ABSTRACT
If adjustment to life and work in other cultures were less difficult, far fewer managers and
their families would return early from global assignments, and more global managers
would perform effectively. The reality, though, is that most people find it difficult to
adjust to life in a culture different from the one they’re used to. In this chapter, we focus
on some of the reasons making cross-cultural adjustment is so often a challenge. In later
chapters (this volume), we discuss how adjustment affects such job-related matters as
turnover and performance. Before we tackle the topic of cross-cultural adjustment, take a
look at Fig. 2.1. It should help you put U.S. and other cultures in perspective. You might
be surprised to find out what a small proportion of the population your demographic
group happens to be. For example, only 1 in 100 have a college education.
