Showing papers in "The International Journal of Diversity in Organizations, Communities, and Nations: Annual Review in 2007"

Diversity Management, Challenges and Opportunities in Multicultural Organizations

Abstract: ll1e imperativeness ofthe multicultural olXwlization, with a diverse workfurce, in thef(lce ofglobalization is increasing(y being emphasized. As against what obtains in monolithic organizations, corporations are now accepting and valuing a multicultural workforce comprising employees with diverse ethnic, racial, religious and gender backgrounds. This diversity necessitates adopting appropriate strategiesjur its management. Strategies/iJr managing such diversity in organizations are discussed together with the impact ofmulticulturalism on organizational behaviour. ll1e challenges and opportunities posed by an increasingly diverse culture as well as how a manager can respond to such diversity are presented. ll1e paper coneludes that it is imperative for employers and policy makers to undersland changing workjurce demographics and the impact o{increasing diversity on human behaviour in the workplace.

“They want us to be Afraid” Developing a Metric for the Fear of Terrorism

Abstract: There is a range of scales to measure different psychological and behavioural responses to fear in the research literature. However, there is no summative measure for community fear. In this paper the authors report on a major national survey of Australian Muslims and the broader community that creates a metric, or barometer, to measure fear among communities in Australia after 9/11. The paper will also report on major qualitative research investigating community responses to the media and political discourses on terrorism and fear. These quantitative and qualitative data provide a picture Australian Muslim communities under siege. The findings reported in the paper are a part of an Australian Research Council (ARC) project on the responses of Muslim communities to media reporting on terror.

Ethnic identity and subjective wellbeing: connections and possibilities

Abstract: The benefits of multicultural societies, and the contributions made by immigrant populations to daily life in their adopted countries, have been discussed in the literature for many years. In some countries like Australia, first and second generation immigrants comprise a large proportion of the population, suggesting that ongoing research on issues of cultural diversity and psychological wellbeing in these countries are likely to benefit our understanding of multicultural societies in general. Recent developments in the understanding of subjective wellbeing encourages the use of this variable to inform the potential of ethnic identity to influence an individual’s sense of personal wellbeing. Using the homeostatic model of subjective wellbeing as a foundation, this theory-based paper discusses relationships between ethnic identity and the homeostatic model, outlines some of the complexities involved in measuring these constructs, and suggests a way ahead for future research.

Why International Students are at Greater Risk of Failure: An Inconvenient Truth

Abstract: This paper considers the reasons for the comparatively negative progression rates for international students in the Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Sydney over the past five years in light of data from the MASUS (measuring academic skills of university students) diagnostic language test, the Student at Risk program run in the Faculty over the past three years and the seventeen years experience of the author working in the area of language and learning in Australian universities. The results show that although language is a major factor, other factors ranging from government policy to time management have a marked effect on the relationship between academic standards and the culturally diverse university.

Refining Tourist’s Place Experience through Placemaking: Concepts and Correlations

Abstract: Experiencing places is an integral process in tourism. The outcome of the experience will either have a longlasting impact on the tourists or just merely a short-term impression of the place visited. Studies on tourist experience have been widely discussed to better understand the diverse processes and variables involved in creating a positive tourist experience.Place experience is closely related to both fields of landscape architecture and tourism planning. Spaces created become places, and places act as the setting where tourists interact with the people and experience the environment of the destination visited. Experiences are undoubtedly different from one tourist to another as each tourist brings with them diverse backgrounds, conceptions and expectations. Therefore, as designers and planners of places, it is vital to understand what makes a great destination in order to give a high quality of experience to tourists. Placemaking and creating sense of place are noted by various literatures as being important in building and strengthening an identity for the attraction. The concepts of place, place experience, tourist experience and placemaking will be further discussed in this paper. It will subsequently talk about the correlation among these concepts in relation to refining tourist’s place experience. Place characters that have significant roles in creating a more refined place experience have also been identified. In creating places for tourism, it is essential to focus on the characteristics of the place that appeal to the tourists, as the atmosphere created will influence the value of experience gained by the tourists. A pilot study on the Middle Eastern

