domestic culture shock

Culture Shock—Without Ever Leaving Your Home Country

As global moves become commonplace, relocation and corporate professionals have gained a better understanding of the phenomenon of culture shock. Yet relatively little attention is paid to cultural issues when relocating employees within a country. RELATED: How To Deal With Culture Shock When Working Abroad When it is acknowledged at all, domestic culture shock is treated as more of a punch-line than a problem. Colleagues might tease the Houston executive about his upcoming move to New York City, or the Milan professional moving to Palermo, but intra-country culture shock is no laughing matter. It is real, and as with international culture shock, there is potential for failed assignments and relationships and the loss of valued employees. While there is no readily available hard data on failed domestic assignments due to culture shock, relocation professionals know it exists through anecdotal and informal comments from clients.

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