Rory's company opens a location in Taiwan, and he volunteers to expatriate for six months in order to help get the IT department running at the new office. Rory had previously lived in China for a year after college as part of an international exchange program, so he speaks passable Mandarin and is comfortable with many aspects of Chinese culture. However, despite his relative lack of culture shock in regards to Taiwanese life, he finds he is having trouble adjusting to the difference in power distance at his new workplace. For example, his co-workers in the United States were encouraged to openly discuss problems and to challenge their boss with good arguments. However, for his Taiwanese co-workers, respect for the hierarchy, blind subordination, and saving face when problems occur are

Question

often the norm. How should Rory respond to this situation?

A) by doing his best to adjust to the norms of the new office culture and considering it a learning experience
B) by contacting his U.S. boss and requesting he communicate with Rory's Taiwanese boss about the problem
C) by doing things as he did them in the U.S. office—people will give him a pass since he is a foreigner
D) by talking to his co-workers about how being more assertive with higher-ups will be good for everyone
E) by requesting a private meeting with his Taiwanese boss and being honest about the issues he is having

Answer 1

A) by doing his best to adjust to the norms of the new office culture and considering it a learning experience
Explanation: Working internationally can be highly stressful, even for experienced globetrotters. Ignorance of cultural differences and making cultural blunders are primary stressors for Rory at this stage. By doing his best to adjust to the norms of the new office culture and considering it a learning experience, he is utilizing executive coping responses that include thinking of the assignment as a growth opportunity and not attempting simply to replicate responses that worked at home.