Cultural Differences Research Articles

Racial Disinformation, Populism and Associated Stereotypes across Three European Countries during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Within the realm of disinformation, across all media platforms, a crucial subject of interest seems to be immigration, which produces the so-called ‘racial hoaxes’. Racial hoaxes are closely linked to the spread of populist ideologies and ethnic stereotypes, both of which are psychosocial processes that, during health crises, could acquire particular features based on cultural differences. This study analysed the main contents of 239 racial hoaxes in relation to three main features: the country of origin (i.e., France, Italy and Spain), the stereotypical contents, and the COVID-19 pandemic period. The results highlight some similarities across these three countries but also peculiarities in terms of topics and stereotypical contents that were magnified during the pandemic period. The peculiarities of emerging racial hoaxes are discussed in relation to the stereotype content model and the literature on populist discourses, providing valuable information for use in psycho-educational intervention, policymaking and social integration efforts.

Review Paper on Academic Performance and Emotional Intelligence

This review study explores the complex connection between academic achievement and emotional intelligence by analyzing a wide range of research studies and literature across different educational levels. The convergence of cognitive talents and emotional intelligence has gained significant recognition in recent years, as both educators and researchers acknowledge the substantial influence of emotional intelligence on academic achievement. The examination begins with a thorough discussion of the theoretical foundations of emotional intelligence and its various aspects. Following that, it thoroughly examines empirical evidence on the relationship between emotional intelligence and academic success. The findings suggest a composite association between emotional intelligence and a variety of dimensions of academic success, including grades, standardized test scores, and overall learning outcomes. Furthermore, the study looks into the impact of emotional intelligence on key academic abilities like problem-solving, critical thinking, and effective communication. The study also investigates potential moderating variables, such as gender, age, and cultural differences, that may influence the intensity and orientation of the association between emotional intelligence and academic accomplishment. An essential component of the evaluation entails analyzing interventions and instructional practices designed to improve emotional intelligence in kids and evaluating their subsequent influence on academic achievement. The paper also examines the possible mutual connection, exploring how academic experiences can impact the growth of emotional intelligence in individuals. Ultimately, this review paper highlights the complex connection between emotional intelligence and academic performance, revealing the opportunity for educators to use emotional intelligence as a catalyst for promoting comprehensive student growth and academic achievement.

Attitude and perception of teachers towards inclusion of children with hearing impairment in mainstream schools in Karnataka, India

ABSTRACT In most developed nations, there is a general trend of enrolling hearing-impaired children with special education needs in regular schools. Inclusive education refers to children with special education needs becoming part of a mainstream school like typically developing peers. A good method for evaluating the success of such programs is to assess teachers' attitudes towards inclusion. The inclusive education approach may be challenging to implement across all educational setups due to the lack of academic resources, expertise, and training towards inclusive education. This study explored teachers’ attitudes and perceptions towards the inclusion of children with hearing impairment in regular schools in Karnataka state. A tool named ‘Teachers Attitude Questionnaire' which was developed by Galis and Tanner was used to study the attitudes and perceptions of school teachers. The tool was then revised by considering geographic and cultural differences and was administered to 421 teachers across Karnataka. Analysis revealed a higher score in all the 4 domains of inclusive education which shows that most teachers had a positive attitude towards inclusive education. Results about teachers’ attitudes towards inclusive education based on work experience, type of school, gender, medium of instruction, and level of teaching were statistically significant, p < 0.05. This study concludes that teachers' attitudes varied concerning the level of experience and level of teaching. The results of the current study also stress the need for awareness programs to bring more positive attitudes among teachers, to successfully implement inclusive education.

