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Developing global competence in a Sino-US joint university: an evaluation study

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Developing global competence in a Sino-US joint university: an evaluation study

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Content Running head: GLOBAL COMPETENCE

DEVELOPING GLOBAL COMPETENCE IN A SINO-US JOINT UNIVERSITY: AN
EVALUATION STUDY

By

David Pe

A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

August 2019

Copyright 2019 David Pe
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Dedication

Thank you to my amazing parents, brothers, and sister for their support and letting me
find my own voice and follow my own journey. This doctorate is just as much as yours as it is
mine.

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Acknowledgements

Thank you to the hundreds of people that have made me become a better person and
strive to become a better educator!!!
Thank you to all of the educators in my life that believed I would not be defined by some
standardized test score or assessment tool. For telling me from day one that I would be the first
in my family to attend college and there was no other option.
Thank you to the friends and mentors during my time at UCLA that helped to shape the
person I am today. Had it not been for your support and encouragement, I most likely would not
have completed my studies, leave my comfort zone of Los Angeles, and pursue my career in
higher education.
Thank you to my NYU family for helping me become an adult, examine the meaning of
diversity, and introducing me to what would be the global world we live in today.
Thank you to my NYU Shanghai family for giving me the motivation and courage to
pursue this doctorate. I would not have been able to push through the last 30 months without
your constant encouragement and knowing that when I fell, you would be there to lift me up.
Thank you to my USC professors and Cohort 6 classmates for giving me a reason to
show up at 10pm every Saturday and being my rock! We made it!!!
Thank you to Dr. Ruth Chung, Dr. Eric Canny, and in particular Dr. Helena Seli for
serving as my guide and my light through this process. I am confident to throw away my mask,
no longer will I feel like an imposter.

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Table of Contents

Dedication 2
Acknowledgement 3
List of Tables 7
List of Figures 9
Abstract 10
Chapter One: Introduction 11
Introduction to Problem of Practice 11
Organizational Context and Mission 12
Organizational Goal 14
Related Literature 15
Importance of the Evaluation 17
Description of Stakeholder Groups 19
Stakeholders’ Performance Goals 20
Stakeholder Group for the Study 20
Purpose of the Project and Questions 22
Methodological Framework 23
Definitions 24
Organization of the Project 25
Chapter Two: Literature Review 26
Developing Intercultural Communication in College Students 26
Globalization of Higher Education 27
Intercultural Communication Competence 28
Understanding and Defining Intercultural Communication 29
The Decision and Benefits of Studying Abroad 29
US Students Going Abroad 30
Chinese Students Going Abroad 31
Intercultural Communication Between Roommates 31
Clark and Estes’ (2008) Gap Analytic Conceptual Framework 33
Student Knowledge, Motivation, and Organizational Influences 33
Knowledge and Skills 34
Knowledge influences 34
Motivation Influences 38
Applying expectancy-value theory to students 39
Student intrinsic value in culture 40
Applying goal orientation theory to students 41
Student mastery goal of global competence 41
Organizational Influences 42
Articulation of the importance of intercultural communication 43
Intentional student engagement 44
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Faculty and staff involvement 44
Conceptual Framework: The Interaction of Student Stakeholders’ Knowledge,
Motivations, and the Organizational Context 46
Organizational Definition of Intercultural Communication 48
Developing Knowledge of Intercultural Communication 48
Motivation to Develop Intercultural Communication 49
Conclusion 49
Chapter Three: Methods 51
Participating Stakeholders 52
Student Survey Sampling Criteria and Rationale 52
Student Survey Sampling and Recruitment Strategy and Rationale 53
Student Interview Sampling Criteria and Rationale 54
Student Interview and Recruitment Strategy and Rationale 54
Quantitative Data Collection and Instrumentation 55
Surveys 55
Reliability and Validity 57
Qualitative Data Collection and Instrumentation 59
Interviews 59
Data Analysis 61
Credibility and Trustworthiness 63
Ethics 64
Limitations and Delimitations 65
Chapter Four: Results and Findings 67
Participants 68
Response from participants 68
Challenges with survey solicitation 69
Demographics of the survey participants 69
Demographics of the interview participants 70
Factors that influenced the sophomore self-selection process 72
Double and triple freshman housing assignments 72
Procedural and Conceptual Knowledge Influences Results and Findings 77
Building the roommate relationship required time, commitment
and effective communication 77
Effective communication in the roommate relationship required rich
and meaningful conversations 78
How to navigate managing roommate conflicts 81
Expectancy Value and Goal Orientation Motivational Influences Results
and Findings 86
Intrinsic value of developing intercultural communication competence 86
Intercultural sensitivity of NYUSH students 90
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Mastery orientation of Intercultural communication 92
Organizational Influences Results and Findings 96
Communication from NYUSH about importance of
intercultural communication 97
Activities for developing intercultural communication between roommates 99
Recommendations for intercultural communication 100
Summary Results and Findings 102
Chapter Five: Recommendations 106
Recommendations for Practice to Address KMO Influences 107
Knowledge Recommendations 107
Introduction 107
Provide a guide on how to complete the roommate agreement 108
Set up activities to provide opportunities to use acquired intercultural
communication skills 110
Motivation Recommendations 112
Introduction 112
Increase students’ value of intercultural experience 113
Understand that intercultural communication occurs over time 114
Organizational Recommendations 115
Introduction 115
Clearly articulate the university goal on the website 117
Develop activities and set measurable goals related to intercultural
communication competence 118
Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan 120
Implementation and Evaluation Framework 120
Organizational Purpose, Need and Expectations 120
Level 4: Results and Leading Indicators 121
Level 3: Behavior 122
Level 2: Learning 125
Level 1: Reaction 128
Evaluation Tools 129
Immediately following the program implementation 129
Delayed for a period after the program implementation 131
Data Analysis and Reporting 132
Summary 132
Future Research 133
Conclusion 133
References 135
Appendix A: Survey Protocol 145
Appendix B: Interview Protocol 152
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List of Tables

Table 1: Knowledge Influences, Types, and Assessments for Knowledge Gap Analysis 38
Table 2: Motivational Influences and Assessments for Motivation Gap Analysis 42
Table 3: Organizational Influences, Types, and Assessments for Organizational 45
Gap Analysis
Table 4: Correlations of ISS with Other Measures 58
Table 5: Demographics of the Interview Participants 71
Table 6: Self-Selection of Sophomore Roommate Type 73
Table 7: Sophomore Living Status by Priorities 76
Table 8: Survey Knowledge Items Related to the Need to Spend Time to
Develop the Roommate Relationship 81
Table 9: Survey Knowledge Items Related to How to Navigate Roommate Conflicts 85
Table 10: Motivational Influences – Expectancy Value (Intrinsic) 90
Table 11: Intercultural Sensitivity Scale 92
Table 12: Motivational Influences – Mastery Goals 93
Table 13: Organizational Influences 101
Table 14: Significant Differences 104
Table 15: No Significant Differences 105
Table 16: Summary of Knowledge Influences and Recommendations 107
Table 17: Summary of Motivation Influences and Recommendations 112
Table 18: Summary of Organization Influences and Recommendations 116
Table 19: Outcomes, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcome 121
Table 20: Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for Evaluation 122
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Table 21: Required Drivers to Support Critical Behaviors 123
Table 22: Evaluation of the Components of Learning for the Program 127
Table 23: Components to Measure Reactions to the Program 128
Table 24.1 Level 2 During and immediately following the program implementation 129
Table 24.2 Level 1 During and immediately following the program implementation 130
Table 25: Level 1, 2, 3, and 4 Delayed for a period of time after program implementation 131

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List of Figures

Figure 1. Conceptual Framework for Intercultural Communication 47
Figure 2. Survey Participant Demographics 70
Figure 3. Likelihood of Sophomore Year Reselection 94

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Abstract

In order to meet the demands of a globalized world, educational institutions have a
responsibility of ensuring that its graduates are equipped with the skills to navigate interactions
with people from different backgrounds. This study examined the knowledge, motivation, and
organizational influences of senior students at NYU Shanghai in their development of
intercultural communication through the roommate program. The study utilized a mixed-
methods approach that included surveys and interviews. There were 30 survey respondents and
12 interview participants to help inform the results and findings of the behaviors of students who
continued (C) and did not continue (NC) in an intercultural roommate pairing past their freshman
year. The results and findings indicated that a number of challenges included a gap in both their
knowledge and motivation that can be addressed through intentional training and development
programs to close those gaps.

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Chapter One: Introduction
Introduction of the Problem of Practice
The demands of today’s global economy, advances in technology, and the migration of
people around the world each require the education sector to respond by developing globally
competent students (Masilla & Jackson, 2011). Global competence is a necessity in order to
ensure that workers are employable and that they can live cooperatively in a multicultural
community, communicate effectively, and contribute effectively to global sustainable
development (Ramos & Schleicher, 2016). Seventy-six percent of senior executives in global
companies believe that their organization needs to develop globally competent leaders, but only
7% believe that they are currently doing it effectively (Ghemawat, 2012). In rating the global and
intercultural fluency of recent graduates, employers indicated a 10.4% gap between
organizations’ needs for employees’ global and intercultural fluency versus the actual
proficiency at present (NACE, 2018). This 10.4% gap represents the need to continue preparing
graduates with the skills necessary for them to be in closer alignment with the needs of
employers. Managers in global organizations are expected to go beyond merely understanding
their own corporate culture, expanding their skills for understanding and interacting with other
cultures (Relyea, Cocchiara, & Studdard, 2008). At least 50% of college graduates report that
their post-secondary education did not adequately prepare them for the workforce, and 39% of
employers attribute vacancies to the lack of sufficient skills in the current workforce (Mourshed,
Farrell, & Barton, 2013).
A 21st-century education must prepare students to be college- and career-ready, requiring
that states develop comprehensive and sustainable standards in order to ensure that global
competence is incorporated in K-12 education and beyond (P21, 2008). The global migration of
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people, new work demands, and the ability to solve critical world issues require the ability to
understand and communicate across different cultures (Giacomo, Fishbein, Monthey, & Pack,
2013). In 2017, the number of Americans who participated in an international education
experience before they graduate has increased to 325,339 in comparison with 273,996 in 2010,
however, that number only accounts for 10% of U.S. college students, with 90% lacking
exposure to any international experiences while in college (Open Doors, 2017). Estimates
indicate that 65% of today’s children will eventually work in jobs that do not currently exist,
with a need to be prepared with skills in order to navigate an increasingly interconnected society
(World Economic Forum, 2016). The July 2017 G20 summit in Germany brought together the
leaders of the world’s 20 major economies in order to chart a roadmap to address current and
future global challenges. The declaration agreed on the need to invest in education and to
develop global competency for a changing labor force. For world economies to stay competitive
and resilient in a period of globalization, the labor force must be able to adapt to continuous
change (G20, 2017). The United Nations 2030 sustainable development goals adopted by the 193
member nations call for learners to acquire skills and knowledge about global citizenship and
cultural diversity (Ramos & Schleicher, 2016).
Organizational Context and Mission
New York University Shanghai (NYUSH) is the first four-year degree-granting Sino-US
joint university in China. A collaboration between New York University (NYU) in the United
States and East China Normal University (ECNU) in China, NYUSH has academic accreditation
by the Middle States Association in the United States and the Ministry of Education in China.
Graduates receive the same diploma awarded by the NYU Board of Trustees to all NYU
graduates, in addition to the diploma issued by the China Ministry of Education to all graduates
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from a Chinese university. The university opened its doors in 2013 with an inaugural class of
300 students, and now has an enrollment of 1,500 students, with plans to grow to 2,000 students
at full capacity.
The mission of the university is to develop globally minded citizens through critical
thought and excellence in teaching, research, and public service. The core curriculum requires all
students to complete a number of courses in six categories: social and cultural foundations,
mathematics, science, algorithmic thinking, writing, and language. Students complete the core
curriculum during the freshman and sophomore years before declaring or starting major-related
coursework. The Global Perspectives on Society course is taken during the first semester by all
freshman student, placing strong emphasis on comparative cultures and understanding human
behavior. While instruction is in English, all international students must demonstrate proficiency
in the Chinese language before they graduate. The design of the curriculum intentionally focuses
on the global nature of operating an American university in China, cultivating a diverse student
body and faculty recruited globally from all disciplines.
NYUSH currently offers undergraduate degrees within 14 majors across three academic
divisions: Arts and Sciences, Business and Finance, and Computer Science and Engineering.
With a diverse student body consisting of 51% Chinese students from the 33 provinces in China
and 49% international students from 70 countries—including strong representation from the
United States, Pakistan, South Korea, Poland, and Bosnia—it allows for intercultural
engagement at a very intimate level. The university maintains a one-to-eight faculty-to-student
ratio in order to provide individual attention to every student. The 250 faculty represent all
academic disciplines and are recruited globally to mirror the diversity of the student population.
The faculty consists of individuals who have different profiles: 1) tenure-track at the Shanghai
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campus; 2) visiting faculty from the New York and Abu Dhabi campuses; and 3) visiting
professors from universities around the world. The location of the university has attracted a large
number of faculty who specialize within a China or Asia Pacific context in their respective fields
of study.
Organizational Goal
The Dean of Students presented the organizational goal that by May 2022, 100% of
graduating students would demonstrate global competence as measured by how well-equipped
they are to use their intercultural communication skills in their post-graduate lives. Multiple
strategies could be adopted to measure this goal such as a senior exit survey or integration of a
reflection activity into their senior capstone project. In consultation with university leadership,
the Dean of Students set this goal to serve as the driving force toward actualizing the mission and
vision of the university in terms of developing future global leaders. Within the co-curriculum
environment, there are programs that foster the development of intercultural communication,
including the housing arrangement in which Chinese and international students are paired
together as roommates during freshman year. In addition, in order for students to establish a new
student organization, it is required that there be at least four founding members composed of half
Chinese and half international students. The core curriculum is designed so that all students must
complete a certain number of courses that include a global perspectives’ component.
As the first Sino-US joint university, NYUSH lacks peer institutions and thus is unable to
benchmark the development of global competency against other universities. Rather than looking
at benchmarking externally, NYUSH will need a robust internal plan in order to measure
institutional performance and the assessment of student learning in the area of developing global
competence. According to Green (2012), institutions must concurrently measure their
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performance by examining what activities are taking place to promote global learning, in
addition to assessing whether students are meeting the global learning outcomes. Marsh and
Farrell (2015) noted that educational administrators should develop the capacity to shift their
decision-making from assumptions to data-driven decisions. This is achieved by gathering data,
analyzing and organizing the information, turning the data into actionable knowledge, and then
allowing that knowledge to inform their professional practices. Therefore, NYUSH cannot
continue to assume that all students are graduating with this goal having been achieved without
support by actual evidence. Specifically, the university leadership currently relies too heavily on
mere observations of student experiences. There is a need to establish a systematic approach by
outlining a global competence assessment plan in order to capture better data related to how
successful students are at achieving this goal.
Related Literature
Globalization considers the complexities of an integrated world economy and the blurring
of borders as migration increases in a process that has brought cultures and communities
together. It is “a process that encompasses the cause, course, and consequences of transnational
and transcultural integration of human and non-human activities” (Al-Rodhan & Stroudmann,
2006, p. 5). The UN estimates that 258 million of the world’s population are migrants, which are
defined as individuals born in one country who are now living in another (UN, 2017). The
impact of globalization at an individual level is how individuals define their identities and see
themselves in the world (Arnett, 2002; Jensen, Arnett, & McKenzie, 2011).
In studying the psychological impact of globalization, a study found that globalization
impacted the development of identity in adolescents, particularly in their capacity to examine
global issues and understand how to adapt to the changing global environment (Arnett, 2002).
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Educational providers have an opportunity to take advantage of the ability of adolescents to
develop a capacity for global competence (Reimers, 2009). The aftermath of 9/11 changed how
people examined world issues and different cultures, as well as their lack of awareness and
understanding (Hunter, 2004). The United States government targeted the higher education
sector and called for a focus on developing intercultural communication skills in college
students. Soon after, the emergence of internationalization in the curriculum resulted in the
establishment of study abroad programs, international certificates, and programs to distinguish
students with fluency in global competence (Hunter, White, & Goddbey, 2006; Reimers, 2009).
A number of organizations have adopted a global competency framework. In 2018, the
Center for Global Education at the Asia Society and Organization for Economic Co-operation
and Development (OECD) launched a comprehensive framework on assessing global
competence in students and the necessary skills for individuals to be successful in the 21st-
century global market. Mansilla and Jackson (2011) defined global competence as the capacity
and disposition to understand and act on issues of global significance. They argue that there are
four critical steps necessary for successfully demonstrating global competence: 1) investigate, 2)
recognize, 3) communicate, and 4) take action. A globally competent individual can investigate
the world beyond their immediate environment, both recognizing their own worldviews while
also appreciating other perspectives. They can also communicate effectively across cultures by
listening, reflecting, and collaborating with others. Lastly, they can take action toward
sustainable development by identifying opportunities for collaboration and communication with
others.
The National Education Association (2010) defines global competence as a knowledge
and understanding of international issues. The competencies should become consistent habits of
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the learner and should be framed as the foundation of public education. This definition includes
an appreciation and ability to learn and work with people from diverse linguistic and cultural
backgrounds; proficiency in a foreign language; and the development of the necessary skills to
function productively in an interdependent world community (Van Roekel, 2010). The National
Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) added global and intercultural fluency as core
competencies in their most recent revisions of career readiness competencies, taking into account
an inclusivity of social identities including race, age, gender, sexual orientation, and religion. It
then focuses on the demonstration of being open-minded and sensitive to difference, as well as
the ability to effectively and successfully interact with people who are from different cultures or
perspectives (NACE, 2018).
Importance of Evaluation
It is important for many reasons to evaluate an organization’s performance in relation to
the ways in which its graduates demonstrate global competence and utilize intercultural
communication skills. When admissions officers interview and evaluate student applicants, they
are looking for alignment with the values of the university. While no formal study has been
conducted by the university to code interview responses, the interview questions focus on a
student’s readiness to enter and contribute to a learning environment that focuses on global
perspectives. Students indicated that one of the reasons they apply to NYUSH is the opportunity
to study with students from all around the world. During the admissions evaluation process, these
types of students received an “excellent” rating that acknowledges that they are motivated and
are a perfect fit for this kind of learning environment. As NYUSH has only graduated two
cohorts of students, it is essential to gather data points in order to determine whether the right
types of students are applying, being admitted, matriculating, and eventually graduating, thus
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guaranteeing that the student body is composed of individuals who strongly desire to achieve the
goal of developing global competence.
Ramos and Schleicher (2016) noted that globally competent individuals are willing and
capable of understanding and appreciating the perspectives and worldviews of others. They
further state that this pushes individuals to deepen their perspectives and their ability to interact
with others. When NYU set out to establish the degree-granting campuses in Abu Dhabi and
Shanghai—in addition to the long-standing academic centers in 11 other countries—the broader
vision focused on the connectivity across cultures and the exchange of ideas. If NYUSH is not
providing the global learning environment that it promised to its students and stakeholders—and
is not recognized externally for its quality of students—then this will negatively impact future
enrollment and the growth of the university, rendering it unable to attract a high caliber of
faculty. As NYUSH is a new campus, the endowment has not yet grown significantly enough in
order to provide adequate financial relief and support, so NYUSH currently is heavily tuition-
dependent and also relies on the local government for funding. The support by the government
has been mainly due to the goal of reforming the higher education system in China over the past
20 years. The government focuses on offering the opportunity for Chinese students to gain an
international education without leaving China, as well as on drawing talented students from all
over the world (Ennew & Fujia, 2009).
Lastly, world organizations such as the United Nations are looking for higher education
institutions to achieve sustainable development goals through global citizenship education. The
governing bodies of world organizations believe that the skills and ability to create inclusive
communities are necessary in order to address the interconnected problems of the 21st century
(Brookings, 2017). As a pioneer in global higher education and the first Sino-US joint venture
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university, NYUSH can serve as a model for other universities looking to establish a similar type
of university structure in China or in other countries. At the heart of these programs are benefits
to extending cross-cultural understanding and relationships (Gao, Feng, & Henderson, 2012).
Description of Stakeholder Groups
Three stakeholder groups impact the outcomes and influence the organizational goal of
developing global competence before graduation: the faculty, staff, and students. The actions and
contributions of each of these groups are critical to ensuring that students graduate with global
competence and strong intercultural communication skills. There are currently 250 faculty whose
role is to create learning environments within their classrooms in order to develop a conceptual
understanding of global and intercultural issues. The faculty also helps students develop skills to
facilitate conversations across cultural differences by inviting different perspectives into
classroom discussions. The 300-person administrative staff—including those serving in
university administrative leadership roles—continuously evaluates the university’s priorities,
programs, and policies in order to ensure alignment with the goals of the development of global
competency. The students contribute to the development of global competency by recognizing
the reasons why they chose to attend the university and establishing their goals of becoming
globally competent. Through the exposure to global issues early on in their time at the university,
students have four years with which to develop the necessary global competencies and
intercultural communication skills. NYUSH was established in order to provide a unique type of
education that emphasizes a global perspective and requires that stakeholders be aware of the
universities goals, mission, and values.

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Stakeholders’ Performance Goals
Organizational Mission
NYU Shanghai (NYUSH) aspires to prepare its students for lives of discovery, satisfaction, and
contribution. Students at NYU Shanghai will study with world-class faculty who nurture their
capacity for original, rigorous, and critical thinking and with diverse and intellectually gifted
classmates. They will pursue a liberal arts and sciences education in the humanities, social
sciences, natural sciences, and mathematics while immersing themselves in English, the language
of international communication. They will master cross-cultural skills in a community where half
of the student body hail from China and half represent countries from around the world. Finally,
NYU Shanghai students will learn the role that great cities play in human progress and the
interdependent relationship between China and other countries. (NYU Shanghai, 2013)
Organizational Performance Goal
By May 2022, 100% of the graduating students will demonstrate global competency and be
equipped to use intercultural communication skills in their post-graduate lives.
Students
By Spring 2019, 70% of the
freshman students will have
self-selected to continue living
in an intercultural roommate
environment of a Chinese and
International Student pair.
Staff
By Spring 2019, staff will
develop a plan for assessing
global competencies of co-
curricular programs and
activities.
Faculty
By Fall 2019, faculty will
include a learning outcome
related to global competency
areas in their courses.

