INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ADAPTABILITY: THE INFLUENCE OF THE SINO-AMERICAN 1+2+1 DUAL DEGREE PROGRAM

<p>An increasing reliance on expatriate employees makes it critical that multinational organizations make a concerted effort to facilitate the successful transition of employees from foreign cultures. The parallels between the experience of expatriate employees and international students suggests that the results of research investigating issues of cross‑cultural adaptability that are conducted in academic settings should generalize to the workplace. The current study investigated the influence of the Sino‑American 1+2+1 Dual Degree Program on the cross‑cultural adaptability, acculturation, and withdrawal intentions of international students. It was hypothesized that participants in the 1+2+1 program would demonstrate higher levels of psychological adaptability and socio‑cultural adaptability, while demonstrating lower levels of withdrawal intentions. In addition, it was hypothesized that 1+2+1 participants would be more likely to adopt an acculturation orientation style than 1+2+1 non‑participants. To test the hypotheses, survey responses were obtained from 50 Chinese international students who were currently enrolled at California State University, San Bernardino, Northern Arizona University, and Coastal Carolina University. Results provided partial support for the 1+2+1 program improving the socio‑cultural adaptability of international students, while providing no support for the other three hypotheses. An interpretation of the results is provided that cites past studies which present potential explanations for the findings. Finally, an overview of the limitations of the current study, as well as the theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science in Psychology

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Year dc:date.available

2016

Author dc:creator

• Rose, Michael C

Contributors dc:contributor

• Shultz, Kenneth

• Acculturation
• Cultural Adjustment
• Turnover
• Exchange Programs
• Socio-Cultural Adaptability
• Psychological Adaptability
• Industrial and Organizational Psychology

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd/267

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu:etd-1298