Multicultural Project Research Articles

ЗМІНА ПАРАДИГМИ КОМПЕТЕНТНІСНОГО ПІДХОДУ У ФОРМУВАННІ МАЙБУТНІХ УЧИТЕЛІВ ЧЕРЕЗ ВПЛИВ ПОЛІКУЛЬТУРНОГО СЕРЕДОВИЩА ГЛОБАЛЬНИХ ПРОЄКТІВ (НА ПРИКЛАДІ ПРОЄКТУ «ОДИН ПОЯС-ОДИН ШЛЯХ»)

The article examines the paradigm shift of the competence approach in the formation of future teachers under the influence of the multicultural environment of global projects, in particular on the example of the One Belt One Road project. Attention is drawn to the fact that in the modern world, where globalization and multiculturalism are becoming the norm, educational systems must adapt to new challenges and requirements. The authors explore how multicultural projects can promote the development of competencies in future teachers, including intercultural communication, adaptability, critical thinking, and collaboration. It is argued that global and regional projects unite different countries and cultures, creating unique opportunities for educational exchanges and cooperation. Project participants get the opportunity to work in different cultural contexts, which contributes to the development of their professional and personal competencies. The article analyzes specific cases of updating the content of education in connection with the country's participation in the One Belt One Road project, which illustrates how a multicultural environment affects teacher training. The article emphasizes the importance of rethinking traditional methods of teacher training and introducing new, innovative approaches that take into account global trends and challenges. It is substantiated that the paradigm shift of the competence approach in the formation of future teachers due to the influence of the multicultural environment of global projects is a necessary step to ensure high quality education in the modern world. The article offers the vision of the authors regarding possible new methods of teacher training, as well as an algorithm for introducing conspiracies into teacher training in connection with rethinking the content of the competency approach in modern conditions. Key words: competence approach, teacher training, professional development, multicultural environment, teaching methods, professionalization of teachers, modern educational environment.

Increasing Project Success in Wellhead and Christmas Tree Manufacturing Equipment Through Risk Management Culture

The primary equipment for oil production, manufactured in a plant, is the wellhead and Christmas tree. By creating a standardized set of risk instruments and a risk management framework, embedding risk management into organizational culture will reduce the overhead of imposing risk management on every new manufacturing project. This study's goal is to improve project success by examining the culture of risk management practices in the production of wellhead and Christmas tree equipment. The information was gathered from companies in Malaysia and Batam, Indonesia, with 161 respondents in a population study. Employing Cronbach's alpha to analyze the descriptive data and determine its significance. The Cronbach alpha and significant value are displayed consequently. The study's data came from a post-survey and survey using a Google link form of companies with stock listed in Malaysia and Batam, Indonesia. These results show that risk culture and staff competency may be created as important variables to improve risk management implementation in manufacturing, based on descriptive statistical analysis. This paper shows how to create a multicultural project management process and raise project success rates by adhering to this approach.

CORRELATION BETWEEN CULTURAL DIMENSIONS AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON CONFLICT STYLE PREFERENCES

This paper offers a multifaceted exploration of the intricate interplay between cultural dimensions and preferences in conflict resolution styles. It delves into the profound influence of cultural values on the choices individuals make when managing conflicts, enhancing our understanding of this complex relationship. Defining culture and conflict as central constructs, the paper investigates several key cultural dimensions within Hofstede's framework. It focuses on individualism and collectivism, high and low power distance, and high and low uncertainty avoidance. Few studies cover the research on power distance and conflict style preference, underscoring the importance of understanding how individuals choose styles that align with their cultural norms, whether maintaining low or high power distance within their own cultures.
 The study uncovers the correlation between different cultural types and conflict management styles. In cases of individualism, there is a preference for an avoidance style of conflict management, while collectivist cultures typically lean towards compromising and obliging conflict styles. In situations marked by high power distance, members of high power cultures are more likely to adopt an avoidance conflict style. The research holds significance for managing intercultural conflicts across various contexts, particularly in the realms of global governance, international relations, and multicultural team management. The findings provide a valuable reference for managers striving to navigate intercultural tensions and promote effective conflict resolution strategies aligned with cultural values. While this study offers valuable insights, it highlights the need for further in-depth research on additional cultural dimensions. This paper contributes to understanding the intricate relationship between culture and conflict resolution. It serves as a guide for analyzing preferences in intercultural conflicts, promoting conflict resolution management in multicultural projects, and advancing cross-cultural cooperation and understanding. Continuous research in this field is essential for more effective conflict management in an increasingly diverse global landscape.

