Academic literature on the topic 'Creative ability in technology – Cross-cultural studies'

Purpose: This article examines affective technology to understand the significance of creative labour in Indonesia multinational oil and gas companies in the city of Balikpapan, East Kalimantan. Methodology: The data is gathered from desk studies by reviewing policies, monographs, and printed documents, and ethnographic observations to understand the social and cultural context. Main findings: We identified two types of affective technologies created by creative labours: the visual simulation to create new subjects and visual efforts to forge corporate reputation. They are important in helping in the production of subjects and the value of corporate branding. Practical Implications: This study shows the need for extractive industries to pay more detail in providing safety instructions for their employees. Creative workers can be the right agents to compose effective messages with their ability to touch the affective side of employees through the works they produce. Social Implications: The creative workers are increasing in number; however, their nature of work which is mainly based on gigs is somewhat vulnerable in developing countries like Indonesia. Closer cooperation with the big industries will be favorable for them with the hope that in return they will come up with some products to strengthen the companies' social responsibility. The novelty of study: While previous studies have rarely underlined the interplay between creative work and extractive industries, this article provides insight into affective technology within the context of extractive industries.

Purpose This paper aims to contribute to the emerging discussion on the contextualization of knowledge-oriented research by examining the universality of knowledge management (KM) practices. Knowledge is a firm’s most valuable resource, and KM, or the ability to leverage knowledge resources, constitutes the base for the firm’s competitive advantages. Design/methodology/approach A theorized ten-fold conceptualization of KM practices is tested on a sample of 622 firms from four countries (Finland, Spain, China and Russia). Confirmatory factor analysis and principal component analysis are used to test the applicability of the concept in various country contexts. Findings The findings provide interesting evidence of variation in the managerial assessment of KM practices among countries. This shows that KM practices are socially embedded phenomena, affected by the managers’ institutional and cultural contexts. Research limitations/implications Researchers and managers are advised to be mindful of the differences in terms of KM practices between the studied countries and to display a certain cultural sensitivity when approaching KM. Originality/value The paper is the first to examine the managerially assessed structure of KM practices in a cross-country context with multi-firm datasets. The results will help to determine the similarity of KM practices in four economically and culturally distinct countries. It also adds to the discussion about the potential national peculiarities of KM and provides a novel concept of KM practices, which is tested in a cross-national context. Thus, this study provides an outline for future KM studies and increases managerial understanding about the variety of value-creating KM practices.

Aim/Purpose: In this study, the authors examine how an online word processing tool can be used to encourage participation among students of different language back-grounds, including English Language Learners. To be exact, the paper discusses whether student participation in anonymous collaborative writing via Google Docs can lead to more successful products in a linguistically diverse eighth-grade English Language Arts classroom. Background: English Language Learners (ELLs) make up a considerable portion of elementary and secondary public school students, as language and ethnic diversity has become the norm in the United States. The research literature finds that ELLs are statistically behind their monolingual peers on such key language and academic development indicators as writing. Educators and researchers then turn to collaborative writing with the assistance of online technology. Although it is shown in literature to be a worthwhile endeavor for students of all ages and ability levels, no studies have investigated the differences it makes, namely, in comparison to traditional face-to-face collaboration in the classroom, and to anonymous online collaboration in the virtual space. Methodology: Through face-to-face, online, and anonymous writing activities, a rubric, and a survey, this quantitative study asks if anonymous collaborative writing, com-pared to other modalities, equalizes participation among students of varying language fluencies, and if anonymous collaborative writing, compared to other modalities, affect student comfort levels. Contribution: This builds on research of online collaborative writing tools and suggests that using such tools (Google Docs in particular) is beneficial, especially for students who are building their language abilities. The study further reveals varied degree of success and student comfort level in participating writing tasks in three modalities. Findings: We ascertain that students of varying language fluencies participated more equally when they were able to remain anonymous. Face-to-face writing exhibited the highest overall scores, and students enjoyed working on Google Docs. Recommendations for Practitioners: Future and current teachers are encouraged to be open to new technologies and be creative in the use of technology to facilitate student learning. They should have the opportunity to participate in the discussion on how, not if, integrating technology impacts the cognitive, social, and cultural dimensions of teaching. Recommendation for Researchers: After this initial quantitative study on students’ reactions to various modalities of technology-supported writing formats, the next questions to ask may be how students were engaging in dialogues during face-to-face sessions or chat features of Google Docs trials, and what types of edits students are making. Researchers should turn their focus on secondary school classrooms where there is an increasing impact of technology-assisted collaborative writing on student learning and teaching pedagogy. Impact on Society: As online technology has become an integral part of daily life, it is beneficial to educators, policy makers, and classroom teachers to understand how technology can be integrated in writing programs and to what extent the integration can help boost student motivation and participation. Future Research: More longitudinal research on online assisted collaborative writing and addi-tional quantitative data are needed to further understand the complexities of the writing process in-group online writing and the nature of collaboration.

