Host Nationals Research Articles

Work a Way Out: Breaking Monoethnic Isolation through On-Campus Employment

Since the global economic recession in 2008, Chinese undergraduate students have quickly risen to be the largest international student population in American colleges and universities, forming a monoethnic group that often isolates itself from domestic students on campuses. This study explores how twelve Chinese undergraduate students utilized on-campus employment as a means of engaging host nationals to improve language skills and engage in cross-cultural interactions. Thematic analysis affirms the efficacy of the university workplace as an educational space outside of the classroom. Based on these findings, various policy recommendations are proposed to improve the management of international student employees.

The effect of perceived equity on perceptions of immigrants

Building on the Instrumental Model of Group Conflict (Esses et al., 1998) and using Equity Theory (Adams, 1965) as a framework, this study investigates the effects of perceptions of immigrants’ economic success and contribution on host nationals’ prejudice toward and perceived threat from immigrants. It is hypothesised that attitudes will be more positive under equitable conditions (relative success=relative contribution) than inequitable conditions (relative success≠relative contribution). A 3-by-3 between-subjects experiment was conducted on 415 native-born Singapore citizens. The results show partial support for the hypothesis when immigrants’ contribution is relatively less. Overall, although mostly non-significant, the results suggest a small effect size of more prejudice and symbolic threat when immigrants are just as successful as the host, compared to being less or more successful. Further study into the role of contribution, other possible moderators of success, and the application of equity theory in intergroup relations is encouraged.

How You See Us Hurts Me! Influences of Metastereotypes That International Students Hold on Their Self-disclosure, Loneliness and Depression

This article examines the influences of international students’ beliefs of how their compatriots are evaluated by host nationals (i.e. metastereotypes). Modified labeling theory was used to predict how international students’ metastereotypes are associated with their self-disclosure, loneliness, and depression. One hundred and forty-six international students in Japan were asked to rate their metastereotypes, amount of self-disclosure, loneliness, and depression. The results showed that metastereotypes were positively associated with the amount of self-disclosure and negatively associated with loneliness and depression. A structural equation model further indicated that metastereotypes were indirectly associated with depression through loneliness. Theoretical and practical contributions are considered.

Initial Communication with and Attitudes toward International Students: Testing the Mediating Effects of Friendship Formation Variables

From the theoretical perspectives of intergroup contact, predicted outcome value (POV), and similarity-attraction, this study examined U.S. host nationals’ (N = 342) communicative behaviours in a recent initial encounter with an international student and attitudes toward the student’s cultural group as a whole. Testing of two models indicated the significant sequential mediator effects of perceived similarity-social attraction and POV-social attraction between communication variables (e.g. amount of communication exchange in both models, self-disclosure in model 1, and information seeking in model 2), and intergroup attitudes (e.g. behavioural attitudes). Findings in general demonstrated that contact effects in the intercultural context varied according to specific measures of communication, the mediating mechanisms, and intergroup attitudes.

Low levels of viral suppression among refugees and host nationals accessing antiretroviral therapy in a Kenyan refugee camp

