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• Drivers on slip roads want vehicles on the target lane to decelerate. • Drivers in target lanes rate the behaviour of vehicles on slip roads ambiguously. • AVs are rated identically or even more positively than MVs with identical behaviour. • No different safety distance is kept from automated vehicles. • Results show that cross-border traffic between Germany and UK with AVs is feasible. • Intercultural aspects must still be considered in the development of AVs. To ensure safe and uninterrupted traffic flow, (semi-)automated vehicles must be capable of providing comprehensible and agreeable implicit communication cues to human drivers. This driving simulator study investigated the assessment of implicit communication at a motorway slip road through longitudinal driving dynamics (acceleration, deceleration, and maintaining speed). The second aim of the study was to determine whether expectations of automated vehicles are different from those of human drivers. And thirdly, we investigated whether these findings are country-specific or can be (partially) generalised to other countries. The perception of three means of communication in connection with the presence of a labelling as an automated vehicle (eHMI) was examined in two samples in Germany and England. 27 participants drove from a slip road onto the motorway and interacted with another vehicle. After a stretch on the motorway, they passed a second slip road on which there was a vehicle merging onto the participants lane. This was repeated six times to test all variables. After each situation, the perceived cooperativity and criticality was recorded, as well as the time headway (THW) to the other vehicle. This paper presents the findings from the UK sample and compares them with the German results, which were previously published. Results show, that when the cooperating vehicles are on the slip road, participants from both countries prefer this vehicle to decelerate. However, when participants themselves are on the slip road, expectations for vehicles on the target lane are ambiguous in the UK sample. Except for one aspect (perceived cooperativity of decelerating vehicles on the slip road), the perception of automated vehicles is similar to those of manual drivers. Also, UK participants do not maintain a different safety distance from these vehicles, while this is the case in the German sample. This paper contributes valuable insights into the cross-cultural evaluation of driving dynamics, shedding light on implications for the development and acceptance of automated vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Loneliness' impact on health and wellbeing has emerged as a public health issue in several countries. Young people are increasingly understood as a 'risk group' and intervention target for loneliness-reduction. This research paper aims to present a discourse analysis of policies and political speech about young people and loneliness. Design/methodology/approach: Using discourse analysis inspired by Carol Bacchi's "What is the Problem Represented to Be" (WPR) approach, this cross-cultural analysis studies loneliness policy in the United Kingdom (UK) and Norway. In doing so, the authors ask: What is the problem of loneliness among young people represented to be in UK and Norwegian welfare policy? Findings: The findings indicate paradoxical problematizations of the role technology plays among lonely young people, who, in this context, are divided in two categories: able normative and disabled youth. We reveal fundamental differences in beliefs about the impact of technology on these groups, and corresponding differences in the proposed solutions. The problem of young peoples' loneliness is represented as uncertainty about potential harms of digital connectedness and reduced face-to-face interactions. In contrast, the problem of loneliness among disabled youth is represented as impeded access to social realms, with technology serving a benign role as equalizer. Originality/value: Little research has examined this new policy field. The article contributes to filling this gap and encourages policymakers to consider how political discourses on loneliness may lead them to overlook digital interventions young people could find beneficial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper looks at cross-cultural variation in corporate communication over the pandemic, focusing on the language adopted by rail companies in the UK and Italy to enhance trust in safety and highlighting how they engage in communicative action with potential passengers and other online users. The analysis shows that UK companies generally prefer personal forms of self-mention and avoid technicisms, while Italian companies adopt more formal language and more impersonal forms of self-representation. Common elements seem to be related to repeated communicative functions, and the semantic elements they involve, thus highlighting the close link between pragmatic units and lexico-grammatical patterns (with their semantics), as well as the interplay between meaning, dialogic action and context in communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I explore my experience around teaching a digital game design and making postgraduate course in an intercultural setting in the UK Higher Education. I focus on how locality and disciplinary aspects create and mediate hierarchies of knowledges and practices that shape this kind of course, and how the intercultural setting studied here affords critical interrogations about the supposed universal nature of game design, as a field and as a practice. In particular, I examine an educational approach adopted in this course centred on the critical pedagogy notion of ‘cultural work’ and on philosophy of technology, rejecting mechanistic approaches to game design and making in favour of thinking with and through tools and processes. Through interviews with former students around their expectations about learning game design and making and their (changing) perspectives during this course, I explore how such an approach can create educational experiences for both students and game educators to build different (i.e. more critical and diverse) knowledge and practice foundations for those who will be working in/with games in the future as well as developing new vistas for understanding game design and making not as universal but as practices heavily informed by specific contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In distance cross-cultural supervision scenarios PhD students are supported by supervisors located in different cultural contexts, which may, or may not be, the same as that of the student. Very little research has been conducted into experiences of cross-cultural supervision. This paper aims to explores opportunities and challenges for students and supervisors, drawing on qualitative research into their experiences of supervision. Participants were Saudi Arabian students, and UK and Saudi based supervisors. Investigation of three main areas – roles and expectations, communications and technology, and personal and professional development – revealed common issues, and some specific to either students or supervisors. These include language, feedback, technology and professional learning and align with 'intensifiers' identified as making supervision complex or difficult for international PhD students. However, other issues were also identified which need to be discussed openly to ensure that the potential benefits of cross-cultural supervision are realised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of a cross-national study into the ecologically