COMMUNICATION BEHAVIOR AND CHANGE ORIENTATION OF FOREIGN GIANGE AGENTS IN TECHNICAL TRAIN! {3 PROGRAMS Thesis for the: Degree of M. A. MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY Robert“ F.. Keith 1966 \I\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\I I. mm . WI 3 10447 4055 ,, Michigan State University #4 COMMUNICATION EEHAVIOR AND CHANGE ORIENTATION OF FOREIGN CHANGE AGENTS IN TECHNICAL TRAINING PROGRAMS By Robert F. Keith A THESIS Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS Department of Communication 1966 ABSTRACT COMMUNICATION BEHAVIOR AND CHANGB ORIENTATION OF FOREIGN CHANGE AGENTS IN TECHNICAL TRAINING PROGRAMS by Robert F. Keith The change agent is of central concernnto the processesof in- f -a, formation dissemination and technical and social change.l There exists a considerable body of literature providing evidence of relationships between change behavior and selected individual and social system characteristics for populations of persons who may directly use new technology. Comparatively speaking. there has been little research on‘ thegchange behavior of change agents themselvesL“,The present study will attempt to discern relationships between change agents' dispositign‘towards change and selected communication and role behaviors. The structure of reality differs from individual to individual in both number and kind of components. It is the thesis of the present study that the greater the number and the more diverse the kinds of such elements. the more readily that individual should be able to adjust to novel role and information situations. The more restricted and homogeneous the elements of a person's reality the more limited will be that person's range of communicative and role behaviors. The ability to adjust to change will, in large part, be a function of previous change behavior. The more extensive such behavior, the more it is expected that the in- dividual will be aware of the process of change, its antecedents and consequents. Such awareness is then held to be characteristic of change- Robert P. Keith oriented persons. The present study utilized as the dependent variable, change orientation, indexed by awareness of certain elements of the change process. Positive relationships were predicted between change orientation and change system integration, home system-occupational communication, exposure to change system mass media, exposure to home system mass media under conditions of high exposure to change system mass media, English language proficiency, training program satisfaction, and education. Negative relationships were predicted between change orientation and home system-family communication, expatriate communication, and home system mass media under conditions of low exposure to change system mass media. Respondents were drawn from the Michigan State University/Agency for International Development Communication Seminars. One hundred and fifty-one respondents from four seminars completed self-administered questionnaires. The questionnaires were administered at the beginning of the one week seminars. The data were analyzed using product moment correlations. The hypotheses were not confirmed. Four of the hypotheses were statistically significant in the direction opposite to that which was predicted. The other six hypotheses were not statistically significant. The feur significant correlations were those of the relationships be- tween change orientation and integration, home systemroccupational communication, expatriate communication, and training program satisfaction. Secondary analyses of the data included two factor analyses of the thirteen item measure of the dependent variable. From these analyses it would Robert F. Keith appear that the criterion measure tended to primarily account for a type of trainee who is bent on introducing change as soon as possible, sees little difficulty in accomplishing this, and is generally not aware of consequences that such changes might have on the peeple of his country 0 Acknowledgments The author is grateful for the counsel and cooperation of his advisor Dr. Everett M. Rogers. The author is also indebted to Dr. Erwin P. Bettinghaus for his advice and suggestions throughout the study and for accommodating this study within the context of the evaluation research program on the AID/MSU Communication Seminars. The constructive criticism of Dr. Hideya Kumata, who also served on the writer's guidance committee, was appreciated. Gratitude is also expressed to L. E. Sarbaugh, Chairman, and R. J. Dieker, Resident Coordinator, AID/MSU Communication Seminars, for their cooperation in the administration of the questionnaires. The assistance and constructive thoughts of the author's graduate student colleagues is appreciated. A final word of appreciation is expressed to my wife and family for their understanding and support throughout my graduate studies. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION 0 O O O O O O O O O O O O O 0 Background and Nature of the Study . . . Objectives of the Study . . .‘. . . . . II RATIONALE AND HYPOTHESES . e . . . . . . . A Theoretic Rationale 0 e e e e e e e 0 Communication and Role Relationships . Communication and Cultural Adjustment Communication and Change Orientation . Hypotheses e e e e e e e e e e e e e e 0 III METHODOLOGY A O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O The Sample 0 e e e e e e e e e The Questionnaire . . . . . . Pretest of the Questionnaire . Data Collection . . . . . . . Operationalization of Variables Criterion Variable . . . . . . Independent Variables . . . . Statistical Analysis . . . . . . IV FINDINGS O O O O I O O O O O O O O O O O 0 Description of the Sample TeSt Of HypOtheSeS e e e e e e e e e e e V SUMMARY AND DISCUSSION . . . . . . . . . . Summary 0 e e e e e e e e e e e e 0 Conclusions and Additional Analyses Discussion of the Hypotheses . . . Future Research . . . . . . . . . . REFERENCED BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . APPENDICES O O 0 O O 0 O O O O O O O O O O O O O O Page (DH 6/ 1a 18 20 20 20 21 21 22 22 22 25 27 27 33 35 35 36 ”I SO 53 56 TABLE 10 11 12 13 LIST OF TABLES Page Distribution of AID Participants by Geographic Area . . Distribution of AID Participants by Country and Geographic Area 0 e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e 0 Distribution of AID Participants by Occupation . . . . Distribution of AID Participants by Time in the 0.8. . Distribution of AID Participants by Level of Education Distribution of AID Participants by Self-reported EngliSh Language PrOfiCiency e e o e e e e e e e e e Item-to-Total Score Correlations for the Change orientation Scale 0 e e e e e e e e e e e e e e o e e Varimax Rotation - Factor Loadings for Change Orientation Items 0 e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e Quartimax Rotation - Factor Loadings for Change Orientation Items 0 e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e 0 Correlations between Integration and Change Orientation Correlations between Occupational Communication and Change orientation 0 e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e 0 Change Orientation and Home System Mass Media Comparisons for High and Low Change System Mass Media Categories 0 e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e Socio-cultural, Demographic Description of the Sample . 27 28 29 30 31 32 37 39 40 H2 II Appendix A: Appendix B: Appendix C: Appendix D: LIST OF APPENDICES Socio-Cultural Demographic Description oftheSample............ The QueStionnaire e e e e e e e e e e 0 Group Instructions . . . . . . . . . . Individual Participant Instructions . . Page 57 59 83 85 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Background and Nature of the Study The surge toward modernity, though more pressing than ever before, continues to expand. Political, economic and social factors have served to stimulate, within the developing nations, an awareness of, and desire for, the social and economic standards of the more developed countries of the world. So compelling are their needs that the hands of assistance are held out the world over. Vast and complex organizations of numerous political and nonpolitical affiliations have as their prime function the extension of technical and social information for the "have-not" countries of the world. Although the commitment of resources, both human and physical, by the developed nations grows almost daily, certain basic questions remain unanswered. What are the constituent parts of the processes of technical and social change? What are the fundamental relationships of these parts? What may be classified as the effects of change programs and of change itself? To what extent does a knowledge of certain antecedent situational conditions plus the interaction of some input, i.e., a program of technical or social change, permit the prediction of consequent conditions? Technical and social