Multicultural Work Environment Research Articles

Global Horizons: Assessing the Impact of Study Abroad Programs on Intercultural Competence Development Pre-College Technology Students

Across fields, college and university graduates are increasingly expected to perform effectively in diverse, multi-cultural work environments. Given this reality, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are actively designing strategies to help students develop intercultural skills. Prior research has revealed that deliberately structured study abroad programs are an effective approach to nurturing intercultural competence among graduates. Consciously designed study abroad programs can provide students with opportunities to learn and reflect on their experiences. In this study, we aim to understand the impact of a study abroad program on pre-freshmen students enrolled in a College of Technology. Using a mixed-methods design, we examined the intercultural learning gains and experiences of the participating students. The results of the study showed that studying abroad contributed significantly to the intercultural development of the students. Additionally, the study characterized the challenges faced by the students and the valuable insights they gained while interacting with people from different cultures. In summary, our findings confirmed that study abroad programs can serve as a gateway for students by equipping them with the practical skills and strategies needed to navigate the complexities of cross-cultural interactions.

해외 자회사 내 지식 공유 촉진자로서의 현지 직원의 문화지능에 관한 연구

As the strategic importance of knowledge that resides in host county nationals (HCNs) increases, this study begins with the motivation to advance our understanding of HCNs’ cultural intelligence (CQ) as a prominent promoter of their knowledge sharing. Drawing on social identity theory, we hypothesized a serial mediation effect of (i) relationship between HCNs and expatriates, and (ii) HCNs’ organizational identification. We empirically tested the model with 414 responses collected by HCNs working for 16 foreign subsidiaries in Korea. Results from structural equation model show that high CQ of HCNs is positively related to the relationship between expatriates and HCNs. This positive relationship between two parties is found to facilitate organizational identification of HCNs. Lastly, it was shown that HCNs’ organizational identification has a positive impact on their active knowledge sharing within foreign subsidiaries. Moreover, we found that the impact of HCNs’ CQ on their knowledge sharing is fully mediated by two suggested mediators. This research contributes to investigating the role of CQ in knowledge management from the perspective of HCNs, rather than following extant studies that give more focus on expatriates. We also proposed the full mediation model that identifies the process by which HCNs’ knowledge sharing is promoted in a multicultural work environment.

INFLUENCE OF CULTURAL INTELLIGENCE ON WORK ADJUSTMENT: A REGRESSION-BASED STUDY

Globalization has led to an increase in cultural diversity in the software business, meaning that workers need to be culturally intelligent (CQ) to communicate with coworkers from various backgrounds and successfully navigate various organizational cultures. However, there is a lack of research on the influence of CQ on work adjustment among Indian software professionals working in culturally different states. Additionally, the relationship between CQ, job characteristics, and work adjustment remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the impact of CQ on job satisfaction and performance and identify areas for improvement in creating equitable and multicultural work environments. The findings will contribute to enhancing employees' cultural intelligence and promoting better work adjustment in the context of increasing cultural diversity and globalization. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which cultural intelligence can enhance work adjustment by exploring its impact on employees' job satisfaction and job performance. The study's ultimate sample size of 485 respondents was obtained using standardized instruments in a quantitative and cross-sectional methodology. Google Forms software was utilized to distribute the questionnaires online. The findings of this study provide valuable insights into effective strategies for enhancing employees' cultural intelligence and promoting better work adjustment in the context of globalization and increasing cultural diversity in the workplace.

USING CLIL IN PROFESSIONAL TRAINING OF FUTURE VOCATIONAL EDUCATION TEACHERS IN LEADING EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

