Culture Shock, Acculturation, and Adjustment Notes
Culture Shock
Culture shock is the unpleasant experience of disorientation when entering another culture, rooted in psychological processes. It involves feelings of confusion, frustration, and elation. Antecedents include motivational orientation, personal expectations, cultural and sociocultural distance, and personality attributes.
Culture Shock Adaptation Theories
U-curve (Oberg, 1960): Stages include honeymoon, crisis, adaptation, and at-home.
W-curve (Gullahorn & Gullahorn, 1963): Expands the U-curve to include reverse culture shock upon returning home.
Psychological Responses to Cultural Contact
Assimilation: Rejecting the culture of origin and embracing the second culture.
Separation: Rejecting the second culture and exaggerating the first culture.
Marginalization: Vacillating between two cultures, perceiving norms as incompatible.
Integration: Synthesizing both cultures, perceiving norms as capable of being integrated.
Effects of Culture Shock
Short term: fatigue, anger, fear for health, fear of being cheated.
Longer term: Disengagement, alcohol/drug abuse.
Culture Shock in the Workplace
International managers face cultural patterns that may conflict with their own values. They experience culture shock at emotional, thinking, and social levels.
Consequences of Culture Shock in the Workplace
On the job role: Role ambiguity and conflict.
On others: Poor communication, lack of social support, discrimination.
On the wider organization: Poor communication, lack of control, lack of consultation.
Acculturation / Adaptation
Acculturation: Internal processes of change when immigrants contact the host culture.
Berry's acculturation strategies: Assimilation, separation, integration, and marginalization.
Employer Support
Includes arranging offsite duties, cultural training programs and increased social interactions.
Person-Environment Fit
Potential synergy between a person and their environment based on matching values and positive perceptions. Judgments of situations as threat or opportunity affect coping mechanisms and long-term effects.