Book
Cross-cultural analysis: methods and applications, second edition
Intended to bridge the gap between the latest methodological developments and cross-cultural research, this interdisciplinary resource presents the latest strategies for analyzing cross-cultural data. Techniques are demonstrated through the use of applications that employ cross-national data sets such as the latest European Social Survey. With an emphasis on the generalized latent variable approach, internationally prominent researchers from a variety of fields explain how the methods work, how to apply them, and how they relate to other methods presented in the book. Syntax and graphical and verbal explanations of the techniques are included. Online resources, available at www.routledge.com/9781138690271, include some of the data sets and syntax commands used in the book.
This chapter focuses on one specific way of conducting analysis of measurement invariance of latent classes. We describe group-as-covariate approach, focus on unordered latent class models, explicate levels of invariance and procedures required to test them making strong links with factor analysis, and supplement it with a detailed example. In addition to the application provided by Siegers (this volume), we describe and show how to test for metric invariance of classifications. The chapter is accompnied by an empirical illustration with basic value latent classes in West&North vs. East Europe.
Equivalence studies are coming of age. Thirty years ago there were few conceptual models and statistical techniques to address sources of systematic measurement error in cross-cultural studies (for early examples, see Clearly & Hilton, 1968; Lord, 1977, 1980; Poortinga, 1971). This picture has changed; in the last decades conceptual models and statistical techniques have been developed and refined. Many empirical examples have been published. There is a growing awareness of the importance in the field for the advancement of cross-cultural theorizing. An increasing number of journals require authors who submit manuscripts of cross-cultural studies to present evidence supporting the equivalence of the study measures. Yet, the burgeoning of the field has not led to a convergence in conceptualizations, methods, and analyses. For example, educational testing focuses on the analysis of items as sources of problems of crosscultural comparisons, often using item response theory (e.g., Emenogu & Childs, 2005). In personality psychology, exploratory factor analysis is commonly applied as a tool to examine the similarity of factors underlying a questionnaire (e.g., McCrae, 2002). In survey research and marketing, structural equation modeling (SEM) is most frequently employed (e.g., Steenkamp & Baumgartner, 1998). From a theoretical perspective, these models are related; for example, the relationship of item response theory and confirmatory factor analysis (as derived from a general latent variable model) has been described by Brown (2006). However, from a practical perspective, the models can be seen as relatively independent paradigms; there are no recent studies in which various bias models are compared (an example of an older study in which procedures are compared that are no longer used has been described by Shepard, Camilli, & Averill, 1981). In addition to the diversity in mathematical developments, conceptual frameworks for dealing with cross-cultural studies have been developed in cross-cultural psychology, which, again, have a slightly different focus. It is fair to say that the field of equivalence is still expanding in both conceptual and statistical directions and that rapprochement of the approaches and best practices that are broadly accepted across various fields are not just around the corner. The present chapter relates the conceptual framework about measurement problems that is developed in cross-cultural psychology (with input from various other sciences studying cultures and cultural differences) to statistical developments and current practices in SEM vis-à-vis multigroup testing. More specifically, I address the question of the strengths and weaknesses of SEM from a conceptual bias and equivalence framework. There are few publications in which more conceptually based approaches to bias that are mainly derived from substantive studies are linked to more statistically based approaches such as developed in SEM. This chapter adds to the literature by linking two research traditions that have worked largely independently in the past, despite the overlap in bias issues addressed in both traditions. The chapter deals with the question to what extent the study of equivalence, as implemented in SEM, can address all the relevant measurement issues of cross-cultural studies. The first part of the chapter describes a theoretical framework of bias and equivalence. The second part describes various procedures and examples to identify bias and address equivalence. The third part discusses the identification of all the bias types distinguished using SEM. The fourth part presents a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) of SEM in dealing with bias sources in cross-cultural studies. Conclusions are drawn in the final part.
The given study is aimed to test cultural universality of the structure of informal ties in organizations in five different countries (Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Russia, UK, Brazil; N = 663). Study is based on the three-dimensional dynamic model of guanxi relations, which is specific to Chinese culture [Chen et al., 2009]. This model suggests that guanxi includes the following aspects of supervisor-subordinate relationships: emotional attachment, personal life inclusion, and deference to supervisor. Using confirmatory factor analysis we proved that the given structure of informal relationships is cultural-universal. The partial metric invariance for these three scales is also given. Results potentiate farther comparative studies of informal ties in organizations, and their effect on different psychological variables as motivation, organizational commitment and others. Such studies can serve as a basis to develop training programs for managers to help them to consider the fact of presence of informal ties in organization, and to manage this resource properly.
Managers in five nations rated scenarios exemplifying indigenous forms of informal influence whose cultural origins were concealed. Locally generated scenarios illustrated episodes of guanxi, wasta, jeitinho, svyazi and pulling strings. Local scenarios were judged representative of local influence processes but so too were some scenarios derived from other contexts. Furthermore, many scenarios were rated as more typical in non-local contexts. While these influence processes are found to be widely disseminated, they occur more frequently in contexts characterized by high self-enhancement values, low self-transcendence values and high endorsement of business corruptibility. Implications for a fuller understanding of local business practices are discussed.
A psycho-semantic research of the social capital of the institutions of the Russian society has been carried out. The cross-cultural distinctions in the perceived social capital of the institutions are analyzed.
This study aims to analyze differences between gender attitudes of migrants and local population in 8 countries of Western and Northern Europe. It tests whether migrants from developing countries, especially from the Muslim world, tend to follow European trends in their attitude towards gender equality or they tend to treat gender equality issues in the same manner as in their countries of origin. This topic is of particular importance as attitudes towards women’s rights are proven to be a strong predictor of support for democracy and of liberal values in general. This study uses the data of the 5th wave of the European Social Survey, a representative national sample for the most European societies. The results show that migrants are a little more conservative in their gender attitudes than local Europeans, but the influence of this factor is often overestimated, whereas age and level of education exceed migrant status and Islam as predictors of liberal or conservative gender attitudes. Moreover, attitudes towards women’s rights among migrants are very similar to the attitudes of the local population in any particular country. Consequently, migrants in the most liberal countries such as Sweden show more support for gender equality than locals in Germany or Switzerland. However, Muslim religion remains a robust medium-sized negative predictor of gender attitudes.
In 2006, Russia amended its competition law and added the concepts of ‘collective dominance’ and its abuse. This was seen as an attempt to address the common problem of ‘conscious parallelism’ among firms in concentrated industries. Critics feared that the enforcement of this provision would become tantamount to government regulation of prices. In this paper we examine the enforcement experience to date, looking especially closely at sanctions imposed on firms in the oil industry. Some difficulties and complications experienced in enforcement are analysed, and some alternative strategies for addressing anticompetitive behaviour in concentrated industries discussed.
This article is talking about state management and cultural policy, their nature and content in term of the new tendency - development of postindustrial society. It mentioned here, that at the moment cultural policy is the base of regional political activity and that regions can get strong competitive advantage if they are able to implement cultural policy successfully. All these trends can produce elements of new economic development.