Chinese international students and American domestic students’ intercultural communication in response to group criticism: collective face and discomfort feelings

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Zhu ◽  
Mary Jiang Bresnahan
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Intercultural Communication ◽  
Chinese International Students ◽  
Analysis Of Covariance ◽  
Country Image ◽  
Domestic Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
American Students ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Face Concern

Purpose Group criticism plays an important role in intergroup relations and conflicts, but few studies have related group criticism to intercultural communication contexts. This study aims to explore two cultural groups’ (Chinese international students in the USA and American domestic students) collective face concern as a unique experience in intercultural communication and other psychological responses while encountering group criticism targeting their country image. Design/methodology/approach A laboratory experiment was conducted assessing Chinese international students (n = 115) and American domestic students’ (n = 100) responses to a research-confederate critic (whose group membership was manipulated) criticizing participants’ country image such as blaming China and the USA for air pollution or using drugs in the Olympics. analysis of covariance, correlational analysis and regression analysis were adopted to analyze the data. Findings Chinese international students reported higher collective face concerns and lower liking toward the critic compared with American students. When criticism specifically targeted participants’ country image, Chinese international students reported more discomfort feelings than American students; and while responding to the critic who identified as participants’ ingroup member, Chinese international students’ discomfort feelings were more susceptible to their collective face than American students in the same condition. Originality/value This study illustrates cultural differences in collective face concerns and psychological reactions in responding to criticism targeting a country image in intercultural communication contexts.

scholarly journals “They Make No Contribution!” versus “We Should Make Friends with Them!”—American Domestic Students’ Perception of Chinese International Students’ Reticence and Face

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Zhu ◽  
Mary Bresnahan
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Intercultural Communication ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Perspective Taking ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Chinese International Students ◽  
Domestic Students ◽  
Intercultural Communication Competence ◽  
American Students ◽  
Quasi Experimental

This project examined both quantitative and qualitative data about how American domestic undergraduates perceived Chinese international students’ (CISs) reticence and face concerns. A quasi-experimental design about American students’ ratings of a fictional CIS described in scenarios demonstrated that the reticent CIS was rated as more typical, less likable, and less socially-approved. A thematic analysis of American students’ impression about CISs suggested: 1) some Americans stigmatized CISs due to their poor English and reticence in classroom; 2) others were more open-minded to approach CISs’ reticence with intercultural communication competence by taking CISs’ perspective. The findings indicated: the stereotype that typical CISs are reticent leads to Americans’ negative evaluations of CISs; while perspective-taking skills resulted in better intercultural-communication experience.

A difference in priorities?

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Casey E. George ◽  
Evthokia Stephanie Saclarides ◽  
Sarah Theule Lubienski
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Doctoral Program ◽  
University Administrators ◽  
Domestic Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
American University ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Survey Responses

PurposeThis study aims to focus on survey reports of doctoral students’ experiences in the USA, providing a look at factors influencing “in the moment” decisions students make about persistence. Specifically, the authors investigate the reasons doctoral students consider leaving their programs, and how these reasons may differ for international and domestic students. The authors also examine international–domestic patterns by sex and by program of study.Design/methodology/approachAs part of a campus-wide doctoral program assessment, doctoral students and recent graduates at a large, public, Research I institution in the Midwest region of the USA are asked to complete a program satisfaction survey. Content analysis of open-ended survey responses is the basis of the analysis. Next, a code by committee approach is used whereby two members of the research team coded all open-ended responses and discussed discrepancies to reach consensus on all codes assigned, and to reduce individual biases. Each open-ended response is assigned at least one of 16 codes, with more than one code used as necessary.FindingsThe results suggest that, although both academic and social factors are important influences of doctoral departure in general, academic concerns – specifically, alignment with goals, career preparation and program structure – may be particularly important for international students, whereas social aspects – faculty relationships and program climate – may be more important for domestic US students.Research limitations/implicationsResearchers should consider conducting larger, multi-institutional studies in the USA, which would reflect a diversity of perspectives and experiences within the American context. Parallel studies of doctoral programs in other countries may be useful in identifying whether similar factors are found for international and domestic students attending those programs. Follow-up interviews could be used to further delve into and understand the emergent patterns from the surveys. The findings of such future studies have the power to inform programs and policies designed to increase the retention of both domestic and international doctoral students.Practical implicationsGiven that faculty/advising is one of the most important factors cited by both domestic and international students, our findings suggest that US faculty members may need to give more attention to nurturing supportive relationships with their advisees. Furthermore, American university administrators might consider changing tenure requirements and reward systems for professors to place more emphasis on cultivating positive relationships with advisees, publishing, presenting and writing grants with advisees, and providing high-quality mentoring for doctoral students. Doctoral-granting institutions should consider implementing regular program reviews that include surveys from doctoral students to help programs identify and meet their students’ needs.Originality/valueLikewise, while other research on international students’ doctoral experiences has been conducted, such as the relationship with their faculty advisor (Kim, 2007; Rice et al., 2009), single studies that focus on factors affecting the attrition of domestic versus that of international students’ remain limited. The purpose of this study is to address the following research questions: What factors contribute to doctoral students’ considerations of departure in the USA? How might these factors differ between domestic and international students? We seek to expand understandings of doctoral attrition by using larger-scale qualitative data to address limitations of existing studies that focus on the experiences of only a few students.

