Jan 28

There’s No Place like Home…Or Is There? The Challenges of Repatriation

Cross Cultural Training, Cultural training for Relocation, Culture, Culture training for Human Resources No Comments »

According to a recent article published in The Telegraph, coming home after a long stay overseas can be just as stressful as moving to a foreign country. While expatriates expect to experience some level of culture shock when they go on an international assignment, most repatriates do not expect any reverse culture shock and therefore do not seek any support in the form of repatriation training or coaching for themselves or their family.

Airplane Maurits Vink i There’s No Place like Home…Or Is There? The Challenges of Repatriation

© istockphoto.com/ Maurits Vink

This reverse culture shock is all the more distressing because no one sees it coming. Expatriates fully expect to be confused and frustrated in a new cultural environment, but not in their home environment where they know the local customs so well. Returning to their own culture of origin can be more stressful and have more unexpected consequences than a transition into the unfamiliar.

When reality sets in and repatriates realise that things have changed, the initial excitement of returning home quickly disappears and is often replaced by feelings of anxiety, stress and a sense of loss. These negative feelings can stem from a number of different factors including :

Social Step Down
Many expatriates living in another country experience life at a higher level than they may at home. In other words, they may have a cleaner or a nanny or they may have opportunities for adventures, shopping or treatments that they would not have been able to afford at home. As such, readjusting to their normal standard of living upon repatriation may create negative emotions.

Lack of Interest from Family and Friends
Most expatriates have lots of opportunities for some really amazing adventures. They explore another part of the world and may have funny stories about what they ate or people they met. After some time the level of interest that people may have had in your adventures may decline, leaving many repatriates feeling inadequate and or irrelevant. This is especially true for those friends and family members who have no experience of cross-cultural interactions and therefore struggle to understand the true dimension of life in a foreign culture.

False Expectations
Expatriates often expect things at home to be the same as they left them so are often surprised or disappointed when they discover that things have changed. Their home culture may suddenly seem simple or unsophisticated after experiencing a wider multicultural world. Issues that previously seemed important may appear petty in comparison to the overseas experience. Repatriates need to remember that while they have changed significantly during their international experience, it is likely that their home country would have changed too.

Reverse culture shock is often exacerbated by the lack of information available to repatriates. There is a large discrepancy between the amount of information and assistance available to prospective expatriates and that available to repatriates. While there are countless books and websites devoted to giving advice to expatriates about adapting to the host culture and dealing with culture shock, there is not very much information available about reverse culture shock leaving many repatriates open to the challenges of adjusting to life back home.

Readjusting to their former way of life may take some time and returning expatriates may experience various stages of reverse culture shock as part of the readjustment process. Repatriates may go through a period of maladjustment characterised by high levels of irritability and nostalgia for their ‘new’ culture. Specialised repatriation training can provide the necessary skills repatriates need to cope with their return to their country of origin. Repatriation training will also highlight what returning expatriates can expect in terms of their own feelings as well as some of the possible scenarios they may encounter upon their return including:

  • Recognising a change in their own personal values and attitudes and how they now differ from what people are used to
  • A lack of appreciation by friends, family or colleagues for the knowledge and skills they have developed while abroad
  • The low level of interest from friends, family or colleagues in their international experiences and adventures
  • Change in status and lifestyle

It’s important that expatriates mentally prepare themselves for their international assignment, but it can be even more important for them to prepare themselves before returning home. Being aware of and expecting reverse culture shock and the time it will take to readjust to their home culture can help repatriates to develop more useful coping mechanisms. Participating in a repatriation training course will ensure that repatriates have a smoother reintegration into their local culture and a better chance of being able to apply their new knowledge and skills to their social and professional life. With the right preparation, repatriates can really feel like ‘there’s no place like home’.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2011

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Jan 26

‘Crazy Americans or Lazy Europeans?’ – Interpreting Different Perspectives When Working Effectively across Cultures

Cross Cultural Training, Culture, Culture training for Business & Management, Culture training for Human Resources No Comments »

“Are Europeans lazy? Or Americans crazy?” This is the rather provocative title of a conference about the perception of work on both continents organised in 2006 by Stephen Nickell, a British economist working for the Bank of England. Behind this question lies the ever lasting conflict between two opposite visions of life: do we work to live or do we live to work? The answer to that question is likely to depend on your cultural background, the country you live in and how this impacts working effectively across cultures.

