Comparison of Czech-American and American-Czech cultural standards in study environment

Nowadays, exchange programs are becoming increasingly popular among students all over the world. Thanks to high-quality education, the United States are much desired destination, the Czech Republic attracts Americans with its great location in the heart of Europe and rich history. Cultural values in American society are however in many respects way different from the ones we share in Czech environment. Therefore cultural shock can appear when a student decides to move to another country in order to study there. Understanding cultural differences is essential for successful interaction with local individuals. The main topic of this thesis is the concept of cultural standards defined by Alexander Thomas, applied on university study environment in the Czech Republic and the USA. The aim was to identify Czech-American cultural standards in the study environment from the perspective of Czech university students who studied in the US at least for one semester and US-Czech cultural standards from the perspective of students from the USA. Identified standards were then compared with theoretical conclusions from research of cultural dimensions done by Fons Trompenaars and Geert Hofstede. At the end, recommendations are written for students of both nationalities, which should help them to integrate into foreign environment and eliminate potential culture shock.