Stakeholder Group for the Study
Although a complete analysis would involve all of the stakeholder groups, for practical
purposes, the students were the key stakeholder group for this study. As a Sino-US joint
university, the organization’s overarching principle is to maximize the potential of intercultural
integration and collaboration at all levels. Admissions officers highlight the importance of
becoming global leaders and promoting intercultural communication at many points of the
admissions process. Students are told from the first point of contact that the university requires
students to room with someone from a different background, as NYUSH believes that students
will develop global competence by having to immediately use intercultural communication skills
through the process of cohabitating with a student from a different cultural background. In a
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study of US students studying abroad in Italy, Davis and Coryell (2017) noted that students who
had developed a trusting relationship with their local host roommate felt more comfortable with
the foreign environment and felt a deeper level of connection to the learning process. Ramos and
Schleicher (2016) emphasized that globally competent individuals understand cultural norms and
adapt their behavior and communication by interacting with other cultures. During freshman year
at NYUSH, roommate assignments are completely random, with the only criteria being the
pairing of Chinese and international students together. Students are required to live in university
housing for two years, and therefore the roommate program is a shared experience for 100% of
the student body. The roommate living requirement is a highlight of the overall NYUSH student
experience that distinguishes it from other US or Chinese universities.
NYUSH intended to have students continue the intercultural living arrangement during
sophomore year as well. However, the inaugural cohort made the case to self-select their
roommates, expressing that having a choice would increase their satisfaction level at the
university. Since agreeing to the student request, the housing assignment records show that only
55% of the students continued in the intercultural living arrangement, with the remainder
choosing to live with students from the same cultural background. As this type of roommate
arrangement is unique to NYUSH—and only made possible due to admitting half of the students
from China and half from the rest of the world—the low percentage of students that continue in
an intercultural pairing is a concern for the university leadership who wanted to see an integrated
community and not one that is divided by Chinese and international students. Therefore, they
hoped to see at least two-thirds of the students continue in the intercultural living arrangement.
However, this goal of having at least 70% of the students self-select to live in an intercultural
environment required an understanding of what factors impacted the students’ decisions, and
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whether the university’s goal of developing globally competent students is clearly articulated and
internalized by the student stakeholder group. As of May 2018, only 40% of the current
freshman cohort of students have self-selected to live in an intercultural environment. The
findings from studying the student stakeholder group is informing the process of providing
recommendations. This is an assessment of the current state of the roommate program, allowing
for university leadership to thoroughly evaluate whether a gap exists in terms of achieving the
goal of developing globally competent graduates.
Purpose of the Project and Questions
The purpose of the study was to examine what factors impact the students’ decisions
about whom to room with during sophomore year. The focus was on how intercultural
communication between international and Chinese freshman roommate pairs impacted their
decision to continue in an intercultural living arrangement, with the goal of at least 70% of
students pursuing this type of pairing during their sophomore year. The university mandates that
first-year students live in an international and Chinese roommate pairing in order to increase
their global competency. The student life department assigns the freshman roommate pairings
and takes into consideration only basic lifestyle preferences and behaviors—such as sleeping
patterns, smoking habits, tolerance of noise, and study habits—when assigning the pairings.
During the spring semester of freshman year, students can self-select to continue in this type of
roommate pairing or they can choose to live with other students without the restriction of the
intercultural classification. The study utilized the Clark and Estes (2008) framework in order to
understand the students’ knowledge, motivations, and the organizational factors that influenced
their decision to choose whether or not to continue to live in an intercultural pairing.
The guiding questions that guided this study were the following:
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1. What are the students’ knowledge and motivations related to self-selecting whether
or not to continue living in an intercultural roommate environment?
2. What is the interaction between the university culture and context and the students’
knowledge and motivations?
3. What are the recommendations for the university to increase the number of students
self-selecting an intercultural roommate environment, ultimately supporting the
university’s goal of demonstrating the capacity for global competency and
intercultural communication skills?
Methodological Framework
The methodological approach used to conduct this study was a mixed methods design. As
noted by Creswell (2014), the use of a mixed methods approach included following data
collection methods outlined in qualitative and quantitative research paradigms. The study utilized
the explanatory sequential design by first conducting a quantitative study, which was then
followed by a qualitative study informed by the results of the quantitative study. The explanatory
sequential design allowed for the data collected from the quantitative phase to help develop the
follow-up interviews during the second phase. This design method required intentionality in
terms of determining the type of information that is most appropriate to be gathered by each
method. This approach was most appropriate for the study because it allowed for a substantial
response from the students and also allowed for in-depth interviews with respondents who were
willing to provide a qualitative response.
Within the larger student stakeholder group, the target sample population were the senior
students who will graduate during Spring 2019. The intention of selecting this population was to
utilize the findings in order to inform the current Fall 2018 freshman cohort when they selected
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roommates during Spring 2019. This student sample met a number of criteria, including having
had three years of exposure to the intercultural environment and setting prior to participating in
the study. The length in time allowed students to reflect and respond about the shared experience
of living in the mandatory roommate pairing during freshman year and then having the option to
self-select their roommate during sophomore year. A survey approach was used to gather
quantitative data from a large group of randomly sampled students. The intended plan for
administration of the survey included sending out an email to the senior students explaining the
study, followed by a link to the data collection tool. The NYUSH IRB restricted mass emailing
to the students and therefore resulted in limited outreach through posters, flyers, and word of
mouth. Those that were willing to participate in the qualitative component were provided a
separate link at the end of the survey in order to submit their contact information. This step
provided complete anonymity for the survey responses that were submitted.
Following the analysis of the quantitative data, the use of a qualitative interview method
helped to further understand the views and opinions of the freshman students about their
decisions about whom they selected to live with during the following academic year (Creswell,
2014). This process allowed for the researcher to operate within a natural setting; to develop
inductive and deductive data patterns; to help to make meaning of the experience; and to
establish a broad, holistic picture (Creswell, 2014). The qualitative design also allowed the
researcher to observe and document the specific environment in which 100% of first-year
students live in an intercultural context.
Definitions
Global competence: the capacity and disposition to understand and act on issues of
global significance.
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25
Intercultural communication: the ability to communicate ideas effectively with a diverse
audience by engaging in open, appropriate, and effective interactions across cultures.
Organization of the Project
This study is organized into five chapters. This chapter introduced the reader to the
problem of needing to develop globally competent individuals in order to address a changing
world, identifying NYUSH as the site of study by examining its mission, goals, and the
interaction of the stakeholders in terms of achieving the goal of demonstrating the capacity for
global competence by the time students graduate. Chapter Two reviewed the current literature
about how college-age students develop intercultural communication skills, a key globally
competency. Chapter Three detailed the methods used to collect the data and provide a better
understanding of the knowledge, motivations, and organizational influences. Chapter Four is the
analysis of the data. Finally, Chapter Five provided solutions—based on the data and literature—
for closing the perceived gaps, as well as recommendations for an implementation and evaluation
plan to achieve solutions.

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Chapter Two: Literature Review
During the 21st century, as globalization continues to impact the world, there is a need to
ensure that students are developing an adequate level of global competency in order to be
successful (Mansilla & Jackson, 2011). It is important to understand the impact of globalization
in the field of higher education (Altback & Knight, 2007; Huang, 2003; Knight, 2004; Mok,
2003; Qiang, 2003; Shin & Harmann, 2009) in order to understand how students develop global
competence (Arasaratnam & Doerfel, 2005; Deardoff, 2006; Soria & Triosi, 2014; Stier, 2009),
how students make the decision to study abroad (Douglas & Jones-Rikkers, 2001; Goldstein &
Kim, 2006; Norris & Gillespie, 2009; Relyea, Cocchiara, & Studdard, 2008; Stroud, 2010) as
well as the opportunities and challenges of intercultural communication between roommates of
different cultural backgrounds (Berg, 1984; Martin & Anderson, 1995; Molina, Heiselt &
Justice, 2015, Shook & Fazio, 2008). Upon review of these areas, the chapter will apply the
Clark and Estes (2008) Gap Analytic Conceptual Framework in order to provide an analysis of
the students’ knowledge, motivations, and organizational influences in terms of developing
intercultural communication in a structured Chinese-International student roommate housing
assignment. The chapter will conclude by examining the conceptual framework of the
interactions between the student stakeholder group’s knowledge, motivations, and organizational
influences.
Developing Intercultural Communication in College Students
The impact of globalization has increased cross-border opportunities and challenges as
they relate to the movement of people within systems of higher education (Altback & Knight,
2007; Knight, 2004; Shin & Harmann, 2009). Higher education as a sector must be able to
respond to the political, social, economic, academic, and labor changes that have been brought
GLOBAL COMPETENCE
27
on by globalization (Qiang, 2003). This response is evident when examining China’s educational
reform (Huang, 2003; Mok, 2003). A significant component of global competence is the ability
to communicate with other cultures (Arasaratnam & Doerfel, 2005; Deardoff, 2006; Mansilla &
Jackson, 2011).
Globalization of Higher Education
The expansion of programs beyond the traditional campus has increased faculty and
student movement across countries, primarily due to how governments view higher education as
a commodity of goods and services (Shin & Harmann, 2009). The terms “globalization” and “the
internationalization of higher education” should not be used interchangeably (Altbach & Knight,
2007). The internationalization of higher education is the by-product of globalization, and
represents the method in which post-secondary education adopts an international, intercultural,
and global dimension in learning (Knight, 2004). For countries, such as China, where higher
education is exported and imported, post-secondary education must be carefully monitored by
accreditation agencies in order to ensure a high level of quality assurance and control (Altback &
Knight, 2007).
The internationalization of higher education can react to the global needs and deepen
intercultural understanding (Qiang, 2003). Throughout the past 50 years, China’s higher
education reform has been a catalyst to addressing national interests and development needs in
order for China to become globally competitive. In the 1980s, China created educational
opportunities by providing support for students and scholars to go abroad (Mok, 2003). In the
early 2000s, China witnessed an increase in the rate in which students sought an education
outside of China alongside a flow of students coming into China from other developing countries
in order to study. Despite a period in which scholars, students, and families were going out in
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great numbers and choosing not to return immediately, that shift is changing once again (Huang,
2003). Another reaction to the changing needs and the changing market was the introduction of
private universities (Mok, 2003). China is a country looking to be innovative in their approach to
addressing the internationalization of higher education.
Intercultural Communication Competence
A significant dimension of global competence is the capacity for intercultural
communication through open, appropriate, and effective interactions (Ramos & Schleicher,
2016; Soria & Triosi, 2014). Intercultural communication is the awareness, valuing, and
understanding of cultural differences; the process of experiencing other cultures; and the self-
awareness of one’s own culture (Deardoff, 2006). Intercultural communication includes the
deconstruction and development of more profound meaning with the process of communicating,
and is attained by knowing how to interact and engage with different cultures through an
understanding of the history and artifacts of another culture, as well as an ability to respond to
others (Stier, 2009). It also involves the examination of cultural biases, as both competence and
competence within a cultural context can be viewed subjectively (Arasaratnam & Doerfel, 2005).
In trying to measure and define intercultural communication, 23 intercultural communication
scholars have advocated for a broad definition in order to allow room for a wide range of
responses (Arasaratnam & Doerfel, 2005). They agreed that observations, case studies, and
student interviews would be the best approach for the assessment of intercultural
communication. The scholars also agreed about the desire to have a broad definition in order to
allow room for exploring specific components (Deardoff, 2006). It is critical for universities to
be engaged in global and international activities on campus in order to test and measure
intercultural competency. Soria and Triosi (2014) proposed the idea of Global, International, and
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Intercultural (GII) competencies which measure a variety of areas, including the appreciation,
level of understanding, and comfort in terms of working with people from different cultures.
Understanding and Defining Intercultural Communication
The scholarly approach to understanding and defining intercultural communication has
varied. The Intercultural Developmental Inventory (Hammer, 2007) is a tool designed to assess
and measure how students develop and change over the course of studying abroad, as well as the
intercultural competencies that are subsequently developed. In this inventory, pre- and post-
control group surveys are conducted in order to test for changes in intercultural development
between students enrolled in a course, students not enrolled in a course, and those who did not
study abroad. The intentional design and emphasis in the class demonstrated high gains in
intercultural development through the use of an intercultural pedagogy, and classroom activities
were used in the learning and development periods (Pedersen, 2010). The willingness to
communicate is defined as taking the initiative to have intercultural engagement when the
opportunity presents itself. In general, cultural norms between Americans and Asians result in
apprehension. It takes time and immersion in the culture to develop the willingness to engage
naturally (Lu & Hsu, 2008).
The Decision and Benefits of Studying Abroad
Students and employers from the United States recognize the impact that going abroad
may have on their ability to function in the new global economy (West, 2017). Over the past 20
years, the role of policy has pushed for an increase in US students studying abroad (Stroud,
2010). China continues to be one of the highest exporters of students going abroad as well (Open
Doors, 2017).

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US Students Going Abroad
The number of US students studying abroad continues to increase; however, only 10% of
Americans have had an international experience by the time they graduate (Open Doors, 2017).
A demand for the new workforce is the ability to manage the complexities of interconnected
global transactions (Douglas & Jones-Rikkers, 2001). Students often calculate the physical and
financial risks associated with the decision to study abroad, and those who have a higher
threshold for risk are more likely to study abroad than those that are risk-averse (Relyea,
Cocchiara, & Studdard, 2008). While students can select a traditional semester abroad
experience, many universities have developed short-term programs, and data shows that more
students are now pursuing international experiences (Stroud, 2010). Data revealed that the long-
term impact of studying abroad influences a student’s future career decision-making process
(Norris & Gillespie, 2009). However, individuals who are hesitant to study abroad attributed the
decision to negative attitudes and perceptions of other cultures. Those individuals displayed
ethnocentrism, intercultural communication apprehension, and prejudice, and also lacked
language competence (Goldstein & Kim, 2006).
The faculty must have buy-in in the notion that studying abroad is an essential academic
experience, and must help students make an international connection to their education plans.
King and Young (1994) explained that all levels of the university must participate in the process
of helping students identify an interest in studying abroad early on. The decision to study abroad
is very similar to college choice selection, in that students weigh many factors in order to find the
best fit (Salisbury, Paulsen, & Pascarella, 2009). However, it is equally important to understand
what factors impact the decision for students who choose not to study abroad. The issue of socio-
economic class and parental levels of education are driving elements contributing to why
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students do not go abroad. Understanding why students choose not to study abroad allows the
university to mitigate any barriers to their control (Salisbury, Paulsen, & Pascarella, 2009).
Chinese Students Going Abroad
Over the past 40 years, over 4.58 million Chinese students have spent time studying
abroad (CCG, 2018). Chinese parents see a high return on investment and demonstrated a strong
willingness to support their child gaining an international education, therefore helping to
establishing an active study abroad culture (Bodycott, 2009). Chinese students also go abroad for
opportunities to develop personal growth and cultural engagement (Eder, Smith, & Pitts, 2010).
Mazzarol and Soutar (2002) identified six factors that often impact the choice of where students
go to study abroad: “knowledge and awareness of host country, personal recommendations to
study, cost, environment, geographic proximity and social support” (p. 83). Mazzarol and Soutar
(2002) argued an essential component of studying abroad can be framed using a push-pull
notion, whereby the host country must create reasons to pull students in to study there, and the
source country must push students to go abroad. One factor that greatly contributed to a Chinese
student’s decision to study abroad was the perception that the education system in the host
country was stronger than the education system in China.
Intercultural Communication Between Roommates
Few studies have been conducted that explicitly examine Chinese and international
students in the roommate context; instead, the research on roommate communication has been
with students from different backgrounds, international students studying in the US, or American
students studying abroad. Understanding intercultural communication involves understanding the
degree and impact of a culture on an individual’s willingness to communicate (McCroskey &
Richmond, 1994). The ability of international students studying in the US to adjust to their new
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environment is correlated to the degree in which they are able to establish a positive social
relationship with an American classmate (Rajapaksa & Dundes, 2002). Roommates from
different racial backgrounds but who developed effective communication were willing to invest
in developing a relationship (Berg, 1984). Those roommate relationships resulted in higher
academic success and a greater overall satisfaction with the university experience (Shook &
Fazio, 2008). In contrast, roommates who did not develop a positive relationship had a higher
tendency to revert back to selecting roommates from the same racial background (Shook &
Fazio, 2008). In an early study by Sillars (1980), the participants decided to avoid
communicating with their roommate over a conflict because they believed that nothing could
change about the individual. In another study that involved interviews of 17 international
roommate pairs, Lee (2006) identified the need for roommates to mutually invest in the
relationship by assisting each other, exploring the local culture, introducing each other to
influential people in their lives, and effectively managing conflict.
One factor contributing to why students are hesitant to live with someone from a different
cultural background is due to concerns around conflict and potentially not being able to resolve
them if they arise (Molina, Heiselt, & Justice, 2015). Professionals working with students must
have the necessary skills and training in order to help students work through conflict Molina et
al. (2015). Martin and Anderson (1995), in a study of 48 roommate pairs, noticed a pattern
demonstrating that if students decided that they no longer wished to live with their roommate,
resulted in having a low satisfaction with their living environment. They also were unwilling to
work through conflicts or to attempt to interact with each other. The need to set clear
expectations of how to communicate and to understand how people communicate differently is
necessary at the start of a roommate relationship (Antonio & Ofori-Dwumfuo, 2015).
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33
Clark and Estes’ (2008) Gap Analytic Conceptual Framework
Clark and Estes (2008) offered a framework with which to help organizations measure
the gap between individual performance goals and the desired performance levels. The process
of the gap analysis includes six steps: 1) identify an organizational goal; 2) identify individual
performance goals; 3) determine performance gaps; 4) analyze gaps; 5) identify knowledge,
motivation, and organizational solutions; and 6) evaluate the results. This process provides
insight into whether individuals have the knowledge, motivation, and organizational support to
achieve and work towards their goals. Knowledge is categorized into four dimensions: factual,
conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive (Krathwohl, 2002). Motivation is examined via
dimensions that include the process of making a decision, persistence throughout the process,
and having a mental capacity with which to achieve the goals (Clark & Estes, 2008). Motivation
is assessed by how individuals develop expectancy value (Wigfield & Eccles, 2000), goal
orientation (Pintrich, 2000), and self-efficacy (Bandura, 1997; Pajares, 2006). The organizational
barriers that impact performance goals include how well individuals in the organization
understand the organizational culture (Clark & Estes, 2008).
Student Knowledge, Motivation, and Organizational Influences
The following sections explore the knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences
as they relate to increasing the students’ decision to continue living in an intercultural roommate
pairing during their sophomore year. In order for the university to achieve the goal of having
100% of its graduates demonstrate global competence and intercultural communication skills, it
is necessary to understand how students develop knowledge, what their motivations are in
developing knowledge in the area of global competency, and how NYUSH can influence the
development of their knowledge.
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Knowledge and Skills
Clark and Estes (2008) provided a framework for examining organizational
performance gaps by understanding and improving knowledge and skills as they relate to
achieving business goals. NYUSH provides an opportunity for intercultural engagement through
the freshman roommate program in which Chinese and international students are required to live
together. During sophomore year, students are allowed to self-select their roommates. Fifty-five
percent of the cohort of students from 2014 to 2017 consistently self-selected to continue in the
intercultural environment. However, the data from 2018 indicated that only 40% of the recent
rising sophomores continued this arrangement. While the university leadership has not publicly
acknowledged their disappointment with this low percentage directly to the students, comments
have been made to administrators of the roommate program about improving this percentage. To
better understand how to improve the percentage of students who continue in an intercultural
roommate pair, it was important to understand the factors impacting that decision, and how the
role of knowledge around global competence contributed to that decision-making process.
Knowledge influences. Knowledge is categorized into four dimensions: factual,
conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive (Krathwohl, 2002; Mayer, 2011). Factual knowledge
is defined as basic information needed to help construct meaning and solve problems
(Krathwohl, 2002). An example of factual knowledge in the case of the roommate pairing is how
the university uses the lifestyle preferences indicated in a students’ housing application to match
them with their roommate. As the preferences are focused solely on sleeping habits, noise
tolerance levels, whether or not they smoke, and what their perceived degrees of cleanliness are,
roommates need to know that they are entering the roommate relationship need to know that
habits change over time and that they need to invest in personally getting to know each other’s
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hobbies and interests. Conceptual knowledge is the ability to understand relationships within a
broad context (Krathwohl, 2002). An example of conceptual knowledge would be roommates
understanding frameworks around conflict management and intercultural communication. The
university requires roommates during the first month to complete a roommate agreement form
and this process can be facilitated by the resident assistant of their community if necessary.
Students are required to complete a roommate agreement form at the start of the semester to set
up roommate living expectations and how to address issues if someone in the room is not
adhering to the agreement. Students are told that roommate changes cannot compromise the
mission of the intercultural pairing, and will only be granted if the change maintains this
dynamic. Before students can submit a room change request, the agreement form is revisited
with the resident assistant. Procedural knowledge focuses on using skills to accomplish the task,
as well as knowing how to complete the task. An example of procedural knowledge would be
knowing how to effectively communicate and actively engage with someone from a different
background. This requires students to know how to develop the necessary understanding on how
people communicate and how to react to different forms of communication in particular within a
intercultural context. Lastly, metacognitive knowledge is having an awareness of how one learns
or behaves, and how to self-regulate their learning and behaviors (Baker, 2006; Krathwohl, 2002;
Mayer, 2011). An example of metacognitive knowledge is the students’ self-knowledge about
what they know and what they do not know about effective intercultural communication. These
dimensions of knowledge are necessary for learning to occur (Mayer, 2011), and within the
roommate living environment, a further exploration of the components of metacognitive
knowledge will help the university to understand how NYUSH can reach the organizational goal
of graduates demonstrating global competence.
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Knowledge of effective intercultural communication. In order for students to live in a
positive learning environment, they must be able to effectively communicate with others (Duran
& Zakah, 1988). Often, students do not know how to overcome challenges because they lack the
knowledge about how to be better communicators. Students must also develop a willingness to
communicate and understand that this is a process that is accomplished over time (Lu & Hsu,
2008). According to Duran and Zakah (1988), communication requires individuals to be able to
“perceive socio-interpersonal relationships and adapt one’s interaction goals and behaviors
accordingly” (p. 137). It also requires an understanding that intercultural communication
develops over time as the relationship also develops. By default, roommates enter into a
relationship by sharing the responsibility in shaping and having expectations of how to live in the
space (Shook, 2008). The relationship component is critical to understanding the extent in which
the roommates were interested in developing the intercultural communication skills. Students
must develop the intercultural communication skills necessary to avoid negative perceptions
during cultural miscommunication (Shigaki & Smith, 1997). Intercultural communication allows
people of different backgrounds to develop new perspectives and begin to value diversity
(Shigaki & Smith, 1997). It also allows for individuals struggling with managing their emotions
to better understand how to communicate effectively (Shigaki & Smith, 1997). The ability for
students to identify internal struggles and challenges is critical in terms of helping students
understand that their experiences are not isolated. This study will explore the degree in which
senior students can reflect on the development of global competencies and the role that
intercultural communication played in their decision to continue living in a Chinese and
international pairing during their sophomore year.
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Knowledge of how to interact with diverse backgrounds. It is beneficial for students to
know how to socially integrate with other students who come from different backgrounds. In
general, a hindrance to social integration is the perceived racial prejudices that students may
have formed before entering into the living environment (Bresnahan, Guan, Shearman, &
Donohue, 2009; Van Laar, Levin, Sinclair, & Sidanius, 2005). When examining the conflict
between students of different ethnic groupings, Bresnahan et al. (2009) found that understanding
the role of culture is very important, as different cultures approach conflict resolution differently.
Students must know how to develop the necessary skills to resolve a conflict. During a
longitudinal study, Van Laar et al. (2005) noted a significant decrease in the presence of negative
racial attitudes when comparing students between their freshman and senior years. The decrease
is primarily due to the amount of time the students have had to change their attitudes, especially
among different racial groups. When students choose to continue with or change their roommate
pairing after freshman year, the incompatibility was generally due to racial prejudice or an
inability to socially integrate (Van Laar et al., 2005). Another significant finding is that students
from different backgrounds can help introduce and integrate their roommates into their social
environments (Batterton & Horner, 2016; Shook & Fazio, 2011). Through their interactions,
Shook and Fazio (2011) identified changes in attitudes around national and ethnic identities, and
it is essential for students to form metacognitive knowledge about how to break through cultural
norms and to interact and engage with cultures that are different from their own.
Knowledge of the roommate change process. NYUSH has in place measures for students
to request a roommate change. This includes a waiting period of at least three weeks into the
semester to mitigate students not trying to work out any differences and challenges. During this
period, students must have completed a roommate agreement form that discuss various aspects of
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sharing the space including; cleaning schedules, noise levels, guest visitations, and sharing of
personal belongings. During this process, students who indicate a conflict would meet with their
resident assistants to conduct a mediation and revisit the agreement form. Students are aware that
no roommate changes would be approved despite the level of conflict if it resulted in students
who did not have an international or Chinese roommate.
Table 1 shows the organizational mission, global goal, and stakeholder goal. It also
highlights the knowledge influences, types, and an assessment of how to address the stakeholder
goal, with an emphasis on the metacognitive knowledge types for NYUSH students in terms of
how they choose their roommates after freshman year.
Table 1
Knowledge Influences, Types, and Assessments for Knowledge Gap Analysis
Knowledge Influence Knowledge Type Knowledge Influence Assessment
Students need to be able to
effectively communicate with
someone from a different
background.

