Presentation by pro. Fan Jinyan
Venue: D101
Date: Jul 4, 2011
Time: 2:00pm

Abstract: Although attribute-treatment interactions have been routinely examined in the domestic training literature, they have been generally overlooked in the cross-cultural orientation and training literature.Addressing this gap, the present study investigated whether gender and emotional stability may moderate the effect of a coping orientation program within a cross-cultural context (Fan & Wanous, 2008). In this longitudinal field experiment, 72 graduate students from Asia who entered a large Midwest university in the U.S. were randomly assigned into either a traditional orientation program or the new coping orientation program. The participants were assessed immediately after the orientation and at 1, 3, 6, and 9 months post-entry. As predicted, attribute-treatment interactions were found. Specifically, results showed that male participants benefited more from the coping orientation program than did female participants, and that participants with high perceived social self-efficacy benefited more from the intervention than participants with low perceived social self-efficacy.These findings support the "fit" argument for matching the training design with trainee personal characteristics. Theoretical and practical implications will be discussed.