COURSE NOTES CIS 602 SUPPORTING INTERNATIONAL ASSIGNMENTS

Table of Contents
PART 1. INTERNATIONAL ASSIGNMENTS ........................................................................ 1 Types of International Assignments............................................................................................ 1 Nature of Assignments.................................................................................................................. 2 Job / Assignee Profiles .................................................................................................................. 3 PART 2: SUPPORTING INTERNATIONAL ASSIGNMENTS............................................. 5 Objectives of Support for International Assignments............................................................... 5 Stages and Elements of International Assignment Support ..................................................... 5 PART 3. EXAMPLES OF INTERCULTURAL TRAINING FOR INTERNATIONAL ASSIGNMENTS ......................................................................................................................... 10 Centre for Intercultural Learning (CIL) Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada ................................................................................................................................................... 10 Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam (KIT) ............................................................................ 10 Corporate Examples ................................................................................................................... 11 International Student Programs................................................................................................ 12 UBCs Centre for Intercultural Communication (CIC).......................................................... 12 PART 4. OTHER KEY ELEMENTS OF SUPPORT FOR INTERNATIONAL ASSIGNMENTS ......................................................................................................................... 14 Language Training ..................................................................................................................... 14 Local Cultural Adaptation Support .......................................................................................... 14 Modes of Training....................................................................................................................... 14 Evaluation.................................................................................................................................... 15 Monitoring ................................................................................................................................... 16 Culture Shock and Cross-Cultural Adjustment ...................................................................... 16 PART 5. RESOURCES .............................................................................................................. 21

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Part 1. International Assignments

Types of International Assignments
There are two ways to categorize international assignments: Who is going where? What are their tasks? Who Goes Where Expatriation People are assigned to another country.

Inpatriation People from another country come here on assignment.

Repatriation People return to their own country.

International Events People gather from many countries in one place for a specific purpose (Olympics, International Conference, etc.)

Assignment Task, Duration, and Scope Permanent Postings A company moves its operations or a department from the home country to the host country. The employees move to the host country and work as a local contract or local hire there.

Long-Term Postings A person goes on an assignment of not less than one year, up to four years or so.

Short-Term Projects and Assignments People work overseas for less than one year.

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Regular Commuters

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Because of their diverse functions or roles, people go on short trips regularly or periodically.

Ad Hoc An individual or team of people is brought together to resolve an incident or to accomplish a special task.

Virtual Unlike traditional assignments, people work on the international assignment via videoconferencing, teleconferencing, phones, internet and computers.

Other Special projects involving international participants from small to large scale: i.e. Olympics, Conferences, Symposiums, Relief Projects.

Nature of Assignments
International Business International business assignments involve participation in commercial activities that take place across national boundaries. The term covers a spectrum from import/export trading activities to the management of global enterprises. International Educational Exchange Programs These programs promote international understanding and cultural awareness within an academic setting. International students come to our country, or our students and/or faculty travel to another culture; in either case people make new friends, strive for success in different educational settings, and experience political influences and cultural diversities within the host community. Student Internships An internship is an extended period of work experience, typically of 12 to 16 months duration, that is an integral part of a program of post-secondary study. University and community college students are employed in settings that provide work experience directly related to their academic programs and career objectives. The setting is usually a manufacturing or service company, but it may also be a government, university or college laboratory. International Research Projects These are projects involving faculty and/or students (usually graduate students) who conduct their research with international associates, partners or in international teams. Often such projects
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CIS602: Supporting International Assignments involve government funding and support. Research often requires travel and long distance communications. Government Assignments and Projects

