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Du Y, He H, Chu Z. Cross-cultural nuances in sarcasm comprehension: a comparative study of Chinese and American perspectives. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1349002. [PMID: 38445055 PMCID: PMC10912319 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1349002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
It is evident that sarcasm can be interpreted differently due to various factors, However, rare research was conducted to investigate the influence of national culture on sarcasm comprehension despite its valuable theoretical implication. This study used an online rating task to explore how national culture impacts the comprehension of sarcasm, focusing on the differences between Chinese and American cultural values (i.e., power distance, uncertainty avoidance, collectivism, long-term orientation, and masculinity) and their influence on comprehending sarcastic praise and criticism. The study showed that Chinese participants tend to understand sarcasm less than Americans. It also found that Power Distance is linked to better sarcasm comprehension in both cultures, while Uncertainty Avoidance has a negative effect on it, especially in Chinese participants. Collectivism is also associated with improved sarcasm comprehension, especially in Chinese participants. However, Masculinity and Long-Term Orientation do not seem to have a significant impact on sarcasm comprehension, regardless of nationality or the type of comment (praise or criticism). Overall, the study reveals nuanced differences in how cultural values shape the comprehension of sarcasm in Chinese and American contexts, underscoring the complex interplay between culture and communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiran Du
- Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Huimin He
- English Language Centre, School of Languages, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
| | - Zihan Chu
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
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2
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Raineri A, Kausel E, Jin Z, Chamorro N. Cultural differences in intertemporal decision making: A comparison between Chile and China. J Exp Anal Behav 2023. [PMID: 37203271 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
A cross-cultural comparison is made of delay discounting in samples of participants from Chile and China. Comparisons are made based on previous literature that suggests that individuals from an Asian culture should be willing to postpone delayed rewards more than are individuals from a Latin American culture. To test the cross-cultural validity of a hyperbolic discounting model, the model was fitted to both data sets. Additionally, a self-enhancement measure was evaluated as a potential mediator between culture of origin and delay discounting. Seventy-eight college students from China and 120 college students from Chile, with similar demographic backgrounds, discounted hypothetical monetary outcomes using an adjusting-amount titration procedure. Additionally, participants completed a self-enhancement measure. Age, academic major, gender, and grade point average were controlled. Chilean participants discounted much more steeply than Chinese nationals did. No support was obtained for the mediation of self-enhancement between culture of origin and degree of delay discounting. In both samples, delay discounting was better described by a hyperboloid than an exponential function, the only exception being the $10,000 condition in which the medians for Chilean participants' present subjective value were equally well explained by a hyperboloid and an exponential function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrés Raineri
- School of Management, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Macul, Santiago, Chile
| | - Edgar Kausel
- School of Management, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Macul, Santiago, Chile
| | - Zhang Jin
- School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Natalia Chamorro
- School of Management, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Macul, Santiago, Chile
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3
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Huang X, Gupta V, Feng C, Yang F, Zhang L, Zheng J, Van Wart M. How National Culture Influences the Speed of COVID-19 Spread: Three Cross-Cultural Studies. Cross Cult Res 2023; 57:193-238. [PMID: 38603334 PMCID: PMC9703026 DOI: 10.1177/10693971221141478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected 222 countries and territories around the globe. Notably, the speed of COVID-19 spread varies significantly across countries. This cross-cultural research proposes and empirically examines how national culture influences the speed of COVID-19 spread in three studies. Study 1 examines the effects of Hofstede's national cultural dimensions on the speed of COVID-19 spread in 60 countries. Drawing on the GLOBE study (House et al., 2004), Study 2 investigates how GLOBE cultural dimensions relate to the speed of the pandemic's spread in 55 countries. Study 3 examines the effect of cultural tightness in 31 countries. We find that five national cultural dimensions - power distance, uncertainty avoidance, humane orientation, in-group collectivism, and cultural tightness - are significantly related to the speed of COVID-19 spread in the initial stages, but not in the later stages, of the pandemic. Study 1 shows that the coronavirus spreads faster in countries with small power distance and strong uncertainty avoidance. Study 2 supports these findings and further reveals that countries with low humane orientation and high in-group collectivism report a faster spread of the disease. Lastly, Study 3 shows that COVID-19 spreads slower in countries with high cultural tightness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Huang
