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Open Access
Article
Publication date: 5 April 2021

Oscar Dousin and Rini Suryati Sulong

In the study of expatriation and expatriate adaptation, there are limited studies that focus on issues faced by expatriates working in foreign countries with very distinct…

7228

Abstract

Purpose

In the study of expatriation and expatriate adaptation, there are limited studies that focus on issues faced by expatriates working in foreign countries with very distinct cultures. This study aims to explore this idea through the experiences of western expatriates working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Two research questions were posed to examine the cross-cultural issues and challenges faced by expatriates in the KSA, as well as the role of cross-cultural training in expatriate adjustment.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was guided by an interpretivism paradigm through a qualitative method by using a semi-structured in-depth interview approach. Interviews were conducted among 12 expatriates from the USA and UK who are currently working in KSA.

Findings

A coding technique and theoretical thematic analysis was conducted to analyze the data. The results of this study highlighted three key themes that had a considerable influence on expatriates’ adjustment, in particular: culture shock, lack of pre-departure training and the demand for an extensive cross-cultural training.

Research limitations/implications

It is acknowledged that the existence of sub-cultures within the KSA would expose the respondents to varying cultural values within the community. Thus, future studies within a similar context should consider the influence of intra-cultural variations.

Originality/value

The findings of the study emphasized on the importance understanding the cultural gap between home and host country and the individual cultural awareness of the expatriate. It calls attention to the need for a tailored and extensive pre-departure, cross-cultural training and a collaborative effort between employees’ and managers to improve expatriates’ motivation and retention.

Details

Rajagiri Management Journal, vol. 16 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0972-9968

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 February 2019

Mirella Yani-de-Soriano, Paul H.P. Hanel, Rosario Vazquez-Carrasco, Jesús Cambra-Fierro, Alan Wilson and Edgar Centeno

The purpose of this paper is, first, to identify the relationship, if any, between customers’ perceptions of justice (functional element) and employee effort (symbolic element…

1437

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is, first, to identify the relationship, if any, between customers’ perceptions of justice (functional element) and employee effort (symbolic element) and their effects on satisfaction and loyalty in the context of service recovery and, second, to determine the impact of cross-cultural differences on these relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data from actual customers were gathered in three countries (n = 414) and analyzed using structural equation modeling to test the proposed hypotheses.

Findings

The results demonstrate the role of the constructs of perceived employee effort and perceived justice in influencing post-recovery satisfaction and loyalty across cultures. While perceived justice is valued across cultures, customers from feminine (masculine) cultures require more (less) employee effort to influence post-recovery satisfaction positively. Customers from low (high) uncertainty cultures are more (less) willing to give the provider another chance after a service recovery.

Research limitations/implications

The study shows that both functional and symbolic elements of service recovery are important determinants of customer satisfaction and loyalty and that their influence can be significant in a cross-cultural context.

Practical implications

International service managers must consider the nature of cultural differences in their markets to develop and implement tailored recovery strategies that can result in satisfied customers.

Originality/value

This study is the first to integrate the functional and symbolic elements of service recovery, their impact on customers’ behavioral responses and the influence of cultural variations.

Details

European Journal of Marketing, vol. 53 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0566

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 August 2003

Celette Sugg Skinner, Adam Buchanan, Matthew W. Kreuter, Cheryl Holt, Dawn Bucholtz and Tara Smith Strigo

This paper demonstrates that a message library – the computer‐tailored intervention component that contains all potential versions of tailored content – can be adapted for use in…

Abstract

This paper demonstrates that a message library – the computer‐tailored intervention component that contains all potential versions of tailored content – can be adapted for use in a new setting at reasonable cost and effort. A message library developed for one population was adapted to enable its use with a second population in a different geographic region. Concludes that adapting message libraries for new populations need not be a barrier to disseminating tailored interventions and designing message libraries with dissemination in mind creates tailored interventions that can be adapted for use with different populations.

Details

Health Education, vol. 103 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0965-4283

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 July 2019

Lawrence Hoc Nang Fong, Hongwei He, Melody Manchi Chao, Galli Leandro and David King

The purpose of this study is to understand Chinese consumers’ responses to ethnically tailored hotel services from the theoretical perspective of cultural essentialism.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to understand Chinese consumers’ responses to ethnically tailored hotel services from the theoretical perspective of cultural essentialism.

Design/methodology/approach

Data collection was conducted through an online survey with Chinese respondents. Hierarchical moderated regression was performed to analyze the data.

Findings

The results show a positive relationship between cultural essentialism and consumer responses to hotel services that are tailored to their culture. Furthermore, the findings show that prior service satisfaction does not only positively influence the consumer responses, but also amplifies the link between cultural essentialism and the consumer responses.

Practical implications

Hoteliers are recommended to consider the cultural essentialism of Chinese consumers when adaptive services are introduced. Hotel services that are tailored to Chinese culture is a viable strategy if most Chinese customers are cultural essentialists.

