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COURSE NOTES

CIS 602

SUPPORTING

INTERNATIONAL

ASSIGNMENTS

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Table of Contents

PART 1. INTERNATIONAL ASSIGNMENTS........................................................................1

Types of International Assignments............................................................................................ 1Nature of Assignments.................................................................................................................. 2J ob / Assignee Profiles.................................................................................................................. 3

PART 2: SUPPORTING INTERNATIONAL ASSIGNMENTS............................................. 5Objectives of Support for International Assignments............................................................... 5Stages and Elements of International Assignment Support ..................................................... 5

PART 3. EXAMPLES OF INTERCULTURAL TRAINING FOR INTERNATIONALASSIGNMENTS.........................................................................................................................10

Centre for Intercultural Learning (CIL) Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada................................................................................................................................................... 10Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam (KIT)............................................................................10Corporate Examples................................................................................................................... 11International Student Programs................................................................................................ 12UBCs Centre for Intercultural Communication (CIC)..........................................................12

PART 4. OTHER KEY ELEMENTS OF SUPPORT FOR INTERNATIONALASSIGNMENTS.........................................................................................................................14Language Training..................................................................................................................... 14Local Cultural Adaptation Support..........................................................................................14

Modes of Training....................................................................................................................... 14Evaluation.................................................................................................................................... 15Monitoring................................................................................................................................... 16Culture Shock and Cross-Cultural Adjustment......................................................................16

PART 5. RESOURCES..............................................................................................................21

UBC Centre for Intercultural Communication 2008.04

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CIS602: Supporting International Assignments 1

Part 1. International Assignments

Types of International AssignmentsThere are two ways to categorize international assignments:

Who is going where?

What are their tasks?

Who Goes Where

Expatriation

People are assigned to another country.Inpatriation

People from another country come here on assignment.Repatriation

People return to their own country.International Events

People gather from many countries in one place fora specific purpose (Olympics, InternationalConference, etc.)

Assignment Task, Duration, and Scope

Permanent Postings

A company moves its operations or a department from the home country to the host country.The employees move to the host country and work as a local contract or local hire there.

Long-Term Postings

A person goes on an assignment of not less than one year, up to four years or so.Short-Term Projects and Assignments

People work overseas for less than one year.


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2 CIS602: Supporting International Assignments

Regular Commuters

Because of their diverse functions or roles, people go on short trips regularly or periodically.Ad Hoc

An individual or team of people is brought together to resolve an incident or to accomplish aspecial task.Virtual

Unlike traditional assignments, people work on the international assignment via video-conferencing, teleconferencing, phones, internet and computers.

Other

Special projects involving international participants from small to large scale: i.e. Olympics,Conferences, Symposiums, Relief Projects.

Nature of Assignments

International Business

International business assignments involve participation in commercial activities that take placeacross national boundaries. The term covers a spectrum from import/export trading activities tothe management of global enterprises.

International Educational Exchange Programs

These programs promote international understanding and cultural awareness within an academicsetting. International students come to our country, or our students and/or faculty travel toanother culture; in either case people make new friends, strive for success in differenteducational settings, and experience political influences and cultural diversities within the hostcommunity.

Student Internships

An internship is an extended period of work experience, typically of 12 to 16 months duration,that is an integral part of a program of post-secondary study. University and community collegestudents are employed in settings that provide work experience directly related to their academic

programs and career objectives. The setting is usually a manufacturing or service company, but itmay also be a government, university or college laboratory.

International Research Projects

These are projects involving faculty and/or students (usually graduate students) who conducttheir research with international associates, partners or in international teams. Often such projects


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involve government funding and support. Research often requires travel and long distancecommunications.

Government Assignments and Projects

These include diplomatic postings and personnel who are placed in government offices aroundthe world. Individuals may go from one international posting to another and in a short period oftime be exposed to the process of adjusting to a new environment while representing their homecountry. Activities may also include international development projects.

Diplomatic Postings

Governments send representatives to countries with which they have diplomatic relations. Somepeople (and their families) spend their working lives moving back and forth between their homecountrys capital city and their countrys missions abroad.