International students’ college choice is different!

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (7) ◽  
pp. 930-943 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eyad Alfattal
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
College Choice ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
University Campus ◽  
Domestic Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Campus Housing ◽  
Intercollegiate Sports ◽  
College Choices ◽  
The Usa

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the needs and aspirations of international students studying at a comprehensive university campus in the USA in comparison to domestic students represented by factors that drive students’ college choice. Design/methodology/approach The study opted for a survey design through questionnaire and employed descriptive and inferential statistics to assess differences between international and domestic students. Findings Findings suggest that international students are different from domestic students on seven choice factors: on-campus housing, recommendation from family, academic reputation, reputation of faculty, participation in intercollegiate sports, printed material or video and need-based financial aid. Research limitations/implications The study was conducted at a four-year comprehensive public university campus in California. Findings and conclusions may be relevant only to such context. Practical implications International and domestic students have different preferences and their college choices are affected to different degrees by the varying choice factors. Education administrators and policy makers can have targeted strategic marketing plans that are responsive to the different types populations’ needs. Originality/value This is the first study that compares international students’ to domestic students’ needs and aspirations when choosing a university campus.

The role of demographic factors of international students on teaching preferences

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-71
Author(s):  
Pramila Rao
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Teaching Methods ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Demographic Factors ◽  
Demographic Variables ◽  
Eastern Region ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Teaching Preferences ◽  
One Way Anova

Purpose This empirical research was conducted in a medium-sized private university located in the north-eastern region of the USA. The purpose of this paper was to understand whether demographic attributes (age, gender, country of origin and years of stay in the USA) of international students will predict any preferences for specific teaching methods. This study was conducted with international students from October 2012 through May 2013 (fall and spring semesters). Design/methodology/approach This research paper provides hypotheses to explore whether there is any relationship between demographic factors and preferences for various teaching methods. This study analyzes the results using both Pearson’s correlations and one-way ANOVA to reject or accept the hypotheses. Findings The results demonstrated that there were no significant correlations between the demographic variables of international students and teaching methods. However, the one-way ANOVA analyses suggested that there are differences among age groups and their preferences for group projects, years of studying in the USA and their preferences for classroom discussions, and gender and their preferences for textbook assignments. Practical implications This study suggests that scholars provide orientation or training on the host country’s pedagogies so that international students can assimilate better into their academic communities. Originality/value This pioneering paper examines the role between demographic variables of international students and teaching pedagogies. This specific concept has not been examined in this literature before. This understanding could contribute to a richer understanding of this population of students.

The information ethics perception gaps between Chinese and American students

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 473-502 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Ling-hsing Chang ◽  
Jim Q. Chen
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Intellectual Property ◽  
Chinese Culture ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Information Ethics ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Espoused Theory ◽  
American Students ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand the impact of Chinese culture on the information ethics perception gaps between Chinese and American students. Design/methodology/approach Using a qualitative approach, this study utilizes Kohlberg’s Cognitive Moral Development model and an open-ended questionnaire to measure and analyze the gaps among information ethics perceptions of students from Taiwan, Mainland China, Hong Kong, and the USA, and to assess the extent to which the gaps are influenced by Chinese culture. Findings Students’ perceptions of intellectual property, information accuracy, privacy, and accessibility (PAPA) are deeply influenced by national culture. Sub-cultures have significant impact on the perceptions. Political systems, history, and legal environment may also play a role in the differences of PAPA perceptions among the three Chinese societies. The study also revealed that accuracy and intellectual property are the most deficient areas of moral developments in both Chinese and American samples. Research limitations/implications The sample sizes from Hong Kong and the USA were relatively small due to resource and time constraints. In addition, the subjects from Hong Kong and the USA were a little bit older than the subjects from Taiwan and Mainland China due to the fact that universities in HK and USA tend to have more non-traditional students than in universities in Mainland China and Taiwan. Second, the questionnaire is a limited means of studying moral reasoning because the results are likely to reflect espoused theory rather than theory-in-use. Practical implications The educational implication of this study calls for a renewed approach to educate students on the importance of information ethics for the sake of sustained economic development. Originality/value The novelty of this research lies in its interpretation of students’ PAPA perceptions and fresh insights from a Chinese guanxi perspective.