assistance is a multi-faceted phenomenon. For purposes of the present study, concern will be centered on technical assistance in the form of technical training programs for developing country personnel within a host or donor country. Such a program involves transplanting an individual from one culture to that of the host country for varying periods of time. It is assumed that the trainees generally represent traditional backgrounds with respect to technical and social development and that their experience and contact with a more developed social system will enhance the process of modernization upon their return home. During their sojourn in the developed host nation, these individuals receive training and exposure to problems supposedly of particular interest to them, training that will enable them to modify their occupational behavior upon return home. It is intended that the participants of these programs will be able to transmit new and relevant information about occupational change to others with whom they associate or have contact. Through this process it is hoped that the cumulative effects, will benefit the trainees' countries in terms of their progress toward some desired state(s) of modernity. The problems of introducing change are numerous. There are many instances of returned participants being unable or unwilling to initiate programs of change (7). In the wake of such failures some have left their own cultures to reside and seek employment in the more developed areas of the world, thus defeating the ultimate purpose of the training program. It would appear from such results that certain assumptions have been made about the ability and desire of such trainee participants to accept new ideas and launch programs of change once they have returned home. For instance, where selection techniques do not specifically attempt to take into account change efforts prior to the training program, it would appear to be assumed that a sufficiently high change orientation is inherent or will develop on the part of technical trainees as the result of some overseas experience. The accumulated evidence in the adoption research literature would suggest otherwise; individuals do appear to differ in the rate at which they accept new ideas and practices. The concept, change orientation, is of central importance in the consideration of the process of change. Various approaches have utilized this concept. Waisanen (28) spoke of "a receptivity to new practices in general." Gollin (ll), Potter (20), Business Research Ltd., Thailand (2), 0.8. AID Chile (26) and others indexed change behavior in terms of (l) utilization of overseas training and (2) transmission of information learned during overseas training. Rogers (21) and others indexed change behaviors, or innovativeness, on the basis of past behavior. The present investigation attempts to make use of the individual's knowledge or awareness of the change process and some of the antecedents and consequents of this process as an index of change orientation. The assumption is that change is a process necessitating consideration of various components and their interrelationships, and a greater awareness of the relevant components and relationships will reflect a more positive orientation to change. Objectives of the Study The objectives of the present study are twofold. The first of these is the develOpment and expression of a theoretic position which will attempt to account for indiyidualyyariation in change orientation as a function of communication and role-involvement. _.-a Briefly, it is held that communicative behavior isms reflection“ “1* ;_ ~3:‘._ ~_\ _ \J '> of_ h wa in which an individual constructs his world grmhis IESQAEEX3". \ Such a construct is composed of a series or sets of role relationships, the number and nature of which an individual is likely to encounter or become engaged in, being related to his communicative capacities and tendencies. Given these conditions it would seem to follow that one's propensity for becoming aware of and accepting and initiating change will be determined in part by communication and role-involvement behaviors. For the individual whose range of communicative behavior and role relationships is limited, one would anticipate the experiencing of certain difficulties when confronted by novel role and information situations. On the other hand, where a diversity of communicative contacts and role relationships constitute the structure of the individual's world, it is predicted that a relatively greater degree of ease in adjusting to these novel role and information situations exists. The second objective of the present study is a derivative of the first. To the extent that the previously-mentioned relationships are tenable, our ability to predict change orientation and innovativeness may improve. To date attempts to predict change behavior have been based almost entirely upon past adoptive behavior. While this may be considered a relatively successful approach certain problems, in particular the recall ability of respondents, are of concern. Aside from these problems it would seem desirable to complement this tradition, and attempt to approach the question from yet another point of view. By complementing an existing methodology, it may then be possible to provide validiting information as well as broaden the concept of propensity for change, innovativeness, or change orientation. The concept, change orientation, may be defined as the degree of cognitive predisposition on the part of the individual to seek, accept, transmit and/or initiate change. It is the thesis of the present investigation that the greater the awareness of the elements and relation- ships of the process of change, the greater will be that person's change orientation and hence his subsequent ability to accept and effect change. To the extent this is so, determination of individual change orientation might be of use in the process of participant selection for technical training programs. This is consistent with the position taken by Jacobson (l3). Predeparture preparation then should be researched to provide better understanding of the traveller's readiness to change his characteristic modes of relating to his new environment and his attitude towards himself as a traveller. CHAPTER II RATIONALE AND HYPOTHESES A Theoretic Rationale Communication and Role Relationships Each individual creates for himself and acts in‘a "social reality" structured from past experiences, present behaviors, and anticipated events and actions. This "social reality" is a composite of numerous per- ceived elements organized in various evaluative and action-taking hierarchies. Other people and their perceptions constitute part of this environment. The individual as seen by himself is yet another element within this environment. In short, it is composed of all those objects and phenomena to which the individual attends, and perhaps even some of those to which he does not specifically attend but to which he is exposed. The term "social reality" derives from the work of Lewin. Festinger, Schachter and Back (9) stated: The hypothesis may be advanced that the "social reality" upon which an opinion or attitude rests for its justification is the degree to which the individual perceives that his opinion or attitude is shared by others... ....The "reality" which settles the question in the case of social attitudes and opinions is the degree to which others with whom one is in communication are believed to share these opinions and attitudes. Obviously this "reality" is not static. It is dynamic; it is con- tinually in some state of change. This change may be the result of the addition of some new elements, the alteration of existing elements, the loss of certain elements, or variations in the emphasis placed on, or evaluation of, certain individual elements or hierarchy of elements. Certain dimensions of one's "social reality" are of particular concern at this point. The number and kind of elements that make up the individual's "reality" are important in that they differ from individual to individual at any one time and over time. For instance, within the general context of a technical training program in a developed country, the information that a technical trainee would have concerning the host country in the initial phase of his program would be qualitatively different and most likely quantitatively less than at some later point during the sojourn experience. In addition to the dimensions of "number", and "kind", of perceived elements, there is another relevant and crucial aspect; the extent to which different individuals take into account the "same" elements. Though two persons never perceive an object as the same, the important point is the degree to which they similarly perceive it. The process through which people build or create their environment is the process of communication. Through