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| Taken from http://globalcitizenblog.com/?p=2701 |
As a management graduate, not to mention majoring in Human Resource Management, I have learned about Cross-Cultural Management a whole year and I should have, as earliest as possible, developed something called cultural sensitivity, the quality of being aware and accepting the existence of other cultures, but in the mean time, I haven’t acquired this handy feature yet or been able to diagnose myself.
At my last employment, I was surrounded by a very individual environment. My former boss would give few projects and asked me to complete them with my own way. He gave some corrections and suggestions, but the work output would still represent my style, my original style. The only principle he forced me to swallow was to take quality as part of my passion and pride. My former colleagues were blunt speakers and there was no stratification involved when we were discussing projects.
How about my current employment? I started to work in the new office since February 21st and honestly, I felt uneasy. I have some problems which can be defined easily as “symptoms” of cultural shock like headache, lethargy, sleep problems, irritability, and anger over minor frustrations, feeling moody, isolated, and insecure, and confusion about morals and values. I am working with seven seniors and one supervisor and the thing is...major revisions and super polite conduct of communications rooted deeply in this unit long before Moses ripped apart the Red Sea. Something I am not used to. But willing or not, I have to make some adjustments so I won’t be dragged into futile attempts to survive.
Lysgaard[1] (1955) introduced a theory so called U-Curve of Cultural Adjustments. It has been the most cited model in cultural adjustments research. The first stage in the U-Curve is Honeymoon Stage. The phase when people feel fascinated by new things, different kinds of sight and sounds. This was me a month ago. I was excited of being the new researcher candidate and I felt some kind euphoria of happiness being a part of tight bundle with outstanding senior researchers. Similar with the one little kids usually feel when they hear, “Then the fairy mother came to help Cinderella”.
The second stage is Cultural Shock, every possible discomfort you can feel in your life. Now, I still feel that I’m standing at the edge of this stage, between the second stage and the third one, Recovery. Moody, isolated, insecure, and confuse stand resolute as my primary characters these days.
The third stage is Recovery. Stating that I already recover from cultural shock is highly too optimistic. I already know how to behave appropriately and try to understand the behavior of each member in my unit, but cultural adjustment is a natural process. I won’t force myself to form a new identity or question my worth, flexibility, and strength. Once, a friend said that if you hated someone, means you didn’t know him/her very well. So, I try to understand the underlying reasons behind each behaviour.
The fourth stage is Adjustment, functioning effectively in new culture. This is the kind of phase I would like to be, but not yet happened. My partner is coping very well, but I’m not. I won’t be so anxious, though. Because this cultural adjustment thing is an individual process. It depends on what we bring to it.
Hope I can get to the fourth stage A.S.A.P.
Cheers,
Nidya
[1] Lysgaard, Sverre.1955. Adjustment in Foreign Society: Norwegian Fulbright Grantees Visiting the United States. International Social Science Bulletin Vol. 7.
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