Diversity in Organizations and Cross-Cultural Work Psychology: What If They Were More Connected?

2012 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 323-345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernardo M. Ferdman ◽  
Lilach Sagiv

In this article, we discuss how the fields of diversity in organizations and cross-cultural work psychology can benefit from greater attention to and integration with each other as well as more clarity regarding the distinctions between them. We first present—each in our own voice and from our individual perspective—past and current issues in the two respective areas. We then jointly identify and discuss key areas of commonality and difference between diversity and cross-cultural work psychology in theory, research, and practice. Subsequently, we point to ways the two fields might learn and benefit from each other's approaches and perspectives. We consider issues such as the interplay between culture and diversity, the dual impact of individuals on groups and vice versa, and the role of identity as an organizing principle in group diversity. Overall, this article provides illustrative examples of the benefits of more exchange and dialogue between the fields.

2012 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 373-379
Author(s):  
Bernardo M. Ferdman ◽  
Lilach Sagiv

In our focal article (Ferdman & Sagiv, 2012), we suggested that increased dialogue and connection between researchers and practitioners focused on diversity in organizations and those focused on cross-cultural work psychology could be beneficial to growth and advancement in both fields. The thoughtful and intriguing commentaries to the article are heterogeneous both in the topics they focus on and in their relative emphasis on theory versus practice, and in our view support our call for more dialogue. In this response, we address some of the key issues the commentaries stimulated for us, including the notion of integration versus homogenization and the differential role of values in research in each field. We summarize by highlighting, as did many of the commentaries, the importance of multiple and diverse approaches and perspectives, a value consistent with both fields.


Author(s):  
Punya Mishra ◽  
Danah Henriksen ◽  
Rohit Mehta

This article describes the development of a trans-disciplinary framework for creative teaching using technology. In recent years, the authors of this paper (and collaborators) have sought to better understand the role of creativity in educational technology. Our approach seeks to inform theory, research, and practice. In this piece we step back to provide a big-picture view of the process of developing a theoretical framework for creative, transformational teaching with digital technology. We describe the development of our ideas over time, through research projects focused on highly creative teachers and their practices. We describe how we have applied these ideas in teacher education courses devoted to creativity and technology, and developed rubrics for evaluating creative products. At a meta-level we aim to provide a rich example of the reciprocal nature of theory, research, and practice in educational technology. Through this we hope to provide one example of how such a theory/research/practice development process works, with the goal of informing future work of this type.


2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 229-233
Author(s):  
Pamela G. Reed

A theme of this article is the theory-research link and its essential role in advancing nursing science and practice. Concern is expressed over the current status of nursing theory relative to the advances in research and practice. Soon-to-be and current theoreticians and scientists are encouraged to champion not just nursing theory proper but scientific nursing theories that have explanatory power. The role of the precision health movement in facilitating development of scientific theory is explored.


2000 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 105-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heta-Maria Miller

This study investigated the cross-cultural validity of Harter's (1985, 1986a, 1986b, 1987b, 1987c) measures and model of self-worth in Finnish children. A total of 306 Finnish elementary school students participated in the study. Principal components analyses supported the original factor structures of Harter's (1985, 1986a) self-report questionnaires, the Self-Perception Profile for Children and the Social Support Scale for Children. Consistent with Harter's (1986b, 1987b, 1987c) model of the determinants of self-worth, multiple regression analysis indicated that both the competence-importance discrepancy and perceived social support explained the variability in self-worth. Implications of these findings for theory, research, and practice are discussed.


Author(s):  
Willibald Ruch ◽  
Jennifer Hofmann ◽  
Tracey Platt ◽  
René Proyer

AbstractResearch on gelotophobia (the fear of being laughed at) has come a long way since the first empirical studies published in 2008. Based on a review of the findings on gelotophobia, its structure, causes and consequences, updates to the model are introduced emphasizing the context of the fear and its dynamic nature. More precisely, external and internal factors are seen to moderate the effects of initial events on gelotophobia, and a spiral nature in the development of the fear is assumed. It is highlighted that gelotophobia needs to be studied in the context of related variables (such as timidity, shame-proneness and social anxiety), and research should focus on the time span in which this fear is most prevalent. The relevance of gelotophobia for humor theory, research and practice is highlighted and new areas of research are introduced. Among the latter the role of gelotophobia at work and in relation to life trajectories is discussed.


2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 33-67
Author(s):  
Steve J Hothersall

Debates regarding theory and practice in social work have often avoided detailed discussion regarding the nature of knowledge itself and the various ways this can be created. As a result, positivistic conceptions of knowledge are still assumed by many to be axiomatic, such that context-dependent and practitioner-oriented approaches to knowledge creation and use are assumed to lack epistemological rigor and credibility. By drawing on epistemology, this theoretical paper outlines the case for a renewed approach to knowledge definition, creation and use within social work by reference to pragmatism. Pragmatism has the potential to act as an organizing theoretical framework, taking account of the role of both ontology and epistemology, acting as a functional methodology for the further enhancement of practice-based knowledge.


2021 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 717-749
Author(s):  
Michael Muthukrishna ◽  
Joseph Henrich ◽  
Edward Slingerland

Psychology has traditionally seen itself as the science of universal human cognition, but it has only recently begun seriously grappling with cross-cultural variation. Here we argue that the roots of cross-cultural variation often lie in the past. Therefore, to understand not only how but also why psychology varies, we need to grapple with cross-temporal variation. The traces of past human cognition accessible through historical texts and artifacts can serve as a valuable, and almost completely unutilized, source of psychological data. These data from dead minds open up an untapped and highly diverse subject pool. We review examples of research that may be classified as historical psychology, introduce sources of historical data and methods for analyzing them, explain the critical role of theory, and discuss how psychologists can add historical depth and nuance to their work. Psychology needs to become a historical science if it wants to be a genuinely universal science of human cognition and behavior.


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