Understanding Reciprocity and the Importance of Civic Friendship

This article aims to contribute to the existing literature on the virtues and challenges of political liberalism. It argues that the principle of reciprocity can only sustain political agreement under pluralism, if citizens share a relationship of civic friends, based on mutual recognition as equals (Lister in Anal Kritik 2011, pp. 91–112), a non-prudential concern for the interest of others (Leland and van Wietmarschen in J Moral Philos 14, 2017, pp. 142–167) and shared experiences that can foster interpersonal trust. Inasmuch as this thicker definition of civic friendship is sound, and breeds a successful ground for civic reciprocity, it is argued that this renders the concept of civic reciprocity culturally sensitive in at least four ways: how citizens commit to reciprocity, what political values and institutional arrangements they deem reasonable and how they choose to cooperate are all influenced by culture. While this makes the project of multiculturalism more challenging, it does not make it impossible. Rather, it reminds us that while the formal requirement of reciprocity is important, it is a relational value anchored in how citizens relate to one another. Therefore, for multiculturalism to be successful, policies that strengthen ties of civic friendship need to be implemented.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT APPLIED FOR COMPOSITE MATERIALS USED IN AERONAUTICS. CARBON FIBER AND NANO-ADDITIVES

This paper presents the results of theoretical and applied research related to composite materials, carbon fiber and nano-additives. The objective of this work is to investigate the properties and behavior of custom designed composite materials which are intended for applications in aerospace engineering. The holistic approach is expressed by the structure of this research project which consists of the technical part and the economic part, that is analyzed in terms of project management. The specificity of the work is given by the requirements of the European Project Semester EPS, where international teams of students actively experience a multidisciplinary and multicultural project for one semester in another university, which has developed research and industrial partnerships. For developing such project, the approach provided by INCAS as Research Partner is oriented towards Problem Based Learning and Project Organized Learning. The University as Organizer provides Project Related Courses and some complementary Project Organized Learning. The research was oriented towards the customized design and analyzing of composite materials samples for potential use in aerospace engineering, the development and validation of materials and methodologies. The benefits of the research project are related to the applications of composite materials and in the subsidiary to allow the students learn valuable professional lessons and experience from this research project.

DYNAMICS OF MANAGEMENT IN MULTICULTURAL PROJECT TEAMS

With the emergence of globalization, the business models have been completely transformed. A growing number of businesses are operating globally giving rise to diverse multicultural teams. Nevertheless, cultural differences have undermined the efficiency and decision-making of the international project teams as there is more cultural diversity in the teams than ever before. Hence, it has become imperative for the organizations to take cultural diversity into consideration. Prominent cultural studies postulate that having diverse teams in the organizations can have both challenges and opportunities, yet it lacks emphasis of cultural understanding in project management. Moreover, digitization of business operations have moved organizations towards more specialized roles instead of traditional roles. Therefore, this study highlights the importance of team dynamics, their cultural backgrounds, values, and beliefs. It also emphasizes project team development to adopt increased empathetic attitude and emotional intelligence. The research has employed qualitative data retrieved from questionnaires and interviews. A project group development model is proposed aimed at avoiding conflicts arising due to lack of cultural understanding .The findings show that multicultural project groups will experience conflicts caused by cultural differences. Therefore, cultural understanding is vital for group members before they start working together as a group. In addition, cultural training, effective communication, teambuilding exercises and well-defined project goals are important determinants in avoiding team conflicts. Furthermore, project management methodologies should also address cultural aspects of project groups in addition to technical details as present studies lack any cultural advice.

