Business Commons^™

Influences Of Native American High School Students' Financial Knowledge And Behavior, Lorna Saboe-Wounded Head

Lorna Saboe-Wounded Head

The purpose of this quantitative study was to identify the relationship between culture, family socioeconomic status and community infrastructure to financial knowledge and behavior of Native American high school students in Montana, New Mexico, and South Dakota. A secondary analysis of survey data gathered in the 2008 Oweesta Jump$tart Study was analyzed by conducting an ANOVA comparison of means. The National Jump$tart survey was administered at high schools with a high population of Native American students in Montana, New Mexico and South Dakota. In the original study, questions were added to the survey instrument to collect demographic data. This dissertation …

The Dark Side Of Creative Tourism: A Philosophical Dialogue With Culture, Babu P. George

Babu George

Cross-Cultural Issues In Employee Performance And Talent Management In The Middle East, Aloma Jayasundera, Babu P. George

Babu George

National-Cultural Differences In Ethical Decision Making: A Comparison Between Oman And United States University Business Students, Candace Mehaffey-Kultgen, Babu P. George, Gregory Weisenborn

Babu George

Can Asians Be Creative?, Chua, Roy Y. J., Jerry Zremski

Roy CHUA

A crotchety American named Henry Ford invented a modern, fast and efficient way to manufacture automobiles and a Japanese man named Eiji Toyoda refined and perfected it. A series of innovators across the western world developed the television - and the tech specialists at Sony, Toshiba and a host of other Asian companies found ways to make TVs better, cheaper, faster. And an idiosyncratic Californian named Steve Jobs invented a company that made a smart phone for the masses - and then outsourced the manufacturing to China. If you detect a pattern here, you are not alone. Asia may be …

Geo, Audio, Video, Photo: How Digital Convergence In Mobile Devices Facilitates Participatory Culture In Libraries, Peta Hopkins, Joanna Hare, Jessie Donaghey, Wendy Abbott

Wendy Abbott

Libraries are often hailed as the cultural and learning hub of their communities. To deepen community engagement and social inclusion, libraries are adopting new technologies to facilitate a participatory and learning culture. With market saturation of smartphones and tablets and their associated apps, new affordances for content creation, curation and sharing show great potential to enhance participatory culture. The typical smartphone or tablet now incorporates digital technologies such as geo-location, audio, video, photo and web technologies. Bringing these technologies into a single device has enabled the development of apps such as Instagram, HistoryPin and SoundCloud. It has also changed the …

Economics As A Cultural System, Raymond Benton

Raymond Benton Jr.

This article is an attempt to think about economic theory. The vehicle for thinking about it will be anthropology's concept of culture; the end result will be to suggest that economics is a cultural system, more specifically, that economics is a sacred cultural system. In order to give expression to this view it will be necessary to first sketch the concept of culture as created and historically transmitted systems of symbols and meanings. The argument has been brief and suggestive rather than long and decisive; more exploratory than conclusive. If it is correct, or at least correct in its orientation, …

Framing The Game: Assessing The Impact Of Cultural Representations On Consumer Perceptions Of Legitimacy, Ashlee Humphreys, Kathryn A. Latour

Kathryn A. LaTour

No abstract provided.

Innovating At Cultural Crossroads: How Multicultural Social Networks Promote Ideas Flow And Creativity, Roy Y. J. Chua

Roy CHUA

Diversity in social networks is often linked to enhanced creativity. Emerging research on exposure to diverse informational resources (e.g., ideas and knowledge) however has painted a more complex picture regarding its effect on individuals’ creative performance. This research examines the effects of culturally diverse networks on the flow of ideas and individuals’ creativity. Combining social network analysis with experimental methods, two studies using different samples found that a culturally diverse network increases the likelihood of receiving culture-related novel ideas (but not other types of novel ideas) from network contacts, whether or not these contacts share one’s own culture of origin. …

A Research Framework For The Impact Of Cultural Differences On It Outsourcing, Anil Gurung, Edmund Pratter

Anil Gurung

Contracting Global Virtual Teams as part of global IT outsourcing is currently en vogue. As might be expected when virtual team members are from different countries, cultural factors play an important role in the success of outsourcing. However, there have been very few studies that assess the effect of culture on IT outsourcing and virtual teams. This conceptual paper addresses this oversight by looking at the effect of cultural differences on IT outsourcing and virtual teams' performance. The applicable literature on outsourcing, virtual teams and culture is analyzed and a framework of offshore outsourcing success is developed. This framework includes …