Virtually borderless? Cultural proximity and international collaboration of developers

Are national borders an impediment to online collaboration in the knowledge economy? Unlike in goods trade, knowledge workers can collaborate fully virtually, such that border effects might be eliminated. Here we study collaboration patterns of some 144,000 European developers on the largest online code repository platform, GitHub. To assess the presence of border effects we deploy a gravity model that explains developers’ inter-regional collaboration networks. We find a sizable border effect of −16.4%, which is, however, five to six times smaller than in trade. The border effect is entirely explained by cultural factors such as common language, shared interests, and historical ties. The international border effect in Europe is significantly larger than the state border effect in the US, where cross-border cultural differences are much less pronounced, further strengthening our conjecture that culture is a main driver of the border effect in virtual collaboration.

In the same boat—a case for trans-Tasman strategic integration

ABSTRACT Arguably no two neighbours are as deeply intermeshed as Australia and New Zealand. Both have a mutually reinforcing and non-discretionary stake in the Pacific’s prosperity and security—the region of greatest strategic intersection and overlapping national interests. Although strategically aligned, New Zealand is not a ‘mini-Australia’. Australia is an Indo-Pacific middle power with equities to balance with its US ally and regional partners like Japan, Indonesia, and India. New Zealand is a small state with a Pacific identity. Despite asymmetries, New Zealand offers strategic value to Australia through Pasifika demographics, niche capabilities, and by adding another voice to shared objectives. Due to scale and culture differences, New Zealand can credibly and authentically engage with Pacific partners in a different way from Australia. The ANZUS military alliance remains the backbone of the strategic relationship. However, as the inaugural Australia-New Zealand Foreign Affairs and Defence Ministerial meeting (ANZMIN) in February 2024 affirmed, increasingly all ‘tools of statecraft’ need to be applied to the compounding challenges ahead. Further, both countries should leverage their comparative advantages as part of collective efforts. A modernised understanding of the alliance might start by re-examining each country’s geopolitical mindset and the respective strategic value each provides the other.

A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Cat–Human Relationships in the United States and Japan

ABSTRACT Across the world, more and more cats are being kept in captive spaces such as homes, animal shelters, and cat cafés. There is a growing need to understand whether cross-cultural differences influence human–animal interactions in these human-controlled environments. Cats are one of the world’s most popular companion animals, and both the US and Japan have high rates of cat ownership. However, cultural differences may account for differences in how people feel about cats and how humans and cats behave toward one another. The research aim was to examine whether differences exist between the US and Japan across multiple facets of the human–cat relationship. Study 1 examined each country’s attitude toward pet cats. Results indicate US citizens have significantly more positive attitudes toward pet cats than Japanese citizens. Study 2 examined owner attachment to their cat and pet cat social behavior. Results indicate owners in both countries were highly attached to their cats. In the US, but not Japan, owner attachment level predicted pet cat sociability toward the owner. Study 3 examined cat social behavior in cat cafés. The results of studies 2 and 3 indicate that pet cats and café cats in the US spend a greater proportion of time in proximity to people compared with pet and café cats in Japan. In all, differences and similarities were seen between the US and Japan. In humans, differences in childhood cat experiences and lower rates of cat ownership may impact attitudes toward cats. In pet cats, owner characteristics, the size of the cat’s environment, cat care practices, and attitudes toward cats may impact cat social behavior. Future exploration in this area can benefit our understanding of cross-cultural human–animal interactions and how to apply these findings to improve captive-cat welfare.

Personal Life in the Context of Globalization

The purpose of this study is to clarify the role of the individual in social life; each individual is not only a subject of cognition but also an object of cognition in the context of globalization. To achieve the above purpose, the author uses the methodology of humanistic philosophy and social philosophy, as well as qualitative, analytical, synthetic, comparative, and vice versa. The result is that the subject satisfies his capacity and needs through different activities and lifestyles. Respecting personal life is respecting differences in tradition, culture, religion, beliefs, occupation, and job position. The purpose, method, and results achieved by the author can lead to the conclusion that personal life is human communication. The capacity of an individual is the need of another individual. Mutual satisfaction between individuals is the ultimate happiness of life. In globalization, individuals have many opportunities to assert their abilities and needs, but at the same time, each faces challenges.

