Business Culture Shock

8/2/2019 Business Culture Shock

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Business culture shock

In our increasingly globalized world, more and more professionals findthemselves traveling to new places and interacting with foreign peoples, as

the companies they work for expand and develop new businessrelationships. When dealing with these interactions, wether they be briefbusiness trips or visits, or extended stays, it is more important than ever tobe aware of the cultural differences and sensitivities of all parties involved inthe interaction. Minor cultural faux-pas that are easily overlooked in socialinteractions can become serious transgressions when applied to the workenvironment, where important business deals, respect and efficiency are atstake.

Important considerations

Do your prospective partners come from a more individualistic or

collectivistic society?

Is structure or flexibility more valued?

What kind of communication style is appreciated?

How much formality is appreciated?

Important considerations

When embarking on a business relationship with members of anotherculture there are some fundamental points to take into consideration in orderto avoid misunderstanding and jeopardizing what could be a beneficialinteraction for both groups.

Do your prospective partners come from a more individualistic orcollectivistic society?

This is important because it can affect both the way the other companymakes decisions, and the way they view you. Americans tend to be moreindividualistic and can be perceived as aggressive in their businessdealings. Collectivistic societies tend to rely on input from a number ofpeople, some, such as in most Hispanic societies, wish to get to know theirprospective business partners on a more personal level before actually
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undertaking business with them. In these cultures it is often considered rudeor untrustworthy to skip the small-talk and interact on a strictly professionallevel.

Is structure or flexibility more valued?

Learning how a culture perceives time and deadlines saves a lot ofconfusion and frustration for everyone. While some cultures are very strictabout scheduling and structure, others perceive these to be less importantthan actually achieving the established objectives in a satisfactory andthorough manner.

What kind of communication style is appreciated?

While in some cultures strongly expressing emotions during business

dealings is acceptable, in others, such as with the Japanese, this isconsidered an inappropriate loss self-respect. It is useful to find out whatkinds of emotional expression are considered negative by the other culturein order to avoid unwittingly making a bad impression.

How much formality is appreciated?

It is also important to know how formally people interact in a workingenvironment. While for some cultures relative informality and familiarityamong workmates and/ or superiors is acceptable, for others it is a shockingsign of disrespect and a breach of personal space. While Latin-basedcultures are generally noted for their warm behavior, they generally strictlyadhere to rules of social propriety as seen by the common use of the thirdperson when addressing superiors or elders. Attempting to dissuadesomeone from this practice often results in feelings of discomfort andinvasion of space, since familiar speech is frequently reserved for familymembers and close friends only.

Coping with culture shockCompanies reap benefits of helping relocating employees acclimate

Boston Business Journal - by Chelsea LoweSpecial to the Journal Print

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When Adam Thomas moved to Boston from the United Kingdom, he didn't face the

challenge alone. Working with a third-party corporate relocation assistance program,

his company, Pfizer Inc.'s global research and development division in Cambridge,

helped simplify the process.

The relocation vendor secured by the company helped Thomas get a Social Securitynumber, set up a bank account and assisted with other details, said Thomas, Pfizer's

associate director of human resources. Attempting those things on his own, he added,

would have cost "countless hours out of the office, standing in line."

Moving can prove intimidating, particularly to Massachusetts, an area known for high

housing costs, and a number of companies are making concerted efforts to help with

the adjustment process shouldered by employees who relocate here from out of state --

or even farther away.

"When you hire somebody, you want them to be happy they've made the move. There's

often a lot of uncertainty for them and their families. I think (by giving them support),you see a lot less downtime associated with moves. People can come in and focus a lot

better on learning the job, rather than learning to find their way around," Adam

Thomas said. "The productivity impact of not providing support would be bad. By

offering relocation services, you're opening up the market place ... increasing your

recruitment pool."

And when the move involves an international transfer, the need for support is even

more pronounced, Thomas said. "Even getting a simple phone line" can be harrowing,

he said.

Dru Richard, senior vice president of network services for Coldwell Banker Residential

Brokerage of New England relocation services, said her company works with relocation

management companies in helping transferees buy and sell their homes, as well as

helping newly arrived employees find temporary housing. Coldwell Banker, she said,

also offers "incentive programs and corporate programs that move transferees."

Some companies, Pfizer included, offer such amenities as employment counseling for

uprooted spouses and domestic partners or, for interested employees from faraway

places, English language lessons and cultural-awareness classes.

Some companies pay for speech classes for workers from non-English-speakingcountries.

IDC Corp. once had "an employee who came from the Japan office" for an extended

visit to the company's Framingham headquarters, said Janelle Winston, president of

SpeechCoach Co. in Newton. "I worked with him (on speaking English) over a few

months. (The company) really did make a commitment. It wasn't just a quick fix."


