Cross-cultural Comparative Study Research Articles

Exploring the role of biospheric/egoistic values, scientific engagement, and cross-cultural effects in high school students’ willingness to take climate action

This cross-cultural comparative study investigates the relationships among biospheric and egoistic values, willingness to take climate action, and science engagement in two distinct cultures: Finland and South Korea. The results indicate that Finnish students tend to exhibit a higher willingness to take climate action, particularly at the individual level, which may be influenced by cultural tendencies that emphasize personal autonomy. In contrast, Korean students, while belonging to a society where collective values are often highlighted, demonstrate higher egoistic values. This could be shaped by other cultural dynamics, such as hierarchical structures or the competitive nature of the education system. Additionally, in both countries, interest in science and the perceived value of science positively correlate with the willingness to take climate action, highlighting how nature-focused learning can motivate students in this regard. Finally, cluster analysis reveals that in Finland, biospheric values play a pivotal role in fostering the willingness to take climate action, whereas in Korea, egoistic values are a significant predictor of the willingness to take collective climate action.

Advancing SDG 16 through political participation on social media: A Comparative Study of Social Capital between South Korea and the United States

The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG 16) aims to promote peaceful, inclusive societies and build effective, accountable institutions. Despite the growing influence of online media on political activities in the digital age and the increasing importance of achieving SDG 16 through political participation, there has been a lack of empirical research on this topic. This cross-cultural comparative study investigates the relationships among online communication, social capital, and political participation in South Korea and the United States. Online surveys were conducted in both countries, focusing on people's interest and trust in online communication, types of online social capital (bonding and bridging), and engagement in conventional and unconventional forms of political participation. Our findings underscore the pivotal role of social media as a platform for citizens to voice their political opinions and partake in democratic processes. We discovered a significant correlation between heightened interest and trust in online communication and increased political participation in both countries. This correlation is instrumental in achieving SDG 16.7, which advocates for inclusive and participatory decision-making. This study also highlights the nuanced differences in the relationship between online social capital and political participation. In South Korea, bridging online social capital is associated with unconventional political activities, whereas in the United States, bonding online social capital is linked to these forms of engagement. However, in both countries, participation in presidential elections is associated with bridging online social capital, providing a deeper understanding of the complex dynamics at play. The potential of social media to expand opportunities for citizens to participate in the political process and hold their governments accountable contributes to achieving SDG 16.6, which aims to develop effective, accountable, and transparent institutions. However, the study also serves as a reminder of the challenges posed by online polarization and misinformation. To fully realize the benefits of social media in promoting inclusive and sustainable social development, addressing these issues and fostering healthy online communities are essential.In conclusion, this study underscores the importance of promoting online communication and building robust online communities as key strategies for achieving SDG 16, engaging a wide range of stakeholders in the process of building a more equitable and sustainable future.

Preschool educators’ use of commanding language in China and Japan: a cross-cultural comparative study

ABSTRACT The manner in which educators use commands, a form of language that serves to guide and regulate behaviour, constitutes an essential component of children’s learning experiences in relation to language and social interactions. This study investigated nine Chinese and nine Japanese educators’ use of commanding language in educator-child free play interactions. Totally, 4296 clauses generated by the educators were analysed, drawn on systemic functional linguistic theory that classifies command based on its semantic feature. The results show that Chinese educators generally uttered more commanding language than Japanese educators. The proportion of direct & non-suggestive commands (revealing speakers’ authority) dominated in both cohorts, yet Chinese educators rated significantly higher than Japanese educators. The proportion of indirect and suggestive commands (carrying negotiation tones) in Japanese educators’ language was significantly higher than Chinese educators. The effect of child age on the educators’ commanding language was identified. Compared to the Chinese educators, Japanese educators uttered much less commands when interacting with children under four years, however, the gap was narrowed when communicating with children above four years. The findings illustrate how the educators create culturally-different language experiences for children in daily interactions, which has implications for worldwide preschool education in multicultural contexts.