EfficientNet Convolutional Neural Network with Gram Matrices Modules for Predicting Sadness Emotion

Images are becoming an attractive area of emotional analysis. Recognising emotions in the images of general nature is gaining more and more research attention. Such emotion recognition is more sophisticated and different from conventional computer tasks. Due to human subjectivity, ambiguous judgments, cultural and personal differences, there is no an unambiguous model for such emotion assessment. In this paper, we have chosen sadness as the main emotion, which has significant impact to the richness of human experience and the depth of personal meaning. The main hypothesis of our research is that by extending the capabilities of convolutional neural networks to integrate both deep and shallow layer feature maps, it is possible to improve the detection of sadness emotion in images. We have suggested integration of the different convolutional layers by taking the learned features from the selected layers and applying a pairwise operation to compute the Gram matrices of feature sub-maps. Our findings show that this approach improves the network’s ability to recognize sadness in the context of binary classification, resulting in a higher emotion recognition accuracy. We experimentally evaluated the proposed network for the stated binary classification problem under different parameters and datasets. The results demonstrate that the improved network achieves improved accuracy as compared to the baseline (EfficientNetV2) and the previous state-of-the-art model.

Danish translation, cultural adaptation and psychometric testing of the Brachial Assessment Tool (BrAT), designed to assess activity limitation in adults with traumatic brachial plexus injuries

Purpose To translate and cross-culturally adapt The Brachial Assessment Tool (BrAT) into Danish and assess its content validity and reproducibility in adults with traumatic brachial plexus injury (BPI). Material and methods Translation followed international guidelines. BrAT(DK) were cognitive tested with 19 adults with traumatic BPI to evaluate cross-cultural understanding, relevance, comprehensiveness and comprehensibility. Content validity and reproducibility were evaluated following the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments guideline. Participants were recruited from an outpatient hand clinic. Test-retest reliability was assessed using intra-class-correlation coefficient (ICC) and the smallest detectable change (SDC). Internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha. Results Minor cultural differences were observed in the content validity analysis of BrAT(DK). Cognitive testing revealing no significant issues. All participants found the items relevant and important. 63 participants with traumatic BPI were recruited; 49 completed the retest. ICC values for the sub-scales and the total score ranged from 0.91 to 0.95 (95% CI 0.85 to 0.97). Internal consistency ranged from 0.87 to 0.98. SDC ranged from 4.16 to 9.63 for subscales and 16.01 for the total score. Conclusion BrAT(DK) appeared to be content valid and reliabel as a measure of activity limitation in adults with traumatic BPI.

Cross-cultural Management Research Based on the Analysis of Cultural Differences

Cross-cultural Management Research Based on the Analysis of Cultural Differences

Cross-Cultural Management Practices in Multinational Corporations: Enhancing Organizational Effectiveness

Cross-cultural management in multinational corporations (MNCs) has become increasingly vital as organizations expand their operations globally. the significance of effective cross-cultural management practices in enhancing organizational effectiveness and achieving competitive advantage in diverse international markets. theoretical frameworks and empirical studies to identify key challenges and opportunities associated with cross-cultural management in MNCs. It investigates how successful organizations navigate cultural differences, leverage diversity, and promote inclusive leadership to foster innovation, collaboration, and cohesive organizational cultures across borders. Case studies and comparative analyses illustrate best practices and innovative approaches adopted by MNCs to address cross-cultural challenges. the importance of cultural intelligence, communication strategies, and adaptive leadership in managing diverse teams and aligning global strategies with local market dynamics.

