Cross-cultural Group Research Articles

Conceptual and Methodological Linkages in Cross–Cultural Groups and Cross–National Aging Research

The international growth and the expected size of older populations require effective research strategies in life–course development and aging research across the globe. New conceptual frameworks and empirical research approaches are needed that are sensitive to similarities and differences in aging related processes across national, ethnic, and cultural group boundaries. These models and research approaches should contribute to distinguishing “aging–in–place–of–origin” from “aging–out–of–place–of–origin,” and the influences of such factors as nationality, culturally affected behaviors, acculturation and intra–familial processes, on intra– and cross–country comparisons of aging related phenomena. Brief examples of how these new frameworks can be applied in addressing both theoretical and practical service issues are drawn from the aging research foci of the articles in this issue.

Cross-Cultural Group Counseling with Asians: A Stage-Specific Interactive Approach

This article provides an approach offering culturally responsive interventions for Asian members in ethnically mixedgroups led by Caucasian leaders. The theoretical foundation is based on a developmental paradigm focusing on two compounding factors: the Asian clients' and the Whitegroup leaders'ethnic identity development. The approach addresses potential problems and interventions for clients of various identity development phases at each specific group stage Special attention is given to the differences in culture-bound values, cultumlly encapsulated attitudes and beliefs, verbal I nonverbal communication styles, and the nature of interpersonal dynamics at each group developmental stage.

The Influence of Environmental Exploration on Geographic Performance among Adolescents: A Gender and Cross-cultural Analysis

The nature of gender differences in geographic performance is widely debated. It is suggested that one of the reasons for this disparity in learning is male propensity for exploration of the environment through personal travel. This study is an analysis of gender and cross-cultural personal travel as an indicator of performance on a standardised geography examination. Sixty, 13-year-old students from a small town in Texas kept a detailed diary of all the places they travelled to in one week. The student sample was composed of both Anglo (primarily White, European) and other (primarily Hispanic) populations. Regression analysis was used to correlate variations in an adolescent's environmental exploration among gender and cross-cultural groups and performance on a geography examination. The results indicate that environmental exploration relates positively to geographic performance, depending on an adolescent's gender and cultural background.

Designing a Problem-Based Learning Environment for ESL Students in Business Communication

As the population of students speaking English as a second language increases, our business communication courses have required changes in both content and pedagogical approach. We have taught writing, speaking, and lis teningfrom a problem-solving perspective for many years and now find its emphasis on critical thinking poses different challenges for the ESL students in our courses. Consequently, we have designed a problem-based course struc ture for an upper-level business communication course that allows both ESL and native English-speaking students the opportunity to improve communica tion abilities in cross-cultural work groups.

Developing Assessment Tools for Cross-Cultural Group Research

This article describes the process of translating and validating a group assessment toolfor use with Spanish-and Japanese-speaking populations and discusses its utility for research and practice. El Cuestionario de Desarrollo de Grupos (CDG) and the Group Development Questionnaire-Japanese (GDQ-J) represent translations of the Group Development Questionnaire (GDQ). The existence of dependable measures of group developmentfor use with Spanish-and Japanese-speaking populations, along with their counterpart for English speakers, may stimulate more cross-cultural research on work groups and may be of use to practitioners.

Asian Migrant Adolescents' Experience of Wayfinding in Using a Map

Cross-cultural studies in wayfinding have not been a focus for researchers. Although there has been extensive research into different aspects of wayfinding, mainly in Western cultural settings, virtually all of this research has been monocultural. The study reported, here, commences the investigations of cross-cultural studies in wayfinding by working with a group of 14 adolescents who had recently settled in Australia from Asian and Pacific countries. These students had lived for less than two years in Australia and for them English was their second or third language. The purpose of the study was to investigate how they used a large scale local map to find their own way by walking approximately two to three kilometers from a suburban post office to their school in its natural setting. Each student was shadowed by a researcher as they found their way back to school and notes were taken to record their behavioural performance. At the conclusion of their walk, the students were interviewed for their reflections on their wayfinding experience. The data from the study was analyses using a phenomenographic approach. Four different conceptions of wayfinding were revealed among this cross-cultural group of adolescents. However, only a limited number of cross-cultural influences were detected in the study.

Decisive Decision Making: An Exercise Using Ethical Frameworks

The article presents an exercise dealing with ethical behavior and demonstrates the application of five ethical frameworks. The exercise encourages students to become actively involved in their learning, asks them to share multiple perspectives in assessing ethical behavior, and allows them to recognize the value of using frameworks to assist in the decision process. Results from students who have completed the exercise, including results from cross-cultural groups, are discussed.

