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21 – 30 of over 10000Michael Vieregge and Simon Quick
The purpose of this paper is to explore possible changes in national culture for generations X and Y members from selected Asian national cultures and the impact on cross‐cultural…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore possible changes in national culture for generations X and Y members from selected Asian national cultures and the impact on cross‐cultural negotiations.
Design/methodology/approach
An interpretivist epistemology is combined with an ontology of subjectivism for this exploratory study which does not seek generalization. Emphasis is placed on the development of new survey items by members of generations X and Y for Hofstede's dimensions. An online survey yielded n=224 responses. Data were collected from members of generations X and Y, but also Baby Boomers as the control group, to test differences.
Findings
For national culture dimensions, only individualism/collectivism tests for significant differences between Asian GenY and Baby Boomers. GenX and GenY show little interest in pre‐opening relationship building and focus on positioning and compromising.
Research limitations/implications
The study is exploratory in nature and future studies should revisit this topic. The items developed to measure national culture might be biased by the 39 focus group participants. Future studies should consider differentiating Asian groups.
Practical implications
Western negotiators need to prepare for multiple scenarios when entering negotiations with Asian partners. Depending on the age of the Asian negotiator, emphasis on different phases of the negotiation process needs to be reevaluated.
Originality/value
This research holds immediate lessons for cross‐cultural negotiations. Results support that generations X and Y members in some Asian cultures do not differ from their elders across all Hofstede dimensions, however they display different negotiation behaviors.
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Steffen Kanzler, Benjamin Niedergassel and Jens Leker
The purpose of this paper is to investigate knowledge sharing of Chinese and German scientists collaborating in a cross‐cultural nanotechnology R&D project. Particularly, the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate knowledge sharing of Chinese and German scientists collaborating in a cross‐cultural nanotechnology R&D project. Particularly, the authors analyze cultural differences that might indirectly influence the scientists' intention to share knowledge.
Design/methodology/approach
Quantitative data were gathered from professors and PhDs working in academic Chinese‐German nanotechnology collaboration regarding influencing factors of their intention to share knowledge like subjective norms, anticipated extrinsic rewards and image. Moderated regression analysis was used to identify how nationality influences the relationships between independent variables and the intention to share knowledge.
Findings
The findings show that the analyzed variables generally constitute important influencing factors of the intention to share knowledge. However, moderation analysis suggests that the proposed differences between the Eastern and Western cultures do not significantly affect influencing factors of the intention to share knowledge.
Research limitations/implications
The focus of this study is on an academic environment, limiting the generalizability of the results. It promises to be a worthwhile endeavor to investigate possible influencing factors and effects of organizational culture in cross‐cultural collaboration projects more thoroughly in the future, further deepening our understanding of knowledge sharing in collaborative R&D projects.
Practical implications
Cultural differences between Chinese and German researchers might have diminished over the past decades. Both in China and Germany, academic scientists can be expected to largely share the same values, beliefs, assumptions and expectations with regard to their work.
Originality/value
The study at hand is the first analysis of an academic Chinese‐German nanotechnology collaboration.
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This article aims to analyze the Iranian and American national cultures and to discuss the implications of cultural differences for communication/negotiation styles.
Abstract
Purpose
This article aims to analyze the Iranian and American national cultures and to discuss the implications of cultural differences for communication/negotiation styles.
Design/methodology/approach
First, the concept of culture is framed and an integrative model of cultural analysis is constructed. Then, building on the extant literature and secondary data, the various traits of American and Iranian national cultures are analyzed and the implications for communication/negotiation are discussed.
Findings
It is found that Iran and America portray dissimilar and somewhat opposed cultural orientations that might create substantial obstacles to their bilateral communications/negotiations. Recommendations for more effective communications/negotiations are provided and avenues for future research are pointed out.
Research limitations/implications
Both Iran and the USA are diverse societies and obviously cannot be considered as monolithic cultures. Moreover, any generalization about the national culture is inherently approximate and does not take into account the intra‐country variations. Another major limitation of this study is that it considers culture as static and unchangeable, however, every culture is in constant transformation.
Practical implications
By bringing insights into the American and Iranian cultures, this study provides a better understanding of cross cultural differences and thus it may lead to effective bilateral communications/negotiations.
Originality/value
While this paper provides valuable insights into the Iranian‐American communication patterns, its main originality resides in offering a cross cultural approach to understanding international affairs. Moreover, the results can be extrapolated to other similar situations when Eastern/Islamic and Western cultures are involved.
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Takao Inamori, Farhad Analoui and Nada Kakabadse
There is a wealth of studies which suggest that managers' positive perceptions/expectations can considerably influence the organisational performance; unfortunately, little…
Abstract
Purpose
There is a wealth of studies which suggest that managers' positive perceptions/expectations can considerably influence the organisational performance; unfortunately, little empirical evidence has been obtained from development studies. This research aims to focus on the perceptual and behavioural trait differences of successful and unsuccessful aid workers, and their relationship with organisational performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Through web‐based survey, 244 valid responses were obtained from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)‐aid managers worldwide. Five perception related factors were extracted and used for cluster analysis to group the respondents. Each cluster's perception/behaviour‐related factors and organisational performance variables were compared by ANOVA.
Findings
It was discovered that Japanese's positive perception/expectation about work and their local colleagues was related to higher organisational performance, and conversely, the negative perception on their part was generally associated with negative behaviour and lower organisational performance. Moreover, in a development context, lower work‐related stress and feelings of resignation toward work were strongly associated with the acceptability of cross‐cultural work environment.
Practical implications
The differences in perceptual tendencies suggest that cautious consideration is advised since these findings may mainly apply to Japanese aid managers. However, as human nature is universal, positive perception and behaviour would bring out positive output in most organisations.
