<p><strong><p>Seminar Date: 28th May, 2010 <strong></strong></p><p>Level: Master Thesis – EFO705 <strong></strong></p><p>Program: MIMA – International Business and Entrepreneurship <strong></strong></p><p>Authors: Alisa Pongsriwat & Wissawa Aunyawong <strong></strong></p><p>Title: Cross Institutional and Cultural Barriers: The opportunity of Thai entrepreneurs in doing business in Sweden - <em>Case study of Restaurant business <strong></strong></em></p><p>Tutor: Sune Tjernström <strong></strong></p><p>Background: Doing Thai Restaurant in Sweden seems to be opportunity of Thai entrepreneurs as there are potential trend leading to business success and many advantages supporting investment. However, cross institutional and cultural barriers can cause business failure. <strong></strong></p><p>Research Problem:´How can Thai entrepreneur overcome the cross institutional and cultural barriers for successfully running restaurant business in Sweden to beat in Swedish market? <strong></strong></p><p>Purpose: Our purpose is to understand and explain the cross cultural barriers in doing Thai restaurant business in Sweden in the context of cultures embedded in both Thailand and Sweden. The foundation of our research is based on the case study of Thai food restaurants in Sweden. <strong></strong></p><p>Method: Our research is mainly based on qualitative research using the case study and the secondary information gathered during the research. We have also taken into account some primary information by conducting three semi-structured interviews from the Thai owners of Thai restaurants in different locations in Sweden. All the information collected during the course of our research has been analyzed and has finally led us to a conclusion. <strong></strong></p><p>Conclusion: After the analysis of outcomes, both from the interviews and the secondary information conducted, we concluded that Thai entrepreneurs need to strictly follow the laws and regulations of Sweden because they cannot be changed. They also need to adapt some norms and cultures but not too much in order to maintain Thai uniqueness as competitive advantage in Swedish market. We have recommended that Thai entrepreneurs should recognize the key characteristics between Thai and Swede as the key successful business. <strong></strong></p><p>Contribution: Our research will give the useful information and practical recommendations in the future to the Thai entrepreneurs in Thailand, who are interesting in doing business in Sweden in order to seeking new opportunity.</p></strong></p><p> </p>

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of known etiological factors in mildly mentally handicapped students across minority and nonminority groups and to examine the similarities of these patterns. A comparison of early diagnoses was also made. The total population of all children labeled Educable Mentally Handicapped (EMH) and attending regular elementary schools within one of the largest districts in the southwest served as the sample for the present study. There were 128 children, 64 minorities and 64 nonminorities. The student records were reviewed for data regarding etiological factors, previous diagnoses and early medical factors. A pilot study which involved administering a questionnaire to a sample to twenty-eight social workers was conducted to ascertain the validity of obtained data. Eight specific hypotheses were addressed. A Chi-Square analysis yielded information about the patterns of category similarities (congenital, prenatal, perinatal, postnatal and familial), between two groups as well as the presence of professional diagnosis. A set of five factorial analysis of variance were performed to examine the impact of age, number of symptoms, presence of professional diagnosis and length of hospital stay on IQ scores of children in both groups. A discriminant function analysis was performed to determine the discriminatory power of four variables (IQ, length of hospital stay, number of symptoms and presence of professional diagnosis). The prevalence of perinatal and postnatal symptoms and diagnoses occurred with high frequency for both groups. Congenital factors occurred significantly more for the nonminority group. The findings indicated that there were no significant differences across minority and nonminority groups in terms of intellectual functioning due to the impact of the four previously mentioned variables. Consistent with the ANOVA results, the information obtained from the discriminant function analysis suggests similarity of the two groups in terms of the four variables. The results were discussed in relation to the utility of early etiological information and the importance of such research. The implications of such findings for placement of children in general in these classes or for the children from minority groups in particular, were emphasized.