conscious consumer behaviour of senior consumers (aged 50+, mean age 64 years) in the UK, Germany, Japan, and Hungary. Using a survey, the study (n = 1275) utilises a modified version of the Ecologically Conscious Consumer Behaviour Scale, in addition to a battery of variables to measure wider ethical purchasing behaviour and sociodemographic characteristics. Findings suggest that there are segments of older consumers in all countries under study who demonstrate ecologically conscious consumer behaviour, and at the same time there are segments that do not. These segments cannot be identified by sociodemographic variables, but do differ in their wider ethical purchasing behaviour. The study is the first of its kind to measure actual ecologically conscious consumer behaviour in the senior market across different nations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The development of globalization has intensified the growth of the worldwide floating population, and, in turn, diaspora studies and intercultural adaptation research have become hot research topics. This paper aims to contribute to the understanding of the circumstances of intercultural adaptation among Chinese people in the UK on the eve of the COVID-19 pandemic. This research suggests that the extent of intercultural adaptation among individuals is somewhat correlated with their subjective willingness, English language proficiency, and duration of residence in the host society. These factors interact with one another to influence the level of intercultural adaptation. One of the most significant sociocultural adaptation challenges faced by Chinese workers in the UK during their intercultural adaptation process is the English language barrier. Despite some Chinese workers having lived in the UK for decades, their intercultural adaptation remains at the adaptation stage, and they struggle to reach the integration stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research ethics review by ethics committees has grown in importance since the end of the Nuremberg trials in 1949. However, ethics committees have come under increasing criticisms either for been 'toothless or too fierce' (Fistein & Quilligan, 2012:224). This paper presents a personal account of my experience in obtaining ethical approval for my PhD study from a UK university and the ethical dilemmas encountered in the fieldwork in Ghana. In this paper I question whether strict adherence to ethical guidelines developed from western perspectives is useful in conducting research in non-western societies. As more academics are increasingly been mandated to undertake international research, the paper argues for more flexibility in the ethical approval process to accommodate cultural differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose — The objective of this research is to identify the cross-cultural similarities and differences of the implementation of the UK PFI procurement process in different contexts, Design/methodology/approach — The research methodology adopted was the SLEEPT approach. The identified features are examined from source material of various projects within the stated nations. A Delphic approach of confirmation by national collaborators from each country is utilised. Confirming and disaffirming features are examined utilising exogenous cultural drivers. Findings — The conclusion of this research identifies cross-cultural features of six different cultures presented as a ‘cultural compass’ which will inform the development of future private finance initiative (PFI)/public private partnership (PPP) projects. The impact of this research will have implications for the appreciation of cultural similarities and differences of national ‘construction cultures’ for effective project delivery of future PFJ/PPP projects. Originality/value — This paper offers an approach that can be generalised for adoption by nations considering the introduction of PFI as a procurement process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents conclusions based on intercultural studies of the significance of passive strategies relating to the declared teachers' needs as construed by transactional analysis. The study participants included 322 educators from Guatemala, the United Kingdom and Poland. The findings referred to Geert Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory, comparing individualism and collectivism. The study used a questionnaire, specifically the Educational Needs Questionnaire (ENQ) and the "Educator's Reality" one. The study findings disclose connections consistent with Hofstede's theory assumptions where the factor protecting teachers coming from the most collectivist culture worldwide (Guatemala) from passivity is the satisfaction of needs in a relationship with another human being (recognition hunger), while in the most individualistic cultures (the UK), this factor will be the satisfaction of individual needs not connected with relationships (structure hunger). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to report the results of a comparative study of order lead times for firms operating in the UK and Greek food retail markets with the UK one being regarded at the forefront in terms of logistics efficiency. Design/methodology/approach - The main research instrument is a survey of managers employed by the major food multiple retailers operating in the UK and Greece. Statistical analysis is employed to illustrate the variances and differences between these retailers. Findings - The study illustrates that total lead-time is longer than the sum of the components. This implies that there are non-value-added time delays that are occurring between the components and there is still room for improvement. It is also shown that any differences in lead-time between Greek and UK grocery retailers have been effectively eliminated as the entrance of retail multinationals in Greece has forced domestic retailers to improve their logistics systems. Originality/value - There is a scarcity of papers in the logistics field that cross-examines the logistics performance of national grocery supply chains. This is addressed via the current paper that reports the results of a comparative study of order lead times for firms operating in two European food retail markets, the UK and Greece. The paper will be beneficial to the strategic thinking of retail logistics managers and will support further empirical research work in that academic field of study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This research project examines student perspectives on independent learning in the United Kingdom and Hong Kong. Independent learning describes learning undertaken by students outside of standard institutional learning environments. Prior research has suggested that motivations to undertake independent learning and the strategies involved may differ across cultural contexts, institutions, and individual learners. Methods: This research employs primary qualitative research consisting of interviews with 16 students in Business Studies (eight British and eight Chinese). The study takes a social constructionist approach to better establish the ways in which culture may serve as a mediator for motivation to learn independently and the strategies pursued to this end. Results: The study's findings note key differences in the motivations to complete independent learning across either cohort, as well as distinct conceptualizations of what strategies and practices facilitate effective independent learning. Discussion: This research highlights significant cultural differences in the motivations, strategies, and skills related to independent learning between