Economic globalization has greatly increased opportunities, but also requires the organizations to be more open and constantly try to create a new working environment. Organizations today are composed of people of different races, ages, languages, religions, and lifestyles. Organizational management's work tends to use a coordinated approach to bring people from different backgrounds together and maximize the ability and talent through multicultural teams. If managed properly, diversity can bring a competitive advantage to the organizations, but if poorly managed, workforce diversity can have negative outcomes. Due to the lack of research on which organizational level is cultural diversity advantageous for organizations to have, this study will focus on understanding cultural diversity and explore new perspectives about the experiences of different individuals in multicultural settings. This qualitative study takes social constructivism as a philosophical position. It has drawn conclusions by an inductive approach based on the empirical data which we have collected through the interviews and literature, where the focus was to construct meaning and interpret the data collected which came from the experiences of the participants.

No description available.

MSc (Zoology) / Department of Zoology

La manipulation ethnique est devenue une réalité en Guinée, à l’instar de plusieurs pays africains. Elle atteint son apothéose en 2010, lors de la campagne présidentielle. Le tout ethnique est alors la chose la mieux partagée par les acteurs politiques qui instrumentalisent des appartenances objectives dans le seul but de mobiliser la communauté d’origine. L’ethnicité est manipulée à des fins clientélistes par les leaders politiques soutenus par des cortes de mercenaires et la complicité de « flibustiers » de l’information.Cette thèse de doctorat en Science de l’information et de la communication analyse la construction médiatique de l’ethnicité par les politiques dans les médias et plus particulièrement sur les sites d’information. Le document est divisé en deux parties.La première partie, théorique, est consacrée aux différents courants recherches et ayant trait à notre champ d’étude. Elle vise à ressaisir et préciser les concepts d’ethnicité et de diversité culturelle dans le jeu de la mondialisation. Ce qui nous a permis d’interroger la menace que la mondialisation fait peser sur la diversité culturelle, notamment d’aborder le rapport offre et besoin d’information, l’effets des médias, l’échange inégal dans le cadre du nouvel ordre mondial de l’information et de la communication (NOMIC). Elle a permis de circonscrire notre sujet et notre problématique de recherche à savoir comment les hommes politiques utilisent les médias pour instrumentaliser le concept de l’ethnicité?La seconde partie, empirique, rend compte d’une enquête de terrain portant sur les sites d’information. Elle s’appuie sur une méthodologie d’analyse de compte rendus d’entretiens qualitatifs et d’articles de presse à l’aide du modèle de Lasswell, actanciel, et au moyen de l’utilisation du logiciel Tropes. À partir de l’étude du corpus portant sur l’actualité médiatique durant les campagnes électorales de 2010 à 2015, nous avons pu faire ressortir les grands axes du discours sur l’ethnicité et la problématique ethnique pour les situé au coeur des mutations sociologiques de la société guinéenne. Ces méthodes nous ont permis d’appréhender l’instrumentalisation de l’ethnicité en Guinée, le traitement médiatique dont elle fait l’objet, ainsi que les prises de positions tant politiques qu’idéologiques des sites d’information.Au final, cette recherche esquisse des propositions visant à sortir du piège ethnique en Guinée et à reconstruire la citoyenneté. Elle pourrait être utile pour les ONG spécialisées dans la prévention des conflits dans le monde, pour les chercheurs qui traiteront la question de l’ethnicité. Enfin elle pourra apporter sa pierre à l’édifice de la compréhension comme à l’orientation des débats concernant les rapports entre sciences sociales et sciences de l’information et de la communication / Following the example of several African countries, the ethnic manipulation became a sad reality in Guinea. But, we can say the highlight of this manipulation sees its fullfillment in 2010, during the presidential election campaign. The quite ethnic was then the thing the best shared by the political actors who instrumented objective memberships in the only purpose to mobilize the community of origin: the clientelism to which resort the various political parties is then for its peak. It is therefore a question good political ethnicity supported by the mercenaries’ politics with complicity of the « pirates » of the information.So this doctoral thesis in Science of information and communication analyzes the media construction of the ethnicity by the politics in the media and more particularly on the sites of information. The organization of this thesis is based on two parts. The first, theoretical part is dedicated to the various speculative searches and to the currents concerning our field of study. Second, empirical, is of an investigation ground. It leaned on a methodology to know the analysis of articles of sites of information through the model of Lasswell, actenciel, the use of software tropes having for objective essential to seize the contents of articles and qualitative interviews. Besides, in our study of corpus concerning current events during election campaigns from 2010 till 2015, we were able to highlight interesting results basing on the software tropes and our analysis of speech and contents. These results offer a complete vision of the sociological transformations in guinean society carrying at the heart of current events the ethnic problem in Guinea.These methods allowed us to grasp the intrumentalisation of the ethnicity in Guinean society, the media treatment of which it is the object, as well as stands so political as ideological of the sites of information.