Coming Together: Power, Rank and Intercultural Interaction. Developing Inclusive Approaches in Higher Education

Abstract: Increasing global migration and interconnectedness presents us with the challenge of finding ways to incorporate diversity and its inherent potential for change. The higher education field exemplifies these global trends as international students from a variety of cultural backgrounds choose to study overseas. One of their important motives in doing so is the opportunity to gain intercultural experiences. Yet consistently they report dissatisfaction with the nature and frequency of their interactions with and among members of the host culture. Educational institutions face losing a lucrative market if they do not pick up the opportunity to engage differently with this diversity. The challenge is to facilitate interactional experiences that will improve working relationships and provide potential for ongoing collaboration between all students and between students and staff of all backgrounds. University of South Australia recognises the potential of inclusivity in developing qualities of global citizenship among all students and is researching critical elements that make a difference. This paper explores alternative interactive strategies being developed at UniSA that explore the effect of differing worldviews on interaction among international and local students and staff. This inclusive model is based on Process Oriented Psychology which emphasises change through increasing awareness among participants. It discusses the critical role of intercultural interaction in developing awareness about cultural assumptions and expectations of themselves and others, and how these shape ongoing and future interactions. Central aspects that have previously received little attention are the role and impact of rank in determining a dominant communication style and how each person’s culturally defined understanding of power and rank impact their ability and choices to contribute in any given context.

Overseas Chinese as expatriate managers in China: is their recruitment a solution to cross-cultural management problems for multinationals operating in China?

Abstract: This paper examines the issue of diversity in Chinese identity and how it impacts on the operations of multinationals in China who recruit Overseas Chinese to handle cross-cultural issues. China’s rapid economic development and entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001 made her a formidable player in the global economy and direct foreign investment surged. Yet it is acknowledged that for the foreign investor in China, cross-cultural issues create difficulty at every level, from the interpersonal level relating to communication and negotiation, to the organizational level relating to decision making, human resource management practices, corporate legal institutions and liaison with government institutions. Western multinationals have considered the advantages of posting Overseas Chinese from Southeast Asian countries, Taiwan and Hong Kong to their China operations as a solution to cross-cultural management issues. But has this policy been successful? In terms of language expertise this would seem to be a good strategy, yet organizational case material contradicts this in reality. Overseas Chinese, while sharing some elements of Chinese culture with mainland Chinese, the Confucian heritage and other aspects such as language and diet, nevertheless have different world views and values and behave differently from mainland Chinese in areas critical to business management. As a survival strategy, Overseas Chinese have often developed dual identities which operate simultaneously. For political and historical reasons, many of them have had to adapt to the local culture of their country of citizenship or even hide their own ethnicity in order to survive. On the other hand, the mainland Chinese are different in that their behaviour has only had to be Chinese, but overlaid with this has been the experience of participating in a communist political environment for decades, which has left its mark on mainland Chinese culture. On the basis of their different historical experiences, in the current business environment in China, cultural confusion, difficulty and conflict may occur for the Overseas Chinese. This paper focuses attention on the subtle cultural differences between the Overseas Chinese and mainland Chinese in an organizational context. This problem has yet to be researched in depth within international business and international management studies. It provides evidence that Overseas Chinese are not often favoured by the local Chinese. It gives insights on how to manage the local Chinese for foreign multinationals operating in China.

Pan-Asian identity in a globalizing world

Abstract: For many East and South East Asian youth, global citizenship is an increasing reality. This raises new research questions of the process of acculturation and ethnic identity. East and South East Asian immigrants and student sojourners in Australia and New Zealand may embody multiple ethnic backgrounds, speak several regional languages and sometimes live for extended periods of time in two or more Asian states or country. This paper challenges the concept of ethnic essentialism or a single cultural adaptation and explores the notion of a regional Pan-Asian identity that extends beyond the barriers of the Asian continent to a globalizing world.