students in the United Kingdom and Hong Kong. It also notes the potential for socioeconomic factors, institutional structures, and assessment methods, alongside culture, to contribute to these differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent period can only be seen as one of rapid and substantial churn as UK governments have attempted to widen participation, strengthen the national system of innovation and control the direct public costs of higher education. Very similar issues have dominated the debate in Australia. This paper compares the current position of two higher education systems which have done similar things but in a different order, and in different social, political and economic settings. The paper, in a longer version that is available on the HEPI website, was first presented in HEPI's annual lecture series. The version published by HEPI contains all the tables and figures used in the lecture. In 2003, in the first of the HEPI lectures, Lord Dearing addressed four themes: finance; competition and growth; diversity of provision and the role of Higher Education in society. Despite all the changes in the past decade, all these issues remain at the core of the debate on the design of effective higher education systems. With reference to these themes, the paper considers: the organisation of the two university systems; entry standards and social equity; the effect of deregulating student numbers; research patterns; and the relationship between business and universities. The technical analysis of student support mechanisms and loans structure is not investigated because detailed coverage has already been given in a number of studies commissioned by HEPI during 2014. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of Social & Cultural Geography is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper seeks to move beyond what Martin and Ruhs described as the numbers versus rights equation in temporary labour migration programs. We do this by examining the ideology of temporary labour migration. This ideology has three key elements: temporariness, labour markets and rights. The paper describes how these concepts obscure key features of temporary labour migration programs. The argument is developed by examining points of contrast between current programs in place in the USA, Canada, Australia and the UK. The paper concludes by demonstrating how unmasking the power imbalances of this ideology will lead to new policy directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is unclear what biopsychosocial factors influence the impact of NAFLD on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and if these factors are equally important predictors between different nationalities. Methods: HRQoL (CLDQ) was measured in both Southern European (Spain, n = 513) and Northern European (United Kingdom -UK-, n = 224) cohorts of patients with NAFLD in this cross-sectional study. For each cohort, participant data were recorded on histological grade of steatohepatitis, stage of fibrosis and biopsychosocial variables. Regression analysis was used to explore which of these variables predicted HRQoL. Moderated mediation models were conducted using SPSS PROCESS v3.5 macro. Results: Participants with severe fibrosis reported more fatigue, systemic symptoms and worry, and lower HRQoL than those with none/mild fibrosis, regardless of place of origin. In addition, body mass index (BMI) and gender were found to be significant predictors of HRQoL in both Spanish and UK participants. Female gender was associated with worse emotional function, higher BMI and more fatigue, which predicted lower participants' HRQoL. UK participants showed more systemic symptoms and worry than Spanish participants, regardless of liver severity. The negative effects of gender on HRQoL through emotional function, BMI and fatigue were reported to a greater degree in UK than in Spanish participants. Conclusions: UK participants showed a greater impairment in HRQoL as compared to Spanish participants. Higher fibrosis stage predicted lower HRQoL, mainly in the Spanish cohort. Factors such as female gender or higher BMI contributed to the impact on HRQoL in both cohorts of patients and should be considered in future multinational intervention studies in NAFLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contributes to our understanding of personal mastery by providing fresh insights from a cross-national study in Higher Education (HE). It presents findings from a rich sample of informants in two well-established universities in the UK and Vietnam, and develops a framework that illustrates the antecedents and outcomes of personal mastery in the two cultures. The multi-level analysis performed provides valuable insights that extend our current understanding of personal mastery beyond the individual level as it is traditionally theorized. Instead, we are able to show that a number of contextual conditions at the organizational, industry and the national culture that may also have a bearing on the way personal mastery is cultivated. By contributing a richer account of the multifaceted nature of personal mastery, the paper draws attention to a range of implications for both future research and practice. In particular, it invites practitioners in HE to apply the theories they develop in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extent to which nuclear energy technologies are, in some sense, “stigmatised” by historical environmental and military associations is of particular interest in contemporary debates about sustainable energy policy. Recent claims in the literature suggest that despite such stigmatisation, lay views on such technologies may be shifting towards a “reluctant acceptance,” in the light of concerns about issues like anthropogenic climate change. In this paper, we report on research into learning and reasoning processes concerned with a largely unknown nuclear energy technology; namely fusion power. We focus on the role of the nuclear label, or “brand,” in informing how lay citizens make sense of the nature of this technology. Our findings derive from a comparative analysis of data generated in Spain and Britain, using the same methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The aim of this study is to analyze differences in the overall perceived value of a service purchased online, and the consequences for international consumer behavior, taking consumers' uncertainty avoidance as a moderating variable. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire was administered to 300 international consumers (150 British and 150 Spanish) who had purchased a service via the internet. SEM was chosen to analyze the effect of uncertainty avoidance on the formation of overall perceived value. Findings – The results reveal that in the formation of overall perceived value – which embraces both the online purchase and also enjoyment of the service – uncertainty avoidance has a moderating effect. Research limitations/implications – In this study just two cultures were to analyze the moderating effect of uncertainty avoidance on an overall perceived value model. Practical implications – The paper helps in understanding the role played by uncertainty avoidance in interactions with web-based businesses. Originality/value – This paper represents an advance in the study of overall perceived value. It explores how overall perceived value is formed when the entire purchasing process is taken into account, and the variations that occur in this process depending on whether it relates to Spanish or British consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The growing volume of consumer transactions