Curiosity and its role in cross-cultural knowledge creation

This paper explores the role of curiosity in promoting cross-cultural knowledge creation and competence development. It is based on a study with four international higher educational institutions, all of which offer management and business education for local and international students. The reality of multicultural and intercultural relationships is researched using constructivist grounded theory method, with data collected through indepth interviews, long-term observation and participation, and discussion of the social reality as it was experienced by the participants. The study applies the concepts of cultural knowledge development, cross-cultural competence and cultural distance. Based on the comparative analysis, curiosity emerged as a personal condition conducive to the cultural knowledge development process. The paper presents a cross-cultural competence development process model, which takes into account the cultural curiosity of the learners. The paper also provides tentative recommendations for the steps that knowledge-creating multicultural organizations can take to develop cross-cultural exchange, cultural knowledge creation and cross-cultural competence development.peer-reviewe

New school ties: Social capital and cultural knowledge creation in multicultural learning environments

siirretty Doriast

The influences of capital development strategies choice on international management students' collaborative knowledge creation: Turkey and Ecuador

The paper presents the first phase of international (four countries) study that explores the influence of social capital and personal learning networks (PLN) development approaches used by international management students in multicultural learning environments and the types of social and academic networks they develop on their collaborative knowledge and cross-cultural competence development, in particular, on their preparation for international careers. A comparative analysis is conducted within four international programs (in Turkey, Ecuador, UK and US) that offer international education in English language for local and international students. The paper presents the preliminary results of a comparison in two locations – Turkey and Ecuador. The study applies the concepts of collaborative knowledge development, social capital and social networks. The study uses constructivist grounded theory [1] to uncover the process of social capital and collaborative knowledge creation. Based on the data, collected through semi-structured interviews, and analyzed through dımensıonal analysis [2]; [3], the study develops a process model, which takes into account the core social identity of the learner, as well as the existing and emergent social personal learning ties, built on social capital. An additional goal of the study is to uncover the overlapping social and personal learning networks international and local students participate in and develop, to trace the knowledge sharing routes and to pinpoint knowledge creation hubs in these networks. As the result of the study, recommendations are developed for higher educational institutions (HEIs) and multinational enterprises (MNEs) regarding the steps they can take to promote collaborative and cross-cultural knowledge creation among their members. The connectivism theory of social learning [4] suggests loose and pragmatic ties appropriate to knowledge sharing and creation in the interconnected networked social reality of the 21st century as they combine social and informational resources that operate in a chaotic environment and recognize rather than create patterns of meaning. While we are not proposing any final theoretical models at this point, it is likely that the learners who are engaged in multi-dimensional and loosely connected PLNs characterized by multiple networks consisted of weak ties and who utilize problem solving models of knowledge creation are more likely to become cross/interculturally competent and are more likely to be prepared for global careers. However, the preliminary findings show that international students lack the skills and desire to create functional PLNs and tend to engage in multiple binding networks characterized by strong emotional bonds but limited knowledge creation. While is it premature at this stage to suggest any specific steps that IHEIs and other multicultural learning environments might take to encourage social and technological networking among international students and other members of academic environment, some tentative recommendations are presented

Social capital development strategy and collaborative knowledge creation in higher education: the UK and Turkey

The paper presents the second phase of international (four countries) study that explores the influence of social capital and personal learning networks (PLN) development approaches utilized by international students in multicultural learning environment and the types of the social and academic networks they develop on their collaborative knowledge development, in particular, on their preparation for international careers. A comparative analysis is conducted within three international programs (in Turkey, Ecuador, and the UK) that offer international education in English language for local and international students. The paper presents the preliminary results of a comparison in two locations – Turkey and UK. The study applies the concepts of collaborative knowledge development, social capital, and social networks. The study uses constructivist grounded theory, in particular, dimensional analysis to uncover the process of social capital and collaborative knowledge creation. Based on the data, collected through semi-structured interviews, and analyzed through dımensıonal analysis, the study has developed a process model, which takes into account the core social identity of the learner, as well as the existing and emergent social, personal learning ties, built on social capital. An additional goal of the study is to uncover the overlapping social and personal learning networks International and local students participate in and develop, to trace the knowledge sharing routes and to pinpoint knowledge creation hubs in these networks. As the result of the study, recommendations are developed for higher educational institutions (HEIs) and multinational enterprises (MNEs) regarding the steps they can take to promote collaborative and cross-cultural knowledge creation among their members. While we are not proposing any hypotheses or theoretical models until the completion of the continuous comparison analysis process, it is likely that the learners who are engaged in multi-dimensional and loosely connected PLN characterized by multiple networks consisted of weak ties and who utilize problem-solving models of knowledge creation are more likely to become cross/interculturally competent and are more likely to be prepared for global careers. However, the preliminary findings show that international students lack skills and desire to create functional PLN and tend to engage in multiple binding networks characterized by strong emotional bonds but limited knowledge creation. While is it premature at this stage to suggest any specific steps that IHEIs and other multicultural learning environments might take to encourage social and technological networking among international students and other members of the academic environment, some tentative recommendations are presented. The first part of the research was conducted in Turkey and Ecuador in the summer and fall of 2015 and the second part is in the spring of 2106 in UK and Turkey. Data is collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews, conducted in person and through Skype. The participants are volunteer students, both local and international, enrolled in the undergraduate programs in the participating HEIs. As the study is using Grounded Theory Method (GTM), the sampling of the interview participants is driven by theoretical developments

Curiosity and Its Role in Cross-Cultural Knowledge Creation

This paper explores the role of curiosity in promoting cross-cultural knowledge creation and competence development. It is based on a study with four international higher educational institutions, all of which offer management and business education for local and international students. The reality of multicultural and intercultural relationships is researched using constructivist grounded theory method, with data collected through indepth interviews, long-term observation and participation, and discussion of the social reality as it was experienced by the participants. The study applies the concepts of cultural knowledge development, cross-cultural competence and cultural distance. Based on the comparative analysis, curiosity emerged as a personal condition conducive to the cultural knowledge development process. The paper presents a cross-cultural competence development process model, which takes into account the cultural curiosity of the learners. The paper also provides tentative recommendations for the steps that knowledge-creating multicultural organizations can take to develop cross-cultural exchange, cultural knowledge creation and cross-cultural competence development

International Business Students’ Cross-Cultural Competence Development

This study explores the role of educational programs in promoting students’ cross-cultural competence (CCC) development in international business education. Using constructivist grounded theory methodology (GTM), a comparative analysis of four extensive case studies was conducted within four schools, all of which offer international management education in English for local and international students. This study examines institutional contributions to an environment that supports students’ CCC development. A typology model consisting of four educational approaches to students’ CCC development is presented based on student experiences. The study provides recommendations regarding the steps that higher educational institutions (HEIs) can take to promote educational environments that support cross-cultural exchange, cultural knowledge creation, and individual and organizational cross-cultural competence development

Promoting interactive learning: A classroom exercise to explore foraging strategies

We describe a classroom exercise to allow students to explore foraging strategies in higher vertebrates. The exercise includes an initial interactive session in which students act as predators and are guided through foraging simulations, and a subsequent student-led session where classmates are employed as experimental subjects. Students rated the exercise, which utilises only cheap and widely available resources, significantly more highly than another more traditional module element in terms of development of both biological understanding and transferable skills for the workplace. As current trends are towards making tertiary level bioscience teaching more challenging and engaging, our experiences with this exercise support its introduction on a larger scale to undergraduate biology and ecology curricula