Abstract A comparison of the behaviors of two creative populations operating within cross-media environments in the United States and Australia tests the comparative effect of the two nations' legal environments on the range of creative expression and on costs of production in increasingly digitized production processes. The U.S. creators have access to the flexible and expansive exception of fair use, while Australian creators' ability to use third-party copyrighted content are far more constrained. While availability of copyright exceptions plays a crucial role, other factors including demographics, disciplinary norms, and social inequality may also be important in creative practices and professions.

In recent decades, within the boundaries of postclassical culture, the concept of “event”, which has long been actively used both in everyday life and in scientific discourse, acquires new meanings and is realized in innovative forms. In this regard, it becomes necessary to highlight an “artistic event” as a cultural creative technology, which is becoming widespread in the development of postclassical culture, and study the role of “special artistic event” in the modern process of functioning of global and local cultures. Objectives. The aim of the article is to conceptualize events in the artistic and empirical reality and identify the conditions of their convergence. Research methodology. The author applies the method of terminological analysis for the insight into the concept of “event” in the empirical and artistic reality. The article provides a detailed application of philosophical and culturological method whereby the event is seen as sociocultural phenomenon; psychoanalytical method for the analysis of the impact of life events on the emotional state of a man; the methods of analysis and synthesis to determine the existence conditions of the events in the empirical and artistic reality; structural and comparative method that has permitted to reveal the basic elements in the structure of an artistic event and its difference from an empirical event. Results. The development trends of artistic practices in the post-classical culture convey the blending of the mundane and the social, cultural plan, the destruction of boundaries between the life and the artistic, the ability to create the events that can be classified both as empirical evidence and as an artistic act. All these properties are included in actionism as a form of modern art. The events that are created within this trend have the character of artistic events: the organization of action, the presence of the author, ideological content, focus on the target audience, publicity. At the same time such an event occurs in the empirical reality of an object (objects) that it is designed to. Such an event affects a human being (society) very seriously, introducing new concepts (ideas, images) into the outlook. These effects can be both positive and negative, aesthetic as well as anti-aesthetic. A classification of events according to the level of subjectivity has been developed, which includes such concepts as “micro-event”, “event”, “special event” and “special artistic event”. In any case, a person that perceives a creative product of actionism experiences life events that affect and sometimes change his mental nature, behaviour, emotional state. The author of such event can be any person who needs and has a desire to introduce the idea into the socio-cultural environment. “Micro-event” is a familiar action to an individual. It develops the course of everyday life and does not require the analysis and the search for interpretations. Micro-events occur as a result of natural changes that are logical in the given circumstances of human actions, which are part of the framework of everyday existence. “Event” is an act, as the result of which a person experiences changes in his/ her internal and external environment. The result of the event is always a change in the internal state, the break up, forming new views, gaining new knowledge. “Special event” is an action organized for the purpose of achieving certain goals through direct influence on the subject’s consciousness. A “special event” always has a specific initiator and a certain level of organization, that is, it cannot happen by chance, even if the subject perceives it in such a way. An individual can be both the author of a “special event” and the subject on which it is directed. In the latter case, it can be said that a “special event” has occurred if there has been an internal process of comprehension and certain indoctrination, characteristic of the “event” in general. That is, the mechanism of human perception of a random natural “event” or deterministic by another individual remains unchanged. “Special artistic event” is an action organized for the purpose of achieving certain goals, through the direct influence on the subject’s consciousness using artistic methods. The purpose of creating a “special artistic event” is to unite groups of people, introduce new ones and maintain the conventional value paradigms during a certain action. That is, a “special artistic event” cannot be organized solely for aesthetic reasons, cannot represent value in and of itself, in the isolation from the information and emotional innate content. “Special artistic events” contain significant creative potential; they can be used as an instrument for developing a dialogue between social and cultural groups, for the creation of united global communities based on common axiological guidelines. Conclusions. The reason for the rapid spread of ideas embodied in “special artistic events” is the principle of an action, based on an emotional rather than rational piece of information. Symbolic, nonverbal elucidation of the ideological component is the most productive tool for influencing and interrelating with broad audiences. Since “special artistic events” are now a powerful, effective tool for advancing ideas and forming values, it is important to use their potential for designing and introducing into the culture of socially significant values and paradigms. Their scope extends to the entire field of culture: the author confirms this fact by considering the most important aspects of socio-cultural life, in which “special artistic events” are realized. The dominant feature that distinguishes a “special event” from a “special artistic event” is the artistic and symbolic component, the presence of which indicates the relation of the latter to artistic reality, at the same time it has synchronous unfolding in the everyday reality. Novelty. An attempt is made at identifying the differences of events in the empirical and artistic reality and considering the aspects of their convergence in terms of the post-classical culture. The practical significance. The obtained results make it possible to establish the basis for further reflection of the concept “event”. The findings in this paper can be used in pedagogical and educational practice while preparing the general and specialized courses in cultural studies, art criticism, directing mass festivals.