in used products markets has given rise to strategic decisions made by sellers in the amount of information disclosed on usage-based attributes – product attributes that quantify the degree by which a product has been used. This paper seeks to address this issue. Based on the phenomenon referred to as the dilution effect, it is proposed that sellers would have less desire to disclose usage-based attribute information in product advertisements for older products. The effects of usage-based attributes on asking prices of used products are also examined and profiled across time and contrasted across three countries: Britain, Canada, and the USA. Design/methodology/approach – Used product advertisements were obtained for 1995 (USA) and 2010 (USA, Canada, and Britain). The ratio of ad content dedicated to usage-based attributes was then computed and profiled across various conditions, and variations were tested using statistical methods. Findings – The results indicate that a dilution-based strategy, whereby usage-based product information is less likely to be disclosed for older products, was evident in 1995 as it was in 2010. Furthermore, cross-country variations were observed in the use of this strategy. Research limitations/implications – The research presented can be expanded to cover other product categories where used products are exchanged and usage-based attributes constitute a fundamental consumer consideration in such exchanges. The research can also be extended to cover a wider range of countries for analysis. Originality/value – This paper extends traditional pricing theory to consider the effects of usage-based attributes on used product prices and associated consumer communications. Given the growth in the volume of consumer transactions in used product markets, this line of inquiry is relevant not only from an academic perspective but can also inform public policy and potential regulatory measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper advances the authors' earlier work on the theme of contemporary religious and cross-cultural festivals by examining management issues associated with mounting such events. Several UK cities are encouraging events based upon the religions and cultures of the diverse communities within their boundaries, aiming to develop further as visitor destinations but also to address social cohesion issues in areas which have experienced racial tension. However, while such events may indeed assist destination product development and act as instruments of social policy (Stone & Millan, 2010), their success is usually heavily dependent upon voluntary effort, volunteers being drawn from the various faith communities involved. Based upon primary research conducted at the 2010 Cheetham Festival in Manchester, UK, this paper examines event management issues associated with voluntarism. Volunteers often lack events management training and experience and, inevitably, their attentions are usually focused on the 'day job' elsewhere. Volunteer enthusiasm often wanes after events, meaning that monitoring and evaluation may not be undertaken (Getz, 2005). The paper examines volunteer 'burn out', and makes reference to proposed strategies to improve volunteer satisfaction and retention (Gaskin, 2003; Downward & Ralston, 2005; Garner & Garner, 2010). Public sector bodies working for economic development and social welfare are generally very supportive of such events, but their priorities for resource allocation frequently lie elsewhere. Appropriate levels of resourcing, and volunteer management strategies, are essential to optimize the contribution of these innovative events to the new UK government's 'Big Society' agenda of empowering communities to take action on locally-identified issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advent of super-diversity and politicisation of migration has been accompanied by heightened interest in migrant settlement. Much has been written in policy and academic fields about the importance of integration, particularly in relation to the settlement of refugees. However, little attention has been paid to the varied settlement experiences of individual refugees, or how personal, cultural and experiential factors combine to influence settlement experiences. This paper turns to cross-cultural psychology's discussion of acculturation processes and, in particular, Berry's acculturation strategies (Berry, 1997) to look at the different factors that influence acculturation and how these factors impact upon the ability of individual refugees to integrate. Using qualitative data collected from 138 interviews with refugees living in Birmingham, England, the paper shows how a range of group and individual factors, relating to their experiences both in refugees’ home and host countries, influences the acculturation strategies adopted by different refugees. It shows that in the current policy environment many refugees lack choice about acculturation strategy, are vulnerable to psychosocial stress and struggle to integrate. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper explores changes in the number of utopian novels published in Great Britain and the United States between 1883 and 1975 from a world-system perspective. A time-series analysis indicates that the publication of utopian literature was affected by changes in the world economy and by changes in the organization of the core of the world-system. On the basis of these findings, we argue that the world-system perspective represents a promising approach for the study of cross-national cultural change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a cross-cultural examination of the trans-contextual model in University education setting. The purpose of the study was to test the effect of students' perceived autonomy support and in-lecture learning motivation on motivation, intention, and behaviour with respect to after-lecture learning via the mediation of the social cognitive variables: attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioural control. University students from UK, China, and Pakistan completed the questionnaires of the study variables. Results revealed that in-lecture perceived autonomy support and autonomous motivation were positively associated with autonomous motivation and intention to engage in after-lecture learning activities via the mediation of the social cognitive variables in all samples. After controlling for the effect of past behaviour, relations between intention and behaviour were only observed in the Chinese sample. In conclusion, the trans-contextual model can be applied to University education, but cultural differences appear to moderate the predictive power of the model, particularly for the intention-behaviour relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature reveals that there are associations between a large number of factors occurring in the classroom and at schools and colleges, and that these impinge on the wellbeing of teachers in terms of emotional labour and burnout. However, most studies are cross-cultural and there has yet to be reliable and valid research conducted into the major occurrences of stressful elements that impinge on teachers in Further Education (FE) and adult education. Furthermore, the extent to which stressors found in FE and adult education are associated with emotional labour and burnout has yet to be elucidated. The literature shows that age is a mediator of both burnout and stress among the older and more experienced teaching staff. Furthermore, locus of control (LOC) is discussed as an important individual difference in moderating stress levels of teachers. This paper investigates