These include diplomatic postings and personnel who are placed in government offices around the world. Individuals may go from one international posting to another and in a short period of time be exposed to the process of adjusting to a new environment while representing their home country. Activities may also include international development projects. Diplomatic Postings Governments send representatives to countries with which they have diplomatic relations. Some people (and their families) spend their working lives moving back and forth between their home countrys capital city and their countrys missions abroad. Development Projects In Canada, for example, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) is responsible for implementing Canadas official development assistance program. CIDAs mandate is Supporting sustainable development, reducing poverty and providing humanitarian assistance in order to promote a more secure, equitable and prosperous world (www.acdi-cida.gc.ca) In general, rather than directly recruiting people, CIDA solicits proposals from private sector, institutional, and NGO partners to implement its development projects overseas. Non-Governmental Organizations, Volunteer Projects and Assignments Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are funded by private individuals or groups for the pursuit of common aims. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), they must be funded by private individuals; be independent of states; be oriented toward the rule of law; pursue public rather than private interests as an objective; demonstrate a transnational scope of activities; and possess a minimal organizational structure. Examples would be Mdecins sans Frontires, CARE (and CARE Canada), and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Job / Assignee Profiles

In order to effectively support candidates for international assignments, it is essential to conduct a proper needs assessment that clearly distinguishes between the many roles, functions and assignee profiles. Thus, to determine the training and support required by a candidate, it is important to consider the following:

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Level Student Faculty Senior management Junior management / professionals Supervisory Technicians Administrative Trainees

CIS602: Supporting International Assignments

Task and Role Academic Study Exchange Teaching Exchange Research Research Team Conference Participant

Corporate/Organization/Institution Start up Filling a position Replacement Technology transfer Career development

Group / Family Structure Expatriates from the following categories face different hurdles and require different support strategies: Single With partner With children Single parent
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CIS602: Supporting International Assignments Live-in dependent parents With team members

Part 2: Supporting International Assignments

This course is designed from the perspective of those who provide support for groups or individuals involved in international work, study, research or event planning. Through the course we will explore features of intercultural training, ongoing support, and organizational structure that can support international assignments not only for individuals, but also for their families, for their local colleagues or partners, and for the home organization.

Objectives of Support for International Assignments

In supporting peoples international assignments, the objective is to help assignees to accomplish their international mission with appropriate strategies and resources by supporting their adjustment to the new work or study environment assisting them to identify appropriate strategies and resources to get things done in the new work or study environment helping them to communicate effectively across cultures.

Stages and Elements of International Assignment Support

1. Analysis / Needs Assessment In order to assess the requirements of an international assignment and the kinds of support required, it is necessary to explore the tasks, the people involved, and the appropriate strategies. An assessment provides project organizers with crucial information about logistics, scope, expectations and requirements for training. Task (what to do? when? time? who does what task?) People (who is involved? who needs support?) Strategy (what processes will work? what needs to be done when?)

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CIS602: Supporting International Assignments

Time Task What is required? Time frame? Experience? Skills? People Who is involved? Who reports to whom? What are the roles? What are the previous relationships and experiences? What are the status levels, perceived or ascribed? Who is evaluating and what are they evaluating? Interests of People within Corporation/Academic Institution/Organization To accomplish the task To match the knowledge exchange objectives (refer to CIS606: Exchanging Knowledge Across Cultures) To be financially sound

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CIS602: Supporting International Assignments To meet human resource requirements and build positive working environments To keep positive and sustainable community links Personal (including spouse and family) Culture shock and adjustment Communication problems and solutions (refer to CIS501: Foundations and CIS 502: Skills) Practical logistics of living and working Strategy Determine how success will be measured. Determine whether different stakeholders will have different measures of success. Establish the intensity of the assignment in relation to language demands, professional requirements, isolation, etc. Determine who has the required experience, skills, or knowledge. For Consideration in the Needs Assessment Matches and Mismatches: Candidates Previous Experience and Cultural Environment of the Assignment Relationships Focuses on whether an organization places primary importance on completing a job versus devoting time to building relationships among business associates. Time Measures the degree to which a society believes an individual can focus on one or more tasks and evaluates the importance of personal relationships versus adherence to schedules. Communication Addresses the way societies communicate, including the use of non-verbal gestures. Hierarchy Measures the way individuals interact with one another within an organizational hierarchy.