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore the role of continuous learning and the mitigation or elimination of knowledge barriers affecting information technology (IT) assimilation in the health-care sector. Most of the problems with IT assimilations stem from a poor understanding of the nature of suitable information, the lack of trust, cultural differences, the lack of appropriate training and hierarchical bureaucratic structures and procedures. To overcome these barriers, this study provides evidence that a continuous learning process can play a part in overcoming some of the obstacles to the assimilation of IT.Design/methodology/approachThis study investigates how a continuous learning environment can counteract the presence of knowledge barriers, and, along with such an environment, can, in turn, facilitate IT assimilation. The study uses ADANCO 2.0.1 Professional for Windows and involves the collection and analysis of data provided by 210 health-care end users.FindingsThe study provides evidence in support of the proposition that continuous learning may facilitate the assimilation of IT by health-care end users through the mitigation of knowledge barriers (e.g. lack of trust or resistance to change). The mitigation of these barriers requires the gathering and utilization of new knowledge and knowledge structures. The results support the hypothesis that one way in which this can be achieved is through continuous learning (i.e. through assessing the situation, consulting experts, seeking feedback and tracking progress).Research limitations/implicationsA limitation of the study is the relatively simple statistical method that has been used for the analysis. However, the results provided here will serve as a preliminary basis for more sophisticated analysis which is currently underway.Practical implicationsThe study provides useful insights into ways of using continuous learning to facilitate IT assimilation by end users in the health-care domain. This can be of use to hospitals seeking to implement end user IT technologies and, in particular, telemedicine technologies. It can also be used to develop awareness of knowledge barriers and possible approaches to mitigate the effects of such barriers. Such an awareness can assist hospital staff in finding creative solutions for using technology tools. This potentially augments the ability of hospital staff to work with patients and carers, encouraging them to take initiative (make choices and solve problems relevant to them). This, in turn, allows hospitals to avoid negative and thus de-motivating experiences involving themselves and their end users (patients) and improving IT assimilation. This is liable to lead to improved morale and improved assimilation of IT by end users (patients).Social implicationsAs ICT systems and services should entail participation of a wide range of users, developers and stakeholders, including medical doctors, nurses, social workers, patients and programmers and interaction designers, the study provides useful social implication for health management and people well-being.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to a better understanding of the nature and impacts of continuous learning. Although previous studies in the field of knowledge management have shown that knowledge management procedures and routines can provide support to IT assimilation, few studies, if any, have explored the relationship between continuous learning and IT assimilation with particular emphasis on knowledge barriers in the health-care domain.