ISSUES ON QUADCOPTER DESIGN CUSTOMIZED FOR URBAN AERIAL SURVEILLANCE

The topic of this paper is in line with the efforts to reduce the spread of the pandemic effects; the objective is to design a quadcopter meant to perform urban aerial surveillance, focused on monitoring the urban traffic of cars and monitoring the traffic of groups of people, who should not gather in groups larger than three persons. The specificity of the work is given by the requirements of the European Project Semester EPS, where international teams of students actively experience a multidisciplinary and multicultural project for one semester in another university. This opportunity has allowed them to develop research and industrial partnerships. To this purpose, the approach provided by the I.N.C.A.S. as Research Partner is oriented towards Problem Based Learning and Project Organized Learning. The University as Organizer provides Project Related Courses and complementary Project Organized Learning. The research was oriented towards the customized design of a drone able to efficiently achieve the objective. The benefits of the research project are related mainly to the potential applications of the drone, with a good effect to cost ratio and to allowing the students to subsequently acquire valuable professional knowledge and experience from this research project

Tadeusza Lewowickiego pedagogiczny projekt wielokulturowości w kontekście pytań o Conditio Humana

The presented article is the continuation of my research on Tadeusz Lewowicki’s pedagogical thought. Earlier, I focused on recognizing the concept of a human being and how it exists in T. Lewowicki’s scientific work as a pedagogical reflection. In this text, I make an attempt to embed pedagogical thoughts on a human being in the context of Tadeusz Lewowicki’s reflections on multiculturalism. My aim is to retry to recognize a human being (in the political project of multiculturalism) through questions about Conditio Humana. The context is provided by Hanna Arendt’s selected reflections on human condition as something closely (un)related to a human being and politics. The text is composed of three parts: the first introduces the issue of multiculturalism which is always a creation of a human being and politics; the second part concerns the influence of politics on “human life” (I have already used some motifs earlier, but without recalling them it is impossible to write about “human life” which in Lewowicki’s pedagogy is the condition for the emergence of a human being); the third, and the final part of the article is devoted to the need to ask questions about Conditio Humana as a pedagogical imperative of Professor Lewowicki’s project of multiculturalism.

THE LOVE STORY OF LAYLA AND MAJNUN AS A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION FOR THE CREATION OF THE FIRST OPERA IN THE MUSLIM WORLD

The story of the unlucky love of Layla and Majnun has stimulated the imagination of artists for almost fifteen hundred years, serving as an inspiration for a growing number of works of art. But it is not merely a simple story of young people who were in love but who were not meant to be together due to the girl’s parents’ objection, which caused the young man to lose himself in his obsessive and self-destructive feelings. The tale of the crazy poet Majnun and his beloved girl also has a deeper meaning to it as it constitutes a pattern for searching one’s own spiritual path resulting from the necessity to renounce simple human desires. The last decades have brought numerous multi-cultural projects based on the story of Layla and Majnun, which proves unflagging interest in this 7th century Bedouin tale; new operas about them have been written as well. This article presents the story of the unlucky poet as the source of inspiration for the creation of the first opera in the world of Islam. It briefly discusses the importance of Bedouin poetry from the first millennium AD, including the story of Layla and Majnun, in the context of the development of classical Arabic poetry, it also signals its impact on the European culture. Apart from that, it presents the composer and the circumstances in which the first operatic work ever created in the Muslim world – the work being part of the mugham trend – was written.

