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Aim: To explore the health beliefs of clinical and academic nurses from Japan, Australia and China regarding wearing paper masks to protect themselves and others, and to identify differences in participants' health beliefs regarding masks. Background: The correct use of face masks and consensus among health professionals across the globe is essential for containing pandemics, and nurses need to act according to policy to protect themselves, educate the public and preserve resources for frontline health workers. Paper masks are worn by health professionals and the general public to avoid the transmission of respiratory infections, such as COVID‐19, but there appear to be differences in health beliefs of nurses within and between countries regarding these. Methods: This qualitative descriptive study used content analysis with a framework approach. Findings: There were major differences in nurse participants' beliefs between and within countries, including how nurses use paper masks and their understanding of their efficacy. In addition, there were cultural differences in the way that nurses use masks in their daily lives and nursing practice contexts. Conclusion: Nurses from different working environments, countries and areas of practice hold a variety of health beliefs about mask wearing at the personal and professional level. Implications for nursing policy and health policy: The COVID‐19 pandemic has sparked much discussion about the critical importance of masks for the safety of health professionals, and there has been considerable discussion and disagreement about health policies regarding mask use by the general public. Improper use of masks may have a role in creating mask shortages or transmitting infections. An evidence‐based global policy on mask use for respiratory illnesses for health professionals, including nurses, and the general public needs to be adopted and supported by a wide‐reaching education campaign. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: For adults with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), they experience many challenges in dietary decision‐making. Thus, this study examined the perspective and experiences of adults with IBD in dietary decision‐making. Objective: This study aimed to explore the perception and consideration of people with IBD in their daily dietary decisions through monitoring, interpretation and action during the decision‐making process. Design: A qualitative study of individuals affected by IBD was conducted through semistructured interviews. Results: Twenty patients were recruited from four tertiary hospitals in Nanjing, China, and each participant completed a semistructured interview. The majority of participants reported on the process and experience of dietary decision‐making. Key themes were categorised into three stages: (1) assessing needs, preferences and food cues (monitor); (2) moving from experience to expertise (interpret) and (3) balancing expectations amidst limitations (act). The majority of participants reported that their decisions were shaped by assessing current disease status and food cues. Those interviewed with IBD were willing to make tradeoffs for bowel stability, but their decisions were also influenced by past dietary experiences and traditional Chinese beliefs. The lack of awareness of dietary guidelines was a significant barrier to healthy eating decisions. Positive or negative feelings accompanied dietary decisions. Conclusion: Although most people with IBD change their diet after diagnosis, the changes made are often inconsistent with existing dietary recommendations. Several factors can influence the dietary decision‐making process. This study will help assess the experiences of people with IBD in dietary decision‐making to encourage the formation of targeted dietary health and well‐being interventions. Knowledge of nutrition and diet should be provided in education and training programmes for IBD management. Patient or Public Contribution: The first three authors of this paper were the lead researchers in this study's design. These authors were mentored by patient researchers who also contributed to the manuscript, and the research process was co‐lead and directed by other patient participants and consultants. The results of this paper were directly obtained from patient participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper investigates how unrestricted global capitalism and a Confucian culture of hierarchy and obedience combine to create a form of modern slavery in China. The cases cited involve semi‐structured interviews with 11 managers and 19 workers working in the hospitality and manufacturing sectors. The interviews are analysed to determine how managers use controls to exploit power/distance, high levels of insecurity, and unenforced labour rights to impose harsh working conditions. Prior research has examined what mechanisms are imposed in a society that retains a Confucian legacy of obedience but not 'how' they are imposed in a way that constitutes a form of modern slavery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data from the 2015 China Household Financial Survey (CHFS) this paper examines the effect of culture on the gender gap in financial literacy. We exploit geographical differences in culture in China, comparing outcomes between rural and urban areas and between areas in the east and west (Shanghai and Chongqing). Using the Blinder‐Oaxaca decomposition we show that, nationally, the gender gap in financial literacy is entirely the product of differences in the way men and women acquire financial literacy. It is a result consistent with cultural effects. When considering just women in Shanghai and Chongqing we observe a raw financial literacy differential of 13% (favoring Shanghai). This gap is also the product of differences in the way financial literacy is acquired. It provides additional evidence as to the importance of culture when it comes to understanding financial literacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past millennium, Confucian culture has prevailed in China as a typical informal institution, especially its emphasis on human feelings and interpersonal connections (guanxi) that coincides with the incentives for corruption. In this paper, we test the hypothesis that Confucian culture can generate positive effects on the formation of bureaucratic corruption in China. Using the variation in the number of jinshi across Chinese cities as a proxy for the degree of Confucian culture, and using the number of bribery recipients to measure corruption, we find that regions with more jinshi are associated with more bribe recipients. To address the endogeneity, we employ the Confucian sages in a given city as our instrumental variable. The instrumented results are consistent with our baseline claim. The findings remain robust after using a variety of tests, including using the percentage of bribe recipients instead of the number of bribe recipients, using the number of Confucius temples, Confucian academies and chaste women as alternative Confucian cultural measures, and controlling the impact of the North–South differences. In addition, we find the shock of foreign culture can mitigate the positive effect of Confucian culture on corruption. Finally, mechanism shows that the effect of Confucian culture on corruption can be attributed to the attitudes towards income unfairness, the excessive pursuit of vanity and the emphasis on interpersonal connections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to clarify the concept of perceived health from the perspective of rural adults in China. Methods: Walker and Avant's concept analysis was applied. Findings: Perceived health from rural adults in China is a subjective assessment of their health status, which is deeply affected by Chinese traditional culture and being in a rural environment. Conclusions: Most rural adults in China could perceive their health as good or poor, however, rural areas have disadvantages in health care, geographical location, and educational resources compared with urban counterparts, which may lead to some unscientific health attitudes and lifestyles and hinder their healthcare‐seeking behaviors. Implication for Nursing Practice: To help nurses understand better the concept of perceived health with the rural background, which is different from urban areas. Perceived health provides rich information resources for nurses to carry out holistic care, and to lead rural adults in China to form a correct and positive attitude and lifestyle as possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Family Process is the property of Wiley-Blackwell 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.)