A Cross‐Cultural and Intra‐Cultural Investigation of the Misinformation Effect in Eyewitness Memory Reports

ABSTRACTThe culture in which individuals are socialised can play a role in shaping their eyewitness memory reports. Drawing on self‐construal theory, we examined cultural differences in the misinformation effect. In a mock witness paradigm, participants sampled from collectivistic (Ghana; n = 65) and individualistic (United Kingdom; n = 62) cultures were exposed to misleading post‐event information (PEI). Participants provided a free‐recall account and then completed a recognition task that included misinformation items. Cultural differences in misinformation endorsement were not observed in free recall. However, participants from the collectivistic culture endorsed more misleading items in the recognition task than those from the individualistic culture. We also found that in the respective cultures, individual‐level cultural orientation was related to the misinformation effect. These findings provide preliminary insights into the role of culture in susceptibility to misleading PEI and further highlight the importance of eliminating leading or suggestive questioning from investigative interviewing practices.

Measuring EFL Students’ Intercultural Competence and Language Skill after Having an International Living

The study aims to measure EFL students’ intercultural competence and English language skills both qualitatively and quantitatively after participating in an international living program, where English served as the primary means of communication. This research utilized surveys, interviews, and self-reflections to assess the sojourners' intercultural competence and English language proficiency. To provide a comparative perspective, data were also collected from a control group of students who did not participate in international living. The findings reveal that the international living experience had a significant impact on students' intercultural competence and English language skills compared to their non-participating peers. Knowledge and awareness showed the most improvement, followed by skills and attitudes. Additionally, students exhibited notable advancements in their English language proficiency. Qualitative data from interviews indicated that the international experience facilitated self-discovery, empathy, and cultural awareness, enriching their understanding of their original culture’s complexities and contributing to their English language development. Quantitative analysis from questionnaires highlighted participants in the international program had higher levels of cultural competence and language skills compared to the control group. The informants demonstrated a better attitude toward cultural differences and showed marked progress in their English communication abilities compared to the control group. They overcame initial challenges by actively engaging with various cultural practices, interacting with locals, and embracing different viewpoints, which also fostered their language learning. The study underscores the transformative impact of international living on students’ intercultural competence and English language skills, highlighting a journey of self-discovery, empathy, and enhanced communication abilities.

The Making of Future Scientists: Faculty Mentor Cultural Awareness and Inclusive Science Labs.

A compelling body of research suggests that students from racially marginalized and minoritized (RMM) backgrounds are systematically deterred from Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields when teachers and scientists create ideologically colorblind STEM learning environments where cultural differences are deemed irrelevant and disregard how race/ethnicity shapes students' experiences. We examine whether and how STEM faculty can serve as important sources of information that signal racial/ethnic diversity inclusion (or exclusion) that influence RMM students' motivation to persist in STEM. Specifically, we focus on RMM students' perceptions of their faculty research mentors' cultural awareness-the extent to which students believe that their faculty research mentor acknowledges and appreciates racial/ethnic differences in STEM research. Results from a longitudinal survey of RMM students (N = 150) participating in 74 faculty-led STEM research labs demonstrated that RMM students who perceived their faculty research mentor to be more culturally aware experienced more positive social climates in the lab and were more identified as scientists. Increased science identity, in turn, predicted their motivation to pursue STEM careers 3 months later. These findings demonstrate the importance of acknowledging, welcoming, and celebrating racial/ethnic diversity within STEM learning environments to broaden inclusive and equitable participation in STEM.

Mental health of Canadian Armed Forces Veterans: Review of population studies

Introduction: The mental health of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) populations emerged as an important concern in the wake of difficult CAF deployments in the 1990s. This article is the first comprehensive summary of findings from subsequent surveys of mental health and well-being in CAF Veterans, undertaken to inform mental health service renewals by CAF Health Services and Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC). Methods: Epidemiological findings in journal publications and government reports were summarized from four cross-sectional national surveys: a survey of Veterans participating in VAC programs in 1999 and three surveys of health and well-being representative of whole populations of Veterans in 2003, 2010, and 2013. Results: Although most Veterans had good mental health, many had mental health problems that affected functioning, well-being, and service utilization. Recent Veterans had a higher prevalence of mental health problems than the general Canadian population, earlier-era Veterans, and possibly the serving population. There were associations between mental health conditions and difficult adjustment to civilian life, physical health, and multiple socio-demographic factors. Mental health problems were key drivers of disability. Comparisons with other studies were complicated by methodological, era, and cultural differences. Discussion: The survey findings support ongoing multifactorial approaches to optimizing mental health and well-being in CAF Veterans, including strong military-to-civilian transition support and access to effective mental and physical health services. Studies underway of transitioning members and families in the peri-release period of the military-to-civilian transition and longitudinal studies of mental health in Veterans will address important knowledge gaps.

