Dimensions Of Cultural Diversity Research Articles

What are the effects of culture and institutions on classification shifting in India?

This study investigates the impact of culture, religion, and legal environment on classification shifting behavior in India. Using a sample of 30,361 firm-year observations from 2000 and 2015, we employ a panel regression analysis that accounts for heterogeneity across industries and time. We find that misclassification of expenses is present in India, and that religion helps moderate classification shifting. However, certain dimensions of culture such as individualism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, and masculinity increase classification shifting, whereas long-term orientation mitigates it. We also examine various indirect channels involving interactions between the legal environment, religion, and various dimensions of culture and find variable results that suggest underlying complexities. In the weak Indian legal environment, religion does not appear sufficient to combat classification shifting practices. The findings have policy implications: we argue that strengthening the legal environment would complement religion in constraining managerial motivation to misclassify core expenses into special items to boost reported core earnings.

The Influence of Culture on Collaborative Learning Practices in Higher Education

Abstract Objective: This study systematically identifies the various pertinent cultural dimensions and the group processes involved in collaborative peer learning before empirically exploring their associations among a sample of university students. Methodology: Twenty statements encompassing various cultural dimensions that could possibly influence students’ preferences towards collaborative peer learning practices were incorporated into a survey. The data were collected from 147 multicultural students studying applied sciences in Finland. Chi-squared test of independence was used to test the association between the cultural dimension scores for students and their stated preferences for collaborative learning practices. Findings: A major finding of this study is that learners from diverse cultural backgrounds have differing modes of engaging in the eight separate collaborative learning processes. The findings clearly reveal that students from cultures that are hierarchical, collectivist, less bound by rules, and traditional are less likely to have any prior familiarity with peer-learning methods. It seems relatively clear that the power distance and collectivism dimensions have the greatest impact on shaping the preferences of students for collaborative peer-learning methods. Value Added: Very few studies have looked at how the cultural backgrounds of students can influence their use of, and preferences towards, collaborative peerlearning methods. This study identifies key processes in collaborative learning practices, which are shaped by culture as communication, decision-making, leadership, evaluation, trust building, the expression of disagreement, scheduling, and persuasion within a peer group. Recommendations: This study found that Hofstede’s framework might be too constraining when understanding how culture shapes a student’s preferences towards collaborative peer learning in the educational context. It would be even more fruitful to develop an altogether endogenous framework that is more suitable for exploring the influence of culture on learning and education. Such a model should identify the various dimensions of culture beyond those of national identity and consider how they jointly influence attitudes towards collaborative learning rather than considering them in isolation. This model should also take a more dynamic approach towards both culture and learning.

Brand identity and culture interaction in the Indian context: a grounded approach

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore how elements of culture and cultural cues such as customs, values and norms interact with the brand identity. A qualitative research has been done to understand which cultural aspect is important for which aspect of brand identity. The results would be useful for designing the product.Design/methodology/approachThis research focuses on exploring and validating the interaction between the factors of brand identity and various dimensions of culture. Multiple frameworks of brand identity and culture have been reviewed, factors have been identified and the interaction between the factors of brand identity and elements of culture has been established in the Indian context. Grounded theory approach has been exercised here as a holistic inductive research technique for identifying the interaction between factors of brand identity and elements of culture. This paper has explored inter-relationship between strategies adopted by managers in creation of brand identity and its consequential perception.FindingsFollowing interaction has been found between the brand identity factors and cultural aspects – product shape, product size and packaging size – were found to interact with individualism vs collectivism, brand image, overall brand presentation, distribution, perception and quality were found to be strongly associated with power distance. Similarly associations were found between country of origin and belief, quality, product differentiation, frame of reference, points of parity and uncertainty avoidance, between Brand Ambassador – Person/ Icon and 9; Beliefs, between Fit with environment and self, Brand customer relationship and long term vs short term orientation, between Enhanced Self Perception and Masculinity vs Femininity, between Brand heritage, packaging colors and images and Customs and Symbols.Research limitations/implicationsThe outcomes of our research show that customization is an indispensable principle to be followed in the global markets and elements of culture and cultural indications such as customs, values and collective norms are integral in driving the branding strategies.Practical implicationsThe outcomes of the study lay emphasis on the parallel groundwork that the managers must make for their strategies, so that, the company centric variables of brand identity are well in sync with the socio cultural indicators of the region they are serving.Originality/valueUnlike previous researches, this work records the consumers' perspective in understanding their purchase choices based on their cultural norms and influences.