- California State University, San
Bernardino College of Business and Public Administration, San Bernardino, CA, USA
| | - Vipin Gupta
- California State University, San
Bernardino College of Business and Public Administration, San Bernardino, CA, USA
| | - Cailing Feng
- School of Public Management, Nanjing Agricultural
University, Nanjing, China
| | - Fu Yang
- School of Business Administration, Southwestern University of Finance
and Economics, Chengdu, China
| | - Lihua Zhang
- School of Labor and Human
Resources, Renmin University of
China, Beijing, China
| | - Jiaming Zheng
- School of Labor and Human
Resources, Renmin University of
China, Beijing, China
| | - Montgomery Van Wart
- California State University, San
Bernardino College of Business and Public Administration, San Bernardino, CA, USA
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Badar Nadeem Ashraf, Sadok El Ghoul, John W. Goodell, Omrane Guedhami. What does COVID-19 teach us about the role of national culture? Evidence from social distancing restrictions. Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money 2022; 80. [ DOI: 10.1016/j.intfin.2022.101647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, we exploit the immediacy, magnitude, and global extent of the COVID-19 shock to investigate the role of national culture in determining differences in publicly imposed social distancing restrictions. Employing the Stringency Index of the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker database for 85 countries, we find that countries with higher values of Hofstede’s power distance adopted more stringent social distancing measures in response to COVID-19. In contrast, countries with more heightened individualism and long-term orientation implemented fewer such policies. Further, culture impacts the quickness to adopt social distancing policies. Results are robust to using alternative measures of national culture and controlling for endogeneity. They are also robust to extending the sample to the end of June 2021, using daily observations. Results suggest that societies rich in the cultural qualities of individualism and long-term orientation, often seen as promoting economic cooperation and stability, are less effective at dealing with sudden and transformative public policy crises than those with high levels of power distance. Results confirm the potent role of national culture in impacting institutions.
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Thomas J, Verlinden M, Al Beyahi F, Al Bassam B, Aljedawi Y. Socio-Demographic and Attitudinal Correlates of Problematic Social Media Use: Analysis of Ithra's 30-Nation Digital Wellbeing Survey. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:850297. [PMID: 35295774 PMCID: PMC8918624 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.850297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Time spent on social media continues to rise globally. For some individuals, social media use can become maladaptive and associated with clinically significant social and occupational impairments. This problematic social media use (PSMU) is also linked with poorer health and wellbeing. Much of our existing PSMU knowledge comes from single nation studies, heavily focused on adolescent and college-age samples. This study uses data from Ithra's 2021 global digital wellbeing survey to explore rates of PSMU and identify socio-demographic and attitudinal correlates. Participants (N = 15,000) were representative adult samples (N = 500) drawn from 30 nations. All participants provided socio-demographic data and completed a measure of PSMU, along with questions assessing attitudes toward social media and general usage patterns. PSMU prevalence was 6.82%, varying from 1.7 to 18.4% between nations. Multivariate logistical regression identified several correlates, including national culture, age, parenthood and frequency of use. These findings can help inform public policy and public health initiatives to reduce PSMU prevalence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Thomas
- Department of Psychology, College of Natural and Health Sciences, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Marina Verlinden
- Department of Psychology, College of Natural and Health Sciences, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Fahad Al Beyahi
- King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Yasmin Aljedawi
- King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
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Abstract
