A qualitative exploration of how host Chinese staff make sense of their intercultural experiences in a Sino-foreign cooperative university

This study is concerned with how host Chinese staff (HCS) make sense of their intercultural experiences in a Sino-foreign cooperative university from a sensemaking perspective. Specifically, the study qualitatively explores HCS’s perceptions of and their responses to cultural differences. The empirical findings show that: 1) HCS construct cultural differences from three perspectives: personality traits, communication styles, and cultural values. 2) HCS’s responses to cultural differences are identified as three types: fight-flight, acceptance, and intercultural sensemaking which encompasses three concurrent processes: learning, identity construction, and relationship building. In addition, the findings also show the hindrances of intercultural sensemaking from the perspective of HCS: lack of language proficiency, lower self-esteem, lack of similarity, lack of availability, and perceived communication difficulties. 3) HCS’s engagement in intercultural sensemaking can lead to the development of intercultural competence in terms of awareness of the self and the other, communicating across culture, acquiring cultural knowledge, intercultural responsibility building, and positive attitudes. A model of HCS’s intercultural interaction is developed based on the empirical findings. It provides a holistic overview of HCS’s intercultural interaction, and highlights the dynamic nature of sensemaking. The findings give valuable insights and have practical implications for multicultural organisations and individuals working or interested in working in multicultural organisations, especially in the context of China

Optimal design of the main support structure of space camera aiming at the RMS value of random response

To explore the optimal design method for main support structure of micro satellite, this paper proposed a method targeting the random acceleration response RMS value of the space camera installation position when design the main support structure of LQ-video satellite in Jilin-1 group satellites. Camera main support structure optimization mathematical model was established, and the thickness and flexible beam position of the flexible beam support structure has been optimized in the establishment of the optimization mathematical model. When the flexible beam thickness is 2.5 mm, and the distance between it and the support structure mounting surface is 94.5 mm, the camera installation point acceleration response root mean square (RMS) value is minimal. Engineering analysis showed that the maximal random response RMS of the camera installation point is 19.6 grms and the maximal relative magnification is 0.93. The camera mechanics test showed that the maximal relative error of finite element analysis and experimental measurements is 4.0 % and the maximal relative magnification of the response is 1.2 which is less than the overall index 1.5. It proved that the optimization method is effective and feasible