BackgroundRefugees and host nationals who accessed antiretroviral therapy (ART) in a remote refugee camp in Kakuma, Kenya (2011–2013) were compared on outcome measures that included viral suppression and adherence to ART.MethodsThis study used a repeated cross-sectional design (Round One and Round Two). All adults (≥18 years) receiving care from the refugee camp clinic and taking antiretroviral therapy (ART) for ≥30 days were invited to participate. Adherence was measured by self-report and monthly pharmacy refills. Whole blood was measured on dried blood spots. HIV-1 RNA was quantified and treatment failures were submitted for drug resistance testing. A remedial intervention was implemented in response to baseline testing. The primary outcome was viral load <5000 copies/mL. The two study rounds took place in 2011-2013.ResultsAmong eligible adults, 86% (73/85) of refugees and 84% (86/102) of Kenyan host nationals participated in the Round One survey; 60% (44/73) and 58% (50/86) of Round One participants were recruited for Round Two follow-up viral load testing. In Round One, refugees were older than host nationals (median age 36 years, interquartile range, IQR 31, 41 vs 32 years, IQR 27, 38); the groups had similar time on ART (median 147 weeks, IQR 38, 64 vs 139 weeks, IQR 39, 225). There was weak evidence for a difference in the proportion of refugees and host nationals who were virologically suppressed (<5000 copies/mL) after 25 weeks on ART (58% vs 43%, p = 0.10) and no difference in the proportions suppressed at Round Two (74% vs 70%, p = 0.66). Mean adherence within each group in Round One was similar. Refugee status was not associated with viral suppression in multivariable analysis (adjusted odds ratio: 1.69, 95% CI 0.79, 3.57; p = 0.17). Among those not suppressed at either timepoint, 69% (9/13) exhibited resistance mutations.ConclusionsVirologic outcomes among refugees and host nationals were similar but unacceptably low. Slight improvements were observed after a remedial intervention. Virologic monitoring was important for identifying an underperforming ART program in a remote facility that serves refugees alongside host nationals. This work highlights the importance of careful laboratory monitoring of vulnerable populations accessing ART in remote settings.

Contact with Cultural Others – The Friendship Family Programme

The Friendship Family Programme is a cultural exchange initiative piloted this year at Edinburgh Napier University. It is designed to give international students a chance to have first-hand experience of the local culture and way of life, in addition to life on campus. Students are paired with volunteer staff families, who also get the chance to better understand international transitions and learn about the students' home countries and cultures. The programme was grounded in research findings which indicate that social support and friendship with host nationals reduce the acculturative stress and ease the transition of international students. Indeed, international students do not have a full-scale support system in the United Kingdom (UK) and tend to experience loneliness and homesickness during their stay. Meanwhile, the literature also indicates the need for all university staff to understand the background of their students and to be aware of the unique challenges that confront them in the UK. Internationalisation includes mutual cultural awareness and respect. This ‘On the horizon’ piece introduces the Friendship Family Programme and the rationale behind the initiative, along with testimonials from participants.

Understanding ‘integration’: Chinese ‘foreign talent’ students in Singapore talking about rongru

Abstract Studying abroad is an increasingly prevalent form of transient migration. How do international students understand their relationship with the host society and host nationals? Based on in-depth interview data, this article investigates the ways in which international students from China at a Singaporean university understand the idea of ‘integration’ (or rongru in Chinese). It is found that these Chinese students tend to define ‘integration’ in terms of friendly and everyday social interactions, but their understanding has a more or less assimilationist underlying assumption. This explains their generally modest self-evaluations of their success at ‘integration’. This article argues that this social and somewhat assimilationist understanding of integration might be explained in terms of the Chinese students’ cultural-linguistic ideologies about rongru, and the characteristics of their social space, position and circumstances in Singapore as academically capable ‘foreign talent’ students on Singaporean government scholarships.

Effects of bonding with parents and home culture on intercultural adaptations and the moderating role of genes

In the current age of globalization, living abroad is becoming an increasingly common and highly sought after experience. Sojourners’ ability to adjust to a new culture can be affected by their existing attachments, internalized as intrapsychic environment, as well as their biological sensitivity to environment. This sensitivity can be partly attributed to one’s genomic endowments. As such, this prospective study sought to examine the differential effects of early experiences with parents and affection for home culture on young adults’ ability to adapt to a foreign culture (n=305, students who studied overseas for a semester) – specifically, the difficulties they experience – moderated by genetic susceptibility. An additional 258 students who did not travel overseas were included as a comparison group to demonstrate the uniqueness of intercultural adaptation. Current findings suggest that the maternal, paternal and cultural bondings or affections affect different aspects of intercultural adjustment. Maternal bonding affected sojourners’ relationships with host nationals, while paternal bonding affected sojourners’ adjustment to a new physical environment. Moreover, individuals’ genetic predispositions significantly moderate these main effects regarding how much difficulty the sojourners experienced overseas.