In this study, a systematic and comprehensive meta-analysis of the relationship between thriving at work and its antecedents is conducted. The antecedents in terms of the characteristics of unit contextual features, the resources produced at work, agentic work behaviors, and personality traits are illustrated according to the socially embedded model of thriving described by Spreitzer and research. Additionally, we examine possible cultural influence on the relationship between thriving and its antecedents at different levels of individualistic culture. According to 67 independent samples (N = 28,097), our findings reveal the correlations between thriving at work and the antecedents such as those in the form of unit contextual features, the resources produced at work, agentic work behaviors, and personality traits. Furthermore, we find that individualism moderate the relationships between certain antecedents and thriving at work. Finally, we discuss the theoretical and practical implications of this study as well as the directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danping Liu
- School of Management, Xihua University, Chengdu, China.,Research Institute of International Economics and Management, Xihua University, Chengdu, China
| | - Siwen Zhang
- Darla Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Yanling Wang
- Business School, Yunnan University of Finance and Economics, Kunming, China
| | - Yufei Yan
- School of Business Administration, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu, China
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Yildiz B, Yildiz H, Ayaz Arda O. Relationship between work-family conflict and turnover intention in nurses: A meta-analytic review. J Adv Nurs 2021; 77:3317-3330. [PMID: 33855744 DOI: 10.1111/jan.14846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
AIM This meta-analytic review aimed to synthesize and analyse studies that explored the relationship between nurses' work-family conflicts and turnover intentions. DESIGN This meta-analytical review was conducted according to the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines and PRISMA checklist. DATA SOURCES A total of 191 (k = 14) publications published between 2005 and 2019 in English, including grey literature on turnover intention and work-family conflict, were retrieved from PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, ProQuest and Scopus databases. REVIEW METHODS Studies on the relationship between work-family conflict and turnover intention were summarized. RESULTS An overall effect size of r = .28 (N = 5781, 95% CI [0.23-0.33]) was obtained, indicating a moderate, positive and significant relationship between work-family conflict and turnover intention. The moderator analysis showed that individualism and long-term orientation accounted for 90% of effect size heterogeneity of work-family conflict and turnover intention relationship. CONCLUSION Exploring the correlation between work-family conflict and turnover intention can provide guidelines and recommendations for the development of strategies to promote nurse retention and alleviate the nursing shortage. National culture, particularly individualism and long-term orientation, were found to play a significant moderator role in this relationship. Cultures that are highly individualistic and have a long-term orientation have a diminishing effect on the relationship between work-family conflict and turnover intention. IMPACT Work-family conflict and turnover intention are significantly correlated factors regardless of the studies' cultural characteristics examined in this study. Policymakers and managers should consider this finding and develop strategies that provide a balance-oriented work design to prevent nurse shortage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bora Yildiz
- Faculty of Economics, Department of Management, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Harun Yildiz
- Ömer Seyfettin Faculty of Applied Sciences, Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University, Bandırma/Balıkesir, Turkey
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Adam Zaremba, Renatas Kizys, Panagiotis Tzouvanas, David Y. Aharon, Ender Demir. The quest for multidimensional financial immunity to the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from international stock markets. Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money 2021; 71. [ DOI: 10.1016/j.intfin.2021.101284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
What determines a country’s financial immunity to a global pandemic? To answer this question, we investigate the behavior of 67 equity markets around the world during the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020. We consider a multidimensional data set that includes factors from finance, economics, demographics, technological development, healthcare, governance, culture, and law. Our study also accounts for government interventions, such as containment and closure policies, and economic stimuli. We apply machine learning techniques, panel regression, and factor analysis to ascertain sources of financial immunity to the coronavirus pandemic. Our findings demonstrate that stock markets in countries with low unemployment rates and populated with firms with conservative investment policies and low valuations relative to expected profits tend to be more immune to the healthcare crisis. We also find that firm government policy responses tend to support stock markets in times of the pandemic.