Cooking readiness in stressful times: Navigating food choices for a healthier future

Food choice is a complex function of preferences and combines a myriad of food-related factors, such as biological, economic, physical, social, and psychological determinants. People's food choices directly affect their health and can have both positive and negative outcomes. For instance, the pandemic may have presented an opportunity to cook more at home, eventually resulting in dietary benefits, health improvements, and reduced stress. Conversely, adverse behavioral, psychological, and physical outcomes, such as overeating, have also been associated with stressful situations. Therefore, the aim of this study is twofold: first, to propose “cooking readiness” as a higher-order construct, in which ‘food literacy’ and ‘cooking skills’ correspond to the capability, ‘cooking attitudes’ reflect the motivation, and the variable ‘COVID-19 restrictions’ represent the opportunity for consumers to cook and consume healthier food at home. Furthermore, as the pandemic scenario was imposed and caused changes in mental health and emotional mood, the second objective is to explore the relationship between cooking readiness and stress levels in consumers' choices for nutritionally recommended (or non-recommended) food. Cross-country data (Brazil, Denmark) from 1074 consumers was analyzed using structural equation modeling. This study confirms cooking readiness as a higher-order construct, integrating food literacy, cooking skills, and cooking attitudes with pandemic-induced opportunities. Cooking readiness is crucial in promoting healthier eating habits, particularly in Brazil. The stronger tradition of healthier eating in Denmark may mitigate the impact of cooking readiness on reducing non-recommended food consumption. The varying effects of stress on food choices between the two countries underscore the need for tailored public health strategies that consider cultural differences and existing dietary habits. Promoting cooking skills and food literacy, particularly in times of crisis, can be instrumental in supporting healthier food choices and improving public health.

A Comparative Analysis of Remedies and Challenges in the Protection of Stakeholders Rights: OHADA vs. English Corporate Law

This article provides a comparative analysis of the remedies and challenges in the protection of stakeholder rights under OHADA (Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa) and English corporate law. The study focuses on key legal remedies available to stakeholders, including the derivative action model, the unfair prejudice remedy, personal right of action, remedies for breach of contract and torts, representative actions amongst other remedies. Under OHADA, the uniform legal framework aims to harmonize business laws across member states, promoting legal certainty and economic growth. In this context, the derivative action model allows minority shareholders to seek redress for wrongs committed against the company, while the unfair prejudice remedy protects stakeholders from actions that harm their interests. Personal right of action and remedies for breach of contract and torts provide additional avenues for stakeholders to seek justice. Representative actions further enable collective redress for affected parties. In contrast, English corporate law, rooted in a common law tradition, offers flexibility and judicial interpretation in protecting stakeholder rights. The derivative action model in English law allows shareholders to bring claims on behalf of the company, while the unfair prejudice remedy addresses situations where minority shareholders are treated unfairly. Personal right of action and remedies for breach of contract and torts are well-established, providing robust protection for stakeholders. Representative actions in English law facilitate collective litigation, enhancing access to justice. In tandem with the foregoing, this paper explores challenges in the practical enforcement of these remedies, including differences in legal culture, enforcement mechanisms, and jurisdictional issues. By comparing OHADA and English corporate law, the study provides insights into the effectiveness of various legal frameworks in protecting stakeholder rights and offers recommendations for enhancing stakeholder protection through legal reforms and policy initiatives. Through a content analysis of primary and secondary data, we uphold that this article contributes to the discourse on corporate governance and stakeholder theory, offering valuable perspectives for policymakers, legal practitioners, and scholars interested in the protection of stakeholder rights in diverse legal environments.