Managing the Era of Multi-Cultural Leadership

Leaders in the global arena are the one who face the challenges never seen before, while coordinating work and managing relationship between team members coming from varied ethnic groups. Globalization has undoubtedly opened up endless growth opportunities for both, businesses and individuals, by collaborating with each other, but with certain inherent challenges. These challenges are the difference in the cultural background of the team members, which gets predominantly reflected in their behavior at workplace too. The cultural differences exist primarily due to differences in shared values, which form the basis for difference in perception and practices of decision making by an individual (Hofstede, 1980). Juana Bordas has rightly described that any business that fails to adapt their leadership style aligning with multi-cultural approach will find it difficult to thrive in a more colorful world. Leadership style has witnessed various facets of changing work environment that has demanded from leaders to modify their approach to adapt along and be effective and survive in the ever-changing environment of business (Bordas,2007).A cross-culture leader plays a significant role in knitting the diverse workforce into an efficient team; which requires a leader to very well understand the various dimensions of culture. This understanding of the leader enables him to learn about blending of leadership styles to address the challenges of such work environment. This paper is an extended work on 'Leadership in Cross-Cultural Environment – A Comparison of Asian and Non-Asian Managers' (Rahul and Ganesan, 2015). The extended research study has identified that enhanced work experience of cross-culture leaders enables them in effective team management, than the rise in designation, as it results in creation of hierarchical distance between the leaders and subordinates.

Diversity management in tourism and hospitality: an exploratory study

PurposeThe hospitality and tourism industry has seen an increase in organizations operating internationally, bringing people from diverse cultural backgrounds together. The authors aim to help clarify that with a lack of awareness and understanding about diversity, many problems arise in terms of effective intercultural communication between managers and employees and employees and the customers. This paper helps in answering the questions related to the importance of cross cultural management, the intercultural issues faced by an organization, the best practices for diversity management and the future of cultural diversity.Design/methodology/approachThe authors have carried out a review-based research of 60 papers relevant to the topic. The study has been restricted to secondary data consisting of research in the area of managing cultural diversity.FindingsThe researchers have concluded that there are different dimensions of cultural diversity and thus policies and programs to manage it have to be carefully implemented and integrated. Also, managers need to identify the current gaps in the organization in terms of diversity management to take the necessary steps for building a harmonious relationship between expatriates and the local employees.Originality/valueThe study addresses the complex nature of cultural diversity and the management issues of multiculturalism within the hospitality and tourism industry. The authors have made an effort to identify the best practices and programs for managing a diverse workforce which may also improve engagement and retention levels through radical inclusion of employees.

Promoting collaboration and cultural competence for physician assistant and physical therapist students: A cross-cultural decentralized interprofessional education (IPE) model.

Purpose:As the United States health care model progresses towards medical teams and the country’s population continues to diversify, the need for health professional education programs to develop and implement culturally specific interprofessional education (IPE) becomes increasingly imperative. A wide range of models exists for delivering and implementing IPE in health education, but none have included the cultural components that are vital in educating the health professional.Methods:A cross-cultural decentralized IPE model for physician assistant (PA) and physical therapy (PT) students was developed. This three-part IPE series was created using an established cultural curricular model and began with the exploration of self, continued with the examination of various dimensions of culture, and concluded with the exploration of the intersection between health and culture. We assessed student satisfaction of the IPE experiences and students’ engagement and attitudes towards IPE using a three-item open-ended questionnaire administered after each cross-cultural activity and the Interprofessional Education Series Survey (IESS) upon the completion of the series.Results:IESS responses showed that PA and PT students reported benefits in interprofessional collaboration and cultural awareness and expressed overall satisfaction with the series. Qualitative analysis revealed growth in student response depth consistent with the scaffolded focus of each IPE module in the series.Conclusion:The trends in this three-part series suggest that institutions looking to develop culturally inclusive IPE educational initiatives may have success through a decentralized model mirroring the effective cultural progression focused on addressing exploration of self, examination of various dimensions of culture, and exploration of the intersection between health and culture.