Procedural Interviews: Students share examples
of how they managed their
communication styles and how they
worked through disagreements.
Students need to be able to engage
and communicate with someone
from a different background
Procedural Survey asking students whether they
know what it means to have
intercultural communication skills

Students need to know that they
must complete the roommate
agreement form at the start of the
semester.

Conceptual

Survey asking students whether they
found the roommate agreement form
an effective method of
communication with their
roommate.

Motivation Influences
In order for performance goals to improve, there needs to be motivation for addressing
the goals. Clark and Estes (2008) defined motivation through the framework of three types of
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behaviors: making a choice, persisting, and applying mental effort. In applying this framework,
students must make an active choice after freshman year to continue living in an intercultural
environment; persist through the various challenges that come up in the living environment; and
invest in the mental effort that the outcome of this living experience contributes to the
development of their global competence and intercultural communication skills. Clark and Estes
(2008) noted four factors that can contribute to increased motivation: individual and team
confidence; the removal of perceived organizational barriers; the presence of a positive
emotional environment; and instilling strong values. Individuals will be more likely achieve the
goal if they have confidence and if they can see that the organization is providing the resources
with which to support them. The physical environment needs to foster the ability to let
individuals feel connected and to find real enjoyment in their work. Individuals must find value
in their work and see that their goals support their interests, maximize their skills, and have clear
benefits when attained (Clark & Estes, 2008). While many theories support this framework of
choice, persistence, and mental effort, this study will focus specifically on the expectancy-value
and goal orientation theories.
Applying expectancy-value theory to students. Individuals have different values that
establish pathways in determining what they want and how to persist through obstacles (Clark &
Estes, 2008; Mayer, 2011). The expectancy-value theory explains that individuals are motivated
by the attainment, intrinsic, or utility value they hold for a goal, and their beliefs about whether
they will be able to successfully accomplish that goal. Attainment value is the importance of
doing well at a task; intrinsic value is the enjoyment of performing the task; and utility values are
the benefits for completing the task (Wigfield & Eccles, 2000). In order for students to
cohabitate successfully with a roommate from a different background, they must be motivated to
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do so by recognizing the value of the intercultural living arrangement, and believing that they
can live successfully with someone from a different cultural background past their freshman
year. Individuals are motivated by intrinsic values, which means that they find a task exciting or
recognize that they can gain satisfaction from completing task (Ryan & Deci, 2000). This study
will explore the degree which students are motivated to continue living in an intercultural
roommate arrangement.
Student intrinsic value in culture. Schraw and Lehman (2006) explained that situational
interest is spontaneous, transitory, and environmentally activated, whereas personal interest is
less spontaneous, of enduring personal value, and activated internally. Through the use of this
definition, the university must ensure that students have developed a clear enough goal in order
to sustain a situational interest, which ideally, in turn, will generate a personal value to continue
living in the intercultural roommate environment. Other essential arguments that Schraw and
Lehman (2006) presented involve the role of interest in intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, thus
creating a desire to learn and develop knowledge and skills. Students must be internally
motivated to have an interest in the intercultural environment and to believe that this value is an
essential component in achieving the goal of developing global competency.
Living on campus creates a positive environment in which to promote student learning, as
it provides a space for increased involvement with the university (Astin, 1984). The opportunity
for students from different cultural backgrounds to take advantage of the opportunity must begin
with students finding value and taking an interest in the personal benefits of being more globally
competent. In one study, Laird (2005) compared the differences between two groups of
students—one that was exposed to the subject matter of diversity, and one that was not. The
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41
results demonstrated that students who were exposed to diversity and had an awareness of
diversity showed an increase in academic self-confidence, critical thinking, and social agency.
Applying goal orientation theory to students. Individuals self-regulate their learning by
establishing goals that push them to work harder (Mayer, 2011). Goal orientation theory focuses
on why individuals set goals, and distinguish them into two categories: performance goals and
mastery goals. Performance goal orientation focuses on performing tasks for external reasons. In
the context of this study, an example of this would be students choosing to live with someone not
from their own country primarily because the university expects them to do so. Mastery goal
orientation, on the other hand, is focused on individuals engaging with the task because of their
interest in learning and the development of skills and expertise (Pintrich, 2000). In the context of
this study, this would be students who find that the intercultural roommate living environment
further develops their mastery of intercultural communication. The development of competencies
and skills can be viewed as positive goals in which the learner will seek help to achieve the goal.
It will be essential to understanding the motivation behind why only half of the students choose
to continue living in an intercultural environment, as well as motivational factors for increasing
this percentage.
Student mastery goal of global competence. With half of the student body represented
from 70 different countries and the other half being students within the 33 geographical
provinces in China, the NYUSH experience is an extended form of study abroad. Students may
be developing global competence outside the intercultural roommate living environment.
Students who choose to study overseas seek to achieve an enhanced worldview, a global
perspective, cross-cultural effectiveness, and an interest in different aspects of culture (Kitsantas,
2004). The reasons for studying abroad, for some, may be achieving set performance goals, but
GLOBAL COMPETENCE
42
for many, it is the ability to master skills from the experiences that they will have. A useful tool
is using pre-and post-inventories in order to help students establish their goals and understand
their reasons for studying abroad (Kitsantas, 2004; Salisbury, An, & Pascarella, 2013). It is
crucial to help students develop a self-awareness of their goals and what they hope to achieve
while studying abroad. In the context of the NYUSH stakeholder group, embracing a mastery
orientation will be crucial in order to develop the outcomes of attending university in a
multicultural environment.
Table 2 shows the organizational mission, global goal, and stakeholder goal. It also
highlights the motivational influences and provides an assessment of how to address the
stakeholder goal for the NYUSH students in terms of how they choose their roommates after
freshman year.
Table 2
Motivational Influences and Assessments for Motivation Gap Analysis
Motivational Indicator(s)
Assumed Motivation Influences Motivational Influence Assessment
Students need to value the importance, have an
interest in, and work towards developing
intercultural communication skills.
Survey and interviews will ask students
questions related to how they value their
intercultural living arrangement.

Students need to want to develop mastery in global
competence and intercultural communication skills.

Survey and interviews will ask students to
reflect on what they have gained in terms of
competencies and skills through the
intercultural living arrangement.

Organizational Influences
In addition to knowledge and motivation, organizational influences are a critical
component in bridging gaps. The culture of an organization can hinder its stakeholders’ ability to
achieve organizational performance goals (Clark & Estes, 2008). Organizations must recognize
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43
that they build a specific culture through values, goals, and beliefs. When the organizational
stakeholders understand how to operate with the organizational culture(s) by aligning themselves
with the behaviors, policies, and procedures, it will reduce conflicts during periods of
organizational change (Clark & Estes, 2008). Furthermore, the culture can be changed by
changing the environment, changing the ways in which groups interact, and changing people’s
behaviors (Clark & Estes, 2008). The study of organizational culture can take the perspective of
an intersection between cultural theories from the field of anthropology and organizational
theories. Acknowledging culture as a meaningful symbolic gesture helps to commit members to
the organizational goals and values. Individuals are motivated when their role within the
organization is clearly defined (Smircich, 1983).
Organizational culture can be subcategorized into two distinct elements: models and
settings (Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001). Cultural models provide context to members,
including the values, attitudes, and beliefs about how the organization is supposed to work.
Cultural settings are the visible interactions and activities contributing to how members must
complete the task within the organization (Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001). NYUSH strives to
create a culture in which members of the university support the development of global citizens
and future leaders.
Articulation of the importance of intercultural communication. In order for students
to understand the benefits of the intercultural roommate experience, students will need to possess
the knowledge and motivation to develop intercultural communication. The university must
therefore ensure that it is providing a cultural setting in which to achieve the goal. During the
admissions interview process, admissions officers should align their interview questions in order
to assess a student’s readiness for the NYUSH environment. The initial messaging during the
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admissions process serves as a platform for students to understand the cultural model of
NYUSH. For students to understand what is expected of them in terms of developing the
capacity for global competence and their intercultural communication skills, the message of the
importance of the roommate pairing must be articulated and emphasized early on. NYUSH must
help students understand why it values the international and Chinese roommate pairing. Clark
and Estes (2008) explained that the culture of an organization is beneath the surface and is not
conscious of its own attitudes and behaviors. As universities operate in a cyclical timeframe, it
requires the messaging to be stated annually for each entering class of students and then
reiterated with its other cohorts of upper-class students.
Intentional student engagement. Another factor that may hinder students from being
able to reach their organizational goals is the lack of intentional activities on campus that can
provide shared experiences (Soria & Troisi, 2014). NYUSH must supplement the living
experience with activities that foster the skills necessary to develop strong intercultural
communication. Intercultural engagement must go beyond superficial levels and ensure active
interaction between students from diverse backgrounds (Williams, 2015). The university should
consider an audit of current programs is critical in order to examine whether students have been
provided with the necessary resources with which to help them develop intercultural
communication skills. The activities should be measurable so that they can test the levels of
competency development (Soria & Triosi, 2014). Through the intentional engagement, students
will understand that they must take an active role in achieving competence in intercultural
communication.
Faculty and staff involvement. NYUSH must also provide training and support to all
other stakeholders—including the faculty, for the students to understand how effective
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intercultural communication and living can be. Stier (2006) acknowledged that intercultural
communication is a benefit to the learning environment and opportunities should be created in
the classroom. The cultural setting in the classroom with regards to intercultural communication
can therefore bleed into the intercultural environment of the student roommate pairing. NYUSH
emphasizes peer-to-peer learning, deploying student leaders to influence their classmates. The
training around intercultural communication is an essential component of the overall training
program, as it will equip students with the skills to address concerns and issues directly with
their peers.
Table 3 shows the organizational mission, global goal, and stakeholder goal. It also
highlights the organizational influences and an assessment of how to address the stakeholder
goal for the NYUSH students in terms of how they choose their roommates after freshman year.
Table 3
Organizational Influences, Types, and Assessments for Organizational Gap Analysis

Assumed Organizational Influences Organizational Influence Assessment
NYU Shanghai must clearly articulate the value
of living in an intercultural environment to the
students.
The admissions interview process should
include a number of questions that focus on
intercultural communication curiosity and
values alignment.

NYU Shanghai must create opportunities for
roommates to engage in intentional activities
that foster intercultural communication.

Staff and students should be asked to submit an
evaluation of the events that helped to increase
intercultural communication.

NYU Shanghai must provide training and
development to students about how to engage
with intercultural differences.

Post-training evaluations and feedback sessions
are necessary to see whether training increased
competencies or knowledge in terms of
intercultural communication engagement.
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Conceptual Framework: The Interaction of Student Stakeholders’ Knowledge,
Motivations, and the Organizational Context
The conceptual framework is an essential component of the overall research of the
problem of practice. It is a construction of the links made through examining the existing
literature, personal experiences, research, and conducting thought experiments. Furthermore, it
helps guide methods and the data collection processes (Maxwell, 2013). Merriam and Tisdell
(2015) noted that the ways in which researchers frame questions and interpret data informs the
development of the framework. As a higher education administrator, I rely heavily on student
development and multicultural theories to inform my practice.
In the previous section, knowledge, motivations, and organizational influences were
examined separately. The university set a goal for the student stakeholder group to increase the
proportion to 70% of students continuing to live in an intercultural roommate pairing during their
sophomore year. To do so, students need to develop a wealth of knowledge around the definition
of intercultural communication and understand that the communication must take place over the
course of a longer period of time (Martin & Anderson, 1995). A review of motivational theories
confirms the need for individuals to develop expectancy value and mastery of skills. They must
value living in an intercultural environment and desire to achieve a mastery of global
competency and intercultural communication. Within organizational influences, systems and
practices are necessary in order to foster intercultural communication and to provide intentional
training to the community about how to effectively communicate with others from different
backgrounds (Martin & Anderson, 1995; Molina, Heiselt, & Justice, 2015). The application of
cultural models and settings helps to convey messages to the organization (Gallimore &
Goldenberg, 2001). NYUSH should articulate the definitions of global competence and
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intercultural communication—as well as their value and application within the university
setting—in order to develop meaning and purpose in students. Through students’ increased
understanding of the importance of intercultural communication, they can build knowledge
around how to learn and apply the values of intercultural communication to their living
environment. By understanding the organizational goal around intercultural communication and
expanding their knowledge of the subject, students will be more likely to choose to continue in
an intercultural roommate pairing after their freshman year.
Figure 1 as shown is a representation of the conceptual framework for the interactions
between knowledge, motivations, and organizational influences as they relate to students
developing intercultural communication. It identifies the interactions beginning with the
organizational, articulating its cultural model and setting. It is followed by the knowledge that
students develop that activates the internal motivation to improve the intercultural
communication.

Figure 1. Conceptual framework for intercultural communication.
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Organizational Definition of Intercultural Communication
During the college admissions process, universities articulate their mission and goals in
order to attract interest in applicants. Ross (2018) encourages students to ask critical questions
about retention, job placement, and faculty profiles, but more importantly, to hear from other
students about why they attend and how satisfied they are with their experience. NYUSH
articulates the values of its global learning environment to prospective students, including the
opportunity to live in a Chinese and international roommate environment. However, no
definition of global competence and intercultural communication has physically been
incorporated into critical promotional spaces—such as the website or printed materials—in order
to strengthen the message to prospective students. In many ways, these values are implied
through the way admissions officers and other members of the community describe NYUSH
when asked to share additional details or a description of the university. But the university needs
to describe the cultural setting and how students will be able to develop these competencies. It is
important not to minimize these messages to simply the superficial level (Williams, 2005). An
articulated definition of intercultural communication will help students begin shifting their
learning toward developing knowledge and making sense of new information and experiences
when they arrive on campus (Mayer, 2011). If students do not understand the organizational
definitions of global competence and intercultural communication, this is likely to lead to a gap
in the university achieving its goals.
Developing Knowledge of Intercultural Communication
To varying degrees, the international and Chinese students who decide to attend NYUSH
subscribe to a cultural model that places a high value on global competency and intercultural
communication. Through their living arrangement, students are expected to develop knowledge
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and understanding about their roommate and the other students’ culture. Knowledge is
categorized into four dimensions: factual, conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive (Krathwohl,
2002). In order to develop factual knowledge about intercultural communication, students must
first understand how to define the term. They can then develop conceptual knowledge in order to
apply intercultural communication to their interactions with their roommates and other students
at the university.
Motivation to Develop Intercultural Communication
Through the development of knowledge about intercultural communication, students will
understand that it is a process that occurs over time and requires active engagement with people
from different backgrounds (Martin & Anderson, 1995; Shigaki & Smith, 1997). There have
been only two cohorts of students who have yet completed the four-year university lifecycle of
NYUSH, and the need to understand what motivates students to persist through the intercultural
environment of the university is essential to answering these research questions. Therefore,
examining the experiences of the seniors who have had time to fully experience the learning
environment will yield vital information about how to increase students’ motivation to pursue
intercultural living arrangements after their freshman year. The students must develop an interest
in living in an intercultural environment, and must also set the goal of not just performing at a
superficial level, but actually developing a mastery of intercultural communication (Williams,
2005).
Conclusion
This chapter continued to address the organizational problem of needing to increase the
percentage of students who continue living in an intercultural roommate pairing after their
freshman year. Through the examination of the current literature, multiple themes emerged from
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the need to understand how globalization has impacted the internationalization of higher
education. This review also presented working definitions about intercultural communication and
the benefits of intercultural communication to students from different backgrounds. Additionally,
the analysis provided a context for the understanding of the knowledge, motivations, and
organizational influences needed in order to help increase the percentage of students at NYU
Shanghai who choose to live in a roommate pairing between international students and Chinese
nationals. The reviewed literature assisted with the development of a conceptual framework that
examines the interaction between the research question and the knowledge, motivations, and
organizational influences. The next chapter will explain the methodological approach that will be
utilized in order to gather data on how these influences impact the student stakeholder group.

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Chapter Three: Methods
This chapter describes the mixed-methods approach that was used to conduct this study,
including the research design, sampling strategy, data collection, and instrumentation methods.
This mixed methods study followed an explanatory sequential method. According to Creswell
(2014), an explanatory sequential method occurs when quantitative data is collected first, and
then followed by qualitative data collection. In this case, a survey gathered a broader sampling,
and then a select number that follow the interview criteria participated later. The mixed-methods
approach allowed to capture the comparative data between the two groups of students who
continued (C) and did not continue (NC) in an intercultural roommate pairing during sophomore
year. The purpose of the study was to examine the knowledge, motivations, and organizational
influences of the student stakeholder group, with the goal that at least 70% of freshman students
will elect to continue in a Chinese and international student roommate pairing during their
sophomore year by Spring 2019.
Three research questions guided this study:
1. What are the students’ knowledge and motivations related to self-selecting to
continue living in an intercultural roommate environment?
2. What is the interaction between the university culture and context and the students’
knowledge and motivations?
3. What are the recommendations for the university to increase the number of students
self-selecting an intercultural roommate environment, ultimately supporting the
university’s goal of demonstrating the capacity for global competency and
intercultural communication skills?

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Participating Stakeholders
The target sample population were students who started their senior year of study at
NYUSH. By the time the study was conducted, the seniors had had significantly more time to
reflect on their experiences of living in an intercultural roommate pairing than the current
freshman students. These experiences were important in terms of answering the research
questions and connecting them to the conceptual framework. As a senior, these students had
participated in the university’s mandatory freshman year roommate pairing, and during their
sophomore year, they had had the opportunity to self-select a roommate without being restricted
to the international and Chinese student pairing. During their junior year, these students spent a
semester or a full year studying abroad and were able to speak to their experience engaging in a
global context. It was important to take into consideration the difference in experiences students
may have had during their four-year university experience. According to Merriam and Tisdell
(2016), the sample should be typical, normal, and average. This cycle of living arrangements and
options represented the typical experience of the average NYUSH student. Through a purposeful
sampling approach, the participants fit specific criteria, and the target is a particular population
(Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
Student Survey Sampling Criteria and Rationale
The criteria below guided survey sampling.
Criterion 1. The participants were seniors who matriculated to the university during the
fall semester of 2015 and completed both semesters of their freshman year.
Criterion 2. The participants lived with their initially assigned roommate for at least the
first semester at NYUSH. The stakeholder goal focuses on increasing the percentage of first-year
students who elect to continue living in an intercultural environment during sophomore year. In
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order to demonstrate any change or impact on intercultural communication skills, the participants
needed to have spent a minimum amount of time living together.
Student Survey Sampling and Recruitment Strategy and Rationale
The online survey was intended to be sent through email to students who matriculated
during the Fall 2015 semester to NYUSH and started their senior year at the beginning of
September 2018. The survey recruitment message was written in both English and Chinese in
order to ensure that participants are aware of the purpose of the study, despite English being the
primary language of instruction. However, as an administrator of the university—and per the
IRB guidelines in place for NYUSH—I conducted this study as an external researcher. A
requirement for IRB at NYUSH was to include a tenured faculty member to oversee the study
and serve as the principle investigator in the data collection process. The faculty member
assisting in the study requested the list of participants from the registrar’s office but was denied
access as to avoid mass emailing to the students. According to Creswell (2014), the role of the
institutional review board is important in order to ensure protection from human rights violations
and to reduce the chance of any harm coming to the participants. The IRB restrictions limited my
outreach to flyers and posters around campus. Since QR code technology is highly visible within
NYUSH marketing, the Qualtrics survey link was embedded in a QR code to minimize the
number of steps necessary to open the survey. During the senior class picture day and gown
fitting on November 8, 2018 in which 175 eligible students within the sample participated, a
flyer with information regarding the study was given to each student by the staff working the
registration counter. This helped to increase the number of respondents despite the restrictions on
emailing.

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Student Interview Sampling Criteria and Rationale
Criterion 1. Participants who submitted a response to the survey and, during their
sophomore year, self-selected to continue (C) or not continue (NC) living in an international and
Chinese student roommate pairing.
Criterion 2. Participants who during sophomore year, took on a significant role as a
student leader who can speak to their personal experience but also helped to facilitate roommate
experiences such as the resident assistants.
Student Interview and Recruitment Strategy and Rationale
Upon the completion of the survey, the participants were prompted with a separate link to
express interest in participating in a follow-up interview. The timeline of the interviews was
included in order to provide the information upfront so that a participant who might not be able
to participate did not volunteer. As the demographic section of the survey gathered the student
classification of whether they are international or Chinese students a total of twelve participants
were needed, six Chinese and six international students.
While the NYUSH institutional review board required that an NYUSH faculty member
assisted in the oversight of the data collection, the researcher served as the principal interviewer
for this study. The interviewer used a semi-structured interview approach utilizing a reviewed
and approved interview protocol and had flexibility in how the interviews are conducted
(Johnson & Christensen, 2015). The study is focused on intercultural communication and
identifying ways for the organization to influence the students’ knowledge and motivations.
Therefore, having the ability to learn about what activities or events changed the students’
development of their intercultural communication skills was crucial.

