The cross-cultural adjustment of Taiwanese postgraduate students in England

This thesis critically reviews, evaluates and synthesizes theories of cross-cultural adjustment and international students’ sojourn activities, and develops a multi-layered and dynamic framework of cross-cultural adjustment. Empirical evidence, collected from the experience of Taiwanese postgraduate students in the UK, is used to build a grounded theory of cross-cultural adjustment. The process of cross-cultural adjustment is examined in terms of four key dimensions - self-identity, academic pursuit, affection and sojourn life-experience - each of which is broken down into more specific components (categories and sub-categories) according to the interview responses of the student sample. The result is an in-depth appreciation of the wide range of factors that contribute to the experience and challenge of cross-cultural adjustment for Taiwanese postgraduate students. For each of the four dimensions, certain core conditions are shown to give rise to specific adjustment phenomena which are shaped by certain contextual factors, and these phenomena give rise to a characteristic strategic response by the students, which then yields a specific consequence. The study shows that cross-cultural adjustment is a continuous process in which international students establish emotional alignment through social interaction and the articulation of their self-identity. The study provides a conceptual framework for future research into cross-cultural adjustment within different host countries, and also serves as a basis to help universities anticipate and manage effectively the adjustment problems faced by international students

The Missouri Miner, October 21, 1970

https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/missouri_miner/2956/thumbnail.jp

The real estate user charge and its impact on housing development in China

Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2006.Includes bibliographical references (p. 101-103).Off-budget public finance in China is an informal system of levies that emerges in response to local fiscal needs. Off-budget funds serve as part of local government revenue and help finance local government expenditures. In the real estate sector, local governments raise off-budget funds by charging many types of user fees on housing development. The user charge revenue is an important revenue source to finance urban public service expenditures. Some drawbacks of user charges such as legal ambiguity and the lack of transparency reflect noteworthy investment risks in Chinese housing development. Thus, a good understanding of the real estate user charges is critical for foreign and domestic developers who are interested in housing development in China. In this study, we have explored literatures about urban public service policies, presented facts about the current user charge practices, analyzed the costs incurred in use fee transactions, evaluated the efficiency and equity contributions of the current system, and illustrated important issues in details by a case study of a single user fee.(cont.) Based on our research, we argue that user charges are important financial instruments for urban public services such as water, gas, electricity, and sewage, whereas the current market is bearing a lot of transaction costs due to the incomplete legislation and the limitation of institutional settings. We recommend short-term and long-term strategies for future user charge reforms. Policy designed for improving the user charge system should be based on the particular circumstances in China. Reforms should proceed according to the evolution of the entire institutional environment and are expected to be gradual.by Hui Deng.M.C.P

Lecturers’ experiences of the implementation of an English medium of instruction in a teachers’ college in Zimbabwe.

Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, EdgewoodThe wave of internationalisation of higher education has rocked many nations in the world, such that most have adopted English as the language of communication. English is spreading rapidly as medium of instruction (EMI), forcing many higher education institutions to become international so as to attract students and staff from the international education market. Zimbabwe, like many other African countries, has also adopted EMI despite the fact that it is a second or third language for most learners. The need to compete in the global village has forced Zimbabwe to retain the language of its ex-colonial master. English thus has continued to be the medium of instruction in higher education. This study explored lecturers’ experiences in the implementation of an EMI in a teachers’ college in Zimbabwe, with the aim of answering the following questions: 1.What are the lecturers’ experiences on the implementation of English medium of instruction in a teachers’ college in Zimbabwe? 2. How are lecturers affected by their experiences of teaching through English medium of instruction in a teachers’ college in Zimbabwe? 3. Why do lecturers experience the implementation of English medium of instruction the way it happens in a teachers’ college in Zimbabwe? The study used the Translanguaging theory as its Theoretical framework. The research site was a teachers’ college, which is situated in Harare, Zimbabwe. The participants were 6 lecturers teaching at the teachers’ college in three subject areas namely: Mathematics, Physical Education and Theory of Education. The study adopted the Interpretevist paradigm and used a qualitative case study. Non-participant observations, semi-structured and focus group interviews were used as data generating methods. The thematic approach was used to analyse the data. Six major themes emerged from the findings. Firstly, lack of commitment by government to avail a clear EMI policy. Instead of availing a policy, government relies on the Education Act of 1987 which states that English is the medium of instruction from the fourth grade up to tertiary level, while indigenous African languages are taught as subjects. This makes it difficult for lecturers to implement EMI effectively because there are no clear guidelines on how lecturers should teach. Secondly, lack of commitment by the teachers’ college to avail an official document that stipulates the medium of instruction that enhances lecture delivery. Thirdly, failure by government to monitor the implementation of the Education Act of 1987 in relation to EMI. Fourthly, the government’s lack of support in funding the teachers’ college, which has resulted in failure by the college to extend infrastructure which includes a communication skills centre and a language laboratory to facilitate the learning and acquisition of English skills. Fifthly, the use of English and Shona code-switching in the lecture rooms as a way of bridging the difficulties faced by students in expressing themselves meaningfully in English (Shona, being the mother-tongue of many learners in the college and in Harare). Sixthly, poor English proficiency of students, resulting in both failure to participate in class and in grasping the content taught. Findings of this study indicate that the implementation of EMI in the teachers’ college is done in various ways depending on the lecturers’ views. In addition, students fail to participate fully in discussions and question and answer sessions due to limited English language proficiency. I therefore, concluded that lack of commitment by government and the teachers’ college to avail a clear language policy largely contributed to the diverse ways in which the EMI is implemented in the teachers’ college. The study also found that the language of instruction varies from lecturer to lecturer as some lecturers code-switched while others persistently used the English language but struggled to clearly articulate the content. Moreover, limited proficiency in English language by students led to challenges in understanding content, leading to poor results in assignments and examinations. The major recommendation of the study is that the Zimbabwean Government should produce a language policy that recommends that in addition to English, at least one official language of the linguistic region concerned, be used to complement the EMI to enhance improved teaching and learning by indigenous African lecturers and students without prejudice to other local languages spoken in Zimbabwe