The study discussed investigates the range and variability of cultural and linguistic diversity as represented in interdisciplinary text sets for science read-alouds in Grades K–3. Presenters share their analysis, discuss implications, and offer alternatives for locating texts that include culturally and linguistically relevant depictions of target topics.

The presupposition of the discourse of the theme is that South Africans experience a moral crisis no matter what one’s ethnic background, social-economic level, education, gender, profession, living conditions or whatever is. Chapter One deals with the matter of ethics in terms of its origin, necessity and purpose. It takes the issue further as it describes the moral situation nationally and abroad. As for other countries, South Africa needs to deal with materialism, individualism, consumerism, criminality, violence and the abuse of power. The spirit of the day in terms of the post-modern ideology implies both positive and negative influences in the well being of the society. Chapter Two describes the complexity of diversity as such. It takes note of the occurrence of this phenomenon as it is experienced through all the ages all over the world, but in particular in our country. We have to respect our historical background even if it is so clear that there were many incidents and processes of misfortune. A major issue is the political system of apartheid and the process of changing it into a new democratic dispensation. Religious diversity is another reality which has an impact on the lives of the people especially in terms of morality. Along with religious diversity, cultural diversity also occurs. It is an extensive practical, emotional and spiritual experience. Chapter Three focuses on culture and religion. These two human phenomena bring about experiences such as identity and morality. The development of new religious and cultural systems is taken into account in describing a new order in terms thereof. Along with traditional and diverse social perspectives, the post-religious way of thinking place new emphasis on being moral. Chapter Four tries to make something of the dynamics of religious and cultural diversity. It is important to understand the underlying energy of conflict, accommodation and unity of different entities. Difficulties like race, racism, exclusivism, inclusiveness, respect, tolerance and contemporary lifestyles are discussed. The dynamics of religious diversity also comes to a point. Chapter Five is set aside for empirical research. It was done on the qualitative basis. Interviews either in person, telephonically or by means of a questionnaire were conducted with the following persons: Prof. Louise du Toit, Br. Peter Just, Prof. Willem Landman, Rev. Cedric Mayson, Prof. Piet Strauss, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Prof. Marinus Wiechers. Their contributions were compiled for further use. Chapter Six explores the possibility of a new moral consciousness which should contribute to a better moral understanding of our social environment as well as the development of new and acceptable moral fabric. It incorporates the issue of leadership, opinion formers, individuals, world ethics and the importance of individual and shared responsibility. Closer to the point, Chapter Seven takes the phenomenon of religious and cultural diversity to the influence that it has on certain social levels and orders. Morality is a very practical thing which is present in all forms of human existence and function. Chapter Eight concludes with the discussion of the Christian church’s influence on the morality in South Africa. The church should on the one hand stick to its theological roots and prophetic calling, but on the other hand adapt to the new world in which it has a very important role to play. In its God-given task the church should live up to its destiny by being futuristic, creative, innovative and opportunistic. The ongoing process of secularisation of the world within which the church dwells, should be taken as a serious challenge for consistent and enduring moral healing. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Dogmatics and Christian Ethics / unrestricted

