The Effect of Imagined Social Contact on Chinese Students’ Perceptions of Japanese People

2020 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 223-251
Author(s):  
Dong Wang ◽  
Alastair Iain Johnston ◽  
Baoyu Wang

Social identity theory (SIT) suggests that perceived identity difference between groups predicts to intergroup conflict, including interstate conflict. Contact theory suggests that social contact between groups can help reduce intergroup conflict. Contact theory, however, has not traditionally focused on perceived identity difference, and it has not been tested much on real-world interstate conflicts. Employing an experimental design, our study tests for the effects of imagined social contact on Chinese students’ generally malign perceptions of identity difference with Japanese people. We find that imagined contact reduces key perceptions of difference by reducing both perceived Japanese malignity and perceived Chinese benignity. This suggests that social contact helps produce new hybrid in-group. By employing SIT, our findings provide a new microfoundation for contact theory, suggest an important process in the creation of security communities, and provide a proof of concept for public policies aimed at large-scale cultural exchanges.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yongyi Liang ◽  
Haibo Wang ◽  
Ming Yan ◽  
Jun Xie

Purpose This study aims to investigate the relationship between leader group prototypicality and intergroup conflict, as well as its mechanisms and contextual factors using the social identity theory. Design/methodology/approach The research model was empirically tested using multi-phase, multi-source and multilevel survey data in China. The final sample consisted of 75 group leaders and 231 group members. Multilevel structural equation modelling and a Monte Carlo simulation were used for hypothesis testing. Findings The results showed that leader group prototypicality would engender intergroup conflict via intergroup distinctiveness. Further, leaders’ benchmarking behaviour moderated this indirect effect. In particular, leader group prototypicality resulted in higher intergroup distinctiveness and intergroup conflict, only when the leaders’ benchmarking behaviour was higher rather than lower. Originality/value First, this study addresses the question of whether leader group prototypicality would lead to intergroup conflict to provide theoretical and empirical insights to supplement extant literature. Second, the study advances the understanding of mechanisms (intergroup distinctiveness) and the consequences (intergroup conflict) of leader group prototypicality in an intergroup context. Third, the study shows that leaders’ benchmarking behaviour moderates the effect of leader group prototypicality on intergroup conflict through intergroup distinctiveness. As such, the findings are of value to future management practice by offering precise, practical interventions to manage the intergroup conflict caused by leader group prototypicality.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Takahiro Yabe ◽  
Kota Tsubouchi ◽  
Naoya Fujiwara ◽  
Takayuki Wada ◽  
Yoshihide Sekimoto ◽  
...  

Abstract While large scale mobility data has become a popular tool to monitor the mobility patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic, the impacts of non-compulsory measures in Tokyo, Japan on human mobility patterns has been under-studied. Here, we analyze the temporal changes in human mobility behavior, social contact rates, and their correlations with the transmissibility of COVID-19, using mobility data collected from more than 200K anonymized mobile phone users in Tokyo. The analysis concludes that by April 15th (1 week into state of emergency), human mobility behavior decreased by around 50%, resulting in a 70% reduction of social contacts in Tokyo, showing the strong relationships with non-compulsory measures. Furthermore, the reduction in data-driven human mobility metrics showed correlation with the decrease in estimated effective reproduction number of COVID-19 in Tokyo. Such empirical insights could inform policy makers on deciding sufficient levels of mobility reduction to contain the disease.


2019 ◽  
pp. 001872671988880
Author(s):  
Michael Abebe ◽  
Hazel Dadanlar

Does the appointment of more women and ethnic minority directors on corporate boards help combat discriminatory work environments? This empirical study addresses this question by exploring the occurrence of large-scale discrimination lawsuits. Drawing from social identity theory and empathy-based perspectives, we propose that a greater presence of female and minority directors on boards reduces the likelihood of large-scale discrimination lawsuits given their propensity to advocate for underrepresented groups in the workplace. Our analysis of data from 452 US firms from 2010–2015 indicates that a higher proportion of female and minority directors on boards is associated with a lower likelihood of such lawsuits. Specifically, the likelihood of such lawsuits is lower where there are three or more (a critical mass) female and minority directors. “Token” appointments (one or two female or minority directors) do not reduce the occurrence of these lawsuits. Further, the joint presence of minority and female directors on boards significantly reduces the likelihood of such lawsuits. Finally, we found that female CEOs help in reducing the occurrence of such lawsuits when the board has two or more female directors. Overall, our findings highlight the utility of greater gender and ethnic diversity on boards in combating workplace discrimination.


2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 219-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shen Kunrong ◽  
Jin Gang

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to comprehensively examine the influence of formal and informal institutional differences on enterprise investment margin, mode and result. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based on 2,440 micro samples of large-scale outbound investment from 609 Chinese enterprises from the years 2005 to 2016. Findings The study has found that formal institutional differences have little impact on investment scale, but significantly affect investment diversification. In order to avoid the management risks brought by formal institutional differences, enterprises tend to a full ownership structure. However, the choice between greenfield investment and cross-border mergers and acquisitions is not affected by formal institutional differences. In contrast, the impact of informal institutional differences is more extensive. Both formal and informal institutional differences significantly increase the probability of investment failure. Further research found that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) bridges the formal institutional differences. Originality/value The study concludes that developing the BRI, especially cultural exchanges with countries alongside the Belt and Road, will help enterprises to “go global” faster and better.