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Status Attainment

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Measures the importance of personal achievement and accomplishment to an overall sense of well-being. Space Views how individuals in societies use space to define themselves, including spatial distances used when speaking, as well as the amount of space needed for comfort in business and living environments. Group Dependence Measures the importance of the individual versus the group in diverse social and business situations. Roles and Status: Achieved and Ascribed Defines how roles, power, and authority are associated with each gender. Also measures the attitude towards others who are different in race, religion, country-of-origin, etc. It can also measure different attitudes toward the same profession. Change Tolerance Identifies group responses to change, the need for rules, and the ability to take risks. Also measures the perception of how much control we have over our destiny. 2. Selection Candidate Selection (Profiling and Screening) Language proficiency Cultural compatibility and adaptability Professional experience, skills and knowledge Family considerations Expectations 3. Preparation Initiation Negotiation

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CIS602: Supporting International Assignments Needs assessment Planning Scheduling Screening 4. Intercultural Training There are various types of training, e.g. predeparture, on-arrival, on-going support, pre-return, and re-entry/post-assignment training programs. These vary by objectives, content, mode/pedagogy, and schedule of training. Cultural awareness Cultural adaptation Intercultural communication skills Country- and area-specific briefings Knowledge transfer across cultures

5. Language Training Language acquisition (level of proficiency required) Working with translators and interpreters 6. Local Cross-Cultural Adaptation Support On-arrival orientation Building a multicultural working environment Cultural interpreters / informants Support groups 7. Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Training program evaluation Trainer / service-provider performance evaluation Candidate performance monitoring Overall evaluation

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CIS602: Supporting International Assignments

Part 3. Examples of Intercultural Training for International Assignments

Centre for Intercultural Learning (CIL) Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
From their website: www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/cfsi-icse//cil-cai/ : Simply stated, an interculturally effective person is someone who is able to live contentedly and work successfully in another culture. Taken a little further, the interculturally effective person has three main attributes: an ability to communicate with people of another culture in a way that earns their respect and trust the capacity to adapt his/her professional skills (both technical and managerial) to fit local conditions and constraints the capacity to adjust personally so that s/he is content and generally at ease in the host culture

The Centre for Intercultural Learning has researched and identified a very specific set of competencies and behaviours exhibited by an interculturally effective person. These are outlined and explained in the Profile of the Interculturally Effective Person (IEP). The IEP provides a comprehensive behaviour-based outline of the skills, knowledge and attitudes required for successfully living and working in another culture. It also forms the basis for the Centre's courses and workshops. The Centre for Intercultural Learning offers a broad range of courses and workshops to meet the needs of an international workforce. Whether you're relocating, travelling internationally on business trips, coming back to Canada after working abroad or hosting international colleagues, our services will help you develop the necessary intercultural competencies to ensure success.

Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam (KIT)

From their website: http://www.kit.nl/ Our mission The Royal Tropical Institute (KIT) is an independent centre of knowledge and expertise in the areas of international and intercultural cooperation. The aims of KIT are to contribute to sustainable development, poverty alleviation, and cultural preservation and exchange. Within the Netherlands, it seeks to promote interest in and support for these issues.

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KIT conducts research, organizes training activities, and provides consultancy and information services. Central to KITs approach is the elaboration of practical expertise in policy development and implementation. KIT stewards cultural heritage, organizes exhibitions and other cultural events, and provides a venue for meetings and debate. A key objective underlying KITs work is to enhance and exchange knowledge of and understanding for different cultures. KIT is a not-for-profit organization that works for both the public and the private sector in collaboration with partners in the Netherlands and abroad.