Cultural Implications Of Customer Satisfaction Differences Of Help Desks In The Us And China, William H. Bleuel, Terry Young, Wayne Gertmenian

William H. Bleuel

Customer satisfaction has become a very important aspect of business management in the high technology market. Companies that provide products and services world-wide often are concerned that customer satisfaction may be impacted by cultural differences. This study examines measures of customer satisfaction in two areas (China and the United States) to determine whether or not there is a difference in satisfaction scores provided by Help Desks. The trend in overall satisfaction over the seven year period from 2005 through 2011 is increasing in China faster than in the United States. Correlations between variously measured parameters of Help Desks and overall …

Cross-Cultural Customer Satisfaction Of High Technology Companies In China, India, And Japan, William Bleuel, Darrol Stanley

William H. Bleuel

Customer satisfaction has become a very important aspect of business management in the high technology market. Companies that provide products and services world-wide often are concerned that customer satisfaction may be impacted by cultural differences. This study examines measures of customer satisfaction in China, India and Japan to determine whether or not there is a difference in satisfaction scores for field service, depot repair and help desk. The statistical results at a 5% confidence level indicate there is a difference in customer perception in all service support areas. The results clearly indicate that companies need to understand these differences in …

Navigating The Life Cycle Of Trust In Developing Economies: One-Size Solutions Do Not Fit All, Laura Hartman, Julie Gedro, Courtney Masterson

Laura Hartman

Trust is critical to the development and maintenance of collaborative and cohesive relationships in societies, broadly, and in organizations, specifically. At the same time, trust is highly dependent on the social context in which it occurs. Unfortunately, existing research involving trust remains somewhat limited to a particular set of developed economies, providing a window to explore a culture's stage of economic development as a key contextual determinant of trust within organizations. In this article, we review the state of the scholarship on trust and identify those qualities of trust that are common in organizations at similar stages of economic development, …

Geo, Audio, Video, Photo: How Digital Convergence In Mobile Devices Facilitates Participatory Culture In Libraries, Peta J. Hopkins, Joanna Hare, Jessie Donaghey, Wendy Abbott

Peta Hopkins

Libraries are often hailed as the cultural and learning hub of their communities. To deepen community engagement and social inclusion, libraries are adopting new technologies to facilitate a participatory and learning culture. With market saturation of smartphones and tablets and their associated apps, new affordances for content creation, curation and sharing show great potential to enhance participatory culture. The typical smartphone or tablet now incorporates digital technologies such as geo-location, audio, video, photo and web technologies. Bringing these technologies into a single device has enabled the development of apps such as Instagram, HistoryPin and SoundCloud. It has also changed the …

Geo, Audio, Video, Photo: How Digital Convergence In Mobile Devices Facilitates Participatory Culture In Libraries, Peta J. Hopkins, Joanna Hare, Jessie Donaghey, Wendy Abbott

Jessie Donaghey

Libraries are often hailed as the cultural and learning hub of their communities. To deepen community engagement and social inclusion, libraries are adopting new technologies to facilitate a participatory and learning culture. With market saturation of smartphones and tablets and their associated apps, new affordances for content creation, curation and sharing show great potential to enhance participatory culture. The typical smartphone or tablet now incorporates digital technologies such as geo-location, audio, video, photo and web technologies. Bringing these technologies into a single device has enabled the development of apps such as Instagram, HistoryPin and SoundCloud. It has also changed the …

Crm In Russia And U.S. -- Case Study From American Financial Service Industry, Tamilla Curtis, Tom Griffin, Donald Barrere

Dr. Tamilla Curtis

This paper discusses Customer Relationship Management in two sharply contrasting business cultures: the United States and Russia. Included in the present work is a case study of a midsized American financial services firm that illustrates a common path to the decision to have a CRM system: the planning, selection, and the implementation of the CRM program, including a discussion of the likelihood of success. The clients in this case are Financial Advisors, who in turn sell the investment products to the end user individual investors. CRM in Russia is yet in its infancy as the economy emerges from 200 years …

Interpreting And Responding To Strategic Issues: The Impact Of National Culture, Susan C. Schneider, Arnoud De Meyer

Arnoud DE MEYER

Perceptions of environmental uncertainty and organizational control influence strategic behavior. As national culture influences these perceptions we expect to find cultural differences in interpretation and response to strategic issues. Given a case describing an issue concerning deregulation of the U.S. banking industry, managers completed questionnaires rating interpretations and responses to that issue. National culture was found to influence interpretation and responses. In particular, Latin European managers when compared with other managers were more likely to interpret the issue as a crisis and as a threat. Latin Europeans were also more likely to recommend proactive behavior. This study indicates that different …

