Cross-national Collaboration Research Articles

Modes of acquiring host-country experience and performance of international joint ventures in Japan

Drawing upon organizational learning literature, we examine how different modes of acquiring host-country experience (HCE) affect international joint ventures (IJV) performance. Our study suggests that HCE improves IJV performance by reducing the liabilities of foreignness and cross-national collaboration confronting foreign firms. However, due to the difficulty of learning from experience, HCE may not always benefit IJV performance and may even harm it, depending on how it was accumulated. Our analysis of IJV survival and growth using data on IJVs in Japan between 1985 and 2000 supports this argument. Our findings have practical implications for leveraging HCE and suggest that the performance benefits of HCE should not be overstated.

Enhancing nursing knowledge through democratic cross-national collaboration

Enhancing nursing knowledge requires the exchange of ideas worldwide through the collaboration of nurse scientists. Healthy partnerships abide by the values of collaboration, mutual trust, respect and dignity. However, a lack of information exists regarding the nature of cross-national academic partnerships in nursing. The purpose of this article is twofold: to explore democratic cross-national collaborations in nursing and to pose theoretically-based interventions to enhance future democratic collaborations cross-nationally in nursing. While a review of the literature revealed some model nursing partnerships, nursing can benefit from having a better evidence based understanding of the topic. Theoretical formulations from education, philosophy and critical anthropology offer complementary lenses to aid in the analysis. The process can help nursing academics to think more critically about the issues and to delineate theory driven protocols for democratic cross-national collaboration with the ultimate aim of enhancing nursing knowledge.

Putting the Global in Global Work: An Intercultural Lens on the Practice of Cross-National Collaboration

Putting the Global in Global Work: An Intercultural Lens on the Practice of Cross-National Collaboration

Improving Outcomes for Children and Families: Finding and Using International Evidence

This book is published in the ‘Child Welfare Outcomes’ series, which is tasked with producing publications that ‘draw from original research and current policy debates to help social work managers, policy makers and researchers to understand and improve the outcomes of services for children and young people in need’ (back cover) . The book is an edited volume and showcases the work of a number of research academics and practitioners from a variety of countries who are associated with organisations such as the International Association for Outcome-Based Evaluation on Family and Children's Services (IaOBERfcs, www.outcome-evaluation.org) and the European Scientific Association on Residential and Foster Care for children and adolescents (EUSARF). Both these organisations are concerned with improving the quality of research undertaken with children and families and, in particular, ‘promoting cross-national collaboration on outcome evaluation in the area of health and social services’ (IaOBERfcs). Under this umbrella, researchers are developing expertise in knowing what works within their own countries and across international borders, whilst also being cognisant of the difficulties in applying the results of robust research to ‘real world’ practice. This is welcome and is explored by Cinzia Canali et al. in Chapter Five of the book and is a repeated theme in many other chapters. In the Foreword to this volume, James Whittaker also discusses this issue: Recent contributions from a variety of international investigators and commentators have underscored the fact that the ‘science to service’ gap in children's services is not limited to North America and, indeed, will benefit from cross-national perspectives as many governments struggle with defining and measuring meaningful outcomes for children in care as well as in implementing what might be termed evidence-based or ‘best practices’ (p. 10).

Putting the Global in Global Work: An Intercultural Lens on the Practice of Cross-National Collaboration

Collaboration across national boundaries has become increasingly prevalent over the last decade, yet the management literature remains remarkably unhelpful in answering questions about what happens when people across nations and cultures work closely together. We review the management literature that reports empirical studies of global work and conclude that few of these studies, despite their explicit focus on globally distributed work, meaningfully examine the intercultural aspects of these collaborations. We assume an intercultural lens to understand what gets lost by not examining the global in global work and conclude that the very process by which workers who reside in different countries confront, explore, and resolve cultural differences begs for more clarity. Further, we conclude that a more contextual and dynamic view of culture is necessary to shed light on these processes. We use two examples—social networks and technology use—to illustrate how cultural differences might generate different patterns of behavior, and consider the effect of these potential incompatibilities on global work and workers as they collaborate across national boundaries.

Family medicine into the future: blending health and cultures

The 16th WONCA Europe conference began with excitement, and it certainly did not disappoint. As 2800 GPs gathered in a packed auditorium on the outskirts of Malaga, what better way to start than with a fiery flamenco performance? The anticipation was palpable, as we were treated to a passionate performance of guitarra, cante y baile (flamenco guitar, singing and dance). After this dizzying start, the next major challenge was deciding which of the 306 oral presentations and 57 workshops to attend, not to mention six keynote lectures and 740 posters from Belgian to Brazilian authors. As young GPs we were privileged to be welcomed into the Vasco da Gama Movement (VdGM) community, WONCA Europe's network for trainees and newly qualified GPs. This opened up opportunities to share ideas, collaborate on international projects, renew our passion for family medicine and above all, make friends and have fun! One example of the cross-national collaboration that the VdGM has enabled is the successful implementation of a pan-European questionnaire. …

Framing a Conception on ‘HRD Collaboration’

Since emergence of the concept of national or international HRD, the discipline human resource development has been calling the new concept from trans-disciplinary perspective. From the trans-borders developmental focus on the human resource development and to the concept ‘cross country collaboration’ has been appealing the HRD researcher and academia to concentrate over the cross national collaboration aiming to the HRD. The cross national HRD collaboration in future may occupy the crux of macro-level HRD in future for its trans-discipline nature and for its intricacy of operation. There are rare research based literature on HRD collaboration. Hence, author ‘Barman’ through this paper attempts to give a initial shape of the HRD collaboration stems from the generalized concept of collaboration.

