Managing Across Cultures

Lecture 5: Understanding People and Culture Shock

Shahida Choudhary
2014/2015

Today
To address some theory about understanding individuals
experiences of different cultures
To build upon generic psychological theory from last week
Culture Shock

Person- Environment Fit

Stress as a function of Culture

 Expanding on Socialisation and Social Learning

Learning expectations from cultural norms, gender biases,
values, tradition and stereotypes

Socialisation

Embedded from a young age

Resistant to change
Subconscious
Powerful
Can operate externally from our awareness
Important indicator of cultural values and norms and links to
workplace expectations

Culture Shock
The term culture shock may be seen as a generic expression
which subsumes numerous types of problems and difficulties
induced by shifting from one culture to another. (Pearce 1982,
p69)

Confusion
Disorientation
(Furnham and Bochner)

 Despite a strong desire to

understand and to adapt to
a new environment in
order to be effective,
nearly everyone
experiences disorientation
when entering another
culture. This phenomenon,
called culture shock is
rooted in our psychological
processes (Lane et al,
2009, p 221)

The Culture Shock U-Curve

Stage 1
Encountering
New Culture
ELATION
OPTIMISM

POSITIVE
EXPERIENCE

NEGATIVE
EXPERIENCE

Stage 2:
Realisation
Of Difficulties
Confusion
Depression
Frustration
Stress

Stage 3
Adjustment
CONFIDENCE
SATISFACTION

POSITIVE
EXPERIENCE

Culture Shock

Me

A three-phase cycle that most people experience when sent to

another culture

Some Effects of Culture Shock

Short term
fatigue, discomfort
anger over delays and other minor frustrations
fear for health - preoccupied with cleanliness
fear of being cheated/contact with hosts
Longer term
Ghettoisation
Disengagement from the present (focus on past or future associated
with home)
Alcohol/drug abuse

Person-Environment Fit
Potential synergy between person and their environment
(French, 1981)
Matching or mismatching values
Perceptions about environment as being positive or negative
are a function of fit.
Interactionist definition of appraising the situation
Interpretation, appraisal, evaluation of events encountered

Person-Environment Fit Model

THE INDIVIDUAL
Attitudes & Traits
Past Experiences
Needs/Wants/Values

Environment
Potential
Stressors
Situational
Factors
Background

JUDGEMENT
OF SITUATION
(THREAT/
OPPORTUNITY)

State of Stress

COPING

OVERCOME
PROBLEMS

LONG-TERM EFFECTS

Consequences: Stress and Health

the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other
types of demand placed on them (HSE, 2009).
In the eye of the beholder
Subjectivity
A physiological and psychological response to stressors or
potential environmental threats

Stress Symptoms
PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS BEHAVIOURAL
/EMOTION SYMPTOMS

STRESS AETIOLOGY

Lack of appetite

Irritability with people

High blood pressure

Craving for food

Feeling unable to cope

Heart attack

Indigestion/heartburn

Constant fear of disease

Migraine

Constipation/diarrhoea

Feeling like a failure

Allergies

Insomnia
Tiredness

Asthma
Peptic ulcers

Nervous twitching

Self hatred
Difficulty in making
decisions
Loss of interest in others

Sexual Dysfunction

Difficulty in concentrating Depression

Menstrual difficulties

Dimensions of Stress: A Model

Stressor Factors

Individual Differences
(moderators of stress)
Symptoms of Stress
(outcomes)

the job
itself
A) job role

The
Individual

B) relationships

career

Organisation

C) Culture
/ Climate
home/work
interface

Colour code for Stressors:

Red = particularly relevant for MAC

Society

Stress Hot Spots

A) Job Role
Role ambiguity
unclear expectations
not kept informed about changes
lack of good feedback
Role conflict
doing work not appropriate to role
too little authority: level of authority to do
tasks assigned

B) Other People
Colleagues/boss
competition for jobs
poor interpersonal communication
Lack of social support
Effects of computerization
and social isolation
Bullying/violence
not commonly reported but very
stressful
Discrimination
unfair treatment from senior personnel

C) Organisational Culture and Climate

Changes to the Organisational Structure
and climate
no sense of belonging
Dissonance between personal and
Organisational values
politics
poor communication
lack of control
lack of consultation

Figures from HSE 2011

Individual Differences: Personal Factors

Hardiness/Resilience/Mental Toughness
Coping Strategies

Stress and Coping

Maladaptive: escaping from the problem, increases stress
response, does not help the problem (e.g. drinking alcohol,
smoking, withdrawing from social support)
Adaptive: tackling the problem, decreases stress response, helps
the problem (e.g. relaxation, social support, tackling sources of
stress)

22

Resilience and Mental Toughness

HSE Management Standards remove all stress from the
workplace where possible (HSE, 2010) prevention better than
cure
Practicality?
Individual vs organisational responsibility?
An emerging area of research suggests that individuals can build
upon their resilience and mental toughness to be able to cope
with stressful work situations including tackling culture shock in
international working environments

Mental Toughness
MT is a quality linked to effective performance
Psychological resilience
Higher levels of MT = better able to deal with demands, pressure
MT can be developed in individuals
Tools exist to capture and measure mental toughness
Derives from studies of elite athletes
(Clough, Earl and Sewell, 2001)

Acculturation
the internal processes of change that immigrants experience
when they come into direct contact with members of the host
culture (Padilla and Perez, 2003, p35)
Managing the acculturation process is key
(More about this in our next lecture)

Applications to MAC and

Understanding Culture
There are important psychological theories that operate
behind our interactions in cultures different to our own
Understanding the theories of P-E fit, culture shock and stress
help us to make sense of successful or unsuccessful
integration into different cultural situations

Further Reading

Padilla, A.M., and Parez, W. (2003) Acculturation, Social Identity, and Social Cognition: A New
Perspective. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, Vol. 25 No. 1, p35-55
Ward, C.A., Bochner, S., and Furnham, A. (2001). The Psychology of Culture Shock. Routledge: Sussex,
UK.
www.hse.gov.uk/stress
Arnold, J., Silvester,J., Patterson, F., Robertson, I., Cooper, C.L., and Burnes, B. (2005). Work
Psychology. Understanding Human Behaviour in the Workplace, 4th Edition. Pearson Education:
Harlow, UK. Chapter: Workplace Stress
Edwards, J.R., and Cooper, C.L. (1990). The person-environment fit approach to stress: recurring
problems and some suggested solutions. Journal of Organisational Behavior, 11, 293-307
Byrne (1969) in Ward, C.A., Bochner, S., and Furnham, A. (2001). The Psychology of Culture Shock.
Routledge: Sussex, UK. (available on Google Books)
Kobasa, S. C. (1979). Stressful life events, personality, and health: An inquiry into hardiness. Journal
of Personality and Social Psychology, 37(1), 111.
Clough, P., Earl, K., & Sewell, D. (2001). Mental toughness: The concept and its measurement. In I.
Cockerill (Ed.), Solutions in sport psychology (pp. 3242). London: Thomson.
Arnold, J., Silvester,J., Patterson, F., Robertson, I., Cooper, C.L., and Burnes, B. (2005). Work
Psychology. Understanding Human Behaviour in the Workplace, 4th Edition. Pearson Education:
Harlow, UK. Chapter: Workplace Stress