KIT Intercultural Management and Communication Within both profit and non-profit organizations we provide individual managers, teams and business units with practice-oriented training, advice and coaching regarding multicultural and international cooperation, and with integrated language and culture programmes; We provide the international business world with management consultancy and assistance in the implementation of corporate identity and the development and coaching of corporate responsibility. What is our approach? Our aim is to build bridges between cultures. In this process we not only focus on organizational issues relating to culture, management and cooperation, but also on such human elements as humour and emotions. Our approach takes account of both rational and non-rational factors. And we dont just leave it at talking, but are sure to put you to work. Our methods include: Business seminars, lectures and edutainment programs on building bridges between different cultures; Tailor-made consultancy programs focussing on specific management issues; Personal coaching and training focussing on individual management challenges. Family programs addressing the challenges of expatriate family life; Integrated language and culture trainings.

Corporate Examples
Do an Internet search of intercultural training or relocation for an idea of the number of companies and institutions world-wide that provide training and support to firms whose personnel are moving around the globe. An American company, GMAC Global Relocation Services, has published an interesting report: Global Relocation Trends, 2005 Survey Report, available from their website www.gmacglobalrelocation.com/insight_support/global_relocation.asp. Here is an excerpt:

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Cultural and Family Issues

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81% of companies provided cross-cultural preparation. 57% made it available in certain countries, 13% at employee request, and 4% by grade of employee. Formal cross-cultural training was mandatory at 20% of companies the lowest percentage in the surveys history. 73% rated it as having great or high value. 29% of respondents used CD-based or web-based crosscultural programs the highest percentage in this surveys history. Of those who use them, 62% rate them as having great or high value much higher than last year. 35% of respondents trained expatriates in the company code of conduct. The most critical family challenges were spousal resistance, childrens education, and family adjustment. The top reasons for assignment refusal were family concerns, compensation, spouses career, and employee career aspirations. 73% of respondents supported spouses with language training, 43% provided education/training assistance, and 33% sponsored work permits. 8% of responding companies assisted expatriates with elderly family members.

International Student Programs

There are some wonderful examples in Canadian universities of international student program websites, resources, and case studies for intercultural training as well as facts, logistics and policies. Some examples of these are those at Thompson Rivers http://www.truworld.ca/gmc_tru.htm , Guelph www.uoguelph.ca/cip/ , York www.yorku.ca/yorkint/ , Queens www.queensu.ca/quic/home.htm , and UBC www.students.ubc.ca/global/ . Faculties and departments have sector-specific information. There are also wonderful resources available from Co-op Programs across the country. Other excellent resources include: CBIE (Canadian Bureau of International Education) www.cbie.ca, as well as the CEC Network www.cecnetwork.ca with centres located in many cities around the world. NAFSA www.nafsa.org is the US-based association of international educators. There is also the CBIE/UBC website for pre-departure Youth Internship Training developed several years ago and adaptable for other groups http://www2.cstudies.ubc.ca/~cbie/intro.htm .

UBCs Centre for Intercultural Communication (CIC)

From our website on training and support for international assignments in the section on programs for international assignments - http://cic.cstudies.ubc.ca/index.html
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Moving overseas can be an exciting yet exhausting and anxious time. Our intercultural training sessions will help you or your organizations employees and their families make a smooth transition to their new environment, and succeed in their international assignment. Our programs allow all participants to: learn about the host country gain invaluable knowledge about host-country systems and business practices understand the behaviours of your foreign counterparts apply principles for effective intercultural negotiations establish and build successful working relationships

Pre-Departure Briefings This program is for internationally bound employees, managers and their families. Participants in this program will: learn about the host country to which they are being relocated (health, education, climate, safety; history and religion; political and social environment) gain invaluable knowledge about host-country systems and business practices understand the behaviours of their foreign counterparts apply principles for effective intercultural negotiations establish and build successful working relationships

On-Site Cross-Cultural Adaptation Training This program is for foreign national employees, managers and their families who are relocating to Canada for short- and long-term periods. Participants in this program will: transition and adapt more quickly to their new Canadian environment learn about Canadian business practices and management styles enhance communication between you and your Canadian colleagues practice interacting in social and workplace settings become familiar with British Columbias education system know how to access community resources and services increase their confidence in their ability to live and work in Canada

