The process of adjustment to living and working in a foreign culture can be a tough one. It can be measured by degree of comfort, well-being and satisfaction that you feel in the new culture, how well you manage everyday situations and how effectively you interact and integrate with host country nationals.

This transition can be made easier by support from your company or organisation, adequate preparation on your part and various other factors, rarely the same for any two individuals. Your adjustment process may also vary according to your own circumstances - whether your family accompanies you, whether you are already familiar with the host country, whether or not you speak the local language, and so on. The issue of dual-career couples in international relocations has become far greater in recent years, as the number of women with professional careers has grown substantially.

The Cross-Cultural Adjustment Process
Successfully adjusting to a new culture does not mean abandoning your own culture and sense of nationality. The ideal model is to learn and practice the culture and behaviours of your host country's nationals, in addition to maintaining your own. You may not immediately be at ease with these newly learnt behaviours and customs, and expatriates frequently abandon them upon return to their home country, but they are a vital stage in the integration process.

Cross-cultural adjustment can be roughly divided into four phases: honeymoon, culture shock, recovery and adjustment. At the honeymoon stage, everything seems fascinating and new, and you may feel rather like a tourist. After some time, when you begin to actively participate in the daily life of the host country, you may start to notice discrepancies between your own behaviour and culture and that of host country nationals.

Depending on the individual, this can lead to feelings of anxiety, uncertainty and frustration - an experience widely termed as culture shock, which is an integral and significant part of adapting to living and working in a new country. You may feel withdrawn and defensive, making unfavourable comparisons between the host country and its nationals and your own.
For most people, culture shock ends when you become increasingly familiar with the language and culture of your host country, a recovery phase. Shortly after this, adjustment to the host country is more or less complete, and you can begin to live a more normal life enjoying the new culture in which you live and work.

Although most individuals experience something of the four phases above, there is no set pattern for adjustment, and the speed and ease with which you adapt to living and working in a foreign culture also depends your own situation, for example:

Your position and function within your organisation
The organisation you are working for, and the level of support they offer
Whether or not you are part of an expatriate community
Individual differences: personality, motivation, career stage, skills, family situation, prior overseas experience etc.

The transition can be eased to some degree by training and preparation before departure, which can give you a better idea of what to expect, and a better chance to prepare yourself. Examples of this are:

Language training: this is an extremely important step in adapting to its culture and adjusting to a new life
A visit to your host country before final departure: this gives you a chance to familiarise yourself and your family with the new surroundings and organise practical matters, such as housing and children's schooling. Relocation agents are often used
Contact with people who have lived as an expatriate in the host country. Some unions have created contact networks of members working abroad and members who have returned home after doing so, or your organisation may be able to put you in contact with a colleague who has worked abroad
Adequate briefing from your organisation on assignment contract terms, compensation package, taxation, social security, your career path and development
Work-related training
General and specific training, on cultural adjustment generally, and on specific aspects of your host country: its history, culture, climate, demographics, economy, educational and political systems, business practices and social customs.