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Quantitative Data Collection and Instrumentation
The use of a survey design approach allows researchers to make general inferences
through the study of a sample population. Surveys assign a numerical description of trends,
attitudes, and beliefs (Creswell, 2008). According to Fink (2013), the process of stratified
random sampling is to first identify the subgroup and then to select an equal number of
respondents to participate. As the study focused on the knowledge, motivations, and
organizational influences, and the impact they had on how freshman students selected their
sophomore year roommate, having a sample of students who can speak to both the freshman and
the sophomore year experiences is important. Within the student population, seniors were
selected and then further broken in the two subgroups: Chinese and international students who
remained in an intercultural pairing; Chinese and international students who did not remain in an
intercultural pairing.
Surveys
The survey was disseminated online using Qualtrics and had been planned to be sent
through email to students who are a part of the Class of 2019 and who were enrolled during the
Fall 2015 semester, remained in their initial roommate assignment for a full year, and completed
the six semesters consecutively without taking a leave of absence. Due to NYUSH IRB
restrictions, the survey was not sent but rather disseminated through flyers, social media and
word of mouth. The design of the questions required the responders’ abilities to draw on personal
experiences from living with their first-year roommate, selecting a sophomore year roommate,
and spending their junior year studying abroad. Fink (2013) encouraged researchers to be
thoughtful about what information is needed and not needed, including the format of the item,
such as closed- or open-ended. Also, the scales of measurements are essential in order to ensure
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that meaningful data is gathered. The items in this study gathered data at different levels of
measurement: nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio.
The survey included multiple sections: demographics, roommate experience, general
experiences, and the global competence questionnaire. The demographics section gathered data
regarding the percentage of students who continued or did not continue to live in an intercultural
environment. The questions related to their roommate experiences provided data points on the
types of knowledge and motivations that students must have when selecting whether to continue
or not continue living in an intercultural roommate pairing. It also provided data for the
university to think about in terms of what it should do early on in the roommate relationship in
order to achieve the goal that at least 70% of the stakeholders continue living in an intercultural
roommate pairing during their sophomore year.
An open-ended question section was used in order to gather general feedback on current
processes and systems. The responses were coded and assisted with the refining of the qualitative
interview protocol. The last section of the survey used the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale
developed by Chen and Starosta (2000) that focused on factors influencing intercultural
communication competence. The questionnaire captured a number of factors and constructs,
including interaction engagement, respect of cultural differences, interaction confidence,
enjoyment, and attentiveness. Ideally, this would have been conducted as a pre-test when
students began their freshman year, and then a post-test during senior year. For the purpose of
this study, the analysis will focus on the degree to which students have developed a level of
competence in these constructs by their senior year. Within the relationship to the knowledge,
motivation, and organizational influences, the degree in which a student is aware of their level of
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intercultural sensitivity will help to close the gaps in between and to achieve the stakeholder
goal.
Reliability and Validity
It is important when conducting research that any survey instrument used be checked for
reliability and validity. According to Salkind (2017), reliability examines the consistency of the
measurement, while validity examines the accuracy of the measurement. This survey sought to
understand the relationship between the demographic characteristics of the sample population
and the factors that impact the choice of whom they live with during their sophomore year. One
approach to reliability is the internal consistency of the items and that they represent one-and
only-one dimension, construct, or area of interest (Salkind, 2017). This survey instrument was
broken into two parts. The first section contained questions developed by the researcher as they
relate to the knowledge, motivations, and organizational influences directly connected to the
research question and conceptual framework. In the first section, 14 questions developed by the
researcher is used to measure students’ interest in continuing to live in an intercultural
environment. A sample question asked, “How well do the statements below describe your
relationship with your freshman year roommate?” This question was followed by five statements
that the respondent answered using a Likert scale. A sample statement included, “My roommate
and I spent time together doing activities that helped us learn more about each other.” A second
question asked, “How well do the following statements below describe the communication
between you and your freshman year roommate?” A sample statement included, “My roommate
and I invested an equal amount of time and effort in getting to know each other”. These
statements in separate questions measured a similar construct and controlled for internal
consistency of the survey.
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The second part of the survey used the 24-item Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (ISS)
developed by Chen and Starosta (2000), in which the instrument demonstrated a high internal
consistency with a Cronbach’s alpha of .86. In order to validate the ISS, two studies were
conducted by Chen and Starosta (2000), in order to determine the items used for the instrument
through a factor analysis. In their first study, 44 items were examined and correlated to five
factors that accounted for 37.3% of the variance. The factors included interaction engagement,
respect of cultural differences, interaction confidence, interaction enjoyment, and interaction
attentiveness. Items with a .50 loading were selected in finalizing the measure. By utilizing the
ISS in addition to the survey questions developed to measure the knowledge, motivation, and
organizational influences, this allowed for reliability of the question that were not part of an
existing instrument. The ISS was also correlated with seven other measures that had a Pearson
product-moment correlation ranging from r = .17 to r = .74. These measures are represented in
the following table.
Table 4
Correlations of ISS with Other Measures
*p <.05
Note. Reprinted from The Development and Validation of the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale, by
Chen and Starosta (2000), retrieved from Human Communication. Copyright (2000) by
University of Rhode Island

Scale r
Interaction Attentiveness Scale
Impression Rewarding Scale
Self-Esteem Scale
Self-Monitoring Scale
Perspective Taking Scale
Intercultural Effectiveness Scale
Intercultural Communication Attitude Scale
.20*
.41*
.17*
.29*
.52*
.57*
.74*
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Ensuring validity was more difficult for the questions that focused specifically on the
unique experiences of the international and Chinese roommate pairing, because there were not
many pre-existing instruments. The protocol submitted to the institutional review board (IRB)
for approval was reviewed by multiple groups of individuals including the dissertation
committee for this study. At the time of conducting the study, no changes were necessary—in the
sense that the risk category of the study had to be changed due to item revision—and no
amendment was submitted to the IRB for additional review. The test for reliability and validity is
essential in order to ensure that the results of the study measure what the study is setting out to
measure.
Qualitative Data Collection and Instrumentation
This study used an explanatory sequential method in which survey results collected
during the first part of the study inform the interview questions used during the qualitative
research (Creswell, 2014). The qualitative component consisted of interviews with the student
stakeholder group. Interviews allowed the researcher to obtain information about past events that
cannot be replicated and provided insight into how people understand the world (Merriam &
Tisdell, 2016). Interviews provided an interior view of the individual and the meanings that they
make within their relationships (Weiss, 1995). The association that this study sought to
understand is the knowledge and motivations of international and Chinese students about
whether they will continue as roommates during their sophomore year.
Interviews
The interviews used a semi-structured format in order to provide the flexibility of
reacting to the respondent in the moment and the views that may emerge from the interview
(Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). Using a semi-structured format enabled the interviewer to react to
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the respondent or to move questions around to fit the flow of the responses. The questions that
were developed fall within gathering data about the knowledge and the motivations of the
student stakeholders and how the organization has influenced their decision to elect or not elect
to continue in an international and Chinese student roommate pairing during the sophomore year.
The questions sought to understand the interactions that are taking place in the physical residence
hall room, but also—and more critically—the cognitive interactions in which students can
identify instances of intercultural communication, whether positive or negative. It asked students
to describe the role of the university in shaping their understanding and importance of
intercultural communication.
Interview protocol. During the quantitative component of the study, participants who
completed the survey received a separate link to indicate whether they would be interested in
participating in an in-person interview. This link was not connected to their responses and
switched from the Qualtrics platform to a Google form. In order to invite students to participate
in an interview, it was necessary to get contact information of the students. By using the Google
form, it demonstrated to the participant that none of their survey responses could be linked back
and sought to provide participants with the additional assurance of confidentiality. In order to
capture rich and deep data, the study sought to have at minimum twelve participants for the
interview. The goal was to include a demographic breakdown of the participants of half Chinese
students and half international students, in which half of each continued to live in an intercultural
roommate pairing, and half of each did not continue to live with someone from a different
cultural background. Weiss (1995) suggested that establishing the research relationship is
critical, and that the focus and integrity are always connected to the research questions. Merriam
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and Tisdell (2016) further stated that the interviewer must enter the interview with explicit
neutrality and the attitude that they will learn from the participant.
The interviews took place during the work week and at a time that was convenient for the
student. Students had the option of conducting the interview in the office of the researcher or
suggest a different location. It is important to note that the researcher holds a senior
administrative position at the university, and it needed to be clear to participants and the IRB
approval process that this study did not create a power dynamic in which the students are
obligated to participate because they feel they would be penalized or denied access to university
services. As an employee of the university, it was important to limit the interviews during regular
business hours in which the university was in typical operation as it is not common for students
to meet with faculty and staff after hours. This was important to disclose at the start of the
interview recruitment period. Based on the student course schedule, there was sufficient time
throughout the week that the researcher was able to accommodate the participants’ schedules.
While the interviews took place in English, the researcher also prepared the questions in
Chinese. The official language of instruction and operation at the university is in English, but
having the Chinese option provided additional ease for the participant in using their native
language. At the start of the interview, the participant provided consent to both participating and
allowing for the use of a recorder so that the interview can be appropriately documented and
transcribed.
Data Analysis
The data was collected in multiple formats. First, a survey was distributed to the sample
population followed by in-person interviews. Upon the completion of the survey data collection,
a number of different analyses was completed. The demographic questions in the survey
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provided insight into the choices and decisions of the two groups of students, those that
continued the desired roommate pairing into sophomore year (C) and those that did not continue
(NC). The focus was on understanding both their freshman roommate experience and how that
impacted the self-selection of their sophomore year roommate. These questions are considered
nominal measurements focused on providing context of the population that participated in the
study and if it reflected the overall student population at the university. The survey included a
number of questions with sub item statements that fell within a Likert-type scale. These
questions focused on understanding the relationship between roommates and how it impacted
their knowledge, motivation, and the organizational influences to develop intercultural
communication competency.
After the completion of the survey data analysis, no major modifications were necessary
to the interview protocol. A third-party agency was used to transcribe the interviews. According
to Corbin and Strauss (2008), tools to assist with the analysis of the interview data includes
questioning, making comparison, and an examination of word meanings. The use of questioning
was a way of starting the data analysis process and experiencing the participant’s perspective.
Making comparisons allowed the researcher to begin to look at data at various levels and to
move in and out of assumptions and check what the researcher believed they were experiencing.
The examination on the potential meanings of words given that students come from different
backgrounds and while English is the primary language use for this study, English may not be
the first or primary language of the participants. Therefore, words may have different meanings
to it.
During this analysis, the focus was to analyze the data and connect it back to the research
questions. The interview questions were developed with the three research questions related to
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the knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences in mind. With the anticipation of
receiving rich data from the interviews, it was important to focus on aspects that tied into the
conceptual framework and be open to the emergence of themes that were not anticipated. After
this initial review was completed, it then was followed by open coding in which a clear emphasis
on the research question and conceptual framework were used to thoroughly examine the actual
transcript and find data points that related to the questions. This was done by in vivo codes and a
priori codes after combing through the data. The codes that appeared with higher frequency
throughout the transcripts were then clustered into a theme. The data sandwich technique by
framing the data, using evidence from the text, and then providing retrospective framing was
used to analyze the findings.
Credibility and Trustworthiness
The outcome of the research study was dependent on its credibility and the
trustworthiness of the qualitative data. Merriam and Tisdell (2016) acknowledged that research
findings must match reality, that data has congruence from one to another, and that the data is
consistent. Three methods used to ensure that the data collected is credible and trustworthy are
through triangulation, member checking, and reflexivity.
Triangulation of the data required multiple methods and multiple sources of data
(Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). In this study, asking the participants to each respond or react to the
same document provided a point of consistent data, reintroducing participants to the same
admissions materials that were used to promote the university’s message of global learning. The
second method is the process of member checking by soliciting feedback on the preliminary
findings from some of the participants (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). Since there was an
assumption that cultural context and cultural understanding may differ between the participants,
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this was a key strategy in order to ensure that the researcher can formulate the findings that take
into consideration these differences. Lastly, reflexivity—which is the process of how the
researcher affects and is affected by the research process—was an essential component of
determining the credibility of the data (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
As the researcher is responsible for the university housing assignment process, the
researcher took into consideration whether there was an actual problem with the current
percentage of students who continued living or did not continue living in an intercultural
roommate pairing. The research also took into consideration if students responded with
reservations or answered according to what they perceived may have been answers that they
should provide. Lastly, it was important to examine if this was a reaction to observations and
assumptions based on the experience of previous cohorts of students. These assumptions directed
the study, and these assumptions are explained clearly in the research findings.
Ethics
Ethics and protections for the human subjects who participated were essential in this
study. A critical component to ethics was providing information to all participants about what the
study sought to accomplish and confirming that it is voluntary, that the results are confidential,
and that they could withdraw from the study at any given time (Glesne, 2011; Krueger & Casey,
2009). As I hold a senior role at the university at which the study took place, throughout the data
collection process, I had to allow the participants to choose how much they wished to answer, or
to decide whether or not their answer can be documented. Rubin and Rubin (2011) emphasized
that pressure cannot be placed on the participants of the study. As the data was collected through
online surveys and interviews, I ensured that paper files were locked in a designated cabinet and
that passwords are placed on any online or electronic records. This followed the ethical principle
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of adequately handling data so that privacy can be protected, such as using fake names or
pseudonyms and destroying any data that could link back to individuals, especially for at-risk
groups (Rubin & Rubin, 2011).
The actual participant names were not used in order to provide anonymity and to protect
the respondent. The interviews adopted a similar approach, with responses being coded with a
pseudonym and their group category of (C) for those who continued and (NC) for those that did
not continue in the intercultural roommate pair. The one instance in which students were asked
for identifying information to schedule the interview, a separate link appeared in the form after
the survey was completed, with a request to participate in the qualitative interview component.
The study was submitted for review by the University of Southern California (USC)
Institutional Review Board (IRB) for approval to use human subjects as part of the study. As this
study included students from NYUSH, a submission to NYUSH IRB was necessary. Based on
NYUSH IRB policy, I was considered an external investigator and needed sponsorship and
supervision by a tenure-track faculty member. This faculty member served as the principal
investigator in the data collection, and I needed to ensure that they fully understood the
methodology and could adhere to the ethical concerns that I had raised.
Limitations and Delimitations
The study applied both quantitative and qualitative approaches to collecting data. This
approach involved surveys and interviews in order to gain insight into the knowledge,
motivations, and organizational influences in relation to how students develop the capacity for
global competence. There were a number of limitations that existed in this study. The first
limitation was the lapse in time between freshman and senior year. Students were asked to
respond to experiences that took place three years prior to the survey and interview, and those
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past experiences were at points difficult to recall. Another limitation was subjectivity and bias,
because students reacted differently to the question based on having had either a positive or
negative experience in the intercultural roommate pairing. And while the questions aimed to be
neutral, the questions focused on what was happening in the relationship between the roommates
resulted in skewed perspectives.
It was important to consider my role as the researcher with regards to the relationship that
I have with the participants. As a university administrator who was directly responsible for the
student housing program, there may have been concerns about whether participating in the study
impacted either their future roommate assignments or their placement in a specific room type.
But because the timing of the survey was after the students had returned to campus, and not all
seniors live on campus, this eliminated concerns about personal impact. Finally, the lack of
empirical research focusing on the impact of global competence in Sino-US joint universities
limits the ability to draw comparisons from other data points.
Delimitations included the criteria used to select the participants for the survey and
interview. By selecting the students who were in the Class of 2019, the experiences may not be
fully applicable to all students. In addition, this study focused on just one Sino-US joint
university with the specific population of half Chinese and half international students. This
limited the ability to generalize the results to all Sino-US programs. While this study cannot be
generalized to all Sino-US joint venture universities, it can directly inform practices at NYUSH
and offer recommendations for addressing the gap between student stakeholder actions and
decisions with the perception of the university leadership in regards to the extent in which
students are maximizing on the intercultural roommate relationship to develop global
competence and intercultural communication skills.
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Chapter Four: Results and Findings
This chapter will examine the results of the survey and the findings from the interviews.
The purpose of the study was to examine the knowledge, motivations, and organizational
influences of the student stakeholder group, with the goal that at least 70% of freshman students
will elect to continue in a Chinese and international student intercultural roommate pairing
during their sophomore year by Spring 2019. This study was guided by three research questions:
1. What are the students’ knowledge and motivations related to self-selecting to
continue living in an intercultural roommate environment?
2. What is the interaction between the university culture and context and the students’
knowledge and motivations?
3. What are the recommendations for the university to increase the number of students
self-selecting an intercultural roommate environment, ultimately supporting the
university’s goal of demonstrating the capacity for global competency and
intercultural communication skills?
An explanatory sequential mixed methods approach was utilized to gather data from the
student stakeholder group. A survey was distributed to current senior students who entered the
university Fall 2015 and will be graduating in Spring 2019. This group was intentionally selected
as the population sample as they would have completed the full four-year university cycle. They
were able to reflect on the various milestones of their time at NYUSH in which they developed
global competency and more specifically intercultural communication. During freshman year,
NYUSH required the students to live in an intercultural roommate pairing of Chinese and
international students. This was followed by sophomore year where they were able to self-select
their roommate and the focus of this study. Another university requirement is spending at least
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one semester to the full academic year studying abroad outside of the Shanghai campus during
junior year. Finally, during their senior year, the students all returned to Shanghai to complete
the rest of their degree requirements. Having comparative experiences during the four years was
essential for completing Chen and Starosta (2000) Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (ISS) during the
second half of the survey. The utilization and results from the ISS is discussed in relation to
expectancy value in the motivational influences section later in the chapter. At the end of the
survey, the respondents were able to indicate an interest in participating in the interview portion
of the study.
Participants
The following section provides an overview of the study participants, limitations with
soliciting a more substantial response and the criterion for students’ self-selection of their
sophomore year roommate. The remainder of this chapter presents the results and findings
around the knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences impacting the students’
decision to continue in an intercultural living arrangement during sophomore year and answer
the research questions presented at the start of this chapter.
Response from Participants
A request was submitted to the university registrar for data related to students who fit the
participant criteria. According to the enrollment data shared by the registrar’s office, 265
students fit the participant criteria. A total of 41 students started the survey with 30 students who
fully completed the survey. Within the 30 students who completed the survey, 14 students
indicated an interest in the in-person interview in which 10 responded to the invitation. Two
additional students who served as resident assistants (RA) were asked to participate in the in-
person interview. They however did not complete the survey and were recruited to provide
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additional comparative insight from having experienced the intercultural roommate pairing
during freshman year and then helping to facilitate roommate relationships as an RA during
sophomore and senior year. In order to enhance the data due to a low survey response rate, one
international RA and one Chinese RA was asked to participate in the interview portion of the
study.
Challenges with survey solicitation. A challenge of the study in being able to solicit a
higher respondent size was due to the restrictions set by the NYUSH IRB which did not allow
for mass email mailings for survey participation. The IRB limited the solicitation to flyers, social
media advertisement, and word of mouth. During the senior class graduation photo day on
November 8, 2019, the researcher provided flyers of the study to the event organizers who
distributed them to the 180 students who attended the event.
Demographics of the survey participants. While the survey respondent size was not as
high as expected representing only 11% of the eligible participant sample, the survey data paired
with the 12 interviews provided in-depth and rich results and findings. The demographics of the
30 participants included 50% Chinese and 50% international students which mirror the general
university student body population. Within this respondent group, 43% (n=13) students
continued (C) in an intercultural roommate pair and 57% (n=17) students did not continue (NC)
in an intercultural roommate pair. The percentages reflected the current patterns of how students
self-select their sophomore year roommate. Having a higher percentage of (NC) students was
important to this study as it provided a better understanding of the knowledge and motivation
influences of the stakeholder group whose behavior the university was most focused on
changing. The university wanted to know why they did not continue and how to increase that
percentage to 70% for future groups of students. Figure 2 shows the breakdown of the
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respondents. As the research questions are focused on why students continued (C) or did not
continue (NC) in the intercultural pair, the comparison of the results is clustered between those
that fall in either the (C) and (NC) group rather than the decisions made specifically by Chinese
or international students. The results of the survey are reported through the mean, standard
deviations, and a t-test between the (C) and (NC) groups with p <.05.

Figure 2. Survey participant demographics

Demographics of the interview participants. In total, 12 students participated in the in-
person interview portion of the study. At the end of the survey, a separate Google form link was
made available that allowed individuals to indicate their interest in a participating in an in-person
interview. A total of 14 participants indicated their interest and an email was sent to set up an
interview time. Only 10 participants replied to the invitation to the interview. Of these 10
participants, five identified as Chinese and five identified as international students. In addition,
two resident assistants (RA) were recruited to provide insight to both their own experience
during their freshman year intercultural roommate pairing and observations of the experiences of
the 36-40 freshman students on their floor community. The two resident assistants, one Chinese
13
17
0
5
10
15
20
Continued Did Not Continue
Survey Participant Demographics
Students
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and one international, met the participant criteria with the only difference that during sophomore
year, they did not need to select a roommate as they were provided a single room. Within the
statistic of the 55% of students that continued in an intercultural pair, the resident assistants are
not included in the calculation. As the survey and interview questions focused on the interactions
in the freshman roommate experience, the findings enriched and helped to support the other data
points. Similar to the survey responses, the majority of students who participated in the interview
represented the category of students in the “did not continue (NC)” group. The interview
findings were able to further complement the survey results. Pseudonyms are used for the
purposes of providing anonymity to the participants.
Table 5
Demographics of the Interview Participants

Interviewee Group Participant Nationality Roommate Nationality
Sophomore Year
Aiwen (NC) Chinese Chinese

Bingling (C)

Chinese

International

Chuntian (NC)

Chinese

Chinese

Dongbo (NC)

Chinese

Chinese

Ermei (C)

Chinese

International

Fanghua (RA)

Chinese

N/A Resident Assistant

Gordon (C)

International

Chinese

Harry (NC)

International

International

Jeremy (NC)

International

International

Kyle (C)

International

Chinese

Lena (RA)

International

N/A Resident Assistant

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Michelle (NC) International International

Factors that influenced the sophomore self-selection process. It was essential to
examine a number of potential factors that impacted the students’ decision that are not within a
student’s control. These factors included students’ initial freshman housing assignment of a
double or triple room, perception that intercultural communication was largely taking place
outside the room, and the degree in which compatibility of lifestyles was used as a reason for not
continuing. The sophomore year roommate selection fell into one of the following three
categories: 1) your current freshman roommate 2) another classmate, and 3) random assignment
by the university. Of the 13 students in the (C) group who remained in an intercultural roommate
pairing, seven indicated they continued to live with their “freshman year roommate” while six
selected “another classmate”. Of the 17 students in the (NC) group, four continued with their
“freshman year roommate but of the same classification,” 11 selected “another classmate,” and
the university randomly assigned two. The clarification on the meaning of “same classification”
is explained in the next section.
Double and triple freshman housing assignments. The goal was to increase the
percentage of students who self-selected to continue in an intercultural roommate pairing. It was
not necessary or a requirement for students to continue living with the same freshman year
roommate. Within the freshman roommate assignments, students are assigned to either a double
or triple room. This is done to properly assign students a roommate from a different cultural
background and operate within the restriction limited by gender. While the university admits
50% Chinese and 50% international students, this does not evenly translate to 50% males and
50% females within the respective population type to evenly assign students. The roommate
pairing in a double room is, one Chinese student and one international student. The roommate
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pairing in a triple room is, one international and two Chinese students or two Chinese and one
international student. Therefore, students who are in triples freshman year may choose to
continue with one of their roommates, but that roommate may be of the same cultural
background. In the scenario of a triple room, at minimum one person in the room may need to go
out and find another classmate as a roommate. The university does not have an infrastructure in
place to help facilitate students who are entering their sophomore year without having pre-
selected their roommate(s). The only option is to randomly assign the students with another
student in a similar situation and this increases the likelihood of being matched with students of
the same classification. Fifty-four percent (n=7) of the students in the (C) group reselected to live
with their freshman roommate from a different cultural background for a second time.
Table 6

Self-Selection of Sophomore Roommate Type

Intercultural Living Status
Sophomore Year
Roommate Type Sophomore Year n
Continued (C) Another Classmate 6

Continued (C)

Freshman Year Roommate

7

Did Not Continue (NC)

Another Classmate

11

Did Not Continue (NC)

Freshman Year Roommate (Same
classification/triple room)

4

Did Not Continue (NC)

