Due to the globalization in the world economy, most multinational organizations have changed the way they conduct business. This change also influenced the structure and working of IT services-providing companies. Due to the contemporary phenomenon of the world being seen as a global village, today organizations have access to a wider talent pool. Different multinational IT services-providing companies follow global software development models, while some of these also call people onshore from distant offices to work on different projects. In this scenario, cross-cultural teams are formed to work together and to fulfill clients’ requirements. The objective of this study is to identify cultural differences that affect the knowledge sharing process in IT services-providing companies. In this study, we present the case of a Swedish IT services-providing company that has extended operations into India. Our intention is to understand employees’ views about their work experience in a cross-cultural team. In this context, the study employs a qualitative approach, which helps to elucidate the role of national culture dimensions on an individual’s behavior within the workplace, as well as the impact national culture dimensions have on knowledge sharing processes. Six cross-cultural team members, who have the experience of working in a cross-cultural environment, were interviewed utilizing a semi-structured interview model. Data collection also includes two and half days of data collected during the observation of a cross-cultural team. The collected data helps to effectively clarify in-depth views about the concerns employees have while working within cross-cultural teams. The data collected was analyzed by applying hermeneutics, through which we mapped the answers to the theory of Hofstede on culture. The latter served as the indicator to focus on cultural dimensions that have decisive influence on knowledge sharing in cross-cultural environments. We conclude by highlighting several specific cultural factors that may affect knowledge sharing in cross-cultural environments.

“Mobile phones as a communication technology fits into culture rather than imposes on a culture” (Xin, 2006).Therefore, the main purpose of this research was to investigate and to understand the impact national culture has on mobile phone buyer behaviour of Thai and Swedish consumers. The research was also conducted to identify whether there was a significant cultural difference of buying behaviour for these two cultures when purchasing mobile phones.  Hofstede’s cultural dimensions (individualism/collectivism and power distance) was addressed in order to examine if culture influences Thai and Swedish consumers when purchasing a mobile phone.  In order to examine the difference between Thai and Swedish consumers, a data analysis was conducted through the SPSS statistical program using an Independent Sample T-test and Pearson Correlations. The questionnaires were distributes to both Thai (70 sets) and Swedish (70sets) students in the University of Malardalen. The findings indicated that there is a significant difference between Thai and Swedish consumers in term of mobile phone purchasing behaviour as far as Hofstede’s cultural dimensions. A major contribution to this study is that it will provide an insight into the differences in culture between Swedish and Thai consumers, the Eastern and Western cultural divide and how culture influences mobile phone purchasing behaviour.   The findings will also assist managers in mobile phone organizations to manage the dynamics of culture through time as well as to enhance their communications and promotional strategies within an overall marketing strategy. Incorporating culture into their overall marketing and communications strategies will enable organizations to meet customer needs and expectations, sustain and increase growth along with market share and to maximize profitability.

This case study surveys one Taiwan container shipping lines and his agent in South Korea, to discuss the channel management in cross-cultural difference. The case study discuss how the shipping lines use the 4 variables of channel management; incentives, monitoring, trust and commitment to manage the agent¡¦s performance in different two countries¡¦ cultural. We use Hofstede¡¦s typology of cultural dimensions to exam the cultural difference between Taiwan and South Korea. The important results and findings can be summarizes as follows: 1. South Korea should be larger Power Distance than Taiwan. 2. Assigning one owner¡¦s representative would positively affect the agent¡¦s sale performance in the larger Power Distance, stronger Uncertainty Avoidance and Masculine cultural dimensions country. 3. Putting own vessel in the service route could positively affect the agent¡¦s sale performance in the Collectivist cultural dimension country. 4. Changing the service route often would negatively affect the agent¡¦s sale performance in the stronger Uncertainty Avoidance cultural dimension country. 5. Reducing the commitment would negatively affect the agent¡¦s sale performance in the Collectivist and stronger Uncertainty Avoidance cultural dimension country. 6. Reducing the trust would not affect the agent¡¦s sale performance in the larger Power Distance and stronger Uncertainty Avoidance cultural dimension country. 7. The influence of 4 channel management variables are in the channel performance, would be affected by cultural dimensions. Finally, the study would like to conclude 12 suggestions for the case company¡¦s reference.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Psychology / Patrick A. Knight / The current study uses structural equation modeling to simultaneously test the relationships between cultural knowledge, rapport building, and counterpart receptiveness in a cross-cultural setting using military-advisors. Five-hundred-eighty-three Army soldiers and Marines deployed to either Iraq or Afghanistan as advisors to host-national soldiers were asked to complete a questionnaire about their job-tasks. Results indicate that advisors who use cultural knowledge are more effective building relationships, and as a result have counterparts who are more receptive to their advice. Limitations and implications of the model are discussed, as well as potential directions for future research.