The challenges of wartime have prompted Ukrainian researchers to seek the most effective methods for enhancing professional education, particularly professional training of future vocational education teachers. As a result, examining the leading European experience with content and language integrated learning (CLIL) in professional training programmes for future vocational education teachers is scientifically justified and necessary. It is found that the problem of using CLIL in professional training of future specialists is notably significant. In the context of globalization and European integration processes, future professionals must demonstrate high levels of foreign language competence and competitiveness in the international labour market. Leading European countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Spain, actively implement CLIL’s conceptual aspects in their training programmes. However, the specific features of these implementations, such as sectorality, strategies and approaches, assessment characteristics and material support, may vary. The main advantages and challenges of using CLIL in professional training of future vocational education teachers are identified. Based on leading European experiences, the most effective methods to enhance professional training through CLIL are substantiated. These methods include the development of integrated educational programmes, effective use of resources, differentiated instruction, systematic assessment and feedback, as well as reflective practice. Accordingly, relevant recommendations are proposed to improve professional training of future vocational education teachers in Ukraine by integrating key aspects of CLIL into curricula. It is defined that, by adopting these practices, future vocational education teachers can effectively employ CLIL to enhance both language and vocational learning, better preparing their students for success in global and multicultural work environments. Further research is aimed at analyzing the content of foreign language training for future vocational education teachers in developed countries.

The relationship between ethnocentric behaviour and workforce localisation success: The mediating role of knowledge sharing tendency

Ethnocentric conduct among employees is observed in multicultural work environments characterised by the presence of individuals from diverse origins. The existence of ethnocentrism inside the workplace has been observed to have repercussions for colleagues. Nevertheless, despite the significance of the aforementioned factors, there hasn't been a considerable pertinent scholarly study on how these aspects affect the localisation of human resources. This research closes the gap in the literature by integrating ethnocentrism and human resource localisation variables. We used Andrew F. Hayes PROCESS V4.0 to assess the hypothesised relationship between employees' ethnocentric behaviour and human resource localisation success. In addition, employee knowledge-sharing tendency works as a mediator, and employee cultural intelligence (CQ) is a moderated mediator. From the analysis of 361 respondents from multinational Company (MNC) workers, we found that ethnocentric behaviour reduces employee knowledge-sharing tendency among workers and, in return, reduces human resource localisation success. However, CQ moderates the mediated relationship between employee knowledge-sharing direction and localisation success. We also found that when employees have high CQ, the negative effect of ethnocentrism on localisation success weakens. Managers of multicultural organisations should reduce ethnocentrism to ensure the success of human resource localisation. MNCs can consider employing culturally intelligent individuals and giving them sensitivity training. Future research can integrate other variables, such as the firm's cultural characteristics, to continue this research domain. Further research can also consider collecting data from nations with high cultural distances; comparative studies between two countries are also encouraged.

Employee Performance in Multinational Corporations: The Impact of Cross-Cultural Training in the Globalized Era

In today’s era of rapid globalization, cultural conflicts among employees can pose a significant challenge to the development of multinational corporations (MNCs). This paper examines the impact of cross-cultural training on employee performance in MNCs. The literature review emphasizes the growing significance of International Human Resource Management (IHRM) and the crucial role of employee behavior and attitudes in shaping job performance. The study hypothesizes that cross-cultural training enhances the cross-cultural adaptability of expatriate employees, thereby positively impacting their performance. The methodology section outlines the methods used in the study for sample selection, variable measurement, data collection, and statistical analysis. The discussion section discusses the strategic costs of cultural integration within organizations. It emphasizes the importance of cross-cultural training in promoting effective communication, mutual understanding, and productivity in multicultural work environments. The paper highlights the need for MNCs to adapt to different cultural environments and achieve success in global business operations by fostering cross-cultural communication and collaboration.

Textual mediation for adult immigrants in initial teacher training

Initial teacher trainees are preparing for multilingualism and multicultural work environments that present the challenge of mediating texts aimed at teaching adult immigrants in an additional language. The study aims to investigate the perceptions of university education students regarding textual mediation suitable for immigrant adults. Qualitative inquiry involves 130 university students through discussion groups after a textual mediation intervention. Results emphasize the impact of applied practice on skill perception and acquisition across educational levels and highlight the necessity of integrating practical experiences into teacher training.

