Steve Kulich | Shanghai International Studies University (original) (raw)

Papers by Steve Kulich

Journal of multilingual and multicultural development, Mar 19, 2024

Frontiers in psychiatry, Mar 11, 2024

Objective: This study aims to explore Chinese university students' multicultural personalities an... more Objective: This study aims to explore Chinese university students' multicultural personalities and examine how they predict the psychological adjustment of students in Shanghai. In addition, the validation of Multicultural Personality Questionnaire Short Form (MPQ-SF) scale developed to assess the multicultural personality traits of individuals is also aimed in Chinese context. Data were collected after the psychological stresses from restrictions imposed by COVID-19 in China that influenced life adjustments for nearly three years. Method: A total of 1,099 university students participated in this multi-stage study. First, the Chinese version of MPQ-SF (MPQ-SF-C) was developed and validated. The impact of MPQ-SF-C dimensions was then tested through path analysis to establish the effects of Chinese university students' multicultural personality traits on their psychological adjustment using the Schwartz Outcome Scale (SOS-10). Results: The MPQ-SF-C yielded a five-factor solution which accounted for 60.14% of the common variance. The findings indicated that cultural empathy (b = 0.23, p < 0.05), certainty seeking (b = 0.13, p < 0.05), open-mindedness (b = 0.48, p < 0.05), and emotional stability (b = 0.24, p < 0.05) had significant influences on adjustment. Only flexibility was found to have a statistically insignificant impact on adjustment at this time in this context. MPQ-SF-C and SOS-10 scales represented very good psychometric properties in terms of their reliability and validity. Conclusion: The MPQ-SF-C shows good psychometric properties and appropriateness for evaluating multicultural personalities in Chinese contexts. The multicultural personality characteristics of university students using this scale well predicted their psychological adjustment.

Environment & social psychology, Oct 30, 2023

Concerned about balancing issues of global warming and economic growth, the growing needs of ener... more Concerned about balancing issues of global warming and economic growth, the growing needs of energy consumption in contexts with limited production and resources have created a serious challenge for developing countries like Pakistan. Research approaches that focus mainly on the production or purchase of environmentally friendly products or assessment of the stance of employees and households are not seen as sufficient to present the full picture of any society regarding energy saving behaviors (ESB). The attitudes and behaviors of the student population have generally not been sufficiently presented in energy saving studies to reflect current or emerging realities. Two leading behavioral theories, stimulus-organism-response theory (SOR) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB), and their relevant variables are integrated in this study to unpack the ESB of university-going students in Pakistan. Through an online survey, 410 university students from the four main urban cities of Pakistan participated in the study. The findings revealed that media and organizational climate have significantly created both a sense of social pressure and responsibility among students to cultivate stronger intentions and actions toward saving energy. The results further indicated that these behavioral intentions do indeed have a strong impact on students reported ESB. Overall, the students appeared to have been effectively influenced to be more active in saving energy for their society and country. The findings also validate the selected energy-related constructs and predictive paths in the proposed integrated SOR and TPB model. This study shows the potential for the further testing and application of the variables and this model in other contexts with other populations as the world grapples with energy shortages and global climate change issues.

Springer eBooks, Dec 31, 2022

Social and Personality Psychology Compass, Dec 5, 2023

Social and Personality Psychology Compass, May 27, 2023

The outbreak of the COVID‐19 pandemic brought unrelenting waves of xenophobia against people repr... more The outbreak of the COVID‐19 pandemic brought unrelenting waves of xenophobia against people representing vulnerable populations, among them those identified as Asians or more specifically as Chinese. Although previous studies have found that some discriminatory actions against overseas Chinese were closely related to mask use during the pandemic, there is not much evidence that explicates what might be the social‐cultural triggers or impact of self‐other mask discrepancy. The current study aims to examine how a mask use gap impacts perceived discrimination and anxiety during the first outbreak of COVID‐19, and how perceived discrimination mediates the mask gap–anxiety relationship. This was operationalized by developing a new “mask gap” variable to capture the incongruent mask use norms between Chines and others around them in the host country. Data were collected from a cross‐sectional sample of Chinese (n = 745) residing in 21 countries from March to May 2020 during the first wave of the pandemic. Results showed the newly explicated “mask gap” variable was associated with a higher level of anxiety. In addition, perceived discrimination mediated the mask gap‐anxiety relationship. These findings advance both theoretical and practical understandings of how incongruent social norms impact discrimination and mental health during health threat events like the COVID‐19 pandemic. The results also suggest important implications for both societal responses and the mental health of sojourners or immigrants during pandemics.

