Nurit Zaidman

Gender, Culture, and Social Support: A Male–Female, Israeli Jewish-Arab Comparison

Despite large bodies of research on gender, culture, and social support, very few studies have addressed all three. Aspects of 4 theoretical perspectives were used to derive (different) predictions about the role of gender and culture in the evaluation and utilization of social support: evolutionary, psychoanalytic, social role, and social construction theories. The predictions were tested in representative samples of the Jewish and Arab populations in Israel. Men and women were interviewed regarding the importance and availability of different support functions, the quality of different social networks, and the people to whom they would turn for support with different problems. Results demonstrate the universality of the need for support and a number of cultural and gender differences in its utilization. The results support different aspects of the 4 theories and suggest a need for more work on the mechanisms underlying the differences found. The results also demonstrate the value of studying the role of gender and culture in social support.

Israeli Jews and Arabs Similarities and Differences in the Utilization of Social Support

Israeli Jews and Arabs live in one country with surprisingly little knowledge of each other. Representative samples of the Israeli Jewish (n = 485) and Arab (n = 384) populations responded to a questionnaire regarding the importance and availability of different social support functions, the quality of different social relationships, and to whom they would turn with different problems. Results show that despite similarity in the value attributed to the different support functions, there were consistent differences in the perceived availability and utilization of support. Israeli Arabs were less likely to discuss emotional problems or use professional help and more likely to use familial help. Israeli Jews were more likely to turn to a spouse, a friend, a professional, and a superior. These findings have theoretical and practical significance.

The process of organizational communication: a model and field study

Research in computer-mediated communication has usually emphasized the cognitive over the social aspects of communication, the medium over the message, and the product of communication over the process. In contrast, this paper emphasizes three constructs of the communication process: goal-based communication strategies, message form and medium. We seek to balance cognitive and social communication strategies and to combine new and old measures of the message form (organization, formality and size). A field study in an academic institution examined the content of text-based communication delivered by letter, memo, fax and e-mail. As expected, people preferred certain message and medium attributes for certain strategies. These findings are further investigated using open-ended interviews. We conclude with examples of practical implications on designing and implementing computer-mediated communication.

Impression management behavior: effects of the organizational system

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to compare patterns of impression management in two organizational systems, namely, organic and mechanistic.Design/methodology/approach – Qualitative data were gathered from 23 employees by means of in‐depth, semi‐structured interviews. In addition, questionnaires pertaining to the use of impression management strategies toward superiors and peers were given to 208 employees from military and R&D organizations.Findings – The results suggest that employees in mechanistic systems engage more in impression management behavior and direct their efforts more often toward their superiors than toward their peers, most frequently by using the strategy of “Ingratiation”. On the other hand, employees in the organic system sample use impression management to a lesser extent, and they direct it more equally toward superiors and peers. Their predominant strategy is “Initiation.” These results are discussed in light of the differences in the norms and structural characteristics of ...

Upward impression management in the work place cross-cultural analysis

Abstract This paper examines three basic issues pertaining to impression management behavior in the cross-cultural context: (a) Do employees coming from different cultures differ in the legitimacy they attribute to upward impression management? (b) Is there an agreement across cultures about the image one should convey to ones superior? (c) Do cultural groups differ in the use of impression management strategies? We use preliminary data collected in two different cultural groups: Israel-born employees and recent immigrants from the former Soviet Union.

Spirituality as a Discarded Form of Organizational Wisdom: Field-Based Analysis

In this article, we examine what really happens when spirituality enters profit organizations. We suggest looking at workplace spirituality as a form of organizational wisdom. When surveyed, managers and consultants attested that spirituality improved their awareness at work, enhanced communication, and reduced stress. Yet our results show that workplace spirituality suggests alternative ways of thought and behavior that organization members perceive as threatening and thus reject or discard. The chief clash is related to assumptions about social order and social relationships. Our work adds value to translation research by giving more significance to the impact of core organizational ideas in the encounter with new wisdom. We also contribute to workplace spirituality literature and to the emerging field of organizational wisdom by analyzing the initial stages and essence of the encounter between existing and new wisdom.

Stereotypes of International Managers: Content and Impact on Business Interactions

This study presents a comparison of stereotypes held by Israeli and Indian managers. Analysis of the elements constituting international managers’stereotypes shows that they are constructed as a result of direct interaction with other managers and as a product of exposure to indirect information sources. This process is highly dependent on a specific context. In addition, there are some common elements in international managers’ stereotypes that signal the existence of a common shared culture code. The study also discusses the impact of international managers’ stereotypes on the conduct of business.

The New Age Shop—Church or Marketplace?

The present study analyzes the relationship between the sacred and profane as domains manifested within the context of New Age thought and practice. The attempt to analyze these relationships is based on observations and interviews in 22 New Age shops in New Zealand and Israel. Unlike earlier research that emphasized the New Age sub-culture as a ‘spiritual market place’, the results of this study show that New Age shops are not entirely perceived and managed as market places, but as spiritual centers as well. The findings of this study indicate that there are processes and activities in New Age shops that are not associated with its commodity context, but rather with the creation of sacred space.

Stress and Burnout in Bicultural Teams in Hi‐Tech Industry

This study examined burnout, stress and work importance among 120 Israelis working in binational teams, using quantitative (questionnaire) and qualitative (semi-structured interview) methodologies. Based on the existential perspective, the study documented low levels of burnout despite high levels of stress, which were explained by the high perceived importance of the work. Hierarchical regression showed that importance moderated the effect of stress on burnout. Findings also revealed that the unexpected social stressors associated with cultural differences between team members were more stressful than the stressors associated with high-tech work.

“Everything starts within”: New Age Values, Images, and Language in Israeli Advertising

ABSTRACT This article focuses on the appropriation of New Age values, images, and language by different sectors of the mainstream in a Western society—in Israel. The findings support earlier research about the shift in values in the mainstream of Western societies. Specifically, this is a shift towards the admiration of nature, Far Eastern lore, a search for a ‘balanced’ way of life, and so on, in accordance with New Age values. This article analyzes how, and for what purpose, mainstream advertisements appropriate New Age elements. The analysis of about 100 advertisements from the last decade leads to the conclusion that all mainstream sectors, including relatively conservative ones (such as academic institutions), borrow elements from New Age, but differ in the intensity and form of appropriation: some are interested in simply attracting attention, while others directly appropriate New Age values. This article discusses the differentiation between the receptivity of specific sectors to New Age and explores possible motivations for the use of New Age elements, such as the more conservative sectors’ use of esoteric elements of New Age.