Predictions of the MCMI-III personality disorders from NEO-PI-R domains and facets: Comparison between American and Spanish samples

Este estudio ex post facto analiza las relaciones entre las dimensiones y facetas del NEO-PI-R y los 14 trastornos de personalidad del MCMI-III en una muestra no clínica española (N = 674). Se exploran las diferencias y similitudes con los resul- tados de Dyce y O’Connor en una muestra americana con los mismos instrumentos. Como se esperaba, los análisis factoriales de facetas reteniendo cinco factores mostraron un modelo de relaciones muy similar entre ambas muestras, con un coeficiente de la congruencia total de 0,92, y coeficientes de congruencia de factor aceptables, salvo para el factor Apertura (0,68). En consonancia con las predicciones de Widiger y Widiger et al. los porcentajes de correlaciones significativas estaban alrededor de 60% en ambas muestras, y la mayoría coincidían. El análisis de regresión múltiple con dimensiones también reveló un gran parecido entre los resultados americanos y españoles, Neuroticismo fue el predictor más relacionado con los trastornos de personalidad. Se encontraron diferencias en las regresiones por facetas, aunque la varianza explicada fue prácticamente la misma que en las dimensiones. Se discute la validez transcultural y el valor predictivo del NEO-PI-R sobre los trastornos de personalidad del MCMI-III, junto con las ventajas relativas de las facetas sobre las dimensiones.

The five and seven factors personality models: differences and similitude between the TCI-R, NEO-FFI-R and ZKPQ-50-CC

The present study tests the relationships between the three frequently used personality models evaluated by the Temperament Character Inventory-Revised (TCI-R), Neuroticism Extraversion Openness Five Factor Inventory – Revised (NEO-FFI-R) and Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire-50- Cross-Cultural (ZKPQ-50-CC). The results were obtained with a sample of 928 volunteer subjects from the general population aged between 17 and 28 years old. Frequency distributions and alpha reliabilities with the three instruments were acceptable. Correlational and factorial analyses showed that several scales in the three instruments share an appreciable amount of common variance. Five factors emerged from principal components analysis. The first factor was integrated by A (Agreeableness), Co (Cooperativeness) and Agg-Host (Aggressiveness-Hostility), with secondary loadings in C (Conscientiousness) and SD (Self-directiveness) from other factors. The second factor was composed by N (Neuroticism), N-Anx (Neuroticism-Anxiety), HA (Harm Avoidance) and SD (Self-directiveness). The third factor was integrated by Sy (Sociability), E (Extraversion), RD (Reward Dependence), ImpSS (Impulsive Sensation Seeking) and NS (novelty Seeking). The fourth factor was integrated by Ps (Persistence), Act (Activity), and C, whereas the fifth and last factor was composed by O (Openness) and ST (Self- Transcendence). Confirmatory factor analyses indicate that the scales in each model are highly interrelated and define the specified latent dimension well. Similarities and differences between these three instruments are further discussed.

Intercultural business communication between Arabs of the United Arab Emirates and Finns

Kun kauppaa käydään eri maanosien välillä, törmätään vieraisiin kulttuureihin ja erilaisiin kaupankäyntitapoihin. Tämä tutkimus keskittyy suomalaisten liikemiesten ja - naisten työhön Yhdistyneissä Arabiemiraateissa kulttuurierojen näkökulmasta. Tavoitteena on kuvata kulttuurierojen vaikutuksia kaupankäyntiprosessiin ja löytää niitä ongelmia, joita tämän prosessin aikana kohdataan. Tavoitteena on tuottaa tietoa, jonka avulla kulttuurieroista johtuvia ongelmia voidaan vähentää tulevaisuudessa. Tutkimuksen teoreettinen tausta perustuu Hofsteden kulttuurista vaihtelua kuvaaviin dimensioihin ja Ting Toomeyn kulttuurisen identiteetin neuvotteluprosessin malliin. Näihin malleihin perustuen luotiin tähän tutkimukseen oma kulttuurien välisen kohtaamisen malli. Tutkimusongelmia ovat: 1) Miten suomalaiset liikemiehet kuvailevat arabien kaupantekokulttuuria? Kuinka vastapuoli kuvailee omaa kaupantekokulttuuriaan? 2) Minkälainen on suomalaisten ja arabien välinen kaupankäyntiprosessi? 3) Minkälaisia ongelmia kohdataan tehtäessä kauppaa suomalaisten ja arabien kesken? Tutkimus on etnografinen, laadullinen haastattelututkimus (n=12). Haastattelut tehtiin suurimmaksi osaksi Yhdistyneissä Arabiemiraateissa, osin Suomessa. Erilainen kulttuuritausta näkyy kaupankäynnissä. Kollektivistinen, maskuliininen, islamilaisen uskontoon ja vain vähäisessä määrin suoraan kielelliseen koodistoon perustuva kulttuuri heijastuu kaupankäyntiprosessiin. Ystävyyden ja sukulaisten sekä muiden verkostojen merkitys korostuu. Ruumiin kieleen, ilmeisiin ja eleisiin liittyvä kommunikaatio on erilaista ja voi aiheuttaa väärinkäsityksiä. Myös aikakäsitys ja sopimuskäytäntö poikkeavat suomalaisesta. Kaikki nämä voivat aiheuttaa ongelmia kaupankäyntiprosessissa. Tärkeimmiksi tekijöiksi ongelmien kohtaamisessa nousivat ammattitaidon lisäksi kärsivällisyys ja joustavuus. Ongelmia voidaan vähentää huolellisella valmistautumisella ennen ulkomaille lähtöä. Toinen tapa on jatkuviin työkokemuksiin perustuen oppia paikallista kulttuuria ja sen piirteitä.