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Interactions between business counterparts have become increasingly free from boundaries, as technological innovation brings the world closer together (Adler, 2002). Locally, the typical South African organisation employs workers from a multitude of cultural backgrounds, at various levels of acculturation. Organisational coaches must be prepared to engage with diverse national and international client populations. Coaching bodies such as the Worldwide Association of Business Coaches (WABC, 2008) and the locally-based Coaches and Mentors of South Africa (COMENSA, 2009; COMENSA, 2010), require coaches to provide culturally responsive services to coachees. If the coach differs culturally from the coachee, he/she may incorrectly use his/her own understanding of what is appropriate for a situation to make sense of the coachee’s behaviour, possibly leading to the misinterpretation of the diverse coachee’s situation. In addition, the coach may also project his/her own cultural bias and stereotypes onto the coachee. This in turn may lead to barriers in communication, and ultimately to the inhibition of efficiency of the coaching process as possible outcomes. Inefficient coaching may not allow for the achievement of the desired results, leading to financial losses for the company. Therefore, it is imperative that the coach is aware of his/her own culturally-laden values, beliefs and expectations which may include biases, prejudices and stereotypes held about the coachee, i.e. his/ her cultural self-awareness. The purpose of the current research study was to explore and describe the experiences and perceptions of South African organisational coaches in terms of cultural self-awareness. Specifically the study investigated how eight South African organisational coaches (N = 8) develop, maintain and promote cultural self-awareness, and what the perceived consequences of such awareness were. The study was conducted within the constructivist research paradigm and utilised a qualitative research approach. The multiple case study research strategy employed in-depth interviews to collect the research data. A grounded theory research methodology was used to analyse and explore the experiences and perceptions of South African organisational coaches in developing and utilising cultural self-awareness. Eight findings were obtained from the interviews, namely: the cultural self-awareness cultivated during coaching developed as part of a general process of cultural self-awareness, which in turn formed part of the participants’ personal development; both intentional strategies and happenstance led to the coaches’ cultural self-awareness; situational and internal factors contributed to changes in their cultural self-awareness; cultural self-awareness is maintained through self-management involving internal and external strategies; future cultural self-awareness is promoted through pursuing experiences that would cause them to question bias; a change in cultural self-awareness held consequences for the personal developmental process as well as for the coachee, and the coaching process; the meaning of cultural self-awareness was explained by using metaphors. The most prominent metaphors the coaches used were ‘sight’, ‘the past’, ‘internal work’, and ‘managing’; additional psychosocial processes that occur during intercultural coaching which can be grouped under macro, meso and micro issues, contextualised the process of cultural self-awareness during intercultural coaching. The findings were interpreted to show that various levels, developmental paths, and applications of cultural self-awareness exist amongst organisational coaches. On the basis of the results obtained from the research study, recommendations were made for future research, coaching education and training programmes, coaching clients, and current or prospective coaches. / Thesis (MA (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2013

Different value systems are a major source of diversity between people and culture groups. A better understanding of these differences can be a valuable tool when a diverse work force, as found in South Africa, has to be managed. Values can act as a unifying theory for the field of human motivation, as a way of organising the different needs, motives and goals proposed in other theories. The values theory describes aspects of the human psychological structure that are fundamental, aspects presumably common to all humankind. The objective of this study was to investigate the construct equivalence of the values as measured by the Work and Organizational Values Scale for new applicants from different language groups in the South African Police Service (SAPS), and to investigate the relationship between the value patterns of the different language and gender groups. A cross-sectional survey design was used. The study population consisted of two groups who applied for jobs in the South African Police Services (SAPS). The first group consisted of civilians (N=3 400), while the second group consisted of police applicants (N=1 800). The Work and Organizational Values Scale was administered. Descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analyses, and multivariate analysis of variance were used to analyse the results. Principal component analysis with a direct oblimin rotation resulted in two factors. The first factor was interpreted as self-enhancement (power, materialism and prestige) versus conservation (conformity and security). The second factor was interpreted as collectivism (social commitment, relations, and environment) versus individualism (goal-orientedness. stimulation and self-direction). These factors were found to be equivalent for four language groups. Statistically significant differences were found between the value priorities of different language groups as well as genders. However, larger practically significant differences were found between males and females than between different language groups. Recommendations for future research were made. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

Personality tests are widely used in South Africa. The application of personality assessment techniques for clinical and personnel decisions has been a major activity for psychologists. All main personality models have ken developed in a Western context: the question therefore arises whether these models are adequate and sufficient for South Africa. There is a need to develop personality tests that are based on South African cultures. In South Africa the continuous use of Western-based personality tests raise a challenge. The challenge also lies with the current legislation with regard to the use of psychological tests. The challenge is to construct an inventory suited to the local needs while retaining the standards of validity and reliability expected of established assessment instruments. Our socially diverse society and its wide implications for the cultural dynamics of personality evaluations that we find in South Africa warrant further research. A qualitative research design was used in this study, including interviewing as a data gathering method. A total of 120 Tshivenda speaking people from the Thohoyandou district in Limpopo province and Pretoria in Gauteng province were interviewed. A total of 4 722 personality descriptors with a view to Tshivenda speaking people were obtained from the participants, and then translated into English. Content analysis was used to analyse, interpret and reduce these descriptors to a total of 150 personality characteristics which are the most important perspectives of personality for the Tshivenda speaking individuals. The personality characteristics were divided into eight categories, namely interpersonal relatedness, sociability, conscientiousness, emotionality, meanness, intellect, dominance and a category for other traits. The interpersonal relatedness factor in the Vhavenda personality characteristics could be regarded as a cultural factor. The Tshivenda speaking people are also sociable with a preference for companionship, social skills and numerous friendships. They also have a strong sense of purpose and high inspiration levels. The Tshivenda speaking people also experience emotions and feelings related to situations that they face. Intellect characteristics could also be extrapolated from the personality characteristics of the Vhavenda people. The findings of this study were compared to the five factor model, and evidence was found for extraversion and conscientiousness in particular. Very few characteristics of openness on the five factor model correspond to that of the Tshivenda speaking people, except in the cases of a few personality characteristics that were labelled under the category of intellect. Recommendations for future research are made. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