the extent to which teachers in FE experience emotional labour and burnout with respect to age and LOC, and how this moderates stress levels. From a survey and focus group interview, the results show that gender and ethnicity, as well as age, had an effect on what teachers found stressful, the frequency and kind of emotional labour they experience, and their particular experiences of burnout. It is suggested that results could be implemented when considering the design of working conditions for individual teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a series of vignettes is used to explore important current challenges in TESOL. These vignettes are drawn from many different settings, including Bengali-, Pahari- and Chinese-speaking children in UK primary schools, speakers of Aboriginal English in Australia and Chinese teachers of English on courses in Higher Education. A number of themes run through these different contexts: What counts as literacy and learning? What are the expectations of the students and, in the case of school children, their parents? How do these differ from those of their teachers? What power issues shape these expectations? In answering these questions, emphasis will be placed on the dangers of 'othering' and the importance of syncretic approaches that recognize and build on student experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Influence of traffic safety culture and infrastructure improvements on drivers' behaviour were investigated. • UK drivers were compared with Nigerian drivers with and without experience of driving in a UK road system. • Nigerian drivers with no experience of driving in the UK reported and engaged in more unsafe driving behaviour. • UK drivers and Nigerian drivers with experience of driving in the UK exhibited similar behaviours. • Changes in Infrastructure did not affect the behaviour of the three groups of drivers. • The behaviours of drivers are interpretable in relation to their traffic safety culture. This paper presents the results of a cross-cultural study to investigate the influence of traffic safety culture and infrastructure improvements on driver behaviour. To achieve this, the driving style of UK drivers was compared with that of Nigerians with and without experience of driving in the UK. A driving simulator experiment compared the actual driving style of these three groups of drivers in different safety critical scenarios. The simulated road environment varied depending on how much infrastructure was provided (low or high infrastructure). In addition, the Driver Behaviour Questionnaire was used to collect self-reported data on violations, errors and lapses. It was hypothesised that Nigerian drivers with no experience of driving in a UK road system would report and engage in more unsafe driving behaviour compared to the other two groups, and that increasing infrastructure would have little positive benefit. Overall, the results supported these hypotheses, indicating that the behaviours of drivers are interpretable in relation to their traffic safety culture, compared to changes in their driving environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates Tunisian students' development of intercultural identity in study abroad (SA) programs. The data were collected by means of the Autobiography of Intercultural Encounters (AIE) (Byram et al. 2009) from 12 Tunisian English language students who participated in SA programs in the USA, the UK, and Canada, with a view to exploring the participants' definition of who they are, their description of a specific encounter, their attitudes and reactions during the encounter, and the perceived change after it. The research, which follows a qualitative analysis of the participants' experiences of intercultural encounters, was conducted using Kim's (2008) stress-adaptation-growth dynamic. The findings revealed that the participants' stress was generated from their inability to function in the new community, on the one hand, and from the gap between their familiarity with the home culture and unfamiliarity with the host culture, on the other. To overcome these difficulties, participants were found to use varied adaptive strategies, including stress management and linguistic and intercultural adjustments. The analysis also demonstrated that there was a meaningful link between the participants' definition of 'self' and the transition towards intercultural identity growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last 40 years, teacher education in England has been the focus of a stream of ‘reforms’ with the ultimate aim of placing provision into schools, the justification for such a radical policy being that higher education is alleged to be failing to provide good quality teachers thereby compromising the social and economic development of the country. The process whereby these reforms have been introduced is described and then used as a way of comparing and contrasting the way in which similar reforms can be identified in the international teacher education communities represented in this special issue of theJournal of Education for Teaching(JET). The paper closes by identifying lessons that can be learned from international comparators. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The paper adds to extant professional education literature by reflecting on apparent differences in pedagogy of similar professional programmes of study, allowing deeper insight into the unique strand of higher education influenced by the professions. A comparative international case study approach is adopted of an interpretive qualitative nature regarding curricular, teaching and learning and assessment strategies of an accounting department in South Africa (SA) and one in the UK. Findings point to significant differences in curriculum and assessment but less so in teaching and learning approaches. One department endeavoured to find a balance between vocational and academic activities, whilst the other favoured the former being inconsistent with both its governmental and institutional governing bodies. Explanations offered include differing strengths of coercive, competitive, mimetic and normative influence [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Social & Cultural Geography is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: While there is growing scholarly interest in returned and cyclical migration, and on young adult cultural or adventure seeking migration, there is still a lack of systematic empirical insights into how the experiences of being abroad, and after return, are mediated by exposure to different cultural environments. Addressing this conceptual and empirical gap, the paper analyses the experiences of New Zealand return migrants, or sojourners, who lived and worked in European countries (other than the UK) for more than one year and compares them with the experiences of NZ returnees from the UK. Drawing on 20 ‘non-UK’ and 22 ‘UK’ in-depth interviews, the paper revisits typology of cross-cultural, or intercultural, adjustment (largely ignored in studies of return migration) to assess sojourners’ experiences throughout the migration cycle and serve as a useful tool for identifying and reporting psychological and socio-cultural elements in the returnees stories. The findings of sojourners’ possible identity shifts during intercultural transition are discussed with reference to the four-member paradigm of Cultural Identity Model (CIM) () while addressing argument that overseas adaptation and repatriation experiences are not directly associated. This paper demonstrates the need to understand first that the costs and benefits of circular migration