Originality/value

This study adds knowledge to the hospitality scholarship by introducing cultural essentialism and demonstrating its role in influencing consumer preferences for familiarity as opposed to exotic hotel services. Furthermore, the moderating role of service satisfaction extends the consumer behavior literature.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 31 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 June 2017

J. Robyn Goodman, Ryan Theis and Elizabeth Shenkman

The purpose of this research is to understand how low-income, ethnically diverse, Medicaid recipients read, interpret and use culturally tailored health communications…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to understand how low-income, ethnically diverse, Medicaid recipients read, interpret and use culturally tailored health communications, specifically health plan report cards and health intervention/wellness program recruitment materials.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reports two exploratory studies on message design. Researchers considered 12 focus groups for Study 1, consisting of 51 African-American, Hispanic and non-Hispanic White men and women who were enrolled in Medicaid and had a behavioral health diagnosis and a chronic disease. Researchers considered 22 focus groups for Study 2, consisting of 102 Hispanic, African-American and non-Hispanic White women enrolled in Medicaid.

Findings

The paper provides qualitative insights into how underserved populations interpret the visual and verbal aspects of health communications. Key findings include problems with cultural tailoring and monetary incentives for health improvement program participation, message components that show respect and are more likely to be read, how visuals can expand verbal messages and provide symbolic models and specifics on the desired image content.

Research limitations/implications

Because of the qualitative approach, the research results may lack generalizability. Thus, researchers suggest conducting quantitative studies to test these findings.

Practical implications

The paper includes implications for the development of powerful verbal and visual messaging for underserved populations. Additionally, the findings suggest a need to include emotional response in health communication theories and to incorporate visual communication theories in message design studies.

Originality/value

Research on health communication with underserved populations is limited, yet these populations have higher incidences of death and disability from disease. This paper fulfills a need to discover best health communication practices with underserved populations.

Details

International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing, vol. 11 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1750-6123

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 26 February 2024

Kwanchit Sasiwongsaroj, Mitsuko Ono, Sutpratana Duangkaew and Yumi Kimura

This article presents fieldwork perspectives and research reflexivity gained from the cross-national research team, with the aim of promoting better qualitative research practices…

Abstract

Purpose

This article presents fieldwork perspectives and research reflexivity gained from the cross-national research team, with the aim of promoting better qualitative research practices in transnational research. It focuses on how the team incorporates diverse cultural perspectives and insider and outsider roles to enhance the research in the data collection process.

Design/methodology/approach

This article is drawn from the authors' qualitative research with 25 Japanese retirees in Thailand, addressing cultural challenges encountered by researchers in the cross-national team when conducting field research.

Findings

Our findings indicate that researchers with an emic view in the cross-national team who shared nationality and cultural background as the participants facilitated an effective recruitment process and productive collaboration in data gathering. They also served as cultural brokers, tailoring smooth communication during interviews on certain cultures, participant traits and sensitive issues. On the other hand, the outsiders helped the team uncover more transnational issues that the insiders had overlooked. Additionally, combining emic and etic perspectives helps to avoid ethnocentric narratives or purely etic and emic conclusions.

Originality/value

This article addresses a gap in the methodological reflections in transnational research that remains largely overlooked. Our reflection highlights the advantages of cross-national teams, which include researchers from emigration and immigration countries. Their status and roles as insiders and outsiders significantly facilitate a positive impact on the research process and increase the extent of investigating the complex cultural dynamics of transnational practices. The incorporation of emic and etic perspectives is suggested in the methodological approach for transnational migration research.

Details

Qualitative Research Journal, vol. 24 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1443-9883

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 5 November 2020

Renata Paola Dameri and Paola Demartini

This paper concerns the pivotal role that entrepreneurial universities can play in developing knowledge transfer and translation processes tailored to the cultural ecosystem.

1980

Abstract

Purpose

This paper concerns the pivotal role that entrepreneurial universities can play in developing knowledge transfer and translation processes tailored to the cultural ecosystem.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper examines IncubiAmo Cultura, an innovative project that aims to mentor potential entrepreneurs and offer incubation and acceleration for cultural start-ups. The research methodology is based on action research and theory building from cases. An interventionist approach has been adopted, as one of the authors is also the founder of the ongoing project.

Findings

The in-depth collection of first-hand information on this pilot project has allowed the authors to formulate an analytical reflection and generate the design of a knowledge translation model driven by an entrepreneurial university that manifests itself through the creation of cultural and creative start-ups.

Research limitations/implications

This article offers an original contribution to scholarship by offering a conceptual model for knowledge translation in cultural ecosystems. Common values (i.e. social, cultural, ethical and aesthetic ones) emerge as the basis on which to build open innovation and knowledge circulation.

Practical implications

For local policymakers, this study provides a clue to understand the need for both an integrated vision of knowledge translation and policies that aim to make an impact at the cultural ecosystem level. For entrepreneurial university governance, our investigation offers suggestions on the design and implementation of knowledge translation processes that fit with the specificity of the cultural ecosystem. For practitioners in the cultural field, a change of mindset is required to combine resources, energies and knowledge.