This portfolio identifies a lacuna in the ways most mainstream management literature speaks of change. This literature focuses predominantly on the activities of 'planning', 'implementing' and 'evaluating' change in organizations, while largely overlooking the situated and embodied experience of actually becoming changed. I propose that this type of experience lies at the heart of organizational change. My research focuses on such experiences, addressing the questions of what characterizes them, what are the conditions that enable them, and what is involved in a practice that attempts to generate and sustain them. Building on Complex Responsive Process Theory, which claims that all change is constituted by shifts in the patterning of local interactions, I am proposing that the study of the qualities of ordinary, everyday 'experiences of transformation', which take place in conversational interactions between organizational members, is crucial to our understanding of how change happens. These qualities involve fleeting and elusive shifts of awareness and energy. What I am suggesting 'transforms' in such experiences is the complex interweaving of meaning, sense of self or identity, and ways of interacting and speaking. I argue that these shifts both create, and are created by, the responsive engagement with the complex, puzzling and ambiguous aspects of lived experiences of interaction. My narratives are concerned with the ways in which new meaning and novel directions of 'going on together' emerge paradoxically within the very experience of the fragmentation and dissolving of our usual, taken for granted understanding and sense of self. This often happens as we agree to encounter the 'otherness' of others in a conversational setting in which all the disconcerting, troubling and moving ramifications of that encounter are allowed to play out. In crafting an approach to change which resonates more with our everyday organizational lives, my narratives call attention to the details of such experiences: their textured richness and complex multi-facetedness. I propose that learning to carefully notice and engage with such experiences offers both deeper insights into the nature of change, and generates more nuanced, subtle, and ultimately effective, ways of working with change processes.

The aim of this study was to explore the perceived multicultural disability competence of master’s-level counseling students in CACREP-accredited programs given their disability-related life experience(s) and multicultural counseling course completion and to assess the extent to which the topic of ability/disability is addressed in multicultural counseling coursework. Participants (n = 285) were electronically surveyed using the Counseling Clientswith Disabilities Survey (CCDS; Strike, 2001) and a researcher developed biographical questionnaire. Collectively, study results indicated that both disability-related life experience(s) and multicultural counseling course completion positively impacted participant perceived multicultural disability competence. However, disability-related life experience(s) seemed to have a greater level of impact and significantly predicted self-awareness, perceived knowledge, and perceived skills. Results of this study indicated that the topic of ability/disability or persons with disabilities is given less attention than other topics covered in multicultural counseling courses within CACREP-accredited programs.

This thesis contributes to the field of research on corporate social responsibility (CSR) and explores the underresearched phenomenon of CSR innovation. It sheds light on this phenomenon by comparing CSR innovation in two nations with differing degrees of economic development, namely the UK and India. An interpretive, multicase study approach was chosen to compare CSR initiatives of British and Indian retailers. Data were collected through interviews, archival research, and observation. The research used sensemaking theory as a theoretical lens to examine how actors made sense of CSR innovation and communicated it to others. Data analysis was guided by a conceptual framework focussing on the triggers of sensemaking for CSR initiatives, formalisation as a key sensemaking process for CSR innovations, and the legitimation strategies employed by the case companies. The analysis shows that CSR leaders, close followers, and aspirants think differently about CSR; it also points to broader patterns of CSR innovation in the UK and India. CSR innovations were identified in both the British and Indian retail industries, contextual differences between the innovations in the two countries were observed, and the complex nature and role of these innovations were illustrated. CSR innovation was seen as involving complex constellations of continuity and newness. The British companies studied engaged in deliberate CSR leadership, actively tried to change CSR practises, and communicated these efforts externally. In contrast, the Indian companies mainly discussed CSR initiatives within the business, experimented with nonphilanthropic CSR, and tried to determine the role of CSR in the emerging Indian retail industry. The observed differences were traced back to country-specific regulatory and market environments and differences in field level conditions were highlighted. The study also examined the impact of environmental uncertainty on the management of CSR innovation and discussed strategies that the case companies use to deal with challenges related to CSR innovation.

This study examined associations between two domain-specific manifestations of perceived psychologically controlling parenting (i.e., dependency oriented and achievement-oriented), dimensions of personality vulnerability to depression (i.e., dependency and self-criticism), and depressive symptoms in Peruvian late adolescents (N = 292, 60 % female). Structural equation modeling showed that perceived dependency-oriented psychological control was related specifically to dependency and that perceived achievement-oriented psychological control was related specifically to self-criticism. Both dimensions of personality vulnerability played an intervening role in associations between the domains of psychologically controlling parenting and depressive symptoms. In addition, dependency-oriented psychological control interacted with perceived parental responsiveness in the prediction of depressive symptoms, such that responsiveness exacerbated effects of psychological control on depressive symptoms. Results were similar across maternal and paternal ratings of parenting. Findings are interpreted in light of the debate about the cross cultural generalization of the effects of psychologically controlling parenting.