Masami Nishishiba

The concept of trustworthiness: A cross‐cultural comparison between Japanese and U.S. business people

Abstract A card sorting procedure was used to explore the structure of Japanese and American business peoples concept of trustworthiness. Each of115 Japanese and 121 U.S. respondents was asked to sort thirty trust‐related words. Hierarchical cluster analyses and multidimensional scaling indicated that Japanese emphasize organizational commitment, while Americans emphasize personal integrity in judging anothers trustworthiness. These differences between the two cultural groups were interpreted as evidence of an “interdependent”; versus an “independent”; view of trustworthiness in an organizational setting, and may help explain persistent miscommunication about trustworthiness between Japanese and U.S. colleagues.

Explicating Factors that Foster Civic Engagement among Students

Abstract This paper investigates many facets of civic engagement by analyzing how college undergraduate students conceptualize civic engagement and by examining factors that predict greater student involvement in political, social, and community affairs.We administered a survey to college students at the beginning of fall, winter, and spring terms, 2001-02.We analyzed survey responses using a structural equation modeling (SEM) technique. The analysis examines how expectations of community and political efficacy, attitudes regarding citizen control of government, and attitudes toward diversity relate to the students’ civic engagement behaviors such as monthly volunteer hours, organizational participation, advocacy, voting, direct political action, and action to promote diversity and social justice in the community. The result of the SEM analysis indicates that expectations of efficacy significantly predict students’ direct political action, monthly volunteer hours, organizational participation, advocacy, and voting attitude. Students’ sense of control over public affairs significantly predicts organizational participation, advocacy, and voting attitude. The implications of these results are discussed in relation to curriculum design to foster civic engagement.

Local Government Diversity Initiatives in Oregon An Exploratory Study

Recognition of cultural changes in the US workforce has prompted many public sector organizations to take action to increase diversity and cultural awareness. Specific characteristics of diversity initiatives in local government organizations are not well documented. In this study, interviews were conducted with representatives from eleven local governments in the Willamette Valley region in Oregon. Through thematic analysis of the interview transcripts and other documents, this study catalogues types of diversity activities conducted by local governments and identifies key factors in the development and successful implementation of diversity initiatives.

Capacity Building for the Common Good: PSU's Interdisciplinary Minor in Civic Leadership

Since the early 1990s, Portland State University has furthered its commitment to civic engagement education by adopting an integrated approach to its general education curriculum. As an outgrowth to this initiative, the minor in Civic Leadership was developed in 2004-05. This interdisciplinary minor was designed with the intent to further integrate and sustain institutional engagement with the Portland Metropolitan community and beyond. This article discusses the history, structure, and roles of academic and community partners associated with the Civic Leadership minor, and elaborates the philosophical foundation of the interdisciplinary curriculum that aims to build student capacity for the common good.