Cross-cultural groups at work

Multinational teams are often formed in hopes of producing cross-cultural collaboration. These terms face a special challenge as they work to become functional groups for, unlike groups composed of individuals from one nationality, the members of a multinational team cannot assume that they share the same beliefs about work group dynamics. It is more likely that each member approaches the assignment to a multinational team with a very different understanding about how to contribute to the development of a productive team. This paper by Kenwyn Smith and David Berg explores the different, often polar opposite approaches that are alive in multinational groups and proposes a ‘paradoxical’ framework for understanding and exploring them.

Effects of cultural-context, gender, and acculturation on perceptions of work versus social/leisure time usage

Findings of an empirical study support the hypotheses that time usage patterns for work versus social/leisure activities differ across individuals originating from low-context cultures of Western Europe and individuals originating from high-context cultures of Asia, Japan, the Middle East, and South America. Perceptions of work time were higher (i.e., more work hours per day) in high-context cultures and perceptions of social/leisure time were higher (i.e., more social/leisure hours per day) in low-context cultures. Such effects of cultural-context were more dominant for men than for women. The findings further indicate that these differences get narrowed with high acculturation in U.S. culture. The theoretical rationale for these hypotheses is developed by integrating concepts of time activity, time priority, and time setting in a summary conceptual model. Implications of results for marketing to subcultural as well as cross-cultural groups are discussed with particular reference to the high-context cultures of developing countries that tend to handle time in a polychronic manner compared to low-context cultures of developed countries (with the exception of Japan) that handle time in a monochronic manner.

Community Work with Immigrant Groups

This paper is based on the findings of an evaluation of a community work project in a multi-ethnic housing estate in Villawood, N.S.W. 1987–1988. Analysis of the work reveals the importance of extensive personal contacting and ethnic specific work, before attempts are made to organise cross cultural groups which can work on common issues.

Cross-cultural group counseling and the use of the sentence completion method

Abstract This article deals with cross-cultural group counseling, the sentence completion method, and the combination of the two through the use of eight cross-cultural sentence stems.

Using brain skill assessments to increase productivity in development administration

This article describes how brain skill assessments can be used in developing countries to increase organizational productivity. Three broad styles (left, right and integrative) are first identified and described. Then the article explains how brain style assessments can be specifically used to help solve many typical organizational management problems such as organizing cross-cultural groups to implement programs effectively.

Images of the Puerto Rican in Young Adult Books: Fact or Fancy

This paper contrasts the literary portrayal of Puerto Ricans in young adult books written between 1950–1970 with the factual data about Puerto Ricans for the same period. These findings are based on a review of thirty-three books as perceived by the author and a cross-cultural group of reviewers (four Puerto Rican and four non- Puerto Rican). A summary of the factual data concerning the portrayal of Puerto Ricans in ethnic literature reveals four chief deficiencies. The books fall short of meeting the needs of adolescent readers because they (1) provide an inappropriate perspective, (2) misrepresent reality, (3) omit significant causes, and (4) present rigid characters. Recent studies indicate that Puerto Rican adolescents can benefit from books which accurately reflect their culture and with which they can identify. A perspective which constantly stresses the disparity between the Puerto Rican’s status and that of the total population is inappropriate for young adult readers.

The dynamics of cultural change: The effect of cross cultural communication on small group behavior in Thailand

This is a field study of cultural change in Thailand in a cross-cultural small group setting involving Thai medical students and American and Thai teachers. Its purpose is to investigate the relationship of language, attitudinal, and socioeconomic factors with behavior representative of cultural change and in particular the effect of American teachers and cultural values on this change. This study attempts to go beyond the usual subjective anecdotal description of cultural change by careful observation of a discrete behavior operationally defined as representative of cultural change in a natural setting offering an unusually high degree of control over environmental variables. Results indicate that cultural change as measured by this behavior (student verbal assertiveness with the teacher) is significantly correlated at a moderate level with English language ability but not course grades. It is related to certain attitudes toward the learning process and future plans having to do with anticipated study in the United States. It is not related to a wide variety of socioeconomic background variables thought to be related to cultural change. The student's verbal assertiveness with the American teacher was significantly correlated at a high level with his verbal assertiveness with the Thai teacher. The implications of this for environment and personality as factors in cultural change are discussed.

Sprechhemmungen bei multikulturellen Austauschprojekten und ihre Wirkung auf interkulturelles Lernen an Hochschulen

Inhibitions in speaking (or fear of speaking) can affect communicative processes in cross-cultural groups of learners. They may result from numerous emotional, cognitive or psychophysiological factors. The article concentrates on the most common types of inhibitions observed in a group of students during a project based seminar which took place in Poznań in December 2016. The seminar was a joint venture organised by Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań and the University of Marburg. The student participants were working on developing cultural teaching materials, and after the seminar they took part in a qualitative survey intended to examine their reflections concerning the project. The article presents a discussion of selected findings.