expats angst: Four expats reveal cultural surprises

 

Expat culture around the world

As businesses cross borders and markets become global, there are more opportunities for professionals to go abroad for work. Working in a different country comes with challenges—some of which are hard to prepare for.
Superficial symbols like a handshake, food, languages and basic etiquette are important to master when working abroad, but how we adapt to cultural conditioning beyond the expected norms goes back to how we were raised.
“As you continue to do business with people, you have to understand their world view,” said Sheida Hodge, a cross-cultural consultant in Seattle, Washington.
Even when everyone speaks the same language, challenges arise when the same word means different things in different cultures. For example, “a word like ‘catastrophe’ means a minor issue to the French, but to Germans and Americans, it’s a major issue,” Hodge said.
Some cultures put business first while others emphasise relationships, and each is distinct, said Priscila Montana, president and chief executive officer of cross-cultural management and training firm Cultural Awareness International in Dallas, Texas.
But in any culture, the willingness to learn and participate goes a long way.
BBC Capital spoke with expats living in Germany, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, the US, Singapore, Chile and Russia, and intercultural experts. Following are edited conversations with each.