Culture Shock Business Across Cultures I ABP 2008

Culture shock adjustment rating Terms defined:  Motivation – a set of reasons for someone to engage in a particular behavior  Self-reliance – to follow one’s own instincts, desires  Tolerance – the capacity to respect the beliefs or practices of others

Culture shock adjustment rating  Ambiguity – open to more than one interpretation (also, uncertain)  Non-judgmental - not making judgments based on one’s personal opinions or standards  Perceptiveness – showing keen insight

Culture shock adjustment rating  Empathy – understand or recognize another’s state of mind or emotion; ability to put yourself in another’s ‘shoes’  Low goal/task orientation – defining your success as winning or defeating others  Strong sense of self – one’s identity

Culture shock definitions  The psychological disorientation most people experience when they move for an extended period of time into a culture markedly different from their own (Guanipa, 1998)

Culture shock definitions  We feel left alone—that we just do not belong here at all. Stress Feeling of loss Rejection Confusion Anxiety Helplessness (Oberg)

Culture shock  A necessary by product of personal growth  Frustration (traceable to a specific cause) is not culture shock  Cumulative - resulting in a threat that your values and beliefs are not “right”

Stages of culture shock According to Kohls:  Progresses slowly from “how quaint”  To a focus on the differences themselves  Final stage: a few differences; the host culture as ‘scapegoat’ (bearing the blame)

Culture shock: what to know  It can occur  It may be unavoidable  Your reactions are emotional – not easily controlled by logic or rational thinking

Culture shock: 4 stages 1.Initial euphoria (similarities) 2.Irritation and hostility (differences) 3.Gradual adjustment 4.Adaptation or biculturalism  Reverse culture shock – in some cases, if you adjust very well to the host country, returning home can cause greater stress than the original culture shock (Kohls)

Overcoming culture shock  Find out about your host country before you go  Look for logical reasons for differences  Don’t give in to the urge to criticize your host culture  Identify a host national  Have faith in yourself and your hosts

Culture shock  “We feel left alone and like we just do not belong here at all. That is what is meant by ‘culture shock’” (Diego, 2006)