How do work-family practices influence employee work-family conflict? Moderations of commitment-based HRM and human capital

PurposeThe paper aims to clarify the relationship between organizational work-family practices and employee work-family conflict in light of the boundary conditions of commitment-based human resource management (HRM) and employee human capital.Design/methodology/approachThe paper opted for a multi-source, multi-level design and surveyed 1,717 individuals (including CEOs, HR managers and employees) from 159 firms in China. The model was tested using hierarchical linear modeling.FindingsThe paper provides empirical insights that the effect of work-family practices on work-family conflict is indispensably dependent on the adoption of commitment-based HRM. In addition, employee human capital further moderated this interaction in that the effect of work-family practices on reducing work-family conflict was most salient with high-education employees who were embedded in a high-commitment HRM system.Research limitations/implicationsTesting the hypotheses in the Chinese context has both its merits and drawbacks. Specific results are pursuant to the Chinese context. Therefore, a cross-cultural comparative study is called upon.Practical implicationsThe paper includes implications for organizations striving to minimize employee work-family conflict.Originality/valueThis paper primarily applies the resource-building perspective to examine the synergistic effects of organizational resources (targeting work-family practices together with general commitment-based HRM) and individual intellectual resources (human capital) on employee work family conflict.

The Impact of Gender Differences on Consumption Patterns: A Cross-cultural Comparative Study

This paper explores how gender differences affect consumption patterns. By analysing the shopping psychology, behaviour and preferences of consumers of different genders, we find that there are significant differences between men and women in terms of their consumption decisions, their motivation to shop and their focus on product features. Research suggests that gender roles and socio-cultural factors play an important role in shaping consumer behaviour. The purpose of this paper is to provide insights into marketing strategies from a gender perspective and to make recommendations for promoting a gender-equitable consumer environment.

A Cross-cultural Comparison of ELT Curricula of Senior Secondary Schools in Mainland China and Hong Kong

English holds significant importance as a foreign language in Mainland China and Hong Kong, where ongoing curriculum revisions are shaped by economic and sociocultural advancements. Previous research on English Language Teaching (ELT) curriculum comparisons in Asia has frequently overlooked the exploration of underlying sociocultural and socio-political factors that contribute to the observed similarities and differences. Adopting a governmentality Perspective informed by Dean's analytics of government theory, this cross-cultural comparative study investigates the ELT curricula in senior secondary schools in Mainland China and Hong Kong. Through this analysis, the study explores how sociocultural and socio-political factors interact to influence the educational landscapes. By examining the dimensions of problematizations, rationalities, techne, and teleology within the curricula, the research uncovers common challenges, rationales, approaches, and objectives, as well as distinctions arising from the unique sociocultural, political, and economic contexts of Mainland China and Hong Kong. This examination underscores the profound impact of these contextual factors on ELT curriculum design, contributing valuable insights to the cross-cultural discourse. Furthermore, the findings lay the groundwork for future research and policy development in the realm of ELT curricula, emphasizing the need for additional studies employing diverse methods and focusing on the implemented and experienced curriculum in senior secondary schools to provide a comprehensive understanding of English language education in both Mainland China and Hong Kong.

Perspectives on Satisfactions, Challenges, and Career Planning among Undergraduate Vocal Performance Students in China and the United States: A Cross-Cultural Comparative Study

Perspectives on Satisfactions, Challenges, and Career Planning among Undergraduate Vocal Performance Students in China and the United States: A Cross-Cultural Comparative Study

Literature Review of Women’s Leadership: A Cross-Cultural Comparative Study of Gender Equality

Literature Review of Women’s Leadership: A Cross-Cultural Comparative Study of Gender Equality

A Cross-Cultural Comparative Study of Electric Vehicle Advertisements from the Perspective of Visual Grammar

A Cross-Cultural Comparative Study of Electric Vehicle Advertisements from the Perspective of Visual Grammar

Consumer Behavior and Cultural Factors in Social Media: A Cross-Cultural Comparative Study

In the digital age, social media has become a transformative force, reshaping consumer interactions with products, brands, and services. This essay delves into the intricate interplay between cultural factors and consumer behavior within the realm of social media, focusing on a cross-cultural comparative study between Japan and the United States. The study explores consumer behavior through the lens of psychological, social, and cultural influences. It investigates how psychological aspects like motivation and attitudes, as well as social factors such as family and reference groups, are intertwined with cultural dimensions to shape consumer preferences. This essay employs a comparative approach, focusing on Japan and the United States as distinct cultural contexts. By applying Hofstede's cultural dimensions model, it dissects differences in individualism, power distance, masculinity-femininity, long-term orientation, uncertainty avoidance, and indulgence-restraint. The findings reveal significant disparities in consumer behavior on social media between these two nations. Cultural factors profoundly impact user engagement, content resonance, and purchasing decisions on social media platforms. This study underscores the indispensable role of cultural factors in molding consumer behavior in the digital age. Understanding and adapting to cultural nuances are imperative for marketers seeking to effectively engage and influence diverse global audiences through social media channels.

