Globalization’s culture consequences of MBA education across Australia and Singapore: sophistry or truth?

A generally held view among international managers is that the cultural changes occurring in most modernizing societies may lead to similar outcomes and the erosion of cultural differences. Cultural convergence is posited to result from the homogenizing effect of technological transfers between societies. One major force which emerges from this technology transfer is the convergence of education (Webber 1969). The purpose of this study is to investigate the convergence of Masters of Business Administration (MBA) education along Hofstede’s (1997, 2001) five work-related cultural dimensions across Australia and Singapore. The pre-test and post-test quasi experimental design with control groups was employed. The findings revealed that there are convergences along Hofstede’s Individualism, Uncertainly Avoidance and Power Distance. However, the Singapore Chinese scored significantly higher on Long versus Short-term Orientation (or Confucian Work Dynamism) at both time points.     

跨文化认同与政治修辞——基于对中美当代政治传播实践的考察

本文通过对当代中美政治修辞观念演进的历史梳理,对中美政治修辞文本构成的核心要素的比较,分析中美在政治修辞认识论与方法论上的异同,并尝试提出新时期中国政治修辞的策略要点。本文认为,政治修辞对实现跨文化认同具有重要的理论价值和实践意义。     

A peer mentoring social learning perspective of cross-cultural adjustment: The rapid-acculturation mateship program

One of the persisting challenges facing societies and organizations is to socially integrate sojourners, expatriates, including migrants into the host culture whilst leveraging reciprocal cross-cultural learning experiences. In a quasi-experimental field study, using an embedded unequal design, incoming international students’ (i-Students’) adjustment processes were investigated via a comprehensive 18/19-week peer mentoring social learning cross-cultural adjustment program. Forty-three local mentors were paired with 126 i-Student mentees, and 238 i-Students served as a control group. Quantitative and complementary qualitative data were collected from mentees, mentors, and controls at three time-points. Results showed effects in intercultural communication, cultural adjustment, life skills, and well-being domains. Mentors’ 360-degree synchronous evaluation of mentees showed increases in all skills measured. Post-program responses from participants confirmed the increase in communication and life skills, supporting the social learning hypothesis. Theoretical and practical implications are presented to assist individuals studying and/or working with their acculturation in foreign nations.     

Intercultural competence in tourism and hospitality: Self-efficacy beliefs and the Dunning Kruger effect

This study aims to measure intercultural competence (awareness) of tourism and hospitality employees who tend to be in continuous interaction with intercultural customers. By comparing the results of a self-report awareness test/scale with the results of a knowledge-based test, the study shows that employees not only have extremely low intercultural competence, they also exaggerate their intercultural awareness/competence. Hence, in addition to the implications for intercultural competence/awareness of tourism and hospitality employees and for the businesses for which they work, the study has also implications regarding the measurement ability of self-report scales/tests.     

Organizational Trust in Cultures with a History of Distrust: A Qualitative Study of Polish and Russian Leaders’ Perspectives and Experiences

This study aims to better understand how trust operates in organizations in countries, where history and culture have contributed to a norm of distrust. Personal interviews were conducted with nine organizational leaders in Poland and Russia who described trust and distrust in their organizations. The study is part of an extended body of inquiry on organizational trust, based in a research-driven model and five drivers of trust. The leaders considered trust important for organizational success in both countries, despite operating within a culture of distrust. Building trust in both countries was described as based on communication in known relationships and verifiable results.     

Team cohesion and ethnic–cultural identity in adolescent migrant athletes

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of sport participation in the social integration of adolescents with non-dominant ethnic and cultural backgrounds. In particular, this study investigated the relationship between team cohesion and ethnic–cultural identity. Participants were 83 young migrant athletes (mean age 15.60 years). Participants completed the Ethnic/Cultural Identity Salience Questionnaire and the Youth Sport Environment Questionnaire. Regression analyses showed that cohesion negatively predicted feelings of fringe and lack of interaction. Our findings suggest that sport participation, particularly in cohesive teams, can facilitate the development of adaptive identity toward the goal of social integration in migrant adolescents.     