Development Projects

In Canada, for example, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) is responsiblefor implementing Canadas official development assistance program. CIDAs mandate isSupporting sustainable development, reducing poverty and providing humanitarian assistance inorder to promote a more secure, equitable and prosperous world (www.acdi-cida.gc.ca) Ingeneral, rather than directly recruiting people, CIDA solicits proposals from private sector,institutional, and NGO partners to implement its development projects overseas.

Non-Governmental Organizations, Volunteer Projects and Assignments

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are funded by private individuals or groups for thepursuit of common aims. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation andDevelopment (OECD), they must be funded by private individuals; be independent of states; beoriented toward the rule of law; pursue public rather than private interests as an objective;demonstrate a transnational scope of activities; and possess a minimal organizational structure.Examples would be Mdecins sans Frontires, CARE (and CARE Canada), and the InternationalCommittee of the Red Cross.

J ob / Assignee Profiles

In order to effectively support candidates for international assignments, it is essential to conducta proper needs assessment that clearly distinguishes between the many roles, functions andassignee profiles. Thus, to determine the training and support required by a candidate, it isimportant to consider the following:

http://www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/http://www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/

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Level

Student Faculty Senior management Junior management / professionals Supervisory Technicians Administrative TraineesTask and Role

Academic Study Exchange Teaching Exchange Research Research Team Conference ParticipantCorporate/Organization/Institution

Start up Filling a position Replacement Technology transfer Career developmentGroup / Family Structure

Expatriates from the following categories face different hurdles and require different support

strategies: Single With partner With children Single parent


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Live-in dependent parents With team members

Part 2: Supporting International AssignmentsThis course is designed from the perspective of those who provide support for groups orindividuals involved in international work, study, research or event planning. Through the coursewe will explore features of intercultural training, ongoing support, and organizational structurethat can support international assignments not only for individuals, but also for their families, fortheir local colleagues or partners, and for the home organization.

Objectives of Support for International Assignments

In supporting peoples international assignments, the objective is to help assignees to accomplish

their international mission with appropriate strategies and resources by supporting their adjustment to the new work or study environment assisting them to identify appropriate strategies and resources to get things done in the new

work or study environment helping them to communicate effectively across cultures.Stages and Elements of International Assignment Support

1. Analysis / Needs Assessment

In order to assess the requirements of an international assignment and the kinds of supportrequired, it is necessary to explore the tasks, the people involved, and the appropriate strategies.

An assessment provides project organizers with crucial information about logistics, scope,expectations and requirements for training.

Task (what to do? when? time? who does what task?) People (who is involved? who needs support?) Strategy (what processes will work? what needs to be done when?)


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S

T P

Tim

Task

What is required?

Time frame?

Experience?

Skills?

People

Who is involved?

Who reports to whom?

What are the roles?

What are the previous relationships and experiences?

What are the status levels, perceived or ascribed?

Who is evaluating and what are they evaluating?

Interests of People within Corporation/Academic Institution/Organization

To accomplish the taskTo match the knowledge exchange objectives(refer to CIS606: Exchanging Knowledge Across Cultures)

To be financially sound


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To meet human resource requirements and build positive working environments

To keep positive and sustainable community links

Personal (including spouse and family)

Culture shock and adjustment

Communication problems and solutions(refer to CIS501: Foundations and CIS 502: Skills)

Practical logistics of living and working

Strategy

Determine how success will be measured.

Determine whether different stakeholders will have different measures of success.

Establish the intensity of the assignment in relation to language demands, professionalrequirements, isolation, etc.

Determine who has the required experience, skills, or knowledge.

For Consideration in the Needs Assessment

Matches and Mismatches: Candidates Previous Experience and Cultural Environment of theAssignment

Relationships

Focuses on whether an organization places primary importance on completing a job versusdevoting time to building relationships among business associates.

Time

Measures the degree to which a society believes an individual can focus on one or more tasksand evaluates the importance of personal relationships versus adherence to schedules.

Communication

Addresses the way societies communicate, including the use of non-verbal gestures.

Hierarchy

Measures the way individuals interact with one another within an organizational hierarchy.


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Status Attainment

Measures the importance of personal achievement and accomplishment to an overall sense ofwell-being.

Space

Views how individuals in societies use space to define themselves, including spatial distancesused when speaking, as well as the amount of space needed for comfort in business and livingenvironments.

Group Dependence

Measures the importance of the individual versus the group in diverse social and businesssituations.