Consumer‐based brand equity and top‐of‐mind awareness: a cross‐country analysis

PurposeThe study focused on dimensions of consumer‐based brand equity, and especially the recall level of brand awareness. The purpose was to identify any statistically significant differences in brand recall in various product categories and different national contexts.Design/methodology/approachThis observation study explored relations between consumers' awareness of brands, attitudes related to brand equity, and changes in cultural context. Questionnaire data was collected from university students in four countries: the USA, Finland, France and Sweden. The respondents were asked about the brands of beverages, computers and cell‐phones that first came into their minds, and their attitudes in relation to brand equity.FindingsIt seems that the four dimensions of brand equity co‐vary depending on the cultural context. The results also revealed a relationship between TOMA and the national context that was generalizable in the three product categories.Research limitations/implicationsCulture as a contextual factor of consumer brand equity should be studied further. The findings should be replicated with non‐student samples in other product categories and cultural contexts. SEM could be used to establish the causality and direction of the relationships between the various dimensions of culture and brand equity.Practical implicationsThe findings on the effect of the cultural context on brand equity are of practical relevance to marketing managers: they should tailor their branding strategies accordingly.Originality/valueThe results gave valid and reliable evidence of a relationship between the TOMA dimension of brand equity and the national cultural context.

A Study on Cultural Diversity Management for Indian Organizations

This research explores various dimensions of culture, cultural diversity, implications of cultural diversity in an organization, identification of various cultural influences existing in an organization using Hofstede and Trompenaar's model of cultural diversity, identifying the status of cultural competency in an organization through Bennett's and Howell's model of cultural competency, tracking the best practices prevailing in organizations worldwide. The traditional approach to handling multiculturalism in complex organizations has been to expect members of the minority culture to adapt to cultural requirements of the majority group. Cultural diversity is important for any organization to grow, develop, compete and retain its greatest resource that is human talent. This study equipped by various models in order to understand the cultural diversity, competency and level competency.

À Table! The Gourmet Culture of France by Becky Brown

induction. This is facilitated by very brief “Analysons!” exercises whose answers are found in an appendix. Students are then led to practice the structures in activities such as guessing situations, questions and answers, etc. “Mise en pratique ” exercises focus on detail and self-correction with answers in an appendix. Throughout, grammar is presented in simple and clear language with appropriate examples. “Culture interactive” continues as the final section, now moving from language chunks to the discourse level. Various dimensions of culture in the Francophone world are provided as input in the “Écoutons! Lisons! Écrivons! Parlons! Regardons! Chantons!” activities of this rich and varied section. Of particular note here is the “Écrivons!” activity where students are directed to read a screen shot of a message from a “Forum des étudiants” and then “post” a message of their own as a response. At the end of each chapter is a recap of new vocabulary in traditional list form. Finally, the text concludes with a “Par la suite” appendix which is keyed to each chapter and provides expansion on grammar. Throughout the text, “feature boxes” provide tidbits on culture, usage, history, and study tips. Both “Par la suite” and these “feature boxes” provide the instructor with plentiful opportunities to expand or abridge, thus assuring maximum flexibility. Increased use of the target language is encouraged by the use of French in activity directions and culture “feature boxes” starting with chapter 5, whereas English is used throughout in the usage, history, and study tips “feature boxes.” One important concern for instructors is recycling and review. This is facilitated by specially marked activities every fourth chapter that recap and review previously presented grammar points. The accompanying Workbook/Laboratory Manual offers what the preface calls “more conventional practice,” but these activities are hardly uninventive. They are simply geared for work outside of class time when face-to-face interactive practice is not possible. Recipes, bandes dessinées, devinettes, maps, and assorted visuals all provide sufficient input to feed both listening and writing exercises, which are mixed together in each chapter rather than separated. They follow the same structure as the text chapter but with some very important additions. “Lisons!” provides pre- and post-reading strategies, while “Écrivons!” provides writing strategies plus a targeted grammar checklist. Another addition is “Prononcez bien!” which targets phonetic issues for listening and repetition, and is followed by a cloze dictée. Listening exercises are self-correcting. A corrigé is not provided in the workbook for written exercises. All audio exercises are available free of charge to adopters on ten CDs and online. Instructors will find this new program very flexible and students will assuredly be attracted to its presentation in manageable segments, all of which are expanded in the publisher’s online site. Regrettably, this reviewer did not have access to the Web site’s resources for instructors and students. La Salle University (PA) Leonard Marsh BROWN, BECKY. À Table! The Gourmet Culture of France. Newburyport, MA: Focus, 2010. ISBN 978-1-58510-297-6. Pp. 194. $35.95. Cet ouvrage tombe à point nommé puisque le comité intergouvernemental de l’UNESCO vient d’inscrire la pratique sociale du grand repas français au patrimoine culturel immatériel de l’humanité. Cette décision implique de préserver Reviews 1219 la pratique sociale traditionnelle qui, comme l’indique le site Internet de l’UNESCO, “doit respecter un schéma bien arrêté: il commence par un apéritif et se termine par un digestif, avec entre les deux au moins quatre plats, à savoir une entrée, du poisson et/ou de la viande avec des légumes, du fromage et un dessert”. La table des matières d’À Table! respecte fidèlement ce menu qui annonce neuf chapitres de douze à vingt pages chacun. Gastronomes et œnologues en herbe, nous sommes invités à découvrir la gastronomie française, le protocole pour mettre le couvert, préparer et servir les mets, présenter et entamer le fromage, sélectionner les vins. La couverture avec ses baguettes croustillantes, épices et fromages à l’étal sur un fond de nappe à carreaux vifs rouges et blancs d’emblée nous met en appétit pour une aventure culturelle et...

