Cultural Differences and People Management - Essay Example

Introduction In recent years, globalisation has increased worldwide. Companies have and continue to invest abroad, which has eventually led to opening of world markets for numerous economic sectors dealing with goods and/or services. Today, it is common to find many foreigners in a single country, who have relocated to the place in line with work domains or even educational purposes. Globally, men are known to be the majority of those involved in international mobility, simply because for a long time, organisations and businesses had been reluctant in assigning women international tasks. However, the current situation is showing a change in the mind set and work domain involving women; from a survey conducted by the ORC worldwide, as of 2008, the ratio of men to women assigned to work overseas was 83.5: 16.5, the number being quite low for women, but a growth of 2.5 % from the previous survey conducted in 2002 (European PWN, n.d). Some would consider it fun to move into a new place, but the reality dawns on them once they are there. International mobility and repatriation requires a lot of resources, ranging from time for planning to financial support, to facilitate smooth transit into the new environment. Apart from work purposes for mobility, the other large group who feel the pressure of international mobility are the vast number of international exchange students. The jostle for any of these groups extends from issues of administrative management dealing with the countries of destination, and expatriate support in the moving out and settling in new environments, to cultural shock and adjustment. It has never been easy, but it calls for the foreigner (employee or student) to be flexible enough to cope with the new life. Depending on the organization one is involved, there could be welcome activities that ease up the tension and familiarize new settlers in a place. Students studying overseas have experienced this programs based on the different international exchange student groups and the admitting institutions. However, whether these people have moved in temporarily or permanently, the multifaceted experience in the unfamiliar environment, way of life, and transition in the different cultures, results to serious influences and implications. Cultural Shock It occurs in different ways among people who encounter unfamiliar situations, or any happening that was not expected in a mix with different cultures. Based on the profound personal experience in the environment, it could reoccur differently immediately after settling or later in the adjustment period, as people would be forced to respond to the changes in situations. Due to its way of emergence, some people argue it as one event happening, but the majority view it as a process. According to Furnham, culture shock depict unpleasant effects as surprises or shock experienced after touring or living in different cultures, because the occurrence were unexpected and could lead to negative evaluation of the diverse (own and new) cultures (2005). The shock is experienced by those in mobility, whether internationally or within the region or society (such as organisation restructuring and population social changes), highly skilled or less skilled, but facing unfamiliar environments of cultural context. However, there are minor situations that make one less affected or perhaps not experience the cultural shock; this depends on the previous experiences in other cultures, the variation of one’s culture and the newly available, one’s preparation (psychologically and resourcefully) before and/or after encountering unfamiliar culture, which all influence the degree of the culture shock and individuals reactions. Basically, cultural shock arises from the stress and anxiety that a sojourner undergoes in the new culture, which causes confusion and disorientation in the individuals’ life, simply because they have part ways with the cultural and social rules they are accustomed to. It is one major problem which prevents successful adaptation of the international students, affecting not only their settling, but also their entire performance if not careful. Remember that culture is a complex entity entailing more than belief, knowledge, law, customs, morals, capabilities, and habits that individuals’ acquire in association to a particular society. In the same manner, college or university students in foreign nations, where the culture is different from their own, will be affected by the new cultural issues they meet. They have to deal with the differences in the non verbal communication and language barriers, let alone the written rules, which complicate their stay. According to Patron, language shock is one of the core ingredients of culture shock that makes the sojourner to be humbled by the foreign cultural experiences, due to lack of the crucial element of communication (2007). It could adversely affect educational performance, considering it is a reason for studying abroad; being part of the language factor in cultural shock, the students fail in interaction and understanding the lessons, as a result of poor proficiency in the spoken language. The culture shock has several aspects in association, including rejection (either from both or single parties), a feeling of impotence, arising from failure to cope in the new surrounding, feeling deprived and lost because the friends, family, or closer allies are absent, confusion in general in the event of dealing with new signs, meanings, and expectations in various roles, anxiety, surprises to an extent of hostility in the nature of cultural differences, and finally strain while struggling to adapt (Furnham, 2005). Most of these features