Theoretical, Methodological, and Ethical Issues Involved in

¶ … theoretical, methodological, and ethical issues involved in the study. Finally, share your thoughts about how, as a scholar-practitioner, you might address one or more of these issues. Cross cultural studies In a study to determine the potential for observer differences between Caucasian-Americans and Asian-Americans Karakowsky (2007), determined that cultural elements impact on the ability of the individual to interpret an observed behavior.

The topic of the study was "Do we see eye-to-eye? Implications of cultural differences for cross-cultural management research and practice." The differences stem from multiple avenues including differing perceptions of the locus of control and the nature of interpersonal interactions. The researcher used a laboratory experiment to assess the difference between individuals from different cultures viewing a similar event. Ninety male students were randomly assigned to three different groups. The participants were asked to view a videotape and then respond to evaluative questions based on their observations from the tape.

The author concludes that culture is an important consideration before and after an observation is made. The use of a laboratory design for the study may pose some methodological issues. The principal issue relating to the difference in functioning within the laboratory and outside of the laboratory. While the sample size is adequate for the type of statistical testing done, the question may arise as to whether or not the results would be the same doing the assessment in situ.

Another concern could be that of using students from the same university. The cultural impact would be diffused as the individuals who are participating by their very presence in the same university have begun to become acculturated. Another consideration could possibly be the question of the age of the participants. The sample chosen contain participants that were all of a similar age. The sample would not completely represent any particular population because of this.

While universities contain a large percentage of younger persons, older individuals are returning to universities at higher rates. This is important because older persons would have experienced the components of their culture longer than younger persons. This contains two possibilities. The first is that they are better adapted to not be influenced by some of the more covert elements and thus negate any cultural differences. The second is the opposite of that possibility where they are completely oblivious to the cultural impediments to observation and are stymied by those limitations.

The absence of older persons did not permit the examination of these possibilities. The final concern would be the absence of females from the sample. While there is an argument to hold gender constant. It would be necessary to examine whether the findings would be consistent if women were included in the sample. It is possible that women observational skills are different.