Business People walking urbancow i ‘Crazy Americans or Lazy Europeans?’ – Interpreting Different Perspectives When Working Effectively across Cultures

© istockphoto.com/ Urban Cow

The way Europeans and Americans work can, of course, be explained by economical, historical or sociological traits like unemployment rates, the number of hours worked each week, worker productivity levels and the social system. But these differences also come from fundamental cultural differences that exist between the two continents. The importance of family, free time, personal development or even religion within a specific culture can influence the working practices of a country. These differences can get in the way of working effectively across cultures and they can harm the performance of multicultural teams.

Let’s look a few examples of differences in working practices and attitudes you may find when working across cultures. Many employees in Norway and Sweden have adjusted their working hours in order to spend more time with their families as this is what is important to them in life. In France, people work 35 hours per week and they take more annual leave which gives them more spare time to spend with family and friends. In Spain there are many religious celebrations that are taken as official public holidays which allow people to share the occasion with family and close relations.

Some people in the US who tend to believe that ‘time is money’ may look at these countries and feel that ‘Europeans are lazy’ due to their shorter working hours and longer holidays. This perception can be linked to the highly competitive and business oriented approach to work common in the US. On the other hand the incredibly strong work ethics and the common practice of working long hours and taking a few days off work each year can result in some Europeans thinking ‘Americans are crazy’ for not spending more time with family and friends.

Working effectively across cultures requires an understanding that every culture has its own unique approach to work ethics and time management which can have a significant impact on how working preferences are perceived and managed. An achievement and result oriented country like the US, for example, will strongly encourage workers to do their best individually every day to fulfil their goals in the most efficient and profitable way no matter how long it takes. A relationship oriented culture like Spain will encourage people to work together toward success but they be less likely to expect this to be achieved through overtime or shorter holidays.

Despite many references to Europe as a whole, there isn’t any cultural uniformity between European countries. France is completely different from the Netherlands and you cannot compare the UK to Italy as each country has its own set of core cultural values. Each European country differs greatly from the US in its own way, and the existence of false assumptions based on preconceived ideas like ‘all Europeans are lazy’ can create obstacles for an American manager or employee coming to Europe for an international assignment.

These obstacles can cause frustration and misunderstandings, preventing them from working effectively across cultures. Following a cross cultural awareness training programme such as Doing Business in the US or Working Effectively across Cultures can help multicultural teams or organisations to cope with the challenges and create their own strategies. By avoiding quick judgments and false assumptions about how lazy or crazy your counterparts are around the world, you will be able to create good relationships, harness everyone’s strengths and work more effectively across cultures.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2011

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Jan 17

Living and Working in France: How Cultural Awareness Training Helps Bring the French Dream to Life

Cross Cultural Training, Cultural training for Relocation, Culture No Comments »

The last decade has seen an increasingly large number of UK residents crossing the English Channel to start a new life living and working in France where there are a plethora of attractive leisure and business opportunities. Finding a former farm or a typical Southern French house is actually fairly easy, but most expatriates forget that living the “French dream” is completely different than going on holiday in France.

Living and working in France requires a high level of cultural awareness and language skills to successfully cope with the potential culture shock they may experience as a result of the many cross cultural and linguistic challenges awaiting them. Without the right cultural awareness, many expatriates living in France risk seeing their dream turn into a nightmare.

Eiffel Tower SOMATUSCANI i Living and Working in France: How Cultural Awareness Training Helps Bring the French Dream to Life

© istockphoto.com/ Soma Tuscani

Such was the case of expatriates Robert and Joanne Hall who tried to live the “French Dream” in Brittany and recently made news headlines all over the world. After ten years of living in an old French farmhouse in the countryside and trying to make their French dream come to life, their expatriation ended in the most tragic way when Joanne was found dead. Questioned by the French police, Robert Hall explained he had a drunken argument with Joanne during which she accidently fell and hit her head. According to people who knew the Hall family, they were “lost” and suffered a lot as a result of many failed attempts to make their expatriation and dreams work.

Most expatriations don’t end as badly as in the case of Robert and Joanne Hall, but many statistics show that couples will often divorce or have problems when living and working abroad. This phenomenon is largely due to the difficulties expatriates can have adapting to the new cultural environment and coping with the effects of culture shock. If culture shock and cultural differences are not effectively managed, expatriates living and working in France can suffer severe financial, health or relationship problems that can end in divorce or worse scenarios.