acts of communication the individual both structures his world and develops meaning for its elements. Through this same process the individual is also able to ascertain the extent to which he shares meaning for commonly perceived elements. As people take into account more of the "same" environmental elements and as sharedness of meaning increases, the fidelity of communication about those, and related, elements will increase. Where an individual's previous experiences have been limited in both number and kind, or in other words where the person has a narrow and relatively homogeneous set of experiences with which to construct his world, that person will have fewer shared experiences and hence fewer shared meanings than a person whose range of experiences and behaviors is broad or heterogeneous. This is an important influence on subsequent communication behavior. Stewart and Hoult (2”) in proposing their view of a social- psychological theory of authoritarianism, suggest that those people whose environment has been restricted, i.e., with experiences only in a narrow range of conditions or situations, do not share a large number of symbols with other people. They argue that this tends to restrict their ability to assess other peoples' meanings. The result is a tendency to not take new events, objects, people, etc., into account. They attempt by a selective process to remain within the confines of a reality composed of the symbols and elements with which they are familiar. On the other hand the person with a background of diverse experiences will be better able to assess others' meanings and will be more likely to engage in diverse role relationships and communicative behaviors. These dimensions of one's "reality", number, kind, and sharedness of meaning for elements, are integral components of Mead's thoughts (18). In particular, they are important with respect to the development of an individual's role relationships. Role is defined by Sarbin (22) as, A patterned sequence of learned actions or deeds performed by a person in an interaction situation. The development of one's ability to engage in role-taking behavior is directly related to the expectations one has of the role. This "cognitive organization of role expectations" is what Sarbin (22) referred to as "position". These expectations he suggests are learned or acquired in the course of interaction. This is consistent with Stogdill's (2S) usage of expectation in his theoretical system of group behavior and achievement. Where experience and communication regarding certain kinds of behaviors is lacking or minimal the development of expectations of such behaviors is retarded or perhaps virtually non-existent. In this respect Sarbin (22) suggested, The absence of a number of different standard roles as well as the absence of skill in taking-the-role—of-the-other, retards socialization and leads to invalid role enactments. Mann and Mann (1?) suggested three basic assumptions which they say underlie role theory and are relevant to the concept of role relationships. They are (l) role-playing experience increases role-playing ability (presuming, it would seem, positive reinforcement for this behavior)*, (2) role-playing experience increases interpersonal adjustment; (3) role- playing ability is then positively related to interpersonal adjustment. Communication and Cultural Adjustment It has been suggested that role-taking and its behavioral component role-playing are contingent upon the nature and structure of one's world, the range and kinds of elements therein, and the degree to which the individual possesses "shared meanings" for mutually perceived elements. These three assumptions imply a link between role-taking and interpersonal adjustment which Jacobson, Kumata, and Gullahorn (14) referred to as role- adjustment, a vitally important process for foreign technical trainees. *Comments within parentheses are those of the present writer. 10 In a summary of some findings from the "adjustment" or "U-curve" studies they suggest three phases in this process. The first is the "spectator stage", which is that period of time prior to the arrival of the individual in the host culture and during which he is aware of his upcoming trip. He develops, at this time, expectations about the host country and his behavior while there. The next stage is what they term the period of "role-involvement." Of this stage these authors (1n) said: In the second stage of adjustment, the sojourner becomes more involved in actual role relationships in his new social context and faces value dissonances and "cue confusions" regarding appropriate behavior. The point is made that resultant behaviors may be either a set of defensive reactions, including aggressiveness or withdrawal, or positive shifting of reference groups and objects such that the individual is able to establish himself so that he can effectively move toward his goals. The third stage is one in which the trainee, as he nears the end of his tour, tends to more positively evaluate the host culture and he takes into account some of the problems he feels will confront him on his return home. As Jacobson, Kumata and Gullahorn (1n) stated; The foreigner experiences a final phase of anticipation and reappraisal during which he becomes aware of the problems of readjustment awaiting him on his return home. The U-curve, as originally posited by Lysgaard (16), is an ex- pression of the adjustment of a foreigner in a society other than his own from two vieWpoints, (l) "the relationship between adjustment in different areas" (professional-educational; personal-social), and (2) as a process 11 over time. Of adjustment itself Lysgaard (16) said; Adjustment here is not defined in any precise way; the concept is used as a convenient reference to the respondent's subjective reports on their feelings of satisfaction with different aspects of the stay. Both within and between the two areas of adjustment Lysgaard notes certain generalizable effects. Professional adjustment is positively related to "ease of getting really personal contact" (16). With respect to adjustment over time, Lysgaard (16) noted three stages of the order, Good initial adjustment, followed by an adjustment crisis, after which good adjustment is again achieved. Lysgaard (16) also said; During the introductory stage, social contacts are still somewhat accidental, superficial and segmental, concerned with specific and limited situations which do not involve the total personality. One is not yet deeply involved in any special friendship group. Following this first stage there is a need to become integrated into groups in an effort to further either social or occupational pursuits. Any number of phenomena including professional or training requirements, cultural differences, and language may make this a difficult process, This is perhaps the crucial stage in terms of the objectives of the training program. Failure to integrate may adversely affect the learning situation. The third stage is of a more positive nature than the second, reflecting the expectations of returning home. Deutsch and Won (5) considering adjustment as "personal reaction to the social-cultural environment" found that among participants of MSU/AID Communication Seminars*, the higher one's degree of satisfaction with social *MSU/AID Communication Seminars are one week seminars on communication and change sponsored by AID and directed by the Department of Communication, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan. l2 experiences the higher that person's evaluation of the training program. They also found that the greater one's English language facility the more highly the individual evaluated both the training program and their "social experiences." The process of interaction or communication is central to all these various considerations of adjustment. While the U-curve appears to have general application to all foreigners residing, for a period of time, in another country, individual adjustment curves vary. This is to say there are variations in the degree of "structural imbalance" or the ability of the individual to modify values and attitudes and shift reference groups to a position more compatible with those of the host culture. Graphically then, as an individual is better able to adjust, the trough of his U-curve is less deep. Since adjustment has been described both here and in the research cited, as a resultant phenomenon of interaction or communication, the U-curve then could be said to reflect communicative abilities and behaviors. If adjustment reflects the individual's ability to adapt to a new social system then it follows that the greater the diversity of elements in that individual's reality the easier it will be to adjust to the new social system. It has also been suggested that the greater the number and kind of past experiences, the greater will be that individual's understanding and acceptance of novel environments, objects, and phenomena, hence a greater awareness of the change process. It is argued that change is a salient factor in the lives of technical trainees. Given these conditions of change saliency and acceptance of novel environments and phenomena, as reflected by adjustment or integration, it is predicted that the individual will be more change oriented. 