2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 138-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angeline Close Scheinbaum ◽  
Russell Lacey ◽  
Minnette Drumwright

Purpose This study aims to examine the outcomes of consumer perceptions of event social responsibility (ESR) for a sponsored community event and its sponsor portfolio (i.e. group of sponsoring companies). It integrates a new antecedent and new moderators of ESR with extant findings to provide a comprehensive model that is theoretically grounded in social identity theory, congruency theory and image and affect transfer. Design/methodology/approach The authors test the theoretical framework via a field study of attendees (n = 879) at a sponsored, large-scale sporting event that provided ESR through health and wellness education and activities. A field study is especially appropriate because of the experiential nature of sponsored events and ESR. Findings Fan identification with the sport is an antecedent of ESR, and motivation to attend the event’s supporting activities moderates the relationship between fan identification and ESR. High event-sponsor fit strengthens the relationship between ESR and word-of-mouth and between ESR and sponsor patronage. Research limitations/implications This study illuminates the role of ESR as a key driver of outcomes for events and for their sponsor portfolio. Future research should investigate ESR in contexts other than sport and use longitudinal data that include actual purchases. It should further examine the construct of sponsor portfolio because so many events have multiple sponsors Practical implications Event sponsorship offers an attractive platform for brands to demonstrate good corporate citizenship; therefore, marketers should consider ESR as a key criterion when selecting events to sponsor. Marketers should sponsor events with high event-sponsor portfolio fit to enhance the outcomes related to ESR for both sponsors and events. This research generally underscores the importance of creating auxiliary, interactive experiences for event attendees. Social implications ESR entails that events should contribute or give back to the local communities and organizations in a charitable way to both help give back socially and to maximize success as measured by electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) and sponsor patronage toward brands sponsoring the event. Originality/value This research identifies a new antecedent and new moderators of ESR and integrates them with extant findings to create a comprehensive, theoretically grounded model. It investigates outcomes for both the event and its sponsor portfolio, in contrast to the scholarship that tends to focus on the (title) sponsor.


2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (7) ◽  
pp. 1034-1052 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Cigdem Bagci ◽  
Z. Ecem Piyale ◽  
N. Isik Bircek ◽  
E. Ebcim

Three experiments were conducted to test whether an imagined contact scenario with friendship potential would be more effective than the standard imagined contact scenario in changing Turkish participants’ attitudes and behaviors towards Syrian refugees. Experiment 1 ( N = 99) showed that adding a specific friendship indicator to the contact scenario (intimacy or interaction) increased the effectiveness of the typical positive contact strategy on outgroup trust. Experiment 2 ( N = 145) demonstrated that imagining a positive contact scenario which included both intimacy and interaction elements simultaneously was more effective than the standard imagined contact scenario in increasing outgroup trust and behavioral intentions. Experiment 3 ( N = 79) demonstrated that simply adding an explicit statement about the potential of forming a cross-group friendship improved the effectiveness of the imagined contact paradigm on attitudes, trust, behavioral intentions, and perceived threat. Theoretical and practical implications of findings for the development of imagined contact interventions are discussed.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Columbus ◽  
Isabel Thielmann ◽  
Ingo Zettler ◽  
Robert Böhm

Participation in intergroup conflict is often framed as a matter of ‘in-group love’ or ‘out-group hate’. Indeed, theoretical accounts including social identity theory and parochial altruism suggest that such group-based preferences are inextricably linked. According to this view, individuals engage in intergroup conflict, including harmful behaviour towards out-group members, in order to improve the relative standing of their in-group. However, individuals may also engage in intergroup conflict to reciprocate beneficial behaviour from their in-group members or harmful behaviour from out-group members. We elicited both preferences towards in-group and out- group members and beliefs about in-group and out-group members’ behaviours prior to playing an experimental conflict game with natural groups (N = 973). In this game, individuals could engage in costly behaviour to either benefit their in-group (without consequences to the out-group) or to both benefit their in-group and harm the out-group. In this setting, both preferences and beliefs contributed to explaining in-group beneficial and out-group harming behaviour. However, beliefs played an overall stronger role than preferences in explaining behaviour. This suggests that participation in intergroup conflict is better explained by positive and negative reciprocity than purely by group-based preferences.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Perez-Ortiz ◽  
Petru Manescu ◽  
Fabio Caccioli ◽  
Delmiro Fernandez-Reyes ◽  
Parashkev Nachev ◽  
...  

How do we best constrain social interactions to prevent the transmission of communicable respiratory diseases? Indiscriminate suppression, the currently accepted answer, is both unsustainable long term and implausibly presupposes all interactions to carry equal weight. Transmission within a social network is determined by the topology of its graphical structure, of which the number of interactions is only one aspect. Here we deploy large-scale numerical simulations to quantify the impact on pathogen transmission of a set of topological features covering the parameter space of realistic possibility. We first test through a series of stochastic simulations the differences in the spread of disease on several classes of network geometry (including highly skewed networks and small world). We then aim to characterise the spread based on the characteristics of the network topology using regression analysis, highlighting some of the network metrics that influence the spread the most. For this, we build a dataset composed of more than 9000 social networks and 30 topological network metrics. We find that pathogen spread is optimally reduced by limiting specific kinds of social contact -- unfamiliar and long range -- rather than their global number. Our results compel a revaluation of social interventions in communicable diseases, and the optimal approach to crafting them.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document