Self-construal and exposure to American entertainment and news programs among Malaysian youths

This study examined self-construal (self-independence/self-interdependence) of Malaysian youths, and its relationship with the exposure to American entertainment and news programs. A total of 401 Malay, Chinese and Indian youths participated in the survey by completing the self-administered questionnaires. The results revealed that the respondents exhibited fairly balanced levels of self-interdependence and self-independence. The Malay respondents showed somewhat a higher level of self-interdependence than that of the Chinese and Indians. The respondents who described self primarily in independent, rather than interdependent term, were more likely to have a higher level of exposure to American movies and music. Nevertheless, no significant difference was observed in the exposure to American news programs. The findings supported the contention on the role of self-construal in explaining the variation in the consumption of American movies and music among the youth in a non-western country

Supplication Leader Impression Management Strategy and Organizational Citizenship Behaviour of Tertiary Institutions in Port Harcourt, Nigeria

This is an expository study on leader impression management strategy and organizational citizenship behaviour of tertiary institutions in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. The purpose is to investigate the relationship between supplication leader impression management strategy and organizational citizenship behaviour. The objective is to determine how supplication as a dimension of leader impression management strategy influences the measures of organizational citizenship behaviour of tertiary institutions in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. The research design adopted for the study was cross-sectional survey. The population is composed of a total of 4000 non-academic staff of 4 tertiary institutions in Port Harcourt. The sampling procedure and sample size determination formula used for the study is the Krejcie & Morgan table. The validity was obtained through peer to peer and professional vetting, while the reliability test was based on the Cronbach alpha reliability test. The Spearman’s Rank Order Correlation Coefficient was the statistical tool; aided by the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The study found that leader impression management strategy significantly contributes to the achievement of organizational citizenship behaviour in tertiary institutions in Port Harcourt. The study recommends that the use of supplication strategy by leaders should be such that appeals to the interest and benefits of the subordinates and not as reveals the leader as weak or incapable. Keywords: Impression Management, Supplication, Organizational Citizenship Behaviour. DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/11-32-09 Publication date: November 30th 201

View it in a different light: Mediated and moderated effects of dim warm light on collaborative conflict resolution

How can the physical environment, especially light, facilitate conflict resolution? Previous research has led to no clear answers about optimal lighting conditions in conflict situations and, until now, potential moderators and mediators have been scarcely investigated. Building on research on light-induced cooperativeness, we expected that self-oriented individuals would be influenced by the lighting in social situations such as conflict resolution. In self-oriented individuals, dim warm light should promote interdependent self-construal and, in turn, lead to a preference for collaborative conflict resolution strategies. Two studies confirmed our assumptions, with social dominance orientation and trait interdependent self-construal serving as indicators of individuals' social orientation. Overall, these results provide an explanation for inconsistent previous findings and contribute to the understanding of light-induced changes in social behavior. Limitations as well as practical implications for lighting design in social spaces are discussed

State of the art themes in cross-cultural communication research: A systematic and meta-analytic review

Based on a meta-analysis of 60 empirical studies, a systematic review and integrative analysis of the empirical research on the effects of cultural values on communication is provided. The most commonly stated hypotheses pertaining to the links between cultural values and communication are summarized and quantitatively tested by the means of meta-analysis. Specifically, the analyses assessed the direct effects of cultural values (individualism, masculinity, power distance, uncertainty avoidance) on communication patterns (indirectness, self-promotion, face-saving concerns, attitudes to silence, openness, interruption, personal space, high-context communication, deception, dramatism, and ritualism). Significant results showed that: (1) individualism is positively related to direct communication and self-promotion, and negatively related to sensitivity and face-saving concerns and the propensity to use deception; (2) high power distance is positively related to sensitivity and face-saving concerns and indirect communication and negatively related to a propensity to interrupt; (3) masculinity is positively related to a self-promoting communication style and direct communication and negatively related to sensitivity and face-saving concerns; and (4) uncertainty avoidance is positively related to both sensitivity and face-saving concerns. Finally, a moderator analysis indicated that cultural effects are stronger for men and culturally tight societies. The small dataset and the a possibility of systemic omission of relevant data due to the file-drawer problem is a threat to validity of the reported findings, so this report should be taken as a meta-analytic summary of the available empirical evidence and not as conclusive results

Exploring cross-cultural differences and similarities: use of self construal and conflict management styles among students in the U.S. and Latvia

