Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Kulturschock in Deutschland? — Zeitlicher Verlauf und Leistungseffekte der kulturellen Anpassung asiatischer Führungskräfte in Deutschland

  • Kulturschock
  • Published:
Schmalenbachs Zeitschrift für betriebswirtschaftliche Forschung Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

The problem of cultural incompatibility between international firms’ expatriates and the foreign host country and its consequences for the working performance has been discussed intensively in the literature. Although a number of studies have been conducted on Western expatriates in Asia, studies on Asian expatriates located in European countries are rather rare. In this contribution determinants of expatriates’ adjustment to host country culture are analyzed by a survey of Asian expatriates in Germany. According to the concept of Black/Stephens and its modifications introduced by Selmer several dimensions of adjustment have been differentiated. For three of these four dimensions no U-curve development — as implied in theory — can be discovered. The performance of Asian expatriates in Germany seems to be influenced mainly by their work adjustment which tends to improve with time spent working in the host country.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Literaturverzeichnis

  • Arnetz, Bengt B./Anderzen, Ingrid (1992), The Internationalization of Work, in: Selmer, Jan (Hrsg.), Proceedings of the First International Conference on Expatriate Management Hong Kong, S. 216–229.

  • Arthur, Nancy (2001), Using Critical Incidents to Investigate Cross-cultural Transitions, in: International Journal of Intercultural Relations, Vol. 25, S. 41–53.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bartlett, Christopher A./Ghoshal, Sumantra (1989), Managing across Borders: The Transnational Solution.

  • Besley, David/Kuh, Edwin/Welsch, Roy (1980), Regression Diagnostics.

  • Black, J. Stewart (1988), Work Role Transitions, in: Journal of International Business Studies, Vol. 19, S. 277–294.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Black, J. Stewart (1990), The Relationship of Personal Characteristics with the Adjustment of Japanese Expatriate Managers, in: Management International Review, Vol. 30, S. 119–134.

    Google Scholar 

  • Black, J. Stewart/ Gregersen, Hal B. (1990), Expectations, Satisfaction, and Intention to Leave of American Expatriate Managers in Japan, in: International Journal of Intercultural Relations, Vol. 14, S. 485–506.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Black, J. Stewart/Gregersen, Hal B./Mendenhall, Mark. E. (1992), Global Assignments.

  • Black, J. Stewart/ Mendenhall, Mark (1991), The U-Curve Adjustment Hypothesis Revisited, in: Journal of International Business Studies, Vol. 22, S. 224–247.

    Google Scholar 

  • Black, J. Stewart/ Stephens, Gregory K. (1989), The Influence of the Spouse on American Expatriate Adjustment and Intent to Stay in Pacific Rim Overseas Assignments, in: Journal of Management, Vol. 15, S. 529–544.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burnham, Kenneth P./Anderson, David R. (1998), Model Selection and Inference.

  • Caligiuri, Paula M. (2000), Selecting Expatriates for Personality Characteristics: A Moderating Effect of Personality on the Relationship Between Host National Contact and Cross-cultural Adjustment, in: Management International Review, Vol. 40, S. 61–80.

    Google Scholar 

  • Church, Austin T. (1982), Sojourner Adjustment, in: Psychological Bulletin, Vol. 91, S. 540–572.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cobb, Sidney (1976), Social Support as a Moderator of Life Stress, in: Psychosomatic Medicine, Vol. 38, S. 300–314.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coelho, George (1958), Changing Images of America.

  • Deutsch, Steven E./ Won, George Y. M. (1963), Some Factors in the Adjustment of Foreign Nationals in the U.S., in: The Journal of Social Issues, Vol. 19, S. 115–122.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Earley, Christopher P. (1987), Intercultural Training for Managers, in: Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 30, S. 685–698.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Engelhard, Johann/Hein, Silvia (1996), Erfolgsfaktoren des Auslandseinsatzes von Führungskräften, in: Macharzina, Klaus/Wolf, Joachim (Hrsg.), Handbuch Internationales Führungskräfte-Management, S. 83–111.

  • Ferraro, Gary P. (1994), Coping with Culture Shock, in: Ferraro, Gary P. (Hrsg.), The Cultural Dimension of International Business, S. 145–156.

  • Furnham, Adrian/Bochner, Stephen (1982), Social Difficulty in a Foreign Culture, in: Bochner, Stephen (Hrsg.), Cultures in Contact, S. 161–198.

  • Furnham, Adrian/Bochner, Stephen (1986), Culture Shock.

  • Ganster, Daniel C./ Fusilier, Marcelline R./ Mayes, Bronston T. (1986), Role of Social Support in the Experience of Stress at Work, in: Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 71, S. 102–110.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goldberg, David (1972), The Detection of Psychiatric Illness by Questionnaire.

  • Greene, William H. (1997), Econometric Analysis.

  • Gudykunst, William B./Kim, Young Yun (1984), Communicating with Strangers.

  • Harrison, J. Kline/ Chadwick, Margaret/ Scales, Maria (1996), The Relationship Between Cross-cultural Adjustment and the Personality Variables of Self-Efficiency and Self-Monitoring, in: International Journal of Intercultural Relations, Vol. 20, S. 167–188.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hedlund, Gunnar/Rolander, Dag (1990), Action in Heterarchies, in: Bartlett, Christopher A. et al. (Hrsg.), Managing the Global Firm, S. 15–46.

  • Hein, Silvia (1999), Internationaler Einsatz von Führungskräften.

  • Hofstede, Geert (2001), Culture’s Consequences, 2. Aufl.

  • Hurn, Brian John (1992), Pre-departure Training, in: Selmer, Jan (1992), S. 102–107.