An Active Learning Pedagogy for International Management: Cases in Germany, Mexico, and Ethiopia

Abstract Three very different study abroad visits for US students illustrate limitations of short-term study abroad experiences as well as highlight successful approaches. Lessons can be gained for strategically planning experiences that gain the most cross-cultural learning from short study abroad visits. Seven US business students attended a two-week business-plan competition in Germany that involved students from six countries. Incidents occurred which could have provided critical cross-cultural learning. Faculty-assisted analysis of these cultural incidents could have been used as teachable moments. Thirty US business students attended a one-week study visit to Mexico in conjunction with a Mexican university. The students attended economic lectures at the university and visited industrial locations. Students were allowed to do as they wished during free time, without any interaction with host nationals or assisted cultural analysis. Two US business students journeyed to Ethiopia for a three week visit in conjunction with an Ethiopian business college. The students were involved with in-depth cultural research and intensive interaction with host nationals. Strong gains in cultural understanding were observable. The thesis of this pedagogical case study is that instructors and program directors should seize upon, and create, the opportunity for unplanned critical incidents. These incidents should not be looked on as problems, difficulties, or bad behavior, but as normal cross-cultural interactions that can teach students more than pre-planned program interactions. Intensive interactions with host nationals in uncontrolled situations, combined with expert analysis, may convey greater cross-cultural learning than controlled formal programs.

Expatriate contact with a local host: an intervention to increase social support

ABSTRACTSocial capital is a crucial factor for expatriates to employ as they cope with the demands of an international assignment. This longitudinal study used a mixed method approach to examine the social support benefits of expatriate contact with a local host. Western expatriates in the Netherlands were randomly divided into two groups: an experimental group (n = 33), that had contact with a Dutch host during 9 months, and a control group (n = 32) with no host. Qualitative methods such as interviews and diaries were included to shed light on the various types of social support that occurred. Results show that local hosts offered all four types of social support: social companionship, informational support, emotional support, and instrumental support. Furthermore, expatriates with a host increased their social capital; they received significantly more social support from host nationals than did those without a host. This study shows that HRD professionals may develop the social capital of expatriates by bringing them into contact with a local host, which can produce more social support from host nationals. Increased social capital may lead to a higher performance at both the individual and organisational levels.

Early global Trotters and their entrepreneurial employment practices

Purpose Questions have often been asked of the ethicality of multinational enterprises (MNEs) with the conducts of many being classified as exploitative. This is particularly so the internal context, where MNEs are often reluctant to employ host country nationals at important positions and treat their host and parent countries employees differently. This study aims to examine whether the locals are really getting the raw end of the deal. Design/methodology/approach Utilising a unique record book that is available about the employment details of civil servants in Hong Kong known as the blue book, this study intends to examine whether first-moving multinational organisations treated their local employees in an ethical and reasonable manner, for the employees entering the service between 1845-1850. Findings The data suggests that, overall, host country nationals earn much less than not only the British but also those from third countries. Moreover, parent country nationals were placed at important officer and supervisory roles, as oppose to host country nationals at the bottom, forming a typically ethnocentric governance structure (Perlmutter, 1969). Furthermore, even divided by grade, the starting salary difference between host and parent country nationals remain considerable. However, the reason for this is complex, and the authors do not have a quick and precise answer as to whether there has been discrimination. Research limitations/implications The findings perhaps explain the dilemma faced by the early-movers because they tend to feel the strong need of adopting an ethnocentric approach, which can be extremely costly as a result of the large wage differential. A balance needs to be struck between this and utilising host country nationals, which might not necessarily possess all the essential qualities but might be cheaper. Originality/value This is the first study examining the employment practices of fast-moving MNEs.