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Yang Meier D, Barthelmess P, Sun W, Liberatore F. Wearable Technology Acceptance in Health Care Based on National Culture Differences: Cross-Country Analysis Between Chinese and Swiss Consumers. J Med Internet Res 2020; 22:e18801. [PMID: 33090108 PMCID: PMC7644382 DOI: 10.2196/18801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The advancement of wearable devices and growing demand of consumers to monitor their own health have influenced the medical industry. Health care providers, insurers, and global technology companies intend to develop more wearable devices incorporating medical technology and to target consumers worldwide. However, acceptance of these devices varies considerably among consumers of different cultural backgrounds. Consumer willingness to use health care wearables is influenced by multiple factors that are of varying importance in various cultures. However, there is insufficient knowledge of the extent to which social and cultural factors affect wearable technology acceptance in health care. Objective The aims of this study were to examine the influential factors on the intention to adopt health care wearables, and the differences in the underlying motives and usage barriers between Chinese and Swiss consumers. Methods A new model for acceptance of health care wearables was conceptualized by incorporating predictors of different theories such as technology acceptance, health behavior, and privacy calculus based on an existing framework. To verify the model, a web-based survey in both the Chinese and German languages was conducted in China and Switzerland, resulting in 201 valid Chinese and 110 valid Swiss respondents. A multigroup partial least squares path analysis was applied to the survey data. Results Performance expectancy (β=.361, P<.001), social influence (β=.475, P<.001), and hedonic motivation (β=.111, P=.01) all positively affected the behavioral intention of consumers to adopt wearables, whereas effort expectancy, functional congruence, health consciousness, and perceived privacy risk did not demonstrate a significant impact on behavioral intention. The group-specific path coefficients indicated health consciousness (β=.150, P=.01) as a factor positively affecting only the behavior intention of the Chinese respondents, whereas the factors affecting only the behavioral intention of the Swiss respondents proved to be effort expectancy (β=.165, P=.02) and hedonic motivation (β=.212, P=.02). Performance expectancy asserted more of an influence on the behavioral intention of the Swiss (β=.426, P<.001) than the Chinese (β=.271, P<.001) respondents, whereas social influence had a greater influence on the behavioral intention of the Chinese (β=.321, P<.001) than the Swiss (β=.217, P=.004) respondents. Overall, the Chinese consumers displayed considerably higher behavioral intention (P<.001) than the Swiss. These discrepancies are explained by differences in national culture. Conclusions This is one of the first studies to investigate consumers’ intention to adopt wearables from a cross-cultural perspective. This provides a theoretical and methodological foundation for future research, as well as practical implications for global vendors and insurers developing and promoting health care wearables with appropriate features in different countries. The testimonials and support by physicians, evidence of measurement accuracy, and easy handling of health care wearables would be useful in promoting the acceptance of wearables in Switzerland. The opinions of in-group members, involvement of employers, and multifunctional apps providing credible health care advice and solutions in cooperation with health care institutions would increase acceptance among the Chinese.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Yang Meier
- International Management Institute, School of Management and Law, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Winterthur, Switzerland
| | - Petra Barthelmess
- International Management Institute, School of Management and Law, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Winterthur, Switzerland
| | - Wei Sun
- International Management Institute, School of Management and Law, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Winterthur, Switzerland
| | - Florian Liberatore
- Winterthur Institute of Health Economics, School of Management and Law, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Winterthur, Switzerland
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10
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Habel J, Jarotschkin V, Schmitz B, Eggert A, Plötner O. Industrial buying during the coronavirus pandemic: A cross-cultural study. Industrial Marketing Management 2020. [PMCID: PMC7245239 DOI: 10.1016/j.indmarman.2020.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
With the onset of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, industrial suppliers are increasingly challenged to close their open sales opportunities and keep generating business. Against this backdrop, the authors of this study investigate which offerings industrial customers are most likely to purchase as the pandemic progresses. Drawing on positive decision theory and empirically investigating 31,353 sales opportunities across 57 countries, the authors show that the coronavirus pandemic significantly decreases industrial customers' purchase probability, especially for high-priced offerings. In countries with low uncertainty avoidance and strong long-term orientation (e.g., China, India, Singapore), purchase probability is less affected by the pandemic. The coronavirus pandemic even increases purchase probability for offerings with low prices in countries where cultures are simultaneously uncertainty-avoidant and short-term oriented (e.g., Argentina, Brazil, Mexico). This is presumably because customers safeguard their operations in the face of impending supply shortages. Consequently, this helps suppliers focus on the right sales opportunities to secure their business during exogenous global shocks such as the coronavirus pandemic. The coronavirus pandemic decreases industrial customers' purchase probability. The purchase probability of low-priced offerings is affected less This probability even increases in short-term oriented and uncertainty-avoidant countries. The purchase probability of high-priced offerings decreases more strongly. This probability decreases less in long-term oriented and uncertainty-avoidant countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Habel
- Warwick Business School, Scarman Rd, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom
- Corresponding author.