The Chinese community is the fastest growing non-European ethnic group in the UK, with 11.2% annual growth between 2001 and 2007. According to the National Statistics office (2005), there are over a quarter of a million Chinese in Britain. Compared to other ethnic minority groups, the Chinese group is socio-economically widespread, characterized by high academic achievements and high household income. It is estimated that there are about 30,000 Chinese immigrant children studying in British schools, 75% of who were born in the UK. These children face a complex process of establishing their social identity, maintaining their own cultural roots whilst adapting to the British cultural contexts. The predominant psychological interpretation of social identity formation is founded on Social Identity Theory (Tajfel, 1978). Social identity creates and defines an individual’s place in society. One of the key features in social identity theory is ingroup favouritism and out-group derogation (Tajfel & Turner, 1986). The function and motivation for in-group and out-group attitude construction is to promoting a positive self-concept and related self-esteem. Theoretical approaches to understanding social identity that take a developmental perspective are Cognitive Development Theory (CDT) (Aboud, 1988, 2008) and Social Identity Developmental Theory (SIDT) (Nesdale, 2004, 2008). These theories attempt to explain the age related development in children’s inter- and intra-group attitudes. There are different types of social identities, and ethnic identity as well as national identity are the central focus of the current research. Some researchers have pointed out that ethnic identity is relevant to self-esteem and it is particularly important to children from ethnic minority backgrounds (Phinney, 1992). However, the research on social identity is predominantly conducted in Western contexts and there is lack of evidence supporting the generalization of developmental models of social identity in children to all ethnic groups and particularly those growing up in different cultures and national contexts. The research reported in this thesis is a cross cultural and developmental study which compares social identity in relation to self-esteem among British born Chinese (BBC), white British, Hong Kong Chinese and Mainland Chinese children. The overarching aim is to explore the influence of social context and ethnic culture on social identity development and self-esteem. Three research studies were conducted in Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Scotland with 464 children across three age groups, age 8, 11 and 14 years (148 children from Mainland China, 155 Hong Kong Chinese children, 70 British born Chinese children, and 91 Scottish children). In addition, 46 parents of BBC children were surveyed to investigate their cultural orientation. The first study was designed to explore cultural similarities and differences in social identity and its relation to self-esteem across four groups of children in three age groups. Social identity (self-description questionnaire) and self-esteem (Harter’s Self-esteem questionnaire) were measured with all four groups of children. The result revealed significant differences of social identity across the groups. Four cultural groups of children think individual self was the most common form of identity. All the Chinese groups emphasized show more collective self than white Scottish children whereas the white Scottish sample of children placed more focused on individual identity. All four groups of children had high self-esteem, and no correlation was evident between social identity and self-esteem. Furthermore, analysis found no significant developmental change in social identity or self-esteem with age. The second study focused on BBC and white Scottish children: these share national context, but differ in ethnic identity. The study was designed to explore children’s national self-categorisation, the degree of national/ethnic identification (Chinese, Scottish, or both), and their perception of the positive and negative traits of Chinese and Scottish people across the age (using a Trait Attribution Task). BBC children’s sense of national identity varied in different national contexts, whereas white Scottish children were more fixed in their sense of national identity. Furthermore, BBC children attributed more positive traits to Chinese than to Scottish people, and white Scottish children attributed more positive traits to Scottish than to Chinese. BBC and white Scottish children evaluated both Chinese and Scottish groups positively, but they both attributed more positive traits to in-groups than out-groups. Some age-related differences were identified for degree of national identification. The third study introduced a novel social identity vignettes task to examine BBC and white Scottish children’s perceptions of ethnic identity of a Chinese character within two contrasting socio-cultural contexts (Scottish versus Chinese). This study addresses the question of whether children’s social identifications are adaptive and sensitive to social context, and how this contextual sensitivity might change with age. It also explored the link between parents’ attitudes towards their children’s cultural orientation and children’s national/ethnic identity in identity vignettes. The study revealed that both BBC and Scottish children judged the vignette characters as having a stronger Chinese identity or Scottish identity according to whether they were described in a Chinese or Scottish vignette. This cultural sensitivity increased with age. Both groups had a positive evaluation of the vignette characters’ self-esteem in both Chinese and Scottish cultural situations. Parental cultural orientation attitudes (using General Ethnicity Questionnaire) towards their children were also examined and differences of language proficiency among BBC children were identified. There is no connection between children’s strength of Chinese and Scottish identification and parents’ strength of cultural orientation towards Chinese or Scottish. Together, the findings presented in this thesis extend our understanding of social identity development, ethnic and national attitudes and the developmental intergroup attitudes among children from different national and ethnic groups. Furthermore, findings indicate that social identity is a complex and dynamic process in children’s development that cannot be understood without considering national and specific socio-cultural contexts as frames of reference. The findings of this research have important implications for child-related policy and practice and for future research on social identity development.