Randomly Assigned

2

Spaces for intercultural communication. The study assessed students’ experience and
observation of where intercultural communication was taking place at the university. Question 9
asked students, “Where do you see intercultural communication taking place at NYUSH?”. The
students had to select one choice from the following options: 1) in the room with my roommate
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2) in the classroom with my classmates 3) in the city with the local community. For the (C)
group, five indicated “in the room with my roommate,” six indicated “in the classroom with their
classmates,” and two indicated “in the local community.” Compared with the (NC) group in
which 100% indicated “in the classroom with classmates.” The (C) group may have felt more
comfortable and equipped to have conversations in different environments and contexts, while
the (NC) group felt the classroom structure mainly helped facilitate their conversations with
someone from a different cultural background. Those in the (NC) group felt their classmates
provided more opportunities for intercultural communication and the (C) group indicated a
higher instance of engaging with their roommates. The variance in responses by the (C) group
indicates they had a broader range of opportunities and experiences. The (C) group felt
intercultural communication was occurring in multiple places at the university.
Compatible lifestyle match is an important factor in the sophomore year roommate
selection. The university randomly assigned students during freshman year to ensure that the
intercultural pair is manageable and the system is equitable. Random assignments reduced the
incidents of individuals feeling left out because they are not able to match with someone. This is
completed by using an automatic allocation process in which the computer program takes into
consideration students’ lifestyle preferences to find a compatible match. The students are asked
to respond to a number of lifestyle questions related to the following: sleep schedule, cleanliness,
noise levels, and smoking habits. These are the only questions used to attempt to match
roommates. The lifestyle questions are default question within the NYU housing application for
the New York, Abu Dhabi, Shanghai, and global academic centers. It has not been customized to
address the cultural needs of the Shanghai campus. In the survey and the interviews, student’s
satisfaction with their roommate largely depended on how compatible they were with each other.
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This affected the level of communication between roommates and how to live with someone
from a different background. Question 7 asked, “What was the most important factor in deciding
who to live with sophomore year?” The choices included the following: 1) ability to continue in
an intercultural living environment 2) ability to support each other in academic and personal
endeavors 3) ability to live with someone with a similar and compatible lifestyle match. The term
“lifestyle” described the same personal habits of the individual–sleep time, tolerance with noise,
comfort with room temperature, and overall cleanliness. Sixty-one percent of the (C) group and
88% of the (NC) groups indicated that a compatible lifestyle was the most important factor. This
is an important data point that the university must take into consideration when housing students
during freshman year. A higher match to interest and lifestyle similarities during freshman year
may result in a higher proportion of students who continue in an intercultural roommate pair
during their sophomore year. Alternatively, the higher percentage of students who indicated that
compatibility was the defining factor may have used this as their rationale for not continuing
(NC). The interviews further supported this assessment in which Gordon (C) noted, “I think
people would want to live with their friends…or someone they think is a good fit with their
lifestyle.” This student indicated that the relationship between roommates as a friend would work
best if the lifestyle also matched. In contrast, Harry (NC) who did not live with their same
roommate freshman year noted, “in hindsight, from my experience sophomore year, I actually
think I would've preferred living with my freshman roommate again probably sophomore year.”
In this instance, Harry (NC) chose to live with a friend, whereas the lifestyle of the freshman
roommate was more compatible. This requires students to spend time discussing their
compatibility in depth. Lena (RA) expressed that having a good roommate pairing in which her
roommate was very understanding, resulted in a good experience. Likewise, Bingling (C)
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emphasized the importance of engaging in an actual conversation with the other roommate
before making the decision to continue (C) or not continue (NC) and if they would be still a good
fit to live together. The experiences freshman year heavily influenced the decision for students
during sophomore year. An understanding of the priorities for these two groups of students is an
important starting point to understanding the interactions of the knowledge, motivation, and
organizational influences. The comparison of the similarities and differences will help to
increase student’s decision to continue in an intercultural roommate pair. Kyle (C) also
emphasized, “we had a good amount of social time together, academic time together and so it
would balance out the living time…very similar schedules and similar sleeping habits, living
habits, eating habits so it just, everything lined up perfectly.” As the questionnaire is completed
before students arrive to campus and prior to selecting courses; the potential change in lifestyle is
not taken into account when the university matches students. Therefore, the process of
communicating to students the process of the roommate match is important so they can focus on
finding other interest together.
Table 7

Sophomore Living Status by Priorities

Intercultural Living
Status Sophomore Year
Roommate Type Priorities n Percentage
Continued (C) Compatible/Lifestyle Match 8 26.6%

Continued (C)

Continue in Intercultural Living

2

6.6%

Continued (C)

Support Academic/Personal Endeavors

3

10%

Discontinued (NC)

Compatible/Lifestyle Match

15

50%

Discontinue (NC)

Support Academic/Personal Endeavors

2

6.6%

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Procedural and Conceptual Knowledge Influences Results and Findings
The study focused on the procedural and conceptual knowledge influences that impacted
the freshman year intercultural living experience and the students’ decision with the selection of
their sophomore year roommate. For procedural knowledge, the study assessed whether students
knew how to effectively communicate and engage with someone from a different cultural
background. For conceptual knowledge, the study assessed if students knew how to complete the
roommate agreement form to develop positive roommate interactions. The survey consisted of a
mix of statements in which the participants answered according to a Likert scale range of 1 –
strongly agree, 2- agree, 3- disagree, and 4- strongly disagree. The other questions in the survey
had participants choose a response from a number of options.
Building the roommate relationship required time, commitment and effective
communication. The study assessed the procedural knowledge of how students navigated the
roommate relationship within the context of how to effectively communicate and get to know
each other at a deeper level. In order to establish a relationship, roommates needed to plan and
engage in intentional activities to learn more about each other. An independent-samples t-test
was conducted to compare the procedural knowledge influences between the (C) and (NC)
groups. The two groups approached a significant difference with the (C) group (M = 2.15, SD
= .37) and (NC) group (M = 2.52, SD = .71) in the responses for item #1A that probed for
whether the roommates had intentionally planned activities to get to know each other better t(28)
= 1.70, p = .048. (C) group reported a higher level of agreement that they planned activities to
get to know each other than the (NC) group. This is further supported by the interviews that
indicated how spending time increased the (C) groups satisfaction with their roommate(s).
Questions that assessed how activities helped to develop the roommate relationship yielded a
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number of similar responses. Dongbo (NC) shared how the activities was helpful in getting to
know each other better. An example of why activities have a purpose, Ermei (C) described how
she would go to activities with her roommate which were outside of her comfort zone, but
enabled her to gain insight into a different culture. In order to better understand other cultures
and how they interact, it required a more active approach. Fanghua (RA) provided a broader
perspective by comparing his experience with that of the residents he was responsible for:
But I do think especially for the roommate groups, like Chinese and English, or groups
that they choose, that they are paired up into freshman year and continue to be each
other's roommates for sophomore year. I think especially for that group they tend to have
better roommate interaction and relationship. They do a lot of things together.
The emphasis is placed on the type of relationship that can be formed by just spending time
together outside the room. Kyle (C) discussed the importance of allowing the conversation to
help guide the ability to find similarities and interest between the roommates, Kyle (C) shared,
“just talking and getting to, what TV shows do you like or ‘Oh what is this?’ so just through
basic roommate questions and spending time together, we just organically found similarities.”
This example highlighted that it would be hard for roommates to find common points and shared
interest without attempting to learn more about each other.
Effective communication in the roommate relationship required rich and
meaningful conversations. The study assessed the importance of having rich and meaningful
conversations with their roommates to increase their intercultural communication. An
independent-samples t-test was conducted to compare the procedural knowledge influences
between the (C) and (NC) groups. The two groups approached a significant difference with the
(C) group (M = 1.76, SD = .59) and (NC) group (M = 2.35, SD = .83) in the responses for item
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#1B that probed for whether the roommates had rich and meaningful conversations to increase
cultural awareness, t(28) = 1.70, p = .049. (C) group reported a higher degree of agreement that
they had rich and meaningful conversations with their roommates than (NC) group. The
interview additionally provided insight into the benefits of having rich and meaningful
conversation.
Kyle (C) described the type of conversations they would have after coming home from a
day at the academic building:
My roommate would ask me things about other students at school and say, “Hey, I saw
this White kid do this and I don't know why” And I'd be like, “Oh well because this and
this and this." We'd have to explain jokes to each other because you'd hear a joke and be
like, "Ha, Ha, Ha, I don't understand." Go home, ask and be able to learn about that. So it
really helped in learning about other students and learning about living in China and all
that. And then my roommate had also started learning French, and so we would
communicate on that and how my roommate always wanted to go to France.
Kyle’s example provided insight into how these experiences standout within the roommate
experience. For Kyle and his roommate, the intercultural roommate pairing provided an
opportunity to process what was happening in their daily lives in a safer space. In another
example, Fanghua (RA) described how the roommates were able to dive into different cultural
comparisons and perspectives and therefore engaging in deeper conversations such as gender
dynamics within Korean and Chinese society. The intercultural roommate experience provided
the environment to help further develop knowledge of other cultures or go into depth with
understanding different cultural perspectives. In certain instances, the conversations were able to
help each other with understanding and supporting the course material in the classroom. Michelle
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(NC) described how in their Global Perspectives on Society course that is required by all
students—by design required students to have deep conversations in order to derive at points of
mutual understanding and address sensitive subject matters. In this case, the events happening in
the classroom spilled into the living environment and students were able to further support each
other in developing depth of the subject. Navigating the cultural dynamics required an ability to
be comfortable with their roommates. This connected back to the need to spend time having the
conversations and that it could not occur at a superficial level or when individuals were not
engaged in the conversation. For students who expressed that they did not have rich and
meaningful conversations, inversely they indicated the desire for deeper level of a relationship,
Harry (NC) shared how his expectations of the living experience never matched up:
I actually wished that we got to that level where I could go visit his house and, I don't
know, meet his family, have a Shanghainese dinner…I just don't know if there's kind of a
boundary. And it seemed they weren't really interested, when I asked…I don't think either
person in the friendship took the initiative to talk about deeper things. I never really asked
more about family stuff because I just didn't know if that's appropriate or it never came
up, and they never asked. So, it was kind of just, it felt like there was just kind of a border
to the things that we could talk about.
The example Harry (NC) provided presents a challenge in which roommates that never moved
beyond a superficial level struggled to move the relationship further along during the year.

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Table 8

Survey Knowledge Items Related to the Need to Spend Time to Develop the Roommate
Relationship

Survey Item (C) (NC) t-test

Q. 1A My roommate and I spent time together
doing activities that helped us learn more about
each other
M

2.15
SD

.37
M

2.52
SD

.71
p<.05

.048

Q. 1B My roommate and I had rich and
meaningful conversations that increased our
awareness of cultural difference

Q. 1E Building a relationship with my
roommate required a lot of time and
investment

1.76

2.69

.59

.75

2.35

2.35

.83

.60

.049

.09

Q. 2B Building a relationship with my
roommate required a willingness to
communicate with each other
1.69

.60 1.7 .46 .47

How to navigate managing roommate conflicts. The study sought to understand
students’ knowledge around managing conflict and how it impacted the development of
intercultural communication. The university put in place a tool that asked students to complete a
roommate agreement form to discuss how they would live in the space and communicate when
there was conflict. Both groups of students indicated that they were aware of asking their
resident assistant for support. This question was asked in two different parts of the survey but
yielded significantly different responses from the two groups. There was not a significant
difference between the (C) group (M = 1.69, SD = .63) and (NC) group (M = 1.82, SD = .63) in
the responses for item #2E that probed for whether the roommates knew how to work through
conflicts and disagreements without the help of the RA, t(28) = -.56, p = .28. This indicated that
students in both the (C) and (NC) group indicated a high level of confidence in being able to
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manage conflicts on their own and that there was not a significant difference between the two
groups in terms of their perception of their ability to work through conflicts and disagreements
without the help of the RA. However, there was a significant difference between the (C) group
(M = 1.91, SD = .28) and (NC) group (M = 1.35, SD = .49) in the responses for item #3J that
probed if the students knew that they could turn to their RA if they had difficulties with their
roommate t(27) = 3.54, p = .007. (NC) group reported a higher degree of knowledge that the RA
was a resource to help them navigate when there were roommate conflicts than the (C) group.
The role of the RA was helpful in facilitating the overall living experience but not necessarily
effective or impactful in terms of the development of intercultural communication. Jeremy (NC)
described:
The RA knew that we had a problem and she asked me if I wanted her to talk to my
roommate, but I said that I prefer to deal with these things on my own because I feel
that's childish to ask a third person to mediate.
Jeremy (NC) agreed that RA role was important but students wanted to take ownership in
solving and coming up with solutions to the conflicts they had with their roommate. Other
students like Kyle (C) who had two Chinese roommates chose to avoid one that he had conflict
with rather than talk through the issues. He stated, “the thought of going home was just dreadful
so I actually spent most of my freshman year on campus, like taking the last bus back home,
taking the first bus in the morning.” Kyle ended up living with one of the roommates again
sophomore year, but the one he had conflicts with, he felt was just an incompatibility of
personalities. For Bingling (C) he could not recall any instances in the living situation as a
significant conflict which demonstrated either the roommates had a positive relationship overall
or not enough to make it an issue. He recalls:
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Maybe just I don't remember well, but if I don't remember, it probably means there wasn't
anything so serious. Maybe there was a few conflict like some of us in the room goes to
bed too late and the light is annoying or something like that where the alarm in the
morning is too early. Things like that but I don't think there was any major issues.
In all of these examples, it all indicated a person’s willingness to address the issues and work
through the problems in the room. It also indicated that each individual has a different threshold
and standard and that roommates need to be open in their communication.
Hesitancy to create conflict and general conflict aversion. The question of asking
students to discuss their experiences in managing conflicts varied with some indicating that they
had open and easy conversations to others that indicated they generally avoided conflicts. There
was a significant difference between the (C) group (M = 1.92, SD = .49) and (NC) group (M =
2.47, SD = .71) in the responses for item #2A that probed for whether the roommates knew how
to tell each other how they felt when they were upset, t(28) = -2.35, p = .01. (C) group reported a
higher level of agreement that they would let their roommate know when they were upset than
the (NC) group. This is substantiated by the experiences of some of the students. The majority of
the interviewees had something to say regarding their hesitancy to address conflicts. Aiwen
(NC) expressed that she was hesitant to create conflicts. Jeremy (NC) indicated that while he
though there may have been issues that bothered his roommate, it was never raised out loud.
Chuntian (NC) placed it in a cultural context that it may not have been polite to point the issue
out directly and whether it was respectful. Ermei (C) and Gordon (C) both described how they
just did not like conflict in any capacity. Lastly, Harry (NC) shared:
But then, a few months in, I actually started dating a sophomore and so, I think what
would happen a lot is she would also come over a lot. But he never said anything. He was
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very open, he was very flexible about things and I almost felt sometimes he was
uncomfortable, but he never said anything. I don't know or he was just really chill.
The students all indicated how conflict is something that is hard regardless of the level of
relationship they have with their roommate. The students often hold back because of fear of how
that will impact the relationship or if the issue will be escalated.
Managing conflict with roommates required effort and self-reflection. Students also
indicated the need to be self-reflective and take responsibility of the conflicts that occur in the
living environment. In this example, Jeremy (NC) described:
Freshman year inevitably you go into roommate situation where you don't know a person
at all and you want to be really polite. The first few conversations set a tone for how it's
going to be like the whole year. If there was something that bothered you, but he never
brought it up, you can't really bring it up later.
Jeremy’s example emphasized the importance of setting the tone for the roommate relationship
at the very beginning or having to learn to let go if it is not confronted. For Dongbo (NC), “when
we had issues, we would just communicate with each other instead of just complaining to
someone else and without directly telling your roommate, because I think in that case the
problem will not solve.” In this example, Dongbo (NC) expressed the importance of handling the
situation as adults and directly with the individual that they have conflict with to solve the
problems. Ermei (C) expressed the importance of self-reflection and that he needed to first
examine the core of the actual conflict. He also needed to take his roommates perspective to
understanding why they may behave in a certain way. The importance of processing the issues
that bothered them was an important indicator of how they were able to navigate and move on
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from the problem. Jeremy (NC) pointed out also the importance of individual responsibility, he
shared:
I don't think culturally there were a lot of things that bothered me. I never felt like, ‘Oh,
it's because he's Chinese.’ It was just his personality that didn't really click with mine,
except for maybe things like...we agreed that we're both okay with eating in the room. I
don't mind the smell, I eat in my bed, it's a bad habit, but I do. Sometimes he would chew
his food really loudly which I feel is more accepted here. It's culturally acceptable
whereas in Europe it's disgusting.
In this context, each individual comes with their own personal experiences and cultural context,
what is acceptable is one culture may be different in another culture and that requires individuals
to take time to reflect and discuss openly with their roommates.
Table 9

Survey Knowledge Items Related to How to Navigate Roommate Conflicts

Item (C) (NC) t-test

Q. 1D My roommate and I were able to work
out all of our conflicts
M

1.76
SD

.43
M

1.94
SD

.74
p<.05

.23

Q. 2A My roommate and I told each other how
we felt when we were upset with something in
our living situation

1.92

.49

2.47

.71

.01

Q. 2D I understand the benefits of developing
intercultural communication skills by living
with a roommate from a different background

1.46

.95

1.58

1.09

.27

Q. 2E I knew how to work through conflict
and disagreements without the help of my
Resident Assistant

1.69

.63

1.82

.63

.28

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Q. 3J I was aware that I could turn to my
resident assistant if I had difficulties with my
roommate

1.91 .28 1.35 .49 .007

Expectancy Value and Goal Orientation Motivational Influences Results and Findings

The motivational influences focused on the intrinsic value and mastery goal orientation of
students’ development of intercultural communication competence. This study assessed whether
the students valued the importance of developing their intercultural communication competence.
In addition, it assessed if students were mastery versus performance goal orientated in terms of
intercultural communication with people from different cultures. The survey had two types of
questions, a number of statements in which the participants answered according to a Likert scale
range of 1 – strongly agree, 2- agree, 3- disagree, and 4- strongly disagree. The other questions
had participants choose a response from a number of options. The survey also utilized an existing
instrument—Chen and Starosta (2000) Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (ISS) to understand the
degree in which students had an “active desire to motivate themselves to understand, appreciate,
and accept differences amongst cultures” (p. 3). The use of the ISS allowed a comparison to the
degree of whether the roommate experience provided any level of difference between the (C) and
(NC) group.
Intrinsic value of developing intercultural communication competence. An important
question of the study was to understand if students wanted or valued the opportunity to develop
intercultural communication. An independent-samples t-test was conducted to compare the
intrinsic value motivational influences between the (C) and (NC) groups. There was a significant
difference between the (C) group (M = 2.07, SD = .95) and (NC) group (M = 3.23, SD = 1.09) in
the responses for item #2F that probed for whether the students’ decision to attend NYUSH was
largely due to the opportunity to live with someone from a different background, t(28) = -3.03, p
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= .002. (C) group reported a higher agreement that the motivation and decision to attend NYUSH
was largely related to the intercultural living experience than the (NC) group. The goal to
continue in an intercultural roommate pair past the freshman year needed to be communicated
and transparent prior to arriving at the university. This was the only item in which the (NC)
group responses were “disagree” and “strongly disagree.” The values between what the
university hoped the students entered the university with was not fully aligned. There was a
significant difference between the (C) group (M = 1.92, SD = .75) and (NC) group (M = 2.52,
SD = .87) in the responses for item #2G that probed for whether the roommates had discussions
of global current events, t(28) = -1.99, p = .028. (C) group reported a higher level of agreement
that they valued having discussions on global current events than the (NC) group. There was no
significant difference between the (C) group (M = 1.92, SD = .86) and (NC) group (M = 2.23,
SD = .83) in the responses for item #1C that probed for whether the roommate experience
provided an increased awareness to navigate different cultural environments, t(28) = -1.05, p
= .14. This indicated that students in both the (C) and (NC) group reported a high level of
confidence that the roommate experience increased their awareness of how to navigate cultural
differences and that there was not a significant difference between the two groups. While some
students may not have continued in an intercultural roommate pairing, it did not minimize the
impact of the overall environment for engaging in intercultural communication competence. A
number of interviews focused on students’ value of the host culture, in particular international
students’ interest in understanding China and Chinese students’ value of attending an American
university situated in their own country. Kyle (C) shared, “…since we were here, we wanted to
keep up the intercultural relationship. It was the first time in my life I was ever living with a
Chinese person…he was ever living with a European American person.” Students may have
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varying degrees of reasons for attending NYUSH but they did share the commonality that the
intercultural roommate program was a signature program for the university in achieving its goals
and mission.
Valuing China as the host country. During the interviews, a number of students
expressed the importance of having either previous knowledge of China or interest in China as a
factor in facilitating intercultural communication at NYUSH. Bingling (C) described how his
internationals roommate’s interest in China and the Chinese language prior to arriving
demonstrated his commitment to studying and living in China. These actions stood out to
Bingling (C) and aided his appreciation and understanding between the roommates because he
could compare his roommate to other international students who had less interest in China.
Bingling (C) further elaborated:
I think for the ones that are interested, it was very clear. Otherwise, why wouldn't they
choose to go to university somewhere else. They choose NYU Shanghai because they
want to know more about China or they want to spend more time here. As for the rest,
based on my observation, some of them found out that the university life here is very
different from their expectations and they might not like it as much.
As NYUSH operates with a dual identity of being both a Chinese university and a degree
granting campus of the NYU system, the admissions process is different for Chinese students
and international students. Chinese students may be more motivated from the very beginning
because they can only apply to the Shanghai campus. The international students can indicate
their interest in the New York, Shanghai, or Abu Dhabi campuses but will only be offered
admissions to one campus. This may mean that students have an interest in Shanghai, but are
more motivated to by the value of an NYU education. Admissions officers evaluated the
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applicants for fit and offer admissions to one campus. Although students may have checked the
Shanghai box, their intentions to attend may not be as clear. NYUSH invited admitted students to
attend a weekend at the campus where they are exposed to various aspects of the university. The
goal of the weekend is to help facilitate the students’ decision making process.
Heritage students having an easier time with intercultural communication. Heritage
students are described as individuals who have ethnic ties to China but may not have been born
or raised in China. The data on the number of “heritage” students is not available publicly though
NYUSH’s website, but this population is also important to highlight as they represent another
interesting group of students. Chuntian (NC) described, “she's really interested in Chinese
culture, and that's why we have a really good communication…because she likes to share her
experience in America, and I would like to share mine in the local China.” Aiwen (NC)
described the relationship with her roommate who had Chinese roots:
So actually I got really interesting roommate in my freshman year. She's from Texas, but
her grandma is actually a Shanghainese yeah. So she will go back to her grandma's every
weekend and actually she knows a lot of Chinese and she knows a lot about Chinese
customs. Yeah, she's really interested in Chinese culture, although she was raised in
Texas… like she has got some Chinese elements in her blood. So that make it a lot easier
for us to communicate.
In these two examples, the students still found value in interacting and living with someone who
may look like them and easier to communicate despite not selecting to live together again
sophomore year.