| | - Viktor Jarotschkin
- Paderborn University, 33098 Paderborn, Germany
- ESMT Berlin, Schlossplatz 1, 10178 Berlin, Germany
| | | | | | - Olaf Plötner
- ESMT Berlin, Schlossplatz 1, 10178 Berlin, Germany
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11
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Abstract
National culture has been overlooked in discussions related to research output and impact owing to individual, socio-political structure, and economic factors. This study shows the relationships between the dimensions of cultural value orientation of the nation and research output & impact. More than 60 countries were included, and Spearman correlation analysis was employed. The variables were taken from Geert Hofstede and Scimago Journal & Country Rank worksheets. This study found that (1) Power distance - the positive inclination of the culture toward power disparities among people - is negatively correlated with research impact; (2) Individualism - the level of independence a society keeps up among its individuals - are positively correlated with research output and research impact; (3) Indulgence - the degree to which society members do not attempt to control their urges - is positively correlated with research impact; and (4) after controlling the Log GDP per capita, uncertainty avoidance - the manner in which that a society seeks to manage the actuality that the future can never be controlled - is negatively correlated with research impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juneman Abraham
- Psychology Department, Faculty of Humanities, Bina Nusantara University, Jakarta, 11480, Indonesia
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12
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Friese C, Nuyts N, Pardo‐Guerra JP. Cultures of care? Animals and science in Britain. Br J Sociol 2019; 70:2042-2069. [PMID: 31682001 PMCID: PMC6916317 DOI: 10.1111/1468-4446.12706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
It is becoming increasingly common to hear life scientists say that high quality life science research relies upon high quality laboratory animal care. However, the idea that animal care is a crucial part of scientific knowledge production is at odds with previous social science and historical scholarship regarding laboratory animals. How are we to understand this discrepancy? To begin to address this question, this paper seeks to disentangle the values of scientists in identifying animal care as important to the production of high quality scientific research. To do this, we conducted a survey of scientists working in the United Kingdom who use animals in their research. The survey found that being British is associated with thinking that animal care is a crucial part of conducting high quality science. To understand this finding, we draw upon the concept of 'civic epistemologies' (Jasanoff 2005; Prainsack 2006) and argue that 'animals' and 'care' in Britain may converge in taken-for-granted assumptions about what constitutes good scientific knowledge. These ideas travel through things like state regulations or the editorial policies of science journals, but do not necessarily carry the embodied civic epistemology of 'animals' and 'science' from which such modes of regulating laboratory animal welfare comes.
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Abstract
While economic investments and organizational reforms may support Germany's scientific ambitions, its culture remains a significant influence on how those ambitions work themselves out. The study relied on interviews with 125 Israeli scientists and on responses of nineteen of their German collaborators to a questionnaire. Data analysis found four cultural priorities that - in the context of comparisons with Israeli scientific culture - respondents suggest cut short the potential of German science: privileging technology over meaning and insight, privileging hierarchy over creativity, privileging cosmos over chaos, and privileging German over English. Respondents suggest that these cultural priorities silence alternative points of view and censor young scientists, limit motivation and stifle imagination, preordain problem-solving orientations, and restrict communication flows. As they consider policy targets for 2020 and beyond, the new German government, foundation leaders, and scientists need to discuss those cultural challenges. The study calls for scholars in science and technology studies to pay more attention to national cultures as decisive factors in framing the limits and possibilities of science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gad Yair
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
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14
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Heist BS, Matsubara Torok H, Michael Elnicki D. Working to Change Systems: Repatriated U.S. Trained Japanese Physicians and the Reform of Generalist Fields in Japan. Teach Learn Med 2019; 31:412-423. [PMID: 30849234 DOI: 10.1080/10401334.2019.1574580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Phenomenon: Internationally, efforts to produce an adequate supply of effective generalist physicians commonly encounter resistance. Achieving reform requires changes in educational and clinical practice cultures, and clinician educators play a central role in championing change. In Japan, training in generalist fields has historically been lacking, but for decades the government has advocated alignment with Western models. Meanwhile, some Japanese physicians have pursued U.S. training in generalist fields with intention to help change the clinical education and practice systems back in Japan. This study examines the endeavors of repatriated Japanese