Nourishing Global Competency Through Cross National Collaboration - A Case of Select Indian B-Schools

Very recently global competence has become one among the latest buzzwords in higher education. For developing Global competency, different approaches need to be adopted, by the Indian B-schools also addressing this issue through accepted Global Competency parameters. For nourishing global competency Indian Management institutes and other top level schools have been engaging themselves into cross national or cross border collaborations with the world’s leading business schools and universities. These collaborations provide students with the benefit of international exposure and contemporary and global course content in addition to the standard training on Indian management practices. A well-blended curriculum of core courses and areas of concentration, along with the involvement of their foreign associates, facilitate a modern and global approach to business education. The main objective of this paper is to explore and to understand the contradiction versus commonalities of practices adopting for nourishing global competency by the Top Indian B-Schools.

Shifting perspectives on international alliances in social work: Lessons from Ghana and Nicaragua

A growing movement of social work educators and practitioners worldwide is involved in democratizing activities through cross-national alliances. Through reflection on two experiences of cross-national collaborations in Ghana and Nicaragua, this article identifies elements for effective international collaboration that encourage a shift in perspective.

ASEAN-India vs. ASEAN-China’s HRD Collaboration Though Projects Participation: The India-ASEAN Reveries

Human Resource Development (HRD) is a vehicle to achieve the goal targeted in the cross national collaboration. The HRD issues those emerged in the process of cross national collaboration falls under the newly emerged arrays of HRD debate i.e. International HRD or comparative HRD. International HRD obviously discusses human resource development collaboration and comparative HRD which are not new in the debate of international understanding and cooperation for shared prosperity, but, academically in the HRD discipline the discussion on the HRD collaboration next to rare. The paper draws a comparative picture of HRD collaboration between the two ties i.e. ASEAN-India and ASEAN-China. Through the comparison of project participation and through the analysis of strategic thrust in the plan of action the paper explains distinctions and attempts to draw overt scope of HRDC which is emerging from China-ASEAN and India-ASEAN cooperation. The paper pinpoints the policy implications in regards HRD collaboration for shared vision and prosperity through China-ASEAN-India’s engagement in the integration process.

Youth and the city in the global south

Acknowledgments Part 1. Situating Youth in the City 1. Introduction: Youth and the City Karen Tranberg Hansen 2. Youth across the Globe: Comparison, Interdisciplinarity, and Cross-National Collaboration Anne Line Dalsgaard and Karen Valentin Part 2. Studying Youth in Cities 3. Dominant Ideas, Uncertain Lives: The Meaning of Youth in Recife Anne Line Dalsgaard, Monica Franch, and Russell Parry Scott 4. Politicized Leisure in the Wake of Doi Moi: A Study of Youth in Hanoi Karen Valentin 5. Localities and Sites of Youth Agency in Lusaka Karen Tranberg Hansen Part 3. Youth Making Meaning 6. Youth and the Home Katherine V. Gough 7. Toward Eduscapes: Youth and Schooling in a Global Era Ulla Ambrosius Madsen 8. The Work of the Imagination: Young People's Media Appropriation Norbert Wildermuth 9. Conclusion: Urban Youth in a Global World Karen Tranberg Hansen Index

Project work across borders in the arctic Barents region: Practical challenges for project members

The aim of this article was to explore cross-border project cooperation in applied settings in health education as this emerges in the Barents region. Specifically, we wanted to identify the practical challenges for those who participate in the work. This is of direct and indirect relevance to nursing education due to the rapidly increasing student exchange rates, the teachers' increased impetus to take part in international collaboration, and the increased emphasis within nursing education to be culture sensitive and ethnically fair. The considerable differences between countries in the Barents region present clear challenges. Knowledge based on experience from everyday cross-cultural and multinational project work has not been communicated extensively, and each project will have to acquire its own knowledge. Based on participation in various cross-national collaboration projects, we organize the identified practical challenges into five interrelated, everyday challenges: (1) cultural differences: obvious and overlooked, (2) the continuous challenge of language, (3) organizational variations, (4) possibilities and obstacles related to technology, and (5) the important minutiae of project logistics. These exist in all stages of a project. In project applications, these challenges and corresponding realistic consequences for funding are vital. Nursing students and their teachers should be aware that practical cross-national project work poses important challenges that nevertheless might be overcome.