Psychological well-being in a multicultural work environment: The role of cultural intelligence

Psychological well-being in a multicultural work environment: The role of cultural intelligence

East Asian American cultural essentialism

East Asian American cultural essentialism

Management of a multicultural work environment in the 21st century: a bibliometric analysis

Management of a multicultural work environment in the 21st century: a bibliometric analysis

OPINIONS OF EUROPEAN MANAGERS ON THE CHALLENGES OF TEAM MANAGEMENT IN MULTICULTURAL WORK ENVIRONMENTS

In contemporary companies, the knowledge and experience of both employees and managers significantly influence decision-making, operational effectiveness, and strategy implementation, especially in conditions of the continuously increasing role played by international cooperation. Multiculturalism is not only a common feature of companies which operate in the global market but also increasingly a key factor when it comes to people management. Although cultural diversity can bring many positive effects, it can also be a source of a range of problems. Thus it is so important for managers of culturally diverse teams to understand the essence of multiculturalism, to be able to manage cultural diversity skilfully, and to endorse values and adhere to principles which are highly relevant in multicultural work environments. The study presented in the article (individual in-depth interviews) was conducted among managers from six European countries. The main aim of the study was to identify challenges posed by multicultural work environments based on the opinions of managers who work with multicultural teams. The theoretical part of the article explains the concept of multiculturalism and presents multiculturalism in the context of management in contemporary work environments. The empirical part discusses the results of the interviews and the resulting conclusions. Undoubtedly, multiculturalism poses numerous challenges to managers in the area of people management, and the results of the study have confirmed that managers face considerable challenges in multicultural work environments (especially in the areas regarding managers’ factual knowledge on and preparation for the management of teams, the level of their cultural intelligence, communication, and employee motivation).

Transcultural nursing leadership: A concept analysis

BackgroundGlobalisation, wars, competitiveness, and technological innovation have increased workplace diversity, requiring leaders to conduct multinational projects, lead people from different cultural backgrounds, and deliver appropriate services that meet the needs of clients from different cultures. Several concepts are interchangeably used to define and describe leadership in culturally-diverse work environments; one such concept is transcultural leadership. Because of nurses’ global migration and care delivery to patients from different cultural backgrounds, this concept is of interest in the nursing field. While some nurses have been identified as transcultural leaders, no definition of transcultural nursing leadership has been found in the literature. ObjectiveThis study aimed to develop an operational definition of transcultural nursing leadership. DesignA concept analysis was performed using Walker and Avant's method. MethodsA literature search was conducted using electronic databases, including CINAHL and MEDLINE, books, and encyclopaedias. Quantitative, qualitative, mixed- design studies and literature reviews; master's and doctoral theses; interviews; and text and opinion papers published in English, Spanish, or Portuguese that focused on leadership in multicultural work environments overall and in nursing in particular were included. To identify differences and similarities between the concepts, a Correspondence Factor Analysis with the support of the software IRaMuTeQ was undertaken. ResultsA total of 45 documents with definitions or descriptions of the concepts was included, of which five were in the nursing area and 40 in other areas of study. The defining attribute of transcultural nursing leadership is guiding the delivery of culturally-congruent care. Its antecedents were culturally-diverse populations, multicultural nursing teams, and the need to prepare healthcare workers, administrators, academics, professors, researchers, and minorities for transcultural nursing. The consequences identified included culturally-congruent care for patients and optimal health outcomes for all populations. The identified attributes, antecedents, and consequences did not cover the complexity of a culturally-diverse nursing work environment. Thus, the antecedents, attributes, and consequences of transcultural leadership identified in the literature were considered and added. ConclusionsTranscultural nursing leadership is a concept grounded in nursing theory that has significant implications for nursing management, education, research, and policy. This holds great promise for advancing culturally-congruent care, addressing health disparities, and building highly inclusive and productive nursing teams in an increasingly diverse world.