occur easily, because the foreigners miss the referencing points or social norms that would assist in streamlining their conduct to match, and enhance understanding of peoples’ culture in the new environment. According to Winkelman, culture shock will occur in four sequential stages; the honeymoon, crisis, adjustment, and adaptation phases; honeymoon stage demonstrate an experience full of curiosity, excitement, idealization of the new cultures and positive expectations, just like a typical tourist, crisis stage portray a series of problems and difficulties due to the arising challenges and negative experiences, causing agitating and frustrating reactions that lead to self blame and criticizing of the new culture due to minor issues (2001). Adaptation is the last stage, characterised with an entry of comfortable state in dealing with the diverse cultures, effectively managing the conflicts and achieving biculturality, due to the personal change and integration of new cultural aspect. This final stage occurs after constructive reaction to the cultural shock, leading to assimilation into the new culture; the preceding adjustment stage is discussed in the concept below. Cultural Adjustment Cultural adjustment is a critical phase marking the reintegration period into the new cultures. Most people fail to reach the phase, and end up moving back home in the event of crisis stage. According to Dowling, Festing, and Engle, when dealing with international human resource management, key factors like length of assignment, willingness to move, and work environment related issues could affect the cultural adjustment in social and corporate settings (2008). It is a concept involved in learning how to adjust to the cultures, which allows individuals to reorient themselves as they adapt or isolate with time. It is also a cyclical process that occurs with each different situation, and its success depends on how individuals, families, and companies in foreign environments handle it. The influential causes of intercultural adjustment occur within the environment (family adjustment and host country’s culture novelty), individual (personality characteristics and self efficacy) and organisation (promotion, assignment length, organisation cultures, compensation and benefits), which all contribute to the interaction, work, and general living adjustments of the expatriates (Selmer, 1995). Once the pull up from the crisis stage ends and conforming comes in, individuals terminate anger towards the new culture, instead become flexible, replacing the negative energy with positive one to distinguish the good and bad elements in both new and old culture, enhancing ways of solving the emerging adjustment difficulties. At this phase, confusion minimizes and a broad understanding of the new culture brings more sense in realization of the causes of conflicts previously experienced. One begins to appreciate the cultures and challenges, leading to development of a balanced perspective, which assists the person to interpret the home and new cultures (Pedersen, 1995). The destination countries, companies and institutions, and foreign affairs ministries have come up with programs to increase ability to adjust to the work, learning, or social settings for the immigrants. For example, employers and organisations can help in the cultural adjustment of the employees and emigrants, through volunteer services of expatriates employees with a longer experience working abroad, to welcome or accommodate a visiting family and assist them in their adjustment (Dowling, Festing and Engle , 2008). The entire classification of the phases of culture shock falls in the stage theory of intercultural communication. Consequences for International Mobility in Organisations Cross cultural management issues. The issue has been hampering employees and individuals’ acceptance of assignments to work across the border. With the expansion of international trade and markets, companies are forming joint ventures and strategic mergers to capture a bigger share of the global market, in sale and production operations. Of course, any global competition would need an innovative and productive team work to run the companies’ eras; however, if development of such a team from the same culture to work in one site takes ages and substantial resources, what about a teamwork of people distributed across different cultures, time zones, and regions? (Tjosvold and Leung, 2003). The management currently faces the challenge of ensuring that the people from the diverse cultures work together effectively, eliminating the conflicts that arise from cultural differences, and extending beyond the traditional approaches of organisation management to incorporate heterogeneous cultures, and ideas that effectively contribute to the international organisations. When alliances fail, employees refer to issues of HRM, communication, inter group conflicts, and identity and ego clashes arising from cultural diversity (Rajdev, 2011). Due to the strain experienced by the employees after arrival in new cultural environments, the management has to plan effectively for the resource support, from accommodation to finances, especially when dealing developed nations as destinations to avoid further economic crisis. Management have to critically analyse the selection criteria of those approved to represent them across different cultures, not to waste their resources on unwilling or reluctant employees who are not up for the challenges. They also have to identify the cultural diversity of their employees, and use the values within to accommodate the differences and change the outlook of the organisation. Positive economic impact. It often occurs after culture adjustment for sojourners, either