Discussion:
Ferraro discusses a number of suggestions for coping with or minimizing culture shock. Which three do you think are the most important? Why? Or perhaps you think the most important ones aren't on the list. Give a suggestion for coping with culture shock that is not in Ferraro.
According to Ferraro, Culture shock, a term first popularized by anthropologist Kalvero Oberg, refers to the psychological disorientation experienced by people who suddenly find themselves living and working in radically different cultural environments. Oberg describes culture shock as the anxiety that results when all familiar cultural props have been knocked out from under a person who is entering a new culture.
The three minimizing culture shock suggestions that I find beneficial are as follows: know they self, prepare and becoming familiar with as much specific cultural information as possible.
Knowing thy self refers to understanding ones on personal characteristics and deciding personally if international business is for you. Understanding personal values will be a beneficial in this case allowing one to make the best decision for them and their current situation. It is increasing challenging to perform well in the international business world if you value time with your family above all. Evaluating and ranking the values will provided more solid decision in pursuing international business. Ferraro also suggest 3 criteria to view prior to considering international business. One being have a realistic understanding of the problems that could nay occur, two one must develop copying skills to handle these issues that arise, and third see this opportunity as growth within the business world and on a personal level.
Preparing will continue while aboard but is more important if done prior to travels. This decreases the anxiety of the unknown empowering the business person with tools to utilize prior to travel. Obtain an understanding of the culture .local patterns of communication and I would say including slang. Puerto Rico is a Spanish speaking culture just as cuba but there is a lot of slang and local terms intertwined into the language. A business person would need to first educate themselves on the spoken culture language and gestures and not assume that all Spanish will be interpreted the same. Not all words spoken in one Spanish culture have the same meaning as in another Spanish speaking culture.
Ferraro, G. & Briody, E. (2013). Cultural dimension of global business (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson