Influence of student exchange on national stereotypes,attitudes and perceived group variability

The present research studied changes in stereotypes, attitudes and perceived variability of national groups within a sample of U.S. college students who spent one year studying in either West Germany¹ or Great Britain. Subjects' stereotypes and attitudes toward host country members changed significantly during their stay, whereas attitudes and stereotypes toward control nationalities did not, and neither attitudes nor stereotypes further changed during the first nine months after subjects had returned home. On the other hand, perceptions of group variability changed significantly both during the stay and after departure from the host country. Although group perceptions generally became less positive over the course of the sojourn, these changes did not seem to be due to negative intergroup contact. Rather, the more contact students reported having with host country members the more positive were their attitudes and stereotypes of the groups. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for implementing student exchange programmes.     

Justice and Jobs: Three Sceptical Thoughts about Rights in Employment

ABSTRACT Are there specific moral rights connected with employment? Three putative rights are considered: The right to work, the right of the most competent to be chosen, and the right to equal pay for work of equal value. It is very commonly assumed that we enjoy one or another of these rights. This paper argues that none of these rights exists. After all, what would it be to infringe someone's right to work? And is not employment sometimes in someone's gift? Again, if two people are doing work of equal value, and the contract terms are both generous and individually acceptable to the parties, why need these terms be the same?     

The effect of culture and self‐construals on predispositions toward verbal communication

This study tested the effects of culture and self‐construals (i.e., independence and interdependence) on predispositions toward verbal communication. For the purpose of this study, we focused on two main areas of verbal communication predispositions: (a) communication apprehension and (b) argumentativeness. In our path model, we expected that culture‐level individualism increases one's construal of self as independent, which, in turn, leads to a higher degree of argumentativeness and a lower level of communication apprehension. We also expected that culture‐level individualism decreases one's construal of self as interdependent, which, in turn, leads to a lower degree of argumentativeness and a higher level of communication apprehension. Data to test the model were drawn from undergraduates (N=539) studying in Korea, Hawaii, and mainland U.S. The data were partially consistent with the theoretical predictions made. The implications of the results for theory and practice are discussed.     

The Relationship Between Person–Environment Fit,Control, and Strain: The Role of Ergonomic Work Design and Training

Ergonomics is an important workplace practice. Experienced stress in the workplace manifests itself in poor physical and mental health, and is associated with numerous negative personal and organizational outcomes. This study examines ergonomics and ergonomic training and their potential to reduce dysfunctional personal and work outcomes; specifically, job induced‐tension and job dissatisfaction directly and through perceptions of person–environment fit and perceptions of control. Quantitative and qualitative findings indicate positive relationships between ergonomic design and ergonomic training with perceptions of person–environment fit and control. Person–environment fit and control fully mediated the relationship between training satisfaction (component of ergonomic training) and job dissatisfaction, while partially mediating the relationship between work‐area design (a component of ergonomic design) and job‐induced tension.