Among the notable early staff members of the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) of the U.S. Departme... more Among the notable early staff members of the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) of the U.S. Department of State was Dr. Edward Twitchell Hall, Jr. (1914–2009), who is widely credited with laying the intellectual and applied foundations for what became the field of intercultural communications (IC) and especially IC training. The FSI was established as an in-service institute offering graduate-level training to employees, Foreign Service Officers, and others to enhance their development and service at U.S. embassies, consulates, and related domestic offices. Hall’s tenure at the FSI (1951–1955) spanned the eventful and challenging years of establishing this new department and working out ways of developing and delivering training. Hall and his team grappled with how best to carry out this new type of cross-cultural orientation program. The classic interview provided here, which has not been previously published, has been made available to the public by the U.S. Freedom of Information Act. In this interview (in October 1997 at the convocation of the 50th Anniversary of the Opening of the Foreign Service Institute), Edward T. Hall reflects on the early days of his work, thinking, and challenges at the FSI.

Edward Twitchell Hall, Jr. (1914–2009) has had unparalleled influence and inspiration on what has... more Edward Twitchell Hall, Jr. (1914–2009) has had unparalleled influence and inspiration on what has become the constellation of fields related to comparing cultures, intercultural communication (IC) studies, and cross-cultural or IC training. Even decades after his first seminal books were published, Hall has still been one of the most influential figures for perceived as well as substantiated contributions to intercultural communication. The present listing seeks to provide a greater awareness of the range of topics, articles, and chapters that Hall produced, many of which have helped cement the foundations he laid for the analysis of culture as well as for conceptualizing ways to compare and understand cultural systems. It is our hope that this compilation will do justice to the legacy of an outstanding scholar.

Research directions in the communication between cultures need to reflect on and account for thei... more Research directions in the communication between cultures need to reflect on and account for their understanding of or notions of culture. It behooves researchers of (trans-, cross-, inter-, or comparative) culture to be aware of an influential range of major concepts of which each has a complex and nuanced history. Very few ideas of culture have been entirely superseded by later ones; most are relevant also for intercultural lines of questioning. Since new research often seeks an orientation within particular approaches to culture, this brief and historically oriented overview, designed to complement studies that introduce the specific logic of a systematic treatment or definition of culture, may be helpful in providing relevant clues. In 14 conceptual differentiations, this overview traces the development from early sources that consider what we would now think of as “macro” cultural systems, including the body politic, to intermediary notions of plurality and of unconscious mental patterns, to current constructivist frames, postmodern multiple identities, and the “undoing of culture.” This treatment aims to provide a textually elaborated review of how human thinking about culture has evolved, in order to document and guide more nuanced understandings of the genealogy of concepts that specific approaches or studies may presuppose or even take for granted.

In commemoration of 75 years of the United Nations (UN) and United Nations Educational, Scientifi... more In commemoration of 75 years of the United Nations (UN) and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), this article provides a review of key initiatives related to culture preservation, cultural dialogue, and intercultural communication. From the experience and perspective of the first author, a recent UNESCO General Director, the article particularly focuses on projects that have affirmed indigenous cultures, sought to document and preserve cultural sites, ancient relics and historical accounts, reconsider local contexts and re-interpret neglected cultural histories, explore cross-border cultural exchange “routes,” and highlight programs that continue to foster intercultural dialogue, among many others. These reflect both an expansion to how “culture” is interpreted, valued, engaged in, and focused on in carrying out UN Agendas and UNESCO programs. Particular emphasis is placed on initiatives that show (1) why protecting world heritage is important, (2) why understanding culture and diversity matter, and (3) why advancing both education and technology contributes to greater intercultural dialogue, especially noting the roles of universities and higher education in these ongoing intercultural tasks.