Thesis (M.A.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2010"In this study 87 students from the U.S. and 111 students from Latvia responded to the questionnaire concerned to their perception of conflict management styles and self construal in conflict situations with close friends. The goal of the study was to explore the use of the key variables cross-culturally. Several key findings resulted. First, findings revealed that in both cultures in conflict situations with close friends used more cooperating conflict style than dominating and avoiding. Second, the study showed that U.S. Americans used more independent self construal and Latvians used more interdependent self construal. Third, this study finding showed that in the U.S. American sample independent self construal relate to use of the cooperating conflict style and in the Latvian sample interdependent self construal related to use of the cooperating conflict style. Additionally in this study was found that conflict management questionnaire items in both cultures loaded similarly in dominating and avoiding. Cooperating items in both cultures loaded differently. Last, was no similarities found in factor loadings between U.S. Americans and Latvians. This study attributed for farther exploration of conflict management style and self construal use and understandings cross-culturally"--Leaf iii1.1. Review of related literature -- 1.1.1. Cross-cultural characteristics of friendship -- 1.1.2. Self construal -- 1.1.3. Independent and interdependent self construal -- 1.1.4. Conflict management styles -- 1.1.5. Self construal and conflict management styles -- 1.1.6. Research questions -- 2. Methods -- 2.1. Philosophical perspective -- 2.1.1. Epistemology -- 2.1.2. Methodology -- 2.2. Data collection and analysis -- 2.2.1. Sample and procedures -- 2.2.2. Measures -- 3. Results -- 3.1. Data overview -- 3.2. Correlations among key variables -- 3.3. Results by research question -- 3.3.1. Research question one -- 3.3.2. Research question two -- 3.3.3. Research question three -- 4. Discussion -- 4.1. Findings and conclusion -- 4.1.1. Conclusion one -- 4.1.2. Conclusion two -- 4.1.3. Conclusion three -- 4.2. Limitation -- 4.3. Future research -- References

Turning the spotlight on the role of light and colors in offices: How are performance, social interactions, and social perception affected?

