Emotional Intelligence And Cross-Cultural Communication Competence: An Analysis Of Group Dynamics And Interpersonal Relationships In A Diverse Classroom

This study discusses the significance ofemotional intelligence and intercultural communication competence in globallydiverse classroom settings.  Specifically,the research shows a correlation between degrees of emotional intelligence and humancommunication competence (age, gender, and culture). The dataset consists of364 participants.   Nearly six tenths (n= 215; 59.1%) were women. About two-thirds of participants were undergraduate students(n = 243; 66.8%), and one-third were graduate students (n = 121; 33.2%).  Further, most respondents were AfricanAmerican (n = 303; 83.2%). The remaining students were of African and Caribbeanorigin (n = 61; 61.8%). Among the African/Caribbean students, they had thefollowing national origins: Nigerian, 45 students; Jamaican, 5, Ghanaian, 4;Ugandan, 3; Trinidadian, 2; and Liberian, 2

Workforce Diversity And Organizational Communication: Analysis Of Human Capital Performance And Productivity

The twenty-first century organizations are increasingly becoming multicultural workplaces for communication. This paper explores recent literature on the increasing global influence of workforce diversity and its affect on workplace communication. It provides a model for the discussion of the opportunities and challenges of diversity in the workplace. The paper then provides an analytical framework that guides readers with practical ideas that can assist them in their endeavors to effectively communicate in a globally diverse work environment.  The paper stresses that effective communication in a diverse workforce ensures a high level of performance and productivity for human and intellectual capital and   provides business organizations a competitive advantage in their expanded markets and in the global economy

Intercultural Communication In Global Business: An Analysis Of Benefits And Challenges

The twenty-first century business environment is expanding and increasingly attracting the interest of countries from developed and developing nations of the world. As countries of the world become increasingly interdependent and interconnected because of global market and diverse consumer needs, it is critically important that participating countries and their organizations understand and appreciate one another’s cultural differences in order to ensure growth and sustainability in international business. Recent studies have traced the failure of some international business ventures to three significant factors: lack of intercultural skills and competence, inability to communicate effectively at a global level, and failure to practice acceptable etiquette in business negotiations. Therefore, businesses from different countries need to appreciate the importance of understanding the cultures and values of their counterparts as well as develop intercultural communication sensitivity and decorum. This paper then is an attempt toward analyzing the significance and role of intercultural communication and etiquette in international business. Recommendations for appropriate practices and acceptable conducts among nations are provided

Social Media And Networking Technologies: An Analysis Of Collaborative Work And Team Communication

Digital communication increases students’ learning outcomes in higher education. Web 2.0 technologies encourages students’ active engagement, collaboration, and participation in class activities, facilitates group work, and encourages information sharing among students. Familiarity with organizational use and sharing in social networks aids students who are expected to be facile in these technologies upon graduation (Benson, Filippaios, and Morgan, 2010). Faculty members become coaches, monitoring and providing feedback to students rather than directing activities. While Web 2.0 technologies, including social networks, may act as a distraction in a teaching environment, our findings suggest that effective social networking in learning environments sustain quality instruction and skills-development in business education

Emergence and spread of two SARS-CoV-2 variants of interest in Nigeria.

Identifying the dissemination patterns and impacts of a virus of economic or health importance during a pandemic is crucial, as it informs the public on policies for containment in order to reduce the spread of the virus. In this study, we integrated genomic and travel data to investigate the emergence and spread of the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.318 and B.1.525 (Eta) variants of interest in Nigeria and the wider Africa region. By integrating travel data and phylogeographic reconstructions, we find that these two variants that arose during the second wave in Nigeria emerged from within Africa, with the B.1.525 from Nigeria, and then spread to other parts of the world. Data from this study show how regional connectivity of Nigeria drove the spread of these variants of interest to surrounding countries and those connected by air-traffic. Our findings demonstrate the power of genomic analysis when combined with mobility and epidemiological data to identify the drivers of transmission, as bidirectional transmission within and between African nations are grossly underestimated as seen in our import risk index estimates

Adaptation of the Wound Healing Questionnaire universal-reporter outcome measure for use in global surgery trials (TALON-1 study): mixed-methods study and Rasch analysis

BackgroundThe Bluebelle Wound Healing Questionnaire (WHQ) is a universal-reporter outcome measure developed in the UK for remote detection of surgical-site infection after abdominal surgery. This study aimed to explore cross-cultural equivalence, acceptability, and content validity of the WHQ for use across low- and middle-income countries, and to make recommendations for its adaptation.MethodsThis was a mixed-methods study within a trial (SWAT) embedded in an international randomized trial, conducted according to best practice guidelines, and co-produced with community and patient partners (TALON-1). Structured interviews and focus groups were used to gather data regarding cross-cultural, cross-contextual equivalence of the individual items and scale, and conduct a translatability assessment. Translation was completed into five languages in accordance with Mapi recommendations. Next, data from a prospective cohort (SWAT) were interpreted using Rasch analysis to explore scaling and measurement properties of the WHQ. Finally, qualitative and quantitative data were triangulated using a modified, exploratory, instrumental design model.ResultsIn the qualitative phase, 10 structured interviews and six focus groups took place with a total of 47 investigators across six countries. Themes related to comprehension, response mapping, retrieval, and judgement were identified with rich cross-cultural insights. In the quantitative phase, an exploratory Rasch model was fitted to data from 537 patients (369 excluding extremes). Owing to the number of extreme (floor) values, the overall level of power was low. The single WHQ scale satisfied tests of unidimensionality, indicating validity of the ordinal total WHQ score. There was significant overall model misfit of five items (5, 9, 14, 15, 16) and local dependency in 11 item pairs. The person separation index was estimated as 0.48 suggesting weak discrimination between classes, whereas Cronbach's α was high at 0.86. Triangulation of qualitative data with the Rasch analysis supported recommendations for cross-cultural adaptation of the WHQ items 1 (redness), 3 (clear fluid), 7 (deep wound opening), 10 (pain), 11 (fever), 15 (antibiotics), 16 (debridement), 18 (drainage), and 19 (reoperation). Changes to three item response categories (1, not at all; 2, a little; 3, a lot) were adopted for symptom items 1 to 10, and two categories (0, no; 1, yes) for item 11 (fever).ConclusionThis study made recommendations for cross-cultural adaptation of the WHQ for use in global surgical research and practice, using co-produced mixed-methods data from three continents. Translations are now available for implementation into remote wound assessment pathways