Culture change in organizational public discourse 1998–2008: Examining annual reports of Japanese and US corporations

This study examines changes in organizational cultures of Japanese and US corporations between 1998 and 2008 through the lens of communication. Specifically, it analyzes organizational values that are manifest in the use of specific terms in the texts of corporate annual reports (N = 255). By doing so, this study empirically determines the patterns that describe over-time changes in organizational cultures of Japanese and US corporations. Theoretically, this study investigates whether the basic premise of the theory of convergence is applicable to the study of organizational culture change. To that end, three dimensions of organizational values—performance, continuity, and growth—have been derived. To test the hypotheses and the research question offered, this study examines the effects of time in years, national culture, and the interaction between the two on the three value dimensions. Using linear growth model analysis, this study found that time and national culture had significant effects on the use of the terms related to the performance and continuity dimensions. The effects were not significant for the growth dimension. In none of the cases, the interaction effects between time and national culture were significant. The results provided evidence to support the parallel change pattern for the performance and continuity dimensions and the unitary stability pattern for the growth dimension. The findings partially support the premise of the theory of convergence.     

Building friendship through a cross-cultural mentoring program

This paper examines the efficacy of a short-term mentoring program in building cross-cultural friendships between students at an Australian university. Using a quasi-experimental approach, our study found that the mentoring program (Local Aussie Mentoring Program—LAMP) increased cross-cultural interactions for mentees, but not for mentors. About 45% of both mentors and mentees wished to continue their relationship with mentoring partners after the completion of the mentoring requirements. Mentees spent significantly more time with cross-ethnic friends than did controls after the completion of LAMP. We examined whether multicultural aspects of personality, as measured by the Multicultural Personality Questionnaire (MPQ), would positively correlate with cross-cultural mentoring effectiveness and cross-cultural friendship interactions (the dependent variables). Multicultural personality aspects of mentors (as measured by the MPQ) had significant positive relationships with both mentee and mentor-rated mentoring measures. All mentor MPQ scales showed some significant but small and positive relationships, with mentor friendship items, particularly Open-mindedness, Cultural Empathy and Emotional Stability. We found a significant, positive relationship between mentee Cultural Empathy and Social Initiative with cross-cultural friendship. These results show some partial support for a positive relationship between MPQ scales and cross-ethnic friendships.     

Communication Experiences and Adaptation of Mainland Chinese in Hong Kong and Hong Kong Chinese in Mainland China

In-depth interviews were conducted for 203 Hong Kong Chinese in Mainland China (HIM) and 198 Mainland Chinese in Hong Kong (MIH), followed by two-level theme analyses, to examine their communication experiences and adaptation. The two groups were found to be dissimilar in terms of socioeconomic status, purpose of migration, and process of adaptation. Many HIM tended to evaluate the new environment from a “new workplace” view, mentioning adjustment and communication at workplace. Most MIH, on the other hand, used a “new home” approach, expecting a happy life with good income. The major challenge for most HIM was getting used to a less developed physical environment and an organizational culture with lower efficiency and work ethics. For most MIH, the main source of hardship came from insufficient protection for workers’ rights and interests. Hong Kong is more urbanized with superficial relationships while the Mainland society is more communal, nurturing long-term relationships.     

Generalizability of achievement goal profiles across five cultural groups: More similarities than differences

Previous results have shown possible cultural differences in students’ achievement goals endorsement and in their relations with various predictors and outcomes. In this person-centered study, we sought to identify achievement goal profiles and to assess the extent to which these configurations and their associations with predictors and outcomes generalize across cultures. We used a new statistical approach to assess latent profile similarities across adolescents from five cultural backgrounds (N = 2643, including Non-Indigenous Australians, Indigenous Australians, Indigenous American, Middle Easterners, and Asians). Our results supported the cross-cultural generalizability of the profiles, their predictors, and their outcomes. Five similar profiles were identified in each cultural group, but their relative frequency differed across cultures. The results revealed advantages of exploring multidimensional goal profiles.