or sojourning are country-specific, and that they do not ‘just happen’ at a particular moment or in one phase but are forged through a veritable rollercoaster of experiences of intercultural adjustment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The literature on knowledge ownership distinguishes two types of ownership: organisational and individual ownership. These two types relate to the way individuals differentiate whether their knowledge belongs to themselves (individual) or their employer (organisational). On the other hand, organisations could utilise Intellectual Property Rights to enforce control over explicit knowledge such as information products. However, employees gain more control over tacit knowledge such as expertise because it is embedded in their mind. This causes the employees to psychologically believe that they own tacit knowledge. Previous research shows that knowledge ownership perceptions affect knowledge sharing intentions. Nevertheless, there is a lack of empirical works to support this argument especially in cross-cultural research. This paper explores individual and organisational knowledge ownership and their effects on knowledge sharing intentions. It reports on a study that was conducted in both UK and Thailand. The results of the study support previous research findings that knowledge workers who perceive organisational ownership will have more propensities to share their knowledge than those who perceive individual ownership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on a cross-cultural outreach activity of the current UK 'Spatial Literacy in Teaching' (SPLINT) Centre of Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL), a past UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) grant, and shared interests in family names between Japanese and UK academics. It describes a pedagogic programme developed for Japanese postgraduates and advanced undergraduates that entailed quantitative and qualitative analysis of the spatial distributions of Japanese family names. The authors describe some specific semantic, procedural and theoretical issues and, more generally, suggest how names analysis provides a common framework for engaging student interest in GIS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper documents the impact of a study visit to south India in 2007 on students following courses in initial teacher education at Canterbury Christ Church University, UK. The research was conducted by the two course leaders and employed a varied methodology, involving open-ended questionnaires, self-reporting of emotions, video diaries, informal conversations and follow-up interviews. The main finding was that the study visit was a powerful learning experience which transformed students' thinking by creating dissonance on a cognitive, emotional and existential level. These results are placed alongside current research in psychology and neuroscience to argue that a sense of hope and personal flourishing can be generated through experiences of this kind. This is supported by a model of transformational learning which highlights personal growth and development. We conclude by proposing that the study visit provides an example of how intercultural understanding can reinvigorate teacher education with a sense of meaning and hope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent reforms of the Chinese construction industry, significant efforts have been made toward the introduction of Western project management theories and practices. However, little is known about the extent to which Western project management concepts have been supported by the Chinese culture. Because of certain differences between the two cultures, Chinese managers’ conceptions of their work are likely to be different from their Western counterparts. This paper reports an interpretive comparison of Chinese and U.K. construction project managers’ conceptions of their work. The findings reveal three of the most similar and five of the most different aspects between the two cultural sets of conceptions. The identified similarities reflect some key characteristics inherent in the construction project management profession. Two of the identified differences, namely Chinese emphasis on commercial awareness and U.K. emphasis on health and safety, arise from social structural differences in the two nations, whereas the other three differences, namely Chinese attention to relationships, Chinese concern for their company, and U.K. attention to project contract, are due to the cultural differences between the two nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines three key education policy documents from Scotland, England and Wales in the eight years after devolution. A close textual analysis of the language of each document is undertaken, which is supported by the authors' insider knowledge of these countries. Findings are presented from analysis of a group of selected words, as well as analysis of the visual images used in the three documents. Points of similarity and difference within the shared discourse of policy are identified and these are discussed under the headings of improvement, vision, gaps and disjunctures. Perhaps understandably, each country seems very concerned with its own education policy agenda. However, the extent of this is clearly highlighted by our analysis, which largely reveals national monologues, with little reference to each other's policies across Scotland, England and Wales. It is suggested that more 'national conversation(s)' between these countries might take place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast the nature and practice of strategic planning in two different environmental contexts, the UK and Turkey. Design/methodology/approach - Employing a structured mail questionnaire, the study collected data from a sample of UK and Turkish firms. Using a sampling frame of 500 firms from the EXTEL database of UK listed companies, 113 usable responses were received for the UK firms. In total, 135 responses were obtained from the Turkish firms based on a sampling frame of 638 firms derived from the database of the Istanbul Chamber of Industry's 500 largest Turkish manufacturing companies and the database of companies quoted on the Istanbul Stock Exchange. Findings - There are a number of significant differences between the strategic planning practices of Turkish firms and UK firms. Contrary to expectations, it appears that Turkish firms rather than UK firms are more favourably disposed to strategic planning. The exception to this is the adoption and use of a range of tools/techniques of strategic analysis, which are more regularly employed by UK firms than by Turkish firms. Practical implications - Organisations should be aware that strategy formulation is futile without appropriate strategy implementation and should seek a coherent interface between those responsible for the strategic planning process and those responsible for implementation to ensure that each group is working to the same set of objectives. With the development of the market economy in Turkey, and the increased competition from foreign firms as globalisation proceeds, it may be necessary for the Turkish firms to increasingly adopt the techniques and tools of strategic planning. Originality/value - This paper provides some important insights to the applicability of Western strategic management thinking to the business environment in emerging countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author presents his views on the analysis of the development of further education in Great Britain. He comments on the drawn data that examined the complex policy content of the country's education sector. The author has picked two papers which formed the basis of further cross-cultural research in five countries that offered important problems and has suggested resolutions that could well apply in social and political contexts.

