ABSTRACT
Culture represents a crossroads for countless expatriates, who are facing different cultural values, beliefs, attitudes, perceptions and behaviours in the new location. Individuals will always attempt to understand others and their problematic situations in light of their own mental models and perceptions; therefore, culturally reflective practices are important for self-initiated expatriates, as they facilitate their exploration and understanding of each challenging phase of the adjustment process. After reflection on the situation, cultural sensemaking comes to fruition. Inadvertently, one can see cultural artefacts at the surface level only. As the individual further penetrates the multiple layers of explanations to enable understanding of the cultural nuances of another person, he or she also begins to understand that this person's beliefs and observed behaviours will result in concrete assumptions about the person who is being observed. One has to undertake an in-depth exploration of cultural assumptions by looking through a theoretical lens, thereby enabling engagement in cultural sensemaking.