Copyright of Journal of Family Therapy is the property of Wiley-Blackwell 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.)

Copyright of Journal of Family Therapy is the property of Wiley-Blackwell 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 study tests the effect of age diversity on firm performance among international firms. Based on the resource-based view of the firm, it argues that age diversity among employees will influence firm performance. Moreover, it argues that two contextual variables-a firm's level of market diversification and its country of origin-influence the relationship between age diversity and firm performance. By testing relevant hypotheses in a major emerging economy, that is, the People's Republic of China, this study finds a significant and positive effect of age diversity and a significant interactive effect between age diversity and firm strategy on profitability. We also find a significant relationship between age diversity and firm profitability for firms from Western societies, but not for firms from East Asian societies. The paper concludes by discussing the implications of this study's findings. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the article, the author welcomes the opportunity to comment on papers, particularly given the journal's tradition of reporting on family therapy developments in China. These developments in another culture, or cultures, seen from a distance or as a visitor to that 'culture', have led the author to review some of his own ideas about culture. The title of this commentary, therefore, does not represent a reborn humility but an attempt to face a reality about culture and almost inevitable difficulties in thinking about it, as the juxtaposition of these two different papers attest. The paradox is that the very attempt to be 'culturally sensitive' automatically sets up as 'experts', and inevitably experts with feet of clay about 'others'. The way the concept of culture is used researchers' paper rests on an approach in family therapy circles best exemplified in such texts as Ethnicity and Family Therapy, in which each culture appears almost as one set of concepts. This approach may then be applied to how authors 'perceive' their own culture or ethnicity but the same in-built dangers as when defining 'others' remain.

The article offers the author's comments on the paper "Ultrasonography and Sex Ratios in China," by H. Li and H. Zheng, published in this issue of the journal. The author states that the paper focuses on the impact of the availability of B-ultrasound machines on the sex ratios in China, and provides explanations for the people's preference of sons to daughters. The author thinks that recent fertility patterns in China indicate that culture of male descendants may have lost its significance.

Many countries (e.g., Egypt, Russia, and Uganda) have very draconian laws against LGBT individuals. Despite facing such adversity or hostility many LGBT individuals do strive and maintain their sense of self-worth. How do they do it? The collection of papers in this special issue attempts to provide some answers to this question. I will attempt to analyze two overlapping issues in these papers, and how they might inform LGBT research using a resilience lens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the psychological and sociological framework of risk, we establish a static and dynamic equilibrium model for risk‐sharing institutional evolution. Particularly, through a comparative study of marine insurance development in China and Europe, we address a wide set of research questions concerning why China and Europe relied on different social organizations for risk sharing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims This paper provides an overview of gambling issues in China, including historical development, governmental responses and social consequences. Methods Based on materials written in Chinese or English available at academic databases and other online resources, historical, cultural and policy analyses were conducted. The focus is on mainland China, but reference is made to Hong Kong and Macao to illustrate differences. Results Throughout Chinese history, gambling was strictly prohibited by law. In contrast, small-stakes betting for entertainment instead of monetary gain, defined as 'gaming' in this paper, has been culturally acceptable and tolerated by governments. After banning gambling for three decades, the Chinese government attempts to meet public demand for 'gaming' and to confine gambling to 'gaming' by issuing national lotteries. In response to increased economic wealth, gambling opportunities were allowed to develop, but were restricted to Macao. Social problems such as illegal and youth gambling are, however, emerging. The 'gaming' perception may predispose Chinese individuals to wagering activities and increase the risk of gambling disorder, which has been widely seen as misconduct rather than a mental disorder. Currently, the country has a dearth of gambling research and limited prevention and rehabilitation services, almost none at national level. Conclusions A distinction between small-stakes 'gaming' and large-stakes 'gambling', which has cultural roots, plays an important role in relevant governmental policies and social responses in mainland China. Gambling disorder prevention and treatment is not yet on the national agenda. The country's knowledge and services gaps on gambling problems need to be filled out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Stroke survivors might perceive their quality of life (QoL) as being affected even years after onset. The purpose of this review was to go through the literature to identify factors related to QoL for persons with stroke in China and Western countries for possible similarities and differences in their respective cultural views. Method: A narrative literature review was conducted on the papers identified by searching PubMed, EBSCO/CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycINFO, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Wanfang Data that published up to November 2016. Factors predicting QoL after stroke were extracted, and comparisons were made between Chinese and Western studies respecting cultural aspects. Results: A total of 43 articles were included in this review, with 31 conducted in Western countries and 12 in China. Predictors of QoL included Demographic factors: age, gender, marital status, education level, socioeconomic status; Clinically related factors: severity of stroke, physical function, depression/anxiety, cognitive impairment, incontinence and other comorbidities; Environmental factors: residential status, social support, social participation; and Individual factors: coping strategies and self‐perception. Being married and resident at home might be associated