Roles and Status: Achieved and Ascribed

Defines how roles, power, and authority are associated with each gender. Also measures theattitude towards others who are different in race, religion, country-of-origin, etc. It can alsomeasure different attitudes toward the same profession.

Change Tolerance

Identifies group responses to change, the need for rules, and the ability to take risks. Alsomeasures the perception of how much control we have over our destiny.

2. Selection

Candidate Selection (Profiling and Screening)

Language proficiency

Cultural compatibility and adaptability

Professional experience, skills and knowledge

Family considerations

Expectations

3. Preparation

Initiation

Negotiation


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Needs assessment

Planning

Scheduling

Screening

4. Intercultural Training

There are various types of training, e.g. predeparture, on-arrival, on-going support, pre-return,and re-entry/post-assignment training programs. These vary by objectives, content,mode/pedagogy, and schedule of training.

Cultural awareness Cultural adaptation Intercultural communication skills Country- and area-specific briefings Knowledge transfer across cultures5. Language Training

Language acquisition (level of proficiency required)

Working with translators and interpreters

6. Local Cross-Cultural Adaptation Support

On-arrival orientation

Building a multicultural working environment

Cultural interpreters / informants

Support groups

7. Performance Monitoring and Evaluation

Training program evaluation

Trainer / service-provider performance evaluation

Candidate performance monitoring

Overall evaluation


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Part 3. Examples of Intercultural Training for InternationalAssignments

Centre for Intercultural Learning (CIL)

Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada

From their website: www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/cfsi-icse//cil-cai/ :

Simply stated, an interculturally effective person is someone who is able to live contentedly andwork successfully in another culture. Taken a little further, the interculturally effective personhas three main attributes:

an ability to communicate with people of another culture in a way that earns their respect andtrust

the capacity to adapt his/her professional skills (both technical and managerial) to fit localconditions and constraints

the capacity to adjust personally so that s/he is content and generally at ease in the hostculture

The Centre for Intercultural Learning has researched and identified a very specific set ofcompetencies and behaviours exhibited by an interculturally effective person. These are outlinedand explained in theProfile of the Interculturally Effective Person (IEP).

The IEP provides a comprehensive behaviour-based outline of the skills, knowledge andattitudes required for successfully living and working in another culture. It also forms the basisfor the Centre'scourses and workshops.

The Centre for Intercultural Learning offers a broad range of courses and workshops to meet theneeds of an international workforce. Whether you're relocating, travelling internationally onbusiness trips, coming back to Canada after working abroad or hosting international colleagues,our services will help you develop the necessary intercultural competencies to ensure success.

Royal Tropical I nstitute, Amsterdam (KIT)

From their website: http://www.kit.nl/

Our mission

The Royal Tropical Institute (KIT) is an independent centre of knowledge and expertise in theareas of international and intercultural cooperation. The aims of KIT are to contribute tosustainable development, poverty alleviation, and cultural preservation and exchange. Within theNetherlands, it seeks to promote interest in and support for these issues.

http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/cfsi-icse//cil-cai/http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/cfsi-icse/cil-cai/courses_workshops-en.asp?lvl=4http://www.kit.nl/http://www.kit.nl/http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/cfsi-icse/cil-cai/courses_workshops-en.asp?lvl=4http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/cfsi-icse//cil-cai/

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KIT conducts research, organizes training activities, and provides consultancy andinformation services. Central to KITs approach is the elaboration of practical expertise inpolicy development and implementation. KIT stewards cultural heritage, organizesexhibitions and other cultural events, and provides a venue for meetings and debate.

A key objective underlying KITs work is to enhance and exchange knowledge of andunderstanding for different cultures.

KIT is a not-for-profit organization that works for both the public and the private sector incollaboration with partners in the Netherlands and abroad.

KIT Intercultural Management and Communication

Within both profit and non-profit organizations we provide individual managers, teams andbusiness units with practice-oriented training, advice and coaching regarding multicultural andinternational cooperation, and with integrated language and culture programmes;

We provide the international business world with management consultancy and assistance in theimplementation of corporate identity and the development and coaching of corporateresponsibility.

What is our approach?

Our aim is to build bridges between cultures. In this process we not only focus on organizationalissues relating to culture, management and cooperation, but also on such human elements ashumour and emotions. Our approach takes account of both rational and non-rational factors. Andwe dont just leave it at talking, but are sure to put you to work.