For much of the nineteenth century, American journalism fascinated writers in British periodicals. This interest is particularly important because the era marked the emergence of the press as the chief medium of public communication in Britain. Articles ranged from effusive tributes to stinging condemnations, from narrow profiles of journalists to sweeping evaluations of journalism. Among the authors who penned these columns were British reporters and editors, former ones who were pursuing other careers, and even the occasional expatriate American. This study, based on a survey of thirty-nine reviews and magazines that cut across political, religious, and class lines, explores the ideas of these analysts. Although their perceptions differed, three themes appear in their commentary. Two are comparative, stressing the similarities between American and British journalism and the cross-cultural exchanges that common experiences fostered. The third motif deals with the differences in journalistic development in the two societies. Irrespective of these unifying threads, it is clear from the evidence that no dominant British vision of the American press surfaced in the century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is principally concerned with a matter which does not appear to have received much attention in the literature, namely the representation and adaptation of the ethnic minority11For a discussion of the problems of terminology for black and British Asian cinema and her reasons for adopting “black” as the appropriate description see Lola Young in Questions of Colour (, p. 40). This essay looks beyond this experience and adopts the term “ethnic minorities” to reflect this, conscious of the problem of the mode of perception that this might be seen to imply. experience in film. These issues have, for the reasons explained below, only appeared in a limited way in British popular culture. The imperial and inter-cultural experience of race has appeared in a variety of forms over the years. This paper seeks to place this film coverage in its historical and political context. It does this by looking in some detail at how one particular representation of ethnicity in Errol Braithwaite''s autobiographical To Sir with Love, fared in its adaptation for the screen. A much blander portrayal of race and racism in post-War Britain emerges from the film of To Sir With Love than that of the original literary source with the background of racism largely removed from the film. The paper suggests that to obtain a better purchase on the process of adaptation it is crucial to examine the social and political context within which the films in question are made rather than simply concentrate on the aesthetic and stylistic distinctions between the written source and film22. as though these are pure processes to be assessed in some kind of artistic vacuum. This examination is premised on the basis that there is significance in examining the cinematic portrayal of such developments.33. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper traces the major developments in the field of human resource management briefly and then highlights the need for more cross-national HRM studies. The results from two parallel surveys of matched Indian and British organizations are presented. The main aim of the surveys was to examine a wide range of HRM policies and practices in a cross-national comparative context. The surveys were run in six industries in the manufacturing sector. The study controlled for a number of variables such as size of the organization, product, industry sector and personnel participation. Influence of a number of contingent variables (such as age, size, nature and life-cycle stage of the organization, presence of unions and human resource strategies) on HRM policies and practices is analysed. The study finds significant differences in recruitment, compensation, training and development and employee communication practices between India and Britain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an international financial center, the banking industry in Hong Kong (HK) plays a significant role. Because of increasingly competitive pressure from domestic and overseas banks, HK banks must tightly control cost and improve quality and efficiency of operations in order to maintain profitability. For this purpose, quality management has emerged as an effective tool in recent years. In fact, it has been regarded as a vital strategic element for meeting the challenge of the new and intensified competition in the financial services industry (Knights & McCabe, 1996b, Managing Service Quality, 6, pp. 18-21). This paper reports the result of a survey on quality management initiatives in HK's banking industry between 1997 and 2000. The trend of changes in these years is analyzed and the results from HK are compared with those from British financial institutions reported by Wilkinson et al. (1996, Total Quality Management, 7, pp. 67-78). The results show that HK banks have gradually adopted quality initiatives and gained significant success in quality management over the past 3 years. They focused more on meeting service standard and providing prompt services while banking institutions in the UK focused more on understanding and meeting customers' needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on various studies related to law and politics. The papers assembled in this volume of "Studies in Law, Politics and Society," show the breadth of conversations now going on in interdisciplinary legal studies. While they cross several disciplinary divides and deploy divergent methods and theories, they define a terrain of inquiry with enough common markers to suggest that they truly belong together. These papers bring new theoretical perspectives to traditional concerns, address pressing normative and political concerns, and suggest the potential of a cross-cultural and comparative dialogue about law and legal theory. The third paper in this part takes the analysis of community and autonomy in a somewhat different direction. In this paper, Anne Barron uses the subject of education and education reform in Great Britain to challenge the assumption that "the political subject, the citizen, is the apriori of political power." Three papers collected under the title "Community, Autonomy, and the Limits of the Law" constitute Part II of this volume. These papers explore the complicated and contingent ways in which claims of community and autonomy are received and structured by law.

