Reverse Culture Shock

Conceptual Overview

Due to its considerable practical importance, RCS has generated substantial research efforts. In the early 1990s, a theoretical framework of repatriation adjustment was established to guide subsequent empirical research. It was initially observed that overcoming RCS could be as difficult, if not more difficult, than dealing with the original culture shock abroad; that most repatriates are dissatisfied with how their firms handled the repatriation process; and that a substantial share of repatriates leaves their firms relatively soon after returning home. This is an unfortunate situation that research demonstrates has not changed much over time. The mechanisms of RCS must be understood through the related core concepts of culture and culture shock.

Over the years, little consensus as to the meaning of culture has emerged, though literally hundreds of definitions have been proposed. Geert Hofstede in 1982 influentially described culture as “the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one human group from another.” That is, culture forms values, creates attitudes, and influences behavior.

Culture shock is like the common cold in that there is no way to prevent it and one can catch it over and over again. In fact, each time we adjust to another culture (or, in the case of RCS, readjust to our own culture) we may experience culture shock. This may include losing a multitude of familiar signs and symbols of social interaction in daily life. For example, inexperience with a culture may bring uncertainty about when to shake hands and what to say when we meet people, when and how to give tips, how to make purchases, when to accept and when to refuse invitations, when to take statements seriously and when not. To get through the day, people depend on hundreds of these cues, most of which do not reach the level of conscious awareness. In their absence, several symptoms of cultural shock are possible: strain due to the effort required to make necessary psychological adjustments; a sense of loss and feelings of deprivation with regard to friends, status, profession, and possessions; rejection by or of members of the new culture; confusion about roles or role expectations, values, feelings, and personal identity; surprise, anxiety, or even disgust and indignation about cultural differences; and feelings of impotence due to a failure to cope with the new environment.

...