This research aims to develop a deeper level of understanding of how different levels of interaction amongst different cultures in a work and social context plays a role in perceiving culturally endorsed leadership attributes (CLTs). With the rapid developments in international trade, internet technology, cross-border travel and communication, business transactions across country borders have rapidly become significant contributors to the world economy. Consequently, managing diverse teams and working with colleagues and/or clients from other countries is a challenge to operating in this global business world. A quantitative analysis was done by considering low, medium and high work and social multi-cultural diversity interactions as the exploratory variables and perceptions of outstanding leader attributes as the dependant variable. This study of 269 leaders in a South African Multinational company found that different levels of multicultural interactions in the social context (described by friendships, relationships, family history and education) yielded significant differences in the perceptions of outstanding leader attributes. No significant differences in these perceptions were found for the different levels of multicultural interactions in the work context (described by international assignments and work diversity initiatives). Based on intergroup theory, this suggests that greater cognitive formations results through cross-cultural engagement in the social context than in the workplace. That is, culturally diverse social group memberships are able to condition member perceptions, transfer ideologies, and have a greater impact than culturally diverse groups in the organisational context. It was also found that the senior employees in this organisation (by age and tenure) showed a negative correlation to social multicultural interactions, but a positive correlation to work multicultural interactions. These relationships with tenure indicate the influence of organisational culture on cross-cultural cognitive formations. A synergistic relationship was evident between the work and social contexts, suggesting that inter-cultural activity in one context influences activity in the other context. Copyright / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

In this qualitative study the researcher investigates how school choir competitions in South Africa contribute to creating platforms for social cohesion. The study examines the experiences of conductors and adjudicators in two main South African school choir competitions, namely the ATKV-Applous and ABC Motsepe (previously known as SASCE). This study was inspired by the contribution of the rising choral music platform in post-apartheid South Africa to national regeneration from tensions created by past disparities and how choral music contributes to social cohesion in society. Phenomenology is used to investigate the experiences of conductors and adjudicators and whether participation in choral competitions contributed to advancing social cohesion in a transforming South Africa. Data were collected through semi-structured face-to-face interviews, the review of documents and the analysis of journal notes taken during the study. The Transformative Learning Theory (TLT) was applied as framework to contextualise deliberate reflection involving increased social knowledge and openness among respondents. In this study, choir conductors and adjudicators reflected on their experiences in choir competitions and how cohesion could be achieved through choir competitions. From the study the researcher concluded that competitive platforms such as choir competitions provide an opportunity for role players to test their strength as individuals and as part of a team. The study found that, regardless of many challenges hindering social cohesion, choral music competitions offer an environment for bringing people closer and establishing harmonious collaboration. Learning from others, sharing and reciprocating experiences lead to new partnerships that promote social cohesion. However, the conditions set out in the rules and policy requirements of the competitions could inhibit social cohesion by exclusion and conditions that may hinder interest. Although many studies focus on the value of choral activities and its contribution to social cohesion, this study fills the gap of exploring the role of choir competitions in fostering social cohesion. Recommendations include the need to foster an awareness of the role of school choir activities, which includes the selection of music, in encouraging nation-building. Furthermore, school choir competition policy should include clearer guidelines on social cohesion. It is recommended that training opportunities for conductors and adjudicators should be expanded and implemented to include musical development, but also focus on fostering a sensitivity to the complexity of cultural diversity and the power of choral activities to enhance nation-building and social cohesion in South Africa. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2020. / pt2021 / Humanities Education / PhD / Unrestricted

