Research

As the national university, we champion and support innovative research that addresses the country’s most pressing challenges.

09 Aug 2023

UP Los Baños

Villages with a large population of women, older persons and agricultural households are most exposed to drought risk

Islands are highly vulnerable to natural disasters and extreme weather events due to their physical size, remoteness, and limited resources....

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04 Aug 2023

UP System

Continuing ignition practices have transformed Tau-Buhid Indigenous lands into “territories of fire”

The article challenges the assumption that land tenure is contingent on acquiring a land title. It argues that for Indigenous...

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02 Aug 2023

UP Los Baños

Occupational therapists can be tapped to design age-friendly cities and communities

Urban planning for age-friendly environments is an important issue, and occupational therapists and occupational scientists could contribute to planning such...

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31 Jul 2023

UP Manila

Injuries suffered by workers on the job such as from falls and contact with sharp objects had been fatal

Although Occupational Health and Safety has been introduced as early as 1971, the protection of workers remained insufficient globally as...

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27 Jul 2023

UP Cebu

Human population growth threatens the largest and only protected key biodiversity area in Cebu Island

The continuing pressure on the natural environment exerted by human activities such as land conversion has been threatening to drive...

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25 Jul 2023

UP Diliman

The seaweed Saccharina japonica, an important aquaculture crop, shows increased photosynthetic activity under blue light

Saccharina japonica kelps grow naturally in the subtidal zone up to more than 20 m, where blue light (400–500 nm) is...

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21 Jul 2023

UP Los Baños

Teachers are influenced by their own beliefs in how they promote scientific argumentation in class

This qualitative multiple-case study discusses the importance of investigating the alignment of four biology teachers’ beliefs and practices when teaching...

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20 Jul 2023

UP Mindanao

Future solid waste management system in Davao City should prioritize plastic waste treatment

To reduce adverse environmental impact, municipal solid waste management (MSWM) practices in developed countries are adopted in developing countries without...

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19 Jul 2023

UP Los Baños

Pesticide residues were found in commonly consumed vegetables and those labeled “organic”

Pesticide residues on vegetables pose food safety concerns. In this study, an assay called the Rapid Bioassay for Pesticide Residues...

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19 Jul 2023

UP Diliman

Surface constraint approach optimizes the design and trajectory of solar sails that are constrained to move on surfaces

Solar sailing is a propulsion technology that uses the solar radiation pressure of the sun as a source for thrust....

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18 Jul 2023

UP Diliman

Studies on disasters can only be inclusive if scholars and practitioners “decolonize” themselves

The discussions on the decolonization of knowledge in disasters are not entirely new and have been the subject of inquiries...

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14 Jul 2023

UP Diliman

“Filipinized” system that aims to make online learning accessible to nursing students and teachers presented at international conference

The project “Development of a Filipinized Learning Management System” (FLMS), funded by the Emerging Interdisciplinary Research Program of the the...

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Research

This article sets out to examine cultural differences in perceiving leaders’ visual and non-verbal behavior. It examines and compares how business students at universities in Finland and the Philippines perceive business leaders based on visual cues, drawing on social psychological theories of social categorization, person perception, and the cultural dimensions of leadership and organization. A total of 32 university students of business studies participated in the study. They were presented with eight images of people with different visual expressions and reflected in writing on what kinds of leaders these people would be. The data was analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The findings show that both Finnish and Filipino students had similar perceptions of what kinds of leaders the people in the images might be. However, in terms of leadership preferences, the Finnish students appeared to place more emphasis on the person’s level of communicativeness and friendliness, whereas levels of competence and commitment were emphasized more strongly by Filipino students. The theoretical approach and design of the study may be applied in research on leaders’ visual and nonverbal expressiveness in multicultural organizations.

This research work carries three significant implications.

First, it serves to illuminate the critical role of students’ perceptions regarding tangible aspects of their teachers, including their attire and non-verbal communication. Frequently, educators are unaware of the profound impact their appearance and behavior can have on how students perceive them, potentially influencing how readily students absorb knowledge from them. Recognizing this aspect can lead to more effective teaching strategies and improved student-teacher relationships.

Second, this research highlights the importance of understanding the distinctions and commonalities between two distinct groups of students. In an era marked by increased student mobility, discerning where these groups differ and where they share similarities becomes paramount. This knowledge empowers educators to tailor their teaching approaches to better align with the cultural backgrounds and expectations of their students, fostering a more inclusive and effective learning environment.

Third, the research underscores the significance of collaboration between two universities situated in different parts of the world. This collaboration not only advances academic research but also facilitates cross-cultural learning experiences. As the field of management continues to evolve towards embracing a diverse workforce, such collaborations provide valuable opportunities for both institutions to deepen their understanding of each other cultures and enhance their abilities to effectively manage diverse teams and organizations. In essence, this research opens the door to a wealth of opportunities for mutual growth and enrichment.

Authors: Jari Martikainen (Department of Social Sciences, University of Eastern Finland) and Tiffany A. Tan (School of Management, University of the Philippines Cebu)

Read the full paper: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00208825.2023.2238459