Leadership in early childhood education: Cross-cultural case studies before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

Using a cross-cultural comparative study approach, this study analyses and compares the leadership discourses revealed through interviews with early childhood education (ECE) leaders in Finland and Singapore. The interviews were conducted both before the COVID-19 outbreaks in 2018 and during the pandemic in 2021. Conducted as focus group discussions, the data were analysed using discursive analysis. Finnish ECE leaders’ identified discourses that revealed ‘pedagogically focused leadership’ and the ‘desire for distributed pedagogical leadership’. In Singapore, the interviews highlighted discourses related to ‘community spirit emerging from challenges’ and the ‘deepening of management demands’. An overall analysis of the discourses showed that COVID-19 resulted in changes in leadership discourses revealing that leadership was characterised with ‘leading from a distance’ and an ‘emphasis on instructions and regulations’. Despite the challenges, leaders continue to place an importance on pedagogy in their practice. The study also showed that although cultural differences in leadership discourses were identified, time as a factor, remains significant as a crucial aspect for leadership in both countries.

Scaling Social Innovation: A Cross-Cultural Comparative Study of School-Based Mentoring Interventions

Social innovation is increasingly recognised as a powerful vehicle to address unmet societal needs. Nonetheless, research into how contexts and agency interact to determine outcomes/risks of its scaling appears still limited. This study draws on structuration theory to fill some gaps. By comparing two school-based mentoring interventions, it first shows that comparable external catalysts can trigger diverging ambitions and paths to scale. Second, it finds that certain strategic/agentic choices (e.g. entrepreneurial, political, coalition-building skills; evaluation), combined with specific contextual features, help to achieve more rapidly a larger scale of expansion. Finally, it highlights which risks, in this field, more strongly relate to agentic and/or contextual factors, providing insights for research, policy and practice.

Musical activities in preschool education: A cross-cultural comparative study

The purpose of this study was to investigate the types of musical activities carried out in preschools for children aged 3–6 years in two contrasting cultural settings: Spain, a Mediterranean European country, and Hong Kong, a special administrative region in China. Participants were 398 teachers in preschools, 199 in each location. We administered a survey in which we asked how often they carried out 19 musical activities. In our analysis, we considered these activities independently and clustered by content (based on the type of musical practice involved) and nature (based on the potential of the activity to foster creativity). Participants in Hong Kong reported carrying out eight activities most often while participants in Spain reported carrying out four activities most often. Regarding content, Singing and Voice activities were provided most often in Hong Kong, whereas Rhythmic Movement activities were provided most often in Spain. Regarding nature, Reproductive activities were carried out more often than Creative activities in both locations. Contrary to our expectations, Creative activities were carried out more often in Hong Kong than Spain. We conclude that there are mismatches between the curriculum for music and actual practices in both cultures, with repetitive musical practices being the most prevalent. Implications are discussed for curriculum designers, teacher educators, and teachers themselves.

A comparative cross-cultural study of fear of COVID-19 in Persian and Turkmen elderly populations

A comparative cross-cultural study of fear of COVID-19 in Persian and Turkmen elderly populations

Comparing acoustical worship ambience of churches built by Spanish Franciscans: Nossa Senhora do Pilar (Goa) and Mission Concepcion (Texas)

Spanish Franciscan Friars established "Nossa Senhora do Pilar” church at Pilar (Goa) in 1613 and "Mission Concepción” at San Antonio (Texas) in 1711. This cross-cultural comparative acoustical study of these churches connects sound decay measures (ISO 3382) with auditory, affective, and meta-physical perceptions (complementing ISO/TS 12913-1/2/3). At p ≤ 0.05, "Mission Concepcion” was found more reverberant than "Pilar"; "sacred music from the choir-loft” of "Mission Concepcion” was perceived "louder” and "clearer” than from the nave floor; whereas, in "Pilar,” "sacred music from the nave floor” was perceived "louder” than from the choir-loft; perception of "pleasantness” and "eventfulness” in both churches showed no significant difference for sacred music from either source; "sacred music from the choir-loft” of "Mission Concepcion” evoked better perception of "heightened awareness,” "stillness,” and "inspiration"; perceived "loudness” of "sacred music from the choir loft” in "Pilar" showed positive correlation with RT60, D50, TS, and STI and negative correlation with C80; perception of "inspiration” by "sacred music from the choir loft” in "Pilar” was positively correlating with RT60, TS, and STI and negatively correlating with C80 and D50. This study identified character defining acoustical differences between "Pilar” and "Mission Concepcion” which accentuate each of this historic church as a "unique living heritage."