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She was also hired, she said, to help other employees with accent reduction and

presentations.

Massachusetts can prove a difficult adjustment. Sometimes, it's cultural differences,

and not the cold climate or elevated housing costs, that get new arrivals down.

Workplace behavior specialist Alice Buckner, who grew up in Massachusetts and

worked in California for 10 years before returning to New England, compared

Northeast and California attitudes toward time. Northeasterners, she said, exude a

"five-minutes-ago mentality" as opposed to their mellower California counterparts.

What constitutes casual dress may mean different things to Californians and New

Englanders, Buckner said. Transplanted Southerners, she added, often feel offended at

Bostonians' propensity to curse.

Steve Faraci, who moved to Greater Boston from Connecticut and serves as senior

director and interim site head of the Discovery Technology Center for Pfizer Inc.'sCambridge office, said he hadn't realized "the depth of hatred (Bostonians have) for

the (New York) Yankees."

Still, Boston remains popular for moves, said Jerry Thomas, area president for HQ

Global Workplaces Inc., a Dallas-based company that arranges for small office and

conference space and other business services.

Jerry Thomas (not related to Adam Thomas), a D.C. native who now divides his time

between that city and Boston, said the area offers excellent schools, hospitals and

cultural attractions -- although, he conceded, "occasionally, you get people who are a

little challenged with the traffic."

For Jim Celeste, general manager of JetBlue Airways Corp., Boston's not bad so far. He

finds the people friendly, and cultural and sporting events plentiful. Winter

snowstorms are not a big deal, either, he said. Then again, Celeste moved here last

November from Buffalo, N.Y. -- a town that sees a lot of snow.

He praised "great little finds here in Boston," such as the Italian restaurants that dot

the North End.

"It's a great sports town. There are "always numerous social events," and Boston "has a

small-town feel, but it's a big city," he said.

Although Celeste misses some of the restaurants of his hometown, working for an

airline he gets to visit Buffalo often -- a couple of weekends a month.

Here are some suggestions for coping with culture shock:


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Stay in touch with friends or others you have confidence in. Don't withdraw.Some students find new friends through theirnationality clubs. Many get to knoweach other in classes. The AEC and International Student and Scholar Serviceshave resource people to talk to you about your feelings. They are trustworthy andcan answer questions about American culture.

Remain active. Do social things you enjoy that aren't related to your studies, forexample, taking walks, swimming, going to concerts or movies, eating meals withsome friends. Have some fun!

Get a routine and stick with it! This creates a new daily life that begins to feelfamiliar or "normal." It's important to attend classes regularly and keep about thesame times every day for meals, going to bed, and getting up.

Stay healthy. Get plenty of sleep. You may find at first you need more sleepthan you did at home. Eat well. Get exercise several times a week. A healthy,

well-rested body is better able to handle things like loneliness or confusion.When headaches and stomachaches become a constant problem, realize thatthese may be signs of emotional problems, not just physical problems. Visit adoctor or counselor at CAPS (KU Counseling and Psychological Services). The

AEC counselors can make a referral.

Work on your communication skills. Listen carefully to what other people aresaying.

Be realistic in your expectations. When you begin to feel depressed, askyourself, "What did I expect? Why? Was my expectation reasonable?"

Learn the culture and customs of the country you are in and respect them. Examine your assumptions and expectations. Be open to learning new

things. Explore new ways of living and compare these new ways to yourown. Become more aware of both your values and attitudes and those ofthe host country.

If you believe you may be experiencing culture shock, think about stopping by tosee an AEC counselor. We'd be happy to talk with you.

Abstract:

Examines the need for HR departments to have a clear policy on repatriation,especially at times of restructuring and redundancy and the need to retainvaluable staff on return. Considers the physical, psychological and emotionaleffects of reverse culture shock, the often unrealistic expectations of returneesand their families and suggests coping strategies, including assistance to theaccompanying spouse and children, that can be implemented by both employersand employees. Outlines the possible content of a repatriation programme,
http://www.ku.edu/services/organizations.shtmlhttp://www.ku.edu/~issfacts/http://caps.ku.edu/http://www.ku.edu/services/organizations.shtmlhttp://www.ku.edu/~issfacts/http://caps.ku.edu/


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stressing the need to tailor it to the needs of employees and their families.Comments on the heightened circumstances of natural disasters and politicalunrest that can cause rapid repatriation.

Keywords:

Corporate policy, Expatriates, Family life, National cultures

Article Type:

Research paper

Article URL:

http://www.emeraldinsight.com/10.1108/00197859910291397

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Pre-Departure/Post-Arrival Cultural Training

Intercultural training is a practical and beneficial preparatory step, prior to an

international assignment. In demystifying the host country culture andpreparing transferees and their families for life in their new home, intercultural

training has proven to dramatically increase the chances of assignment success

and transferee adjustment and satisfaction.