This paper sets out to compare the reaction from two cultures (Japan and the United Kingdom) to very similar training programs aimed at the development of organizational change agent skills and to speculate on the implications of, and reasons for, some of the differences in these reactions. It is unfortunately not possible to compare identical programs, as there were slight differences in design in programs run in each country. These differences were in part due to the designers' assumptions about what would be acceptable within each culture. What follows is, therefore, simply an account of personal experiences put forward as the basis for discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper compares the results of large-scale U.S. and U.K. surveys designed to identify managers' major ethical concerns and to investigate how firms are formulating and communicating ethics policies responsive to these concerns. Our findings indicate some important differences between U.S. and U.K. firms in perceptions of what are important ethical issues, in the means used to communicate ethics policies, and in the issues addressed in ethics policies and employee training. U.K. companies tend to be more likely to communicate ethics policies through senior executives, whereas U.S. companies tend to rely more on their Human Resources and Legal Departments. U.S. firms consider most ethical issues to be more important than do their U.K. counterparts, and are especially concerned with employee behavior which may harm the firm. In contrast, the issues which U.K. managers consider more important tend to be concerned with external corporate stakeholders rather than employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in the understanding of the relationship between business and society have led to increased interest in and discussion of the notion of corporate social responsibility. This paper offers an empirical analysis of the perceptions of top executives in the West Midlands, U.K., and in Delhi, District Ghaziabad, India, of the notion of corporate social responsibility. Organisational changes and involvement in social action programmes, and problems of implementing and monitoring Social Responsibility in two cultures, India and Britain, were explored. The results of this study are compared with results obtained from studies on American companies and some significant similarities and differences are noted. Finally, some of the implications of the acceptance of the relevance of social responsibility to industry and the social involvement of industry are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Paramedicine presents students with numerous challenges, including factors threatening their wellbeing. Over the last two decades studies have illustrated that paramedics and paramedic students are more likely to have mental disorders than the general population. These findings suggest that course-related factors could be important in contributing to poorer mental health. However, few studies have examined factors related to stress in paramedic students, and none of these have included paramedic students from cross-culture. To address this, the present study (1) explored paramedicine students' training experiences and other education-related factors that could affect their wellbeing, and (2) illustrated the possible differences and similarities between two cultures (Saudi Arabia and the UK) to determine whether the students' cultural environment influenced factors related to their wellbeing. Methods: A qualitative exploratory research design was used. Twenty semi-structured interviews were conducted with paramedicine students from the United Kingdom and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (ten participants from each country). Reflexive thematic analysis was employed as the analytical approach in this study. Results: Four major themes were identified which captured the contributors to paramedic students' stress levels: (1) exposure to potentially traumatic events, (2) relationships and communication, illustrating the student's personal and professional experiences with others, (3) programme atmosphere, demonstrating the challenges and support students encounter during their coursework and training, and (4) career, elucidating the pressure of future career expectations and predictions. Conclusion: The study revealed contributors to stress were similar in both countries. Better preparation can help to reduce the negative impacts of the possible traumatic events encountered on placements and supportive relationships, especially with proctors, can boost student wellbeing. Universities are able to address both these factors and help foster a positive environment for paramedicine students. As such, these results should help educators and policymakers when identifying and delivering interventions to support paramedic students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International students must adjust to cross-cultural differences effectively to achieve learning excellence while studying abroad. As a result, students must acquire new skills, especially intercultural competence, to properly communicate with people from other cultures. The purpose of this study is to investigate how Indonesian students in UK universities integrate various components of intercultural competence. This study explains why intercultural competence is necessary and how it may be fostered. It is based on an ethnographic framework involving twelve student blogs and seven student interviews and observations. The findings of this study classified the intercultural competencies required by Indonesian students in the United Kingdom into two types: attitudes and skills. Accepting cultural differences and having an open mind are examples of necessary attitudes. Some necessary skills are the ability to learn new things about a different culture and the ability to follow the rules of the host society. Intercultural competence is a distinct and complex phenomenon that has received little academic attention and merits additional examination. The data show that all individuals had difficulty adjusting to cultural differences during their studies. According to the findings of this study, Indonesian students studying in the United Kingdom must adjust to cultural differences to create favourable views about living abroad. This study serves as evidence that intercultural competence is essential in this situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early life environments afford infants a variety of learning opportunities, and caregivers play a fundamental role in shaping infant early life experience. Variation in maternal attitudes and parenting practices is likely to be greater between than within cultures. However, there is limited cross-cultural work characterising how early life environment differs across populations. We examined the early life environment of infants from two cultural contexts where attitudes towards parenting and infant development were expected to differ: in a group of 53 mother-infant dyads in the UK and 44 mother-infant dyads in Uganda. Participants were studied longitudinally from when infants were 3– to 15–months-old. Questionnaire data revealed the Ugandan mothers had more relational attitudes towards parenting than the mothers from the UK, who had more autonomous parenting attitudes. Using questionnaires and observational methods, we examined whether infant development and experience aligned with maternal attitudes. We found the Ugandan infants experienced a more relational upbringing than the UK infants, with Ugandan infants receiving more distributed caregiving, more body contact with their mothers, and more proximity to mothers at night. Ugandan infants also showed earlier physical development compared to UK infants. Contrary to our expectations, however, Ugandan infants were not in closer proximity to their mothers during the day, did not have more people in proximity or more partners for social interaction compared to UK infants. In addition, when we examined attitudes towards specific behaviours, mothers' attitudes rarely predicted infant experience in related contexts. Taken together our findings highlight the importance of measuring behaviour, rather than extrapolating expected behaviour based on attitudes alone. We found infants' early life environment varies cross-culturally in many important ways and future research should investigate the consequences of these differences for later development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]