Diversity management: the culture shock

The unfamiliarity with the new culture makes many of those who encounter it fail to understand the factors that influence the conduct of local people so that they do not discern how they themselves should behave. When these people lose all familiar signs and symbols of social intercourse, they have to try to adapt themselves to different lifestyles, living conditions and business practices in a new cultural setting and this often proves to be a long term and difficult process. In this condition, feelings of alienation accumulate sharply because of poor adaptation and consequentially, culture shock occurs, followed by a series of psychological confusion and emotional discomfort (Xia, 97– 101).
There tend to be many responses to culture shock and this depends on individuals. Some people often choose to immerse themselves completely in the new culture, which they have encountered in an attempt to fit into the fabric of the new society. Such people often shun the culture, which they previously used to practice and instead develop a very negative attitude towards it (Dongfeng, 70–74). Others choose to adopt only the aspects of the new culture they have encountered which they consider good but continue to practice the culture familiar to them. A third group chooses to completely reject the new culture and tightly stick to the culture that they believe to be the best for them. These often create their own settlements or sectors within the society in which they have gone to live and it is only on the rare occasion that they encounter the new culture.