Our methods include:

Business seminars, lectures and edutainment programs on building bridges betweendifferent cultures;

Tailor-made consultancy programs focussing on specific management issues; Personal coaching and training focussing on individual management challenges. Family programs addressing the challenges of expatriate family life; Integrated language and culture trainings.Corporate Examples

Do an Internet search of intercultural training or relocation for an idea of the number ofcompanies and institutions world-wide that provide training and support to firms whose

personnel are moving around the globe.

An American company, GMAC Global Relocation Services, has published an interesting report:Global Relocation Trends, 2005 Survey Report, available from their websitewww.gmacglobalrelocation.com/insight_support/global_relocation.asp. Here is an excerpt:

http://www.gmacglobalrelocation.com/insight_support/global_relocation.asphttp://www.gmacglobalrelocation.com/insight_support/global_relocation.asp

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Cultural and Family Issues

81% of companies provided cross-cultural preparation. 57% made it available in certaincountries, 13% at employee request, and 4% by grade of employee.

Formal cross-cultural training was mandatory at 20% of companies the lowestpercentage in the surveys history. 73% rated it as having great or high value.

29% of respondents used CD-based or web-based crosscultural programs the highestpercentage in this surveys history. Of those who use them, 62% rate them as havinggreat or high value much higher than last year.

35% of respondents trained expatriates in the company code of conduct. The most critical family challenges were spousal resistance, childrens education, and

family adjustment.

The top reasons for assignment refusal were family concerns, compensation, spousescareer, and employee career aspirations. 73% of respondents supported spouses with language training, 43% provided

education/training assistance, and 33% sponsored work permits.

8% of responding companies assisted expatriates with elderly family members.International Student Programs

There are some wonderful examples in Canadian universities of international student program

websites, resources, and case studies for intercultural training as well as facts, logistics andpolicies. Some examples of these are those at Thompson Rivershttp://www.truworld.ca/gmc_tru.htm, Guelphwww.uoguelph.ca/cip/ , Yorkwww.yorku.ca/yorkint/, Queenswww.queensu.ca/quic/home.htm, and UBCwww.students.ubc.ca/global/ .

Faculties and departments have sector-specific information. There are also wonderful resourcesavailable from Co-op Programs across the country. Other excellent resources include: CBIE(Canadian Bureau of International Education) www.cbie.ca, as well as the CEC Networkwww.cecnetwork.ca with centres located in many cities around the world. NAFSAwww.nafsa.org is the US-based association of international educators. There is also theCBIE/UBC website for pre-departure Youth Internship Training developed several years ago and

adaptable for other groupshttp://www2.cstudies.ubc.ca/~cbie/intro.htm .

UBCs Centre for Intercultural Communication (CIC)

From our website on training and support for international assignments in the section onprograms for international assignments - http://cic.cstudies.ubc.ca/index.html

http://www.truworld.ca/gmc_tru.htmhttp://www.uoguelph.ca/cip/http://www.yorku.ca/yorkint/http://www.queensu.ca/quic/home.htmhttp://www.students.ubc.ca/global/http://www.cbie.ca/http://www.cecnetwork.ca/http://www.nafsa.org/http://www2.cstudies.ubc.ca/~cbie/intro.htmhttp://cic.cstudies.ubc.ca/index.htmlhttp://cic.cstudies.ubc.ca/index.htmlhttp://www2.cstudies.ubc.ca/~cbie/intro.htmhttp://www.nafsa.org/http://www.cecnetwork.ca/http://www.cbie.ca/http://www.students.ubc.ca/global/http://www.queensu.ca/quic/home.htmhttp://www.yorku.ca/yorkint/http://www.uoguelph.ca/cip/http://www.truworld.ca/gmc_tru.htm

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Moving overseas can be an exciting yet exhausting and anxious time. Our intercultural trainingsessions will help you or your organizations employees and their families make a smoothtransition to their new environment, and succeed in their international assignment. Our programsallow all participants to:

learn about the host country gain invaluable knowledge about host-country systems and business practices understand the behaviours of your foreign counterparts apply principles for effective intercultural negotiations establish and build successful working relationshipsPre-Departure Briefings