Return Briefings This program is for employees, managers and their families that are returning to their home country after having lived and worked abroad on international assignment. Participants in this program will: Transition and re-adapt more effectively into their personal and professional lives Recognize the signs and symptoms of reverse or re-entry culture shock Understand the sources and ways to manage reverse culture shock Develop strategies to apply their international experience as intercultural skills

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CIS602: Supporting International Assignments

Part 4. Other Key Elements of Support for International Assignments

Language Training
Language acquisition (level of proficiency required) Working with translators and interpreters

Local Cultural Adaptation Support

On-arrival orientation Building a multicultural working environment Cultural interpreters / informants Support groups

Modes of Training
Classroom/Seminar Model Training Videotapes and Websites Training Simulations and Role Plays. Training simulations and role plays can be high-risk training activities. Note: The four key attributes of successful training simulations are: 1. Fun. Simulation users are highly engaged. They are able to suspend disbelief and play the roles assigned to them in the simulation. The simulation provides enough realism to make them think through their options as if the simulation were real. 2. Accessible. The simulation must overcome technical and schedule constraints so that players can participate easily. Technical constraints change the medium; schedule constraints change the pace of the simulation (iterations over a few days instead of one long simulation). 3. Clear. The simulation users must have clear roles to play and the goals for each of those roles must be stated clearly before the simulation begins. 4. Educational. The simulation behaviour, output, and results must correspond to a clear learning objective that benefits the players after the simulation is complete. Self-Awareness Training These can include personality, management and working style assessment tests such as the BSAT used by Berlitz or the Myers Briggs.
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CIS602: Supporting International Assignments E-mail and Face-to-Face Exchanges

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Exchanges with resource people face-to-face or via e-mail can be very effective; however, it also requires input from an experienced intercultural facilitator to guide the selection of questions and information. Without monitoring and guidance it can run the danger of providing the learner with a distorted or mismatched perspective of the target assignment. Multidimensional Approach

Evaluation
Evaluation should cover all phases of the assignment: Predeparture On-site Post-assignment

Why Evaluate? A good project evaluation provides an extremely useful tool to manage ongoing work, identify successes and plan effectively for new training initiatives. Effective project evaluations can : Account for what has been accomplished through the project Assess which cross-cultural communication strategies work and which dont Provide feedback to inform decision-making at all levels Contribute to the body of knowledge about international assignments Assess the cost-effectiveness of different training strategies Position high quality projects for future funding opportunities Increase the effectiveness of project and program management

Principles of Participatory Evaluation Participatory evaluation focuses on learning, success and action. The evaluation must be useful to the people who are doing the work that is being evaluated. The evaluation process is ongoing and includes ways to let all participants use the information from the evaluation throughout the project, not just at the end. Recognition of the progression of change knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviour is built into the evaluation. The project sponsors are responsible for defining the specific project evaluation questions, the indicators of success and realistic timeframes.

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CIS602: Supporting International Assignments Participatory evaluation makes it possible to recognize shared interests among those doing the work, the people the work is designed to reach, the project funders and other stakeholders.

Participatory Learning Evaluation What have you learned as a result of your participation in this project? What questions do you have that are still unanswered? How would you improve this project? What aspects of this project do you think are important to keep? What have you learned about working with others to solve problems? How is the world different now that we have worked together?

Monitoring
The monitoring process is used to ensure that the participants/teams are making satisfactory progress according to the project goals or training programs. In this course we shall focus on the intercultural aspects, specifically the adaptation effectiveness and communication and management skills of the trainees. The overall objectives of the process are to: Track and review actual training accomplishments and results to project plans. Revise the training plan to reflect accomplishments thus far, and revise the plan for remaining work, if needed. Provide visibility into progress as the training proceeds, so that the candidate, support team and management can take corrective action early when project performance varies significantly from original plans.