Contested integration: hegemony projects in the field of education in Austria

ABSTRACT The Austrian policy landscape with regard to the educational integration measures directly or indirectly targeting migrant children is characterized by inconsistency and the concurrence of integrative and segregative measures. We ask how these discrepancies can be interpreted without being reduced to mere inconsistencies and why, in the context of the ongoing normalization of the political right, integrative measures have not (yet) disappeared completely. Based on interviews with experts, we identify three distinct – integrative, multicultural, and segregative – hegemony projects pursued by different social forces through various discursive and institutional strategies. The integrative hegemony project seeks social redistribution through comprehensive, rights-based measures; the multicultural project seeks to promote recognition for cultural diversity; and the segregative hegemony project seeks to re-signify integration through mechanisms of assessment, discipline and control. Although our sample is limited in terms of representation, our research speaks to the ongoing societal contestation over the means and meaning of integration.

Liberal Articulation of Islamophobia

This article seeks to examine academic scholarship on Islamophobia in the West that attributes anti-Muslim racism to a crisis of multiculturalism and proposes the recuperation of the liberal multicultural ethos as a countermeasure to redress Islamophobia without investigating its complicity with racism. Through an analysis of Pearl Abraham’s novel American Taliban (2010), I probe an ambivalence at the heart of the liberal multicultural project of recognition (for the other) and argue that despite its claims of libertarian principles of justice and equality, multicultural recognition becomes the ideological backdrop against which changing contours of Islamophobia are articulated. This is unpacked through a fissure in Abraham’s narrative which, on the surface, draws upon the Hegelian principle of intersubjective recognition in order to critique the illiberal paradigm of Islamophobia and its concomitant framework of the clash of civilizations. Yet, it remains complicit with anti-Muslim racism through the generation of another Manichean frame that shifts reductive constructs of dangerous alterity to the Muslims who follow the normative tradition of Islam. At the same time, it offers positive recognition to Sufi Muslims who are aligned with secular liberalism. With a critical focus on Abraham’s novel, this paper deploys G.W. F. Hegel’s concept of ‘becoming’ with Gregory Lipton’s ‘critique of the secular reconstruction of Sufism in order to explore the complicity of multicultural recognition with Islamophobia, and, thus, it nuances the existing Western scholarship.

Effect of Prior International Experience on Cultural Intelligence Level and Cross-Cultural Adjustment Among Temporary Project Team

Globalisation is no longer a new phenomenon in recent years. Many businesses employ eligible expatriates to work in their organisations, including the construction sector. The ability of an expatriate to adapt effectively across cultures is commonly referred to as cultural intelligence (CQ) and cross-cultural adjustment (CCA). Both are cited as essential factors for expatriate performance in the international workplace. Nevertheless, the interrelationship between the CQ of the international construction project team and CCA has mostly been ignored. Hence, this study intended to explore the correlation between CQ and CCA levels among construction expatriates and further investigated the effect of prior international experience on their CQ and CCA level. Spearman rank correlation and Mann-Whitney U test were conducted on the 191 responses accepted. The results revealed their CQ has positively and significantly correlated with CCA, i.e. general, work and interaction, particularly in motivational CQ. Moreover, expatriates' prior international experience in the study domain could lead expatriates to a lower CQ and a lower adjustment level. Respondents with prior international work experience had a higher CQ level. However, the longer the period of previous international work experience, the weaker the cognitive CQ and behavioural CQ. This study can contribute to the predictors affecting the outcome of international assignments that can be employed to select the right applicants to fit into a multicultural project team in the construction industry.

Exploring the Influence of Culture in the Present and Future of Multicultural Organizations: Comparing the Case of Spain and Latin America

The present is bringing about significant change in many aspects of our lives, and this impact has also reached project management. Working with multicultural and virtual teams makes it necessary to review how these teams are managed in order to achieve the expected success of a project. A survey has been designed based on the six cultural dimensions proposed by Hofstede. It was completed by engineering students from Spain and Latin American countries, and defines behaviors associated with each cultural dimension and was personalized for a university context, in which the participants were living. Apart from perceived behaviors, the survey also measures desired ones. Therefore, its analysis makes it possible to detect both the existing differences between students in the countries analyzed, as well as the differences between the current situation and the desired situation perceived by participants. The latter information is relevant for anticipating possible changes in the behavior of teams in multicultural organizations. The results lead us to reflect on the aspects that can help to strengthen teamwork and its management when dealing with multicultural projects, especially those involving professionals from Spain and Latin America.