This program is for internationally bound employees, managers and their families. Participants inthis program will:

learn about the host country to which they are being relocated (health, education, climate,safety; history and religion; political and social environment) gain invaluable knowledge about host-country systems and business practices

understand the behaviours of their foreign counterparts apply principles for effective intercultural negotiations establish and build successful working relationshipsOn-Site Cross-Cultural Adaptation Training

This program is for foreign national employees, managers and their families who are relocatingto Canada for short- and long-term periods. Participants in this program will:

transition and adapt more quickly to their new Canadian environment learn about Canadian business practices and management styles enhance communication between you and your Canadian colleagues practice interacting in social and workplace settings become familiar with British Columbias education system know how to access community resources and services increase their confidence in their ability to live and work in CanadaReturn Briefings

This program is for employees, managers and their families that are returning to their homecountry after having lived and worked abroad on international assignment. Participants in this

program will: Transition and re-adapt more effectively into their personal and professional lives Recognize the signs and symptoms of reverse or re-entry culture shock Understand the sources and ways to manage reverse culture shock Develop strategies to apply their international experience as intercultural skills


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Part 4. Other Key Elements of Support for InternationalAssignments

Language Training

Language acquisition (level of proficiency required) Working with translators and interpretersLocal Cultural Adaptation Support

On-arrival orientation Building a multicultural working environment Cultural interpreters / informants Support groupsModes of Training

Classroom/Seminar Model

Training Videotapes and Websites

Training Simulations and Role Plays.

Training simulations and role plays can be high-risk training activities. Note:

The four key attributes of successful training simulations are:1. Fun. Simulation users are highly engaged. They are able to suspend disbelief and play the

roles assigned to them in the simulation. The simulation provides enough realism to makethem think through their options as if the simulation were real.

2. Accessible. The simulation must overcome technical and schedule constraints so that playerscan participate easily. Technical constraints change the medium; schedule constraints changethe pace of the simulation (iterations over a few days instead of one long simulation).

3. Clear. The simulation users must have clear roles to play and the goals for each of those rolesmust be stated clearly before the simulation begins.

4.

Educational. The simulation behaviour, output, and results must correspond to a clearlearning objective that benefits the players after the simulation is complete.

Self-Awareness Training

These can include personality, management and working style assessment tests such as theBSAT used by Berlitz or the Myers Briggs.


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E-mail and Face-to-Face Exchanges

Exchanges with resource people face-to-face or via e-mail can be very effective; however, it alsorequires input from an experienced intercultural facilitator to guide the selection of questions andinformation. Without monitoring and guidance it can run the danger of providing the learner with

a distorted or mismatched perspective of the target assignment.Multidimensional Approach

Evaluation

Evaluation should cover all phases of the assignment:

Predeparture On-site Post-assignmentWhy Evaluate?

A good project evaluation provides an extremely useful tool to manage ongoing work, identifysuccesses and plan effectively for new training initiatives. Effective project evaluations can :

Account for what has been accomplished through the project Assess which cross-cultural communication strategies work and which dont Provide feedback to inform decision-making at all levels Contribute to the body of knowledge about international assignments Assess the cost-effectiveness of different training strategies Position high quality projects for future funding opportunities Increase the effectiveness of project and program managementPrinciples of Participatory Evaluation

Participatory evaluation focuses on learning, success and action. The evaluation must be useful to the people who are doing the work that is being evaluated. The evaluation process is ongoing and includes ways to let all participants use the

information from the evaluation throughout the project, not just at the end. Recognition of the progression of change knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviour is

built into the evaluation.

The project sponsors are responsible for defining the specific project evaluation questions,the indicators of success and realistic timeframes.


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Participatory evaluation makes it possible to recognize shared interests among those doingthe work, the people the work is designed to reach, the project funders and otherstakeholders.

Participatory Learning Evaluation

What have you learned as a result of your participation in this project? What questions do you have that are still unanswered? How would you improve this project? What aspects of this project do you think are important to keep? What have you learned about working with others to solve problems? How is the world different now that we have worked together?Monitoring

The monitoring process is used to ensure that the participants/teams are making satisfactoryprogress according to the project goals or training programs. In this course we shall focus on theintercultural aspects, specifically the adaptation effectiveness and communication andmanagement skills of the trainees. The overall objectives of the process are to:

Track and review actual training accomplishments and results to project plans. Revise the training plan to reflect accomplishments thus far, and revise the plan for

remaining work, if needed.