International Journal of Intercultural Relations, Nov 1, 2012

Taking a biographical approach in order to contribute to the sociology of science that formed, in... more Taking a biographical approach in order to contribute to the sociology of science that formed, integrated, or demarcated the intercultural communication (IC) or related intercultural fields, this special issue documents the constructed history of twelve scholars considered to be among the early influencers of the field(s) that developed during the 1970s starting from the United States. This introductory essay illustrates the needs for such a volume to fill an important gap in IC history, provides a rationale for focusing on the 1970s, and discusses the current state of documenting various expressions of the intercultural discipline. It highlights the value of biography as one historical window from which to review or reconstruct the social history derived from the interdisciplinary influences and outcomes of IC or related intercultural fields. After a brief review of earlier people and tracks that influenced the field's eventual formation, it provides categorical and chronological summaries of people and their initiatives in and around the 1970s that established IC, the rationale that guided inclusions or omissions for this "selected" set of biographies, and highlights other worthy influencers not profiled. This essay provides an overview for the questions that contributing authors were asked to address about each person featured in this special issue: (1) the ways they founded, influenced, or affected the ongoing IC field or related intercultural work, (2) the topics or domains that they influenced, (3) the lines or types of IC they launched and outcomes of their legacies, and (4) the principles, practices, or personal characteristics those in the field now can reconsider as catalysts for renewal or future developments.

Hong Kong University Press eBooks, May 1, 2010

Cambridge University Press eBooks, Aug 31, 2020

PLOS ONE, Nov 16, 2021

As the early COVID-19 outbreak sparked xenophobia against people of Asian and Chinese background,... more As the early COVID-19 outbreak sparked xenophobia against people of Asian and Chinese background, we collected data from Chinese migrants worldwide to test how discrimination at a macro-level was perceived by the Chinese during COVID-19 globally. Specifically, we examined (1) whether/how the Chinese migrants were aware of discrimination against their co-nationals during COVID; (2) if so, whether anger was a predominant reaction of these Chinese towards certain exposure to relevant information; (3) how responses of anger transcend across the group of Chinese migrants. Integrating the ecological approach to media and cultural psychology, as well as the intergroup perspective of social psychology, we conducted a study that explored the impact of traditional media exposure to discrimination on collective anger-a process mediated by national identity among the Chinese migrants. Findings provide some evidence that geographically dispersed mono-cultural groups may share or identify with collective emotions when facing xenophobic threats in a macro context. Further examination of cultural distance (between China and the host country) among the Chinese migrants also revealed a particular interaction between host newspaper coverage and cultural distance on national identity. These findings suggest further research to examine the emotional norms of similar cultures bonded via strong collective identities in times of intergroup threat and the theoretical possibility for diasporic identity processes. "It's divided us, angered us, set us against one another. I know the country's grown weary of the fight, but we need to remember-we're at war with the virus, not one another."

Encyclopedia of Communication Theory, Oct 5, 2012

In the literature on organizational behavior, 'work values' and 'ethics' both fi gure as prominen... more In the literature on organizational behavior, 'work values' and 'ethics' both fi gure as prominent topics. Although some texts may not give much coverage or index listings to one or the other term (e.g. Silverthorne, 2005, pp. 173-5 on ethics, but no index item on values), organizational texts are usually undergirded by assumptions about the infl uence of cultural, organizational or individual work values. Especially in volumes with a more cross-cultural orientation, values are considered a dominant infl uence, framing or underlying the treatment of almost all topic areas (e.g. Smith et al., 2008, which indexes 'values' in 34 locations across more than 60 pages, but 'ethics' not once). However they are considered, values and ethics are important topics in publications, increasingly so in the Chinese mainland. 1 The challenge of analyzing the literature on this topic is to determine when 'cultural/ national values' (which may alternatively be labeled 'traditional values'), 'organizational values' or a culture's, company's or individual's 'work values' are the intended focus. Values are most likely operational at each level of culture. In Kulich's (2011, p. 48) taxonomy, that includes fi ve layers, from meta-cultural universals, to macro-national or regional levels, to meso-subcultural groupings, to medio-, negotiated, cultural contexts/ localities, to micro-cultural personal ingroups. This is illustrated by Leung et al.'s (2005) concentric circles of culture for organizational contexts. In addition, concepts are not always clearly diff erentiated. Both 'values' and 'work value' defi nitions regularly include the crossover constructs of needs, motivations, values and preferences/interests. Dawis (1991) sought to diff erentiate the last two operationally, suggesting: 'interests involve liking/disliking, and values involve importance/ unimportance' (Rounds and Armstrong, 2005, p. 310). Rokeach (1973) even more extensively distinguished between values, value systems and values orientations (pp. 5, 22), attitudes (p. 17), social norms (p. 19), needs (p. 19), traits (p. 21) and interests (pp. 21-2). But across all levels, expressions or types, the values concept still suff ers in much research from conceptual confl ation or confusion (Kulich and Zhang, 2010, pp. 241, 244-5). Added to this problem, in Western contexts, 'research into life values has tended to ignore developments in the fi eld of work values' (Rounds and Armstrong, 2005, p. 309), while 'work value research. .. has clearly been infl uenced by mainstream studies on life values', a trend this review seeks to reverse. In a previous review, two pages were devoted to highlighting Chinese mainland research on work values (Kulich and Zhang, 2010), suggesting that 'the analysis of work values is promoting the rapid development of more international mindsets. .. [and] indigenous theory building' (pp. 258-9). This chapter signifi cantly extends that summary because, as the OB fi eld develops in various Chinese contexts and as the PRC becomes more internationalized, work values research can bring more clarity to the entire enterprise of studying cultural or contexted values.

