Intercultural Communication in Business
Unit 4: Cultural Shock
Lecturer: Tin T. Dang, PhD
Email: tin.dang@hcmute.edu.vn
Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education
Faculty of Foreign Languages
April 18, 2025
Unit Outline
4.1 Stages of cultural shock
4.2 Alleviating cultural shock
4.3 Aspects of cultural shock
4.4 Relationships
4.5 Public & private self
Culture Shock Overview
• Occurs when moving from Home Culture to Foreign Culture.
• Common Frustrations: lack of food, personal safety, cleanliness standards, eating routine, bath-
room facilities, transport habits.
• [Image Placeholder: Diagram showing Home Culture moving to Foreign Culture leading to Frus-
trations]
• US travelers in Asia (Example - Engholm, 1991): Frustration with language, food, customs;
unwillingness to understand rationale; labeling Asians (e.g., dishonest, ’Japs’, ’coolies’); forming
own clubs.
• Strategies (Brislin, 1981): Unacceptance of host culture, Substitution, Addition, Synthesis, Resyn-
thesis.
• [Image Placeholder: List of Brislin’s strategies]
1 Stages of Cultural Shock
[Image Placeholder: Title slide for Stages]
• Honeymoon (excitement)
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• Culture Shock (crisis)
• Adjustment (adjustment)
• Mastering (acceptance, reentry)
[Image Placeholder: Curve diagram showing stages: Honeymoon, Crisis, Adjustment, Acceptance/Reentry
(Davis Krapels, 2005)]
1.1 Stages of Cultural Shock: Crisis Phase
• Problems with transportation & unfamiliar foods.
• Local people do not speak your native language.
• (No) bargaining over purchase prices.
• Homesickness.
• Irritation, anger, confusion, and resentment.
• Helplessness and depression.
• Behaviors: Making disparaging remarks, leaving (physically/emotionally/psychologically), with-
drawing, refusing to learn language, developing coping behaviors.
Practice (Stages 1)
Look at the stages of culture shock and reflect on your personality. Which stage would it take you more
time if you move to another culture like US or Japan? Justify your responses.
Practice (Stages 2)
As the head of a marketing department in a Vietnamese company, what would you do to help a new
graphic designer from Korea to avoid cultural shocks when she starts to join your team. Describe the
context and justify your responses.
1.2 Stages of Cultural Shock: Reentry Phase
Sources of cultural shock for returnees:
• Personnel changes.
• New policies and procedures.
• Different performance evaluation methods.
• Different benefits and compensation.
• Different job responsibilities.
Practice (Reentry)
As an HR manager of a very fast-growing Vietnamese company, what would you do to help a former
sales manager on his coming back to the company after two years of training in the US? Describe a
specific context of the company to justify your responses.
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2 Alleviating Cultural Shock
[Image Placeholder: Title slide for Alleviating]
2.1 Methods
• Selecting overseas personnel.
• Providing predeparture training for host country.
• Providing feedback and rewards.
• Developing employees to their maximum potential.
[Image Placeholder: Diagram showing Methods: Selecting personnel, Predeparture training, Feed-
back/rewards, Developing potential]
2.2 Selecting Overseas Personnel
• Personal qualifications: Adaptability, flexibility, empathy, tolerance, interpersonal skills and
high self-esteem.
• Emotional control: Reacting to different and often unpredictable situations with little apparent
irritation.
• Overseas experience: Indicates a high degree of tolerance and adaptability.
2.2.1 Adaptability Components
Cooperative Agreeable Sensitive Criticism reaction
Difference appreciation New situation reaction Contact development Open to other opinions
Patient when dealing Resilient when faced Self’s cultural value Others’ cultural
with problem with adverse situations understanding value awareness
[Image Placeholder: Table showing Adaptability components]
Practice (Adaptability)
One of the ways to understand the adaptability capacity of an employee is to check if he/she is patient
when dealing with difficult situations. As an HR manager, how would you measure it from a sales
employee?
2.3 Providing Predeparture Training
2.3.1 Training Steps
1. Observing and simulating behaviors of people in the host culture.
2. Retaining what has been learned.
3. Experimenting with the new behavior until it becomes comfortable.
[Image Placeholder: Diagram showing Training Steps]
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Practice (Training Steps)
Vietnamese employees do not stand up and bow when the company boss comes in the office. They find
it uncomfortable and even annoyed. How do you train a Vietnamese manager in such a situation to work
in a branch in Japan?
