Minimizing Culture Shock

1
Minimizing Culture Shock
UNCG United Nations Consulting Group
Adapted from Breaking Through Culture Shock
Elisabeth Marx, 2001
2
Expatriate Related Recommendations

• Dont let culture shock take you by surprise
• Allow time to find out about it before you leave
  for your assignment. Learn to recognize the
  symptoms and their potential impact.
• Visit the location for a week or so to get a
  first hand experience of what to expect.
• If possible, speak with somebody who has first
  hand experience in the location and/or different
  cultures.
• If possible, speak with a native of the country
  to let you know about any norms and other general
  need to know information
• Make a careful analysis of your system of
  support to lessen impact of culture shock.
• Analyzing your history of adapting to new
  situation helping you identify your individual
  and relational strategies
• Enabling you to see your patterns as well as
  your unique sources of social support.
• Taking an empathetic perspective i.e. see the
  world as the other person sees it.
• As soon as you arrive in your new location
• Identify all the opportunities for building
  support networks with other
• international managers and with local people.
• Try to set up a mentoring program with your
  company.
• Try to find someone who understands your culture
  and the host culture, and ask them about some of
  your concerns.
• Ask other international managers for guidance on
  the issues and problems to look out for
• Learn from their experience.
• Maintain contact with your ethnic group. This
  will give you a feeling of belonging and you will
  reduce your feeling of loneliness and alienation.

3

• Expect the same symptoms to reoccur when you come
  home
• Reverse culture shock is normal.
• Talk to your company about the possibility to
  offer an orientation program upon
  your return to address your concerns.

Family Related Recommendations

• If you are going abroad with your family, get
  your family involved in a cross-cultural
  training. Pay attention to them! They will be
  your support and they will need your support in
  difficult times.
• Pay attention to relationships with your family
  and at work. They will serve as support for you
  in difficult times.
• Before your repatriation, talk to your family
  about the possibility of experiencing reverse
  culture shock. Talk to your company about the
  possibility to receive an orientation program an
  orientation program upon your return to address
  your concerns.
• .

New Culture Related Recommendations

• Expect culture shock to happen irrespective of
  location. It is as likely to occur in a country
  near to your home base, as in other further
  places.
• Understand that one culture is not better or
  worse than another, they are just different
  from each other.
• Be sensitive to cultural differences try to
  identify and understand distinctions between
  cultures, such as variations in family
  relationships, government, religion, education,
  and economic practices.
• Try to understand the historic, political,
  educational, and economic background of the host
  culture well enough to interpret current news
  events and social problems.
• Maintain contact with the new culture. Learn the
  language. If possible, volunteer in community
  activities that allow you to practice the
  language. Speak the foreign language as often as
  possible.