Possible topics
(Note that wording here is just a guide)
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1.The experience of students and others living abroad. To what extent does internet technology reduce or improve the effect of cultural immersion for students or others living abroad?
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2.Virtual teams.
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a.Building trust across cultures in virtual teams
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b.Cultural dimensions
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i.Task vs Relationship
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ii.Strict Time Conscious vs Flexible Time Consciousness
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iii.Explicit Communication (Low context/direct) vs Implicit Communication (High context/indirect)
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iv.Egalitarian vs Hierarchical
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v.Individual vs Group
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vi.Achievement vs Status
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vii.Tolerant of Uncertainty vs Preference for Certainty
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h.Conversation timing – i.e. cultures that leave silences in conversations (e.g. Japanese) with those that don’t (e.g. French)
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i.Other issues
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i.What is failure/success?
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ii.How does job sector affect organisation of the team?
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iii.What is the impact of corporate culture?
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iv.What constitutes motivation in different cultures?
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3.Mental well-being in a virtual world – both work and personal.
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4.Generational issues. Is culture changed by online presence? Are behaviours different in the virtual world compared to the ‘real’ world? Are those less familiar or comfortable with new technologies at a disadvantage in the world of work?
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5.Brain development – is the brain changing or adapting to the new environment?
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6.How does culture affect the use of applications such as facebook, twitter and others?
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7.The negative impact of life in the ‘internet’ – bullying and worse
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8.Is culture considered by designers of functionality of online tools–WebEx, Skype, facebook etc. How should tools reflect particular cultural needs?