13 The communication relationship between the foreign trainee and his countrymen at home is an important consideration. If the trainee communi- cates very little with change system personnel and very frequently with his family, one would suspect that the trainee is encountering adjustment problems of one or another kind. On the other hand, communication with occupational associates, either superiors, peers, or subordinates, may well indicate a high degree of adjustment. This would be so, especially if it coincided with a relatively high frequency of communication with change-system personnel in his occupational field. It is suggested that a person of this type may be a very effective initiator, utilizer and transmitter of change. Another potential communication relationship is that with fellow countrymen residing in the host country. While it is perhaps only natural ~fbr a foreign trainee to seek out some of his own countrymen, it may be that frequent communication with such persons is a sign of maladjustment to the host culture. Determination of the content of their interaction would provide evidence for a conclusion in this regard. Evidence of low adjustment or integration with host country peeple would further substantiate this hypothesis. In addition to interpersonal communication behavior, attention to the mass media, including newspapers, magazines, radio, TV and movies must be considered. High exposure to host country mass media would suggest a relatively well adjusted or integrated individual. On the other hand, low change system mass media exposure and relatively high home country mass media exposure would suggest a lesser degree of adjustment and possibly withdrawal behaviors, i.e., attention mainly to those elements of 11+ familiarity and past experience. Communication and Change Orientation When making reference to the concept of change orientation, the present concern is with some attitudinal or cognitive element which pre- disposes people, in varying degrees to seek, accept, initiate, or transmit change. It would appear that at present the concept of innovativeness has been utilized in this respect. However, innovativeness is defined operationally in terms of the time of adoptive behavior. Rogers (21) defines innovativeness as: The degree to which an individual is relatively earlier in adopting new ideas than other members of his social system. Past behavior is most certainly relevant to the concept of change orien- tation and to actual change plans and attempts at change. International Research Associates (12), in their evaluation of returned USOM-ICA participants in Brazil, found that the most important predictor of post- tour attempts to introduce change was pre-tour change activity. Those individuals who had instituted changes or attempted to make changes in their work prior to their overseas training were involved in more change activities after their overseas training than were those who attempted little or no change prior to the training program. There are, however, times when accounts of previous behavior are un- available or perhaps of somewhat doubtful validity, especially with regard to assessing the time element. For this reason a measure of one's receptivity toward change, based on responses other than those labelled as past adoptive behavior, is desirable. Waisanen (28) attempted to deal with such a factor at the conceptual level when he suggested consideration 15 of the concept "generalized interest". Of this he said: The interest factor proposed here is a generalized interest related to change orientation and modernism - in short a receptivity to new practices in general. In relating this concept to the stages of the adoption process, he suggested that this factor operates prior to "awareness", though it is by no means to be considered a stage of adoption through which the individual passes. It is in fact a somewhat more enduring or less transitory element of the process. The process of change is recognized as being extremely complex. Consistent with the position that a greater diversity of past experiences permits an individual to more easily engage in a wider variety of communi- cative relationships, it would seem to follow that knowledge of a greater number of factors related to the process of change should promote a high degree of change orientation. Of several objectives of MSU/AID Seminars, the following are pertinent to the development of such an awareness (l). 1. Increase in variability of reports with respect to the timing of planned influence attempts at home. 2. Increase the number of variables reported relating to social effects of planned change. 3. Increase in reports of human decisions in plans for change or decrease in reports of technological problems in plans for change. 4. Change from source to receiver orientation on the part of participants. 5. When questioned about formal organization structure, increase reports of informal as well as formal channels of communication.* *These five objectives are listed as objectives 2, 3, M, 5, and 6 respectively, in Technical Report I: Evaluation of AID Seminars on Communication. 16 The assumption made is that the greater the number of factors related to change of which the individual is aware, the more change oriented that person will be. Frank's (10) findings tend to support this view. In his study of MSU/AID Communication Seminar participants he found that persons who viewed physical factors such as money, equipment, resources, manpower, and time as "major obstacles" were less confident in their ability to effect change than those who didn't see these factors as "major obstacles". While such factors are not inconsequential there often is resistance to change when the physical components are sufficient. Nair (19) in her report of Indian development cited numerous examples of such instances. Joshi (15) found that resistance to changes in technology was primarily a function of cultural values rather than physical resources. From the diffusion and adoption research certain relationships be- tween communication behaviors and change behavior are noted. While admittedly change behavior, i.e., innovativeness, is not strictly change orientation as considered here, the latter is held to be closely related to the former; and therefore justifies the inference from the findings or innovativeness and communication behavior to change orientation. Rogers' (21) list of summary generalizations provides information on such relationships, especially generalizations 26 to 29. The more innovative a person is, the greater is that person's use of impersonal information sources, cosmopolite sources of information, and sources closer to the origin of the idea or practice. Such persons also tend to use more sources of information than relatively less innovative individuals. Deutschmann's (6) findings on channel orientation provide additional evidence in this regard. The more innovative persons tend to make greater use of the "impersonal" and 17 "external to community" channels while the less innovative individuals rely more heavily on the "internal community" and "egocentric" channels. Waisanen's (27) "boundary transcending events" imply variations in communi- cative behavior. Contact with other than the individual's immediate social system through either face-to-face or mediated communication parallels the Roger's generalization and Deutschmann's channel findings. From the many studies of change agent communication and adoption, of which Couch (4), Emery and Oeser (8), Rogers (21), and Wilkening (29) are examples, additional evidence is provided of the importance of communicative con- tact, as it relates to change, with people other than those in the adopter's immediate social system. All of the AID participants can be considered to have "transcended" at least one boundary; they are in another country (another social System) during their training program. The present concern therefore is to observe what differential communicative behaviors exist among these people. Based on the previously mentioned research, it is hypothesized that the greater the exposure to change system mass media, the more change oriented that person would be. On the other hand, a relatively high exposure to home system mass media and low exposure to change system mass media would suggest a more home system orientation and a lesser degree of change orientation, assuming a relatively tradition home system. Byrnes (3) implied a relationship between communication and change