Competence needs of global middle management

Tutkielman tavoitteena oli tarkastella henkilöstöjohdon ja linjajohdon näkemyksiä kansainvälisissä tehtävissä toimivan keskijohdon osaamistarpeista suurissa suomalaisissa vientiyrityksissä. Teemahaastatteluja tehtiin 12:ssa Suomen tärkeimpien vientialojen suurimmista yrityksistä. Kansainvälisissä tehtävissä toimivan keskijohdon osaamistarpeiden, kategorioihin jaoteltuna, nähtiin olevan: - - Tieto ja ymmärtäminen: asiakkaan liiketoiminta ja tarpeet, oma tuote ja prosessit, globaali toimintaympäristö, alaisten osaamistarpeet- - Asioiden ja ihmisten johtaminen: muutoksen johtaminen, asiakkuuksien hallinta, ajan hallinta, motivointi, monikulttuurisen tiimin johtaminen- - Vuorovaikutus: kielitaito, suhteiden luominen, viestin kohdentaminen- - Henkilökohtaiset ominaisuudet ja motivaatio: joustavuus, kulttuurinen herkkyys, epävarmuuden sietokyky, oppimishalu, erilaisuuden kunnioitus- - Tehtäväkohtainen osaaminen: kansainvälinen markkinointi, talous, myyntitaidot, tekninen asiantuntemus.

The Measurement Invariance of Schizotypy in Europe

The short version of the Oxford-Liverpool Inventory of Feelings and Experiences (sO-LIFE) is a widely used measure assessing schizotypy. There is limited information, however, on how sO-LIFE scores compare across different countries. The main goal of the present study is to test the measurement invariance of the sO-LIFE scores in a large sample of non-clinical adolescents and young adults from four European countries (UK, Switzerland, Italy, and Spain). The scores were obtained from validated versions of the sO-LIFE in their respective languages. The sample comprised 4190 participants (M = 20.87 years; SD = 3.71 years). The study of the internal structure, using confirmatory factor analysis, revealed that both three (i.e., positive schizotypy, cognitive disorganisation, and introvertive anhedonia) and four-factor (i.e., positive schizotypy, cognitive disorganisation, introvertive anhedonia, and impulsive nonconformity) models fitted the data moderately well. Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis showed that the three-factor model had partial strong measurement invariance across countries. Eight items were non-invariant across samples. Significant statistical differences in the mean scores of the s-OLIFE were found by country. Reliability scores, estimated with Ordinal alpha ranged from 0.75 to 0.87. Using the Item Response Theory framework, the sO-LIFE provides more accuracy information at the medium and high end of the latent trait. The current results show further evidence in support of the psychometric proprieties of the sO-LIFE, provide new information about the cross-cultural equivalence of schizotypy and support the use of this measure to screen for psychotic-like features and liability to psychosis in general population samples from different European countries.