International Medical Graduates and provides a lens to understanding national challenges with reform and insights into strategizing next steps. Approach: Individual, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 purposively sampled Japanese IMGs who had repatriated across Japan after completing U.S. clinical residency in generalist fields. Iterative data collection and thematic analyses were performed using constant comparison. Findings: Participants identified Japanese medical universities and public sectors as steeped in traditions with systemic inertia. In turn, participants described well-informed career decision making involving connections and teammates, which commonly resulted in employment at new or smaller hospitals. Education-related efforts prioritized direct clinical work with physician trainees in the hope of building expansive lineages of educators. Main challenges were Japanese structural and cultural incongruences with Western generalist-based clinical practice. Participants described a competitive relationship with the long-standing ikyoku-based postgraduate education model and associated organ-based organization of clinical practice. Insights: Japanese IMG championing of clinical education and practice in generalist fields is largely marginalized within Japan's clinical education and practice landscape. National-level reform will require transforming or displacing the structurally and culturally rooted traditional infrastructure. Specific measures must be culturally nuanced but likely include those proven effective for similar reforms elsewhere. Based on Japan's national cultural characteristics, sustained leadership is anticipated to be particularly important.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian S Heist
- a Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine , Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , USA
| | - Haruka Matsubara Torok
- b Department of Internal Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School , Minneapolis , Minnesota , USA
| | - D Michael Elnicki
- a Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine , Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , USA
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Vila V, Zhuang J, Tan E, Thorne S. Reflections on Nursing Educational Advancement Within Diverse and Evolving National Cultural Contexts. Int J Nurs Educ Scholarsh 2018; 15:/j/ijnes.2018.15.issue-1/ijnes-2018-0017/ijnes-2018-0017.xml. [PMID: 29694330 DOI: 10.1515/ijnes-2018-0017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Accepted: 04/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
As the development of nursing education becomes increasingly internationalized, it is tempting to focus on universal aspects of the discipline rather than explicitly emphasizing the distinct national cultures and contexts within which our profession and its educational styles and approaches have evolved. Capitalizing on an opportunity for comparative critical reflection on the relevant political, economic and social histories that have underpinned the development of nursing education in China, Brazil and Canada - three countries united by shared values about equity and access to health services - we sought to deconstruct the manner in which these forces have shaped the national differences in the way we conceptualize and deliver nursing education. On this basis, we examined the implications for the advancement of nursing education within each national context, recognizing the fundamental relevance of indepth critical reflection for optimizing nursing's advocacy capacity within each of our national health care and policy systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Vila
- School of Social Science & Health, Pontificial Universidade Catolica de Gioas, Goiania, Goias, Brazil
| | - Jiayuan Zhuang
- School of Nursing, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Elsie Tan
- School of Nursing, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Sally Thorne
- University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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16
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Noort MC, Reader TW, Shorrock S, Kirwan B. The relationship between national culture and safety culture: Implications for international safety culture assessments. J Occup Organ Psychol 2015; 89:515-538. [PMID: 27773968 PMCID: PMC5064631 DOI: 10.1111/joop.12139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2014] [Revised: 10/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In this article, we examine the relationship between safety culture and national culture, and the implications of this relationship for international safety culture assessments. Focussing on Hofstede's uncertainty avoidance (UA) index, a survey study of 13,616 Air Traffic Management employees in 21 European countries found a negative association between safety culture and national norm data for UA. This is theorized to reflect the influence of national tendencies for UA upon attitudes and practices for managing safety (e.g., anxiety on risk; reliance on protocols; concerns over reporting incidents; openness to different perspectives). The relationship between UA and safety culture is likely to have implications for international safety culture assessments. Specifically, benchmarking exercises will consistently indicate safety management within organizations in high UA countries to be poorer than low UA countries due to the influence of national culture upon safety practices, which may limit opportunities for identifying and sharing best practice. We propose the use of safety culture against international group norms (SIGN) scores to statistically adjust for the influence of UA upon safety culture data, and to support the identification of safety practices effective and particular to low or high UA cultures. Practitioner points National cultural tendencies for uncertainty avoidance (UA) are negatively associated with safety culture. This indicates that employee safety‐related attitudes and practices may be influenced by national culture, and thus factors outside the direct control of organizational management. International safety culture assessments should attempt to determine the influence of national culture upon safety culture in order that benchmarking exercises compare aspects of safety management and not national culture. Safety culture against international group norms (SIGN) scores provide a potential way to do this, and can facilitate the identification of best practice within countries operating in a low or high UA cultural cluster.