Originality/value

This work fills several gaps in the literature, as research generally concerns knowledge transfer from entrepreneurial universities to the market with regard to high-tech sectors. In contrast, the cultural sector is often neglected, despite its importance in the renewal and development of a territory.

Article
Publication date: 18 August 2022

Ariel M.S. Richer and Ariel L. Roddy

The purpose of the current study is to conduct a systematic review of peer-reviewed work on culturally tailored interventions for alcohol and drug use in Indigenous adults in…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the current study is to conduct a systematic review of peer-reviewed work on culturally tailored interventions for alcohol and drug use in Indigenous adults in North America. Substance use has been reported as a health concern for many Indigenous communities. Indigenous groups experienced the highest drug overdose death rates in 2015, the largest percentage increase in the number of deaths over time from 1999 to 2015 compared to any other racial group. However, few Indigenous individuals report participating in treatment for alcohol or drug use, which may reflect the limited engagement that Indigenous groups have with treatment options that are accessible, effective and culturally integrative.

Design/methodology/approach

Electronic searches were conducted from 2000 to April 21, 2021, using PsycINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, MEDLINE and PubMed. Two reviewers classified abstracts for study inclusion, resulting in 18 studies.

Findings

Most studies were conducted in the USA (89%). Interventions were largely implemented in Tribal/rural settings (61%), with a minority implemented in both Tribal and urban contexts (11%). Study samples ranged from 4 to 742 clients. Interventions were most often conducted in residential treatment settings (39%). Only one (6%) intervention focused on opioid use among Indigenous people. Most interventions addressed the use of both drugs and alcohol (72%), with only three (17%) interventions specifically intended to reduce alcohol use.

Originality/value

The results of this research lend insight into the characteristics of culturally integrative treatment options for Indigenous groups and highlight the need for increased investment in research related to culturally tailored treatment across the diverse landscape of Indigenous populations.

Details

The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice, vol. 18 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1755-6228

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 September 2013

Konstantinos Poulis and Efthimios Poulis

Challenging assumptions about the uni-nationality of markets, the paper aims to understand the role of intra-national cultural heterogeneity in product standardisation and…

5788

Abstract

Purpose

Challenging assumptions about the uni-nationality of markets, the paper aims to understand the role of intra-national cultural heterogeneity in product standardisation and adaptation strategies of multinational firms in a single-country, multicultural market.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is set against the dominant backdrop of deductive reasoning in the field and adopts a qualitative mode of inquiry that promotes empathy with the setting. Through a multiple case study approach among paradigmatic cases, it sheds light on the aforementioned objective.

Findings

The paper conceptualises the term “layers of adaptation” and reveals that firms use multi-dimensional standardisation/adaptation configurations. It explicates sub-contextual variations that move beyond assumptions of intra-national sameness and identifies their influence on unnoticed, more agile forms of adaptation.

Research limitations/implications

Findings are limited to the analysis of practices in a specific setting. More studies across diverse contexts are necessary in order to expand the boundaries of relevant investigations and enrich the process of theorising.

Practical implications

The findings caution that lack of internal sameness in multicultural markets may necessitate a multi-layered standardisation/adaptation logic that considers varying “depths” and “breadths” of relevant marketing strategies.

Originality/value

The paper challenges assumptions that have characterised the standardisation and adaptation discourse, conceptualises the term “layers of adaptation” to denote the need for more considerate market responses and highlights the usefulness of qualitative investigations towards theoretical grounding of the field.

Details

International Marketing Review, vol. 30 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-1335

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 March 2020

Berit Johannessen, Magnhild Hoie, Kristin Haraldstad, Solvi Helseth, Liv Fegran, Thomas Westergren, Åshild Slettebø and Gudrun Rohde

The number of adolescents experiencing pain is increasing. Pain has a major impact on several areas of daily living, such as function at school and school absenteeism, loss of…

Abstract

Purpose

The number of adolescents experiencing pain is increasing. Pain has a major impact on several areas of daily living, such as function at school and school absenteeism, loss of appetite and socializing. One out of ten pupils in Norwegian schools is immigrants, and surveys have shown that immigrants suffer from poor health more often than the general population. The purpose of this study was to explore how school nurses and teachers experience pain in young immigrants in the school setting.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative design using focus group interviews was chosen for data collection. A total of 11 focus groups (17 school nurses and 25 teachers) consisting of school nurses and teachers in junior high schools (age: 13-16 years) in Southern Norway were conducted. Data were analyzed using a qualitative content analysis.

Findings

School nurses and teachers experienced communication of pain with young immigrants as characterized by cultural differences and language problems. Immigrants waiting for residency permits experienced pain more often than others. They also experienced that young immigrants often were absent from school and used pain as an excuse for not participating in classes, but this was not the case at the special school for immigrants. During Ramadan, they experienced that immigrant pupils had an increase of pain, especially headaches.

Originality/value

Culture affects the assessment and management of pain and different strategies may assist school nurses and teachers in their encounter with young immigrants with pain. There is a need for education in cultural competence among teachers and school nurses.

Details

International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care, vol. 16 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1747-9894

Keywords

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