Download ppt - Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin Chapter 4 Cultural Shock

Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin

Chapter 4Chapter 4

Cultural ShockCultural Shock


Upon Completion of this ChapterUpon Completion of this Chapter

• Understand the nature of cultural shock and its relationship to success in overseas work

• Be able to identify the typical stages of culture shock

• Learn ways to alleviate cultural shock including careful selection of personnel

• Understand the role of cultural stress and dealing with cultural shock

• Understand public and private self topics


Cultural shock is the trauma you experience when you move into a culture different from your home culture. Frustrations may include lack of food, unacceptable standards of cleanliness, different bathroom facilities, and fear for personal safety.


People experience cultural shock when they are in a country where yes may mean no, where prices are negotiable, and where laughter may signify anger.

People who visit our reside temporarily in another country are called sojourners.


Upon her arrival in La Paz, Bolivia, from Atlanta, Georgia, Katherine

Montague asked directions to the ladies’ room at the local university. Upon

entering, she observed three males using urinals and made a hasty retreat. Her

U.S. colleagues explained that all restrooms were unisex; Katherine decided to take a taxi to her hotel.


Major Symptoms of Cultural ShockMajor Symptoms of Cultural Shock• Homesickness• Boredom• Withdrawal (avoiding contact with host

nationals)• Need for excessive amounts of sleep• Compulsive eating/drinking• Irritability• Exaggerated cleanliness


• Marital stress• Family tension and conflict• Chauvinistic excesses• Stereotyping of host nationals• Hostility toward host nationals• Loss of ability to work effectively• Unexplainable fits of weeping• Physical ailments (psychosomatic illnesses)

Major Symptoms of Cultural ShockMajor Symptoms of Cultural Shock


Asia Shock (a type of cultural shock Asia Shock (a type of cultural shock U.S. people experience) has five U.S. people experience) has five

progressive stages:progressive stages:

• Frustration with the culture, e.g., the language, food, and local customs.

• Unwillingness to understand the rationale behind the local ways of doing things.

• Ethnocentricity; U.S. persons label Asians as dishonest because they say one thing and do another; consider face-saving as dishonest.

• Racism – use of unflattering labels for Asians.• Avoidance of the culture; U.S. persons form clubs

rather than intermingle with people of the culture.


Strategies for Coping with a New Culture Strategies for Coping with a New Culture During Short VisitsDuring Short Visits

• Nonacceptance of the host culture; traveler behaves as he/she would in the home culture.

• Substitution—The traveler learns the appropriate responses/behaviors in the host culture and substitutes these responses/behaviors for the ones he/she would ordinarily use in the home culture.


• Additionn—The person adds the behavior of the host culture when in the presence of nationals but maintains the home culture behavior with others of the same culture.

• Synthesis—Integrates or combines elements of the two cultures, such as combining U.S. dress and that of the Philippines.

• Resynthesis—The integration of ideas not found in either culture (U.S. traveler to China chooses to eat neither American nor Chinese food, but prefers Italian).

Strategies for Coping with a New Culture Strategies for Coping with a New Culture During Short VisitsDuring Short Visits


Stages of Cultural ShockStages of Cultural ShockStage 1: Excitement and fascination with the new

culture; the "honeymoon" stage.Stage 2: Crisis or disenchantment period;

excitement has turned to disappointment.Stage 3: Adjustment phase; you begin to accept the new

culture, try new foods, see the humor in situations. Stage 4: Acceptance or adaptation phase; feel at

home in the new culture and become involved in activities of the culture. Still respects theirs own culture.

Stage 5: Reentry shock; follows the stages identified earlier: excitement, crisis or disenchantment, adjustment, & adaptation.


Problems Related to Reentry ShockProblems Related to Reentry Shock

• Finding a new niche in the corporate structure at home.

• Adjusting to lower standards of living.• Problems reestablishing personal and

professional relationships.• Dealing with readjustment problems of

children, including the difference in their educational experience abroad.


Replace the Golden Rule—Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Change to….

Bennett’s Platinum Rule—Do unto others as they would have done unto them…

To alleviate cultural shock, try to see To alleviate cultural shock, try to see the environment from the perspective the environment from the perspective of the host nationals.of the host nationals.


Alleviating Cultural Shock by Careful Alleviating Cultural Shock by Careful Selection of Overseas PersonnelSelection of Overseas Personnel• Sensitive, cooperative, able to compromise• Open to others' opinions• Reaction to new situations; appreciation of cultural

differences• Understanding of own values and aware of values in

other cultures• Reaction to criticism• Understanding of U.S. government system• Ability to develop contacts in new culture• Patience and resiliency


Training ModelsTraining Models

• Intellectual or classroom model–involves giving facts about the host country using a variety of instructional methods

• Area training or simulation model– emphasizes affective goals, culture specific content, and experiential processes

• Self-awareness or human relations model –based on the assumption that the trainee with self-understanding will be more effective in the overseas assignment


• Cultural awareness model – emphasizes cultural insight and stresses affective goals and an experiential process

• Interaction approach – participants interact with people in the host country and compare values and behaviors

• Multidimensional approach – attempts to combine cognitive, affective, and behavioral aspects of training

Training ModelsTraining Models


Feedback and RewardsFeedback and Rewards• Appraisal and reward system must reflect the

purpose and expectations of the assignment (profit or building a presence in the country).