Cultural agility and international assignees’ effectiveness in cross‐cultural interactions

While many mutable competencies and immutable personality traits have been shown to have a direct positive relationship with international assignee success, this study examines whether a set of situation‐specific cross‐cultural competencies comprising cultural agility are also related to international assignee success. This study examines whether the combination of three situation‐specific responses to cultural differences (cultural adaptation, cultural minimization and cultural integration) explain any additional variance in supervisor's ratings of international assignee success above and beyond personality and cross‐cultural competencies. To test this hypothesis, supervisor‐rated of assignees’ effectiveness in working with host nationals was regressed on the number of international assignees’ cultural orientations. Controlling for personality and dynamic competencies, the overall model was significant explaining 17 per cent of the total variance. This study provides some preliminary evidence on the importance of expatriates’ possessing the ability to possess concurrent cultural orientations. The HR practices to foster cultural agility are discussed.

The Role of Person-Culture Fit in Chinese Students' Cultural Adjustment in the United States: A Galileo Mental Model Approach

This article used a Galileo multidimensional scaling model to explain how intercultural communication affected sojourners' wellbeing in their host culture through the convergence of the mental models between sojourners and host nationals with whom the sojourners communicated. Participants were 126 sojourning Chinese in the United States and 30 associated domestic Americans. Data were collected shortly after the Chinese sojourners arrived in the United States and again 3 months later. A measure of person-culture fit was generated by comparing each Chinese sojourner's mental model with the aggregate mental model of the associated domestic Americans. Results showed that the amount of intercultural communication had a significant effect on person-culture fit, in turn affecting sojourners' adaptation outcomes. Theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed.

Comparing International Student Friendship Networks in Buenos Aires: Direct Enrollment Program vs. Study Abroad Centers

A robust pattern identified in the cross-cultural adaptation and international education literature shows that upon arrival in a new cultural environment international students tend to form new friendships with individuals from their own countries while failing to develop relationships with those from the host country. This is problematic considering that communication with host nationals lies at the heart of the cross-cultural adaptation process and host national friendship is associated with a diverse set of positive outcomes. A historical debate among university administrators, international educators, and scholars as to the most effective way to arrange study abroad initiatives pivots around the amount of interaction that students have with the local culture. In order to examine the impact that study abroad program models have on friendship networks this study employs a mixed-method, longitudinal strategy to compare the friendship networks of 105 international students enrolled in 10 different study abroad programs and universities in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Results show that students studying directly at Argentine Public and Private Universities have significantly more Argentine and other international student friends while students in US-based Island programs have significantly more friends form their own country. These findings reveal the central role that study abroad administration plays in the interpersonal interaction that international students have with individuals from the host country, provide several explanations for the current trends, and give implications for study abroad administration.

Sojourners’ Ineffective Sociocultural Adaptation: Paranoia as a Joint Function of Distrust toward Host Nationals and Neuroticism

The present study examines how sojourners’ paranoia mediates the negative relationship between their distrust toward host nationals and sociocultural adaptation, and how sojourners’ neuroticism moderates this mediated relationship. By conducting a two-part survey study with U.S. undergraduate students who traveled abroad for academic programs, I found that only among neurotic sojourners, distrust toward host nationals was negatively related to sociocultural adaptation, mediated by paranoia. These findings suggest that distrust-related cognition and emotion as well as neuroticism are all important predictors of sociocultural adaptation, and shed light on the inquiry regarding sojourners’ adaptation and distrust/trust.

General Adjustment Influence Factor of Malaysian Construction Expatriates Executives Abroad

The success of Malaysian construction companies creates an opportunity to explore abroad. Past studies have shown that the difficulty of expatriates in adjusting to a new environment is the main aspect that leads to failure of assignments. The success in implementing an overseas assignment does not solely depend on an expatriate’s technical expertise. The adjustment issues such as the interaction with the host nationals, and adaptability to the host country’s culture also exert influence on the assignment. The research was conducted to identify the influence of executive expatriate general adjustment on assignment in host countries. The objective of the study was to identify adjustment influence factors relating to general adjustment abroad. Questionnaires were sent to Malaysian expatriate executives. Sixty four Malaysian expatriate executives from Malaysian construction companies overseas were involved in this study. The findings show interaction, social and living environment influences their adjustment during expatriation. Pre-departure training preparation aspects for expatriates is a good step before their departure to host countries.

