Breaking Through Culture Shock: What You Need to Succeed in International Business [ILLUSTRATED] (Hardcover)

by Elisabeth Marx (Author) "Imagine that you have just come back from a meeting with your boss..." (more)
Key Phrases: culture shock triangle, international effectiveness, international managers, Hong Kong, Middle East, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
Marx defines culture shock as "the experience of foreignness," and calls it both an occupational hazard and an opportunity. She sees its effects in her work as director of international consultancy for the executive search firm Norman Broadbent Selection. She also experienced it firsthand when, as a psychologist, she went to Britain to complete her postgraduate studies. Designed as a "self-coaching guide," Marx's book examines the phenomenon of culture shock as she details the three sides of the "culture shock triangle": emotions, thinking, and social skills and identity. She offers coping strategies for moving from euphoria to depression to contentment, from stereotyping to culturally effective thinking, and from national to transnational social skills and an international identity. Marx also outlines practical steps one can take to further a successful international career, summarizing characteristics of the world's main business cultures and considering the impact on one's personal life and family. David Rouse

Product Description
Why do some international managers succeed while nearly half of their U.S. counterparts fail? According to insider Elizabeth Marx , the answer is culture shock--the failure to adjust to people with different motivations, behaviors, and ways of making decisions.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 252 pages
• Publisher: Nicholas Brealey Publishing; illustrated edition edition (May 25, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1857882202
• ISBN-13: 978-1857882209
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,961,536 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good "handbook" for preparation of overseas assignments, April 26, 1999

By A Customer

A good blend of work experiences by people from all over the world with emphasis on identifying the "best practices" of preparing, working and returning from an overseas work assignment. Especially effective was the analysis of the psychological aspects of life in other countries/cultures, which included comprehensive views from both the worker and their families perspectives. Overall, the book was a fairly effective in helping me to prepare for my recent overseas long-term work assignment.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Breaking down invisible barriers to success., March 19, 2002

By	Gerry O'neill (Morrisville, NC United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Breaking Through Culture Shock: What You Need to Succeed in International Business (Paperback)

Despite the praise for this book from a senior partner in Arthur Andersen which graces the first page of the text, this is an excellent management text.

As an ex Englishman near New York, one of the surprising things to learn, and thus the point of this book, is that cultural differences can affect us and our work performances.

It is often said that Britain and America are separated by a common language but this does not really convey the full extent of the differences between the two nations. The situation is made more difficult by the fact that American culture has established a hedgemony around the world and particularly so in the UK.

This book is a must read for anyone accepting a post in a foreign country and anyone relocating abroad. Indeed some of the lessons of this book can be usefully applied to different jobs not just different countries.

I like the structure of the book and in particular the focus on the book as a tool to be used and not just read. The use of case studies is very helpful although I personally do not appreciate the manner in which they are written. I would have liked some of them at least to be expressed in a more formal manner with actual references to be used where possible but this is a minor gripe.

Breaking through Culture Shock is written in a very user friendly manner and in a size that is easily followed.

Elisabeth Marx really has hit the nail on the head with this text which has a broad scope great applicability across the continents. My one concern would be with Chapter 5 where she looks at some country specific cases but which excludes Japan. Given that country's importance to business in the world one would think that it warranted inclusion.

That aside, I would highly recommend this book to anyone thinking about embarking on a move abroad and those who have already made a move, whether it be temporary or permanent.

Just a thought, but it would be interesting to see an American author tackle this subject in the same way.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Insightful!, April 30, 2001

By	Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract.com" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Indonesians aren't punctual, but the Germans believe timeliness is a sign of respect. The French are well educated, but elitist. And, spouses and children don't always find living abroad to be a "grand experience." Those are just some of the things you'll learn from Dr. Elizabeth Marx, who explores why many managers have a horrible time abroad. To help improve your managerial experience overseas, she provides a 100-plus item checklist of what to do before you leave for a foreign country, including information on whether to sell your house or have your children inoculated. Her book tells the ambitious manager Everything You Always Wanted To Know About the International Experience but Were Afraid to Ask. For instance - and this isn't surprising considering her background in psychology - she tells corporations to provide psychological testing for employees before sending them to international posts. We [...] say read this before you plan your bon voyage party.