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    A cross-cultural study of country and bank selection by Asian international students : a New Zealand perspective : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Business and Administration at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2017) Chin, Arthur In Sing
    Internationalisation of education and increasing wealth among a growing middle class population in North Asia are two reasons for a growing number of students travelling overseas for their tertiary education. New Zealand is a popular destination-of-choice, where income derived from international education exceeds NZ$2bn annually. Ownership of a New Zealand bank account is a mandatory requirement for international students. This thesis assumes there is a service gap in banks’ value proposition to international tertiary students as a result of differences in retail patronage expectations. Bank selection is the domain focus of this research, which examines the questions of “when do students consider bank selection questions when travelling overseas for their tertiary education?” and “what are the influencing factors behind bank selection?”. The research demographic comprised students from South Korea, India, and the Greater China countries of China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Prior research on bank selection is examined. Overall, the review identified limited research on the consumer segment, and on Asian international students in particular. Consequently, there is an identifiable gap between academic research and bank practice. A qualitative approach using focus groups helped identify topics and vocabulary appropriate to the research. Findings from the focus group discussions led to the development of an online questionnaire which was eventually completed by 582 international tertiary students currently studying in New Zealand. While findings showed that the majority of international students are satisfied with their main bank relationships, services offered by New Zealand banks do not fully address what international students want from their banking relationship. Further, convenience, low service fees and the adoption of mobile banking applications are three factors that appeal to the research demographic, and findings also call for banking officers to be familiar with Asian cultural nuances, where cultural familiarity has precedence over Asian language proficiency. The implications for university international student recruiters and bank marketers include familiarity with when international students decide to travel overseas for their tertiary education and the influencing reasons why they choose to study in New Zealand; when and how Asian international students identify bank relationships in New Zealand; and, recognising the critical success factors to developing deep and meaningful relationships with the Asian international tertiary student segment.
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    The effectiveness and cultural compatability of a guided self-help cognitive-behaviour programme for Asian students in New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2014) Lee, Kai-Chi
    With more Asian migrants and students coming to New Zealand, there is a need to provide psychological interventions that is both effective and culturally compatible. Even though Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) has been shown to be an effective intervention in the treatment of depression and anxiety, few researches have examined the effectiveness of CBT with Asian populations outside the United States. Furthermore, no research has been identified that looked at the effectiveness of low intensity CBT with Asians in New Zealand. From an emic perspective, the cultural values and principles in which interventions were developed in, warranted that it be tested with other cultures to determine if its effectiveness was cross-cultural. The purpose of the study was to fill the gap by examining the effectiveness and cultural compatibility of a guided self-help, low intensity CBT programme, Living Life to the Full (Williams, 2007), for students of Asian descent in New Zealand. A sample of 11 East Asian and Southeast Asian participants was recruited from universities and language school around the Auckland area. Quantitative measures were administered throughout the 8 weeks of the programme, and qualitative feedback was obtained at the end of the programme. Results supported the effectiveness of the programme, in the reduction of depression and anxiety, and the improvement of quality of life, adjustment and participants’ understanding of stress and low mood. In addition, participants found the programme culturally compatible and beneficial. The findings supported the suitability of the low intensity CBT programme for use with the Asian population. Asian immigrants and students experience unique stressors and problems associated with adjusting to a new culture. Low intensity CBT helps to remove the barriers of stigma and reluctance to seek help, by providing a more accessible form of psychological interventions that is effective and culturally compatible with the Asian population.