Uncovering the processes and consequences of Egyptian immigrant parental involvement in their children’s education: Bridging cultural differences

Abstract For more than a decade, researchers have concluded that immigrant parents face several barriers to becoming involved in their children’s education. All studies agree that language and cultural differences are the most significant barriers to immigrants’ involvement in their children’s education, yet we know little about what these cultural differences are and how these cultural differences influence the school involvement of immigrant parents. This study integrates theories of cultural differences, acculturation, and culture shock and the corresponding literature to investigate the lesser involvement of immigrant parents in school-related activities. A focused ethnographic design was employed and a thematic analysis was conducted on data resulting from interviews comprised of hypothetical scenarios and open-ended questions given to twenty Egyptian immigrants and ten school personnel of the Waterloo Region District School Board. In addition, several close-ended questions were asked of Egyptian participants for the purpose of collecting demographic and language information. The findings of this study were categorized under four major themes of home-school relationship, cultural differences, acculturation journey, and resilience. Parent participants of this study had both positive and negative experiences with the Ontario educational system, were mainly involved in home-related activities and less involved in school-related activities, and had faced several barriers to their parental involvement in their children’s education. Unlike previous studies, this study found that cultural differences have both positive and negative influences on Egyptian immigrant parental involvement in their children’s education. The three identified cultural differences in this study are the consequences of the determined four cultural dimensions (high power distance, collectivism, high uncertainty avoidance, and high context); the differences between Ontario’s educational system and the educational system in participants’ home country; and the differences between the ways in which participants and school personnel expressed their concerns. In addition, the findings of this study provide an understanding of the conditions, processes, and outcomes of the acculturation journey that influence parent participants’ involvement in their children’s education. This study concludes by providing a comprehensive model to understand Egyptian parental involvement in their children’s education. The implications of this study are of special interest to school personnel, social workers, settlement workers, educators, researchers, and any stakeholders who work with immigrants in order to provide immigrants with the services that best meet their needs

Investigating e-procurement barriers within six Saudi Arabian SMEs

Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Bedfordshire.This study aims to investigate factors affecting the adoption of e-procurement in Saudi Arabian SMEs. The study adopted the Gunasekaran and Ngai (2009) model as a theoretical framework and foundation for the research to investigate current status and readiness, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, perceived critical success factors and perceived future organisational performance. Through an extensive literature review and detailed data analysis, the study extended the model to incorporate perceived cultural and external factors that were found to be necessary for the adoption of e-procurement in Saudi Arabian SMEs. Through case studies and AHP analysis, the proposed model elements were validated and prioritised in the Saudi Arabian context. Three different methods were adopted for data collection. First, an exploratory study was conducted to understand the current status of e-procurement and provide an overview of the factors that affect the adoption of e-procurement using the Gunasekaran and Ngai (2009) model.Second, a detailed survey was conducted to find the relative importance of various factors related to each of the five elements of the Gunasekaran and Ngai (2009) model. Third, detailed interviews were conducted across four selected SMEs to gain an insight into the factors that affect the adoption of e-procurement. The results of the exploratory study were helpful in identifying perceived factors that affect the adoption of e-procurement. Detailed survey analysis using AHP validated the theoretical framework and the relevance of the factors of the Gunasekaran and Ngai (2009) model. However, some of the factors were found to be more important than in the Gunasekaran and Ngai (2009) model, while others were less important. Results of the qualitative study (interviews) found additional factors that were relevant to each of the five elements of the GN model. They further suggested that “Current e-procurement activities” was an additional factor in the “current status and readiness” element and “Increased transparency” was an additional factor in the “perceived benefits” element. Similarly, the analysis of the qualitative results found two additional factors in the “perceived barriers” element (i.e. absence of e-procurement specific laws and regulations and lack of trust in the electronic transfer of funds), three additional critical success factors (i.e. cost-benefit analysis of the solution, technical maturity of the marketplace and user-friendliness of the solution) and two additional factors in perceived future organisational performance (i.e. strategic alliance and networking and knowledge management and data warehousing). Further, analysis of the qualitative findings revealed two additional elements (i.e. perceived external and perceived cultural factors). The study thus suggests that organisational culture, cultural inertia and business culture of the country are three important cultural factors that are perceived to affect the adoption of e-procurement, while government support, having one’s own postal addresses and delivery services, providing secure and trustworthy online payment options, low cost and high speed internet connection, suppliers’ willingness and readiness, pressure from competitors, policy and regulations are the seven important perceived external factors that affect the adoption of e-procurement in Saudi Arabian SMEs. The results of the qualitative data analysis led to the development of an extended Gunasekaran and Ngai (2009) model to incorporate perceived culture and perceived external factors. The study has significant implications in terms of further e-procurement research for SMEs in Saudi Arabia and also its adoption in the developing world in general