Master of Science / Department of Journalism and Mass Communications / Curtis B. Matthews / China’s society has been changing since 1979, when the open-door policy was implemented. Many great events in politics, economy and culture have brought lots of diversities to the Chinese younger generation who were born after 1979. These diversities have led to a cultural value change from collectivism to individualism among this generation (Cao, 2009; Sun & Wang, 2010; Moore, 2005). Cultivation analysis theory may be appropriate to explain this phenomenon as the open-door policy allowed American and European TV programs and other media products come into China. Effective advertising should cater to its audience in order to effectively persuade them to purchase its merchandise or service (Zhang & Harwood, 2004; Chang, 2006). If the cultural value of the Chinese younger generation has changed, it may be reflected in the commercial content of successful advertisers. This research conducted a content analysis of Chinese commercials, comparing the commercial contents in recent years to approximately ten years ago. It examined if the individualistic factors were more frequently showed in the commercials in recent years than approximately ten years ago, with the consideration to merchandise type and production place. Research results exhibited an increase of individualism revealing in Chinese commercials from approximately 2006 to 2016.

No description available.

This study aims to investigate elementary models of social relations in Turkish cultural context and to link these models with horizontal and vertical individualism and collectivism and personal value priorities. Fiske (1992) suggested that four elementary relationship models: communal sharing, authority ranking, equality matching, and market pricing motivate, organize, generate, coordinate, and evaluate almost all social relations. First, the Modes of Relationship Questionnaire (MORQ) asessing the four relational models was adopted to Turkish. Second, systematical associations of relational models with horizontal and vertical individualism and collectivism and personal value priorities were examined. It was expected that horizontal cultural dimensions would predict equality matching and vertical dimensions would predict authority ranking, individualism would be linked to market pricing and collectivism would be linked to communal sharing. For personal value priorities, self-trancendence values would be associatedwith communal sharing, self-enhancement with authority ranking and market pricing, and conservation with authority ranking. Participants (N = 214) completed the MORQ, the Individualism and Collectivism Scale (INDCOL), and the Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ). The four factor-structure of the relational models was supported in comfirmatory factor analyses. The hypothesized associations between relaitonal models, cultural orientations, and personal priorities were mostly supported. The results indicated that collectivism predicted communal sharing, vertical dimensions predicted authority ranking, horizontal collectivism predicted equality matching, and vertical individualism predicted market pricing. It was also found that self-trancendence predicted communal sharing and equality matching, self-enhancement predicted authority ranking and market pricing, and conservation predicted authority ranking.Theoretical, methodological, and practical implications of the findings were discussed considering previous work and cultural context.

Abstract Title: The impact of national culture on the organizational culture: Multinational companies doing businesses in developing countries Level: Final assignment for Master Degree in Business Administration (MBA) Author: Md. Mahbub Alam Supervisor: Dr. Ehsanul Huda Chowdhury Examiner: Dr. Maria Fregidou-Malama Day: 2017- May Aim: The aim of the study is to understand how national culture of Bangladesh is affecting the organizational culture of the multinational firms operating in Bangladesh. To understand the issue, Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions are regarded as benchmark for analysis. Method: Qualitative study has been conducted whereby both primary and secondary data are used. Hereby, primary data have been gathered from ten employees of Grameen Phone a multinational working in Bangladesh. To collect data, face to face interviews has been conducted using Skype. Results & Conclusions:  Finding of the study is the MNCs integration with national culture with the view to sustainable business operation. It has been demonstrated that national culture affects the organizational culture in the form of employee participation, collective working environment, collaborative work efforts, and knowledge sharing through continuous communication. Suggestions for future research: Further investigations on national culture’s impact on organizational culture can be undertaken by making a comparison between MNC and a purely local firm. Additionally, an analysis on a large number of MNCs operating in host country can add value for further researches. Contribution of the thesis: To the theoretical model, this study makes contribution on the ground of understanding how MNC adapt their business with local culture where cultural sensitiveness is high. Managerial implications: MNCs can ensure collaboration, support, and teamwork among employees as part of their attempt to integrate with local culture. This study reveals that local employees can be used as means of cultural carriers by managers which can promptly address the cultural differences to be mitigated. Keywords: Multi-national Corporations (MNCs), National Culture, Organizational Culture, Uncertainty Avoidance, Individualism vs. Collectivism, Power Distance