  • Kim, Young Yun (1989), Intercultural Adaptation, in: Asante, Molefi K./Gudykunst, William B. (Hrsg.), Handbook of International and Intercultural Communication, S. 275–294.

  • Klineberg, Otto/Hull, Frank W. (1979), At a Foreign University.

  • Kühlmann, Torsten (1995), Die Auslandsentsendung von Fach- und Führungskräften, in: Kühlmann, Torsten (Hrsg.), Mitarbeiterentsendung ins Ausland, S. 1–30.

  • Kumar, Brij N./Wagner, Dieter (Hrsg.) (1998), Handbuch des internationalen Personalmanagements.

  • Lysgaard, Sverre (1955), Adjustment in a Foreign Society, in: International Social Science Bulletin, Vol. 7, S. 45–51.

    Google Scholar 

  • Malnight, T. W. (2002), Emerging Structural Patterns within Multinational Corporations: Toward Process-Based Structures, in: Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 44, S. 1187–1210.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mamman, Aminu (1992), Expatriates’ Intercultural Effectiveness, in: Selmer, Jan (1992), S. 364–376.

  • Mamman, Aminu (1995), Expatriates’ Intercultural Effectiveness by Chance of Birth, in: Selmer, Jan (Hrsg.), Expatriate Management, S. 137–155.

  • McEvoy, Glenn M./Parker, Barbara (1992), Expatriate Adjustment among Managers: Issues and Research Directions, in: Selmer, Jan (1992), S. 66–74.

  • Meissner, Hans Günther (1997), Der Kulturschock in der Betriebswirtschaftslehre, in: Engelhard, Johann (Hrsg.), Interkulturelles Management, S. 1–14.

  • Nguyen, Huong, H./ Messe, Lawrence A./ Stollak, Gary E. (1999), Toward a More Complex Understanding of Acculturation and Adjustment: Cultural Involvements and Psychosocial Functioning in Vietnamese Youth, in: Journal of Cross Cultural Psychology, Vol. 30, S. 5–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oberg, Kalvero (1960), Culture Shock, in: Practical Anthropology, Vol. 7, S. 177–182.

    Google Scholar 

  • o.V. (2000), Nasty, Brutish and Short, in: The Economist, 14.12. 2001, S. 80–82.

  • Parker, Barbara/ McEvoy, Glenn M. (1993), Initial Examination of a Model of Intercultural Adjustment, in: International Journal of Intercultural Relations, Vol. 17, S. 355–379.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Selmer, Jan (1992) (Hrsg.), Proceedings of the First International Conference on Expatriate Management, Hong Kong: Hong Kong Baptist College.

    Google Scholar 

  • Selmer, Jan (1999), Culture Shock in China?, in: International Business Review, Vol. 8, S. 515–534.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sewell, William/ Davidsen, Oluf (1956), The Adjustment of Scandinavian Students, in: The Journal of Social Issues, Vol. 12, S. 9–19.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shaffer, Margaret A./ Harrison, David/ Gilley, K. Matthew (1999), Dimensions, Determinants, and Differences in the Expatriate Adjustment Process, in: Journal of International Business Studies, Vol. 30, S. 557–581.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stahl, Günter, K. (1998), Internationaler Einsatz von Führungskräften.

  • Steele, Henry C./Tang, Chun-Kan/Keung, Fung-Ping (1992), An Exploratory Study of Cross-cultural Adaptation of Expatriates Living in Hong Kong, in: Selmer, Jan (1992), S. 75–80.

  • Suutari, Vesa/ Brewster, Chris (1998), The Adaptation of Expatriates in Europe. Evidence from Finnish Companies, in: Personnel Review, Vol. 27, S. 89–103.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thomas, Kay/Harrel, Teresa (1994), Counseling Student Sojourners, in: Althen, Gary (Hrsg.), Learning Across Cultures, S. 89–107.

  • Torbiörn, Ingemar (1982), Living Abroad.

  • Ward, Colleen et al. (1998), The U-curve on Trial, in: International Journal of Intercultural Relations, Vol. 22, S. 277–291.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Winfield, Fairlee E. (1992), The Expatriate Family that Lives Apart, in: Selmer, Jan (1992), S. 280–286.

  • Winkelman, Michael (1994), Cultural Shock and Adaptation, in: Journal of Counselling and Development, Vol. 73, S. 121–126.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zaharna, R. (1989), Self-shock: The Double-binding Challenge of Identity, in: International Journal of Intercultural Relations, Vol. 13, S. 501–525.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Internationales Hochschulinstitut Zittau, Markt 23, 02763, Zittau, Deutschland

    Stefan Eckert (Professur für Internationales Management, insbesondere Kommunikationsund Wissensmanagement)

  2. Lehrstuhl für Statistik und Ökonometrie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 90403, Nürnberg, Deutschland

    Susanne Rässler

  3. Berufsbildungszentrum Shanghai, Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung e.V., 20070, Shanghai, VR China

    Stefanie Mayer

  4. Management Zentrum St. Gallen, CH-9014, St. Gallen, Schweiz

    Wolf Bonsiep

Authors
  1. Stefan Eckert
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Susanne Rässler
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Stefanie Mayer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Wolf Bonsiep
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Die Verfasser danken einem anonymen Gutachter für wertvolle Hinweise.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Eckert, S., Rässler, S., Mayer, S. et al. Kulturschock in Deutschland? — Zeitlicher Verlauf und Leistungseffekte der kulturellen Anpassung asiatischer Führungskräfte in Deutschland. Schmalenbachs Z betriebswirtsch Forsch 56, 639–659 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03372753

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03372753

JEL-Classification

Keywords

Search

Navigation