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Table 10

Survey Motivational Related Items for Expectancy Value (Intrinsic)

Survey Item (C) (NC) t-test

Q. 1C My roommate experience provided me
with an increasing awareness to navigate
different cultural environments

Q. 2F My decision to attend NYUSH was
largely due to the opportunity of living with
someone from a different background

Q. 2G My roommate and I had discussions
about global current events

M

1.92

2.07

1.92

SD

.86

.95

.75
M

2.23

3.23

2.52
SD

.83

1.09

.87
p<.05

.14

.002

.028

Intercultural sensitivity of NYUSH students. Chen and Starosta (2000) asserted that
intercultural sensitivity is the affective component of intercultural communication. The term
intercultural sensitivity refers to “active desire to motivate themselves to understand, appreciate,
and accept differences among cultures” (p. 3). In order to validate the ISS, Chen and Starosta
(2000) focused on confining the measure to concepts in which a person can demonstrate an,
“ability to develop a positive emotion towards understanding and appreciating cultural
differences that promotes appropriate and effective behavior in intercultural communication” (p.
4). In the first study, Chen and Starosta (2000) structured a 44-item measure to determine the
factors of intercultural sensitivity. Through a factor analysis, the final 24-item instrument
accounted for the following: 1) interaction engagement—feelings of participation in intercultural
communication; 2) respect of cultural differences—orientation to others opinions; 3) interaction
confidence—confidence in an intercultural environment; 4) interaction enjoyment—reactions
towards communicating with others; and 5) interactive attentiveness—effort in understanding the
intercultural interaction. The Cronbach’s alpha in Chen and Starosta’s (2000) study was .86. The
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Cronbach’s alpha in this study was .83. The instrument used a Likert scale that included the
following: 5 – strongly agree, 4 – agree, 3 – uncertain, 2 – disagree, and 1 – strongly disagree.
An independent-samples t-test was conducted to compare the five factors; 1) Interaction
Engagement, 2) Respect of Cultural Differences, 3) Interaction Confidence, 4) Interaction
Enjoyment, and 5) Interaction Attentiveness between the (C) and (NC) groups. There was not a
significant difference in four of the five factors. There was a significant difference between the
(C) group (M = 17.1, SD = 2.06) and (NC) group (M = 18.8, SD = 2.07) in the responses for
interaction confidence that probed for whether the students were confident interacting in an
intercultural environment, t(28) = -1.93, p = .03. (NC) group reported a higher degree of
confidence in the interactions in an intercultural context than the (C) group. A closer
examination of the questions for this factor and a comparison to other data points would indicate
that the (NC) group may lack the self-awareness of their true mastery of intercultural
communication. The five items included the following: “I am pretty sure of myself in interacting
with people from different cultures,” “I find it very hard to talk in front of people from different
cultures,” “I always know what to say when interacting with people from different cultures,” “I
can be as sociable as I want to be when interacting with people from different cultures,” “I feel
confident when interacting with people from different cultures.” In relation to the living
experience, the confidence would be a strong indicator of students’ ability to navigate the
intercultural environment. This can also be seen in the struggle to manage conflicts and the
confidence in addressing the issues. The ISS would have been better applied as a pre-test at the
start of their freshman year and post-test at the end of their senior year, but due to the limitations
of this study, it focuses on the students’ self-assessment of their intercultural sensitivity having
had exposure to an intercultural environment over the course of four years.
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Table 11

Intercultural Sensitivity Scale

Factor (C) (NC) t-test

Interaction Engagement

Respect of Cultural Differences

Interaction Confidence

Interaction Enjoyment

Interaction Attentiveness
M

25.3

20.8

17.1

10.7

11.4
SD

5.22

2.9

2.06

1.67

2.17
M

27.7

21.9

18.8

10.5

11.2
SD

2.9

3.4

2.7

2.52

2.1
p<.05

.07

.19

.03

.41

.41

Mastery orientation of intercultural communication. Goal orientation theory suggests
that achievement of tasks can be broken into performance and mastery goals. Pintrich (2000)
categorized mastery and performance goals into two types: approach and avoidance. This study
focuses on students’ mastery of intercultural communication by examining the degree in which
students fall within an approach or avoidance state. In an approach state, students are able to
reflect and motivate themselves to achieve the task. In an avoidance state, students may choose
to avoid the task because they fear they cannot develop the mastery of the task.
Mastery orientation approach state. In order to examine if students were motivated to
develop mastery goal orientated in intercultural communication, a number of items explored
their sophomore living experience. An independent-samples t-test was conducted to compare the
mastery orientation motivational influences between the (C) and (NC) groups. There was not a
significant difference between the (C) group (M = 1.92, SD = .64) and (NC) group (M = 2.29,
SD = .84) in the responses for item #6B that probed for whether students’ level of priority for
intercultural communication changed between freshman year, t(28) = -1.31, p = .09. The students
in the (C) group indicated a higher agreement that they continued or believed in continuing to
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develop intercultural communication regardless of their living situation. There was not a
significant difference between the (C) group (M = 1.76, SD = .59) and (NC) group (M = 2.2, SD
= .9) in the responses for item #6C that probed for how much they worked on developing
intercultural communication skills during sophomore year, t(28) = -1.60, p = .059. This indicated
that students in the both the (C) and (NC) group reported a high level of confidence that they did
not necessarily focus on developing intercultural communication during sophomore year and that
there were no significant differences between the two groups. Students may have felt that their
level of intercultural communication skills were sufficient in communicating with individuals
from different cultural backgrounds by sophomore year.
Table 12

Motivational Influences – Mastery Goals

Item (C) (NC) t-test

Q. 6B When it came time to selecting my
sophomore year roommate, intercultural
communication was equally important as when
I first started at NYUSH

Q. 6C During sophomore year, I continued to
build on the foundation of intercultural
communication that I develop during freshman
year

Q. 6D Living with someone from a different
cultural background during the sophomore
year would continue to enhance my awareness
of difference

Q. 6E I feel that I had the same level of
intercultural interaction as I did during the
freshman year
M

1.92

1.76

1.46

2.38
SD

.64

.59

.51

.76
M

2.29

2.2

1.76

2.47

SD

.84

.90

.75

.94

p<.05

.09

.059

.11

.39

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Another point of inquiry was understanding if students could reselect their sophomore
year roommate again, what choices would they make. A chi-square test could confirm but was
outside the scope of this study. However, 85% of the (C) group indicated they would still select
someone of a different background, whereas 17% in the (NC) group indicated they would have
selected someone of a different background. Students in the (NC) group were very confident of
their decision and did not feel any regrets about not continuing in the intercultural roommate
experience. This indicated that the percentage of students who resulted in a satisfactory
roommate experience in the (C) group was greater than those in the (NC) group. It also supports
that those who (NC) were satisfied with intercultural communication occurring at other parts of
the university.

Figure 3. Likelihood of sophomore year reselection.

A theme that emerged from the interviews was how students demonstrated growth in
understanding differences. This can be argued as moving towards mastery goal orientation of
11
3
2
12
2
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
CON DNC
Sophomore Year Reselection
Different Background Same Background Random Assignment
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intercultural communication. Gordon (C) shared, “I definitely understand Chinese culture more
and maybe American too. It's easier to talk to people because we have something in common.”
He further used two key words “willing to listen and try to understand them” followed by the
importance of being open and accepting of someone who is different. Kyle (C) demonstrated his
growth in the development of intercultural communication by being able to think about China
from a number of perspectives. Kyle (C) expressed, “…interesting to go through the three years
here studying the world…I'm a global China studies major so it's studying the world, studying
history, studying China but from this weird gray area of being in this American institution, in
China.” Michelle (NC) described how the ability to develop intercultural communication
overtime has helped with interactions with people from different backgrounds, Michelle (NC)
shared, “when I go on vacation…or when I have my semester abroad and I meet someone who's
Chinese…we have these things in common, which is definitely new. I didn't have that before
coming to NYUSH. Jeremy (NC) reflected that he already was open minded and open to learning
about other cultures and that he did gain depth of other cultures. These instances all demonstrate
that the exposure to the type of global environment that NYUSH has created allows for
individuals by the time they graduate to have a stronger sense of intercultural communication
competency.
Mastery orientation avoid state. A potential hindrance in students’ ability to develop
mastery of intercultural communication was related to perceptions of the differences in cultural
norms between roommates of different backgrounds. Many students expressed challenges they
faced within the culture of NYUSH which hindered and caused them to be more reserved. Ermei
(C) described:
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Especially with American students speaking out of their needs and what they're
thinking…Chinese students, it's just not encouraged. Whether in family education or in
school education. For instance, in my family education, you're just not supposed to speak
out, that type of thinking.
In this example, Ermei (C) reflected on the differences in American students being open and less
reserved whereas Chinese students being told to withhold their thoughts. This resulted in a
hindrance to developing mastery of intercultural communication competence. Harry (NC)
shared, “there's a lot of cultural references that I can't talk about, which in retrospect, now I
realize actually does bind a lot of my relationships with my American students.” In this instance,
Harry (NC) had not developed enough of a cultural context and reference to China that limited
the types of relationships he formed and thus gravitated more toward American students who he
shared a similar cultural background. Michelle (NC) provided a very strong argument that
students may also not be aware of how much they have developed mastery of intercultural
communication, she shared:
This is another one of the things I think I don't realize it until I leave. When we're here,
we all joke about cosmopolitanism because it was pushed in our face as freshman year.
We all joke like, oh, that's so cosmopolitan or something. When I leave and I go to
Palestine or go to America or somewhere or Chile, and I talk to people who have not had
this experience, I realize that we are cosmopolitan and become a prophecy that's self-
fulfilling.
In an avoidance state, individuals move away from the development of mastery due to the lack of
confidence. Students need to be able to recognize the areas that may hinder their abilities and
question if there is truly a barrier.
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Organizational Influences Results and Findings

The study assessed the organizational influences of having articulated the university’s
goal and mission to the student stakeholder groups prior to arrival at the university. It also
examined where intercultural communication was taking place at the university and what
training and development was necessary to support the students’ development of intercultural
communication. A number of themes emerged during the interviews and were substantiated by
the survey data around the level of communication, the need for activities, and recommendations
for improving the culture around intercultural communication at the university.
An independent-samples t-test was conducted to compare the organizational influences
between the (C) and (NC) groups. There was a significant difference between the (C) group (M =
2.23, SD = .83) and (NC) group (M = 1.76, SD = .56) in the responses for item #3F that probed
for whether the university should allow the roommate relationship to occur naturally, t(28) =
1.83, p = .038. (NC) group reported a higher level of agreement that they wanted the university
to be less involved in the development of the roommate relationship than the (C) group.
Students believed that NYUSH had done a good job in messaging the goal of global competency
and intercultural communication in establishing a culture in which students needed to figure how
to navigate the roommate relationship out on their own.
Communication from NYUSH about importance of intercultural communication. A
key question to understanding the interactions of the university culture and context is whether the
goal of students developing global competence and intercultural communication was effectively
communicated. There was not a significant difference between the (C) group (M = 1.92, SD
= .95) and (NC) group (M = 1.64, SD = .60) in the responses for item #3A that probed for
whether the university clearly articulated the goal of living with a roommate from a different
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culture during the admissions process, t(28) = .96, p = .17. This indicated that students in both
the (C) and (NC) groups reported a similar degree of agreement that they were very aware of the
university goal of having student take advantage of the opportunity to live with someone from a
different background. The goal of the intercultural roommate experience only focused on the
freshman year and did not emphasize or extend to the goal that the university wanted students to
take advantage of the opportunity past the freshman year. There was not a significant difference
between the (C) group (M = 2.15, SD = .55) and (NC) group (M = 2.17, SD = .63) in the
responses for item #3D that probed for the importance and benefits of living with someone from
a different background was consistently emphasized by the faculty, staff, and university
leadership, t(28) = -.10, p = .45. Both groups demonstrated a similar level of agreement that the
roommate program was heavily emphasized by members of the university community. This
supported the notion that the university culture had a heavy emphasis all around and that students
were very clear of this expectation. Lena (RA) responded:
I would say that, based on my personal experience freshman year, yes. I do think that the
messaging that I received, gosh, three years ago, was very much catered towards that
multicultural communication, really understanding that here I am being put in this small
space, but really an awesome opportunity to meet different people, and really foster the
understanding, and really taking in not only just being in Shanghai, but really learning
from other people.
Aiwen (NC) described her understanding of the intercultural communication from NYUSH, “I
think the message was really clear that we want a foster kind of capability of the intercultural
communication and to show them some responsibility as a global citizenship. I think the message
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was really clear.” These two examples articulated that students when asked can reiterate
NYUSH’s goals and mission.
Activities for developing intercultural communication between roommates. It was
important to understand the role of the university in facilitating the roommate engagement. There
was not a significant difference between the (C) group (M = 2.55, SD = .77) and (NC) group (M
= 2.23, SD = 1.09) in the responses for item #3C that probed if the university put in place strong
support systems to encourage the intercultural communication between roommates, t(28) = .84, p
= .20. This indicated that students in both the (C) and (NC) groups reported similarly low levels
of agreement that the university put in the proper support systems. While the residential life
program was heavily emphasized as resources to facilitating the roommate experiences, it may
not have been clearly articulated how the resources could be utilized. Dongbo (NC) described
how more emphasis on roommates doing activities together was necessary. She stated, “RAs or
the Residential Life can launch more activities…to promote the relationships…most of the RA
events are still individually based. It doesn't require a roommate pair” Gordon (C) shared:
…if the school could help us in freshman year maybe get to know some locals or
something. I feel like for two years when I lived in the dorms, I only talked to people
from the school and it would have been cool to meet some local Chinese people or
foreigners living here. Just didn't really know how to do that.
Gordon’s example provided context that the university operates in a silo and must do more to
effectively integrate students with the city and culture of Shanghai. This also related back to
students then being mastery goal oriented in developing intercultural communication
competence. A number of students emphasized the value of structured activities just with
roommates. For Michelle (NC) she recommended using role plays, interactive exercises and even
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roommate speed dating to facilitate the roommate interactions. Students suggested a number of
methods to help students become more fluent with understanding what is happening in the
present moment and utilizing that to help engage roommates in interactions.
Recommendations for intercultural communication. The students were asked to
provide examples and recommendations that worked for them in fostering their roommate
relationship. The theme of traveling together was referenced in a number of instances. Ermei (C)
shared:
…go to Beijing and I heard from my roommate, ‘Oh, you guys are going on this trip. It
sounds quite interesting. Can I join?’…I think when you're going out on a trip, it's
different. 'Cause you guys are spending time every day together, to do the same activities.
It's like a tourist group, so I think that creates ...you're basically spending every day with
the same group of people. You really get to know them.
Another reference that Ermei (C) pointed out included the living learning floors where students
are housed according to interest. This program was put on hold due to limitations with resources,
but surprisingly the Class of 2019 would only have heard about the program through the Class of
2017 when the program was piloted for one year. Ermei (C)shared:
I remember, before coming to NYU Shanghai, I remember the class of 2017. They have
different floors with different space that they ... If I remember this correctly, they have a
floor that's about food, a floor that's about movies. I think that kind of common interests
transmits across culture, and that provides the common ground for people to have
something to share together.
As the theme of interest and compatibility was raised throughout the study, this is one area that
may be of interest for the university to revisit. Lastly, Lena (RA) emphasized again the
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importance of the intentionality of having students meet and interact with each other occurs right
at the start of the school year. She states:
So I guess I don't really have any hard solutions, but definitely thinking about how a lot
of these first year dialogues, or during that orientation period where people are still
getting to know each other, and people are still forming those smaller communities within
the larger one, how we can really push for encouraging those roommate interactions, not
only just as like, this is someone that shares the same space as me, but really using that
space not just as a physical location, but a place where conversation and relationships
actually form.
This last reflection point emphasizes that while the students may be resistant to the university
having to many structural systems that may feel like the roommate relationship is being forced,
there are opportunities to find ways to try to allow for roommates to develop relationship through
activities and therefore increasing their intercultural communication competency.
Table 13

Survey Organizational Influences Items

Item (C) (NC) t-test

Q. 3A The university’s goal of living with a
roommate from a different cultural background
was clearly articulated during the admissions
process

Q. 3B I am aware that the university placed a
strong value on the international/Chinese
roommate pairing

Q. 3C The university put in place strong
support systems to encourage the intercultural
communication between roommates

M

1.92

1.84

2.53

SD

.95

.55

.77

M

1.64

1.64

2.23

SD

.60

.70

1.09

p<.05

.17

.20

.20

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Q. 3D The importance and benefits of living
with someone from a different background was
consistently emphasized by the faculty, staff,
and university leadership

Q. 3E The university played an active role in
helping facilitate the roommate relationship

Q. 3F The university should let the roommate
relationship occur naturally
Q. 3I I feel that the university should require
students to continue living in an intercultural
roommate pairing sophomore year
2.15

2.61

2.23

2.41
.55

.76

.83

.90
2.17

2.58

1.76

2.94
.63

.93

.56

1.08

.45

.46

.03

.23

Summary of Results and Findings
This chapter focused on the results and findings from the study to understand the
knowledge, motivation, and organizational influencers to examine the gaps between students’
decision to continue (C) or not continue (NC) in a sophomore year roommate intercultural
pairing. While the survey was limited by a low participant response rate, a number of results
emerged that addressed the conceptual and procedural knowledge influences. Instances in which
there was a significant difference between the two groups revolved around the role of the
resident assistant. The (C) group may have been in higher agreement and felt more comfortable
with talking out issues with their roommates in comparison to the (NC) group where they may
have needed the resident assistant to help facilitate the roommate agreement. Students expressed
a difficulty with managing conflicts because of either conflict aversion or the inability to
confront roommates when something may have bothered them. In order to address the effective
intercultural communication between roommates, a significant difference included the need to
have rich and meaningful conversations to develop depth in the relationship.
The study also assessed a number of motivational influences including students intrinsic
value and mastery goal orientation of intercultural communication competence. The key theme
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that emerged was that students had a significant difference in that those in the (NC) group did
not base the decision to attend NYUSH on the intercultural roommate experience. This was
demonstrated by students comparing students who had a predisposed interest in China versus
those that lacked a strong understanding of China prior to arriving. The study utilized Chen and
Starosta (2000) Intercultural Sensitivity Scale as another measure to understand the value in
which individuals largely demonstrated their intercultural sensitivity except in the area of
confidence when in intercultural environments. The students also demonstrated their mastery
goal orientation in which they felt that they had developed strong intercultural communication
skills.
In addition, the study assessed the organizational influences within NYUSH’s culture and
context. In these instances, students felt that NYUSH had done a good job with communicating
the goals and mission of the university, but that the intercultural roommate pairing was only
emphasized for the freshman year. Students also indicated a need for intentional and structured
activities to help foster intercultural communication between the roommates.
The following tables summarize the results for survey items categorized based on
whether or not a significant difference emerged between (C) and (NC) groups. For the purposes
of this study, it was important to highlight both aspects to provide an understanding of how to
close the gaps and reach the university goal of increasing students’ self-selection to continue in
an intercultural roommate pairing. Chapter 5 will take the results and findings and offer a
number of solutions and recommendations using the Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) New
World Model for evaluation.

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Table 14
Significant Differences
Survey Item (C) (NC) t-test

Q. 1A My roommate and I spent time together
doing activities that helped us learn more about
each other
M

2.15
SD

.37
M

2.52
SD

.71
p<.05

.048

Q. 1B My roommate and I had rich and
meaningful conversations that increased our
awareness of cultural difference

Q. 2A My roommate and I told each other how
we felt when we were upset with something in
our living situation

Q. 3J I was aware that I could turn to my
resident assistant if I had difficulties with my
roommate

Q. 2F My decision to attend NYUSH was
largely due to the opportunity of living with
someone from a different background
Q. 2G My roommate and I had discussions
about global current events

Q. 3F The university should let the roommate
relationship occur naturally

1.76

1.92

1.91

2.07

1.92

2.23

.59

.49

.28

.95

.75

.83

2.35

2.47

1.35

3.23

2.52

1.76

.83

.71

.49

1.09

.87

.56

.049

.01

.007

.002

.028

.03

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Table 15
No Significant Difference
Survey Item (C) (NC) t-test

Q. 1C My roommate experience provided me
with an increasing awareness to navigate
different cultural environments

Q. 2E I knew how to work through conflict and
disagreements without the help of my Resident
Assistant

Q. 3A The university’s goal of living with a
roommate from a different cultural background
was clearly articulated during the admissions
process

Q. 3C The university put in place strong
support systems to encourage the intercultural
communication between roommates

Q. 3D The importance and benefits of living
with someone from a different background was
consistently emphasized by the faculty, staff,
and university leadership

Q. 6B When it came time to selecting my
sophomore year roommate, intercultural
communication was equally important as when
I first started at NYUSH

Q. 6C During sophomore year, I continued to
build on the foundation of intercultural
communication that I develop during freshman
year
M

1.92

1.69

1.92

2.53

2.15

1.92

1.76
SD

.86

.63

.95

.77

.55

.64

.59
M

2.23

1.82

1.64

2.23

2.17

2.29

2.2
SD

.83

.63

.60

1.09

.63

.84

.90
p<.05

.14

.28

.17

.20

.45

.09

.059

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Chapter 5: Recommendations
The following sections will provide recommendations for practice that address the
knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences. Each of the sections considered the
assumed influences that were proposed at the start of the study. Through the collection and
analyses of the data, the assumed influences have been validated. The analyses validated the
interactions between the knowledge and motivation of the stakeholder group and the role of the
organization. The recommendations are supported by existing literature to guide the context
specific recommendation.
The goal of the recommendations is to develop a program that will help achieve the
stakeholder goal that 70% of the freshman students will have self-selected to continue living in
an intercultural roommate environment of a Chinese and International Student pair. This in turn
will help meet the overall university goal of 100% of students graduating with a degree of global
competency. The evaluation of level 2 learning by applying the Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick
(2016) framework, focuses on the knowledge, skills, attitudes, confidence, and commitment of
the learner. This goal is achieved through the implementation of an orientation training program
at the start of the school year to provide students with the tools to understand what is meant by
global competence and intercultural communication. This involves training and activities that
foster the development of the skills, and followed by an evaluation of the learning.
While the level 2 learning is a critical component of the evaluation process, Kirkpatrick
and Kirkpatrick (2016) suggest that evaluation is conducted at four levels. Level 1 reaction
focuses mainly on in the moment of the training, level 2 learning focuses on developing the
tools, level 3 behavior focuses on the use of the skills in actual application, and level 4 are the
outcomes set when designing the training.
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Recommendations for Practice to Address KMO Influences
This next section will examine the knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences
and provide a recommendation based on existing literature. It will also take into consideration
the results and findings from Chapter 4 that validated the assumed influences. Included in these
recommendations are examples that past scholars and researchers have utilized in their
recommendations for future practice or study.
Knowledge Recommendations
Introduction. For this study, two knowledge gaps were identified during the data
collection and analysis: the need to set up the roommate living agreement at the start of the
semester and the need to be able to engage and communication from someone from a different
background. Recommendations for these influences include providing students with a guide on
how to complete the roommate agreement. It also involves the proper training and activities
during orientation on how to effectively communicate with someone from a different cultural
background. The following table demonstrates a summary of the knowledge influences,
principle and citation, context specific recommendations.
Table 16
Summary of Knowledge Influences and Recommendations
Knowledge Influence Knowledge Type Principle and Citation Context-Specific
Recommendation
Students need to
know that they must
complete the
roommate agreement
form at the start of
the semester
Conceptual Procedural knowledge
increases when
declarative knowledge
required to perform the
skill is available or
known. (Clark et al.,
2008)

Provide students with a
roommate agreement
completion guide that
includes a clearly
outlined objectives of
the function of the
agreement.
Students need to be
able to engage and
Procedural To develop mastery,
individuals
Provide students with
training activities
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communicate with
someone from a
different background
(P)
must acquire
component skills,
practice integrating
them, and
know when to apply
what they
have learned (Schraw &
McCrudden, 2006).

How individuals
organize
knowledge influences
how they
learn and apply what
they know
(Schraw & McCrudden,
2006)

Social interaction,
cooperative learning,
and cognitive
apprenticeships (such as
reciprocal teaching)
facilitate construction of
new knowledge (Scott
& Palincsar, 2006).

during orientation at the
start of their university
career that focuses on
the topic of intercultural
communication.

Provide students a job
aid with clear
definitions of what is
meant by intercultural
communication and
steps of self-reflection
to determine their areas
of strength and areas of
growth.

Provide an opportunity
for both roommates to
provide feedback about
each other’s
communication style
and reflect together
instances in which they
felt steps of
communication were
followed clearly and
effectively.