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to explore how small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Taiwan employ technology to participate in global supply chains so as to respond to the Fourth Industrial Revolution.Design/methodology/approachThis study chose four small to medium textile SMEs using qualitative exploratory multiple case studies to examine their participation in the global value chain (GVC) and under the context of Industry 4.0.FindingsThis study proffered a strategic model for the innovative integration of textile manufacturing companies and cultural content industry into the global market. The results identified four types of cross-disciplinary value creation strategies by Industry 4.0-driven technology and cultural content infusion: enhancing digital product display capabilities, integrating cultural content design and online marketing, creative brand marketing with cyber-physical channel integration and emotional marketing incorporated with smart services.Originality/valueThe author proposed the following cross-disciplinary value creation strategies for clothing SMEs in Taiwan: (1) enhancing digital product display capabilities, (2) integrating cultural content design and online marketing, (3) creative brand marketing with cyber-physical integration and (4) emotional marketing incorporated with smart services. Using these strategies, SMEs can incorporate cultural and lifestyle aspects into products and services and embed themselves in the global marketing links of GVCs.

Abstract Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) technology is increasingly used in surveying, construction and architecture. The potential of the data obtained by this method creates the possibility of its versatile application also in conservation and revitalization of monuments, archaeology or history. The use of this technology during the creation of architectural documentation of a historic building greatly facilitates the acquisition of comprehensive information about its actual condition in a fast, non-invasive and very precise manner. Thanks to digital technology, it also creates the possibility to accurately interpret the condition of an object and present its model in a virtual space. This technology provides the ability to transfer acquired image elements with high accuracy of their mapping to plans and designs prepared by architects and contractors. It is also possible to maintain high technical standards in the processes aimed at the preparation of the required graphical studies, thanks to the use of the point cloud obtained in TLS. One of the most important advantages of using this measurement method is the possibility of combining it with data from e. g. from photogrammetric tools, which gives the possibility to fill in the missing elements creating a more complete picture of the needed data. This paper presents the implementation of terrestrial laser scanning technology as a non-invasive method for the modelling of walls and buildings of the so-called “greenfield”. Revers BIM on the example of the measurement of the facades of the buildings of the old market in Jarosław. This technology allows for preparation of precise architectural documentation including: projections, sections, elevation views, 3D models or multimedia visualizations. The use of TLS for cultural heritage research also enables the preparation of fully complete documentation for conservation and restoration works aimed at maintaining the current state of monuments or even at reconstructing their damaged architectural elements.

Cultural intelligence (CQ), defined as ‘an individual’s ability to be effective in situations characterized by cultural diversity’ (Ang, Van Dyne, 2008), can be developed and strengthened through experience, education and training. For a number of years, research on cultural intelligence has found important and recurring results for individuals with higher levels of CQ: better cross-cultural adjustment, improved job performance and enhanced personal well-being. More recent works have focused on the relation between cultural intelligence, creativity and innovation, opening new horizons for studies in the field. In light of these recent developments, the paper explores the link between cultural intelligence and creativity in a specific context: a program for American college students doing their traineeship in Rome, Italy. The research is based on the analysis of field journals written by trainees. While reading and coding them, we looked for ‘proofs’ of divergent and critical thinking, assuming, based on a literature review, that they are important components of the creative process. Results show that divergent and critical thinking are consistently present in the journals written by trainees who have been positively assessed by their academic tutors and placement supervisors. Critical and divergent thinking, and subsequently creativity, are likely to be higher among individuals who demonstrate interest and openness to the new culture they encounter and are capable not only to describe it, but also to compare it with their own. This re-confirms the importance of cross cultural training to enhance the learning outcomes of a traineeship abroad.

The vulnerability of the moral crisis that occurs in millennial children has led to numerous irregularities such as rape, taurine, extortion, bullying and other negative forms of violence. These changes occur due to globalization and the increasing development of technology, thereby leading to deviant behaviours amongst children. Therefore, character education based on Ethno pedagogy in Islamic basic education institutions is important due to its ability to reduce the impact of negative behaviours on primary-age children. The purpose of this research is to describe the meaning of Ethno pedagogy of MIN 1 Sambas in applying local cultural values. This research uses a naturalistic phenomenology approach through participant observation, interview, and documentation techniques with primary data obtained from students, teachers, parents, and community leaders. The results showed the importance of integrating the self-development program of students based on Ethno pedagogy of Melayu Sambas, familiar with fostering character education in creating local cultures such as the Sambas Malay language. Furthermore, ethnology tends to foster a religious character in the millennial generation, namely religious character, such as the attitudes and behaviour of priests and taqwa applied in everyday life.