Nursing Patient Safety Research in Rural Health Care Settings

Adverse events occur in virtually all health care arenas, and while rural health care settings are no exception, these facilities often face unique financial burdens and personnel shortages. That may hamper patient safety efforts. Many of the interventions recommended to improve patient safety have largely been based on research conducted in urban hospitals. This chapter demonstrates the extent and type of nursing research being conducted to advance rural-specific patient safety research. The studies were conducted in various settings, with topics ranging from error reporting in hospitals to safety screening in the community. Limitations of these works are discussed, and the chapter offers guidance for a future nursing research agenda to include the need for interdisciplinary research; cross-national and international collaboration; and, at a minimum, the necessity for nurse researchers to sample rural hospitals in larger studies of patient safety.

Gender, Space, and Discourse across Borders: Talking Gender in Cyberspace

The possibility of online student collaboration over cyberspace for two groups of students in Australia and Singapore was conceived by JaneMaree Maherat Monash University in Australia in 2005 after hearing a paper given by a colleague that detailed the experience of a threeway cross-country dialogue using flexible learning technologies (see Pickering et al. 2004). A recent visit to the National University of Singapore had elicited the information that a gender studies minor had just been established; on the basis of these two factors, Maher approached NUS gender studies colleagues, and Chng Huang Hoon followed up with enthusiasm. An email correspondence ensued, which established our mutual interests as feminist pedagogues in gender, space, and teaching, and we decided to generate a cross-national collaboration within the

Environmental dynamics and collaboration: Case studies of U.S.–Russian aerospace joint ventures

This work addresses two United States–Russian joint ventures in the expendable space launch vehicle sector of the aerospace industry. The paper first overviews evolving political and economic conditions affecting industry operations in both the United States and Russia as well as their influence on cooperation between companies from the two countries. The paper then describes the participants in the two joint ventures along with their motivations for and contributions to the cross national collaborations. Finally, the paper addresses the structures of the joint ventures, their progress to date, and the methods the companies have used to protect against technology appropriation by their partners.

Progress and promise: the last decade of international marketing research

In light of the rapid growth of international marketing studies, we thought it timely to investigate recent patterns and developments in the literature. We performed a content analysis of nearly 600 articles published from 1990 to 2000 in the leading academic journals. It became clear that major progress has been made in terms of a broadened research agenda and greater technical rigor. However, opportunities were identified to address overlooked research topics, increase cross-national collaboration, strengthen the complexity and comprehensiveness of theories, as well as diversify research methods beyond surveys. Based on these findings, we outlined several directions for advancement of international marketing knowledge.

Reshaping Employment Regimes in Europe: Policy Shifts Alongside Boundary Change

This paper surveys the direction of change to employment regimes in the EU, in which fiscal consolidation constitutes the macro-economic foundations to labour markets in virtually every member-state. Attempting to address budget deficits has had important spillover effects, most notably on the conduct of pay determination. In particular, multi-tier bargaining in Europe has been revived not to conclude the social corporatist deals of the past but to reorient labour market behaviour to the introduction of a single currency. Support systems for the unemployed are also experiencing wide-ranging reforms across the EU: governments are attempting to shift expenditure from passive measures to more direct initiatives to help people get back to work. The prospect for closer cross-national collaboration on labour market matters has increased by Brussels launching a programme to benchmark employment policies across the EU. Together, these changes are streamlining Social Europe and reorganising the sovereign boundaries of economic citizenship.

How Comparative Is Comparative Research?

Social scientists tend to accept lower standards of rigor in cross-national surveys than in national surveys, leading to heroic conclusions about differences between nations on the basis of obviously faulty data. Arising perhaps from a commendable wish to respect different cultural norms, even some of the most conscientious cross-national studies make the mistake of permitting considerable variations by country in the type and quality of the methods they deploy. Meanwhile, analysts of cross-national data frequently abandon offering explanations and interpretations in favor of league tables of distributions showing merely “gee whiz” national differences. This article acknowledges the formidable obstacles in the way of achieving rigor in large-scale comparative studies and offers 10 possible rules to mitigate the difficulties. It suggests that bigger is usually worse and recommends routine cross-national collaboration in analysis and interpretation—not just in design, development, and execution—among scholars in each of the nations under the microscope.

In search of a European model of strategic management

Focusing on middle managers from France and Germany, Michael Lubatkin and Steven Floyd's central question in this article is — does there exist a common European approach to management that facilitates knowledge transfer and other collaborative work efforts? The authors find that there are differences, along at least three dimensions, in perceptions that French and German managers hold about strategic management - traceable to historic predispositions. At the same time, there are similarities as well. The co-existence of differences and similarities in perceptions about strategic management may hinder the actual achievement of benefits from cross-national collaborations.

Social and Economic Interdependence in the U.S.-Mexico Border Region: Critical Implications for Social Welfare

Abstract The cities on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico international boundary face common problems related to extreme levels of poverty and rapid population and industrial growth. The conditions in this region pose serious threats not only to the health and environment of the population, but also to their social well-being. These problems transcend international boundaries, a fact that cannot be ignored in the provision of social welfare assistance to these communities. The purpose of this article is to analyze the significance of U. S.-Mexico social and economic interaction for the provision of responsive social welfare. Strategies for cross-national collaboration that have emerged in response to the interrelated problems facing the border region are discussed.