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    Cross-cultural educational adjustment : a substantive theory based on the experiences of a group of mainland Chinese postgraduate business students : a dissertation presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2009) Thompson, Robert James
    This project explored a basic social process experienced by ten Mainland Chinese postgraduate business students: cross-cultural educational adjustment. Over a two-year period, three interviews were held with each student in order to elicit his or her experience of this adaptation process. In addition, toward the end of this period an attestation group with the same student profile was recruited to review the emergent findings. A qualitative approach termed grounded theory was used for the methodology. Emphasis was placed on: hearing the students' voices; being open to students' experiences; developing a deep understanding of the adaptation process; and determining its theoretical conceptualisation. The initial interview was an inductive enquiry that isolated many aspects of the students' journey; the second interview deductively bent back on the initial data to saturate categories and determine how they were linked; the third interview further saturated categories, if needed, and sought a core category that underpinned the students' adjustment. In determining a theoretical conceptualisation of this process, a model was developed. This was shared with the original participants and the attestation group to assess their perspective of it. The model depicts that the homogeneity of the students' background produced an externally bounded and culturally harmonised learner identity. When they entered the New Zealand tertiary environment this identity was fractured. However, the resilient nature of the learner identity, the adoption of learning strategies, and the drawing on prime motivators meant a complete fracturing of the identity was prevented. Yet, as a consequence, the learner identity also absorbed new, more internalised elements. Overall, the core concept of a better future impelled students through all aspects of their journey. The major contributions of this study are that it presents an integrated understanding of cross-cultural educational adjustment and a conceptual picture of that process. The findings of this study, while limited in generalisability, suggest that students would benefit from: pre-departure culture and English language preparation; focused orientation programmes; and study skill support based on the strategies they are likely to employ and build the skills required in the new setting.
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    The social acceptance of visible ethnic minority adolescents of Asian origin in Auckland secondary schools : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2002) Sobrun-Maharaj, Amritha
    This research explores the social acceptance of visible ethnic minorities of Asian origin within three selected secondary schools in Aotearoa/New Zealand, and presents the visible ethnic minority perspective on social acceptance within a diverse ethnic environment. This is done through an investigation of interethnic attitudes and perceptions of social acceptance amongst adolescents from the European, Maori, Pacific Island, West Asian (Indian) and East Asian (Chinese) groups in these schools, and an examination of the nature and extent of bullying and ethnic intimidation as key indicators of social non-acceptance. The thesis distinguishes between bullying and ethnic intimidation as separate issues within the domain of 'intimidatory practices', and argues that ethnic intimidation occurs independently of intra-ethnic bullying behaviour and has negative social, psychological and physical effects on visible ethnic minorities. 'Bullying' is used to signify intimidatory behaviour that occurs intra-ethnically, and is not ethnically motivated. 'Ethnic intimidation' is used to signify intimidatory behaviour that occurs inter-ethnically, is ethnically motivated and directed at peoples who are ethnically different. The behaviour does not have to be motivated by the usual personal and behavioural characteristics that motivate intra-ethnic bullying. Ethnic minority status is the primary motivation. Preliminary data from a small pilot study indicated that ethnic minority pupils feel unaccepted by their peers and consequently suffer varying degrees of health problems. These indications were examined in a main survey of 208 pupils from years 9, 11 and 13, and triangulated with interviews with pupils, parents, and teachers, plus observations of interactions in schools. Through an analysis of participants' perceptions of others (direct perspectives) and their perceptions of the perspectives held by others (meta-perspectives), the survey examined attitudes toward others of different ethnicity ('interethnic attitudes'), the extent of interethnic interaction, perceptions of intimidatory practices, orientations toward the acculturation of immigrants, the degree of peer victimisation and bullying experienced, and the effects of these on pupils' mental and physical well-being and self-esteem. Quantitative data from the survey suggests average levels of interethnic social acceptance, but significant social distance (separation) between ethnic groups, as well as some misconceptions on the part of the ethnic groups regarding acceptance and understanding of one another's ethnic differences. It confirms the existence of ethnic intimidation (as distinct from bullying), but suggests no significant difference in victimisation to bullying and the physical and mental well-being of pupils from the different ethnic groups. However, qualitative data from interviews suggests visible ethnic minority pupils are victims of ethnic intimidation to a significant extent, and experience poorer physical and mental well-being to varying degrees. This inconsistency may be due to the nature of the instrumentation used to measure non-acceptance. The Peer Victimisation Index, which was borrowed from an Australian study (Rigby, 1993), may have been devised to measure intra-ethnic bullying within a mono-ethnic environment, and may be insensitive to the subtleties of ethnic intimidation and feelings of non-acceptance. The relative invisibility of ethnic intimidation can be understood in terms of the impact that colonialist and liberalist discourses have had on the construction of social inquiry into school-ground intimidatory practices. A liberal understanding of social life that is embedded within colonialist practice, has contributed to the interpretation of school ground intimidatory behaviour in individualised terms, and the difficulty of recognising the ethnic vector that comes into play when such practices are interethnic in form.