Bakgrund: Invandringen till Sverige har ökat kraftigt under de senaste 20 åren vilket har gjort att mångkulturen har blivit mer märkbar. Det ökade antalet immigranter i Sverige resulterar i att det blivit vanligare att sjuksköterskor och patienter med olika kulturell bakgrund integrerar i vårdmöten. En god och välfungerande kommunikation är avgörande för att kunna etablera en god vård och omvårdnadsrelation mellan sjuksköterska och patient, vilket vidare är nödvändigt för att kunna tillhandahålla en god och patientsäkervård. Det ingår i sjuksköterskans ansvar att skapa en välfungerande kommunikation, tillhandahålla en patientsäker vård samt tillämpa mångkulturell omvårdnad i sitt yrkesutövande.Syfte: Syftet med litteraturöversikten var att beskriva aspekter som påverkar kommunikationen mellan sjuksköterska och patient ur ett mångkulturellt perspektiv.Metod: Studien har genomförts som en litteraturöversikt som baserades på femton vetenskapliga studier med elva kvalitativa artiklar och fyra kvantitativa artiklar.Resultat: Resultatet presenteras i tre huvudteman: Personliga aspekter (kulturell kompetens, sjuksköterskans attityd, etiskt förhållningssätt och patientens förväntningar); Språkliga aspekter (språkliga barriärer och icke verbala språkbarriärer); Organisatoriska aspekter (utveckling av kulturell kompetens, tidsbrist och tolktjänstbrist).Slutsats: Aspekterna som påverkar kommunikationen inom det mångkulturella vårdmötet mellan sjuksköterska och patient består av personliga aspekter, språkliga aspekter och organisatoriska aspekter. Lättillgängliga tolktjänster, mer tid till varje patient, kulturella utbildningar, sjuksköterskans kulturella kompetens, attityd och etiskt förhållningssätt kan bidra till att övervinna de kommunikationsbarriärer som kan uppstå i mångkulturella vårdmöten. / Background: Immigration has dramatically increased the last 20 years, which has made multiculturalism in Sweden more visible. This means that it is becoming more common that nurses and patients who have different cultural backgrounds meet in healthcare meetings. Good communication is crucial to establishing a good nurse-patient care relationship. Good communication is also important to be able to provide good and safe care to patients. It is part of the nurse's responsibility to build a well-functioning communication, to provide safe care and transcultural care within her professional practice.Purpose: The purpose of this literature review was to describe the aspects that affects communication between nurse and patient from a multicultural perspective.Method: The method chosen in this study is a literature review, which included fifteen scientific studies which studies focused on the selected subject of this literature review.Result: Findings in this literature review har emerge in three main themes including: Personal aspects (cultural competence, patient's expectations, nurse's attitude, and ethical approach). Linguistic aspects (language barriers and non-verbal language barriers). Organizational aspects (improving of cultural competence, lack of time and lack of interpreting services).Conclusion: Aspects that affect the communication within the multicultural care meeting between nurse and patient consist of personal aspects, linguistic aspects and organizational. Easily accessible interpreting services, more time for each patient, cultural training, nurse's cultural competence, attitude and ethical approach are important components for the nurse to be able to overcome the communication barriers that arise in the care meeting.

Despite advances in health, science, and technology, U.S. healthcare lags in providing access to care and quality care to racial and ethnic minorities. Cultural competence has been noted as a strategy to improve access and quality. The purpose of this project was to assess public health nurses' cultural competence before and after participating in cultural competence informational modules. Two conceptual models were used in this project for theoretical guidance: Leininger's cultural care diversity and universality theory and Campinha-Bacote's process of cultural competence. To assess the nurses' cultural competence, the Cultural Competence Self-Assessment Checklist questionnaire was e-mailed to 57 public health nurses at a local health department. Survey participants remained anonymous. Data were collected on demographics. A paired t test was conducted to compare the statistical significance of the results. A quantitative software tool was used to analyze the data. Study results showed a confidence interval of 95% at p = 0.15, indicating that cultural competence informational modules made a significant difference between the pretest and the posttest of the Cultural Competence Self-Assessment Checklist. Thus, cultural competence informational modules make a difference in public health nurses' awareness, knowledge, and skills, which can enhance their ability to provide culturally competent care to racial and ethnic minorities. The implications of this project for social change include supporting health care professionals' ability to promote and implement cultural competence practices for all populations to decrease health disparities