with the perception of QoL differently between Chinese and Western survivors. Conclusions: Most predictors of QoL in stroke survivors were the same in China and the Western countries. However, their QoL might be predicted differently regarding to the individualistic and collectivistic cultural differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the phenomenon of patient-physician mistrust in China, a qualitative study involving 107 physicians, nurses and health officials in Guangdong Province, southern China, was conducted through semi-structured interviews and focus groups. In this paper we report the key findings of the empirical study and argue for the essential role of medical professionalism in rebuilding patient-physician trust. Health professionals are trapped in a vicious circle of mistrust. Mistrust (particularly physicians' distrust of patients and their relatives) leads to increased levels of fear and self-protection by doctors which exacerbate difficulties in communication; in turn, this increases physician workloads, adding to a strong sense of injustice and victimization. These factors produce poorer healthcare outcomes and increasingly discontented and angry patients, escalate conflicts and disputes, and result in negative media coverage, all these ultimately contributing to even greater levels of mistrust. The vicious circle indicates not only the crisis of patient-physician relationship but the crisis of medicine as a profession and institution. Underlying the circle is the inherent conflict of interest in the healthcare system by which health professionals and hospitals have become profit-driven. This institutional conflict of interest seriously compromises the fundamental principle of medical professionalism-the primacy of patient welfare-as well as the traditional Chinese ideal of "medicine as the art of humanity". Patient trust can be restored through rectifying this institutional conflict of interest and promoting medical professionalism via a series of recommended practical measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the impact of cultural distance in general and the Confucius Institute Network in particular on cross-border flows of tourists, goods and investment in and out of China. We estimate a panel gravity model of inbound and outbound flows between 2004 and 2012. We find that the presence of Confucius Institute(s) in the source country increases inbound tourism and equity flows and outbound export and FDI flows for China, while other measures of cultural distance have less of an impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the role of culture in university–industry R&D collaboration and knowledge interaction in the context of multinational corporations in China. Earlier university–industry studies focus primarily on one-way technology and knowledge transfer; however, the present study argues that in the studied context more interactive types of knowledge interaction like knowledge co-creation should be of key concern. The main challenge of the R&D collaboration lies in the understanding of culture in general and Chinese guanxi (interpersonal relationship) in particular in collaborative knowledge creation, in which the dominant type of knowledge involved is most often tacit, future oriented, complex and context-specific. This is particularly important when dealing simultaneously with multi-disciplinary applied research where cultural challenges appear prominent. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. This paper describes a study identifying the impact of key aspects of Chinese culture on the responses of mid-aged Chinese-Australians to their advanced cancer in order to make recommendations about their care within the health system. Background. Studies conducted in the 1960s and 1970s focused on understanding people's psychological responses to their experiences of terminal illness, but the issue of culture was not addressed. In recent years, a few studies have been conducted with Chinese-Australians, but were limited to issues related to their information needs and the disclosure of a cancer diagnosis. There is a lack of understanding of the impact of Chinese culture on the experiences of these patients. Method. A grounded theory approach was used to generate a substantive theory to explain how mid-aged Chinese-Australians respond to advancing cancer. Eleven participants were recruited and data were collected from face-to-face interviews, telephone contacts, observation and researcher fieldnotes. Data generation occurred between 1997 and 1999. Findings. Four modes of response to advanced cancer were identified: acute crisis, combat, despondency and waiting for death. This paper deals particularly with the combat mode which incorporated five culturally specific strategies used by participants in their struggle against advanced cancer. These were traditional Chinese medicine, traditional Chinese beliefs on the use of food for health maintenance, qi gong (a form of exercise), feng shui (which involves paying attention to spatial organization) and the worship of ancestors and gods. Deeply entrenched within these responses is the influence of Chinese culture, rooted in the beliefs and practices of traditional Chinese medicine and the philosophy of harmony and balance of yin and yang and qi. Conclusion. Healthcare professionals need to be aware of the cultural practices and beliefs of the different ethnic groups for whom they care, and of the importance of accommodation to and negotiation about these cultural practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world is growing more interconnected, and Asian societies are increasingly able to play leading roles in global society. However, Asian psychologists and social scientists have yet to draw from their cultural roots to create social sciences able to make a difference in their home societies. This paper articulates an epistemology for the aspirational practice of Height Psychology as a human science informed by Kantian epistemology in dialogue with other philosophies, especially Confucianism and Taoism. The possibility of 'intellectual intuition' (direct knowledge of thing-in-itself, or noumenon) is allowed in Eastern philosophical traditions that open a more agentic and human-centred philosophy of science for action that goes beyond natural science epistemologies originating in Cartesian dualism. Kant's practical postulates are invoked to develop a moral and ethical philosophy that through civilizational dialogue can lead to a philosophy of science robustly incorporating culture and human agency. A thought experiment is offered where practical postulates of Chinese culture are held to be yin-yang cosmology, human-heartedness, and relationalism. It is argued that these facilitate an holistic science of practice that complements the sophistication of Western