behavior. From post-tour data he found that United States technical assistants believed "daily personal interaction with nationals" to be the most important factor in influencing their view of their tour of duty, i.e., the extent to which they were successful and satisfied. Selltiz, Hopson, and Cook (23) in a study of foreign student communication with U.S. people, 18 found that students under conditions of high contact and possessing a high potential for interaction exhibited more frequent and more intimate or personal communication behavior. Measures of interaction included (1) proportion of free time spent with Americans, (2) variety of roles in which Americans had been seen, (3) whether they felt they had a close American friend, (u) frequency of activities with Americans (e.g., meals, movies, discussion, etc.), (5) variety of such activities, and (6) intimacy (impersonal versus personal discussion). Individuals who become communicatively integrated or adjusted into the change system(s) are more likely to engage in quantitatively more communication and have more diverse communicative contacts than persons who are less well integrated or adjusted. On this basis it is hypothesized that the greater the degree of "change system" integration the more change oriented that person will be. Conversely the less such integration or the greater the home system family communication, the less change oriented that person would be. However, under conditions of relatively high home system occupational communication and a high degree of highly integrated communicative contact with the change system people the more change oriented we would expect the person to be. Consistent with Byrnes (3) findings on satisfaction, we would expect high program satisfaction to be positively related to change orientation. Hypotheses From the foregoing theoretic position and research evidence, the following hypotheses are derived. 1. Degree of change orientation varies directly with degree of change system integration when length of contact period is controlled. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 10. 19 Degree of change orientation varies directly with degree of home system—occupational communication. Degree of change orientation varies inversely with degree of home system-family communication. Degree of change orientation varies inversely with degree of expatriate communication. Degree of change orientation varies directly with degree of exposure to change system mass media when English language proficiency is controlled. Degree of change orientation varies inversely with degree of exposure to home system mass media when exposure to change system mass media is low. Degree of change orientation varies directly with degree of exposure to home system mass media when exposure to change system mass media is high. Degree of change orientation varies directly with degree of English language proficiency. Degree of change orientation varies directly with training program satisfaction. Degree of change orientation varies directly with amount of education. CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY The Sample Respondents in the present investigation were drawn from foreign trainees in occupational training programs sponsored by the Agency for International Development who were in attendance at the MSU/AID communi- cation seminars. The seminars, each of one week duration, are directed by the Department of Communication, Michigan State University, and were held at Cacapon Lodge, West Virginia. Participant trainees attend these seminars immediately prior to their return home. Of the total number of participants in AID training programs, approximately twenty percent attend these seminars. There are about twenty-six such seminars each year. Respondents in the present study were those in attendance at Seminars No. 193 to 196 inclusive, beginning with the week of February 21- 27, 1965 and concluding with the seminar of the week of April H-lO, 1965. Participants of Seminar No. 192, February 7-13, 1965, served as a pre- test group. The Questionnaire The measuring instrument consists of forty-three self administered items. These are selected items from a more extensive questionnaire designed to provide evaluative information on the communication seminars themselves. Appendix B constitutes the entire questionnaire. The following items are utilized in this investigation: Items 1, 2, 5, 9, 16, 17, 18, 21, 27, 29, 31, 35, 36, and us to 75 inclusive. 2o 21 The above mentioned items provide measures of the following variable characteristics, (1) change orientation, (2) change system integration, (3) home system-family communication, (A) home system- occupational communication, (5) expatriate communication, (6) change system mass media exposure, (7) home system mass media exposure, (8) training program satisfaction, and (9) self-reported English language ¥facility. In addition demographic data concerning country of origin, occupation, length of time in the U.S. and educational level, were obtained. Pre-Test of the Questionnaire I” The first draft questionnaire was administered to approximately sixty-five AID participants at Communication Seminar No. 192 held from February 7-13, 1965 at Cacapon Lodge, West Virginia. On the basis of the responses obtained and through discussion of the questionnaire with selected participants certain items were revised, some were discarded, some were rephrased, and some.structured into multi-alternative response items. Data Collection Data for this investigation were collected at the previously mentioned seminars at the times indicated. The entire questionnaire was administered on the Monday of each week, the first full day of the seminar. A portion of the questionnaire was re-administered at the end of the week for purposes of seminar evaluation. A seminar staff member read a standard introductory explanation of the study (see Appendix C) and each questionnaire began with a page of instructions (see Appendix D) for the respondent. 22 Operationalization of Variables Criterion Variable The major criterion variable of the present investigation is change orientation. Consistent with the conceptual approach which suggests that change orientation will be a function of an awareness of a diversity of elements related to, or inherent in, the process of change, thirteen items dealing with such aspects of change as timing effects, source- receiver orientation, social effect variables, human versus technological problems and communication channels are utilized to provide a measure of this variable. The thirteen items utilized are Items No. l, 2, 5, 9, l6, 17, 18, 21, 27, 29, 31, 35 and 36 of Appendix A and the summated score of these items provides the index of change orientation. These are all five-alternative response items, coded 0 through 4. Summated scores for all items may range from 0 to 52. The higher the individual's score, the more change-oriented that person is. Independent Variables. 1. Change system integration. Communication contact with U.S. people is virtually unavoidable and for purposes of differentiation among foreign trainees, it is more meaningful to consider individual variations in change system integration such as being guests in American homes, attending social gatherings in the 0.8., etc. Five items, Nos. #6 to 50 inclusive, constitute the measures of this variable. An individual's rating is obtained by summing across these five items. Summated scores may range from O to 17. The higher the score the more integrated is the individual. 23 2. Home system - family communication. Communicative contact of this type is indexed by two items, Nos. 51 and 51a. Item 51 provides information regarding the frequency of contact with such persons. Item 51a attempts to ascertain the most frequent content of such communication be- havior. In this regard we are attempting to differentiate between positively and negatively change oriented communication. Summated scores ranging from O to 5 provide the measure of this variable. The higher one's score the more frequent and less change oriented is such communication. 3. Home system - occupational communication. Communication contact of this type is also a two-item index. Items 52 and 52a constitute this measure. Again both frequency of contact and content are ascertained. Summated scores are used to provide individual ratings and they may range from 0 to 5. The higher one's score the more frequent and more change oriented is such communication. u. Expatriate Communication. The term "expatriate" is used in this sense to denote any fellow countryman who is in the U.S. at the same time as the participant. It is 222 restricted to only those countrymen who are permanent residents of the U.S. This too, is a two-item index designed to measure the frequency of contact and nature of content of communication with people from the respondents own country who are also in the U.S. A summated score for the two items, Nos. 53 and 53a provide a measure of this characteristic for each individual. Scores may range from O to S. The higher the score the more frequent and less change oriented the communication. 