Background: Globalisation trends such as increased migration to andwithin European countries have led to even greater cultural diversityin European societies. Cultural diversity increases the demand ofcultural competency amongst professionals entering their workfield. In particular, healthcare professionals need knowledge and skillsto equip them to work with clients from different cultural backgrounds.Within higher education (HE), the professional developmentof cultural competency should ideally feature in undergraduate educationand is often promoted as a by-product of a study abroadperiod. However, recognising that logistical and financial barriersoften exist for extended study abroad, one alternative approachcould be participation, at home or abroad, in a short-term internationalprogramme set within students’ own HE institutions.Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore HE students’ experiencesof participating in international ‘short-term mobility week’programmes at three European universities.Methods: Each university involved in the research offered short termprogrammes for healthcare professions students at their owninstitution, where both local students and students from abroadcould participate. Participants were healthcare students in theprogramme at one of the three universities. Data were collectedthrough focus group interviews (4–8 students per group; n = 25).The data were transcribed and then analysed qualitatively, usinga content comparison method.Results: The analysis identified six categories, which reflectedstudents’ journeys within the short-term international experiences.Conclusions: The analysis suggested that, for these students,engagement in a short-term mobility week programme providedvaluable opportunities for encounters with others, which contributedto personal and professional development, greater confidencein the students’ own professional identities, as well as anincreasing sense of cultural awareness.
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This study empirically examines individual and organizational factors that influence expatriates’ cross-cultural adjustment and job performance. The study was a quantitative research from 117 Thai expatriates who work in Thai multinational companies (MNC) located in Indonesia. The results of the study indicated that financial perceived organizational support influence positively towards Thai expatriates’ overall cross-cultural adjustment in Indonesia. This study found that cross-cultural training influenced positively towards Thai expatriates’ adjustment. A causal relationship between the predicting variables of crosscultural adjustment and Thai expatriates’ job performance was not found. Results suggest important consequences for management strategies providing support to Thai expatriate employees increasing their adjustment in Indonesia. Keywords: Cross-Cultural Adjustment; Job
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Contemporary education increasingly involves a blended learning environment, which consists of a combination of offline and online delivery methods. Blended learning environments can motivate students to learn, but designing motivating blended learning environments is challenging and can result in environments that demotivate students. This conceptual article proposes a blended learning design that helps practitioners to design motivating blended learning environments. According to self-determination theory, students are motivated to learn when their three basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness are supported. Competency-based education (CBE) is intended to support students’ basic psychological needs. We have constructed design guidance for CBE programmes that help practitioners to design a combination of offline and online delivery methods that (1) give students choices in time and place to support their need for autonomy, (2) adapt to students’ competency levels to support their need for competence, and (3) stimulate students’ relationship building with peers and teachers to support their need for relatedness. Although the design guidance is tentative, practitioners can experiment with it to design blended learning environments that motivate students to learn.
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