Previous research has shown that light influences psychological functioning and subsequent performance, perception, and behavior in the work context. However, an overarching model of the impact of light on psychological processes and work-related outcomes is still lacking. The current doctoral thesis introduces an overall framework that explains the effects of light in the work context. Thus, the present research attempts to clarify the effects of artificial lighting on individual performance (i.e., creativity), social interaction (i.e., collaboration in negotiations), and social perception (i.e., person perception), and to uncover the mediating psychological processes and possible moderators. Building on different theories explaining the effects of the physical environment on psychological processes and work-related outcomes, as well as based on previous research, the thesis brings new insight into this topic. The first research project focused on clarifying the effects of light on conflict resolution. Building on research of light-induced cooperativeness, it was expected that self-oriented individuals would be influenced by the light in social situations. The results of two laboratory experiments confirmed that dim warm light promoted situative interdependent self-construal in self-oriented individuals, and, in turn, enhanced the preference for collaborative conflict resolution. These results contribute to the understanding of light-induced changes in social behavior. Limitations as well as practical implications for lighting design in social spaces are discussed. The second research project addressed the question of how light influences ones judgment of others. Based on the notion of environmentally induced positive affect, the present study proposed that pleasant light induces satisfaction with light, which in turn leads to positive judgments of other persons. The results confirmed that satisfaction with light was higher in three pleasant lighting conditions than in an unpleasant one, which in turn positively influenced the judgments of competence and warmth. Moreover, the explorative analyses showed that the positive effect of pleasant light on satisfaction with light only emerged for male participants. Theoretical contributions to lighting psychology and to the previous inconsistent findings of the role of sex in the affective consequences of light, and practical implications concerning the design of settings involving the evaluation of other individuals are discussed. The third research project aimed at clarifying the motivational consequences of artificial light and its effects on creative performance. Previous research indicated that individuals automatically evaluate the rooms atmosphere. These automatic appraisals evoke concomitant appetitive (e.g., promotion focus) or aversive (e.g., prevention focus) motivation and, in turn, may impact work performance. Based on this idea, we expected that red and blue (vs. white) accent lighting, which creates a pleasant and friendly room atmosphere, would elicit the strategic approach motivation and, in turn, promote creativity. The results of an experimental study confirmed our assumptions. Implications for future research on color and light, and practical implications are discussed. Overall, these results provide insight into the effects of light on cognitive, affective, and motivational processes, and consequently, on work-related outcomes. The three research projects contribute to a deeper understanding of which psychological processes are activated in which situation, and what role is played by the individual differences. In addition to the theoretical contributions, the present findings show that optimal ambient conditions represent support for a set of competencies on the individual and organizational levels, such as promoting collaborative conflict styles or creativity.Die bisherige Forschung zeigt, dass Licht psychologische Prozesse und darauffolgend Leistung, Wahrnehmung und Verhalten im Arbeitskontext beeinflussen kann. Ein übergeordnetes Modell über die Auswirkungen des Lichts auf psychologische Prozesse und arbeitsbezogene Leistungs- und Verhaltensvariablen fehlt jedoch bisher. Die vorliegende Dissertation hat zum Ziel, die Auswirkungen von Licht im Arbeitskontext zu erklären. Im Einzelnen werden Auswirkungen von künstlicher Beleuchtung auf die individuelle Leistung (Kreativität), soziale Interaktionen (Kooperation in Verhandlungen) und die soziale Wahrnehmung (Personenwahrnehmung) sowie die zugrundeliegenden psychologischen Prozesse untersucht. Zudem sollen in dieser Arbeit mögliche Moderatoren aufgedeckt werden. Basierend auf verschiedenen Theorien zu Auswirkungen der physikalischen Umgebung auf psychologische Prozesse und arbeitsbezogene Leistungs- und Verhaltensvariablen sowie auf der Grundlage früherer Forschungsarbeiten bringt die vorliegende Arbeit neue Einsichten in dieses Thema. Das erste Forschungsprojekt konzentrierte sich auf die Klärung der Auswirkungen des Lichts auf die Präferenz von Konfliktlösungsstrategien. Basierend auf der Forschung zur lichtinduzierten Kooperationsbereitschaft wurde angenommen, dass selbstorientierte Individuen in sozialen Situationen durch Licht beeinflusst werden. Die Ergebnisse von zwei Laborexperimenten bestätigten, dass gedimmtes warmes Licht die situative interdependente Selbstrepräsentation in selbstorientierten Individuen fördert und folglich die Präferenz für kollaborative Konfliktlösung verstärkt. Diese Ergebnisse tragen zum Verständnis von lichtinduzierten Veränderungen im sozialen Verhalten bei. Limitationen sowie praktische Implikationen für die Lichtgestaltung in sozialen Räumen werden diskutiert. Das zweite Forschungsprojekt beschäftigte sich mit der Frage, wie Licht Urteile über andere Personen beeinflusst. Basierend auf der Idee des durch die Umwelt induzierten positiven Affekts nimmt die vorliegende Studie an, dass angenehmes Licht die Zufriedenheit mit Licht fördert, was wiederum zu positiven Urteilen über andere Personen führt. Die Ergebnisse zeigten, dass die Zufriedenheit mit dem Licht in drei angenehmen Lichtbedingungen höher war als in einer unangenehmen Lichtbedingung. Dies förderte wiederum die Einschätzung anderer Personen als warm und kompetent. Darüber hinaus zeigten explorative Analysen, dass die positive Wirkung von angenehmem Licht auf die Zufriedenheit mit Licht nur für männliche Teilnehmer signifikant war. Theoretische Implikationen, Erklärungsansätze für die bisherigen inkonsistenten Befunde über die Rolle des Geschlechts bei den Lichtwirkungen sowie praktische Implikationen für die Gestaltung von Räumen, die die Bewertung anderer Individuen einschließen, werden diskutiert. Das dritte Forschungsprojekt untersuchte die Lichteffekte auf motivationale Zustände und die Auswirkungen auf kreative Leistung. Frühere Forschung zeigte, dass Personen automatische Bewertungen der Raumatmosphäre treffen, die mit der gleichzeitigen appetitiven (z. B. Promotionfokus) oder aversiven (z. B. Präventionsfokus) Motivation einhergehen. Diese motivationalen Zustände können ihrerseits die Arbeitsleistung beeinflussen. Basierend auf dieser Idee wurde angenommen, dass rote und blaue (vs. weiße) Akzentbeleuchtung, die eine angenehme und freundliche Raumatmosphäre schafft, strategische Motivation induziert und folglich Kreativität fördert. Die Ergebnisse einer experimentellen Studie bestätigten diese Annahmen. Implikationen für zukünftige Forschung und praktische Implikationen werden diskutiert. Zusammengefasst bietet die vorliegende Forschung einen Einblick in die Lichtwirkungen auf kognitive, affektive und motivationale Prozesse und folglich auf arbeitsbezogene Verhaltens- und Leistungsvariablen. Die drei Forschungsprojekte tragen zu einem tieferen Verständnis bei, welche psychologischen Prozesse in welcher Situation aktiviert werden und welche Rolle individuelle Unterschiede spielen. Neben den theoretischen Implikationen zeigen die vorliegenden Ergebnisse, dass optimale Umgebungsbedingungen eine Reihe von Kompetenzen auf individueller und organisatorischer Ebene unterstützen können, beispielsweise die Förderung von kollaborativen Konfliktstrategien oder Kreativität