Georgette Wang

The Influence of Individualism Collectivism, Self-Monitoring, and Predicted-Outcome Value on Communication in Ingroup and Outgroup Relationships

This study examined the influence of individualism-collectivism on communication in ingroup and outgroup relationships. Differences were predicted in ingroup and outgroup communication in collectivistic cultures. It was also hypothesized that self-monitoring and predicted-outcome value (POV) of the relationships also affect communication processes in these relationships. Data were collected in Hong Kong and Japan (collectivistic) and in Australia and the United States (individualistic). Results supported the prediction regarding the influence of cultural variability on ingroup and outgroup communication, as well as those regarding the influence of self-monitoring and POV.

Globalization and hybridization in cultural products The cases of Mulan and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Hybridization has become part of an ongoing trend in cultural production, with both the globalization and localization of the culture industry. Hybridization, however, is not merely the mixing, blending and synthesizing of different elements that ultimately forms a culturally faceless whole. In the course of hybridization, cultures often generate new forms and make new connections with one another. This study looks at two globally popular films that were adapted from Chinese works, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Mulan, as examples to illustrate the complexity involved in hybridization and the implications that it has for the debate on the globalization of culture. It was found that ‘deculturalization’, ‘acculturalization’ and ‘reculturalization’ can be used to characterize the hybridization of cultural products and that often the producer, with his/her background, aspirations and work style, has a key role to play in deciding how these features are organized and manifested.

East, west, communication, and theory: Searching for the meaning of searching for Asian communication theories

This paper begins with a discussion of the concept of ‘Asia’, the cultural differences and similarities between Asia and the West, and what constructing an ‘Asian communication theory’ means. It then examines the background against which the current stage is set for Asian commication research, and the intricate changes in approaching theory building in the community.

Foreign investment policies, sovereignty and growth

Abstract Policies on foreign investment in the communications sector have often been regarded as an indicator of a governments stance on sovereignty vis-a-vis economic growth. Since some of the poorest members of the World Trade Organization agreed to open basic telecommunications services to foreign investment in 1998, many more had followed suit. Are these nations surrendering sovereign control for foreign investment, and hopefully, economic growth? Despite an overall trend towards the open market ideal, this study has found significant differences among Third World countries regarding foreign investment policies related to telecommunications services. From the analyses a pattern of regulatory control over foreign ownership in basic services emerges when the key determinants of policy decisions are taken into consideration: the size of domestic market, the competitiveness of national industries, the quality of policy design and decision making, and the urgency of needs and availability of different options. The key to the issue is perhaps that control is not the best representation of sovereignty, but rather the autonomy in making decisions regarding the retention or surrender of control in the interests of the state and the public, through a commonly accepted procedure. In other words, surrendering control does not necessarily lead to the erosion of sovereignty, yet having to surrender control for reasons of sheer survival.

A cross‐cultural comparison of self‐monitoring

This study examined the goodness of fit of three alternative models of self‐monitoring to data collected in five cultures (two individualistic and three collectivistic cultures) and the influence of individualism‐collectivism on self‐monitoring. It was predicted that the 18‐item unidimensional self‐monitoring scale is the best fit among the three and individualistic cultures exhibit higher self‐monitoring than collectivistic cultures. Data were collected from respondents in the United States, Australia (individualistic cultures) and Japan, Hong Kong, and Taiwan (collectivistic cultures). Results supported the predictions. The data suggest, however, that it is necessary to develop self‐monitoring measures which are sensitive across cultures.

Satellite Television and the Future of Broadcast Television in the Asia-Pacific

AbstractThis paper begins by outlining the growth of new media in Asia, with a focus on satellite television which is a new member in the media family in the region. The description is followed by an examination of the changes in the viewing rate of broadcast television and television advertising expenditures in recent years, in the number of Asian nations in the light of the rapid growth in new media, especially satellite television. Finally, the implications of all these developments are discussed in detail.

What collective? Collectivism and relationalism from a Chinese perspective

Individualism and collectivism form a paired concept frequently used in studying cross-cultural communication. Yet conflicting findings on collectivism have led researchers to question its applicability across cultures, especially concerning the meaning of “collective”. By definition, “collective” refers to large groups that, through a common identity, tie the members together into a community. The scale to measure collectivism, however, has often used in-group members as examples to explore the way respondents relate to others. As these “others” were used to stand for “collectives”, something that they are not, the meaning of collectivism became muddied, and its validity and reliability suffered. A re-examination of the collectivism concept from a Chinese standpoint is called for, as Confucian teachings have been considered as the philosophical basis for collectivism, and East Asian societies – especially Chinese societies – have often been seen as prototypical collectivist cultures. The purpose of this paper is, however, not to propose a Chinese version of collectivism. Rather, the goal is to clearly distinguish between “collective” and “others” in studying collectivism. Based on an in-depth analysis of Chinese and Confucian cultures and the literature on guanxi, it is argued that the concept of relationalism will more closely reflect the way self relates to others in these societies. Moreover, a tripartite model of individualism, relationalism, and collectivism will provide a more comprehensive framework for the study of the way self relates to others in a cross-cultural context.

The Asian communication debate: culture-specificity, culture-generality, and beyond

Critical discussion of Asian communication theory began in the 1980s, fermented in the 1990s, and in recent years was enriched by the criticism of Eurocentrism. Significant progress has been made in the pursuit of theory construction, especially in areas that closely deal with culture and communication issues, e.g., intercultural communication, postcolonial or cultural studies. While greater attention was paid to the cultural contexts of communication research in Asia, a number of crucial issues seem to have remained unsettled, among them the need and possibility of de-Westernization, and the pros and cons of culture-specific and culture-general approaches. In this article we make an attempt to tease through layers of arguments and sift proposals and possibilities, with the hope that a more viable future direction could emerge to reconcile the tension between culture-specificity and culture-generality. Our discussion focuses on the concept of cultural commensurability, which stresses similarity and equivalence, and not commonality and uniformity. Taking note of the inherent openness of culture, language and meaning, it is argued that the concept of cultural commensurability will open the indigenization issue to a broader horizon for future discourse.

Privatization and commercialization of the Western‐European and South‐East Asian broadcasting media

The European and Asian communications environments are undergoing a number of major structural changes. Nowhere, perhaps, are these changes more profound than in the field of broadcasting, which is ceasing to be an activity almost entirely governed by national legislation and market forces. With rather different economic political infrastructures and broadcast traditions, there are intriguing regional differences and similarities when the course of development is examined. In Europe, with the strong presence of the European Community, international and supranational regulations have become increasingly important in regulating electronic media. While in Asia, wrestling with transnational media largely remains a domestic affair. However, in both regions there are worrying signs of the influences of commercialism over local cultural development.

Satellite TV in Asia: Forming a new ecology

This paper examines the development of satellite television in the Asian countries and their policy change. It is found that many countries initially tended to forbid the reception of satellite television but, with the growth of satellite television, liberalization is on the way. In response to competition posed by satellite television, policy makers generally choose to deregulate their local television market in the hope that the quality of local television will improve through competition. The authors suggest that satellite television in Asia is likely to agglomerate the diverse markets into bigger cultural markets to gain the economy of scale. Satellite television will bring about a regional capitalist culture. Professional journalism modelled after the West may also grow. The general trend for Asia is towards further deregulation and greater openness.