Workplace Diversity and its effects on team dynamics and productivity

This essay examines workplace diversity, focusing on the recently discussed growing challenges. In light of the demographic differences among employees in terms of age, gender, race, ethnicity, and culture that typically influence productivity and business performance, such a diverse or heterogeneous work environment is largely a result of trade liberalisation and globalisation, which enable productive factor inputs to travel freely between countries. The inclusion of workforce diversity comes with some benefits, such as the formation of a collaborative and team-based learning environment, better productivity, and higher profits. It is important to be aware that there are certain new problems with workforce diversity, such as a multicultural work environment, a vast talent pool that may be leveraged for innovation and creation, inter-functional coordination, complexity, and workplace discrimination. Globalisation, migration, the ageing population, outsourcing, women's employment, etc. all contribute to these problems. An organisation should have a framework for managing workplace diversity; this will allow for the best resource allocation to build a multicultural workforce that is engaged and productive. Keywords: Workplace Diversity, Discrimination, Globalization, Multicultural, Inter-functional, Team Participation

The Importance of Organisational Culture in a Multicultural Work Environment – a Preliminary Study

Organisational culture has been studied by researchers for decades. Their avid interest in this issue is primarily related to its considerable impact on various areas of organisational life and on a company’s relations with its environment. The importance of organisational culture is of particular relevance in multicultural work environments, in which managers’ daily work consists in dealing with employees from various national cultures and with multicultural teams pursuing a company’s goals. Organisational culture is directed at eliminating organisational behavioural ambiguity and promoting employees’ pro-effective behaviours, which seems particularly pertinent in case of a culturally diverse workforce.
 In the theoretical part of the article, the Authors define the term organisational culture, discuss the functions of this culture, and present the Cameron and Quinn competing values model, while in the research part, they describe the methodology of the study, report the results of the interviews, and draw the conclusions. The Authors conducted the interviews analysed in the article with the Polish, Spanish and Portuguese managers in 2022. The analysis of both the literature and the results of the study allowed them to demonstrate the importance of organisational culture in contemporary management, especially in the context of managing people in multicultural work environments.

Workplace English Training

In today's global society, business is increasingly conducted across borders, with English often used as the language of international communication. Being able to use English in the workplace has many benefits, including: helping your business succeed, building trust with colleagues and customers, building and improving international relationships, enhancing skills, earn good salaries and improve international relations through cultural understanding. Workplace cultures and organizations are changing as they adapt to globalization and rapid technological developments. Likewise, the nature and role of language in work and literacy requirements in the workplace are changing in the face of increasingly multicultural work environments and global networks of communication. Among these changes, recent research has highlighted the role of informal modes of interpersonal communication in the functioning of the modern workplace. Successful participation in such interactions should not only be seen as a matter of social inclusion but also as a verbal activity. This article reviews current research on the nature of language in the workplace, with particular attention to the contributions of ethnographic research and language socialization. It then discusses research on four aspects of language content in employment programs: employability skills, interpersonal communication, intercultural openness, and the importance of language and Pedagogy focuses on job interviews. These soft skills are just as important as your language skills in building lasting business relationships and can help you develop an awareness of cultural differences that can define how you communicate and how to interpret your words

Stressors in the multicultural construction working environment

Due to the dynamic and complex nature of the construction industry, construction workers are often exposed to a range of stressors which are causative factors for mental health problems. Simultaneously, intercultural contact between workers in a multicultural working environment may aggravate mental health issues. A better understanding of stressors can contribute to the development of targeted measures for mental health prevention and promotion. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the correlation between stressors and mental health for construction workers in a culturally diverse working environment. Data were collected using questionnaires from 252 construction workers in Australia. The Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyse the collected data. The results revealed the significant correlations between stressors and mental health outcomes and indicated the most significant stressors from work, personal and cultural domains. The findings provide valuable insights for practitioners and policymakers on the development of mental health interventions for construction workforce in a multicultural context. Researchers could also benefit from an in-depth comprehension on the causative factors of psychological issues in the construction industry.

