Accommodating culture and cultural diversity in online teaching

The term 'culture' has been in common use for a long time. However there is no universally accepted definition and hence it is important to define clearly what culture means in a particular research context. The research reported here is part of a project undertaken at a large Australian university in late 2005. The overall aim of the project was to identify the characteristics of culture and cultural diversity, and to consider how these manifested themselves when teaching and learning in an online environment. The article reports on particular outcomes from the second stage of the project. This involved conducting focus groups with experienced academics and educational developers of online units. The aim was to gain an understanding of culture and cultural difference in the online environment and to consider what strategies were effective in teaching a culturally diverse cohort of online students. The findings from the focus group sessions were benchmarked with other external faculty. The cultural factors of ethnicity and language, attitudes to educational learning, education and prior learning, learning styles and socio-economic background were well supported by the external faculty. However the factors of religion and gender were not supported. Practices for accommodating such cultural differences amongst students within the online class are presented.

The influence of cultural values on brand loyalty

It is well documented that culture can influence consumer attitudes and behavior. While there have been numerous studies on how culture influences the four Ps of the marketing mix, few researchers have examined its effect on customer loyalty. More specifically, how consumers who identify more with certain cultural traits are likely to be more brand loyal. Using Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, this study empirically examines cultural effects on consumer-reported “proneness” to brand loyalty and finds that those who scored highly in individualism and uncertainty avoidance have greater affinity for exhibiting loyalty to a brand.

Cross-cultural team effectiveness for MBA students studying in an immersion program

We focus on cross-cultural team effectiveness for MBA students involvedin an immersion program, examining the development of knowledgeabout cultural traits, the challenges associated with teamwork, andfactors that promote or hinder team performance, based on qualitativeresults of a survey of 20 students who participated in the program. Keyobserved traits included; Indonesians were perceived to becollectivist/relationship, Australians were laid back, informal but taskfocused, and Americans were hard working and outspoken. Keychallenges faced by students included managing cultural differences,culturally embedded decision-making styles and communication/language hurdles. Team performance was facilitated by acknowledgingand addressing cultural issues from the start, not being ethnocentric,valuing team diversity, and focusing on task completion.

Student and staff perceptions of learning and teaching online, 2005 data

The dataset consists of data gathered from Deakin University staff and students.

Staff-derived data consists of qualitative data relating to advantages and disadvantages of teaching online; manifestation of cultural diversity in online learning environments; strategies to accommodate cultural diversity online; and using online environments to support cultural diversity

Student-derived data consists of quantitative and qualitative data relating to student perceptions of online learning; student demographics; student expectations of their university experience; students' approach to learning and online learning; perceptions of online learning and online team work; and perceptions of student and teacher roles at university.

Perceptions of effective leaders : cross cultural influences?

This paper suggests that values, attitudes and behaviours are strongly culture specific. Therefore, it is contended that if culture exerts an influence in behaviours and attitudes of people it will be evident in the way leadership is perceived or traits of effective leadership is distinguished in organisations around the world. In the Western leadership literature, effective leadership appears to be correlated with organisational performance and profitability, subordinate extra effort and subordinate satisfaction with the leader. The Western literature also suggests that the measure of effective leadership at an individual level involve rating “by subordinates, superiors and peers and leaders themselves” (Eagly, Karau, & Makhijani, 1995, p. 128). However, there is limited knowledge and specific details of leadership characteristics that may constitute effective leadership practices outside the West, nor how universal the Western theories and models may be beyond the Western settings. There is a need to expand the existing knowledge and findings to understand whether Western leadership behaviours and practices are acceptable, appropriate or relevant in other cultures. In order to address this broad topic, the present paper will explore the perceptions of effective leadership in two diverse cultures of Malaysia and Australia. The middle managers in four industry types participated in the present research and the study found differences within and between female and male middle managers in both countries in terms of how leadership effectiveness is perceived and evaluated.