Effective IHRM Strategies for Managing Culture Shock in Australia

This report examines the phenomenon of culture shock experienced by individuals, particularly in the context of international assignments in Australia. It delves into the various stages of culture shock, including the honeymoon, negotiation, adjustment, and adaptation phases, and emphasizes the importance of International Human Resource Management (IHRM) strategies in mitigating its negative effects. The report highlights the need for organizations to implement inclusive and effective IHRM policies and practices, focusing on training, education, and communication to support employees' transition and integration. It analyzes the success of UGL Limited in managing culture shock through its employee programs, emphasizing the role of communication and feedback. The report concludes by stressing the significance of tailored IHRM approaches that acknowledge individual differences and promote a supportive work environment to facilitate employees' adjustment to a new cultural context.

Running head: IHRM AND CULTURE SHOCK
IHRM and culture shock
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Culture shock is the phenomenon where an individual experiences loneliness and loss of
identity due to a rapid shift in their normal physical environment. Culture shock in Australia
manifests as foreigners try to navigate their way through the social and economic spheres of life.
It is important to note that culture shock can also be experienced by Australians as they navigate
through different cities within the country. Due to the effects of culture shock, it is important for
organizations to develop inclusive and effective IHRM strategies to reduce its negative effects
among employees. The paper will evaluate effective IHRM strategies policies and practices that
could help manage culture shock within an organization and highlight how UGL Limited has
succeeded and managing culture shock.
The successful implementation of Human Resource management policies denotes a
strategic collaboration between the HR team and leadership. Considering organizational success
is rooted in its human capital, most organizations value their workforce and invest in their
motivation, development, and empowerment. To manage culture shock, IHRM strategies need to
focus their efforts on the social aspects of employees.
Culture shock manifests in four distinct stages which determine whether the individual
will eventually become accustomed to the new culture and be integrated into the new society
(Price, 2016). First, is the honeymoon stage where the new experience is romanticized. The pace
of life, new food and the habits of the locals seem enigmatic and enticing. Within an
organizational context, an employee experiencing this stage will demonstrate general enthusiasm
and zeal for work insisting that the Australian experience is hypnotic and exciting.
Despite the utopian nature of this stage, HRM strategies should begin taking effect here
to prepare foreign employees for the inevitable. Through inclusive training and education
programs, HR can strive to demonstrate the difference in customs. It would be prudent for the

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programs to highlight the most significant differences in cultural attitude and communication
skills. An engaging session will inspire conversation among the employees and get them to talk
about their different cultures in a fun and involving way.
Another IHRM policy that could greatly help ease the effects of culture shock is when
practices provide a link between the organizational culture and the general Australian culture. As
new employees are oriented into the organization and familiarized with the different aspects of
organizational culture, they should also be told how it interplays with the country’s culture (Von
Glinow et al., 2002). For example, the cultural value in Australia emphasizes the importance of
equality, freedom and the egalitarian spirit something that permeates through every aspect of
social Australian life. Foreigners need to appreciate this culture and incorporate these ideas into
their everyday life.
The second stage is perhaps the most crucial and involves negotiation as the individual
struggles to make sense of his/her new environment (Price, 2016). Here, reality kicks in and
there is a heightened sense of disconnect within the individual bringing along feelings of
concern, anxiety, and loneliness. This is the most crucial stage of culture shock and IHRM
strategies should be specially designed to handle employees at this stage. The stage generally
manifest after a couple of months in Australia as the disparities between the native and foreign
culture manifests in every aspect of their daily lives. communication plays a critical role in the
context of culture shock and HRM strategies should be geared towards providing a platform
where employees can talk about their experience in Australia.
Such strategies should focus on allowing informal groups where foreigners are given a
platform to express their concerns and worries about living and working in Australia. The
informal groups will create a safe environment for the foreigners where they can interact with

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Australians and get moral support (Philippe &Didry, 2015). They will also slowly become
accustomed to the linguistics nuances and conversation tone commonly used by Australians
which will greatly help overcome the language barrier associated with the local accent.
The HRM policies should continue with the training and education programs through this
stage as the realities of living and work in a foreign country begin to set in ( Von Glinow et al.,
2002). The programs in this stage should be more personal and geared towards individuals’
wellbeing. The programs should focus on helping them understand how to pick up patterns to
facilitate their capacity to foster new relationships.
The two last stages of adjustment and adaptation occur over a period of six months and
over. Individuals become accustomed to the new culture and develop positive attitudes towards
how things work in Australia. Through the adaptation stage, individuals master the culture and
can comfortably function in the host culture (Wood, 2016). It is important to note that every
individual reacts differently and will move through the stages at their own pace. Due to this
phenomenon, IHRM strategies should be mindful of the individual differences between their
employees and appreciate that everyone responds differently to social change. Through these two
stages, HRM policies should focus on collecting feedback from employees with the aim of
measuring the effectiveness of the programs implemented through their transition process.
UGL Limited is an Australian engineering company that provides asset management
services and maintenance to corporate real estates, rail, and infrastructure sectors. The
organization is committed to its workforce and aims to deliver sustainable growth through
investing in a talented workforce (UGL, 2018). To counter the negative effects of culture shock,
UGL Limited focuses on training and feedback to help employees reach their potential. The
company has an overall impressive employee plan that supports career development and

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continuous learning to provide employees with the opportunity to develop their skills through
new experiences. Communication plays a critical role in the employee programs designated
towards countering culture shock (Philippe&Didry, 2015). The programs include both formal
and informal sessions where foreign employees are given a chance to interact with others and
highlight their experience living in the country. Their colleagues also get involved and provide
moral support and assistance to help them get accustomed to the cultural values of the country
and the organization. The organization provides a conducive working environment where
employees get to learn and adapt.
In conclusion, since different society upholds different sets of values and norms,
experiencing some degree of culture shock is inevitable when individuals move into a new
society. IHRM policies and practices should strive towards helping foreign employees adjust and
adapt to their new environment. Throughout the different stages of culture, shock policies should
be focused on formal and informal training and education programs. Communication and
feedback will help in measuring and control to determine the effectiveness of the programs. Just
like the case of UGL Limited, culture shock is a phenomenon that can be effectively managed
through sound HRM.

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References
Philippe, S., &Didry, P. (2015). Practice analysis: culture shock and adaptation at work. Revue
de l'infirmiere, (216), 31-33.
Price, J. (2016). The regulator: Culture shock. Company Director, 32(4), 23.
UGL. (2018). Winning with people. Investing in our people. Retrieved from
https://www.ugllimited.com/investing-in-our-people-
Von Glinow, M. A., Drost, E. A., & Teagarden, M. B. (2002). Converging on IHRM best
practices: Lessons learned from a globally distributed consortium on theory and practice.
Human Resource Management, 41(1), 123-140.
Wood, G. (2016). The shock of the real: romanticism and visual culture, 1760-1860. Springer.