This thesis examines creativity as manifested in an online and transnational network of musicians who compose chipmusic, a kind of electronic music characteristic of 1980s early home computers and videogame sounds. The primary argument is that creativity in chipmusic worlds is networked, meaning that it is dispersed across various activities that are labelled as creative: chipmusic-making, technology-hacking practices that underpin the music, digital cultural practices such as use of social media, online releases, crowdsourcing, staged and screened performances, and any other activity related to chipmusic. The thesis examines the ways in which networked creativity is mediated in the chipscene from an interdisciplinary methodological viewpoint informed by ethnomusicology, anthropology, and sociology. Although the chipscene is geographically dispersed across more than thirty countries worldwide, the chipscene network is well-connected. Communication and music circulation practices of chipmusicians are enabled by the internet. This thesis primarily discusses chipmusic culture that suggests a rich context where creativity discourse is as intensely diverse as the chipscene itself, in which it is embedded. In looking at the creative process and performance practices, I employ a mixed methods approach based on ethnographic research methods and social network analysis, to examine how intrinsic and extrinsic aspects of chipmusic-making, such as ideology, cultural values, network infrastructure, chiptune poetics and aesthetics, distribution of creative roles, authenticity, differentiation, genre dynamics, and intellectual property issues, shape creativity.

Products are designed to satisfy user needs. Thus, industrial designers are expected to have a thorough understanding of user needs and to incorporate those understandings into the design of products; however, it is not a straightforward task for designers to translate their conditional understanding into a product. The gap between product and user can be even wider when latent user needs, such as cultural ones, are calculated into the problem. Therefore the meanings and functions imbued in products by the designer may not be recognized and acknowledged by users, due to the differences in cultural preferences of designers and users from separate cultures. In spite of the fact that user satisfaction has been extensively supported in the design literature, it seems that such an approach allows only a passive role for designers, who actually act as cultural intermediaries; that is, the designers' role is merely presumed to catalyze the process and match user requirements to the end product. Thus, the impact of designers' cultural preferences is considered as incidental, or at least overlooked. A content analysis method was triangulated to collect and analyze diverse visual and textual data relating to the concept generation stage of the product development process. To collect data, professional industrial designers in the two culturally diverse countries of Australia and Iran were recruited to participate in half-hour design exercise sessions to sketch to a design brief, followed by responding to an interview questionnaire. The analysis of data revealed that: (1) designers' cultural preferences do influence their approaches toward tackling the design problem; (2) there are nexuses between the design aspects of the concepts generated and the cultural dimensions of the values of the societies in which the designers were born and has lived, and; (3)potential users can unconsciously comprehend the meaning invested in the product by the designer. This thesis breaks new ground for further advancing the study of the Designer-Precedent Approach (DPA) in other cultural and social contexts, while it challenges the conventional approaches of user-centered design (UCD) broadlyperceived as the ultimate method of incorporating users' wants into products.