methods. Principles and an approach to theory-building for human science are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ding et al. ( Brit. J. Dev. Psychol., 2015; 33, 159-173) demonstrated that Chinese children discriminate between the three subtypes of social withdrawal: Shyness, unsociability, and social avoidance. This commentary on the Ding et al.'s paper highlights the need to further explore the following: (1) children's understanding of the implications of being shy, unsociable, or socially avoidant, including assessing these which we know are associated with outcomes for socially withdrawn children; (2) what additional subtypes might exist naturally within the Chinese culture; and (3) consider the implications of social withdrawal on children's developing social skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we examine how English and Mandarin speakers think about time, and we test how the patterns of thinking in the two groups relate to patterns in linguistic and cultural experience. In Mandarin, vertical spatial metaphors are used more frequently to talk about time than they are in English; English relies primarily on horizontal terms. We present results from two tasks comparing English and Mandarin speakers' temporal reasoning. The tasks measure how people spatialize time in three-dimensional space, including the sagittal (front/back), transverse (left/right), and vertical (up/down) axes. Results of Experiment 1 show that people automatically create spatial representations in the course of temporal reasoning, and these implicit spatializations differ in accordance with patterns in language, even in a non-linguistic task. Both groups showed evidence of a left-to-right representation of time, in accordance with writing direction, but only Mandarin speakers showed a vertical top-to-bottom pattern for time (congruent with vertical spatiotemporal metaphors in Mandarin). Results of Experiment 2 confirm and extend these findings, showing that bilinguals' representations of time depend on both long-term and proximal aspects of language experience. Participants who were more proficient in Mandarin were more likely to arrange time vertically (an effect of previous language experience). Further, bilinguals were more likely to arrange time vertically when they were tested in Mandarin than when they were tested in English (an effect of immediate linguistic context)., (Copyright © 2011 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.) is the property of Wiley-Blackwell 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 examines the effect of mood on satisfaction derived from experiencing an iconic and immersive cultural performance in Guilin, China called Impression of Liusanjie using structural equation modeling. Mood, together with visitor expectations and performance evaluations, was found to be significantly related to satisfaction and future intentions to recommend the show to others. Satisfaction was more strongly related to experiential evaluation of the performance than with attribute evaluation. The results indicate that understanding the mood and experiential outcomes for visitors at a performance is important increasing satisfaction and word-of-mouth recommendations. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper asks if Estonian and Chinese tweens' access to pocket money influences their brand valuation, as well as value orientations in the context of perceived peer popularity and personal well-being. Surveys conducted in autumns 2006 (China n = 188) and 2007 (Estonia n = 111) show an inherent cultural resistance among tweens in both countries towards using material standards to evaluate people and social relations. Access to own money correlates strongly with more consumerist values and strengthen the initial indications that individualist and expressive values are more highly esteemed by Estonian tweens, while social inclusion and approval are more vital for the Chinese. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Journal of Psychology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell 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 places social citizenship momentum into the context of squaring the welfare circle for examination. Citizenship is a powerful world-level organizing principle especially by the minority groups for their claim of equal treatment. The squaring of welfare circle refers to the need of the governments to constrain their budgets but also meet the rising demands from and needs of their people. This comparative study looks at the attitudinal findings of two Chinese societies of Hong Kong and Taiwan to see whether or not the cultural factor can mitigate the momentum of social citizenship rights and the demand side of the welfare circle. Implications for social policy are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context China has a long tradition of education and medicine. However, limited economic conditions and a huge population mean that further development of medical education in China must be tailored to meet the country's needs. Objectives The aim of this paper is to describe current medical education practice in China with reference to the general and historical purposes of education in China and how they have affected and continue to affect student learning. Reference is also made to both Western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine. Methods It is argued that traditional educational practices in China have encouraged rote learning and that creativity is not cultivated. This affects the way many Chinese students learn medicine. Since 1949, the Chinese medical education system has developed according to its own needs. The current system for training medical students is complex, with medical school curricula lasting 3−8 years. However, medical education reform is taking place and new teaching methods are being introduced in some schools. Discussion Medical education is important to China's large population. The undergraduate medical education system is being streamlined and national standards are being established. Innovations in medical education have recently been encouraged and supported, including the adoption of problem-based learning. It is important that the momentum is kept up so that the health care of a fifth of the world's population is assured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Qualitative interviews and observations were conducted to study the cross-border transfer of organizational learning systems to the subsidiaries of five Japanese manufacturing companies operating in South China. This paper develops a holistic model of the overall process, by integrating knowledge-oriented, routine-oriented, and social/contextual perspectives, each of which plays a necessary role in explaining essential aspects. One feature of the transfer of