Bridges offers fully-customized personal cross-cultural training on the impact of

culture, effective global communication skills, international negotiations,international management skills, culture shock, and family adjustment issues,

as well as country-specific business and social etiquette. Training can be heldprior to departure to the host country or on arrival.

Training may include:

Fully customized training sessions, conducted at thetransferees place of work, home or temporary accommodation in

either their home or host country. An introduction to how cultural programming shapes attitudesand values, and how these inform preconceptions and behavior.

Strategies for managing cross-cultural adjustment tuition in

mechanisms for being receptive to new cultures and adapting todifferent environments.

Detailed information on the drivers of culture and behavior in

the host country, delivered by one or more specialists in the hostcountry culture. This includes up-to-date profiles and protocols,

including guidance on how to behave in specific work and socialsituations.

Business Behavior Briefings, providing tips on how to relate

successfully to colleagues, clients and suppliers in the host country.

Where feasible, a practical question and answer session, with aprofessional person of the same nationality as the transferee, who has

lived in the host country.

Language training for transferees and their families whererequired, either as a stand-alone service or as part of intercultural

training


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Children's/Youth Training

Our innovative Children's/Youth Cross Cultural Training programs are designedand aimed at children and teenagers who will be relocating with their parents.

The aim of the program is to involve the children of the family in the relocationprocess and to help minimise the negative effects of culture shock. The

programs are orientated in style and content to issues facing the youngermembers of the family.

The Youth Cross Cultural Training course seeks to help by:

Exciting children about the relocation process.

Helping them understand their role in the relocation.

Introducing them to the target destination.

Giving them practical information on life in the new country.

Providing them with coping strategies to employ when missing

home.

Encouraging them to embrace the new culture.

The youth program is aimed at children aged between 7 and 18. It is typicallyadministered over a day, but can also be integrated with language training over

a longer period of time. Each programme is tailored to the clients particularneeds and delivered by a cross cultural consultant with experience in training or

teaching children or teenagers.


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Repatriation Training

Repatriation programs enable the returning expatriate employees and theirfamilies to understand the psychological, cultural, workplace, and social issues

involved in repatriation. The return home often causes more difficulty than theadjustment that was made to the new culture. This difficulty is caused by

several factors, but the most important one is that the returnee is not expecting

any difficulties in adjusting to a culture which is his or her own. This unforseendifficulty manifests itself in what is called reentry shock or reverse culture

shock.

The program can usually be completed in a one-day session. The employees and

their families should be involved in the repatriation program as it is important todeal with the workplace and cultural issues as well as the family issues.

Family issues involve the adjustment of the spouse and children. These issuesinclude education, reentering the workplace, reentry shock for small children

and teenagers, change in social status, reestablishing a home, reestablishingrelationships with friends and family, and others.

The workplace and cultural issues involve adapting to a new and differentworking and home country environment, changes in technology, politics,

corporate culture, personnel and others.


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Working Across BordersMany companies are working beyond their national borders. Are these

companies global in their mindset and approach? The single most uniquechallenge of globalization is managing the myriad work and management styles

companies face across geographies, businesses, functions and projects.

When global work styles clash, organizations can become dysfunctional and

productivity suffers. These clashes can cause social distance, which results inlower performance and lost revenues. Managers who are attuned to global work

style differences can develop effective strategies to minimize the risks andmaximize the opportunities present in the global marketplace.

Culture is not the problem. The problem is that business objectives arenot met!

The aim of this workshop is to help participants reduce the likelihood of thesenegatives happening by showing how to become more aware of other cultures

perceptions and behavioural norms in order to create rapport quickly,communicate better and interact flexibly. The emphasis is on establishing

credibility with your global partners, communicating with virtual teams, andunderstanding cultural differences.


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Service Across CultureGlobalization, technological and transportation accessibility have made it easier,more convenient, less expensive and more profitable for international

organizations to expand their businesses globally to service more customersacross many cultures and languages.

Service providers working with customers from a range of cultural backgroundsoften experience:

Difficulties in establishing trust, credibility and rapport -

elements which are critical in customer servicing.

Concern that they may unwittingly be culturally insensitive.

Confusion about how to cater to customer needs from othercultures.

This workshop is designed to aid service staff in developing the awareness,competencies and skills required to service multicultural customers. Our goal is

to help customer service providers to understand and manage culturaldifferences in their everyday work. The program covers key issues essential to

effective interaction with customers from various backgrounds.


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about us | career services | cultural integration | executive coaching |communication | organizational change management | expatriate support |

contact us

Copyright 2005 Bridges Consulting Group
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Documents

Business Culture Shock