In whom do we trust? Critical success factors impacting intercultural communication in multicultural project teams

Trust is a significant enabler for intercultural communication in project teams. Researchers and practitioners, therefore, need to know which factors might enhance trust in intercultural communication. Contributing to the yet limited number of studies in the field of intercultural communication for multicultural project teams, this research theoretically analyzes and empirically investigates the enablers of trust for intercultural communication focusing on emotional intelligence, empathy, interaction, and transparency. Using a field sample of 117 experienced project managers working in multicultural project teams, we find that interaction and transparency significantly and positively influence trust in intercultural communication; empathy marginally and positively influences trust. Emotional intelligence does not exert an effect on it. These results provide novel theoretical and empirical insights which have practical implications for project managers. The findings direct suggestions for additional theoretical work.

Educating hypocrisy: private–public partnerships and management of multicultural projects in Taiwan

ABSTRACT The years following the end of martial law and the democratization of Taiwan have been marked by sizable political and social reform. In the interests of increasing social participation and decreasing direct state control of economic and social development programs, public–private partnerships (PPP) have been emphasized as the primary means to provide public services. Through an investigation into the functioning of a landmark project in the newest wave of educational reform orientated toward the localization and indigenization of elementary school educational materials, this paper will investigate the role that private entities have taken in the provision of education services. The extent that the privatization of education services serves to meet the goals and standards of Indigenous education will be discussed using a theoretical framework developed through the application of Tribal Critical Race Theory and Culturally Responsive Schooling. Semi-structured interviews with administrators, teachers, artists, and editors tasked with developing Indigenous centered learning materials problematize and question the procedural norms, conflicts of interest, and structural bias exacerbated by the increased presence of private entities. Through the experiences and counter narratives of participants, the issues of local alienation, limited consultation, and restricted Indigenous participation are revealed to be core issues in promoting Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination, tackling racism, and engaging with Indigenous epistemologies. This rare evaluation of the means by which multicultural education projects are realized by market-based forces acts to highlight the obstacles and practical limitations of PPP in the provision of essential public services in Indigenous areas.

Diversity and Communication in Virtual Project Teams

Introduction: Virtual teams, especially project teams, increasingly rely on computer-mediated communication for interaction when collaborating and completing their tasks. Team members represent various cultures, occupations, and industries. Virtual teams often use English as a business lingua franca in communication. This study investigates critical factors related to virtual project teams that influence computer-mediated communication. Research questions: 1. How is diversity in video meetings experienced by the members of multidisciplinary and multicultural project teams? 2. Do differences in team members' occupational or industrial backgrounds show in their opinions on video meetings? Literature review: The effectiveness of communication has been identified as playing a critical role in the success of virtual projects. Diversity, whether disciplinary or cultural, enriches teamwork by bringing different viewpoints to discussions. On the other hand, diversity can also set some challenges for communicating these viewpoints. Research methodology: Mixed methods were used to analyze data obtained from 104 responses to an online survey. Spearman's correlation coefficient and Kruskall-Wallis nonparametric tests were used for statistical analysis, and open comments were analyzed using thematic content analysis. Results and conclusion: The findings show that linguistic, cultural, and occupational diversity facilitates communication in virtual project team meetings. In addition, applying appropriate features of video meeting tools in different stages of project teamwork leads to better communication in virtual teams. A high level of English proficiency is not required, but clear communication rules are essential. In addition, some occupational or industry-specific differences in opinions on communication could be identified.