The Influence of School Climate on Reading Literacy: A Cross-cultural Comparative Study Based on pisa 2018 Database

Despite considerable interest in research and practice in the effect of school climate on academic reading achievement, little is targeted at analyzing the generalizability and distinctiveness of the influence from various dimensions in a cross-cultural study. This research adopted the multilevel linear model (HLM) and the database of PISA 2018 (Program for International Student Assessment) to investigate the constructs of school climate perceived by two specific groups of school stakeholders, students and principals, in four countries/regions, including B-S-J-Z [China], Brazil, Switzerland and the United States. The results indicated that some dimensions of school climate, such as disciplinary climate, teacher-directed instruction, teacher enthusiasm and student competition, were positively associated with the learning outcomes of reading with a statistical significance and demonstrated the cross-cultural consistency. However, some dimensions, consisting of teacher feedback, bullying and principal-perceived student hindering learning behavior, could exert a negative impact on reading achievement. Moreover, under the diverse sociocultural contexts, some dimensions may reveal different influences, showing the intercultural differences. These indicators were teachers stimulation of reading engagement, adaptive instruction, sense of belonging at school, student cooperation and parental involvement in school activities. Last, teacher support and principal-perceived teacher hindering learning behavior had no effect on reading literacy.

The dilemma of women's bodies and spirits in an absolute patriarchal society by comparing FGM and Foot-Binding

FGM and Foot binding has existed for a long time in the history of the West and China respectively, which has severely damaged the physical and mental health of women in the West and China. Through a cross-cultural comparative study of FGM globally and Foot Binding in China's Qing Dynasty, this essay examined the dilemmas that women faced both physically and spiritually in the absolute patriarchy society. This paper was written based on previous papers, books and historical documents to find that human behavior was shaped by society and social environment. This article finds that in an absolute patriarchal society, genital mutilation and foot binding have brought difficulties to women's body and spirit. The conclusion is that under the influence of social, psychological and economic factors, women have to accept this immoral custom. It provided readers with a better understanding of patriarchal women's status, as well as the cruelty of Western and Eastern customs such as FGM and foot binding.

Cross cultural Comparative Study on Emotional Analysis of Social Media

With the popularization of social media and the acceleration of globalization, cross-cultural social media research has become an increasingly important research field. This article takes cultural differences as the starting point to explore the use and impact of social media in cross-cultural environments. The study used a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods to collect social media data from users from different cultural backgrounds, and conducted data analysis and comparison. Research has found that users from different cultural backgrounds have significant differences in social media usage behavior, content expression, and interaction methods. At the same time, the use of cross-cultural social media will also have different impacts on users’ cultural identity, social relations and mental health. The research results have certain reference value for promoting cross-cultural communication, enhancing cultural understanding, and improving the effectiveness of social media usage.

Dichotomous Thinking and Anger Regulation: A Cross-Cultural Comparative Study between Japan and Turkey

Background: Binary or dichotomous thinking can lead to propensity for aggression throughout a person’s life being an essential part of a person’s mentality and cultural code. Both dichotomous thinking and aggressiveness negatively affect a person’s resistance to stress and it hinders an adequate stress coping style. Aim: The aim of this study is to make a comparative analysis of dependence of different types of anger on the dichotomy of thinking in different cultures. Method: A Japanese sample consisted of 226 university students (180 females) whereas a Turkey sample included a total of 243 university students (145 females) who participated in an online survey applying socio-demographic forms, State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory, the Dichotomous Thinking Inventory. Multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analyses (MGCFAs) were conducted to examine measurement invariance of the DTI and STAXI using structural equation modeling. Multiple regression analyses were examined to assess the degree to which such a cultural aspect as of dichotomous thinking predicted the different anger traits. Results: Results of the multiple regression analysis for State Anger and Trait Anger demonstrated that the effect of the country indicating State Anger to be higher in Turkey than in Japan. A noticeable negative effect of the country was also significant indicating Trait Anger to be higher in Japan than in Turkey. Furthermore, Japanese people had lower dichotomous thinking scores than Turkish people. Conclusions: The results confirmed previously proposed cultural differences, as well as opened up new avenues for exploring cultural pathways.

Cross-Cultural Comparative Study of Social Perceptions of Women's Dual Roles in the Household and Career: Case Studies in Indonesia-Taiwan

Cross-Cultural Comparative Study of Social Perceptions of Women's Dual Roles in the Household and Career: Case Studies in Indonesia-Taiwan