5. Change system mass media exposure. A measure of this variable in- cludes exposure to U.S. newspapers, radio, television, books, magazines, 2H and movies and plays. Six items, Nos. 54 to 59, tap this dimension. Each item is a five-alternative response question. An individual's rating on this variable is determined by summing the response categories for all six items. Scores may range from O to 24. The higher the score the greater the exposure to such media. 6. Home system mass media exposure. Two questions, each a five- alternative response item, constitute a measure of exposure to newspapers and magazines from the respondents country of origin. The first item, No. 60, ascertains frequency of exposure while the second item, No. 61, indicates amount of exposure (hours per week). Response categories are summed to give the individual's score. Scores may range from 0 to 8. The higher the score the greater the exposure to such media. 7. Training Program Satisfaction. A measure of the extent to which foreign trainees are satisfied with their particular program is derived from a series of five items. Elements of satisfaction include usefulness of information gained, amount of information learned, favorableness with which the individual would recommend the program to other countrymen at home, perceived considerateness of 0.8. people and how closely the program coincided with his or her expectations. Items 62 to 66 of the questionnaire constitute this measure. Summated scores represent individual ratings and they may range from O to 20. The higher the score the more satisfied the person is with the training program. 8. Self—reported English language proficiency. Because of the time restrictions in terms of questionnaire administration, a detailed test of English language proficiency was impossible, therefore an eight item measure of self-perceived proficiency with the English language was con- 25 structed. Items 67 to 7A concerned such aspects of English language use as "talking about my job", understanding quickly spoken English, under- standing magazines and newspapers, writing in English etc. A score for this variable was obtained by summing the reSponse categories across the eight items. Scores may range from 0 to 32. The higher the score the greater the individual perceives his proficiency with the English language to be. 9. Length of stay in the U.S. Used as a control variable this \ariable is indexed as the number of months the foreign trainee has been in the U.S. 10. Occupation. Occupations are categorized in five groups as follows: (1) Government Service; (2) Agriculture; (3) Professional (includes doctors, lawyers, engineers, teachers, etc.); (8) Police and Military; (5) Others (includes supervisors, technicians, clerical workers, accountants, air traffic control personnel, students, etc.) 11. Education. This variable is operationally defined as the number of years of school completed (see Item No. 75, Appendix B). Statistical Analysis All data relevant to the hypotheses are assumed to have "interval" qualities and are thus amenable to produce moment correlational analysis. Data for hypotheses l and 5 were analyzed using first order partial correlations to control for time in the U.S. and English language facility respectively. Data for hypotheses 2, 3, n, 8, 9, and 10 were analyzed using zero order product moment correlations. 26 Analysis of hypotheses S and 6 were accomplished by first obtaining a median split on the variable "change system mass media exposure" and then determining the product moment correlation of these two subsamples with the criterion variable change orientation. CHAPTER IV FINDINGS Description of the Sample A total of one hundred and fifty-one respondents completed the questionnaire while attending the MSU/AID Communication Seminars. Their geographic distribution is shown in Table 1. Table 1. Distribution of AID Participants by Geographic Area Area C N Percent__ South and Central America 10 7 Africa (excluding the middle East) 28 18 South East Asia 10” 69 Middle East .53. lLO Total 151 100 Table 2 shows representation by both country and geographic area. Participant occupations have been grouped into five categories. They are (1) government service, (2) agriculture, (3) professional, (4) police and military, and (5) other. Professional occupations include medical doctors, lawyers, engineers and teachers. The category "other" includes supervisors, technicians, clerical workers, accountants, air traffic control personnel, students, etc. Representation in these categories 27 28 Table 2. Distribution of AID Participants by Country and Geographic Area South and Central America El Middle East N_ Dominican Republic 2 Jordan 2 Jamaica 1 Turkey .1 West Indies 1 Total 9 Argentina 2 Bolivia 1 South East Asia N_ Brazil 2 Afghanistan 3 British Guiana _;1 China 2 Total 10 India 43 Indonesia 29 Africa N. Korea 6 Kenya 12 Nepal 1 Liberia 3 Pakistan 3 Somali 1 Philippines 2 Sudan 3 Thailand 7 Uganda 2 Vietnam __11 Nigeria 5 Total 104 Morocco ._2 Total 28 29 is as follows: Table 3. Distribution of AID Participants by Occupation Occupational Category N Percent Government service 30 20 Agriculture 23 15 Professional 11 8 Police and Military 6 3 Others _8_l_ _5_4_ Total 151 100 Length of training period in the U.S., expressed in number of months, is shown in Table 4. One half of the sample spent six months or less in the U.S. The modal time unit for all participants is four to six months. These three demographic factors are further dealt with in Appendix A. Frequency counts for a cross tabulation of general geographic area by occupation are given as well as "mean time in U.S." by geographic area and occupation. Educational level, expressed as number of years of school completed, is shown in Table 5. Of the total sample, five percent of the respondents completed eight years or less, eleven percent completed from nine to twelve years and eighty-four percent completed more than twelve years of school. 30 Table 4. Distribution of AID Participants by Time in the U.S. Time in U.S. (months) ' " ‘ Frequency_ 0 - 3 7 4-6 81 7 - 9 32 10 - l2 6 l3 - 15 u 16 - 18 10 19 - 21 4 22 - 24 0 25 - 27 2 28 - 30 0 31 - 33 1 34-36 1 37 - 39 0 40 - 42 1 43 or more 2 31 Table 5. Distribution of AID Participants by Level of Education Number of Years of School Completed ‘ Frequengy l 3 \\~\\ 2 o \\ 3“ l u 0 S l 6 l 7 l 8 l 9 O 10 0 ll ' 6 12 ll 13 3 l4 12 15 18 16 32 17 or more 61 32 Table 6. Distribution of AID Participants by Self-reported English English Language Score Freqpency 7 l 9 2 10 2 12 2 l4 2 15 1 l6 5 17 5 18 1, l9 5 20 4 21 7 22 6 23 8 24 12 25 11 26 10 27 7 28 4 29 8 30 14 31 18 32 13 33 A measure of self-reported English language facility was also obtained. On an eight item scale (see Appendix B, items 67 to 74 in- clusive), scores ranged from 7 to 32. Possible values range from zero to 32. The mean self-reported English language facility level was 24.75 with a standard deviation of 5.89. Table 6 shows the distribution of English language facility scores. Test of Hypotheses In the present investigation, none of the hypotheses were confirmed. Of the ten hypotheses, six failed to reach statistical significance; a correlation of .147 is required for significance at the 5 per cent level. The remaining four hypotheses were statistically significant in the direction opposite to that which was predicted. Hypothesis 1: Degree of change orientation varies directly with degree of change system integration when length of contact period is controlled. The partial correlation is -.220. The hypothesis is not confirmed. Hypothesis 2: Degree of change orientation varies directly with degree of home system-occupational communication. The product moment correlation is -.l85. The hypothesis is not confirmed. Hypothesis 3: Degree of change orientation varies inversely with degree of home system-family communication. The product moment correlation is +.060, which is not significant. The hypothesis is not confirmed. Hypothesis 4: Degree of change orientation varies inversely with degree of expatriate communication. The product moment correlation is +.158, thus the hypothesis is not confirmed. 