Syftet med studien är att undersöka hur socialt arbete i en internationell kontext formas efter kulturer och hur detta kommer till uttryck. Vidare ämnar studien ta reda på hur socialarbetare själva ger uttryck för kulturell kompetens samt vilka element som gagnar respektive försvårar det internationella sociala arbetet. Studien har en kvalitativ ansats där semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes med fyra kvinnliga respondenter. Databearbetningen gjordes genom tematisering där tre huvudteman framkom, kulturell anpassning, kulturell kompetens och svårigheter, möjligheter och dilemman. I resultatet framkommer att samtliga respondenter ger uttryck för en kulturell anpassning i det internationella sociala arbetet. Detta urskiljs genom att respondenterna uppmärksammar de fungerande kulturella strukturerna, bygger arbetet kring detta och lägger stor vikt vid inhemsk kunskap. Det arbetssätt och den främsta framstående faktor vilken underbygger en kulturell anpassning är empowerment. Vidare ger även samtliga respondenter uttryck för kulturell kompetens genom att visa en medvetenhet kring den egna kulturens påverkan, genom synen på den egna kunskapens giltighet samt genom den vikt respondenterna satte vid att skapa relationer. Studien visar den kulturella anpassningens beroende av socialarbetares kulturella kompetens. Vidare visar resultatet hur den kollektivistiska samhällsstrukturen kan ses som både ett hjälpmedel och som försvårande element. Genus, etik och moral tycks vara de faktorer som främst ställer socialarbetare i svåra situationer och har visat sig frambringa ett arbetssätt som kännetecknas av att verka utan att synas. Relationer visar sig vara en underlättande faktor, men även här framkommer en baksida. Relationen tycks nödvändig på grund av den bristande tillit individer har inför internationella socialarbetare. / The purpose of this study is to examine how social work in an international context is formed by cultures and how this is expressed. Furthermore, the study aims to explore culture competence as is expressed within the social workers themselves and which elements that benefit or alternatively hinder, the international social work. The study has a qualitative approach where semi-structured interviews were conducted with four female respondents. The analyzing method chosen to process data was thematization, where three main themes emerged, indigenization/cultural adaption, cultural competence and difficulties, opportunities and dilemmas. The result shows that all respondents express an indigenization process while describing their work. This is distinguished by the attention all the respondents gave to the functioning cultural structures and how they built the work around this. It also showed through the great emphasis the respondent put on indigenous knowledge. The approach and the main prominent factor which underpins an indigenization process is empowerment. The results show that all respondents express cultural competence. This is observed through the respondents awareness of their own culture's influence, through the respondents evaluation and validation of their own personal knowledge and by the expressed importance of creating relationships. The study shows that an indigenization process is dependent on social workers' cultural competence. Furthermore, the result shows that the collectivist social structure can be seen as both an aid and as an aggravating element. Gender, ethics and morality seem to be the main factors which place social workers in difficult situations. This has also been shown to produce a work approach that is characterized by acting without being seen. Relationships prove to be a facilitating factor, but it is not grown for all good reasons, it seem to be necessary because of the lack of trust people have for international social workers.

The dissertation consists of an introduction and three empirical articles. The introduction gives the theoretical background, integrates the three articles, and elaborates on future research questions. The first article investigates the important decision in the lives of German and Indian university students to identify the important areas of decision making. The second article examines the structure of real life decision making and reveals the underlying factors of five major decision areas. The third article investigates the similarities and differences on decision making between German and Indian students using prior qualitative findings in a large quantitative survey.

This study explores the acculturation experiences of long-term Western residents in Japan using a broad intercultural studies approach. First, the historical context of Westerners coming to Japan is discussed. Next, literature from the field of intercultural studies is considered. This literature is used to provide a framework for analyzing Western sojourners’ acculturation experiences in Japan, as well as for choosing the research methods for conducting a qualitative analysis. The research involved interviewing 12 expatriates from English-speaking countries who have been in Japan for at least 10 years. Their acculturation experiences were analyzed, with a particular focus on finding hidden barriers to acculturation. The study concludes that numerous barriers to acculturation do exist. Commonly observable barriers included lack of employment security for some sojourners, and a poor fit between an individual’s personality and the host culture. These issues are applicable to anyone adapting to life in a different culture. However, this research also exposed a number of hidden barriers arguably unique to the Western sojourner’s acculturation experience in Japan. These barriers include the challenge of developing satisfying relationships with Japanese, due primarily to different expectations for psychological closeness and self-disclosure in Japan and the West. Another is the social effect of Othering, the centuries-old process where Japanese society divides things into those which are Japanese and those which are not, and the consequent empathy deficit that Japanese experience toward outsiders. The thesis concludes by offering recommendations for how long-term Western residents in Japan can improve their adaptation and acculturation experience. These include the obvious advantages of learning the Japanese language, and the less obvious benefits of learning and practicing mindful intercultural communication.