organizational learning systems entailed arranging local access to, and opportunity to replicate, various types of knowledge repository that contained corporate values as well as technical expertise. A second feature involved the development of collective learning routines through dynamic interplay with evolving, locally based, knowledge repositories. A third feature, in two companies, entailed the creation of enterprise contexts that reproduced the socialization and corporate culture maintenance rituals, and the open plan factory and office designs, that were hallmarks of the respective parent companies, and which appeared highly conducive to the transfer of collective learning routines to the local sites. Findings indicate that successful cross-border transfer of organizational learning systems entails the development and implementation of an overall heuristic design for cultivating collective learning routines through the engineering of enterprise contexts and the responsive management of knowledge repositories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a set of theoretical propositions regarding knowledge sharing in China and Russia. We argue that there are important national cultural similarities and differences between the two countries that result in certain similarities and differences in individual knowledge-sharing behaviour in Chinese and Russian organizations. We claim that vertical collectivism and particularistic social relations in China and Russia lead to intensive social relations among organizational members, which facilitate knowledge sharing between in-group members in organizations in both countries. We also maintain that differences in the essence of collectivism as well as in the extent of collectivism in the two cultural contexts lead to different intensities of knowledge sharing in Chinese and Russian organizations. Finally, we discuss theoretical and management implications of this research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper reports on a study of 28 ethnic Chinese businesses in Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth, carried out in 2000 and 2001. It focuses on their strategies of vertical, horizontal, and unrelated diversification often combining different activities, products, and markets at the same time. It demonstrates how these practices are socially embedded in their preference for using personal networks. Non-related diversification, in particular, promotes and is facilitated by using "weak ties" that serve as bridges, leading into new networks (Granovetter, 1973). This can create links to Chinese of different national and dialect origins and to those of other ethnicities. It is suggested that open networks and diversification mutually interact to support each other and may have evolved in tandem from earlier, more closed and niche bound business cultures and practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws on empirical evidence from an attitude survey in a Chinese society to show that the universal ideals of social citizenship have strong appeal among the Chinese in Hong Kong, even though the latter are conventionally seen as having low expectations in the area of social rights. It is also shown that high expectations of social responsibilities do not imply low expectations of social citizenship. However, this does not mean that cultural context or tradition does not matter. Findings of strong support for the responsibility of parents to care for children, but in a westernized and modern context, suggest that cultural variations in beliefs about social citizenship and practice continue, but framed by an understanding of, and moral commitment to, more universal values of social citizenship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the role of the indigenous values in facilitating the development of managerial and organizational systems underlying the success of indigenous enterprises in the newly industrialized societies. One illustration is the Chinese culture or, more specifically, the Confucian tradition and ethos, and their implication for management and worker performance in work organizations within the ‘Confucian league’ of Asian societies. The affective rational approach to the paternalistic style of the Japanese and Chinese management coupled with such normative values as trust, subtlety and loyalty of the employees explain the individuals' commitment to their work organization and the excellence in leadership. With reference to the leading steel plant, the China Steel Corporation in Taiwan, this paper examines how such a cherished system of managerial philosophy and practices, in the context of its indigenous Chinese cultural and normative heritage, has been successfully applied to the integration of its labour force, and the upgrading of their morale, performance and productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous studies on Western cultures have suggested a strong linkage between authenticity and mental health. However, little is known about whether such an association can be generalized to Eastern cultures. This study aimed to conduct a cross‐cultural comparison on the association between three dimensions of authenticity (authentic living, self‐alienation, and accepting external influence) and two factors of mental health (negative and positive) across Western and Eastern cultures. Measurement invariance tests were carried out and multigroup structural regression models developed on two college samples from the US (n = 392) and China (n = 281). Results suggested that the associations between authenticity and the negative factor of mental health were consistent across cultures, where both self‐alienation and accepting external influence were positively associated with anxiety. However, the associations between authenticity and the positive factor of mental health were different in the US and Chinese samples. Specifically, both authentic living and accepting external influence were significantly associated with life satisfaction in the US sample but not in the Chinese sample. Findings stress that having a nondistorted perception of the true self is critically related to lower levels of anxiety across cultures and highlighted the need to identify culture‐specific promotive factors for life satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Institutions regulate social life through formal rules and sanctions. These are distinguished from another source of social regulation, the informal incentives and constraints inherent in cultural currents and customary practices. Informal practices may be based not simply on cultural forces, though, but expectations regularised by informal rules and sanctions, which may operate as informal institutions. One approach holds that informal institutions arise out of formal institutional voids. Another holds that informal institutions