34 Hypothesis 5: Degree of change orientation varies directly with exposure to change system mass media when English language proficiency is controlled. The partial correlation is -.083 which is not significant. The hypothesis is not confirmed. Hypothesis 6: Degree of change orientation varies inversely with degree of exposure to home system mass media when exposure to change system mass media is low. The product moment correlation is -.121 which is not significant. The hypothesis is not confirmed. Hypothesis 7: Degree of change orientation varies directly with degree of exposure to home system mass media when exposure to change system mass media is high. The product moment correlation is -.092 which is not significant. The hypothesis is not confirmed. Hypothesis 8: Degree of change orientation varies directly with degree of English language proficiency. The product moment correlation is +.069 which is not significant. The hypothesis is not confirmed. Hypothesis 9: Degree of change orientation varies directly with training program satisfaction. The product moment correlation is -.162. The hypothesis is not confirmed. Hypothesis 10: Degree of change orientation varies directly with amount of education. The product moment correlation is -.001 which is not significant. The hypothesis is not confirmed. CHAPTER V SUMMARY AND DISCUSSION Summary The ability of technically trained personnel to accept and initiate change is an important aspect of social and economic development. Specifically, it is important that foreign technical trainees who have participated in occupational training programs in the United States be able to induce change on the job in their respective countries. The objectives of the present study are to determine the nature of the relationships between change orientation and selected communication and role-behavior, to express variations in change orientation as a function of these selected variables and to provide yet another approach to ascertaining change proneness. Change orientation is held to be a function of one's awareness of the process of change, the components of this process, and their interrela- tionships. The more able the individual is able to adjust to novel communi- cation and role situations, the more aware that person will be of the nature of change. Change orientation, the dependent variable, was indexed by thirteen items reflecting knowledge or awareness of the change process. The present study examined relationships between change orientation and integration (+), home system-occupational communication (+), home system-family communication (-), expatriate communication (-), exposure to change system mass media (+), exposure to home system mass media with low exposure to change system mass media (-), exposure to home system 35 36 mass media with high exposure to change system mass media (+), English language proficiency (+), training program satisfaction (+), education (+). None of the hypotheses were confirmed. Four were statistically significant in the direction opposite to that which was predicted. The remaining six were not statistically significant. Conclusions and Additional Analyses The lack of support for the hypotheses of the present study may derive from certain characteristics of the criterion variable, and in particular the method by which it was operationalized. It was the aim of the present study to determine the extent to which knowledge or awareness of selected elements of the process of change were indicative of a dis- positional stance which would facilitate the attempts of the respondents to introduce change. It was suggested that if such a relationship existed, then knowledge of the change process ought to relate to selected independent variables in the same manner as the concepts of innovativeness and favorability towards change. This would then provide yet another dimension of the concept of change orientation, receptivity to change or propensity for change. Clearly, the results do not establish any such relationships. In fact, they argue rather forcefully against such a position. It must be pointed out, however, that the present investigation deals with a unique population; change agents whose very presence in the training program makes the introduction of change in their countries continuously salient. Since research to date utilizing innovativeness and favorability towards change has most frequently been concerned with audiences other than change 37 agents, these findings require further review. Observation of the item—to-total score correlations for the thirteen items composing the criterion variable suggests the existence of more than one dimension. Table 7. Item-to-Total Score Correlations for the Change Orientation Scale Item-to-Total Score Item Number Correlation l .538 2 .596 5 .418 9 .477 16 .542 17 .464 18 .227 21 .609 27 .066 29 .335 31 .642 35 .338 36 .353 To further investigate the nature of the criterion variable, the items were factor analyzed, using the principle axis solution and two rotational techniques, the varimax rotation and the quartimax rotation (see Table 8 and Table 9 respectively). Common to Factor 1 in both 38 rotations are high loadings on items which deal with the variable time, and its relation to the introduction of change. 2. Since technical change is necessary to the well-being of the people in my culture, I must initiate changes I think are desirable immediately regardless of whether the people are ready for the change. 21. Changes in the way things are being done should be introduced as rapidly as they are financially feaSible e 31. If an idea for changing something is good, it should be done immediately. In addition to these three time-oriented items, the following items load highly in Factor 1, items 1 and 17 in the varimax rotation and item 16 in the quartimax rotation. 1. Implementing change in my country will only be a matter of explaining my plans to the proper authorities. Then, with their support, my plan will be put into action. 16. The formal, established methods of sending messages in an organization are the only means for achieving communication purposes that peeple will ever use in my country. 17. If a way of doing things works well in the United States, it will also work well in your country. The appearance of these six items in the first factor, that factor which accounts for the greatest portion of the variability would seem to suggest that these thirteen items are primarily measuring a dimension that might be labelled, "Introduce my new plans as soon as possible through the formal channels and success will be achieved." To some extent such an approach might be typified as authoritarian, certainly change agent-oriented or source-oriented, rather than audience-oriented. It also might well be labelled the affective dimension. There appears to be a strong desire on the part of 39 these persons for introducing change in their countries. Table 8. Varimax Rotation — Factor Loadings for Change Orientation Items Factor 2 Item No. l 2 3 h l .5993 -.1156 -.0383 .3740 2 .6657 .0617 -.1551 .4711 5 .1759 .0254 .7204 .5922 9 .4434 .2748 -.1669 .3000 16 .6736 .2113 -.0369 .4997 17 .6364 -.0345 .2183 .4539 18 -.0740 -.7503 -.0061 .5685 21 .5906 -.2423 -.2888 .4910 27 .0990 .0767 .4852 .2511 29 .0872 -.1448 -.6377 .4352 31 .6170 .3108 -.l889 .5130 35 .1600 -.7211 .0114 .5457 36 .289 .0813 -.3870 .1730 Proportion of Variance Explained by the Factor .2064 .1117 .1179 40 Table 9. Quartimax Rotation - Factor Loadings for Change Orientation Items Factor Item No. , 1 2 h2 1 .5549 -.2001 .3480 2 .6729 -.0133 .4529 5 .4672 .3409 .3345 9 .4867 .2300 .2898 16 .6394 .1000 .4188 17 .4876 -.l904 .2740 18 .1048 -.7040 .5066 21 .6433 -.2595 .4812 27 .1053 -.0597 .0147 29 .3338 .0006 .1114 31 .6226 -.3534 .5125 35 .1025 -.7l88 .5272 36 .2808 .1497 .1012 Proportions of Variance Explained by the Factor .2221 .1143 In retrospect this may be what one ought to expect of technical trainees at such a point in their programs. At the time of eliciting responses from these people they had had no formal exposure to the problems of introducing new ideas and the consequences of this kind of behavior to both the intended audience and themselves. 41 Discussion of the Hypotheses H1 Degree of change orientation varies directly with degree of change system integration when length of contact period is controlled. This hypothesis was statistically significant in the direction opposite to that which was predicted (r = -.220). In light of the factor analytic evidence, this finding indicates that the technical trainee who is prepared to initiate change as rapidly as possible is not well integrated in the change system or host culture. Two additional Observations tend to support this conclusion. Hypothesis 4 indicates that trainees engage in considerable communication with their own country- men who are also in the host country. A personal observation would suggest that many of these technical trainees spend their training period in the company of fellow countrymen. This would tend to obviate, to some extent, the need for a trainee to become well integrated in the change system. A secondary analysis of the data would tend to further support such a finding. Two more indices of change orientation were constructed from the factor analyses. The first consisted of the six effectively oriented items (Nos. 1, 2, 16, 17, 21, 31) which seem to indicate favorability towards rapid introduction of change. The second index was a two item scale, consisting of the two items loading highest on Factor 2 (Nos. 18, 35). 