Background of the Study The aims of this study was to specifically investigate the differences in culture, attitude towards life and social networks between Australian and Taiwanese men and women in addition to determining the factors that predict midlife men and women's quality of life in both countries. Because individualism and collectivism are the two most thoroughly researched constructs in inter-cultural and cross-cultural studies we should look at how these construct affects societies. The theme for individualist cultures (such as Western cultures) is autonomy, while the theme for collectivist cultures (such as Asian cultures) is connection. Most literature available on individualism and collectivism note all cultures have different values that influence their society and ultimately a person's individual health outcome. Very little work has been undertaken in this domain in Australia or Taiwan, particularly in the area of midlife transition and from a cultural perspective. Methodology Data was collected from a cross-sectional, supervised self-administered survey using census data and a probability proportional sampling (PPS) strategy on a general population of men and women aged 40-59 years old who live permanently in Brisbane, Australia and Taipei, Taiwan. The study population was divided into 163 Statistical Local Areas (SLAs) in Brisbane, and 449 Local Government Communities (LGCs) in Taipei. Sixty clusters were randomly selected using probability proportional sampling (PPS) to obtain 30 Australian clusters and 30 Taiwanese clusters. In this study, the 30 (areas) by 7(people) method was used with an additional strategy. The variables were measured including: culture (vertical and horizontal individualism and collectivism), attitude towards life (the total score of optimism), social networks (the total score of emotional, informational, affectionate, tangible, and positive social interaction) and quality of life (physical, psychological, social, and environmental health), social demographical factors and religion and spiritualty. The data analysis procedure included descriptive, bivarite and multivariate multiple regressions and classifications and regression trees (CART). A comparison of the linear regression and regression tree results were discussed. All data analysis was performed by SPSS and S-Plus softwares. Results The overall response rate for the study was 84.2% for midlife Australian men and women and 88.4% for midlife Taiwanese men and women this resulted in 278 Australians (45.3% men) and 398 Taiwanese (35.4% men) providing data to be analysed. Findings in this study indicated country of residence has an overwhelming impact on quality of life with significant differences seen between midlife Australian and Taiwanese men and women (F4, 666= 59.31, P< .001). Results suggest midlife Australian men and women have a better quality of life than midlife Taiwanese men and women. In addition, a comparison of the linear regression and regression tree results reveals that two models identified the same major affect variable for different countries of residence: which was attitude towards life in midlife Australians and social networks in midlife Taiwanese. However, regression trees were able to capture important nonlinear effects as well as interactions between cultural attribute variables. This study demonstrated culture significantly involves multiple functions and interacts with attitude towards life, social networks and individual factors to influence a person's quality of life. The interaction of cultural circumstances and the internal and external factors involved, show less comparative attributes and increased equality attributes, defining the need for people to have a good social networks and a healthy positive disposition. Conclusion Because of the ever increasing flexibility of world travel and a global population, people have much more opportunity to interact with many other cultures which would create improvement in learning opportunities and better health management effectiveness for people the world over. This study has addressed and contributed to the assessment of multi-cultural quality of life research and has important implications for all health professions in addition to government departments and organisational policy makers of both countries. And finally, this study has identified that there needs to be a concerted effort to implement major policy shifts in the near future because of the changing fabric of modern societies. At the same time technology and globalisation have advanced rapidly and point to new opportunities within and across countries for more diverse approaches in research and the implementation of policy initiatives to occur. This study has highlighted that opportunities exist to reflect on current policies for Australian and Taiwanese societies to provide enhanced opportunities to care for the growing midlife populations.

The dissertation consists of an introduction and three empirical articles. The introduction gives the theoretical background, integrates the three articles, and elaborates on future research questions. The first article investigates the important decision in the lives of German and Indian university students to identify the important areas of decision making. The second article examines the structure of real life decision making and reveals the underlying factors of five major decision areas. The third article investigates the similarities and differences on decision making between German and Indian students using prior qualitative findings in a large quantitative survey.

This thesis explores the cultural considerations American technical communicators must address when working with French colleagues and when creating technical documentation for French audiences. A review of the literature on intercultural communication theory was conducted, along with a review of the limited research on technical communication in France and the needs of French audiences. A qualitative online survey of French technical communicators was also conducted. Through this survey, French technical communicators reported on their intercultural beliefs, experiences, and practices, and information, language, and cultural needs. Survey responses were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Two main themes were developed as a result of this analysis: the importance of adapting content to French audiences, and the cultural differences between French and American information needs and communication styles. Survey findings are combined with theoretical and practical literature to offer American technical communicators guidance for successful intercultural interactions. This thesis concludes with suggestions for future practice and research in intercultural technical communication.