2.3.2 Training Models
[Image Placeholder: Diagram showing 6 Training Models: Intellectual, Area Training, Self-Awareness,
Cultural Awareness, Interaction Approach, Multidimensional Approach]
• Intellectual model: Learning facts (lectures, discussions, videos). [Image Placeholder: Descrip-
tion of Intellectual Model]
• Area training model: Learning from simulations & problem solving (affective goals, culture-
specific, experiential). [Image Placeholder: Description of Area Training Model]
• Self-awareness model: Learning by self-understanding (role play, sensitivity, feedback). [Image
Placeholder: Description of Self-Awareness Model]
• Cultural awareness model: Recognizing cultural insight (understanding own values vs. others’,
role-playing). [Image Placeholder: Description of Cultural Awareness Model]
• Interaction approach: Learning by interacting with people in the host country. [Image Place-
holder: Description of Interaction Approach]
• Multidimensional approach: Learning from different methods (combining cognitive, affective,
behavioral). [Image Placeholder: Description of Multidimensional Approach]
Practice (Training Models 1)
Briefly describe the pros and cons of the first three training models (Intellectual, Area Training, Self-
Awareness). Which model would you prefer if you would like the Vietnamese employees to be more
direct in another culture? Justify it.
Practice (Training Models 2)
There are six training models for alleviating culture shock, but the multidimensional approach is simply
a combination of the others. It is obvious that using different models is better than one, but it will then
take more time. Propose a training program to improve the adaptability capacity of Vietnamese sales
executives from an insurance company.
2.4 Providing Feedback and Rewards
2.4.1 Evaluation Criteria
• General Criteria: Leadership ability, interpersonal skills, communication skills, achievement of
organizational objectives.
• Criteria for Global Managers: Customer service, profits, presence, negotiation skills, making
contacts with local partners, building relationships with key officials.
[Image Placeholder: Diagram comparing General vs Global Manager Evaluation Criteria]
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2.4.2 Reward Systems (Examples)
Housing/furnishings, club memberships, cost of living allowance, hardship pay, taxes, education, home
leave, relocation assistance, medical, car driver. [Image Placeholder: Diagram listing components of
Reward Systems]
Practice (Feedback & Rewards)
There is always a debate on the inequality of the rewarding scheme used for domestic managers and
international managers. Although their contributions to the company are not different, the international
managers always receive more benefits than their counterparts. As an HR manager, how would you
settle down such a disagreement?
2.5 Developing Employees to Maximum Potential
2.5.1 Plan for International Manager Return
Considerations: Cultural adjustment, promotion, compensation, relocation time, appreciation, housing.
[Image Placeholder: Diagram showing factors for International Manager Return Plan]
Practice (Developing Employees)
International managers upon returning to the company do not have a suitable position as most of the
senior positions are filled. These managers also need time to fit in the contemporary situation of the
business in the local market. Many companies tend to lose these quality employees. What would you
do if you are in the position of an HR manager in a car distribution company which is about losing an
international sales manager on return?
3 Aspects of Cultural Shock
[Image Placeholder: Title slide for Aspects] Main aspects: Cultural stress, Social alienation, Social class
wealth extremes, Financial matters. [Image Placeholder: Diagram showing Aspects: Cultural stress,
Social alienation, Social class, Financial matters]
3.1 Cultural Stress
3.1.1 Sources of Stress
Ready for move, unpacking, getting settled, adjusting to foods, housing, climate, services, communica-
tion. [Image Placeholder: Diagram showing Sources of Stress]
3.1.2 Coping Behaviors
Taking drugs, eating more, drinking alcohol, taking up a hobby, learning a new skill, sharing prob-
lems with friends, doing exercises, planning family events, changing mental outlook, practicing medita-
tion, volunteering, religious worshiping. [Image Placeholder: Diagram showing Coping Behaviors for
Stress]
Practice (Cultural Stress)
Imagine that you are sent to India for a job assignment for 2 years. The company has arranged an Indian
employee as a mentor for you. However, after visiting her for the first time, you do not feel like she is
suitable for you. How would you cope with the cultural stress that you may have during your stay in
India?
