You/they may be more or less normal on different dimensions

Recognize that cultural interaction is not static, but a dynamic process; look for rub-off effects and enjoy.

Depending on the degree of familiarity of each culture, use different strategies for interaction.

Confront concerns regarding identity and autonomy, both yours and theirs. People need to feel valued and n

coerced.

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General tips for managers going abroad

Gain as much information about the destination as possible: history, religion, language, proverbs, values, no

verbal communication, political system, cultural offset, social customs, etc.

Educate your family about the host country (very often the family takes the culture shock in full force)

Go for an intercultural seminar or / and pre-departure training (with you family members)

Keep an open mind (do not automatically perceive something different as wrong: try not to judge)

Do not assume or interpret behaviour from your own cultural perspective. Do not stereotype from what youknow about the new culture

Take the initiative to get to know people. Do not hide in an expatriate ghetto.

Learn the language: Keep in mind that you cannot truly know a people if you do not know their language

Try and travel in the country see different cities, get a feeling for the country

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Take your international assignment as an opportunity gain wonderful experiences

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How can expatriates help each other?

Join communities (Online and Offline) to share experiences made abroad or to collect first-hand information

Try and get an insider-booklet: as an expatriate returning home, try and summarize your experience in a

booklet, that you could give your replacement

Organize discussion rounds with others (locals and expatriates) in order to share emotions, solve problems alearn new things

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Conclusion

In conclusion we can see that there are ways to cushion culture shock. Furthermore, one can see that with increasin

exposure to other cultures, through media, travel, training and education the familiarity with other cultures is growiEspecially in the context of international business ventures it is not unlikely that each side has been prepared to ada

to each other. Based on the different degree of familiarity of different cultures, according to Steven Weiss (1994,

pp.51-61), different strategies may be appropriate. Taking in consideration cross-cultural negotiations, for examplemight make sense to use a go-between or third party, when both parties are unfamiliar with each other. Another

approach could be possibility to induce other parties to follow your negotiation style, when they are more familiar

with your cultural background than you are with theirs. Nevertheless, when we interact with other cultures we needtake care to demonstrate, that either approach is never taken out of ignorance of cultural differences or from lack of

respect for the counter partys cultural backdrop. Generally it can be said that there might be a lingua franca (Engli

in the international business environment, but this does not mean that there is a universally accepted or adopted

culture. When doing business nationally or internationally we should always keep in mind and take into regard thatwe are doing business with people, not cultures or countries and should not try to call-up stereotypes and put peopl

into certain boxes.

A company is made of [people] with different backgrounds, different cultures, different inclinations, differeaspirations different jobs All of these [people] of different ages and cultures, with different jobs, ha

to produce the miracle of their own striving together. (Giovanni Agnelli, retired CEO Fiat)

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References

Books:

Chaney, L., Martin, J. (2000): Intercultural Business Communication, 2nd edition, New Jersey, Prentice-Ha Evans, P., Pucik, V., and Barsoux, J.-L. (2001): The Global Challenge: Frameworks for International Huma

Resource Management, New York, McGraw-Hill.

Furnham, A./ Bochner, S. (1982): Social difficulty in a foreign culture: an empirical analysis of culture shoc

Gibson, R. (2000): Intercultural Business Communication, Berlin, Cornelsson.

Hofstede, G. (1999): Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind, New York, McGraw-Hill.

Janssens, M. (1995): Intercultural interaction: a burden on international managers?, in Journal of

Organizational Behaviour , Vol. 16.

Khlmann, T. (1995): Mitarbeiterentsendung ins Ausland Auswahl, Vorbereitung, Betreuung undWiedereingliederung, Gttingen, Verlag fr angewandte Psychologie.

Rhinesmith, S. (1993): A Managers Guide to Globalization six keys to success in a changing world,

Homewood.

Schneider, S., Barsoux, J-L. (2003): Managing Across Cultures, 2nd edition, Harlow: Pearson Education.

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Triandis, H.C., Kurowski, L.L. and Gelfand, M.J. (1994): Workplace diversity, in H.C. Triandis, M.D.Dunnette and L.M. Hough (eds) Handbook of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Vol. 4, Palo Alto

Wagner, W. (1996): Kulturschock Deutschland, Hamburg, Rotbuch Verlag.

Journals and Papers:

Kodzik, J. (2007): Bedeutung des Kulturschocks fr den erfolgreichen kulturellen Anpassungsvorgang, GRVerlag.

Weiss, S.E. (1994): Negotiating with Romans Part 2, Sloan Management Review, Spring.

Weblinks:

Havard Business School: The New Global Manager by Cynthia Churchwell:

http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/3827.html

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Globalization: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/globalization/

Online Etymology Dictionary: Definition of culture: http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=culture

Iceberg Exercise by Robert Clevenger:

http://www.pacific.edu/sis/culture/pub/1.1.1_Activity_The_Iceberg.htm.4

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