Methodological and Substantive Issues in Conducting Multinational and Cross-Cultural Research


Book Description

The rising importance of multinational and cross-cultural research has spurred the development of methodologies to adequately study human phenomena in organizations across culture and place. Disentangling culture and location from potential confounding variables is an underlying issue in conducting comparative studies. Research designs allow comparisons of countries and culture groups, as well as isolate the potential impact of cultural variables. Sampling methods must be chosen to control for differences that confound the cultural variables of interest with other characteristics of samples. Translation and back-translation are necessary when studies cross linguistic boundaries. Measures that compare cultural and national groups should be checked for measurement equivalence/invariance using one or more tools based on confirmatory factor analysis or item response theory. Some sources of invariance can be found in culturally determined response biases. In the same investigation, it is advisable to pair qualitative methods, which help characterize culture-specific factors, with quantitative methods, which help disentangle their confounds.




Doing Cross-Cultural Research


Book Description

Conducting cross-cultural research is rife with methodological, ethical and moral challenges. Researchers are challenged with many issues in carrying out their research with people in cross-cultural arenas. In this book, I attempt to bring together salient issues for the conduct of culturally appropriate research. The task of undertaking cross-cultural research can present researchers with unique opportunities, and yet dilemmas. The book will provide some thought-provoking points so that our research may proceed relatively well and yet ethical in our approach. The subject of the book is on the ethical, methodological, political understanding and practical procedures in undertaking cross-cultural research. The book will bring readers through a series of questions: who am I working with? What ethical and moral considerations do I need to observe? How should I conduct the research which is culturally appropriate to the needs of people I am researching? How do I deal with language issues? How will I negotiate access? And what research methods should I apply to ensure a successful research process? The book is intended for postgraduate students who are undertaking research as part of their degrees. It is also intended for researchers who are working in cross-cultural studies and in poor nations.




Methods and Data Analysis for Cross-Cultural Research


Book Description

This book gives an up-to-date overview of methodological and data-analytical issues of cross-cultural studies. Written by leading experts in the field, it presents the most important tools for doing cross-cultural research and outlines design considerations, methods, and analytical techniques that can improve ecological validity and help researchers to avoid pitfalls in cross-cultural psychology. By focusing on the relevant research questions that can be tackled with particular methods, it provides practical guidance on how to translate conceptual questions into decisions on study design and statistical techniques. Featuring examples from cognitive and educational assessment, personality, health, and intercultural communication and management, and illustrating key techniques in feature boxes, this concise and accessible guide is essential reading for researchers, graduate students, and professionals who work with culture-comparative data.




Doing Cross-Cultural Research


Book Description

Conducting cross-cultural research is rife with methodological, ethical and moral challenges. Researchers are challenged with many issues in carrying out their research with people in cross-cultural arenas. In this book, I attempt to bring together salient issues for the conduct of culturally appropriate research. The task of undertaking cross-cultural research can present researchers with unique opportunities, and yet dilemmas. The book will provide some thought-provoking points so that our research may proceed relatively well and yet ethical in our approach. The subject of the book is on the ethical, methodological, political understanding and practical procedures in undertaking cross-cultural research. The book will bring readers through a series of questions: who am I working with? What ethical and moral considerations do I need to observe? How should I conduct the research which is culturally appropriate to the needs of people I am researching? How do I deal with language issues? How will I negotiate access? And what research methods should I apply to ensure a successful research process? The book is intended for postgraduate students who are undertaking research as part of their degrees. It is also intended for researchers who are working in cross-cultural studies and in poor nations.




Field Guide to Intercultural Research


Book Description

This informative Field Guide to Intercultural Research is specifically designed to be used in the field, guiding the reader away from pitfalls and towards best practice. It shares valuable fieldwork challenges and experiences, as well as insights into key methodological debates and practical recommendations relevant to both new and seasoned researchers.




Cross-Cultural Research Methods in Psychology


Book Description

Cross-cultural research is now an undeniable part of mainstream psychology and has had a major impact on conceptual models of human behavior. Although it is true that the basic principles of social psychological methodology and data analysis are applicable to cross-cultural research, there are a number of issues that are distinct to it, including managing incongruities of language and quantifying cultural response sets in the use of scales. Cross-Cultural Research Methods in Psychology provides state-of-the-art knowledge about the methodological problems that need to be addressed if a researcher is to conduct valid and reliable cross-cultural research. It also offers practical advice and examples of solutions to those problems and is a must-read for any student of culture.




Cross-Cultural Research Methods


Book Description

Without ethnography, cross-cultural comparison would not be possible. But without cross-cultural comparison, we would know nothing of what may be universal or variable across human cultures, or why variation exists. Cross-Cultural Research Methods is an introductory teaching tool that shows students and potential researchers how to describe, compare, and analyze patterns that occur in different cultures, that is, how to form and test anthropological, sociological, psychological, medical, or political hypotheses about cultural variation.




Handbook of Qualitative Cross-Cultural Research Methods


Book Description

This Handbook provides an in-depth discussion on doing cross-cultural research more ethically, sensibly and responsibly with diverse groups of people around the globe. It focuses on cross-cultural research in the social sciences where researchers who are often from Western, educated and rich backgrounds are conducting research with individuals from different socio-cultural settings that are often non-Western, illiterate and poor. Covering both theoretical perspectives as well as practical ways to conduct research in cross-cultural settings, the contributors explore research work across Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe and North America. Chapters provide keen insights into Indigenous research methods and approaches to cross-cultural research with a range of different groups of Indigenous peoples, highlighting the ethical and methodological challenges for researchers conducting cross-cultural research. Top scholars in the field suggest practical tips and information on lessons they have learnt to make this a useful tool kit for early-career researchers and students. This will be a critical read for students of development studies, transnational studies and anthropology who are interested in pursuing cross-cultural research in diverse settings. It is also an invigorating read for researchers who conduct cross-cultural research as well as those who work with people from ethnic minorities and refugees.




Concept and Method in Cross-Cultural and Cultural Psychology


Book Description

An overview is given of cross-cultural psychology and cultural psychology, focusing on theory and methodology. In Section 1 historical developments in research are traced; it is found that initially extensive psychological differences tend to shrink when more carefully designed studies are conducted. Section 2 addresses the conceptualization of “culture” and of “a culture”. For psychological research the notion “culture” is considered too vague; more focal explanatory concepts are required. Section 3 describes methodological issues, taking the notion of the empirical cycle as a lead for both qualitative and quantitative research. Pitfalls in research design and data analysis of behavior-comparative studies, and the need for replication are discussed. Section 4 suggests to move beyond research on causal relationships and to incorporate additional questions, addressing the function and the development of behavior patterns in ontogenetic, phylogenetic and historical time. Section 5 emphasizes the need for applied research serving the global village.




The Cambridge Handbook of the Global Work–Family Interface


Book Description

The Cambridge Handbook of the Global Work-Family Interface is a response to growing interest in understanding how people manage their work and family lives across the globe. Given global and regional differences in cultural values, economies, and policies and practices, research on work-family management is not always easily transportable to different contexts. Researchers have begun to acknowledge this, conducting research in various national settings, but the literature lacks a comprehensive source that aims to synthesize the state of knowledge, theoretical progression, and identification of the most compelling future research ideas within field. The Cambridge Handbook of the Global Work-Family Interface aims to fill this gap by providing a single source where readers can find not only information about the general state of global work-family research, but also comprehensive reviews of region-specific research. It will be of value to researchers, graduate students, and practitioners of applied and organizational psychology, management, and family studies.