Provide visibility into progress as the training proceeds, so that the candidate, support teamand management can take corrective action early when project performance varies

significantly from original plans.

Culture Shock and Cross-Cultural Adjustment

Culture shock is a term coined in 1954 by Kalvero Oberg to describe what happens to people(often known as sojourners - those who stay in a place for a temporary period of time) whenthey encounter unfamiliar surroundings and conditions. Culture shock is the feeling ofdisorientation or confusion that often occurs when a person leaves a familiar place and moves toan unfamiliar one. To describe the same or similar phenomenon other researchers have usedterms such as culture fatigue and role shock.

Culture shock does not happen all at once. It is a feeling of alienation that grows little by little assojourners confront daily life situations and interact with new faces in the host community. Itcommonly stems from unrealized or unrealistic expectations of the new culture, or is related toan inability to communicate personal or social needs.


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Oberg outlines six components to culture shock:

1. Attempting to psychologically adapt to the new environment causes strain,2. Being away from friends, ones former status or role, possessions and career, results in

feelings of deprivation or loss,

3. One often rejects the culture s/he is encountering or feels rejected by it,4. Confusion following from questions of ones role in the new environment and insecurity

about self-identity and feelings is common,

5. Differences between the home culture and the host culture may result in anxiety, surprise,indignation, and/or disgust and

6. Perceived inability to handle the new circumstances may result in feelings of helplessness.Specific signs of the stress and anxiety of culture shock include depression and withdrawal,negative stereotyping of the local people, excessive criticism of them, excessive socio-emotional

dependence upon fellow foreign nationals and expatriates, and the inability to form socio-emotional relationships with members of the host culture. Other symptoms include escapistbehaviour such as excessive sleeping, a solitary immersion in reading books or other solitaryactivities, an all-consuming desire for news from home, and alcohol or drug abuse.

In summary, culture shock is the term used to denote the anxiety and stress reactions that somepeople experience when they live in a cultural and linguistic environment that is significantlydifferent from their own. The anxiety, stress and resulting thoughts, emotions and behaviours arecaused by cognitive dissonance and uncertainty due to disconfirmed expectancies and ego-identity diminishment. Cognitive dissonance (uneasiness) occurs when peoples cognitions aboutthemselves and the world around them are inconsistent with one another. The disconfirmed

expectations that we experience when living in a different culture contribute to this cognitivedissonance and to uncertainty, insecurity, anxiety and stress. In addition, individuals experienceanxiety and stress due to ego-identity diminishment. Our identities are rooted in our homeculture and its particular physical and sociocultural environment. When we leave that particularcomplex of sociocultural and physical environmental factors we also leave the roots that supportand nourish our personalities.

Role Shock

Role perception is culturally bound. The person who has a particular understanding of what aspecific position is and does, may be upset when he or she attempts to fulfill the expectation ofsuch a role in a different cultural environment. Ones traditional views of the function aresuddenly obsolete. Role shock can lead to identity crisis and can be very disconcerting.


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Cultural Adjustment

Each of us has a cultural lens or worldview that we use both to determine our values and tointerpret our surroundings. The ideal approach is to evaluate what is positive and what isnegative in both cultures and to try to integrate the good aspects into our value system.

In the same way the local people may understand little about our situation as a newcomer fromabroad, and they may therefore misunderstand the reasons for some of our behaviour.

Factors supporting a persons successful intercultural adjustment include:

1. Open-mindedness2. Sense of humour3. Ability to cope with failure4. Communicativeness5. Flexibility and adaptability6. Curiosity7. Positive and realistic expectations8. Tolerance for differences and ambiguities9. Positive regard for others10.A strong sense of selfThe Stages of the Process of Cross-Cultural Adjustment

Level of

satisfaction

Predepartureand arrival

Pre-returnand re-entry

Very positive,happy, excited

Adaptation,happy, satisfied

Very negative,high stress,health problems

Time Period


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The diagram describes a typical emotional pattern, but there are as many variations as there areindividuals. However, most people will experience the roller-coaster ride.

J ust before and after the move

Emotions are often very positive. Just before the change people are usually looking forward towhat is going to happen. Immediately after the change, people are usually very happy about whathas happened. They are in the honeymoon stage.