operate in response to situations in which formal institutions frustrate the interests of individuals and groups who engage informal institutions to augment, compromise, or subvert formal institutions. After developing the concept of informal institution, the article goes on to indicate how an informal relationship pervasive in modern China, guanxi, may be understood as an informal institution. It is shown that by drawing on the case of guanxi the scope of the concept informal institution can be extended and also that our understanding of guanxi is enriched when the concept of informal institution is applied to its analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Confucianism, as an informal system, influences the risk preferences of households and, therefore, affects households' investment behaviours. This study investigates the effects of Confucian culture on household risky assets by using data from the 2016 China Family Panel Studies and using categorical principal component analysis. The empirical results reveal that Confucian culture is negatively correlated with risky assets held by households. Specifically, households more influenced by Confucian culture demonstrate a low probability of participating in the risky financial market and a decreased proportion of risky asset holdings. Further research indicates that this negative correlation is diminished in areas with high levels of social trust. Furthermore, foreign culture impact drives households to enter financial markets. Therefore, the Chinese government must thoroughly consider the potential effects of culture when formulating policies, utilize Confucian culture's adaptation to modern society and promote the healthy development of the financial market. This study augments the household finance theory from the perspective of informal systems and contributes to the research on 'culture and finance.' [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nurses in intensive care units (ICUs) play a crucial role in providing palliative care. Effective provision of palliative care in the ICU requires nurses' active engagement, yet little is known about the confidence for palliative care that ICU nurses hold in China. Aim: To explore confidence in performing palliative care among ICU nurses in China and factors related to nurses' level of confidence. Study design: A cross‐sectional design was implemented. Methods: This study utilized convenience sampling to recruit ICU nurses from nine hospitals in Wuhan, China. Data were collected via an online survey. Multiple regression was conducted to identify the predictors of the ICU nurses' confidence in performing palliative care. Results: A total of 231 ICU nurses participated in the study, resulting in a response rate of 78% (231/296). Participants reported a relatively low level of confidence for carrying out palliative care (mean score = 2.60 ± 0.53; range = 1‐4). Nurses who had more positive attitudes toward palliative care communication (P <.001), higher levels of formal training on palliative care (P <.001), more years of working as an ICU nurse (P <.05) and those working in integrated ICU (P <.001) showed a higher level of confidence in carrying out palliative care. Conclusion: Participants' lack of confidence in performing palliative care makes for increased challenges, particularly in uncertainty about family assessments, palliative care discussions and lack of palliative care training. Strengthening palliative care curricula in nursing education and professional training is imperative to enhance ICU nurses' confidence. Relevance to clinical practice: Strengthening palliative care education and training, particularly in relation to palliative care communication, is critical. Implementing and tailoring culturally relevant palliative care call for attention to practice and for policy changes in palliative care delivery in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The negative effects of the habitual use of suppression on psychosocial adjustment were usually attenuated in Eastern samples compared to Western samples. However, culture is dynamic and constantly changing, and it has rarely been directly assessed in empirical studies. Further, within‐culture variations have usually been ignored. In the current study, we involved a Confucian concept of Zhong Yong mode of thinking, assessed individual differences in Zhong Yong thinking, and examined the main effects of Zhong Yong thinking and whether Zhong Yong moderated the association between suppression and psychosocial adjustment within two samples of Chinese young adults. Sample 1 included 431 young college students and sample 2 included 477 college students with more diverse backgrounds. Results showed that suppression was negatively associated with psychosocial well‐being (i.e., peace of mind, perceived social support, and positive affect), and positively with adjustment problems (negative affect), whereas Zhong Yong thinking showed the opposite effects. Further, Zhong Yong thinking weakened the associations between suppression and perceived social support and negative affect. Our findings indicate that Zhong Yong mode of thinking is salient for psychosocial well‐being among Chinese young adults and the habitual use of suppression may become negative for Chinese people in contemporary China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Staff members' views can have a significant impact on sexuality issues of people with intellectual disabilities. Research on the impact of sociocultural factors in this area in the Chinese context is sparse. Methods: Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with seven professionals (social worker, nurse, life skills trainer and manager) to explore their experiences of and attitudes towards the sexual needs of people with intellectual disabilities by applying interpretative phenomenological analysis. Results: The study identified two major themes, each with two sub‐themes: 1. Professional handling of the sexual needs of people with intellectual disabilities (sex education and intervention); 2. Barriers (incompatible approaches and parental resistance). Participants also experienced feelings of resignation facing the barriers they encountered. Collectivism and cultural view about sex are potentially the influencing factors. Conclusion: This study highlights the need to adopt an evidence‐based sex education programme whose content and delivery should take account of cultural factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: With the gradual acceleration of population ageing, social isolation in older people has increasingly become a hot topic of social concern. The reduction of valid social participation will cause older people to weaken their sense of belonging to the community and social acquisition, negatively impacting on older people's quality of