Culture Shock and Cross-Cultural Adjustment

Culture shock is a term coined in 1954 by Kalvero Oberg to describe what happens to people (often known as sojourners - those who stay in a place for a temporary period of time) when they encounter unfamiliar surroundings and conditions. Culture shock is the feeling of disorientation or confusion that often occurs when a person leaves a familiar place and moves to an unfamiliar one. To describe the same or similar phenomenon other researchers have used terms such as culture fatigue and role shock. Culture shock does not happen all at once. It is a feeling of alienation that grows little by little as sojourners confront daily life situations and interact with new faces in the host community. It commonly stems from unrealized or unrealistic expectations of the new culture, or is related to an inability to communicate personal or social needs.

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Oberg outlines six components to culture shock: 1. Attempting to psychologically adapt to the new environment causes strain, 2. Being away from friends, ones former status or role, possessions and career, results in feelings of deprivation or loss, 3. One often rejects the culture s/he is encountering or feels rejected by it, 4. Confusion following from questions of ones role in the new environment and insecurity about self-identity and feelings is common, 5. Differences between the home culture and the host culture may result in anxiety, surprise, indignation, and/or disgust and 6. Perceived inability to handle the new circumstances may result in feelings of helplessness. Specific signs of the stress and anxiety of culture shock include depression and withdrawal, negative stereotyping of the local people, excessive criticism of them, excessive socio-emotional dependence upon fellow foreign nationals and expatriates, and the inability to form socioemotional relationships with members of the host culture. Other symptoms include escapist behaviour such as excessive sleeping, a solitary immersion in reading books or other solitary activities, an all-consuming desire for news from home, and alcohol or drug abuse. In summary, culture shock is the term used to denote the anxiety and stress reactions that some people experience when they live in a cultural and linguistic environment that is significantly different from their own. The anxiety, stress and resulting thoughts, emotions and behaviours are caused by cognitive dissonance and uncertainty due to disconfirmed expectancies and egoidentity diminishment. Cognitive dissonance (uneasiness) occurs when peoples cognitions about themselves and the world around them are inconsistent with one another. The disconfirmed expectations that we experience when living in a different culture contribute to this cognitive dissonance and to uncertainty, insecurity, anxiety and stress. In addition, individuals experience anxiety and stress due to ego-identity diminishment. Our identities are rooted in our home culture and its particular physical and sociocultural environment. When we leave that particular complex of sociocultural and physical environmental factors we also leave the roots that support and nourish our personalities. Role Shock Role perception is culturally bound. The person who has a particular understanding of what a specific position is and does, may be upset when he or she attempts to fulfill the expectation of such a role in a different cultural environment. Ones traditional views of the function are suddenly obsolete. Role shock can lead to identity crisis and can be very disconcerting.

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Cultural Adjustment

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Each of us has a cultural lens or worldview that we use both to determine our values and to interpret our surroundings. The ideal approach is to evaluate what is positive and what is negative in both cultures and to try to integrate the good aspects into our value system. In the same way the local people may understand little about our situation as a newcomer from abroad, and they may therefore misunderstand the reasons for some of our behaviour. Factors supporting a persons successful intercultural adjustment include: 1. Open-mindedness 2. Sense of humour 3. Ability to cope with failure 4. Communicativeness 5. Flexibility and adaptability 6. Curiosity 7. Positive and realistic expectations 8. Tolerance for differences and ambiguities 9. Positive regard for others 10. A strong sense of self The Stages of the Process of Cross-Cultural Adjustment Level of satisfaction Very positive, happy, excited