Reflecting Experiences of Regional Academic, Tourism, and Education Specialists in Geoheritage Evaluation for Fujairah, UAE and Southeast Arabia

In Southeast Arabia (i.e. the United Arab Emirates [UAE] and Oman), geoconservation is a budding initiative, but to date, there has been limited evaluation of geoheritage sites in this region. Many geoheritage evaluation methods have been developed over the last 20 years, but the most popular methods reflect experiences from experts in Europe. The representativeness of these methods for different regional, cultural, and social contexts requires scrutiny. This study developed the first parametric method for geoheritage evaluation focused on Southeast Arabia, using Fujairah, UAE as a case study. The study applied a novel approach based on questionnaires completed by regional geoscience academics, local nature tourism professionals, and local science teachers. The preferences they expressed for scientific value, educational value, and touristic value, respectively, were used to develop the evaluation method. To test the requirements for informed decisions by tourism professionals and science teachers, the study compared results of questionnaires from two occasions: after a seminar on regional geoheritage sites, and after site visits. The resulting method deviates from previous methods in the relative weight it places on various criteria, substantiating the need to target wider regional voices in methods for geoheritage evaluation in Fujairah and Southeast Arabia. It reflects the need to consider cultural and societal differences, as well as curricular requirements for the educational value, that are not highlighted in existing evaluation methods. The applicability of the method was tested and confirmed by ranking geosites in Fujairah, and the method could be used at a regional scale in the future.

Validation of Serbian version of the LittlEARS® Early Speech Production Questionnaire for the assessment of early language development in typically developing children.

The LittlEARS® Early Speech Production Questionnaire (LEESPQ) was developed to provide professionals with valuable information about children's earliest language development and has been successfully validated in several languages. This study aimed to validate the Serbian version of the LEESPQ in typically developing children and compare the results with validation studies in other languages. The English version of the LEESPQ was back-translated into Serbian. Parents completed the questionnaire in paper or electronic form either during the visit to the paediatric clinic or through personal contact. A total of 206 completed questionnaires were collected. Standardized expected values were calculated using a second-order polynomial model for children up to 18 months of age to create a norm curve for the Serbian language. The results were then used to determine confidence intervals, with the lower limit being the critical limit for typical speech-language development. Finally, the results were compared with German and Canadian English developmental norms. The Serbian LEESPQ version showed high homogeneity (r = .622) and internal consistency (α = .882), indicating that it almost exclusively measures speech production ability. No significant difference in total score was found between male and female infants (U = 4429.500, p = .090), so it can be considered a gender-independent questionnaire. The results of the comparison between Serbian and German (U = 645.500, p = .673) and Serbian and English norm curves (U = 652.000, p = .725) show that the LEESPQ can be applied to different population groups, regardless of linguistic, cultural or sociological differences. The LEESPQ is a valid, age-dependent and gender-independent questionnaire suitable for assessing early speech development in children aged from birth to 18 months.

The reference value of serum vitamin B12 among An-Najah National University.

Serum vitamin B12 plays a crucial role in cellular growth, DNA synthesis, and maintaining a healthy nervous system. Its deficiency can lead to various health issues, including cardiovascular problems. The reference range for vitamin B12 varies between populations due to cultural, genetic, and dietary differences. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 127 healthy An-Najah National University students aged between 18 and 25. Blood samples were collected, and a questionnaire assessed factors affecting vitamin B12 levels. Serum vitamin B12 levels were measured using ACCUBIND ELIZA microwells. The study found a reference range for serum vitamin B12 of 136-640 pg/mL (5th to 95th percentile) among the studied population, which differed from the manufacturer's claimed range of 200-835 pg/mL. Gender did not significantly affect the reference intervals. The study highlights the importance of establishing local reference values for laboratory tests like vitamin B12 due to variations in demographics. Further research in different Palestinian regions and age groups with larger sample sizes is recommended to refine these reference values.