Provide a guide on how to complete the roommate living agreement. The data
analysis of the students’ conceptual knowledge showed that there was a gap in the students’
knowledge of how to manage conflict and establish roommate living expectations by not
utilizing the resident assistant effectively. According to Clark and Estes (2008), procedural
knowledge increases when declarative knowledge required to perform the skill is available or
known. The recommendation is to provide students with a roommate agreement completion
guide that includes a clearly outlined objective of the function of the agreement. This guide will
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provide the necessary knowledge by explaining the process, purpose, and effects of the
roommate agreement form. Students needed to develop knowledge of intercultural
communication frameworks and how to apply intercultural communication within the roommate
relationship. The university put in place a mechanism to facilitate the intercultural
communication through the roommate agreement form and supported by the resident assistants.
This allowed students to discuss what expectations they have of each other and how they would
communicate if there were disagreement or misunderstanding. This requires students to establish
a plan together, and this process can be facilitated by the resident assistant of their community if
necessary.
Martin and Anderson (1992) studied the effects of willingness to communicate,
interpersonal communication, and overall communication strategy in establishing a positive
living experience between roommates. The results of the study found that roommates who were
both high in communication traits reported a higher satisfaction level with the roommate
relationship. By understanding the value and importance of the roommate agreement form,
students who enter the relationship both with clear and open communication will reflect a higher
satisfaction in the living environment. In examining the roommate relationship between
international and US students, Antonio and Ofori-Dwumfuo (2015) found that 87% of their
surveyed participants indicated they preferred face-to-face communication as their method of
discussing different issues. This allowed them to focus on the emotions and be able to respond
back despite the high use of social media. This also supports the recommendation of the
roommate agreement guide that requires students to discuss concerns they have of their living
needs in person or facilitated by a resident assistant.
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Set up activities to provide opportunities to use acquired intercultural
communication skills. Students needed to develop the procedural knowledge that to effectively
engage and communicate with someone from a different culture required an intentional and
active engagement through shared activities. It required them to understand how people
communicate and how to react to different forms of communication in particular when in an
intercultural context. Procedural knowledge focuses on using skills to accomplish the task, as
well as knowing how to complete the task (Krawthwohl, 2002). Through the development of
procedural knowledge, students will be able to engage and communicate with someone from a
different background. To develop mastery, individuals must acquire component skills, practice
integrating them, and know when to apply what they have learned (Schraw & McCrudden,
2006). The recommendation is to provide students during freshman orientation a number of
training sessions on topics related to intercultural communication. Through the training, it will
increase a students’ exposure to understanding what is intercultural communication and then
using that knowledge within their relationships and interactions with individuals from a different
background.
Gudykunst and Nishida (2001) examined intercultural communication through the lens of
effective communication by focusing on minimizing misunderstanding. Zhang (2015) conducted
a study on academic advisors and the challenges they faced in advising international students.
The interviews revealed a need to focus on a number of approaches in teaching students how to
communicate with others taking into consideration cultural context. By taking the findings of
these studies and develop it into training materials, it can expose students to issues they may be
experiencing, but unable to articulate. It is important to provide the training so that students have
the knowledge and skills necessary to facilitate the communication.
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In addition to the procedural knowledge influence noted above, students need to be able
to effectively communicate with someone from a different background. How individuals
organize knowledge influences how they learn and apply what they know (Schraw &
McCrudden, 2006). Students need to first understand the definition of what is meant by
intercultural communication, then reflect on instances in which they are applying their
knowledge in their interactions with their roommates. The recommendations include providing
students a job aid with clear definitions of what is meant by intercultural communication and
steps of self-reflection to determine their areas of strength and areas of growth. In addition,
social interaction, cooperative learning, and cognitive apprenticeships (such as reciprocal
teaching) facilitate construction of new knowledge (Scott & Palincsar, 2006). The roommates
can help each other build upon their knowledge and apply the intercultural communication skills
in their relationship and with other students. The recommendation is to provide an opportunity
for both roommates to provide feedback about each other’s communication style and reflect
together instances in which they felt steps of communication were followed clearly and
effectively.
Scholars have been studying intercultural communication for decades and continue to
build off one another. The work of Chen and Starosta (1996; 2000) focuses on the establishing a
clear definition of intercultural communication and being able to measure an individual’s
intercultural communication sensitivity using a validated instrument. In their research,
intercultural communication focuses on multiple aspects including its effectiveness in which it is
responding to the cultural environment. This supports the notion that individuals will be able to
apply the knowledge when they are provided with the necessary understanding of the definitions.
Another aspect identified by Chen and Starosta (1996) is messaging skills in which effective
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communication is embedded in understanding the messages within those other cultures. This is
to say one’s level of self-awareness of what they know about the other culture and the context of
the messaging impacts how feedback is interpreted. This aligns closely with the recommendation
for roommates to provide feedback to each other and work through any potential
misunderstandings and miscommunication due to how the context may be operating from or
within their own cultural context.
Motivation Recommendations
Introduction. For this study, two motivational gaps were identified during the data
collection and analysis: expectancy value (intrinsic) and goal orientation (mastery approach).
Recommendation for these influences include providing opportunities to reflect on the value of
the intercultural roommate experience and the ability to develop mastery goal orientation toward
developing intercultural communication competence. The following table includes motivation
influences, principle and citation, and context specific recommendations that were validated
through the study.
Table 17
Summary of Motivation Influences and Recommendations
Motivation Influence Motivation Type Principle and Citation Context-Specific
Recommendation
Students need to
value the importance,
have an interest in,
and work towards
developing
intercultural
communication
skills.
Expectancy
Value - Intrinsic
Activating personal
interest through
opportunities for
choice and control can
increase motivation
(Eccles,
2006).
Provide students with a
reflective activity in
which they identify
examples and/or
previous experiences
when they effectively or
struggled to
communicate with
someone from a
different background
and how to build off of
those experiences to
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further develop their
intercultural
communication skills.
Students need to want
to develop mastery in
global competence
and intercultural
communication
skills.
Goal Orientation
- Mastery
Focusing on mastery,
individual
improvement, learning,
and progress
promotes positive
motivation (Yough
& Anderman, 2006).

Provide students with
an opportunity to
participate in small
group discussions in
which the focus and
theme is on students’
development of
intercultural
communication skills
and ask participants to
share best practices of
how different students
develop the skills.

Increase students’ value of the intercultural experience. The data demonstrated a
significant difference between individuals who prioritize the decision to attend NYUSH for the
opportunity of the intercultural roommate experience. The expectancy-value theory explains that
individuals are motivated by the attainment, intrinsic, or utility value they hold for a goal, and
their beliefs about whether they will be able to successfully accomplish that goal. In particular,
intrinsic value is the enjoyment of performing the task (Wigfield & Eccles, 2000). Activating
personal interest through opportunities for choice and control can increase motivation (Eccles,
2006). This would suggest that students who value the importance, have an interest in, and work
towards developing intercultural communication skills can increase intrinsic value motivation.
The recommendation would be to provide students with a reflective activity in which they
identify examples or previous experiences when they effectively or struggled to communicate
with someone from a different background and how to build off of those experiences to further
develop their intercultural communication competence.
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Spitzberg (2000) presented a model for intercultural communication competence that
focused on how communication competence occurs when both individuals involved in the
communication activity have the skills and characteristics to interact within social settings. In
this model, the development of the intercultural communication competence is a mutual activity
between individuals and, therefore, as motivation to communicate increases, so does the increase
in communication competence. The study suggest that intrinsic motivation is increased when
individuals are self-aware and are perceived by others that they are competent. This self-
awareness and perception is developed through successful attempts at communication and
individual’s willingness to seek out communication activities. This supports the recommendation
that individuals who are motivated by the development of intercultural communication
competencies will be more likely to have an interest and sustain their motivation because they
are able to witness the change and growth in their self or through the perceptions of others.
Understand that intercultural communication develops over time. Student develop
mastery of intercultural communication over a period of time. Goal orientation theory focuses on
why individuals set goals, and distinguish them into two categories: performance goals and
mastery goals. Mastery goal orientation is focused on individuals engaging with the task because
of their interest in learning and the development of skills and expertise (Pintrich, 2000). Focusing
on mastery, individual improvement, learning, and progress promotes positive motivation
(Yough & Anderman, 2006). This suggests that students need to want to develop mastery in
global competence and intercultural communication skills. The recommendation is to provide
students with an opportunity to participate in small group discussions in which the focus and
theme is on students’ development of intercultural communication skills and ask participants to
share best practices of how different students develop the skills.
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Dörnyei (2003) studied on how learners apply the use of a second foreign language in
their communication with others. In this study, two concepts were examined and discussed, the
willingness to communication and distinguishing communication competence. The willingness
to communicate is described as the active choice to want to interact with someone from a
different culture. The need to distinguish competence stems from the assumption that developing
the language skills means that the individual is competent in communication when in fact, an
individual can be competent but must be motivated to use the skills. Dörnyei (2003) further
argues that given a choice to not have to communicate, individuals can be competent in mastery
of a foreign language, but may choose not to interact in activities that engage them in
communication. This supports the recommendation that individuals must first focus on why they
are developing the mastery of the communication skills and then continue to be self-motivated in
using the skills.
Organizational Recommendations
Introductions. For this study, three organizational gaps were identified during the data
collection and analysis: the need to articulate university goals around the continuous expectations
of living in an intercultural roommate pair, the need for activities to foster intercultural
communication, and the need for training the community on how to address intercultural
communication challenges. Recommendation for these influences include emphasizing the goal
clearly on the university website, asking departmental units to set measurable and timely goals,
and provide students with a tool kit on navigating intercultural relationships. The following table
includes the organizational influences, principle and citation, and context specific
recommendations.

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Table 18
Summary of Organization Influences and Recommendations
Organization
Influence
Organization
Type
Principle and Citation Context-Specific
Recommendation
NYU Shanghai must
clearly articulate the
value of living in an
intercultural
environment to the
students.
Process Effective leaders are
knowledgeable about
the use of effective
communication skills to
facilitate change and
enhance organizational
capacity. Conger, Jay,
(1991) Lewis, L. K.
(2011) Denning,
Stephen (2005)

NYU Shanghai should
include on the
university housing
website a section that
explicitly highlights the
value of living in an
intercultural
environment.
NYU Shanghai must
create opportunities
for roommates to
engage in intentional
activities that foster
intercultural
communication.
Cultural Settings Organizational
effectiveness increases
when leaders
continuously build
relationships.

Organizational culture
is created through
shared experience,
shared learning and
stability of membership.
It is something that has
been learned. It cannot
be imposed (Schein,
2004).

NYU Shanghai should
specify to university
departments the number
of timed and
measurable goals for
activities that foster
intercultural
communication.

NYU Shanghai must
provide training and
development to
students about how to
engage with
intercultural
differences.
Cultural Settings Effective leaders
demonstrate a
commitment to valuing
diversity through
inclusive action. They
promote an
organizational culture
that promotes equity
and inclusion and
cultivate an atmosphere
where diversity is
viewed as an asset to
NYU Shanghai should
provide a tool kit to
students that include the
various perspectives of
diversity and
intercultural
engagement to apply
during freshman
orientation.

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the organization and its
stakeholders.
Angeline (2011)
Prieto, Phipps & Osiri
(2009)

Clearly articulate the university goal on the website. The data analysis indicated that
students were aware of the goal of living in an intercultural roommate pair during freshman year,
but that expectation was not communicated for sophomore year. The culture of an organization
can hinder its stakeholders’ ability to achieve organizational performance goals (Clark & Estes,
2008). Effective leaders are knowledgeable about the use of effective communication skills to
facilitate change and enhance organizational capacity (Conger 1991; Lewis, 2011; Denning,
2005). This is to suggest that NYUSH must clearly articulate the value of living in an
intercultural environment to the prospective and current students. The recommendation is for
NYUSH to include on the university housing website a section that explicitly highlights the
value of living in an intercultural environment.
Würtz (2005) conducted a study examining how to use websites for intercultural
communication between high context cultures versus low context cultures. Countries like the
United States, Germany, and Denmark are considered low context cultures in which
communication is expressed in a direct manner and mainly through text and speech. East Asian
countries like Japan, China, and Korea are considered high context cultures in which
communication is layered, indirect, and expressed through other nonverbal communication
methods. Würtz (2005) defines context as, “the situation, background, or environment connected
to an event, a situation, or an individual” (p. 4). In this study, the McDonald’s fast food chain
websites from low and high context cultures were compared against to see how culture is
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expressed through the design. The findings aligned closely with the framework that a single
approach cannot be taken and the context of the culture must be considered. This supports the
recommendation that NYUSH should not necessarily deviate from the brand identity of NYU as
an institution, but must take into consideration how it is expressing its values of intercultural
communication to the audience that reads the website. This would allow for the university to
ensure the importance of intercultural communication is clearly communicated.
Develop activities and set measurable goals related to intercultural communication
competence. The survey data demonstrated a significant difference between the continued (C)
and did not continue (NC) group around whether the university should let the roommate
relationship occur naturally. However, the interview findings indicated that structural activities
by the university is helpful in facilitating the roommate relationships. Organizational
effectiveness increases when leaders continuously build relationships. Organizational culture is
created through shared experience, shared learning and stability of membership. It is something
that has been learned. It cannot be imposed (Schein, 2004). This is to suggest NYU Shanghai
must create opportunities for roommates to engage in intentional activities that foster
intercultural communication. The recommendation is for NYU Shanghai to ask the various
university departments to establish a set number of measurable and timely goals for activities
that foster intercultural communication.
Intercultural communication is complex and takes into consideration a constantly
changing global environment. Baraldi (2006) proposes the notion that for cultures to move from
being defined by ethnocentric boundaries to embracing an openness to diversity it must take
place through dialogue. In this context, dialogue is measured by the ability to communicate, the
opening to diversity, and functions within active participation of individuals representing
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different cultures. It must also include learning from and not about a culture through that active
participation; knowledge of other culture facts does is not sufficient in developing intercultural
communication competence (Baraldi, 2006). This theoretical perspective supports the
recommendation that NYUSH establishes an expectation within the university culture to set
measurable and timely activities that push for the active engagement and acknowledge that
communication does not happen without that participation of the stakeholders.
Effective leaders demonstrate a commitment to valuing diversity through inclusive
action. They promote an organizational culture that promotes equity and inclusion and cultivate
an atmosphere where diversity is viewed as an asset to the organization and its stakeholders
(Angeline, 2011; Prieto, Phipps & Osiri, 2009). This is to suggest that NYUSH must provide
training and development to students about how to engage with intercultural differences. The
recommendation is that NYUSH should provide a tool kit to students that include the various
perspectives of diversity and intercultural engagement.
In order to promote diversity, NYUSH must first define what it means by individuals
engaging in intercultural communication. Ippolito (2007) conducted a year-long study with a
group of diverse international and domestic students in a UK university. In the course, it required
students to work in groups to produce projects that could be observed and later followed up with
interviews. In this study, students were expected to discussed how intercultural communication
affected their group dynamics. Many of the international students felt benefits because of the
struggle with language, transitioning to the culture as compared to domestic students. This
supports the recommendation that it will be critical for NYUSH to conduct trainings during
freshman orientation to help challenge and transition students to develop a stronger sense of
diversity and focus on the acquisition of intercultural communication competence.
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Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan
Implementation and Evaluation Framework
Evaluations are critical in solving the performance gap issues within organizations (Clark
& Estes, 2008). The New World Kirkpatrick Model (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016)
framework provides for process for evaluating training programs and its effectiveness by
focusing on four levels; level 1 - reactions, level 2 - learning, level 3 - behavior, and level - 4
results. The reactions focus on whether participants found the training to be relevant and
engaging. The learning level focuses on the extent in which the training was effective in
disseminating its intended knowledge. The behavioral level focuses on whether the training
sticks and can be applied to their work. The final results level focuses on whether the training
achieved its intended outcomes and maximized resources. The training programs should be
designed in reverse starting with planning for the results and behavior which measures the
effectiveness of the intended training and followed by identifying the data points related to
learning and reactions of the training program (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016).
Organizational Purpose, Need and Expectations
NYUSH is the first Sino-US joint university to open in China and serves a model of
higher education reform. It seeks to bring together international and Chinese students to develop
future global leaders through the use of intercultural and intellectual engagement. To achieve this
goal, the university mandates that Chinese and International students must live together during
freshman year, but notice that only 55% of the students will choose to continue in this
relationship and considers this a potential lost opportunity for the intercultural engagement. The
goal is to understand the knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences in increasing
students’ continuing to live in an intercultural arrangement to 70% by 2019. Research shows that
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intercultural communication requires individuals to commit time and effort in learning from the
other cultures. By achieving this goal, it will help promote students’ increase in developing
global competence and more specifically intercultural communication skills. In order to achieve
this goal and increase the percentage of students living in an intercultural roommate pairing, the
university must establish a number of outcomes. The use of the New World Kirkpatrick Model
allows for the program to be evaluated for its effectiveness (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016).
Level 4: Results and Leading Indicators
The focus on addressing the intercultural communication at both external and internal
levels is important to addressing the performance gap. The following table outlines a number of
outcomes, the metric for measurement, and the method to documenting the process.
Table 19
Outcomes, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcome.
Outcome Metric(s) Method(s)
External Outcomes
Maintain or receive increases
in government funding for
programs related to
intercultural engagement
Number of dollars allocated
to NYU Shanghai to focus on
programs that foster
intercultural communication.
Year-end review and budget
report to government
Increase number of
employers specifically
seeking graduates with strong
intercultural communication
competency.
Number of graduates who are
employed by organizations
with an emphasis on
intercultural competent
employees.
Highlight and present the data
in the annual university
graduate first destination
report
Internal Outcomes
Reduction on roommate
change request because they
cannot work through conflict
Number of room change
request submitted
Monthly report of change
request
Ensure that all students
participate in some activity
that fosters intercultural
engagement
Number of intercultural
engagement
activities hosted
Monthly participation report
Ensure students demonstrate
an increase in intercultural
Percentage of change on the
intercultural sensitivity scale
(Chen & Startosa, 2000)
Pre and Post administration
and analysis of the
intercultural sensitivity scale,
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communication competence
over their four years
at the start of university
freshman year and during the
senior exit survey.

Level 3: Behavior
Critical behaviors. Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) emphasizes that in order for
training programs to work, individuals must be able to apply what they learn to their actual work
and continuously monitor the progress. In order to achieve the stakeholder goal, four critical
behaviors are emphasized in the table below.
Table 20
Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for Evaluation
Critical Behavior Metric(s) Method(s) Timing
1. NYU Shanghai tracks
all active activities
related to fostering
intercultural
communication
Number of activity
reports submitted to a
central database that
tracks the information
Setup a database that
would track programs
that foster
intercultural
communication
Monthly
2. NYU Shanghai invites
employers who are
interested in
intercultural
competent graduates
to recruit
Number of employers
that visit the
university to recruit
graduates
Track the invitations Monthly
3. Students must
participate in a
mediation for
roommate conflicts
before room changes
are allowed
Number of actual
roommate change
request that is
submitted upon
completion of a
mediation
Track the room
change request
submitted in a
spreadsheet

Weekly
4. Students are expected
to attend intercultural
related activities or
programs during the
semester.
Number of emails
sent to NYU Shanghai
students to inform
them of how many
activities they have
attended.
Tracking spreadsheet
and then mail merge
message on a
semester basis
Semester

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Required drivers. In the Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) model, achieving the
critical behaviors requires four drivers; reinforce, encourage, reward, and monitor. These four
drivers fall within two areas; support and accountability. The support drivers include making the
connection between the knowledge and motivation recommendations and the critical behaviors.
The accountability drivers are a result of organizational recommendations and how it relates to
critical behaviors. The table below outlines the four drivers.
Table 21
Required Drivers to Support Critical Behaviors
Method(s) Timing Critical Behaviors
Supported (1-4)
Reinforcing
Provide students with a roommate agreement
completion guide that includes a clearly outlined
objectives of the function of the agreement.

Provide students with training activities during
orientation at the start of their university career
that focuses on the topic of intercultural
communication.

Provide students a job aid with clear definitions of
what is meant by intercultural communication and
steps of self-reflection to determine their areas of
strength and areas of growth.

Provide an opportunity for both roommates to
provide feedback about each other’s
communication style and reflect together instances
in which they felt steps of communication were
followed clearly and effectively.
Start of semester

Start of semester
and ongoing

Semester

Semester
3

1,4

3

2,3
Encouraging
Provide students with a reflective activity in which
they identify examples and/or previous
experiences when they effectively or struggled to
communicate with someone from a different
background and how to build off of those
Semester

3

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experiences to further develop their intercultural
communication skills.

Provide students with an opportunity to participate
in small group discussions in which the focus and
theme is on students’ development of intercultural
communication skills and ask participants to share
best practices of how different students develop
the skills.

Semester

1,4
Rewarding
NYU Shanghai should send letters of recognition
to employees that meet the goal of developing
programs and activities related to intercultural
communication competence.

NYU Shanghai should recognize students who
frequently attends programs related to intercultural
communication competence
Annually

Semester

1, 4

1, 4

Monitoring
NYU Shanghai should include on the university
housing website a section that explicitly highlights
the value of living in an intercultural environment.

NYU Shanghai should specify to university
departments the number of timed and measurable
goals for activities that foster intercultural
communication.

NYU Shanghai should provide a tool kit to
students that include the various perspectives of
diversity and intercultural engagement to apply
during freshman orientation.
Annual Review

Annual

Start of Semester

1

1, 2, 4

1,4

Organizational support. NYUSH strives to establish a culture in which all members of
the community are actively seeking to promote an intercultural learning environment. Through
the emphasis and promotion of intercultural communication on the university website, it will
signal to both internal and external stakeholders that this is an important value of the NYUSH
education. As students spend the most time within their living environment, it is important for
students to align with the value and understand that the intercultural communication is closely
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tied to the overall university goal. This means that students will not just be able to simply make a
roommate change because they do not get along with their roommate, but that they must first at
least attempt to work through their differences in a mediation. Another area that the university
must support is by setting a clear expectation to the staff and faculty to develop programs and
activities that promote the intercultural communication in both the in classroom and out of
classroom environment. More specifically, students must understand and work towards aligning
the university values with their education. Through the development of intercultural
communication competence, students will be prepared and have the necessary skills to enter a
post-graduate environment that will demand and maximize their skills to enhance global
development.
Level 2: Learning
Learning goals. The following learning goals have been identified to align the
knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences of the student stakeholder to the critical
behaviors and drivers. The goals include:
1. Respond to interactions with their roommates and learn how to navigate the differences
in cultural backgrounds. (D-Factual)
2. Recognize how they should manage conflicts when it arises through effective
intercultural communication skills. (D-Conceptual)
3. Differentiate between instances of conflict that is due to a culture phenomenon versus an
individual's general personality. (D-Conceptual)
4. Clarify their perspective to their roommates when they have a difference in opinions.
(Procedural)
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5. Identify effective strategies when managing a conflict or different with their roommate
(Metacognitive)
6. Reflect on instances in which they could use intercultural communication skills to
effectively communicate with someone from a different cultural background.
(Metacognitive)
7. Demonstrate a value for wanting to develop intercultural communication skills and
interest in different cultures (Expectancy Value)
8. Establish a desire for mastery performance around intercultural communication (Goal
Orientation).
Program. In order to achieve the organizational goal, a number of programs must be put
in place by NYUSH to ensure that the stakeholder group has developed the adequate knowledge
and skills around intercultural communication. The recommendation is to enhance and revamp
the existing freshman orientation program to place an emphasis on developing intercultural
communication skills that will be used in managing their relationships with roommates and
classmates from different backgrounds. Through a model in which the learner begins this process
prior to their arrival at the university is a critical step. In developing an online learning module,
identify readings, and other modes of disseminating knowledge, students can arrive to orientation
with a foundational understanding of what the university expects its students to achieve by living
with someone from a different cultural background. The program will require a number of
interactive and passive learning materials and activities to keep the individual engaged. It also
requires that the organization emphasize the importance and value early on and sustain that
momentum when the attitudes, confidence, and commitment levels my start to drop off
(Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). While the majority of the program will take place during the
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beginning of freshman year, other components can continue to build on this initial step and
should occur over the course of the entire academic year and continue throughout their time at
the university.
Evaluation of the components of learning. According to Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick
(2016), during the level 2 evaluation of learning, the focus is on the knowledge, skills, attitudes,
confidence, and commitment of the learner. In applying these evaluation principles to the student
stakeholder group at NYUSH, an important learning goal is to develop knowledge and
understanding the theories of intercultural communication. Through the development of
knowledge, students will develop skills that can be applied to their interactions with roommates
and students from a different cultural background. A shift in their attitude to align with the
university goal of developing global competent and strong intercultural communicators is also
important for learning to stick. Finally, the confidence to work through any communication
differences or conflicts would demonstrate that they are able to apply the knowledge to practical
and real life situation.
Table 22
Evaluation of the Components of Learning for the Program.
Method(s) or Activity(ies) Timing
Declarative Knowledge “I know it.”
Pre and post-test around understanding how much they
know about intercultural communication.

