A culturally sensitive framework for understanding knowledge workers from a non-western background

Abstract

The significant link between learning and the knowledge economy is so crucial that the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has reconceptualised the term knowledge-economy to call it the ‘learning economy’. One of the main challenges of human resource development in the ‘learning economy’ is to evaluate the learning attributes of the knowledge workers. Much of the available literature on learning does not go beyond classroom learning. Students’ approaches to learning provide a relevant basis for investigating adult learning but studies have reported the lack of consideration of cross-cultural issues. Thus, theoretical underpinnings of cultural values were used in this study to address the gap. Two adapted instruments which considered both etic and emic characteristics were administered to 959 Malay and Chinese knowledge workers to ensure conceptual equivalence. The consideration of cultural variables in the investigation reveals indigenous learning constructs such as ‘Memorising and understanding’ and ‘Face’. The inclusions of ‘emic’ concepts ensure a rigorous framework in understanding adult learners from a non-western background.