CULTURE SHOCK

Culture Shock

Culture Shock

Cultural Shock-Definition

Cultural shock is a condition of confusion and anxiety affecting a person suddenly exposed to an alien culture or milieu.

Cultural Shocks

The term culture shock was first introduced by anthropologist Kalervo Oberg in the late 1950s. Oberg (1960) defined it as a "disease" suffered by individuals living in a new cultural environment. According to Oberg, culture shock resulted from the loss of wellknown cultural signs and symbols, causing individuals to experience anxiety, frustration, and helplessness. (Adle, 2005, 13) The term culture shockhas been repeatedly redefined and renamed in the literature. For example , culture shock has been referred to as cross-cultural adjustment, culture learning and cultural adjustment stress. Despite its multiple definitions, researchers seem to agree that culture shock refers to the multiple demands for adjustment that individuals experience at the cognitive, behavioral, emotional, social, and physiological levels, when they relocate to another culture.

Four major approaches have been used to explain the etiology of culture shock. These approaches offer cognitive, behavioral, phenomenological, as well as psychological and sociocultural explanations of culture shock. Proponents of the cognitive approach to culture shock postulate that cross-cultural adjustment depends upon individuals' ability to make correct attributions about the cultural values, beliefs, behaviors, and norms of the new society. They ineffectively use their own cultures as the standard for interpreting, judging, and behaving in the new culture. For example, according to Furnham, Bochner, individuals from collectivist societies (e.g., Mexico, Philippines) tend to place greater value on behaviors promoting in-group interdependence and in-group goals, individuals from individualist societies (e.g., United States, Great Britain) are likely to endorse behaviors related to independence from the in-group and to individual goals. Thus, individuals from collectivist societies may interpret independence from the in-group, for example, as a sign of disrespect for the social group. In contrast, those from individualist societies may interpret the same behavior as a sign of maturity. (Adle, 2005, 13)

From 1945 onwards, international business operations have become reality for a multitude of corporations. A profuse number of these companies' initial efforts began as simple exporting operations. Throughout this period, till present day however, international ventures have become increasingly more complex through joint ventures to purchasing existing foreign firms to 'Greenfield' undertakings.

While exporting generally requires no more than extended business trips in foreign affairs, there are numerous more complex international activities which demand long-term assignments of preferably well suited employees to execute management outside their home country. These international sojourners have diversified roles, ranging from supervision, implementing corporate operations to transfer of technology to imparting corporate culture and strategy. (Adle, 2005, 13)

What would usually be considered 'normal' business behaviour in one country can become somewhat perplexing when mimicked in another. Upon closer scrutiny, there are vast differences between individuals and organisations from different cultures. At first glance, particular concepts appear to be universal, but in fact are the opposite in respect to the values and assumptions of people are shaped by their culture, these cultural differences influence the international management of business ...