We readily acknowledge that cultural differences exist. It is apparent looking at cities like Shanghai and Sydney that the differences are profound. Yet, within a business context we often think that the differences have faded away to be replaced with a generic international business culture, one-size-fits-all from Sydney to Shanghai to Stockholm.

In a recent conversation with a businessperson I was told that ‘culture shock’ was a thing of the past. According to my informant, many business people are now familiar with the cultural dos and don’ts for behaving correctly in different countries. They travel regularly to other cultures and are not fazed by the sights, sounds and smells. The facilities in most locations, even those that would once have been classified as hardship locations, now often include five star hotels. And all these factors combine to reduce the stress that expatriates previously encountered on assignments overseas.