Originality/value
This study extended the contextualised “Pygmalion effect” and has clarified the influence of perception/expectation on counter‐part behaviour and organisational performance in development aid context, where people‐related issues have often been ignored. This first‐time research provides imperial data on the significant role of positive perception on the incumbent role holder.
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Onur Köksal, Murat Güler, Fatih Çetin and Faruk Şahin
Drawing on the person-environment fit theory, in this paper the authors aim to propose and test a moderated mediation model that examines the relationships among proactive…
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing on the person-environment fit theory, in this paper the authors aim to propose and test a moderated mediation model that examines the relationships among proactive personality and job performance, cultural intelligence and emotional intelligence.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors collected the multisource data from a total of 120 hotel service employees and the employees' immediate supervisors. The authors used the PROCESS, an SPSS macro, to conduct multiple regression analyses to test this moderated mediation model.
Findings
The results suggest that cultural intelligence mediates the relationship between proactive personality and job performance during cross-cultural service encounters. Furthermore, the indirect effect of proactive personality on job performance during cross-cultural service encounters via cultural intelligence is stronger for service employees who are high in emotional intelligence.
Practical implications
This study has several implications for hospitality management in terms of developing effective strategies to foster cultural and emotional intelligence of service employees and improve the employees' performance.
Originality/value
Considering the limited number of studies showing why, how and in which situations personality can enhance performance, this study contributes to the literature by revealing the effect of proactive personality on the performance of service employees through important constructs such as cultural intelligence and emotional intelligence.
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Florence Yean Yng Ling, Amber Ming Hsia Ang and Shallene Su Yu Lim
The aim of this research is to investigate how foreign (non‐mainland Chinese) architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) professionals manage cross‐cultural encounters with…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this research is to investigate how foreign (non‐mainland Chinese) architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) professionals manage cross‐cultural encounters with mainland Chinese in the construction industry. The specific objectives are to identify perceived cultural differences between Chinese and foreigners when executing construction projects, based on the perceptions of foreign personnel only; and recommend a framework to manage cross‐cultural encounters between foreigners and Chinese.
Design/methodology/approach
The data collection instrument was a questionnaire, which had open‐ended questions. The data collection method was face‐to‐face in‐depth interviews with 19 foreign AEC practitioners who had worked with Chinese in construction projects in mainland China. The majority of these projects were located in Shanghai.
Findings
The main perceived differences were: the absence of team spirit in Chinese staff; the need to micro‐manage Chinese staff; the lack of initiative in Chinese staff; difficulty in communicating with Chinese staff; the absence of trust among the Chinese and by Chinese of foreigners; Chinese firms' attempts at recovery of under‐pricing following contract award; ease of settling disputes with Chinese; lack of safety and quality culture; and prevalence of networking culture. Several methods to manage cross‐cultural encounters are identified. Among these, most of the interviewees practiced adaptability, mimicry and mindfulness, which involved paying attention, being watchful and attentive. They also relied on their knowledge and experience of Chinese culture.
Research limitations/implications
The findings may not be readily generalized because interviews were conducted with only 19 foreign AEC professionals, many of who are from Singapore and had worked primarily in Shanghai. The small number of interviewees may be unrepresentative of the population.
Practical implications
Foreign firms could use the findings to help them decide on some of the methods to overcome cultural differences.
Originality/value
The research proposed a framework for foreign firms to use when managing cross‐cultural encounters with Chinese. It recommends different measures to manage cross‐cultural encounters between foreigners and Chinese.
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The purpose of this paper is to gain an understanding of the primary barriers to the implementation of environmental responsibility in organizations.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to gain an understanding of the primary barriers to the implementation of environmental responsibility in organizations.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper employs semi‐structured interviews with key informants and site observations. Key informants include top and senior managers of three frozen seafood processing companies in Thailand.
Findings
The paper identifies three primary barriers: the lack of a system perspective on seafood sustainability, absence of top management commitment and cultural diversity.
Research limitations/implications
As an exploratory case study, findings cannot necessarily be extrapolated to broader populations. To improve generalization of the findings, future research should broaden the sample. It would also be beneficial to pursue comparative research between industries, countries and regions.
Practical implications
Implementing corporate environmental responsibility requires raising “green culture” ideology throughout an organization. A system perspective on seafood sustainability, top management commitment and proper management of cultural diversity plays a significant role in affecting organizational change towards sustainability.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to a greater understanding of the role of humans and culture in greening the seafood supply chain.
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The paper aims to conceptually explore customer‐to‐customer interaction (CCI) in a cross‐cultural context; and to identify research opportunities in the field of cross‐cultural…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims to conceptually explore customer‐to‐customer interaction (CCI) in a cross‐cultural context; and to identify research opportunities in the field of cross‐cultural CCI.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper analyses consultations both with CCI experts and cross‐cultural management experts.
Findings
Cross‐cultural customer‐to‐customer interaction (CC‐CCI) is shown to have received very little research attention. The relevance of CCI to hospitality management is highlighted and opportunities for future investigations are identified. CC‐CCI is shown to be conceptually quite complex.
Practical implications
For hospitality management practitioners and researchers, a variety of perspectives on how CC‐CCI can influence the customer experience are provided. Service managers are provided with a new dimension to incorporate into their strategic and operational plans for managing CCI in an increasingly globalised environment.
Social implications
The article contributes towards developing a scientific approach towards understanding a phenomenon which is a widespread feature of social life. It also provides a fresh focus for cross‐cultural research.
Originality/value
The paper addresses an important and original issue in hospitality management. Many illustrations of the new concept are provided and directions and methods for conducting research into CC‐CCI are put forward. The article also contributes to the hospitality management literature by broadening the discussion of the customer as an operant resource.
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