Guanxi Vs Networking: Distinctive Configurations Of Affect And Cognition Based Trust In The Networks Of Chinese Vs American Managers, Roy Chua, Michael W. Morris, Paul Ingram

Roy CHUA

This research investigates hypotheses about differences between Chinese and American managers in the configuration of trusting relationships within their professional networks. Consistent with hypotheses about Chinese familial collectivism, an egocentric network survey found that affect- and cognitionbased trust were more intertwined for Chinese than for American managers. In addition, the effect of economic exchange on affect-based trust was more positive for Chinese than for Americans, whereas the effect of friendship was more positive for Americans than for Chinese. Finally, the extent to which a given relationship was highly embedded in ties to third parties increased cognition-based trust for Chinese but …

The Costs Of Ambient Cultural Disharmony: Indirect Intercultural Conflicts In Social Environment Undermine Creativity, Roy Y. J. Chua

Roy CHUA

Intercultural tensions and conflicts are inevitable in the global workplace. This paper introduces the concept of ambient cultural disharmony—indirect experience of intercultural tensions and conflicts in individuals' immediate social environment—and demonstrates how it undermines creative thinking in tasks that draw on knowledge from multiple cultures. Three studies (a network survey and two experiments) found that ambient cultural disharmony decreases individuals' effectiveness at connecting ideas from disparate cultures. Beliefs that ideas from different cultures are incompatible mediate the relationship between ambient cultural disharmony and creativity. Alternative mechanisms such as negative affect and cognitive disruption were not viable mediators. Although ambient cultural …

Early Determinants Of Women In The It Workforce: A Model Of Girls’ Career Choices, Monica Adya, Kate Kaiser

Monica Adya

Purpose – To develop a testable model for girls’ career choices in technology fields based on past research and hypotheses about the future of the information technology (IT) workforce.

Design/Methodology/Approach – Review and assimilation of literature from education, psychology, sociology, computer science, IT, and business in a model that identifies factors that can potentially influence a girl’s choice towards or against IT careers. The factors are categorized into social factors (family, peers, and media), structural factors (computer use, teacher/counselor influence, same sex versus coeducational schools), and individual differences. The impact of culture on these various factors is also explored.

Findings …

Cross-Cultural Study Of Channel Relationship Factors - Antecedents Of Satisfaction In A Retail Setting: A Commentary Essay, Sudhir H. Kale

Sudhir H. Kale

Channel relationships within and across diverse markets have been investigated for quite some time. Yet findings from these studies over the last forty years or so have been far from conclusive. Channel researchers Runyan, Sternquist, and Chung (forthcoming) investigate interrelationships between the behavioural constructs of role performance, dependence, conflict, satisfaction, and influence strategy in the U.S. and Japanese context. Reading this paper leads credence to the adage, 'The more things change, the more they stay the same.' Indeed, a review of representative comparative channels research literature from the 1980s and post-2000 brings to surface striking similarities in terms of shaky …

The Role Of Culture On New Product Development Decisions, Sudhir H. Kale

Sudhir H. Kale

This study investigates the effect of culture on the evaluation of new products. We contrast decision-making outcomes between East Asians and Westerners. East Asians tend to view the future as dynamic, nonlinear, and changeable and do not emphasize immediate gain and loss. In contrast, Westerners believe that the future is static, linear, and predictable and pay more attention to the past and present. We hypothesize that given a poor performance forecast, East Asians are more likely than their Western counterparts to continue a new product whereas Westerners are more likely to halt development. However, providing future market demand information moderates …

A Diagnosis Of Inherent Problems In Enhancing Service Quality Through Internal Marketing And Organizational Identification In Macau And Singapore Casinos, Sudhir Kale, Sangita De

Sudhir H. Kale

With spectacular growth in demand since opening the market to foreign competition, executives within the Macau casino industry have focused their attention on enhancing capacity and opening new casino properties. Meanwhile, the Singapore casino market, barely two years old, has already produced revenues comparable to the Las Vegas Strip. Despite stellar past successes, the long-term scenario for the casino industry in both Macau and Singapore could spell trouble. Specifically, service quality stands to suffer because operators have not devoted adequate thought to their service culture and internal marketing strategy. With overall capacity in Asia slated to increase significantly in the …

Organisational And Environmental Factors Related To Hrm Practices In Hong Kong: A Cross-Cultural Expanded Replication, James B. Shaw, Paul S. Kirkbride, Sara F. Y. Tang, Cynthia D. Fisher

Cynthia D. Fisher

Data were collected from 151 Hong Kong organisations to determine the effect of culture, firm size, level ofunionsation and several indices related to the presence of an HRM department within the firm on Human Resource Management (HR) practices. Culture was a relatively weak predictor of HR practices. Existence of an HRM department and level of unionisation were moderate predictors while firm size and the existence of specialised training departments within the HRM department were the strongest preditors of HR practices.