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark C Noort
- London School of Economics and Political Science UK; NATS Whitely UK
| | - Tom W Reader
- London School of Economics and Political Science UK
| | - Steven Shorrock
- EUROCONTROL Brétigny-sur-Orge France; School of Aviation University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales Australia
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Abstract
The management of safety culture in international and culturally diverse organizations is a concern for many high-risk industries. Yet, research has primarily developed models of safety culture within Western countries, and there is a need to extend investigations of safety culture to global environments. We examined (i) whether safety culture can be reliably measured within a single industry operating across different cultural environments, and (ii) if there is an association between safety culture and national culture. The psychometric properties of a safety culture model developed for the air traffic management (ATM) industry were examined in 17 European countries from four culturally distinct regions of Europe (North, East, South, West). Participants were ATM operational staff (n = 5,176) and management staff (n = 1,230). Through employing multigroup confirmatory factor analysis, good psychometric properties of the model were established. This demonstrates, for the first time, that when safety culture models are tailored to a specific industry, they can operate consistently across national boundaries and occupational groups. Additionally, safety culture scores at both regional and national levels were associated with country-level data on Hofstede's five national culture dimensions (collectivism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity, and long-term orientation). MANOVAs indicated safety culture to be most positive in Northern Europe, less so in Western and Eastern Europe, and least positive in Southern Europe. This indicates that national cultural traits may influence the development of organizational safety culture, with significant implications for safety culture theory and practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom W Reader
- London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK
| | - Mark C Noort
- London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK
| | - Steven Shorrock
- EUROCONTROL, Brétigny-sur-Orge, France
- School of Aviation, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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Jippes M, Majoor GD. Influence of national culture on the adoption of integrated medical curricula. Adv Health Sci Educ Theory Pract 2011; 16:5-16. [PMID: 20658354 PMCID: PMC3074082 DOI: 10.1007/s10459-010-9236-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2009] [Accepted: 05/12/2010] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Integrated curricula have been implemented in medical schools all over the world. However, among countries different relative numbers of schools with integrated curricula are found. This study aims to explore the possible correlation between the percentage of medical schools with integrated curricula in a country and that country's cultural characteristics. Curricula were defined as not integrated if in the first 2 years of the program at least two out of the three monodisciplinary courses Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry were identified. Culture was defined using Hofstede's dimensions Power distance, Uncertainty avoidance, Masculinity/Femininity, and Individualism/Collectivism. Consequently, this study had to be restricted to the 63 countries included in Hofstede's studies which harbored 1,195 medical schools. From each country we randomly sampled a maximum of 15 schools yielding 484 schools to be investigated. In total 91% (446) of the curricula were found. Correlation of percent integrated curricula and each dimension of culture was determined by calculating Spearman's Rho. A high score on the Power distance index and a high score on the Uncertainty avoidance index correlated with a low percent integrated curricula; a high score on the Individualism index correlated with a high percent integrated curricula. The percentage integrated curricula in a country did not correlate with its score on the Masculinity index. National culture is associated with the propensity of medical schools to adopt integrated medical curricula. Consequently, medical schools considering introduction of integrated and problem-based medical curricula should take into account dimensions of national culture which may hinder the innovation process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariëlle Jippes
- Department of Educational Development and Research FHML, Maastricht University, POB 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
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