The present research explored cross-cultural differences in postdecisional confirmation bias. I hypothesized that, following a personal decision—one that entails consequences for the decision maker only, Euro-Canadians would be more likely to seek out confirmatory information than would Japanese, whereas following an interpersonal decision—one that entails consequences for those closest to the decision maker, Japanese would be more likely to do so than Euro-Canadians. In Study 1, Euro-Canadians and Japanese university students were randomly assigned to either the self or friend condition. Participants in the self and friend condition selected a movie for which they or their friend would ostensibly receive a free pass to see in theatres, respectively. After selecting a movie, participants were presented with a list of 12 movie reviews that either confirmed or disconfirmed their choice. Participants then indicated which of the reviews they wanted to read further. Study 2 employed the same paradigm as did Study 1 and also included a measure of participants’ information processing goals. For Study 1, the results of a series of one-sample t tests revealed that Euro-Canadians in the self condition exhibited confirmation bias as well as did those in the friend condition, albeit this latter trend was not significant. In contrast, Japanese in both conditions showed no preference for confirmatory or disconfirmatory information. For Study 2, Japanese continued to exhibit a balanced search. However, Euro-Canadians in the friend condition preferred confirmatory information, whereas Euro-Canadians in the self condition exhibited a slight, non-significant preference for disconfirmatory information. Regarding participants’ information processing goals, those in the friend condition were more concerned with affirming and convincing others of the correctness of their choice than were those in the self condition. Also, Euro-Canadians indicated that they were motivated to be accurate more than did Japanese. The present research indicates that Euro-Canadians and Japanese differ in terms of the decisions that they seek to confirm (albeit not in the predicted direction). Reasons for such discrepant findings and limits of the present research are discussed. / Thesis (Master, Psychology) -- Queen's University, 2010-09-02 12:51:18.396

No description available.

No description available.

Cultural Competency has become a concept central to the professional practice of social work. It is endorsed because it is perceived that cultural competency of social work practitioners results in encounters with their clients that are more appropriate in manner, and more helpful in outcome. Originally a critique of failures of conventional practice, cultural competency has become so widespread that its meaning has become obscured. / This study examines the literature on Cultural Competency. It includes the preceding work on cross-cultural, multi-cultural and diversity literature. It examines definitions of culture in the context of competency and what is included and excluded; historical and regional development and its relationship to concepts such as ethnicity, race, class, identity and cultural indices. It also reviews what is considered best Social Work practice at this time and what problems can develop from this perspective.

In this study, two parallel themes will be explored. One is the counsellor's understanding of their own cultural identity and how this affects their practice with people of similar or different cultures than their own. Secondly, the study attempts to discover counselling skills that are most useful in working with members of the non-dominant culture. Data was collected from eight participants using two interview formats--a semi-structured interview guide and an unstructured interview design. Examination of this data yielded the following major themes: issues of counsellor's self identity, client's perceptions of counsellors, common practice issues, and cultural matching of counsellor and client. Important insights about counsellor's cultural self-identity and its relationship to practice were presented. No definitive cross-cultural practice skills were articulated, although many strategies for working with difference were addressed.

This thesis examines the role of language and culture in international business. Through a theoretical framework, it investigates how these are integrated and argues that an understanding of the complexity of the relationship between language and culture in cross-cultural communication is crucial in international business, as essentially it provides an explanation as to what effective communication means. The premise that language and cultural barriers might be preventing New Zealand businesses from enhanced engagement in Asia was investigated using quantitative data obtained from an online survey of New Zealand exporters supported by qualitative data from case studies. The results revealed that New Zealand companies were expressing much apprehension regarding language and cultural barriers prior to entry into Asia but upon entry, they had found that the experience had not been as difficult as anticipated. English alone was sufficient for the most part, particularly during the early phases. However, if businesses wanted to commit fully on a long term engagement with Asia, then English alone was not enough because without the knowledge of the local language and culture, they could not communicate effectively to build long-term relationships. Faced with a rapidly changing, increasingly competitive multilingual global environment, this study suggests that New Zealand businesses will need to find practical solutions to best enhance their opportunities in Asia.

Thesis (M.A. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

Thesis (M.A. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

Despite a great deal of research on the international student experience, there is limited research examining internationalized classroom perspectives of domestic students. Existing studies have documented academic and personal issues that arise within the internationalized classroom such as: self-segregation, reluctance to work together, reduced interactions between domestic and international students, and limited academic engagement. This study explores experiences, perceptions and attitudes of students who are currently engaged in graduate programmes in internationalized classrooms. As shown in the data, the individual perspectives on culture, language, goals and expectations, gender and age, which are influenced by internationalization and instruction methods, help us to better understand the challenges associated with university internationalization in Canada. This study adds to the existing literature on the roles of universities in implementing specific strategies in order to provide an environment in which both international and domestic students can benefit from intercultural academic experience and help students develop intercultural competences and expand global citizenship. / Graduate / 0525 / 0727 / 0745 / jjoakes@uvic.ca

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of cultural distance in cross-cultural adjustment of inpatriates. Furthermore, it investigates the role  of organizational and social support in cross-cultural adjustment. Method In order to achieve the purpose of this study a qualitative method of data gathering was chosen. A case study was conducted in Sandvik Sweden in Gävle, and personal interviews were done with the Indian inpatriates and other representatives involved in international assignment. Findings The cultural distance between Sweden and Indian  directly affect the concept of teamwork in Sandvik-Sweden and Sanvik-India. To understand the cultural background and  motive of  inpatriates is important  in designing organizational support that facilitates anticipatory and in-country adjustment processes. The existence of a recognized socializing way at headquarter eases to interact and develop interpersonal relationship, which facilitate the adjustment process of inpatriates through  referral made from known sources. Implication and suggestion for the future This study can assist multinational companies that are interested in the Cross- cultural adjustment process of inpatriates. We suggest for additional investigations in different organizational setup about the same subject matter to compare new results with the current findings. Future researchers can also investigate the impact of repatriation of inpatriates’ in cross- cultural adjustment. / Masters Thesis