Lingnan-BEL Workshop Session 6: Designing and Implementing
Cross-Cultural Research Dr. Andre Pekerti and Professor Victor
Callan
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Session 6:Overview Discussion on Culture >Application in
organisational research How do we study culture? >One culture,
multiple cultures >Comparisons Important issues in
cross-cultural studies >Data, Topic, Collaborators, Method Issue
of equivalence Examples of cross-cultural studies >Some
practical issues Developing Collaboration and Collaborators 2
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What Is Culture? Is this culture? 3
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What Is Culture? 4
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Norms, artifacts, behaviours, thought patterns - institutions
Most are observable Easiest to observe and change Rules Assumptions
Hidden dimension Most difficult to change or adjust Human nature -
Good or evil Values and Beliefs Expressions of assumptions; semi-
observable Ideas that people accept true about the world; specific
Essence of variability but still malleable Need for controls
Societal culture as a tree, Pekerti et al., (2011) 5 Cultural
Assumptions & Its Influence
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Culture Defined by GLOBE Study Shared motives, values, beliefs,
identities, and interpretations or meanings of significant events
that result from common experiences or members of collectives and
are transmitted across age generations (Global Leadership and
Organizational Behavior Effectiveness; Dorfman & House, 2004;
p. 57) >Exists at the group level >Experienced at the
individual and group level Individuals enact and perpetuate culture
through interactions and behaviours. >Wide range of
opportunities to develop research topics 6
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Organisational Values-Culture Societal culture as a tree,
Pekerti et al., (2011) 7
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How Do We Study Culture?
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Emic-Etic Observations Emic phonemic analysis Etic phonetic
analysis >Using familiar to apply to the unfamiliar Emic: single
culture Etic: more than one culture Both approaches support the
objectives of cross- cultural research: > to document valid
phenomena in culture(s) and >theory building 9
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Emic-Etic Observations (cont.) Emic a) Studies behaviour from
within the system. b) Examines only one c) Structure discovered d)
Findings are relative to internal characteristics of the culture 10
Etic a) Studies behaviour from outside the system b) Examines many
cultures by comparing them c) Structure created by the analyst d)
Findings are considered generalisable
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11 Steps To Think About When Conducting Cross-Cultural
Studies
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12 Steps To Think About When Conducting Cross-Cultural Studies
Emic China: Phenomena: Guanxi Other Culture: Phenomena: Networks
Emic B: Networks in Institutional void Are there Similarities?
Similar construct or concepts
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Cross-Cultural Study Involves Comparisons Intercultural:
Pertains to or taking place between two or more cultures;
>studying situations in a multicultural context. Cross-cultural:
Occurs within an intercultural or multicultural context;
>contrasting two or more cultures or cultural groups.
Cross-cultural study generally involves comparisons An
intercultural study may not involve comparisons 13
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What Issues Do You Think Are Important in Cross-Cultural
Studies?
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Important Issues in Cross-Cultural Studies Data >Need data
from at least two cultures >This is an opportunity for
collaboration with other people from different cultures Topic
>One that are interesting and current >Ones that potential
collaborators are interested in Collaborators >Ones that are
trustworthy, deliver 15
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Important Issues in Cross-Cultural Studies Method >Currently
the field demands rigor If you had to do a study on eating customs
what would you do? >Equivalence is crucial Appropriate
instruments Translations, back translations Matching sample Data
Requires checks and analyses to ensure equivalence Van de Vijver, F
& Leung, K. (1997). Methods and Data Analysis of Comparative
Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE. 16
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Examples of Cross- Cultural Studies
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Organisational Attribution Dr. Andre Pekerti
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20 Organisational Attributions
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Culture and Role Stress in the Workplace Professor Victor
Callan
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Culture and Role Stress
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How Do We Develop Collaboration and Collaborators?
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Collaboration and Collaborators Be acquainted >Meet at
conferences, select at conferences or linkages such as our
workshop, communicate regularly Set clear expectations ground rules
>Standards, co-authorship Be organised >Set deadlines,
deliver Develop ways to communicate regularly Be prepared to run a
marathon >Collaborations can be tedious but rewarding Celebrate
successes 28