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3.2 Social Alienation
3.2.1 Feelings of Loneliness
Isolated from friends home culture; disconnected from the host people culture. [Image Placeholder:
Diagram showing Feelings of Loneliness]
3.2.2 Coping Strategies
Strengthening friendships with others in the home culture; cultivating friendships with other people in
the host culture; taking language classes; taking part in social events. [Image Placeholder: Diagram
showing Coping Strategies for Alienation]
Practice (Social Alienation)
Imagine that you are sent to the US for an assignment in six months. You go out with new friends to es-
tablish better ties with the host culture. However, you find yourself alien to their discussion topics about
politics and football. What would you do to cope with your feeling of loneliness in such a situation?
3.3 Social Class & Wealth Extremes
• Class distinctions exist in most cultures.
• Extremes in poverty and wealth are gradually apparent.
• Social classes in one culture are difficult to be recognized by other cultures as social equality is
often claimed to be a core value.
3.3.1 Differentiation Factors
Money, tastes, occupation, values, education, styles, accents, behaviors. [Image Placeholder: Diagram
showing Differentiation factors for Social Class]
Practice (Social Class 1)
US Americans are culturally believed to open to everyone regardless of social class. They can start a
friendship on a bus or a train. Do you often initiate a conversation with strangers in public? Why (not)?
Describe a scenario to explain your culture.
Practice (Social Class 2)
In many cultures where social class is clear, people tend to make friends only with those of their class.
How is it different from your culture? Do you accept friends from a lower social class?
3.4 Financial Matters
3.4.1 Counseling Needs
Availability of housing, banking practices, use of credit cards and checks, costs of schooling. [Image
Placeholder: Diagram showing Counseling needs for Financial Matters]
3.4.2 Purchasing Customs
Bargaining in the market, paying someone to guard the car, paying someone to carry parcels, paying
someone to find fresh meat. [Image Placeholder: Diagram showing examples of Purchasing Customs]
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Practice (Financial Matters)
Three years ago, you sent an excellent programmer to UK for an international assignment. His children
were in grade 1 and 2 in a public school before they moved. Upon his return, his children cannot speak
Vietnamese well and need to go to an international school in Vietnam. He then has problems with the
tuition fee. As an HR manager of the company, what would you do?
4 Relationships & Family Considerations
[Image Placeholder: Title slide for Relationships]
4.1 Challenges for Expatriates’ Families
• Disruptive acculturation of young children (3-5).
• Problems adapting socially and adjusting to different educational systems for teenagers (14-16).
• Spouse’s insufficient time and emotional support for adjusting to an alien work environment.
• Feeling lonely (separated from home family/friends).
• Spouse unable to get a job in the new culture.
• Spouse feeling uncomfortable (resentment boredom).
• Excluding family members in pre-departure training.
[Image Placeholder: List of challenges for families/spouses]
Practice (Relationships)
As the HR manager of a shoe-making company, what are you going to prepare for your employees’
family members if you would like to send them to Korea for a 6-month assignment?
5 Public & Private Self
[Image Placeholder: Title slide for Public Private Self]
5.1 The Johari Window
A model representing awareness about oneself and by others.
Things I know Things I don’t know
Things others know Arena (Public Self) Blind Spot
Facts everyone shares Motives others see, I don’t
(e.g., job, phone #) (e.g., unaware habits)
Things others don’t know Hidden (Private Self) Unknown
Person’s past, feelings Deep subconscious info
(e.g., marital status) (neither self nor others know)
[Image Placeholders: Series of diagrams explaining each quadrant of the Johari Window]
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5.2 Public vs. Private Self (Cultural Example)
• Public Self (Arena): Info about work, family, interests, opinions (political, social). Relatively
small in Japanese culture, large in US American culture.
• Private Self (Hidden): Feelings, personal info, opinions. Large for Japanese culture, small for
US American culture.
[Image Placeholder: Comparison of Public/Private Self in Japanese vs US culture]
Summaries
• Effective communication may be achieved by becoming knowledgeable about the communication
styles of other cultures & by compromising between the two styles.
• Cultural shock is a reality that must be openly explained and understood.
• The length of cultural shock depends on such factors as personal resiliency, the assignment dura-
tion, and the effort to learn the host culture.
THANK YOU
More discussion are on the LMS!
[Image Placeholder: Thank you slide graphic]