Dynamics of country image: evidence from Malaysia

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (8) ◽  
pp. 1675-1697 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dana-Nicoleta Lascu ◽  
Zafar U. Ahmed ◽  
Irfan Ahmed ◽  
Tan Hui Min
Keyword(s):  
Free Market ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Welfare System ◽  
Country Image ◽  
Labor Costs ◽  
Market System ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Technological Research ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Free Market System

Purpose Previous research has posited country image to operate at two levels: the country’s macro image, based on general politico-economic descriptors of the country, and the country’s micro image, based on perceptions of products from the country. The purpose of this paper is to further explore this premise in a practical study, using a psychometric assessment of macro and micro country images by ascertaining the nature of differences in macro and micro images of leading exporters, the USA and China, for consumers in Malaysia, a top import destination of US and Chinese goods; the images of Malaysian goods were similarly assessed. Design/methodology/approach The study used a systematic sample, with questionnaires distributed to adult respondents using a street intercept. Interviewers asked every other passer-by to fill out a questionnaire, and stood in close proximity to address any questions from respondents. The study hypothesized that there is a significant difference between country macro and micro image, respectively for the USA, China and Malaysia, and that there is significant relationship between country macro image and country micro image in each country, respectively, USA, China and Malaysia. Findings The study found support for the reliability of existing country micro and macro image measures, and further refined them for increased validity. The study compared between the countries and found significant differences on both macro and micro dimensions of country image. The US scored highest on technological research, high quality products, standards of living, labor costs, welfare system, industrialization, civilian government, development, literacy, free-market system and democracy, followed by China on technological research, industrialization, development and free-market system, with Malaysia scoring higher on product quality, labor costs, welfare system, civilian government is civilian/non-military, literacy, free-market system and democracy. Research limitations/implications A broader study of countries that share geopolitical and cultural similarities might offer additional insights into country macro and micro image. Practical implications The study cautions marketers to assess the acceptance of their products in the context of their country’s macro and micro image perceptions in target markets, and steer those perceptions in a manner that would be beneficial to their marketing efforts. Originality/value The conceptualization of the macro and micro aspects of country image has been one of the less studied dimensions of country image. This study is the first to address these dimensions from an emerging-market perspective, suggesting that, at the macro level, country perceptions regarding technology, economy, and politics contribute to an overall impression of the country, which would then influence the desirability of its products originating there. For the micro country image, products from countries perceived as innovative, excelling in product design, and producing prestigious products, are likely to be perceived as desirable.

Unpacking the monolith

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (9/10) ◽  
pp. 661-679 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael A. Miner
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
International Students ◽  
Graduate Students ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽  
Full Range ◽  
Stem Fields ◽  
Graduate Level ◽  
Citizenship Status ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Usa

Purpose The term STEM often remains an undifferentiated category, especially at the graduate level. Conceptualizing STEM as a monolithic category, rather than as a combination of distinct fields, prevents researchers from understanding and documenting the full range of persistent inequality within scientific disciplines at the graduate level and throughout the lifespan. The purpose of this paper is to address two oversights prior to degree completion within the context of the USA by asking two specific questions: To what extent is gender associated with choice of discipline within STEM graduate education? In the USA, do gender differences in STEM fields depend on citizenship status? Design/methodology/approach Using data from the 2015 International STEM Graduate Student in the US Survey, this study employs multinomial logistic regression analyses and presents predicted probabilities to assess differences of enrollment in STEM fields by gender and citizenship status. Findings Results show that domestic women were less likely to enroll in computer sciences and engineering when compared to domestic men. However, in contrast to domestic students, there were no gender differences among international students’ enrollment in engineering. Research limitations/implications This paper shows the importance and complexity of how gender intersects with citizenship status in enrollment patterns in STEM graduate fields. The survey included the top 10 universities in the USA based on the total enrollment of international students, and it is unclear if there exists differences in these selected students and schools when compared to students at colleges and universities that enroll less international graduate students. Originality/value The author makes the case to disaggregate STEM to better assess how specific fields can be modified to attract graduate students worldwide. This paper accentuates the significance of gender and citizenship status for understanding differences in choice of discipline among graduate students in STEM.