Evolution of Ba and Role of Absorptive Capacity in Collaboration between MNCs and Chinese Universities in China

During the recent years, collaboration with Chinese universities has aroused growing interest among multinational companies (MNCs). Cross-cultural university-industry (U-I) collaboration creates various challenges in collaborative knowledge creation and innovation due to the differences e.g. between university and company motivation, objectives and activities. Also different values, norms, and means of actions result often in collisions and misunderstandings. This thesis examines the establishment of the relationships and the evolution of the collaboration between MNCs and Chinese universities. Empirical findings underscore that the partners in collaboration are required to possess research interest as well as capability to acquire, assimilate and exploit new external knowledge. Time and communication have a critical role in the evolution of the collaboration. In China the personal relationships, guanxi, play an important role. Collaborative knowledge creation requires a platform, Ba, which enables the creation of common understanding, commitment, trust and mutual respect. Empirical data has been collected through interviewing company experts and academe of Chinese universities from ICT and forest industries as well as attending panel discussions and meetings with the experts from the field of study.

Social Support, Social and Temporal Comparisons Protect Well-Being and Health between 45 and 70 Years Old in Four Urban Communities

This study examined the impact of social support and of temporal and social comparisons on well-being and selfreported health in four capital cities: Paris, Berlin, Moscow and Beijing. Based on the lifespan control theory, an integrative model investigating the influence of these coping strategies, especially on the psychological regulation of health losses, was tested on 1141 respondents aged 45 to 70 years by using structural equation modelling with multigroup comparisons. Results indicated a good fit of the model to participants' responses. In all contexts, physical weaknesses favoured the use of social and temporal comparison strategies rather than social support. Moreover, across the cities, coping strategies were oriented more toward protecting self-evaluation of health than toward enhancement of well-being. Social comparison decreased the impact of physical weaknesses on health evaluation and on well-being in the four cities, but to a lesser extent in China. Results are discussed regarding the normative cross-cultural aspects that intervene during ageing in the four urban contexts.

Análisis Discriminante mediante SPSS.

El análisis discriminante es un método estadístico a través del cual se busca conocer qué variables, medidas en objetos o individuos, explican mejor la atribución de la diferencia de los grupos a los cuales pertenecen dichos objetos o individuos. Es una técnica que nos permite comprobar hasta qué punto las variables independientes consideradas en la investigación clasifican correctamente a los sujetos u objetos. Se muestran y explican los principales elementos que se relacionan con el procedimiento para llevar a cabo el análisis discriminante y su aplicación utilizando el paquete estadístico SPSS, versión 18, para el desarrollo del modelo estadístico, las condiciones para la aplicación del análisis, la estimación e interpretación de las funciones discriminantes, los métodos de clasificación y la validación de los resultados.

Managerial Careers in the IT Industry: Women in China and in Finland

This research focuses on the career experiences of women managers in the IT industry in China and Finland, two countries with different cultures, policies, size of population, and social and economic structures regarding work-life support and equal opportunities. The object of this research is to present a cross-cultural comparison of women’s career experiences and how women themselves understand and account for their careers. The study explores how the macro and the micro levels of cultural and social processes become manifested in the lives of individual women. The main argument in this thesis is that culture plays a crucial role in making sense of women’s career experiences, although its role should be understood through its interrelationship with other social processes, e.g., institutional relations, social policies, industrial structures and organizations, as well as globalization. The interrelationship of a series of cultural and social processes affects individuals’ attitudes to, and arrangement and organization of, their work and family lives. This thesis consists of two parts. The first part introduces the research topic and discusses the overall results. The second part comprises five research papers. The main research question of the study is: How do cultural and social processes affect the experiences of women managers? Quantitative and qualitative research methods, which include in-depth interviews, Q-methodology, interpretive analysis, and questionnaires, are used in the study. The main theoretical background is culturally sensitive career theory and the theory of individual differences. The results of this study are viewed through a feminist lens. The research methodology applied allows new explorations on how demographic factors, work experiences, lifestyle issues, and organizational cultures can jointly affect women’s managerial careers. The sample group used in the research is 42 women managers working in IT companies in China (21) and Finland (21). The results of the study illustrate the impact of history, tradition, culture, institutional relations, social politics, industry and organizations, and globalization on the careers of women managers. It is claimed that the role of culture – cultural norms within nations and organizations – is of great importance in the relationship of gender and work. Women’s managerial careers are affected by multiple factors (personal, social and cultural) reflecting national and inter-individual differences. The results of the study contribute to research on careers, adding particularly to the literature on gender, work and culture, and offering a complex and holistic perspective for a richer understanding of pluralism and global diversity. The results of the study indicate how old and new career perspectives are evidenced in women managers in the IT industry. The research further contributes to an understanding of women’s managerial careers from a cross-culture perspective. In addition, the study contributes to the literature on culture and extends understanding of Hofstede’s work. Further, most traditional career theories do not perceive the importance of culture in determining an individual’s career experience and this study richens understanding of women managers’ careers and has considerable implications for international human resource management. The results of this study emphasize the need, when discussing women managers’ careers, to understand the ways by which gendering is produced rather than merely examining gender differences. It is argued that the meaning of self-knowledge is critical. Further, the environment where the careers under study develop differs greatly; China and Finland are very different – culturally, historically and socially. The findings of this study should, therefore, be understood as a holistic, specific, and contextually-bound.