• Reward systems may include special allowances for housing, hardship, home leave, medical, taxes, etc.

• Reward system must compensate for what U.S. persons are leaving behind and must be based on the idea of equity (the ratio between what is contributed and what is received).


Developing Employees to Developing Employees to Their PotentialTheir Potential

• Plan for repatriation, including reasons for the assignment and how the employee will contribute to the company upon his/her return.

• Allow adequate time for readjustment before employee reports to work.

• Provide compensation for transition expenses.• Assist in locating proper housing.• Show appreciation to family for contributions.• College students are pursued for language

proficiency and overseas experience.


Aspects of Cultural ShockAspects of Cultural Shock

• Cultural Stress—alleviate stress by reading up on the country, studying the language, and becoming aware of customs and traditions in the culture.

• Social Alienation—cultivate friendships with persons from home and host cultures; include host nationals in social events.


• Social Class and Poverty-Wealth Extremes—mentors in host culture can be helpful in advising U.S. persons regarding acceptable ways of dealing with poverty-wealth extremes.

• Financial Information—should be provided before going to the culture; also financial counseling before reentry.

Aspects of Cultural ShockAspects of Cultural Shock


Relationships and Family Relationships and Family ConsiderationsConsiderations

The failure of a spouse and other family members to adapt to the new culture can cause early return of expatriates; companies should provide training for employees and their family to minimize adjustment problems. Encourage children to discuss their anxieties and fears.


The Johari Window can be translated The Johari Window can be translated into one’s public self and private self.into one’s public self and private self.

• The public self may include information about a person’s work, family, and interests. The public self is small for the Japanese; it is large for U.S. persons.

• The private self may include feelings, personal information, and opinions. The private self is large for the Japanese; it is small for U.S. persons. U.S. people share personal information.


Public and Private SelfPublic and Private SelfThe Johari WindowThe Johari Window

Things I Know Things I Don’t Know Things

Others

Know

Things

Others

Don’t

Know

Arena Blind Spot

Hidden Unknown

Ferraro, The Cultural Dimension of International Business

"One of the byproducts of a successful "One of the byproducts of a successful adjustment to the host culture is that our old adjustment to the host culture is that our old notions of our culture will never again be the notions of our culture will never again be the

same. After one lives for a while in Switzerland same. After one lives for a while in Switzerland or Germany, the U.S. no longer seems to be the or Germany, the U.S. no longer seems to be the epitome of cleanliness; when compared to the epitome of cleanliness; when compared to the

Japanese, the typical American seems loud and Japanese, the typical American seems loud and boisterous; after a stint in a developing nation, boisterous; after a stint in a developing nation,

people in the U.S. seem rushed and impersonal. people in the U.S. seem rushed and impersonal. Somehow home isn't what one had remembered."Somehow home isn't what one had remembered."


Topics Covered: Review Your Topics Covered: Review Your Materials CarefullyMaterials Carefully

• Culture Shock

• Stages of Cultural Shock

• Alleviating Cultural Shock

• Aspects of Cultural Shock• Relationships and Family Considerations

• Public and Private Self


Case 1Case 1

Larry was sent to Japan to represent his company and wanted to make

a good impression on his Japanese hosts. He immediately asked

them to call him by his first name and told several humorous

stories intended to break the ice. He brought along gifts containing

his company’s logo and asked about the state of the Japanese

economy. Larry got the impression that things were no going well

and that he many have behaved inappropriately. What advice

would you give him?


Case 2Case 2

Karl, his wife, and five- year- old son were

completing a three- year assignment in Brazil

and were scheduled to return to the United

States in a month. Karl would return to work at

the home office in Chicago. What should Karl

and his family do to lessen the shock of

returning to their home culture?


Case 3Case 3

Frank’s company was planning to enter the Mexican market and had sent him to meet with Juan,

the manager of the firm with which they planned to establish a partnership. They agreed to

meet for lunch at 2 p.m. at a restaurant in Mexico City. At 2:30, Frank, thinking he had

misunderstood the time or place, was leaving when he encountered Juan, who did not

apologyze for being late. Juan then ordered a special brandy for them and proceeded to talk

about the local museums, churches, and other points of interest. Frank indicated that he did not

have time to visit local sites and was anxious to discuss their proposed business partnership.

When the brandy arrived, Frank declined, saying he did not drink alcoholic beverage during

the day. Each time Frank tried to turn the discussion to business, Juan immediately changed

the subject to other topics, including inquiring about Frank’s family and personal life. At the

end of the two- hour lunch, no business had been discussed. Frank returned to the United

States the following day and reported to his supervisor that the Mexican firm apparently had

no interest in the proposed partnership. How could Frank have better prepared himself for the

cultural shock he experienced?


Case 4Case 4

Janice Davis, a marketing representative for a U.S. firm, was looking

forward to her assignment in Japan because she had visited the

country on one occasion. However, her anticipation quickly turned

to frustration. Because all stores signs were in Japanese, she didn’t

know where to buy even a broom. Directions and instructions for

using appliances were in Japanese. How could Janice have better

prepared herself for the cultural shock she experienced?


CasesCases