You passed the culture fit interview with flying colors. The company felt like a dream come true, reflecting your values and matching your work style. A few months in, the glamour has faded. What once seemed like a perfect culture match now surfaces previously hidden mismatches. The idealized company values you envisioned during the marathon of interviews don’t quite align with the reality on the ground.

This disconnect can leave you feeling disillusioned, frustrated, and unsure if you made the right career move. But before you start polishing up your resume again, take a step back. With empathy and patience, reflect on what may be driving the culture clash. Adjusting to any new workplace involves learning nuances not immediately apparent. With effort to understand both perspectives, you can integrate and find your footing again.

Culture Shock

From an international psychology perspective, this experience of culture clash is known as culture shock. Culture shock refers to the disorientation people often feel when immersed in an unfamiliar cultural environment. At work, this can happen when you join a new company or team with noticeably different norms, values, and ways of operating.

Though culture shock is a normal response, it can heighten stress and make it more difficult to adapt. Understanding the psychology behind culture shock can provide valuable insight into navigating the transition. According to cultural anthropologist Kalervo Oberg, culture shock unfolds in several stages:

The Honeymoon Phase – In the initial honeymoon stage, the new culture seems exciting and intriguing. You’re curious and optimistic about the change.

Irritability and Frustration – As differences become more apparent, irritation and frustration may start to set in. You may find certain practices confusing or inefficient.

Culture Shock – After some time, you enter the actual culture shock stage. You may experience intense homesickness, boredom, exhaustion, and withdrawal or even regret. Work may feel overwhelming.

Gradual Adjustment – With effort, you eventually start adjusting to the new culture. You gain perspective and understanding. Irritations seem less severe.

Adaptation or Acceptance – In the final stage, you come to feel comfortable in the new culture. You’re able to operate effectively and perhaps even thrive.

Coping Strategies

While culture shock follows distinct stages, the length and severity varies by individual. Here are some proactive coping strategies that can empower you to better integrate:

• Observe and ask questions – Pay attention to how veteran employees interact. Ask questions to gain understanding rather than make assumptions. Adjust approach based on norms of individualism/collectivism.
• Seek social support – Bond with fellow newcomers facing similar challenges. But also draw on organizational resources like mentorships and communities.
• Practice cultural flexibility – When differences are frustrating, take a step back. Consider why certain practices developed before judging them as inferior. Strive to reconcile diverse perspectives.
• Identify culture carriers- Seek out veteran employees who can explain company norms and thinking. They provide invaluable guidance. But also draw your own conclusions.
• Engage actively – Don’t retreat from the culture. Keep putting yourself in new situations and engaging with colleagues. Find a balance between immersing and pacing yourself.
• Track progress – Reflect on what is getting easier and where you still struggle. Leverage journaling, mentor check-ins, or dialogues with supportive colleagues.

Integrating Authentically

Navigating a culture clash requires finding balance between your own preferences and the company’s realities. Try to identify the most important values to you that sparked your initial interest. Then reflect on where the organization’s culture authentically aligns with them, even if imperfectly. No workplace will ever match all of your ideals. But if the core values resonate, it’s worth adapting to a different style or pace. On the other hand, if you find the culture antithetical to your non-negotiable principles, it may not be the right fit long-term. With good faith efforts on both sides, often a middle ground can be found between an employee’s ideals and the existing corporate culture.

Experiences of culture shock and fitting in also depend on identity factors. For instance, a young woman joining a male-dominated industry may face heightened isolation or communication gaps. Similarly, a racial minority may confront additional barriers if there is little diversity. Culture shock can also result from changes like going from a small startup to a large corporate setting. Or someone switching from a creativity-focused team to an analytics-driven company can experience disorientation adapting to the new industry’s norms. Additionally, research shows how cultural dimensions like individualism vs. collectivism and power distance impact acculturation challenges^{1 2}. With self-awareness and empathy on all sides, culture shock can be an enlightening experience.

Immerse yourself, ask questions, bond with others, and seek perspective. In time, you will gain understanding, adapt to your new workplace culture, and be equipped to succeed.

References

1. Fatehi, K., Priestley, J. L., & Taasoobshirazi, G. (2020). The expanded view of individualism and collectivism: One, two, or four dimensions? International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, 20(1), 7-24. ↩︎
2. Gannon, M., & Deb, P. (2018). Cross-Cultural Dimensions, Metaphors, and Paradoxes: An Exploratory Comparative Analysis. In Advances in Culturally-Aware Intelligent Systems and in Cross-Cultural Psychological Studies (pp.313-334). DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-67024-9_14. ↩︎