Many couples who move to France to start a new life find themselves spending more time than they ever have with their partner as they work on a project such as renovating the house together and they soon realise that do not like each other. Others who go to France may become distanced because one partner spends all their time at work while the other is left at home to manage the kids or household.

Cultural understanding and French language skills can help expatriates deal with challenges such as this as it can help them to meet people and bridge the gap between French and British culture. This can in turn give them some place to go for support or the opportunity to create some distance from their partner once in a while, allowing them to feel less isolated and more connected with their new life in France.

Understanding French cultural values, attitudes, communication styles and the language can be enormously helpful for any expatriates living and working in France. Being able to understand and communicate with local government officials, builders, shopkeepers and neighbours can help streamline any dream project and prevent delays, problems or frustrations which can further add to the challenges of adapting to a new cultural environment. Being able to speak the French language and show an appreciation for French culture can also help expatriates to build relationships and create a positive impression of what they are trying to do in France.

Living and working in France can be an amazing experience for British expatriates, but the real French dream will only truly be achieved with the right cultural and linguistic skills that will help them to anticipate and cope with the cross cultural differences they may encounter along the journey. Taking French language training or a cultural awareness training course such as Living and Working in France is the first step towards making any French dream come to life.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2011

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Jan 07

Bribery or Generosity? How Intercultural Training Helps You Avoid the Risks of Giving Business Gifts across Cultures

Cross Cultural Training, Culture, Culture training for Business & Management No Comments »

The Bribery Act, which received the Royal Assent last year, may put an end to Christmas or other business gifts between and within companies according to an article in the Telegraph. The Bribery Act aims to create a better framework to fight bribery and limit the value of gifts and presents individuals can receive in the UK. Offering football tickets, champagne or hampers to domestic and international clients used to be commonplace but with this Bribery Act they may now be illegal and need to be returned to avoid any accusation of bribery.

Gift Artur Gabrysiak i Bribery or Generosity? How Intercultural Training Helps You Avoid the Risks of Giving Business Gifts across Cultures

© istockphoto.com/ Artur Gabrysiak

Indeed, the line between a simple gift of appreciation and a corruption attempt is sometimes thin, especially depending on the intercultural context. What is seen as a sign of appreciation or reward in one culture may be considered bribery in another and vice versa. International businesses need to ensure their employees have the right intercultural training to ensure they have the intercultural knowledge and awareness they need to gift gifts appropriately across cultures.

In the Middle East for instance, being generous is highly valued and offering a gift tends to be seen as a strong mark of friendship as well as a necessary step towards building a profitable business relationship. Generosity is also illustrated by the price and value of the gift, meaning that business presents are sometimes incredibly luxurious in the Middle East. Refusing a present is a terrible faux pas that can lead to a cultural clash or to the end of a promising contract or business partnership. A lack of intercultural awareness on gift giving in the Middle East can significantly hinder the relationship or break organisational policies around gift giving.

At the other end of the scale, some cultures are extremely cautious and even suspicious when it comes to receiving and offering gifts. The Nordic Countries are a perfect example of this trend. In 2010 Denmark was rated the “least corrupted country in the world” and countries such as Finland and Norway are also recognised internationally as models when it comes to fighting bribery and corruption. This reluctance to receive and offer presents can be difficult for anyone who is used to a gift giving etiquette. Seeing their kind gesture perceived as a bribery attempt or refused can result in frustration or offense.

International organisations doing business across cultures need to be prepared and equipped with the relevant intercultural awareness to create and apply adapted strategies around gift giving across the globe. Intercultural awareness training courses such as Doing Business in the Middle East can help organisations to do business across cultures more effectively. Through the analysis of different cultural traits and their impact on business practices, individuals and organisations will be able to handle all aspect of doing business across cultures.

Equipped with this important intercultural knowledge, companies and their employees doing business abroad will be able to adapt to the business etiquette of their counterparts. By adopting the appropriate behaviour and business policies according to the cultures they work with, organisations will be able to avoid fines and suspicions of bribery when giving presents. In accordance with new Bribery Act, it’s important to not only consider how to give gifts to international clients but to also consider what you can receive from them in return. Knowing the gift etiquette of your international clients will also help you to avoid causing offense and build a stronger and more profitable working relationship.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2011

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