[Air-l] research online using ...

[Charles Ess]

Dear AoIR-ists,

At CATaC'06, Patrizia Schettino presented the work of her and her colleagues
Lorenzo Cantoni, Francesca Fanni, Isabella Rega, and Stefano Tardini
("Localization of Blended Courses in Salvador de Bahia" - in F. Sudweeks, H.
Hrachovec, C. Ess (eds.), Fifth international conference on cultural
attitudes towards technology and communication 2006. Perth: Murdoch
University, p. 202-216.)

Ms. Schettino and colleagues describe here the work of Valentina Johanna
Baumgartner: 2003. Diploma Thesis: A Practical Set of Cultural Dimensions
for Global User-interface Analysis and Design. University of Vienna.

I find the description of Ms. Baumgartner's work fascinating - she developed
a matrix of 29 culturally-related dimensions by conjoining Hall, Hofstede,
and several others, and surveyed both web designers and web communication
experts.  Both a copy of her survey questionnaire and the diplom-arbeit (in
German) can be easily retrieved from the web.
(The upshot: Hall's distinction between high context and low context
communication, along with "technological development" - roughly, a measure
of cultural exposure to and attitudes towards technology, derived from D. A.
Victor, ranging from hostile to embracing - are most important, followed by
Hofstede's axis of uncertainty avoidance and Hofstede-related axes of time
perception (related to long-term orientation) and authority conception
(related to power distance).)

My question: does anyone know of any current or planned research using this
questionnaire and/or matrix of cultural dimensions?

It looks very promising to me - especially as it moves us well beyond
Hofstede and Hall to much more fine-grained analyses of culture online, ones
that would be much better at articulating regional and local, not just
national differences.  But what do I know? (don't answer that, please).

In all seriousness, I'd very much appreciate it if anyone has knowledge
about this that they can share - either on-list or offlist.

thanks in advance, and happy weekend ...
- charles ess


Distinguished Research Professor,
Interdisciplinary Studies <http://www.drury.edu/gp21>
Drury University
900 N. Benton Ave.              Voice: 417-873-7230
Springfield, MO  65802  USA       FAX: 417-873-7435
Home page:  http://www.drury.edu/ess/ess.html

Information Ethics Fellow, 2006-07, Center for Information Policy Research,
School of Information Studies, UW-Milwaukee
Co-chair, CATaC conferences <www.catacconference.org>
Vice-President, Association of Internet Researchers <www.aoir.org>
Professor II, Globalization and Applied Ethics Programmes
<http://www.anvendtetikk.ntnu.no/pres/bridgingcultures.php>

Exemplary persons seek harmony, not sameness. -- Analects 13.23