The end(s) of national cultures? Cultural policy in the face of diversity

This paper analyses the impact of cultural diversity on cultural policies through an international overview of case studies and reflections. Cultural diversity is generally perceived as a threat toward national cultures. However, this paper argues that (1) there exist substantial national differences in the way in which diversity is perceived and integrated as a policy paradigm; and (2) cultural diversity can be used as an instrument for reconfiguring cultural policies, regardless of the governmental level in question. The authors discuss whether cultural policies of diversity exist and what they are. They also examine the practical consequences of the emergence of a new paradigm concerning the redefinition and implementation of cultural policies within a triple context: the plurality of the territorial configurations of diversity, the simultaneous coexistence of several levels of understanding this issue, and the economic dimensions of cultural diversity.

Effectiveness of Online Videos to Modify Students’ Knowledge and Perceived Barriers Regarding Study Abroad Opportunities

The need to increase the number of students participating in study abroad is a goal that higher education must recognize. For ten years, the level of participation among students enrolled in colleges of agricultural sciences has remained at constant level. In a society that is globally interconnected, it is imperative that future graduates comprehend various dimensions of culture, agricultural production, and economy to succeed. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of online videos to modify students’ knowledge and perceived barriers regarding study abroad opportunities. The objectives of this paper are: 1. Describe the amount of learning obtained through watching study abroad videos; 2. Determine changes to students’ perceived barriers regarding their possible participation in study abroad programs. In order to assess students’ perceptions, three online videos were developed. Videos were based on a semester-long study abroad program in Russia and two study tour programs in Puerto Rico and Brazil, respectively. A quasi-experimental research design was used in this study. One hundred fifty six students from nine sections of the first year seminar participated in the study. In this study, the use of online videos was effective in communicating information and diminishing the perceived barriers to study abroad. Other colleges and programs could use this strategy to promote their international programs. In addition, administrators could use the results of this study to develop online videos to teach content and dispel myths regarding study abroad programs.

Cross‐cultural analysis of the Wikipedia community

AbstractThis article reports a cross‐cultural analysis of four Wikipedias in different languages and demonstrates their roles as communities of practice (CoPs). Prior research on CoPs and on the Wikipedia community often lacks cross‐cultural analysis. Despite the fact that over 75% of Wikipedia is written in languages other than English, research on Wikipedia primarily focuses on the English Wikipedia and tends to overlook Wikipedias in other languages. This article first argues that Wikipedia communities can be analyzed and understood as CoPs. Second, norms of behaviors are examined in four Wikipedia languages (English, Hebrew, Japanese, and Malay), and the similarities and differences across these four languages are reported. Specifically, typical behaviors on three types of discussion spaces (talk, user talk, and Wikipedia talk) are identified and examined across languages. Hofstede's dimensions of cultural diversity as well as the size of the community and the function of each discussion area provide lenses for understanding the similarities and differences. As such, this article expands the research on online CoPs through an examination of cultural variations across multiple CoPs and increases our understanding of Wikipedia communities in various languages.

Introduction: investing in cultural diversity

The aim of this introduction is to contextualise the multifarious notion of cultural diversity by analysing, firstly, its relations with globalisation as well as the different normative actions undertaken by UNESCO to protect it against the negative impacts of the globalisation processes. This introduction also explains how globalisation can be beneficial for cultural diversity and contribute to new, fluid and deterritorialised phenomena. Finally, fear of cultural diversity, characterised by ethnocentric attitudes that attempt to preserve “authentic identities”, is briefly touched upon, along with the obvious limitations of such stances. The second part of this introduction presents the articles selected for this issue among the background papers commissioned by UNESCO to help to draft the 2009 World Report on cultural diversity. Each article sheds light on particular dimensions of cultural diversity: in combination, they provide a valuable overview of its multiple meanings and contexts.