life. This study is aimed to explore the main related factors affecting the social isolation of older people, so as to provide a solid scientific basis for improving the health behaviour of older people in China. Method: A cross‐sectional study was conducted among 2267 community residents over 60 years old from four cites in Jiangsu Province, China. Perceived social support scale, Geriatric Depression Scale, Connor‐Davidson Resilience Scale, Comprehensive Ability of Older People Assessment Scale and other influencing factors scales were used to investigate the current situation. Social isolation was measured with the Lubben Social Network Scale. Demographic data were evaluated using descriptive statistical analyses and relationships among study variables were determined to use a path analysis. All data were analyzed using SPSS version 22 and AMOS version 26 using T‐test, analysis of variance, logistic regression analyses, and path analysis method. The test level was set at alpha = 0.05, and the difference was statistically significant at P‐value <0.05. Results: The results of the model test analysis indicated that the hypothesised paths were supported by data from our samples and demonstrated significance on the path coefficients (P < 0.05). Related factors in the three dimensions of social risk, economic risk and cultural risk have an impact on the social isolation of older people in the community through direct and indirect pathways, and also indirectly through the partially mediated role of depression. Overall, our hypothesised model was retained, indicating empirical support and adequate model fit indices for the theoretical model. Conclusion: The findings demonstrated the predictive role of related factors of social isolation in older people. In the future, we should focus on developing interventions by uniting many forces such as society, family and older people themselves to reduce social isolation among this vulnerable population and improve the quality of life of older people and promote healthy ageing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To explore Chinese late-life immigrants' perceptions of loneliness and social isolation. Methods: A qualitative descriptive methodology underpinned this study. In-depth individual interviews were conducted in Mandarin with purposively recruited participants. The twenty-three participants in the study had all emigrated from China, were 65–80 years old on arrival and had lived in New Zealand for between 2.5 and 16 years. An inductive thematic analytic process was undertaken. The COREQ checklist was followed to ensure study rigour. Results: Three themes, ‘high value placed on meeting family obligations’, ‘feeling a deep sense of imbalanced intergenerational reciprocity’ and ‘moving away from filial expectations’, were identified. Confucianist values of ‘women's domestic duty of caring for grandchildren’, ‘filial piety’, and ‘saving face’ to be accepted and respected by others negatively attributed to participants' understandings and experiences of loneliness. To plan for increasing frailty and to avoid family conflict while ameliorating potential loneliness, some participants reluctantly discarded prior customary filial piety expectations in favour of formal aged care options. Conclusions: Participants' profound sense of loneliness was seen to be attributed to their deeply rooted cultural values and backgrounds from having lived for a significant period of time in China. Loneliness occurred as a result of the resettlement process in later life. These experiences highlight the importance of using cultural framing that takes into account beliefs and adaptations to host societies anticipated during the process of late-life immigration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We trace the crafting of expert narratives during the initial months of the COVID‐19 pandemic in Mainland China, Hong Kong, and the United States. By expert narratives, we refer to how experts drew different lessons from past disease experiences to guide policymakers and the public amidst uncertainty. These expert narratives were mobilized in different sociopolitical contexts, resulting in varying configurations of expertise networks and allies that helped contain and mitigate COVID‐19. In Mainland China, experts carefully advanced a managed narrative, emphasizing the new pandemic akin to the 2003 SARS outbreak can be managed while destressing the similar mistakes the government made during the two crises. In Hong Kong, experts invoked a distrust narrative, pointing to a potential coverup of COVID‐19 similar to SARS, activating allies in civil society to pressure policymakers to act. In the United States, experts were mired in a contested narrative and COVID‐19 was compared to different diseases; varying interpretations of COVID‐19's consequences was exacerbated by political polarization. In expert narratives, the resonance of the past is emergent: the past becomes a site of struggle and a cultural object that is presented as potentially useful in solving problems of the present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the relationship between subjective/objective socioeconomic status (SES) and self/society‐oriented subjective well‐being (SWB) and the moderation effect of communication activity patterns in a nationally representative sample of Chinese citizens. We found that both subjective and objective SES were related to SWB, but the association varied by SES type and age group. Three kinds of communication activity patterns emerged across different age groups: balanced, mixed, and singular. A complex moderation effect of communication activity patterns also shaped the relationship between SES and SWB. The implications of these findings are discussed in the context of evolving Chinese culture and society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nationality constitutes a salient part of social categorization. However, little research has examined how people form nationality concepts and how it may be shaped by culture and experience. The current study aims to investigate essentialist beliefs about nationality in participants from two cultural origins: the United States and China. In both samples, we compared college students studying domestically and internationally (N = 290) by using direct and indirect measures of essentialism. Ratings from direct measures of essentialism revealed that American participants were more likely than Chinese participants to perceive national groups as natural, whereas Chinese participants were more likely than American participants to perceive national groups as cohesive. Interestingly, the observed differences between domestic and international students on the indirect measure showed opposite directions among participants of different cultures of origin. As hypothesized, American international