A Study Of Effective Leadership In The Chinese Context, Wai Kwan (Elaine) Lau

Wai Kwan (Elaine) Lau

The study of leadership is one of the most often researched management topics. However, most research and theory contributions are to a great extent limited to accounting for leadership practice in the West. This study is designed to develop an effective leadership model that works in the Chinese context. Paternalistic leadership, a dominant leadership style in an Eastern business environment, is compared with transformational leadership, a dominant leadership style in a Western business environment. In addition, the cultural differences between China and the West relating to leader-follower relationships suggest different leadership behaviors may be more effective in one of these …

Evaluation Of The Mandatory Construction Induction Training Program In Western Australia: Unanticipated Consequences, Susanne Bahn, Llandis Barratt-Pugh

Llandis Barratt-Pugh

Since January 1, 2007, Government legislation in Western Australia required all workers in construction to complete mandatory safety awareness training before they began work on site. During the implementation of this new legislation there was considerable resistance from the construction sector due to the mandatory nature of the training. The construction industry viewed this as an unnecessary impost as they considered that there was already sufficient safety training delivered through individual company and site inductions. In 2010, we evaluated the new Construction Induction Training (CIT) in the commercial construction sector in Western Australia to find that since 2007 there has …

The Invisible Hand Of Business Strategy Processes: Culture, Power And Politics In Stragegy In A Developing Country, Ananda Wickramasinghe

Ananda Wickramasinghe

This paper argues the reasons for limited compatibility of western strategic approaches with production relations in Sri Lankan tea plantation sector from findings of case study research. Reasons for this include the great diversity within the sector in relation to key issues including caste and class, ethnic groups and their political groupings, and in particular to modes of production which span traditional, capitalist and state capitalist models. Managers in developing countries struggle to assimilate such prescriptive perspectives and frameworks into their firms in response to external pressures. This suggests strategy research needs to be informed beyond generalised strategy and national …

Culture Of Social Institutions And Behavioural Manifestations In Entrepreneurship Development: A South-Asian Case, Helan Gamage, Ananda Wickramasinghe

Ananda Wickramasinghe

This paper is based on the South Asian culture, social institutions and entrepreneurship in particular to Sri Lankan entrepreneurship. Sri Lankan culture demonstrates various complex and unique behavioral patterns. Sri Lankan entrepreneurial culture can be identified to have evolved through two different routes. One can be traced to the origins of Sri Lankan civilization and the other to the western influence, originating from the Industrial Revolution, and imposed through colonization which systematically destroyed the indigenous feudal system. Moreover, the ideology of entrepreneurship training and education in Sri Lanka is exclusively western in origin and character. Observations of this research showed …

Globalisation And Enterprise Culture In Developing Economies: A Preliminary Assessment, Roshni Narendran

Roshni Narendran

The global environment has been susceptible to changes for centuries. In recent years, the process which have moved the world towards "global interdependence and exchange' have been known as globalisation (Mazuri, 2002). Globalisation led to changes in the social and economic environment, and in both developed and developing countries experienced opportunities for economic growth. This was an uneven process but provided opportunities for new entrepreneurial activities. According to Schumpeter (1934), entrepreneurial activities are the result of combinations from discovering new markets, new raw materials, new suppliers and new production methods. These entrepreneurial activities would enable opportunities to be exploited and …

Comparing Portrayals Of Beauty In Outdoor Advertisements Across Six Cultures: Bulgaria, Hong Kong, Japan, Poland, South Korea, And Turkey, Pamela Morris

Pamela K. Morris

This research expands scholarship on cross-cultural investigations by examining ideas of beauty through the lens of outdoor advertisements. Using a content analysis method, 293 images of women in outdoor advertisements from six different cultures, including Bulgaria, Hong Kong, Japan, Poland, South Korea, and Turkey, were reviewed through a framework of advertising and consumer culture, globalization, and theories of beauty. The findings revealed that differences across cultures exist and that beauty ideals are culture dependent.