Cultural Adjustment
entry by Julie M. Marx, Global Family Expert at Expat Valley
The ongoing process by which an individual adapts psychologically, socially, and practically to the demands of a new cultural environment. Encompasses affective, behavioral, and cognitive dimensions, and may proceed at different rates across different life domains.
Comparable terms
Cross-cultural adjustment (research, HR — standard academic term in expatriate literature) · Cultural adaptation (general — broader; sometimes used interchangeably) · Sociocultural adjustment (research — emphasizes behavioral dimension, such as navigating daily life) · Psychological adjustment (clinical, research — emphasizes wellbeing and satisfaction dimension)
Why this matters
Cultural adjustment is the lived, day‑to‑day experience of settling in abroad. It explains why work, social life, and general wellbeing can follow different timelines. Seeing it as a process normalizes the lows and highlights where support will make the biggest difference.
Cross-references
Acculturation (Cultural Adaptation); Intercultural Competence (Cultural Adaptation); Spousal Adjustment (Family Dynamics); HCN (Family Dynamics); Social Network Building (Family Dynamics). Intercultural competence describes the developed capacity that enables effective cultural adjustment; spousal adjustment documents the family-system dimension that is the strongest predictor of the assignee’s own adjustment outcomes. HCN relationships and social network building are the two behavioral strategies most consistently associated with positive cultural adjustment in the post-arrival period.
Sources
Black, J.S., Mendenhall, M., & Oddou, G. (1991). Toward a comprehensive model of international adjustment. Academy of Management Review, 16(2), 292–310. Foundational model distinguishing work, interaction, and general facets of cross-cultural adjustment.
For a more recent meta-analytic overview, see: Bhaskar-Shrinivas, P. et al. (2005). Input-based and time-based models of international adjustment. Academy of Management Journal, 48(2), 257–281.
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