‘Meet Me Halfway’ : Socio‐cultural Adaptation and Perceived Contact Willingness of Host Nationals as Predictors of Immigrants' Threat Perceptions

AbstractThis three‐wave study investigated the interplay between perceived socio‐cultural adaptation and perceived willingness of the majority group to engage in contact, when predicting realistic and symbolic threats perceived by ethnic migrants from Russia to Finland. To sum up our key findings, the less immigrants perceived difficulties in socio‐cultural adaptation soon after migration, the more positive were their later perceptions of the majority group members' contact willingness. Majority's perceived contact willingness was associated with lower levels of perceived realistic threats, and perceived contact willingness and perceived socio‐cultural adaptation were both associated with lower levels of perceived symbolic threats. As regards practical implications of our findings for culturally diverse communities, equal efforts should be made to help newcomers' socio‐cultural adaptation and to support their positive intergroup interactions with majority group members. That way, the beneficial impact of both of these factors on immigrant integration could be maximized. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Social network sites and international students’ cross-cultural adaptation

Prior research demonstrates the great potential of social network sites (SNSs) to international students’ cross-cultural adaptation, but fails to explain how specific dimensions of SNS use may be related to cross-cultural adaptation. Extending anxiety/uncertainty management (AUM) theory, we added new antecedents about social ties on SNSs distinguished by cultural origins and geographic locations to understand the role of SNS use in cross-cultural adaptation. Path analysis results from an online survey (N=156) show that directed communication via SNSs with local host nationals was positively associated with uncertainty reduction, but that with local co-nationals was negatively related to uncertainty reduction, suggesting that the effectiveness of SNSs in developing and maintaining local relationships may lie in their ability to provide a supplementary channel to offline communication. Overall, our results demonstrate that SNS effect on cross-cultural adaptation depends on individuals’ proficiency of host language, who they communicate with and how they communicate via SNSs.

Assessing intercultural communication competence as a relational construct using social network analysis

This paper explores assessment of intercultural communication competence (ICC) from a relational perspective using social network analysis. ICC is defined as the ability to develop meaningful intercultural relations with host and other nationals, and is operationalized in measures derived from the social network of a multicultural community with 280 members. Three hypotheses are tested to see how measures that account for local and global relational structure are related to socio-cultural adaptation, and how relations with specific cultural groups (i.e., host and home cultures) relate to acculturation outcomes. Findings indicate that the more social relations one has (i.e., well-connected locally) within the community, the less difficulty one experiences in acculturation. In addition, the more social relations one's friends have (i.e., well-connected globally), the less difficulty one experiences. However, contrary to expectations, in this given community, social relations with co-nationals and host-nationals do not have significant impacts on one's socio-cultural adaptation. These findings support the conclusion that ICC is distributed throughout members of a community rather than being strictly an individual attribute. When the community is cohesive, the number of other members one can directly or indirectly reach is important for adaptation, but it does not matter whether or how many are from the host or home countries. The findings point to the need for theorizing and measuring ICC as residing in actors’ social networks as well as individual characteristics. Implications for developing and designing intervention and training programs are discussed.

Bridging the Gap between Western and Chinese Evidence in the International Education Market

AbstractUsing a sample of 1674 international students in China, the present study explores sociocultural adaptation and its determinants. The results indicate that sociocultural adaptation among international students in China is largely shaped by the nature of the interaction with host nationals. In particular, among international students, those who experienced higher levels of social interaction with host nationals and received more social support were better poised for sociocultural adaptation. Rather contrary to similar research in the Western context, the study finds that international students from East Asia actually experienced more sociocultural difficulties in China than their counterparts from Western countries. These findings suggest the possibility of China and other oriental countries with sound higher education systems playing more active roles in the global higher education market.