Reverse Culture Shock Impacts Chinese Hospitality Industry

Your name Professor’s name Reverse culture shock impacts Chinese hospitality industry May 1, 2019 How reverse culture shock impacts Chinese hospitality industry Introduction Reverse cultural shock refers to impacts experiences by individuals who return home after a long period of time spent overseas because of assigned duties, education purposes or visits. Reverse cultural shock is caused by getting used to norms of the foreign land where by individuals fail to harness back their motherland traditions and customs. Victims of cultural shock have a negative correlation and they lead to decrease in service usage in their country. Over the past years, Chinese hospitality industry have been able to maintain cultural norms in offering friendly services, adhering to rules and respect following guests etiquette, considering guests satisfaction and follow of moral values. Due to advancement in technology and education, Chinese people have been moving out of the country for studies and various assigned duties. Objectives of this research are: 1 Ways in which reverse culture shock challenge Chinese international students who returned to work and the way to adjust. 2 Help Companies to understand international student group and seek the better way which can help company keep those students. Brief literature review Due to attractive and competitive business opportunities in china. Many youths are forced to seek foreign skill in hospitality and other fields with an aim of securing a good career in china. The study shows that more than 339700 Chinese students study abroad. Contrary, students who graduate from different schools in Australia, United States and United Kingdom fail to acquire a job because they lack adequate knowledge of current Chinese market, Chinese culture, and china’s management practices. Study indicates that a large number of Chinese international students are enrolled in tourism and hospitality courses. A big number of chines graduate return home after studies while the rest opt to stay abroad. There has been an increase in numbers of Chinese moving to study abroad in comparison to the data collected by ministry of education in china in comparison to year 2011where more than 45% of student choose to remain abroad. (Ministry of education of People’s Republic of China, 2011). Chinese graduates attitude towards hospitality industry in china is into a contrary view with that of hotel managers thus making it difficult for an international Chinese graduate to secure a job rhyming with their field of study in china. Many international students are overwhelmed with adjusts to mild cultural differences while a less number put efforts in hiding their discomfort and ability to adapt quickly. This creates a confusion which later worsens after home return due to cultural shock that hits back. Study indicates that children and adolescents are mostly affected by reverse cultural shock (Gullahorn and Gullahorn, 1963, Stelling, 1991, Werkman, 1980). Cultural shock appears in two categories which include: the breadth of difference between the two cultures and victims personal traits. When the distances between home and foreign culture is big students are more prone to discomfort and problems in social interactions. A student might be forced to adapt to the new culture in order to survive in the foreign country. In addition, student’s personal trait plays a major role in measuring the extent at which they can adapt to the new culture. Cultural adjustment occurs in different stages where common problems such as academic problems, social withdrawal, anxiety and depression are carried along (Kittredge, 1988, Martin, 1984, Martin, 1986, Raschio, 1987, Sahin, 1990, Zapf, 1991). These stages include; the honeymoon stage, culture shock stage, the gradual adjustment stage and the adaption stage. The honey moon stage excites students to a level that they opt to skip studies and explore the new country. Tutors at this stage introduce their norms to monitor student’s behavior as quick as possible. Culture shock stage occurs after introduction of foreign norms where the student notice the differences between what they are used to and what they have to embrace. International students at this stage are requested to promote interaction with native students for a smooth transition towards the gradual adjustment stage. Students begin to learn more about the new environment and develop ways of dealing with loneliness (Gullahorn & Gullahorn, 1963). The adaption stage occurs after a long stay where students are no longer affected negatively by the difference between the two cultures. Chinese business hierarchy The Chinese business hierarchy is totally different to what international Chinese student are taught in schools. In china, behavioral norms such as favor, emotions, reciprocity and trust are highly embraced unlike in foreign countries such as United States where education level is used to determine a person’s rank in the business hierarchy ([38] Leung et al. , 2005; [66] Wong, 1998; [37] Lee and Dawes, 2005; [33] Jansson et al. 2007). Therefore, Chinese graduate face the challenge of securing the level that match with their level of education. Chinese hotel managers opt to give local graduate more power than international graduates because they understand the Chinese culture than international graduates. This practices discourage international graduate because they spend many years abroad only to get back and get jobs that are below their education level. In addition, international graduates’ ends up working in areas not related to their field of study as long as it compen...