18. Technical change in your field will be_accompanied by some undesirable effects on the people in your country. 35. The people in my culture may not understand the advantages of the technical changes that I suggest because their experiences are quite different from mine. 42 These two items are of a much different nature than the six items composing the other secondary index. Items 18 and 35 clearly deal with the trainees' perception of the consequences of changes he might introduce, a position more closely approximating the elements of the theoretic position stated earlier in the present study. In this sense they constitute a cognitive dimension, in contrast to the affective qualities of the six- item scale. Disregarding length of stay in the change system, the correlations between integration and the three indices of change orienta- tion are shown in Table 10. Table 10. Correlations between Integration and Change Orientation Zero-order Correlation Index of Change Orientation with Integration Original scale -.230 Affective scale -.245 Cognitive scale -.080 The marked difference between the correlations of the six-item and two item suggests that a strong tendency to want to initiate change rapidly plus a relatively high degree of communication with expatriates, precludes, to some extent, the need to become highly integrated into the change system or host culture. “2 Degree of change orientation varies directly with home system-occupational communication. 43 This hypothesis, like the preceding one, was statistically significant but Opposite to the predicted direction (r = -.185). Again the rapid changer typology would be consistent with such a finding. This kind of trainee would see little utility in expending his effort in communicative contact with occupational associates. He tends to rely very heavily on the formal or authority-ordered communication networks and sees his task as one of primarily making his co-workers aware of the changes to be made, at which point such changes will occur. The intro- duction and accomplishment of change are seen as a very straightforward and readily obtained phenomena. Again, we note a striking difference between the correlations associated with the three indices of change orientation. Table 11. Correlations between Occupational Communication and Change Orientation Zero-Order Correlation Index of Change Orientation with Occupational Communication Original scale -.185 Affective scale -.22l Cognitive scale -.048 The pattern of these findings corresponds to the pattern of findings for Hypothesis 1, and add further credence to the "rapid changer" typology. With respect to Hypothesis 2, the maintenance of communicative contact with occupational associates is not seen by trainees as an important ingredient of their overall communicative behaviors. 44 H3 Degree of change orientation varies inversely with degree of home system-family communication. This hypothesis was not statistically significant (r = -.060). It is conceivable that the need to communicate with family and friends as a function of not being highly integrated into the host culture is partially offset by the relatively high degree of expatriate communication. H” Degree of change orientation varies inversely with degree of expatriate communication. This hypothesis was statistically significant, but not in the predicted direction (r = +.158). This finding clearly suggests that technical trainees are engaging in fairly frequent communication with fellow country- men who are also in the change system. As pointed out earlier this may largely be a result of the fact that many such persons spend their training period in the change system in the company of fellow countrymen. On the basis of discussions with some trainees it was noted that various sized groups of trainees from the same country and employed in the same occupation travelled, studied and worked together while in the host country. Although hypothetical at this point, the approach of these trainees to the intro- duction of change may be fostered and abetted by this tendency for grouping by nationality and occupation. H5 Degree of change orientation varies directly with degree of exposure to change system mass media when English language proficiency is controlled. 45 Hypothesis 5 was not statistically significant (r = -.083). This finding may be attributable to at least two explanations. In the first instance it is doubtful that the mass media provide them with in- formation which is directly related to their technical training program. Whereas the typical diffusion-adoption study finds a positive relationship between innovativeness and mass media exposure, in such cases the in- formation about the change(s) that can be made is often contained in the mass media. A second argument is suggested by the negative correlation between change orientation and integration. To the extent these rapid changers are not highly integrated into the change system or host culture, presumably their felt need to consume information about that system would not be high. H6 Degree of change orientation varies inversely with degree of exposure to home system mass media when exposure to change system mass media is low. H7 Degree of change orientation varies directly with degree of exposure to home system mass media when exposure to change system mass media is high. Neither Hypothesis 6 or Hypothesis 7 was statistically significant (H53 P = -.121; H7: r = -.092). Exposure to mass media from the trainees' home countries is low. A two item scale, using summated scores (range, 0 to 8) yielded a mean of 1.179 and a standard deviation of 1.637. Such a finding is undoubtedly a function of the availability of such media. However, when the sample is broken out using a median split on change system mass media, exposure to home system mass media is significantly different for the two groups (t = 2.33; d.f. = 149; p .05, 2 tailed, 46 Walker and Lev (30)). Table 12. Change Orientation and Home System Mass Media Comparisons for High and Low Change System-Mass Media Categories Exposure to Change Exposure to Home System System Mass Media Change Orientation Mass Media High 36 = 25.974 32' = 1.487 Low 3? = 25.800 Y = .867 This finding indicates that those who have lower exposure to change system mass media also tend to have lower exposure to the mass media from their own countries. Disregarding the variable, exposure to change system mass media, the correlation between home system mass media and change orientation, lasing the thirteen item index, is - .099. Using the six item (Factor 1) .index the correlation between these same two variables is - .135. The difference in these two correlations is quite similar to the difference lobtained by breaking the sample into high and low levels on the variable, exposure to change system mass media. It would appear then, that the Irapid changer type trainee has lower exposure to both home system and Cfliange system mass media. Such characteristics may stem from a perception tdaat relevant change information is not to be found in the mass media either from home or in the host country. H Degree of change orientation varies directly with degree of English language proficiency. 47 Hypothesis 8 was not statistically significant (r = +.069). An explanation for the failure to confirm Hypothesis 8 may be the fact that the trainees in the present study perceive themselves to be quite pro- ficient in English. The mean perceived proficiency level is 24.748 and the standard deviation is 5.890. An eight item scale was utilized, each item having five response categories (0 to 4). It might be argued that there is some threshold point with respect to English proficiency, above which individuals vary little insofar as awareness of change, integration, exposure to mass media and the like. The fact that the distribution of responses was restricted (see Table 6) has undoubtedly contributed to some extent to the low correlation as well. Hg Degree of change orientation varies directly with training program satisfaction. Hypothesis 9 was statistically significant (r = -.l62), but in the opposite direction to that predicted. Satisfaction with the training program appears to be quite high. For the five item index with the possible :range of scores being 0 to 20, the mean level of satisfaction was 16.437 and the standard deviation was 2.741. The negative relationship between Cfluange orientation and satisfaction would appear in retrospect to be ruelated to the very nature of the training program. The trainee who is iJnterested in making changes as soon as possible upon his return home is axzquiring technical information almost exclusively. The lack of infor- ULation about, or concern for, the problems of initiating change and its c