Adaptation, happy, satisfied

Very negative, high stress, health problems

Predeparture and arrival Pre-return and re-entry

Time Period

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The diagram describes a typical emotional pattern, but there are as many variations as there are individuals. However, most people will experience the roller-coaster ride. Just before and after the move Emotions are often very positive. Just before the change people are usually looking forward to what is going to happen. Immediately after the change, people are usually very happy about what has happened. They are in the honeymoon stage. After some time Emotions can be very negative. High stress level, dissatisfaction with the change, some health problems. One day people feel great; the next, terrible. Towards the end of the stay Emotions are getting back to normal. People start to feel comfortable with the change and feel they have some understanding of the culture that they have been living in. Re-entry Emotions are confusing. Constant comparison of the two cultures. Others get tired of hearing about the international experience. Need to discuss and debrief the experience both at work and at home. Reverse Culture Shock In the same way that people may have experienced culture shock when they were adjusting to their new cultural surroundings abroad, they will experience a re-adjustment period when returning home. The real key to re-entering ones home culture is to realize that there may be frustrations with readjusting to life in that culture, and that the frustrations are a normal part of the total learning process, and an on-going part of the entire cross-cultural experience. Stages of Reverse Culture Shock Most people expect to experience culture shock when they arrive in their host country, but few expect it on their return home. This shock can be attributed to new attitudes, values and perceptions developed while abroad. Research shows that re-entry shock is at least as frequent as the initial culture shock. It is therefore an inevitable part of the international experience.

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Stage 1: Disengagement

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While you are still abroad, you begin to start thinking about moving home and moving away from your international experience and friends. Stage 2: Euphoria You may be excited to be back in your own country and others may be equally delighted to have you back. After people express their pleasure at seeing you again, and listen politely to your stories for a few minutes, you may suddenly and/or painfully realize that they are not particularly interested in what happened to you and would prefer to talk about their own affairs. Stage 3: Alienation In this stage, you experience dampened euphoria with feelings of alienation, frustration and anger. You may even feel like an outsider - a foreigner in your own country. Home will be different from how you remembered it. (The pollution may be worse. The pace may be more hurried and hectic, etc.) You may feel irritated with others and impatient with your own inability to do things as well or as quickly as you had hoped. Resentment, loneliness, disorientation and even a sense of helplessness may pervade. Stage 4: Gradual Readjustment The fourth stage of re-entry includes a gradual readjustment to life at home. During this stage you will no longer be shocked (for example, by the variety you find on the supermarket shelves) and youll be able to contain your comments about the differences between cultures that come to your attention. If you have had difficulty filtering out the foreign words in your conversation, you will find that your mother-tongue conversational skills will improve during stage four. Positive Aspects of Reverse Culture Shock New Skills Along with the new ideas, views and attitudes that you have developed, you will have acquired some new skills. These may include discovering a new way to do an old task, gaining a different perspective on your field of study, or increasing your foreign language skills. And if youve been in another country that uses your own language, it will have acquired new meaning through idioms, lingo, and phrases that are specific to the host country. These new skills will now become a part of your daily life. Increasing fluency with your foreign language will probably have one of the greatest impacts. If you have learned to become dependent on these skills to communicate from day to day, then it may feel strange for you to revert back to your native language. The degree of strangeness is directly connected to the amount of culture that you have assimilated from the host country, and will influence your readjustment. You may feel frustrated and depressed if you cannot communicate your new ideas,

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CIS602: Supporting International Assignments skills or opinions. Again, patience, flexibility, and time will be required as they were at the beginning of your foreign assignment. Friendships

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You will have established a new circle of friends abroad and they probably became an important part of your life. Job Opportunities Upon Return People may have less difficulty finding an appropriate job (or any job) upon their return, since their overseas experiences will now be an asset in their job search. However it can be a challenge to translate international and intercultural skills into recognizable terms that will be valued here. Individual Awareness Returnees should be able to understand what is happening and why, since they will be capable of focusing on what they can do to ease the transition process. They will look for ways to use the best of the (host cultural) experience, and will translate it so that family and colleagues can understand and share the benefits.

Part 5. Resources
It is important to make sure that information gathered is current and appropriate, given the context of the candidates job and profile. Resources to support international assignments include: Consultants and returned sojourners Books Embassies and Trade Commissions Expatriate web-pages (i.e. www.expatexpert.com/ ) Friends and colleagues who have worked overseas or come from abroad In-house programs and personnel Intercultural training houses Intercultural trainers International business advisors Journals Magazines Trade and travel guides

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