Fear or Competition? Antecedents to U.S. Business Student Immigration Attitudes

Immigration is an important and contemporary topic in management education given its impact on labor, wages, innovation, and diversity. However, extant research offers few insights into the antecedents to student immigration attitudes. Survey data from undergraduate students taking business courses at two large public universities in the southeast U.S. reveal that while student attitudes toward immigration are more moderate than the general U.S. population, these attitudes differ by gender, political affiliation, and immigration background. Following realistic conflict theory and social identity theory, these student immigration attitudes are a function of both fear and competition. First, their attitudes are confounded by conflicting antecedents in perceived personal competition for resources with immigrants (e.g., jobs, wages) versus immigration benefits (e.g., costs, labor base, innovation). Second, xenophobia (fear of immigrants) is a remarkably powerful influencer of one’s immigration attitude and its antecedents. With these points, management educators must engage students in critical thinking about immigration to prepare them to effectively work with diverse colleagues and business partners while leading global organizations. We, therefore, present four cross-disciplinary areas of intersection between immigration and management education, including diversity and cultural intelligence, human resource management and ethics, entrepreneurship and innovation, and finally, economic and socioeconomic impacts.

Diversity and consumer dispositions towards foreign countries in an emerging market

PurposeThe current study builds on social identity theory and realistic conflict theory aims to identify the relationships amongst consumers' ethnocentrism, animosity, discomfort with differences – a factor of universal-diverse orientation (UDO) – and reluctance to purchase German (RELG) and French automobiles (RELF) in the Turkish automobile market which is dominated by foreign brands.Design/methodology/approachEmpirical data were collected via face-to-face surveys from 400 respondents in the emerging market Turkey. Structural equation modelling was employed to examine the direct and indirect effects between the variables.FindingsThe main predictors of the RELG are consumer ethnocentrism, discomfort with differences and economic animosity towards Germany, respectively. Furthermore, RELF in the Turkish market is positively affected by consumer ethnocentrism, war animosity towards France and discomfort with differences, respectively. Discomfort with differences mediates the relationship between consumer ethnocentrism and RELG and RELF.Practical implicationsInternational collaborations with local manufacturers have huge strategic impacts when establishing reliable relationships with Turkish consumers. Foreign companies can initiate socially responsible projects that will relay the message of similarities between cultures to decrease perceived cultural differences. Highlighting the similarities of Turkish consumers with a foreign company in promotional campaigns will be much beneficial.Originality/valueDespite there are many studies regarding antecedents and consequences of consumer ethnocentrism, extant research overlooks the effect of animosity on this concept. Additionally, studies examining UDO in the marketing literature are scarce. This paper integrates UDO, consumer ethnocentrism, animosity and reluctance to purchase foreign products in one study.

Reframing Xenophobia in South Africa as Colour-Blind: The Limits of the Afro Phobia Thesis

Many scholars and South African politicians characterize the widespread anti-foreigner sentiment and violence in South Africa as dislike against migrants and refugees of African origin which they named ‘Afro-phobia’. Drawing on online newspaper reports and academic sources, this paper rejects the Afro-phobia thesis and argues that other non-African migrants such as Asians (Pakistanis, Indians, Bangladeshis and Chinese) are also on the receiving end of xenophobia in post-apartheid South Africa. I contend that any ‘outsider’ (White, Asian or Black African) who lives and trades in South African townships and informal settlements is scapegoated and attacked. I term this phenomenon ‘colour-blind xenophobia’. By proposing this analytical framework and integrating two theoretical perspectives — proximity-based ‘Realistic Conflict Theory (RCT)’ and Neocosmos’ exclusivist citizenship model — I contend that xenophobia in South Africa targets those who are in close proximity to disadvantaged Black South Africans and who are deemed outsiders (e.g., Asian, African even White residents and traders) and reject arguments that describe xenophobia in South Africa as targeting Black African refugees and migrants.

Opposed Interests as a Source of Conflict*

According to Realistic Conflict Theory, opposing claims to scarce resources such as wealth, prestige, and power generate antagonisms and initiate conflicts with potentially destructive consequences. However, the consequences of such opposed interests may differ depending on how people understand their own interests and how they interpret their conflict. The clash of interests is a certain form of interdependence between people that can be described in terms of the Dual Concern Model. The model implies that in conflicts people might take into consideration their own as well as the other party’s interests. Their behavior depends on their understanding of the conflict situation and the characteristics, which they attribute to the participants in the conflict. The dominant ideology may play a major role shaping peoples’ interpretation of the situation and preferences for strategies of conflict resolution.

The Common Other Syrian : The Syrian Refugee Representation in the Context of Social Identity and Realistic Threat

The aim of the current study to describe representations about Syrian refugees of two major ethnic groups -Turks and Kurds- in the context of the Social Identity Approach and Realistic Conflict Theory. In addition, we aimed to examine the relationship between the participants' ingroup identification and their representations about Syrian refugees and to describe the difference between their representations in the context of being an advantaged or disadvantaged group in Turkey. We measured the ingroup identification of 34 participants, 16 of whom were women, with an average age of 39. We verbatim transcripted the semi-structured interview records, which lasted approximately 28 minutes, and revealed that 7 representations (Economic Burden and Financial Threat Syrian, Cultural Pollutant Syrian, Societal Destructive Syrian, İmmigrant Syrian, Syrian who Fled from Own Homeland, Beggar and Homeless Syrian, Syrian with Many Children) were emphasized in the answers of at least half of the participants. We found that participants' ingroup identification predicted the power of their "cultural pollutant Syrian representation", but no prediction for their "economic burden and financial threat Syrian representation". Moreover, according to the coding of the first rater, there was no difference between the Kurds and Turks in terms of the power of Syrian refugees to be represented as an economic threat, whereas according to the coding of the second rater, Turkish participants (advantaged group members) had more financial threat representation than Kurdish participants. In terms of the power of Syrian refugees to be represented as cultural pollutants between the Kurds and Turks, there was no difference according to the coding of both judges. Findings were discussed within the scope of the related literature.

Perceptions of a heritage site and animosity: the case of the West Bank

Purpose Drawing on the theories of social identity and realistic conflict theory, the purpose of this study is to enrich the literature by proposing and testing a model conceptualizing the relationships between animosity, an antecedent (tourists’ perception of a heritage site) and demand variables (e.g. length of stay). Design/methodology/approach Data collected for the study is based on a combination of qualitative (20 interviews) and quantitative research (n = 330) methods. Findings The study demonstrates that animosity should be integrated into tourism research. The study provides relevant insights indicating that animosity harbored toward locals is crucial to the understanding of tourists’ behavior. Research limitations/implications The study provides relevant insights indicating that animosity harbored toward locals is crucial to the understanding of tourists’ behavior. Practical implications Managerial implications for those entrusted with the promotion of tourism and site management are suggested in areas at the heart of a conflict. Originality/value The study of animosity challenges the common view in heritage tourism which focus on positive emotions harbored by tourists. In the present study, the authors focus on the consequences of negative emotions.

Moving From Vertical to Horizontal

Unconscious bias impacts the ability to engage with interprofessional education activities. This bias comes in many forms and occurs for a variety of reasons. This chapter reviews the types of bias that frequently plague IPE and reviews common theories explaining this bias. Theories discussed in this chapter include social identity theory, realistic conflict theory, and Allport's contact theory. The purpose of this chapter is to assist readers with improving IPE engagement and help promote healthier communication among members of the healthcare team.