students showed lower essentialist thinking than American domestic students. Surprisingly, Chinese international students showed stronger essentialist thinking than Chinese domestic students. Further analyses revealed a positive relationship between the length of arrival time and essentialist thinking by Chinese international students. The current research demonstrates the cognitive malleability of social essentialism, addressing the importance of examining the effect of intergroup processes under diverse and dynamic cultural contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How is social etiquette performed when offline interpersonal interactions are mediated online? Sixty semi‐structured interviews with WeChat users, China's most popular social media platform, show that the app's technical designs facilitated a set of online etiquette rules which reproduced those of acquaintance communities. Three dimensions of social etiquette rules were considered and observed: respect, elegance, and tidiness. Users honored the face of others and avoided causing others to lose face, often presented a positive but restrained self‐image, and strived to preserve the tidiness of the online public space by avoiding the sharing of and exposing others to "negative energy." A video abstract is available at https://youtu.be/2tG40y8J11E. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand the role of family emotional socialization across cultural contexts, this research examined the associations between family emotional expressiveness and early adolescents' emotions in the United States and China. Two times over the course of 1 year, 566 American (n = 331) and Chinese (n = 235) adolescents (age range: 11–14 years) reported on their family members' emotional expressiveness, which was further categorized into three facets (i.e., positive, negative dominant, and negative submissive family expressiveness), and their own experience of positive and negative emotions. In both countries, positive family expressiveness (e.g., expressing excitement) was associated with adolescents' experience of positive emotions 6 months later, above and beyond their prior positive emotional experience. A between‐country difference was evident in the association between positive family expressiveness and adolescents' experience of negative emotions, such that positive family expressiveness was associated with dampened negative emotions 6 months later among American but not Chinese adolescents. Negative dominant family expressiveness (e.g., expressing anger) was not associated with adolescents' emotional experience 6 months later in both countries. However, negative submissive family expressiveness (e.g., expressing sadness) foreshadowed reduced positive emotional experience only among American adolescents. Findings highlight the importance of culture in understanding the implications of family expressiveness for adolescents' emotional experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined individual influences on child empathy, the relationship between child and parent empathy, and the relationship between empathy and prosociality across seven countries. A large sample of children (N = 792, 49% female) from the ages of 6–10 years completed a situational empathy task, as well as a dictator game to assess prosociality. The questionnaire of cognitive and affective empathy was used to assess parents' and children's empathic dispositions. Children participated from Canada, China, Colombia, Jordan, South Africa, Turkey, and the United States. Situational empathy, empathic disposition, and prosociality were all positively associated with age. Boys displayed less situational empathy and lower empathic disposition than girls. Parental empathic disposition predicted the same dispositions in children but were not related to children's situational empathy or prosociality. No association was found between child prosociality and child empathic disposition. Overall, the results suggest similar ontologies of empathic disposition and situational empathy across countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is concerned with developing an understanding of the careers of women managers in China. Existing literature suggests that while women in China are comparatively well represented in management roles, they face distinctive pressures and barriers to their progress arising from entrenched patriarchal and collectivist aspects of the Chinese cultural tradition. However, little is known about how these aspects impact on women's orientations towards their careers and to what extent influential Western career theories are adequate in interpreting their experience. Drawing on interviews with 20 women managers in China, the article interprets women's orientations towards their careers in relation to their adherence to traditional gender roles and collectivist values. Using this framework, a fourfold taxonomy is developed which identifies "conformist," "revolutionary," "soloist," and "dissident" orientations. The article suggests that Western career theories fail to capture the collective dimension, and thus do not account fully for the range of experience and orientations of Chinese women managers that are captured in the taxonomy. Implications, both practical and theoretical, are discussed. Recommendations are also made as to how management and career development policies might be developed in organizations in China in order to address the diverse needs and preferences of women managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

If institutions are essential for long‐run performance, why don't developing countries adopt institutions in developed countries to become rich? In this dynamic model, culture affects a ruler's institutional choice, while culture itself evolves endogenously. Multiple stable steady states are possible, and even similar initial conditions can lead to dramatically different steady states. The state of Qin's unification of China in 221 bc is used to illustrate the model. In one steady state, consistent with what happened in the state of Qin, individuals value material incentives. Qin did not strictly practice the patriarchal clan system advocated by Confucianism. Qin adopted Legalist institutions under which government officials were chosen by merit, and Qin culture was further shaped by Legalism. In another steady state, consistent with what happened in states other than Qin, individuals value loyalty and family values. Those states chose not to adopt Legalist institutions comprehensively, fearing that inconsistencies between culture and institutions could lead to internal rebellions even though institutional reforms would increase their military power. Other cases of how the interdependence between culture and institutions affects performance are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]