Teaching for Cultural Competence in Non-Diverse Environments

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present teaching strategies to enhance students’ cultural competence in non-diverse educational settings. Methods: Utilizing Purnell’s cultural competence model and Lattanzi’s cultural ladder the authors describe teaching strategies used to promote students’ understanding of the complex nature of culture and how the multiple layers of culture influence the healthcare professional-client relationship. Teaching strategies and subsequent student reflections are presented. Results: Students adjusted client interventions and plans of care when confronted with various cultural characteristics of their clients. Integrating cultural issues in non-diverse academic settings challenges faculty to create situations that include cultural differences. The Purnell model demonstrates the complex nature of culture and the difficulties in understanding the various dimensions of culture. Lattanzi provides a framework for applying Purnell’s model, beginning with cultural sensitivity and awareness, then working toward integration of cultural concepts in clinical interactions. Combining aspects of these cultural models, the authors layered cultural dimensions to course and clinical activities thereby increasing students’ awareness of culture’s influence on clinical interactions.Conclusion: While selection of diverse clinical settings provides invaluable immersion experiences for cultural competence, faculty in non-diverse academic settings can incorporate diversity dimensions within the academic curriculum to prepare students for the multicultural client population they may encounter as healthcare practitioners.

Foundations of cultural design in e-learning

This paper is an attempt to discuss foundational issues for designing e-learning that are sensitive to specific social and cultural settings in developing countries. We argue that recognising cultural diversity is a critical factor in design and use of e-learning as an instrument to promote development in a globalisation perspective. Drawing on contemporary research literature, the paper explores basic notions of culture; models of cultural diversity; cultural considerations in designing and using ICT in e-learning; and models and dimensions of cultural diversity in education and e-learning. We also characterise some common traits in Eastern, particularly Iranian, pedagogical cultures.

The good and the bad: the impact of diversity management on co-operative relationships

This paper explores the consequences of cultural diversity on co-operative relationships. It postulates two different modes of co-operation: ‘community based co-operation’, based on the need to belong, and ‘complementary co-operation’, which seeks to harness strategic resources. These modes are combined with six dimensions of cultural diversity to create a cross-analysis framework. This framework forms the basis of our analysis of the interaction between cultural diversity and co-operation. Counter-intuitively, the study of France Telecom Mobile and Orange UK's integration team suggests that cultural diversity has little influence on issues of identity involved in co-operation. However, it reveals a strong link between cultural diversity and strategic rationale. The findings suggest that cultural diversity should not be understood as differences between stable sets of values and norms, but rather as a way to explain inter-individual difficulties. We then propose factors that are likely to influence the impact of cultural diversity.

Teoria i socjologia kultury Antoniny Kłoskowskiej

The Author portrays Antonina Kłoskowska as a theorist and sociologist of culture. He writes about her early inspirations and traces her later fascinations: socio-cultural formation of individual character, personality, national character; search for mutual relations — theoretical and empirical — between various dimensions of culture within a global culture and the developed concept of culture as a symbolic and autotelic phenomenon. Drawing from the achievements of international sociology and continuing the Polish sociological tradition Kłoskowska formulated the theoretical and methodological foundations of sociology of culture as an independent field of sociological research.Her studies which laid a foundation for intensive contacts between the sociologists of culture and representatives of other fields of liberal arts formed several generations of students of culture in Poland.

Culture, comparison, community

This article proposes a response to legal scholarship’s recent concerns with the complexity of law’s relations with culture, looked at from a sociolegal point of view. It argues that legal studies today must have a comparative dimension, and that they should contribute to an understanding of law in relation to culture, or as a cultural phenomenon. But there are problems with culture as a legal concept (or a social scientific one). Also, many long-established sociolegal ideas about ‘law and society’ are becoming obsolete. A way forward is to relate law to four pure types of community that interact in complex ways in social life and, together, embrace the various dimensions of culture. The article claims that a law-and-community approach to legal study clarifies law’s relation to culture, and provides a framework for comparative studies of law.

Culture, creativity and spatial planning

In the past, culture has been a widely neglected subject in spatial planning. In a period of globalisation and increasing urban competition, however, the cultural dimension of urban and regional development has earned more atttention from academics and planning professionals in cities and regions. This article presents the various dimensions of culture in spatial planning and city building processes in Europe, its role for urban imaging and marketing, for local economic development and job creation, and for sustaining identity and quality of life for citizens in the twenty-first century.

Neural Network Modeling in Cross-Cultural Research: A Comparison with Multiple Regression

This article describes the use of neural networks as an alternative method to investigate the links between various dimensions of culture and perceptions of justice and demonstrates their ability to model the data relationships with higher accuracy than multiple regression analysis. A complete discussion of the development and validation of the neural network models is included as a guide to researchers in management who are interested in exploring this methodology.