Decolonizing the British Army: a preliminary response

Abstract Following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on 25 May 2020, anti-racist protests occurred across America and Europe. As a result, public institutions in the UK have begun to re-examine their cultures and practices to ensure not only that they are non-discriminatory, but also that they are actively anti-racist. The Army will not be immune to this process. Indeed, senior commanders including the Chief of the Defence Staff have already embraced the ‘decolonizing’ programme. Since 2000, the Army has incorporated significant numbers of Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) soldiers; just over 10 per cent of the Army is now BAME. This article examines the integration of minority soldiers over the last two decades in order to assess the prospects of ‘de-colonization’ in the Army today. Despite the apparent success of the Army's integration policy, this article identifies three obstacles which still obstruct minority integration and are likely to impede de-colonization. Firstly, the majority of the Army's BAME soldiers are not British citizens, but foreign and Commonwealth nationals. Secondly, the young age of the majority of British soldiers generates interactional dynamics in barracks and training which often accidentally excludes foreign minority soldiers. Thirdly, the military ideal of the British Army remains understandably Anglo-Saxon. This article considers the tensions inherent in the Army's multicultural project and lays out suggestions about how they might be overcome to pursue a de-colonizing agenda.

Student engagement for intercultural learning in multicultural project groups via the use of English as a lingua franca

ABSTRACT In light of increased cross-border movements of students to pursue their academic studies, university educators in many contexts are concerned about a lack of interactive engagement among students from different cultural backgrounds because of the use of L2 in international programmes. This study explores how students develop engagement in intercultural learning settings via mixed-group project work in an international curriculum provided by a Chinese university. 19 students in six mixed project groups participated in this qualitative study at three time points during one semester, with collected data including videoed project meetings after class and student presentations in class, student interviews, and student reflective essay writing. Analyses of video data identified the multifaceted nature of student engagement in intercultural learning, including collaborative, cognitive, emotional, and intercultural engagement, as well as their non-linear changing trajectories. Contrastive analysis of students’ interviews and reflections between successful and less successful groups further identified factors affecting student engagement. Implications are discussed for international and intercultural curriculum design to promote student engagement in intercultural learning.

Elite education and problems of forming professional elites

The real world is experiencing serious transformational changes associated with the crisis of the globalist (monopolar and multicultural) project and the growth of post-industrial trends. Under these conditions, the role of many professional elite communities is also changing, as well as the emphasis of their assessments and roles in the global social process. Since elites are in every field of professional activity, it is needed to study the phenomenon of the elite from the viewpoint of the community of certain selected groups responsible for forming a response to the challenge of their era. The goal of the present work is to show the role of elite (open and high-quality) university education in the formation of professional qualities of contemporary elite communities. The authors used various methods ranged from dialectics and hermeneutics to comparative studies and semiotics. This set of research methods allowed penetrating the depth of the qualitative parameters of elite communities, as well as giving them a comprehensive assessment. In this regard, a special role is given to the principles of personalism, which reveal the depth of the elite personality and the meaning of their creative process. It is this task, i.e. uncovering the meaning of the work of outstanding personalities that is a new word in the development of modern elitology as the science of elite (as a form) and elitism (as content). The results of the present work concern justification of the need for elite education in the implementation of meritocratic projects and gradual abandoning of the dominance of oligarchic interference in its technological processes. The novelty of this situation lies in the fact that universities have to strengthen their qualitative potential in a transition period from late industrialism to early post-industrialism, which makes its impact on the whole process.

Infusing Multicultural Instruction: An Experiential Learning Project

The study investigated the effectiveness of a multicultural project implemented for the purpose of infusing multicultural instruction into a graduate level infant language disorders class in a speech-language pathology graduate program. The participants were 24 graduate students who ranged in age from 23-32, 20 were white, 4 were Black. A pretest and posttest survey were implemented along with journal entry thematic analysis to evaluate qualitative changes in learning. The results of the survey indicate that this experiential learning project can promote increased understanding, awareness and confidence in students related to multicultural issues. The journal analysis revealed that students were provided an opportunity to understand the impact of structural inequities related to intersectionality.