International student perceptions of experience in the West

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Robert Buchanan
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
International Students ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Foreign Students ◽  
International Student ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
American Business ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Usa

Purpose The purpose of this exploratory study is an examination of some perceptions of US education, as experienced by foreign MBA students. Design/methodology/approach A longitudinal field study captured perceptions of a group of 51 international students over a one-year interval. The first anticipatory survey was done in India, and the follow-up was made in the USA at the end of a foreign sojourn semester. Inter-item correlations and t-tests were used to examine variance in student perceptions, highlighted by qualitative elements. Findings In general, the students went home, less impressed than they had expected to be in terms of the perceived general quality of the American business education, as well as their abilities to make friends with the local people. Additionally, the observed preparation of the American students for master’s studies was not nearly as high as the foreign students had anticipated. Research limitations/implications Results are not generalizable to broad populations, as the sample was small and localized. Social implications Emerging markets are successfully luring locals and sojourners based on cost and proximity as they achieve greater legitimacy in their institutional credentials. This could challenge the preeminence of Western higher education, especially in light of concerns arising from marketization and rigor. Meanwhile, developed market institutions need to be strategically mindful of their international guests as a resource rather than a commodity. Originality/value Extant internationalization studies tend to focus on administrative viewpoints, whereas this research examines the perspective of international students, which may be indicative of lessening gaps between perceptions of quality of developed and emerging market higher education.

International students’ academic satisfaction and turnover intentions

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 533-548 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neena Gopalan ◽  
Nicholas J. Beutell ◽  
Wendy Middlemiss
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
International Students ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Turnover Intentions ◽  
Cultural Adjustment ◽  
Ecological Systems ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Academic Satisfaction ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Usa

Purpose This study aims to investigate international students’ cultural adjustment, academic satisfaction and turnover intentions using ecological systems perspective and explores factors that affect academic success and turnover by exploring three stages: arrival, adjustment and adaptation. Design/methodology/approach The sample consists of 208 international students enrolled at a mid-Western university in the USA. Confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling and mediational analyses were used to test hypotheses. Findings Findings indicate that self-efficacy, as a pre-sojourn characteristic, affects adjustment variables inclusive of cultural adjustment, affecting academic satisfaction and turnover intentions. Adjustment variables (coping, cultural adjustment and organizational support) mediated relationships between self-efficacy and turnover intentions. Research limitations/implications The proposed model moves the research forward by examining an ecological systems framework describing how individual, social, academic, cultural and institutional factors function in supporting international students’ transitions. Results may be generalizable to other large US universities with varying dynamics and resources available (or not) for international students. Originality/value Given the challenges international students face in the USA in adapting to both new culture and academic setting, it is imperative to identify what elements of their transition and academic environment predict academic success. This is one of the first studies testing the propositions derived from Schartner and Young’s (2016) model.

An assessment of academic library services: international and domestic students perspectives

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (8/9) ◽  
pp. 631-653
Author(s):  
Sanaz Soltani ◽  
Shahrokh Nikou
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
International Students ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Library Services ◽  
Domestic Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Information Literacy Skills

PurposeInformation literacy is defined as discrete abilities that a person requires to have in order to find, assess, use and share information. As information literacy skills play a prominent role in the students' academic achievement, students and in particular international students coming to continue their postgraduate studies in other countries may face problems in finding and using library services. The purpose of this paper is to explore and investigate the information literacy skills, challenges and needs of international and domestic students at the Finnish universities.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses a mixed-methods design. Quantitative data were collected through an online survey (82 respondents) and qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 10 international and 10 domestic students.FindingsAcademic library services are used but in different ways. The findings indicate that international students have a relatively low level of information literacy skills compared to domestic students and faces various challenges, especially in the beginning of their studies.Research limitations/implicationsThe study was exploratory, and data were collected from limited number of Finnish universities and may not be representative of the underlying population.Practical implicationsAcademic libraries should provide effective courses on research methods and library services to the international students while keeping in mind the international students language and cultural barriers.Originality/valueThis is one of the first attempts in information literacy research that focusses on international and domestic students' information literacy skills at the higher education environment. As such, the results provided in this paper can help librarians and decision-makers at the higher education environments to plan better and become more efficient in delivering information services meeting students' information needs and expectations.

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