Influence of intercultural competence on an organisation’s success and personal career: the case study of Lithuania

Abstract This paper aims to identify the influence of intercultural competence on an organisation’s success and personal career in Lithuania. The study described in this paper is a part of international research on intercultural competence. An online questionnaire survey was conducted in Lithuania with non-probability convenience sampling to find out the views of employees working in different sector organisations. The survey was filled out by 1193 respondents from Lithuania. Employees’ intercultural competence (knowledge/cognitive dimension, skills/behavioural dimension, and attitudes/emotional dimension) was evaluated using 5-point Likert items and is elaborated elsewhere. The multivariate analysis was used to analyse the survey data and test three hypotheses stating that (1) employees support the notion that higher intercultural competence can foster an organisation’s success and personal career, (2) organisations tend to leave the development of intercultural competence to employees, and (3) current intercultural knowledge and skills are inadequate to operate in a multicultural work environment. The analysis showed that half of the respondents agreed with the statement that the development of intercultural competence (ICC) helped the personal career and an organisation’s success. The statement regarding organisations tending to leave the intercultural competence development to their employees was only supported by less than one-third of the respondents. Besides, the data did not fully support the statement that employees’ current intercultural knowledge and skills were inadequate to operate in a multicultural work environment, as no more than one-third of the respondents had frequent or very frequent issues when communicating with foreigners due to inadequate intercultural knowledge and skills in various sub-areas. The paper elaborates on detailed results.

Internationalizing Higher Education Curricula: Strategies and Approaches

The COVID-19 global pandemic has put the growing reliance on international students in higher education into sharp relief. With the increasing emphasis on the value of higher education as both an export market and a revenue generator and the consequent increases in international student enrollment at colleges and universities, higher education leaders are seeking to provide curricula which reflect the global perspectives that students need to work and function within increasingly complex and multicultural work environments. A literature review was conducted to determine how institutions are approaching curriculum internationalization as a way to prepare students as global citizens. This paper explores four rationales for internationalization including the political rationale, the economic rationale, the socio-cultural rationale, and the academic rationale. We also provide an overview of strategies that can be utilized to internationalize higher education curriculum. These are centered on supporting faculty, developing partnerships, international student experiences, language integration, and curriculum learning outcomes. The following four common and evolving approaches for internationalizing curriculum are reviewed: the add-on approach, the infusion approach, the transformational approach, and the social responsibility approach. Several notable shortcomings in these approaches are outlined, and the paper concludes with a number of proposals for future empirical research in this area. This work helps to fill a gap in understanding how to implement these important curriculum reforms.

Thinking multiculturality in the age of hybrid threats: Converging cyber and physical security in Akkuyu nuclear power plant

Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) are the most protected facilities among all critical infrastructures (CIs). In addition to physical security, cyber security becomes a significant concern for NPPs since swift digitalization and overreliance on computer-based systems in the facility operations transformed NPPs into targets for cyber/physical attacks. Despite technical competencies, humans are still the central component of a resilient NPP to develop an effective nuclear security culture.Turkey is one of the newcomers in the nuclear energy industry, and Turkish Akkuyu NPP has a unique model owned by an international consortium. Since Turkey has limited experience in nuclear energy industry, specific multinational and multicultural characteristics of Turkish Akkuyu NPP also requires further research in terms of the Facility's prospective nuclear security. Yet, the link between “national cultures” and “nuclear security” is underestimated in nuclear security studies. By relying on Hofstede's national culture framework, our research aims to address this gap and explore possible implications of cross-national cultural differences on nuclear security. To cope with security challenges in the age of hybrid threats, we propose a security management model which addresses the need for cyber-physical security integration to cultivate a robust nuclear security culture in a multicultural working environment.

Communication Challenges for Foreign Workers within Multicultural Hospitality Working Environment: Case Front Office of Hotel X in Japan

AbstractAs tourism grows fast and tourism destinations develops well all around the world, the human capital in the sectors are the most important component of its business which deliver services. The grow affects all aspects of business including hospitality industry. A multicultural working environment in hospitality industry has been practiced since decades due to its international character of business. The condition brought communication challenges to the internal operations more particularly in the front-line departments. This research aims to find out the challenges for foreign workers in the process of communication and how they overcome any communication problems that may occurred in their day-to-day operations in a multicultural hospitality working environment. Different cultures may press the communication problems while the business is about serving people and ensure that all the guest needs are provided well in timely manner. The research is conducted in a three-star-rated hotel in Japan with a multicultural environment and may give insights to the hoteliers who aspire to embrace their future career abroad. The findings are quite interesting since culture is taking the most important part to overcome and handle the situation as it aims to maintain a good working environment.