The film script Mangrove is both an eco-warrior thriller with science fiction elements and a documentation of the quirky, multicultural milieu of 21st century Auckland. It deals with the issues surrounding experimentation with genetic engineering and human alienation and disability.The script references the tradition of New Zealand film and its development as a "cinema of unease" through the character of Nat, who lives as a "man alone" on a moored yacht, and through its setting in a desolate mangrove estuary adjacent to a suburban industrial estate. It features characters who are recent immigrants from varying cultures and offers insights to world views that contrast with the pessimistic colonial outlook on life that pits man against the environment in a struggle for domination.The title, Mangrove, is a metaphor for the rich human environment that can be found in outposts of society that are often maligned and overlooked for their perceived lack of value.Mangrove's main character, Talia, is a disabled woman whose desire is to be accepted for her difference, her insights and her humanity. She is confronted with her past and her origins that may be part of a late 20th century genetic experiment.She meets Nat, a former journalist hiding out from society who is searching for a way to express his idealism. Likewise, Shiva, an indo-Fijian living in a nearby car wreckers yard has a love of music and the environment and shares Nat's idealism and desire to work for a better world. The three uncover a potentially world-altering genetic experiment with sugar. The antagonist multinational has Russian mafia allies that have to be dealt with, while the protagonists have the assistance of some Thai monks and Pacific Island street kids as they strive to expose the experimentation, and work out their relationships with one another.

ABSTRACT Title: The Study of Global Team Management & Job Involvement Author: Ju-Hui Tsai Advisor: Professor Bih-Shiaw Jaw The emergence of global teams has been caused by the globalization of the world economy. Multinational corporations are benefiting from the use of global teams; however, they are facing many management challenges as well. This research is to explore current global team management practice & job involvement. After the author interviewed 7 global teams in high-tech multinational corporations, the propositions are as follows: Proposition 1: The less global team experiences the members have, the more local managers¡¦ assistance they need. Local managers assist members engaged in local environment soon. Local managers are also consultative for local legal regulations, salary market & employee development. Proposition 2: The more global team experiences the members have, the higher degree of cross culture knowledge they have. The best way to learn cross culture management knowledge is to realize through daily working experiences. Proposition 3: Those global teams who emphasize more on culture diversity management have better performance. Proposition 4: The key successful factor to increase global team performance is to select mature, experienced & independent members. Proposition 5: The most important criteria for global team selection are language & communication capabilities. Proposition 6: The most challenging for global teams is unable to have effective communication in real time. Proposition 7: Global team model is not sure better than traditional team model for corporations. It depends on the industry & the business scope. Proposition 8: For team members, the advantage of global team experiences is to underst& other countries¡¦ environment. But on the other h&, the disadvantage is lacking in sense of belongings. Proposition 9: The most challenging for global team performance management is how to display one¡¦s capability or to realize employees¡¦ real performance cross time zones & boundaries. Proposition 10: Those global teams who set up regular communication mechanism have higher job involvement. Key words: global teams, cross culture management, job involvement

No description available.

The film script Mangrove is both an eco-warrior thriller with science fiction elements and a documentation of the quirky, multicultural milieu of 21st century Auckland. It deals with the issues surrounding experimentation with genetic engineering and human alienation and disability.The script references the tradition of New Zealand film and its development as a "cinema of unease" through the character of Nat, who lives as a "man alone" on a moored yacht, and through its setting in a desolate mangrove estuary adjacent to a suburban industrial estate. It features characters who are recent immigrants from varying cultures and offers insights to world views that contrast with the pessimistic colonial outlook on life that pits man against the environment in a struggle for domination.The title, Mangrove, is a metaphor for the rich human environment that can be found in outposts of society that are often maligned and overlooked for their perceived lack of value.Mangrove's main character, Talia, is a disabled woman whose desire is to be accepted for her difference, her insights and her humanity. She is confronted with her past and her origins that may be part of a late 20th century genetic experiment.She meets Nat, a former journalist hiding out from society who is searching for a way to express his idealism. Likewise, Shiva, an indo-Fijian living in a nearby car wreckers yard has a love of music and the environment and shares Nat's idealism and desire to work for a better world. The three uncover a potentially world-altering genetic experiment with sugar. The antagonist multinational has Russian mafia allies that have to be dealt with, while the protagonists have the assistance of some Thai monks and Pacific Island street kids as they strive to expose the experimentation, and work out their relationships with one another.

This exploratory study examined the effect of cross-culture on the content of messages on message boards, more specifically through the sitcom programs shown in United States and Taiwan. The theoretical framework is based on the theory of culture: Individualism vs. Collectivism. However as shown in the study factors such as country of origin as well as viewers’ profile will play a role and have its effect in the findings. Content analysis was applied to analyze the data. The results of this study have important implications for cross-cultural consumer studies and marketing practices. The practical research involved analyzing an organization’s data utilizing data mining tools with the objective of customers and products segmentations. The report ends by pointing out areas for future research. / This exploratory study examined the effect of cross-culture on the content of messages on message boards, more specifically through the sitcom programs shown in United States and Taiwan. The theoretical framework is based on the theory of culture: Individualism vs. Collectivism. However as shown in the study factors such as country of origin as well as viewers’ profile will play a role and have its effect in the findings. Content analysis was applied to analyze the data. The results of this study have important implications for cross-cultural consumer studies and marketing practices. The practical research involved analyzing an organization’s data utilizing data mining tools with the objective of customers and products segmentations. The report ends by pointing out areas for future research.