Foreign Flings

Is culture shock universal? While it's not clear whether expats follow a predictable pattern of ups and downs, foreigners do tend toward a mood dip a few months into their relocation, says David Harrison, professor of management and organization at Pennsylvania State University. He estimates that 25 percent of people sent abroad for corporate work return home early. But for those who stick it out, he says, it can be a very positive experience. "It gives people a much better feel for the richness of differences."

Hal Gregersen, a professor of leadership at INSEAD, a business school in France, conducted an eight-year study of 250 executives who flourished overseas. What they all had in common was a habit of looking at the world through curious eyes. When A.G. Lafley of Procter and Gamble was in India, for example, "He immediately wanted to go into somebody's house to watch how they lived."

The uncertainty of life abroad leaves expatriates emotionally vulnerable. But adopting a learning orientation, as Lafley did, and not insulating oneself, are keys to an ultimately triumphant sojourn, Gregersen concluded. Far less successful is the performance-oriented expat, who shies away from any situation where he risks looking stupid. He keeps speaking English, avoids the local culture, and even imports the comforts of home.

Gregersen applied these findings after he'd moved to Finland and noticed his students rarely smiled. He was convinced they were bored or hated him. But after asking around, he learned that Finns don't often display emotion in public. "They show happiness in their eyes."