This chapter defines a framework for the crosscultural communication process, including efficiency and cost. The framework provides some directions for dialogue among civilizations, which is one of the main routes toward creation of the universal civilization. A developed architectural design of the cross-cultural communication process is based on a universal system approach that not only considers the complexities of the various cultural hierarchies and their corresponding communication climates, but also compares and quantifies the cultural-specific attributes with the intention of increasing efficiency levels in crosscultural communication. The attributes for two selected cultures (Western-West and Egyptian) are estimated in a normative way using expert opinions, measuring on a scale from 1 to 5 with 5 as the best value. Quantifying cultural richness (R), cultural efficiency (?), modified cultural differences (DMC, and cultural ability (B) reflects how a given culture’s strength can overcome cultural differences and enhance its competitive advantage (V). Two components of the culture factor cost, explicit (CE) and implicit (CI), are defined, examined and quantified for the purposes not only of controlling the cost of doing business across cultures, but also to determine the amount of investment needed to overcome cultural differences in a global economy. In this new millennium, global organizations will increasingly focus on the critical value of the cross-cultural communication process, its efficiency, its competence, its cost of doing business. In order to successfully communicate crossculturally, knowledge and understanding of such cultural factors as values, attitudes, beliefs and behaviors should be acquired. Because culture is a powerful force that strongly influences communication behavior, culture and communication are inseparably linked. Worldwide, in the last 20 years, countries have experienced a phenomenal growth in international trade and foreign direct investment. Similarly, they have discovered the importance of crosscultural communication. As a result, practitioners and scholars are paying attention to the fact that cultural dimensions influence management practices (Hofstede, 1980; Child, 1981; Triandis, 1982; Adler, 1983; Laurent, 1983; Maruyama, 1984). In recent years, empirical work in the crosscultural arena has focused on the role of culture on employee behavior in communicating within business organizations (Tayeb, 1988). But current 346 Asymmetric Communication work on cross-cultural business communication has paid little attention to either (a) how to adapt these seminal works on general communication to the needs of intercultural business or (b) how to create new models more relevant to cross-cultural business exchanges (Limaye & Victor, 1991, p. 283). There are many focused empirical studies on cross-cultural communication between two specific cultures (e.g., Wong & Hildebrandt, 1983; Halpern, 1983; Victor, 1987; Eiler & Victor, 1988; Varner, 1988; Victor & Danak, 1990), but such results must be arguable when extrapolated across multiple cultures. The prevailing western classical linear and process models of communication (Shannon & Weaver, 1949; Berlo, 1960) neglect the complexity of cross-cultural communication. Targowski and Bowman (1988) developed a layer-based pragmatic communication process model which covered more variables than any previous model and indirectly addressed the role of cultural factors among their layer-based variables. In a similar manner, the channel ratio model for intercultural communication developed by Haworth and Savage (1989) has also failed to account completely for the multiple communication variables in cross-cultural environments. So far, there is no adequate model that can explain the cross-cultural communication process and efficiency, let alone estimate the cost of doing business with other cultures worldwide.

This chapter investigates the role of global literacy skills in teacher education while integrating multiple literacies as a means of further developing pre-service teachers’ global competencies and 21st century skills1 while designing innovative transdisciplinary curriculum projects with limited resources and equipment in the global education context. The goal is to: a) introduce the role of multiple literacies (e.g., information, technology, geography, media literacy) in developing global competencies and 21st century skills among pre-services teachers; b) showcase pre-service teachers’ Universal Design of Learning (UDL)2 model lessons across content areas (e.g., math, geography, cultural studies, physical education) in P-12 curriculum; and c) demonstrate creative strategies and possibilities for engaging pre-service teachers in project-based global literacy activities integrating new technologies.

Reproduction of knowledge, especially tacit knowledge can be expensive during a pandemic. One of the most common causes is the reduced information accessibility during the translation process. Having the ability to assess the linguistic complexity of any given contents could potentially improve knowledge reproduction. Authors conduct two cross-linguistic studies on the World Health Organization (WHO)’s emergency learning platform to assess the linguistic complexity of two online courses in 10 languages. Morpho-syntactically annotated treebanks, unannotated materials from Wikipedia and language-specific corpora are set as control groups. Preliminary findings reveal a clear reduced complexity of learning contents in the most candidate languages while retaining the maximum amount of information. Creating a baseline study on low-resourced languages on the learning genre could be potentially useful for measuring impact of normative products at country and local level.

This chapter studies the design case of Weibo from China and explores how a local social media service, which at first was regarded as a copycat of a Silicon Valley technology, arose in the Chinese social media market and beat its Western competitor on Wall Street with its culturally sensitive design features. It reviews Weibo’s two stages of development to explore the complicacy of technology design and the dynamic and dialogical structuring process behind the formation of a technological genre for microblogging. Through the case, it unpacks three sensitizing concepts of the culturally localized user engagement and empowerment (CLUE²) framework for coming up with empowering global designs: a genre of technology as normative and performative practice, a dialogic model of communication, and hybridity as creative mixing for empowerment. Together they outline a pathway to connect the macro and the micro in cross-cultural design: A rhetorical genre view helps us to see how a culturally sustaining technology functions as a technological genre, instantiating both normative and performative practice as local uptakes. The local uptake develops and evolves by following a dialogic model of communication in design practices to generate new meanings and produce new practices, and it forms through the process of hybridization as a creative mixing for agency. Various local uptakes make up an open, globally networked technology assemblage with dialogic relations flowing between.