After some time

Emotions can be very negative. High stress level, dissatisfaction with the change, some healthproblems. One day people feel great; the next, terrible.

Towards the end of the stay

Emotions are getting back to normal. People start to feel comfortable with the change and feelthey have some understanding of the culture that they have been living in.Re-entry

Emotions are confusing. Constant comparison of the two cultures. Others get tired of hearingabout the international experience. Need to discuss and debrief the experience both at work andat home.

Reverse Culture Shock

In the same way that people may have experienced culture shock when they were adjusting totheir new cultural surroundings abroad, they will experience a re-adjustment period whenreturning home. The real key to re-entering ones home culture is to realize that there may befrustrations with readjusting to life in that culture, and that the frustrations are a normal part ofthe total learning process, and an on-going part of the entire cross-cultural experience.

Stages of Reverse Culture Shock

Most people expect to experience culture shock when they arrive in their host country, but fewexpect it on their return home. This shock can be attributed to new attitudes, values andperceptions developed while abroad.

Research shows that re-entry shock is at least as frequent as the initial culture shock. It istherefore an inevitable part of the international experience.


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Stage 1: Disengagement

While you are still abroad, you begin to start thinking about moving home and moving awayfrom your international experience and friends.

Stage 2: Euphoria

You may be excited to be back in your own country and others may be equally delighted to haveyou back. After people express their pleasure at seeing you again, and listen politely to yourstories for a few minutes, you may suddenly and/or painfully realize that they are not particularlyinterested in what happened to you and would prefer to talk about their own affairs.

Stage 3: Alienation

In this stage, you experience dampened euphoria with feelings of alienation, frustration andanger. You may even feel like an outsider - a foreigner in your own country. Home will bedifferent from how you remembered it. (The pollution may be worse. The pace may be more

hurried and hectic, etc.) You may feel irritated with others and impatient with your own inabilityto do things as well or as quickly as you had hoped. Resentment, loneliness, disorientation andeven a sense of helplessness may pervade.

Stage 4: Gradual Readjustment

The fourth stage of re-entry includes a gradual readjustment to life at home. During this stageyou will no longer be shocked (for example, by the variety you find on the supermarket shelves)and youll be able to contain your comments about the differences between cultures that come toyour attention. If you have had difficulty filtering out the foreign words in your conversation,you will find that your mother-tongue conversational skills will improve during stage four.

Positive Aspects of Reverse Culture Shock

New Skills

Along with the new ideas, views and attitudes that you have developed, you will have acquiredsome new skills. These may include discovering a new way to do an old task, gaining a differentperspective on your field of study, or increasing your foreign language skills. And if youve beenin another country that uses your own language, it will have acquired new meaning throughidioms, lingo, and phrases that are specific to the host country.

These new skills will now become a part of your daily life. Increasing fluency with your foreignlanguage will probably have one of the greatest impacts. If you have learned to becomedependent on these skills to communicate from day to day, then it may feel strange for you torevert back to your native language. The degree of strangeness is directly connected to theamount of culture that you have assimilated from the host country, and will influence your re-adjustment. You may feel frustrated and depressed if you cannot communicate your new ideas,


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skills or opinions. Again, patience, flexibility, and time will be required as they were at thebeginning of your foreign assignment.

Friendships

You will have established a new circle of friends abroad and they probably became an importantpart of your life.

J ob Opportunities Upon Return

People may have less difficulty finding an appropriate job (or any job) upon their return, sincetheir overseas experiences will now be an asset in their job search. However it can be a challengeto translate international and intercultural skills into recognizable terms that will be valued here.

Individual Awareness

Returnees should be able to understand what is happening and why, since they will be capable of

focusing on what they can do to ease the transition process. They will look for ways to use thebest of the (host cultural) experience, and will translate it so that family and colleagues canunderstand and share the benefits.

Part 5. Resources

It is important to make sure that information gathered is current and appropriate, given thecontext of the candidates job and profile. Resources to support international assignmentsinclude:

Consultants and returned sojourners Books

Embassies and Trade Commissions Expatriate web-pages (i.e. www.expatexpert.com/ ) Friends and colleagues who have worked overseas or come from abroad In-house programs and personnel Intercultural training houses Intercultural trainers International business advisors Journals Magazines Trade and travel guides

http://www.expatexpert.com/http://www.expatexpert.com/

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