Monikulttuurisen psykologian haasteet

Kirjallisuusarvostelu

Luettua

Kirjallisuusarvostelu

Pencil grip : a descriptive model and four empirical studies

Previous studies on pencil grip have typically dealt with the developmental aspects in young children while handwriting research is mainly concerned with speed and legibility. Studies linking these areas are few. Evaluation of the existing pencil grip studies is hampered by methodological inconsistencies. The operational definitions of pencil grip arerational but tend to be oversimplified while detailed descriptors tend to be impractical due to their multiplicity. The present study introduces a descriptive two-dimensional model for the categorisation of pencil grip suitable for research applications in a classroom setting. The model is used in four empirical studies of children during the first six years of writing instruction. Study 1 describes the pencil grips observed in a large group of pupils in Finland (n = 504). The results indicate that in Finland the majority of grips resemble the traditional dynamic tripod grip. Significant genderrelated differences in pencil grip were observed. Study 2 is a longitudinal exploration of grip stability vs. change (n = 117). Both expected and unexpected changes were observed in about 25 per cent of the children's grips over four years. A new finding emerged using the present model for categorisation: whereas pencil grips would change, either in terms of ease of grip manipulation or grip configuration, no instances were found where a grip would have changed concurrently on both dimensions. Study 3 is a cross-cultural comparison of grips observed in Finland and the USA (n = 793). The distribution of the pencil grips observed in the American pupils was significantly different from those found in Finland. The cross-cultural disparity is most likely related to the differences in the onset of writing instruction. The differences between the boys' and girls' grips in the American group were non-significant.An implication of Studies 2 and 3 is that the initial pencil grip is of foremost importance since pencil grips are largely stable over time. Study 4 connects the pencil grips to assessment of the mechanics of writing (n = 61). It seems that certain previously not recommended pencil grips might nevertheless be includedamong those accepted since they did not appear to hamper either fluency or legibility.

Transduction and BRICS

Abstract BRICS has philosophical significance. It creates new pressure on cross-cultural skill. This is analysed here as requiring transduction: a variety of defeasible practical reasoning. This replaces a simplistic model of the relation between knowledge and action with a more realistic and contemporary model. The transduction format has utility in cross-cultural training.

Health-related quality of life in school children: validation of instrument, child self assessment, parent-proxy assessment and school nursing documentation of health check-ups

The aims of this study were to validate an international Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQL) instrument, to describe child self and parent-proxy assessed HRQL at child age 10 to 12 and to compare child self assessments with parent-proxy assessments and school nursing documentation. The study is part of the Schools on the Move –research project. In phase one, a cross-cultural translation and validation process was performed to develop a Finnish version of Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ 4.0 (PedsQL™ 4.0). The process included a two-way translation, cognitive interviews (children n=7, parents n=5) and a survey (children n=1097, parents n=999). In phase two, baseline and follow-up surveys (children n=986, parents n=710) were conducted to describe and compare the child self and parent-proxy assessed HRQL in school children between the ages 10 and 12. Phase three included two separate data, school nurse documented patient records (children n=270) and a survey (children n=986). The relation between child self assessed HRQL and school nursing documentation was evaluated. Validity and reliability of the Finnish version of PedsQL™ 4.0 was good (Child Self Report α=0.91, Parent-Proxy Report α=0.88). Children reported lower HRQL scores at the emotional (mean 76/80) than the physical (mean 85/89) health domains and significantly lower scores at the age of 10 than 12 (dMean=4, p=<0.001). Agreement between child self and parent-proxy assessment was fragile (r=0,4, p=<0.001) but increased as the child grew from age 10 to 12 years. At health check-ups, school nurses documented frequently children’s physical health, such as growth (97%) and posture (98/99%) but seldom emotional issues, such as mood (2/7%). The PedsQLTM 4.0 is a valid instrument to assess HRQL in Finnish school children although future research is recommended. Children’s emotional wellbeing needs future attention. HRQL scores increase during ages between childhood and adolescence. Concordance between child self and parent-proxy assessed HRQL is low. School nursing documentation, related to child health check-ups, is not in line with child self assessed HRQL and emotional issues need more attention.