in the new culture or after reverse culture back home. People have different reasons as to why they move, some like in developing countries could be involuntary reasons, and while elsewhere it could be search of intellectual opportunities or educational pursuit. The highly skilled migrants cause issues of human capital loss in their sending countries, but increase the resource and stimulate innovation capacity in host countries (OECD, 2002). The international dissemination of information and knowledge could also boost the economies through investment, research, entrepreneurship, and training in the different cultures, whose benefit could be realised in the long run. Taking the benefits of university foreign students into consideration, research shows that after experiencing the culture shock and effectively adjusting, the foreigners adapt to the way of life, rules, and conditions in the host countries, for them to be recruited since they are the potential labour force. The United States has been one recruiting nation of such students who end up staying permanently. Generally, if well handled, culture shock and adjustment could generate innovation and productivity in organisations, as people portray their talents and ideas in the public. Unpleasant effects. These possible outcome occurs due lack of proper preparation from families, sending organisations and individual mindsets. Even though preparation does not prevent culture shock, it equips individuals with ways of handling such situations, leaving room for flexibility and adjustment, simply because one knows what to expect and not. Mead and Andrews mention states of low energy levels, depression, alienation, homesick, frustration, resentment and solitary activities (2009). The experience occurs as a result of the cultural stress which is an expected challenge, causing minor issues that develop into serious conflicts with the new cultures and environment. According to a survey conducted in Melbourne University of Australia, the international students showed evidence of distress, homesickness, discomfort, and loneliness among others, affecting their interaction and connection with the institution (Thomson, Rosenthal and Russell, 2006). Often, people retuning home from work in overseas do not anticipate any difficulty; hence their arrival has to meet new demands, power, economic and financial adjustment, and reaction by others, which could hinder association like before. According to Ward, Bochner and Furnham, adjustment and satisfaction processes of expatriates in western countries experience lesser challenges, than those working in intense culture environments of developing countries, like those in Africa (2001). The effects generally affect the performance of the businesses and organisations established around the globe, since those operating them have to face such harsh and perhaps unexpected realities, to generate positive feedback not only to themselves but to the organisations. The psychological disorientation would affect the businessmen or students in unfamiliar cultures from effectively solving existing problems, and making correct decisions when need be. Conclusion International mobility in organisation has its advantages, which are of benefit to both the assigned individuals and the sending organisations. However, the realisations of these benefits have to depend on the prior and after activities of the culture shock, and its adjustment by the employers and the employees. Otherwise, the resources invested in the mobility process could result into a waste, if the culture shock and adjustment is not prepared and handled effectively. Cross cultural management will require the organisation and its leadership to effectively understand the people’s culture, to develop a better platform of operation and its teamwork. It is these cross cultural issues that have to be managed for the organisation to reap the benefits. Bibliography Dowling, P. J., Festing, M and Engle, A., 2008. International Human Resource Management. 5th ed. London: Thompson learning. European PWN, n.d. The Rapidly Changing Face of International Mobility. [online] Available at: [Accessed 29 January 2013]. Furnham, A., 2005. The Psychology of Behavior at Work: The Individual in the Organisation. 2nd ed. East Sussex: Psychological press  Mead, R., and Andrews, T. G., 2009. International Management. 5th ed. West Sussex: Wiley & Sons publishers. OECD. 2002. The International Mobility of Highly Skilled. Available at: [Accessed 29 January 2013].  Patron, M., 2007. Culture and Identity in Study Abroad Contexts: After Australia, French without France. Bern: Peter Lang AG, International Academic Publishers. Pedersen, P., 1995. The Five Stages of Culture Shock: Critical Incidents around the World. Westport: Greenwood publishing group. Rajdev, R., 2011. Culture shock is the Difficulty People have Adjusting to a New Culture that Differs Markedly from their Own. Available at: [Accessed 29 January 2013]. Selmer, J., ed., 1995. Expatriate Management: New Ideas for International Business. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group. Thomson, G., Rosenthal, D., and Russell. J., 2006. Cultural Stress among International Students at an Australian University. Available at: [Accessed 29 January 2013] Tjosvold, D., and Leung, K., 2003. Cross-Cultural Management: Foundations and Future. Hampshire: Ashgate publishing limited. Ward, C. A., Bochner, S., and Furnham, A., 2001. The Psychology of Culture Shock. East Sussex: Routledge. Winkelman, M., 2001.Cultural Shock and Adaptation, Journal of Counselling and development, Vol 73(2), 121-126 [e-journal] Available through: PsycINFO database Doi: 10.1002/j.1556-6676.1994.tb01723.x [Accessed 29 January 2013]. Read More