Frontiers in Psychology, Oct 5, 2022

During the first wave of the COVID-19 outbreak, the Chinese diaspora, especially Chinese internat... more During the first wave of the COVID-19 outbreak, the Chinese diaspora, especially Chinese international students, were subjected to greater stress than others, because they were under pressure from both fear of infection and coping with acculturation (e.g., discrimination). Consequently, more research is needed to understand the anxiety induced by COVID-19 stresses on this specific cultural group. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between COVID-19 stress and individuals' anxiety, and the moderating roles of Acceptance, Reframing, and Striving (ARS) coping, the family support coping strategy, and wise reasoning. To test our predictions, we collected data from 224 Chinese international students (CIS). Results indicated a strong and positive relationship between pandemic stress and anxiety. Surprisingly, both ARS and family support coping did not moderate the association between COVID-19 stress and anxiety. Instead, wise reasoning as a potential reflective coping strategy interacted with COVID-19 stress to predict anxiety. Specifically, wise reasoning predicted more anxiety when individuals perceived a low-level of COVID-19 stress, however, such a relationship disappeared when individuals perceived a high-level of COVID-19 stress. These findings about wise-reasoning extends our understanding of wisdom and how it plays a role in the context of COVID-19.

Business Horizons, Mar 1, 2021

Abstract Leadership development has long been a primary concern for businesses. In recent years, ... more Abstract Leadership development has long been a primary concern for businesses. In recent years, owing to the high cost of traditional leadership development programs, organizations have shifted attention to leader self-development initiatives to facilitate human resource development. This article examines why people develop themselves for leadership positions. Drawing from the subjective expressions of business practitioners from multiple countries, our study identifies variations in leader self-development patterns for leadership positions within the subjects’ organizations. Our findings suggest that individual perceptions of leadership have a strong effect on leader self-development processes. We use the insights gained from our inductive approach to develop a four-factor leader self-development model that provides useful developmental strategies and prescriptions for business practitioners and their organizations.

Journal of multilingual and multicultural development, Mar 19, 2024

Frontiers in psychiatry, Mar 11, 2024

Environment & social psychology, Oct 30, 2023

Springer eBooks, Dec 31, 2022

Social and Personality Psychology Compass, Dec 5, 2023

Social and Personality Psychology Compass, May 27, 2023

International Journal of Intercultural Relations, Nov 1, 2012

Hong Kong University Press eBooks, May 1, 2010

Cambridge University Press eBooks, Aug 31, 2020

PLOS ONE, Nov 16, 2021

Encyclopedia of Communication Theory, Oct 5, 2012

Frontiers in Psychology, Oct 5, 2022

Business Horizons, Mar 1, 2021

Frontiers in Public Health, 2023

This study seeks to explore factors that have shaped the intercultural communication effectivenes... more This study seeks to explore factors that have shaped the intercultural
communication effectiveness (ICE) of international students (IS) during the
COVID-19 pandemic. Theoretical predictions of anxiety uncertainty management
(AUM) are considered to assess the ICE of IS who stayed in China throughout
the COVID-19 pandemic. The prime causal factors of AUM theory (anxiety,
uncertainty, and mindfulness) are included with empathy and sensation, seeking
to examine their impact on ICE among IS in China.