Quiz after the online modules

Knowledge checks on different terminology and
theories
Pre arrival and after freshman year

Pre arrival

Pre arrival

Procedural Skills “I can do it right now.”
Reflective journaling about what they observed or
experienced when communicating with their roommate

On going

On going
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Participate in a roommate mediation before submitting a
room change request form

Attitude “I believe this is worthwhile.”
One-on-one meetings from the resident assistants on
how the roommate relationship and experience is going

Discussion on how much they value intercultural
communication competence
Mid semester

Orientation

Confidence “I think I can do it on the job.”
Small group discussions on their understanding of
intercultural communication
Roommate meetings to discuss expectations they have
of their living environment
Orientation

By middle of semester

Commitment “I will do it on the job.”
Survey asking students who they will be living with
during their sophomore year and if their increase in
intercultural communication affected that decision

Setup times for roommate bonding
Spring semester freshman year

Ongoing

Level 1: Reaction

Reactions are the level of evaluation that is most familiar to trainers and focuses on the
engagement, relevance, and satisfaction (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). Through the use of
formative methods such as checking on how participants are responding to the material or
summative through surveys, this is an area to do well, but not necessarily where to focus the
resources. Table 8 below outlines how to evaluate the reactions of participants.
Table 23
Components to Measure Reactions to the Program.
Method(s) or Tool(s) Timing
Engagement
Participation level in role playing scenarios

Participation level in case study analysis

Participants asking meaningful questions

Asking for volunteers to share out

During session

During session

During session

During session

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Participants staying after sessions to follow up with
additional questions/thoughts
Immediately after training session

Relevance
Breaks for reflection and instructor check in during
sessions, pulse check

Program evaluation/polls / consensus on material
During session

During session
Customer Satisfaction
General tone through body language

Program evaluation

Clapping or Laughter

Attending a second or follow up session
During session

Follow up

During session

Next session

Evaluation Tools
Immediately following the program implementation. The process of evaluating
results and outcomes allows for the Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) framework to be applied
in different types of trainings as the focus is on the learner and what they learned. A number of
learning environments are discussed including e-learning and informal learning which are
applicable to the work at NYUSH. Both of these training methods are used within the context of
helping students develop global competency. Evaluation at level 1 and 2 can focus on gathering
immediate responses after the program implementation. Level 1 recommendations includes;
polls, conversation threads, forums, tracking the resources used in knowledge development.
Level 2 recommendations includes; pre/post-test, games, managing competence gaps, and self-
assessments. In designing evaluation tools, devoting time and consideration to the instrument and
whether it is capturing the right information is a necessary part of the process. Below are samples
of different evaluation methods for Level 1 reactions and Level 2 learning.

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Table 24.1.
Level 2 During and immediately following the program implementation
Method(s) or Tool(s) Timing
Declarative Knowledge
Pre and posttest around understanding how much they
know about intercultural communication.

24 Question Likert scale items from
Chen and Starosta (2000)
Intercultural Communication
Competence scale
Procedural Knowledge (Skills)
Reflective journaling about what they observed or
experienced when communicating with their roommate
Journal prompt: Describe the
interactions you are having with
your roommate?
Attitude
Discussion on how much they value intercultural
communication competence
Describe how they are applying
intercultural communication with
their roommates.
Confidence
Roommate meetings to discuss expectations they have
of their living environment
Ask each roommate to write a
summary of their living
experiences to share with their
roommate
Commitment
Survey asking students who they will be living with
during their sophomore year and if their increase in
intercultural communication affected that decision
Did intercultural communication
play a factor in my decision of who
to live with during sophomore
year? Scale
1 - Strongly Agree 2 - Agree 3 -
Disagree 4 - Strongly Disagree

Table 24.2
Level 1 During and immediately following the program implementation
Method(s) or Tool(s)
Engagement Item
Participation level in role playing scenarios

Apply intercultural communication
knowledge during practice
Relevance
Breaks for reflection and instructor check in during
sessions, pulse check
Poll: The session is providing me
the skills necessary to communicate
with my roommate
Customer Satisfaction
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Attending a second or follow up session Survey Item: I will attend follow up
sessions on this topic and I will
recommend this training to my
classmates

Delayed for a period after the program implementation. To evaluate the
effectiveness of the training program, delayed evaluations are equally important and necessary
(Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). This includes identifying the right timing, generally around
90 days so that the learner is able to apply the knowledge and skills to their task. A blended
approach of evaluation all the four levels simultaneously maximizes the resources and is able to
capture all the desired data points in one setting. Level 3 behaviors would include students being
comfortable with the tools learned to help navigate the day to day interactions with their
roommates. In reaching the level 4 outcome, this would address the student stakeholder goal of
achieving at least 70% of students continuing past freshman year in the intercultural roommate
pairing. This includes students’ decision to choose and continue to live with someone from a
different background.
Table 25
Level 1, 2, 3, and 4 Delayed for a Period of Time after Program Implementation
Level Evaluation
1 – Reaction

2 – Learning

3 – Behavior

4 – Results
I feel that I can speak with my roommate

I was able to have the training with
knowledge is helpful when communicating
with my roommate

I use the tools to help me navigate my
roommate relationship

I have chosen to continue living in an
intercultural roommate environment of a
Chinese and International pairing

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Data Analysis and Reporting
Data analysis should be treated as an ongoing process during the training rather than a
product (Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick, 2016). Through this three important questions should be
asked, “Does it meet expectations? If not, why not? If so, why?” Level 1 and 2 expectations are
easily managed by the training program with level 3 expectations observed through the work and
level 4 based on the expectations at the onset of the training program.
The data must be presented in a format that demonstrates the learning and change from
the training program. This can be done in many ways including charts, infographics, summaries.
NYUSH is a university that prides itself on being innovative and forward looking with a high
emphasis on marketing. It is therefore important to demonstrate data in a way that captures the
attention of the stakeholders both the students who the program hopes to close the gap and the
university leadership supporting the program with resources. It is important to have the
information presented both in English and Chinese with it not as a direct translation but focusing
on the data points that are most important. From the Chinese perspective, having percentages to
demonstrate the change is important. For the international perspective, having narratives and
stories will be helpful in demonstrating the change.
Summary
The New World Kirkpatrick Model (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016) provides a robust
framework and argument for implementing and evaluating training programs. The model focuses
on thinking through four levels of evaluations starting at the top and working down to the bottom
with the Level 4 outcomes as the key focus for organizational change. The level 3 behaviors
where individuals are applying what they learned to their situations should be evaluated after a
delayed period of time to see if the skills stayed with the individual. The level 2 learning and
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level 1 reactions can be evaluated immediately after the training to ensure that individuals were
leaving the training with the necessary skills and understanding to change their behaviors. In
evaluating the training, the three critical questions that must be examined include, “Did the
training meet expectations? If so, they why? If not, why not?” (Chapter 12). This is important to
ask throughout the training so that adjustments can be made. If at level 1 and level 2 individuals
are not actively involved in the learning or expressing a positive reaction, the skills will most
likely not result in achieving the intended training outcomes.
Future Research

The study of global competence and intercultural communication is an important area of
continual focus for NYUSH. The university has a strong mission and vision in developing future
global leaders and it should continue to assess how students are developing the competency
during their university experience and is achieving what it has set out to accomplish. While this
study selected senior students as the population sample, it may increase the reliability of the data
by having this study be conducted as a longitudinal study to measure the differences over time
and with multiple groups of students. With a larger sample population, the data would have been
disaggregated to examine the decision to continue (C) or not continue (NC) groups and within
that differences between Chinese and international students. Lastly, an area of future research
includes utilizing the Chen and Starosta (2000) Intercultural Sensitive Scale as a pre-and post-
test for students at the start of their university experience and when they are getting ready to
graduate.
Conclusion

The study of intercultural communication within the NYUSH student experience
provided insight into what is necessary to increase a students’ knowledge, motivation to continue
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living in an intercultural roommate pair beyond freshman year. This included a number of
organizational influences that were validated to understand if NYUSH’s message on the
importance of the roommate program was clearly articulated to students. NYUSH needed to
emphasize the expectation from the university that they would like students to continue in an
intercultural roommate pairing beyond freshman year. One opportunity to frame this expectation
is helping students understand that mastery of intercultural communication occurs over a period
of time—during their four years as well as beyond their studies at NYUSH. NYUSH should also
provide more attention to developing the resident assistants and ensuring that they will be able to
and are prepared to work with the residents on their floor communities to execute the training
and resources. Throughout the study, consistently the “continued (C)” group showed a higher
agreement to the various assessment areas in which the results and findings can be reliable and
credible. In order to address these gaps, a number of recommendations have been provided to
focus on an intentional training program that will help emphasize without forcing students to
develop intercultural communication competence. The university must continually adapt to the
changes within the student body and university culture and context to address new changes to
global higher education that may affect the mission, values, and goals of NYUSH.

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APPENDIX A

Survey Protocol

Dear Senior Student,
I hope you are having a great start to your final year at NYU Shanghai. I will be
overseeing the data collection of a dissertation study completed by David Pe who in this capacity
is a doctoral student at the USC’s Rossier School of Education Organizational Change and
Leadership program and not in the capacity as your Associate Dean of Students. David Pe has
selected to study how students at NYU Shanghai demonstrate the capacity for global competence
and the development of intercultural communication skills. The study is broken into both a
quantitative component which is this survey and qualitative component which are follow up
interviews. After completing this survey, if you are interested in participating in an in-person
interview, a separate link will be provided for you to indicate your interest. For the purposes of
this survey, I am contacting students who are starting their senior year at NYU Shanghai and
participated in the freshman roommate program where the university required you to live in an
international and Chinese arrangement. The goal of the study is to understand what impacted
your decision in selecting your sophomore year roommate after having had the experience during
freshman year to live in an intercultural roommate pairing of Chinese and international students.
The survey is confidential and your responses will be used specifically for this study only. There
will not be any names associated or collected. If at any time during the survey you do not wish to
continue, you can stop taking the survey and your results will not be counted. The data will be
stored in a password protected file. You may have also noticed that this is the USC Qualtrics
platform and not NYU to provide another layer of confidentiality. The survey results will be
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accessed by both David Pe and myself and has received approval by both the USC and NYUSH
institutional review board.
Thank you for taking time to complete this survey. It should take approximately 10-15
minutes to complete.
Demographics

1. My classification at NYUSH is an ____________:
a. Chinese Student
b. International Student

2. My hometown/province (China) or country (international student) is:
a. ____________________

3. Prior to attending NYU Shanghai, I had previous experience living away from home in
an intercultural environment (i.e. exchange program, summer abroad, gap year):
a. No
b. Yes, less than 3 months but more than 1 month
c. Yes, more than 3 months
d. Yes, more than 6 months

4. I identify as:
a. Female
b. Male
c. Do Not Wish to Respond

5. My freshman year room assignment was in a (Select One):
a. Double Occupancy
b. Triple Occupancy (2 International Students / 1 Chinese Student)
c. Triple Occupancy (1 Chinese Student / 2 International Students)

6. My sophomore year room assignment was in a (Select One):
a. Double Occupancy
b. Triple Occupancy (2 International Students / 1 Chinese Student)
c. Triple Occupancy (1 Chinese Student / 2 International Students)

7. During sophomore year, I lived with a (Select One):
a. Chinese Student
b. International Student

8. My sophomore year roommate was selected by (Select One):
a. Random pairing by the university
b. Mutual Selection – Freshman Year Roommate
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c. Mutual selection – Another Classmate

Part I. NYUSH Roommate Experience
The following questions focus on your roommate experience freshman year, factors that you
considered when selecting your sophomore year roommate, and NYUSH’s role in influencing
your understanding and development of global competence and intercultural communication.

Use the scale of:
1- Strongly Agree
2- Agree
3- Disagree
4- Strongly Disagree

1. How well do the statements below describe the relationship with your freshman year
roommate?

a. My roommate and I spent time
together doing activities that helped us
learn more about each other
b. My roommate and I had rich and
meaningful conversations that
increased our awareness of cultural
difference
c. My roommate experience provided me
with an increasing awareness to
navigate different cultural
environments
d. My roommate and I were able to work
out all of our conflicts
e. Building a relationship with my
roommate required a lot of time and
investment

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4

2. How well do the following statements below describe the communication between you
and your freshman year roommate?

a. My roommate and I told each other
how we felt when we were upset
with something in our living situation
b. Building a relationship with my
roommate required a willingness to
communicate with each other
c. My roommate and I invested an
equal amount of time and effort in
getting to know each other
1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4

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d. I knew how to work through conflict
and disagreements without the help
of my Resident Assistant
e. I understand the benefits of
developing intercultural
communication skills by living with
a roommate from a different
background
f. My decision to attend NYUSH was
largely due to the opportunity of
living with someone from a different
background
g. My roommate and I had discussions
about global current events

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4

3. How well do the statements below describe your understanding of NYUSH’s role with
facilitating the freshman year roommate experience?

a. The university’s goal of living with a
roommate from a different cultural
background was clearly articulated
during the admissions process
b. I am aware that the university placed a
strong value on the
international/Chinese roommate
pairing
c. The university put in place strong
support systems to encourage the
intercultural communication between
roommates
d. The importance and benefits of living
with someone from a different
background was consistently
emphasized by the faculty, staff, and
university leadership
e. The university played an active role in
helping facilitate the roommate
relationship
f. The university should let the
roommate relationship occur naturally
g. There is a strong link between the
roommate pairing and developing
intercultural communication
1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4

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h. I gave up too quickly and should have
given the intercultural roommate
pairing another try
i. I feel that the university should require
students to continue living in an
intercultural roommate pairing
sophomore year
j. I was aware that I could turn to my
Resident Assistant if I had difficulties
with my roommate
1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4

4. I would characterize my freshman year roommate as:
a. Close Friend – Comfortable sharing person/intimate details of oneself
b. Friend – Spend time together in social activities
c. Acquaintance – Comfortable sharing the living space, but nothing more

5. My freshman roommate(s) and I had a discussion about living together during sophomore
year.
a. Yes
b. No

6. How well do the statements below describe your decision of who to live with during
sophomore year?

a. When it came time to select
roommates for sophomore year, the
decision was clear who I would live
with
b. When it came time to selecting my
sophomore year roommate,
intercultural communication was
equally important as when I first
started at NYUSH
c. During sophomore year, I continued to
build on the foundation of
intercultural communication that I
develop during freshman year
d. Living with someone from a different
cultural background during the
sophomore year would continue to
enhance my awareness of difference
e. I feel that I had the same level of
intercultural interaction as I did during
the freshman year.

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4

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7. In deciding about who to live with during sophomore year, the most important factor
was:
a. Ability to continue in an intercultural living environment
b. Ability to support each other in academic and personal endeavors
c. Ability to live with someone with a similar / compatible lifestyle match
d. Other: ________________________

8. I would characterize my sophomore year roommate as:
a. Close Friend – Comfortable sharing person/intimate details of oneself
b. Friend – Spend time together in social activities
c. Acquaintance – Comfortable sharing the living space, but nothing more

9. Where do you see intercultural communication taking place at NYUSH?
a. In the room with my roommate
b. In the classroom with my classmates
c. In the city with the local community
d. Other: _______________________

10. If you could reselect your sophomore year roommate:
a. I would have made the same decision to live with someone from a different
background
b. I would have made the same decision to live with someone from a similar background
c. I would have let the university randomly assign me

11. When I compare my lifestyle preferences with that of my roommate, I agree that about
_____% was a match
a. 0%
b. 25
c. 50%
d. 75%
e. 100%

12. Open Ended: What are ways for NYUSH to foster intercultural relationships between
roommates?

13. What lifestyle questions do you recommend NYUSH including when asking students to
fill out freshman housing applications?

14. What can the university do to better encourage students to live in an intercultural
environment?

Part II. Intercultural Sensitivity Scale

Below is a series of statements concerning intercultural communication. There are no right or
wrong answers. Please work quickly and record your first impression by indicating the degree to
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which you agree or disagree with the statement. This scale should be completed before and after
the spring academy. Please fill it in and send it right away.
Thank you for your cooperation.

5 = strongly agree
4 = agree
3 = uncertain
2 = disagree
1 = strongly disagree

Please put the number corresponding to your answer in the blank before the statement

____ 1. I enjoy interacting with people from different cultures.
____ 2. I think people from other cultures are narrow-minded.
____ 3. I am pretty sure of myself in interacting with people from different cultures.
____ 4. I find it very hard to talk in front of people from different cultures.
____ 5. I always know what to say when interacting with people from different cultures.
____ 6. I can be as sociable as I want to be when interacting with people from different
cultures.
____ 7. I don’t like to be with people from different cultures.
____ 8. I respect the values of people from different cultures.
____ 9. I get upset easily when interacting with people from different cultures.
____ 10. I feel confident when interacting with people from different cultures.
____ 11. I tend to wait before forming an impression of culturally-distinct counterparts.
____ 12. I often get discouraged when I am with people from different cultures.
____ 13. I am open-minded to people from different cultures.
____ 14. I am very observant when interacting with people from different cultures.
____ 15. I often feel useless when interacting with people from different cultures.
____ 16. I respect the ways people from different cultures behave.
____ 17. I try to obtain as much information as I can when interacting with people from
different cultures.
____ 18. I would not accept the opinions of people from different cultures.
____ 19. I am sensitive to my culturally-distinct counterpart’s subtle meanings during our
interaction.
____ 20. I think my culture is better than other cultures.
____ 21. I often give positive responses to my culturally different counterpart during our
interaction.
____ 22. I avoid those situations where I will have to deal with culturally-distinct persons.
____ 23. I often show my culturally-distinct counterpart my understanding through verbal or
nonverbal cues.
____ 24. I have a feeling of enjoyment towards differences between my culturally-distinct
counterpart and me.

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APPENDIX B

Interview Protocol

I want to thank you for taking time out of your schedule to meet with me and agreeing to
participate in my study by answering some questions. This interview will take about 45 minutes,
although we have allocated an hour in case we need extra time.
I am currently enrolled in a doctoral program at USC and am conducting an evaluation
study on NYUSH students developing global competency and intercultural communication skills
through the freshman roommate program. I am particularly interested in understanding the
factor that you weighed when you were able to self-select your roommate sophomore year. I am
not here as the Associate Dean of this university or to make a professional assessment or
judgment of your performance as a student. I would like to emphasize that today I am only here
as a researcher collecting data for my study. The information you share with me will be placed
into my study as part of the data collection. This interview is completely confidential and your
name will not be disclosed to anyone or anywhere outside the scope of this study and will be
known only to me specifically for this data collection. While I may use a direct quote from you
in my study, I will not provide your name specifically and will make the best effort possible to
remove any potentially identifying information. I will gladly provide you with a copy of my final
product upon request.
Your participation is entirely voluntary. You may skip any questions you don’t want to
answer and you may stop this interview at any time. During the interview, I will be using a
recording device to help me capture all of your responses accurately and completely. This
recording will not be shared with anyone outside the scope of this project. If you would like me
to stop recording at any point, I will do so. The recording will be transferred to my password-
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protected files on a cloud file storage account and will be deleted from the recording device
immediately upon transfer. I will be using a third party to transcribe the recording and all files
will be returned to me upon finalization of the transcription. The recording and all other data will
then be destroyed after three years from the date my dissertation defense is approved.
If there is anything about the study or your participation that is unclear or that you do not
understand, if you have questions or wish to report a research-related problem, you may contact
David Pe at (021) 2059-5312, dp949@nyu.edu, 1555 Century Avenue, or the faculty sponsor,
Lena Scheen at , lena.scheen@nyu.edu, 1555 Century Avenue. For questions about your rights
as a research participant, you may contact the NYU Shanghai Research Compliance Office
at RCOinfo@nyu.edu.
With that, do you have any questions about the study before we get started? If not,
please review and keep the information sheet.
I would like your permission to begin the interview. May I also have your permission to
record this conversation? Thank you.
Opening Questions

1. I would like start this interview by hearing of your overall NYUSH experience so far,
could you provide 3 or 4 highlights including your study away experience that have
impacted your university experience?
2. In your own words, can you define global citizenship and intercultural
communication?
Freshman Roommate Experience

1. What was your overall roommate living experience like during freshman year? Could
you describe a typical interaction you would have in your living arrangement?
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154
2. What was it like to live and communicate with someone from a different cultural
background as you?
3. What were some of the activities that you spent time doing with your roommate and
were they helpful in getting to know each other?
4. Tell me about a disagreement you had with your roommate. What happened? To what
degree do you feel the conflict was resolved? Did that impact how you later interacted
with each other?
5. If you recall the housing lifestyle questionnaire, did you feel you were matched
appropriately with your roommate? Could there have been other questions that the
university asked to help with a roommate match?
Sophomore Year Experience
Shifting gears now to your roommate selection for sophomore year, where you had a chance to
select that person rather than be assigned by the university.
6. What factors did you consider in selecting your roommate during sophomore year?
7. In selecting your roommate, to what extend did developing your global
competency or intercultural communication skills influence your decision?
8. What suggestions do you have for university in providing resources to students to
help with the roommate selection process?
Closing Questions
In a general sense, I have one last question regarding how the university messages the roommate
experience:
9. In what ways did NYUSH describe and communicate what the roommate
living experience would be like prior to arriving at the campus? In what ways did the
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university facilitate your relationship with your roommate?
Wrap Up
Thank you for giving me this opportunity to learn more about your experience. I plan to
look at all the interviews with the goal of completing my analysis and this dissertation in the
Spring of 2019. If you would like to receive a summary of the findings, I would be more than
happy to email them to you once I have approval from my committee advising and approving my
study.

Abstract (if available)

Abstract In order to meet the demands of a globalized world, educational institutions have a responsibility of ensuring that its graduates are equipped with the skills to navigate interactions with people from different backgrounds. This study examined the knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences of senior students at NYU Shanghai in their development of intercultural communication through the roommate program. The study utilized a mixed-methods approach that included surveys and interviews. There were 30 survey respondents and 12 interview participants to help inform the results and findings of the behaviors of students who continued (C) and did not continue (NC) in an intercultural roommate pairing past their freshman year. The results and findings indicated that a number of challenges included a gap in both their knowledge and motivation that can be addressed through intentional training and development programs to close those gaps.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Pe, David (author)

Core Title Developing global competence in a Sino-US joint university: an evaluation study

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Organizational Change and Leadership (On Line)

Publication Date 06/18/2019

Defense Date 06/17/2019

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag Chinese students,global competence,Higher education,Intercultural communication,international students,OAI-PMH Harvest,roommates,Sino-US

Format application/pdf (imt)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Seli, Helena (committee chair), Canny, Eric (committee member), Chung, Ruth (committee member)

Creator Email dp949@nyu.edu,dpe@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c89-176316

Unique identifier UC11660964

Identifier etd-PeDavid-7502.pdf (filename),usctheses-c89-176316 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-PeDavid-7502.pdf

Dmrecord 176316

Document Type Dissertation

Format application/pdf (imt)

Rights Pe, David

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA