Transculturals as Agents of Change by Chris J. Harriss B.A. in International Business, January 1994, American University of Paris M.B.A. in Management of International Business, June 1996, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - Institut d’Administration des Entreprises A Dissertation submitted to The Faculty of The Graduate School of Education and Human Development of The George Washington University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education January 19, 2018 Dissertation directed by Shaista E. Khilji Professor of Human and Organizational Learning The Graduate School of Education and Human Development of the George Washington University certifies that Chris J. Harriss has passed the final examination for the degree of Doctor of Education as of December 7, 2017. This is the final and approved form of the dissertation. Transculturals as Agents of Change Chris J. Harriss Dissertation Research Committee: Shaista E. Khilji, Professor of Human and Organizational Learning, Dissertation Director Katherine Rosenbusch, Assistant Professor of Management, George Mason University, Committee Member Michael Pobát, Adjunct Professor of Human and Organizational Learning, Committee Member ii © Copyright 2018 by Chris J. Harriss All rights reserved iii Dedication To Claudie, representing the Meunier family of the Old World, and Joe, representing the Harriss family of the New World, for having given me a transcultural life and 46 years of dedicated support and love. iv Acknowledgments This dissertation is the accomplishment of a 5-year academic marathon at the heart of GSEHD. Such dedication would have been meaningless without the guidance, support, and encouragement of a number of key individuals, including my chair, Dr. Shaista Khilji; my advisor, Dr. Maria Cseh, with whom this 5-year plan was laid out; Dr. Rick Jakeman, who showed me the ropes in coordinating the Educational Symposium for Research and Innovation 3 years in a row; Dean Mary Futrell, whose wisdom provided insights and sage counseling; Mrs. Nancy Gilmore, who coached me wisely and listened patiently; and Dean Michael Feuer, whose presence and words inspired and raised morale when in doubt. Special thanks to the members of my dissertation committee, Drs. Katherine Rosenbusch and Michael Pobát, whose curiosity and similar interests in the subject helped me articulate my thoughts. To my external reviewers, Dr. Arianna Dagnino for her transcultural expertise and dedication to the subject, and Dr. Julia Storberg-Walker for her insights. Thanks to classmates and friends for a journey paved with passionate conversations and friendly sporadic escapades. Special thanks to my neighbors Danielle and Jean, whose encouragements and scientific expertise helped me bring a maze of thoughts to light. All participants in this study entrusted me with a lifetime of personal experiences for which I am grateful and thankful. v Abstract of the Dissertation Transculturals as Agents of Change With operations involving global interindividual interactions and strategic organizational change, organizations face a human resource problem. Today, human resources departments seek individuals capable of interacting across and beyond sociocultural boundaries and sometimes in volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous settings. The literature has identified that organizations underutilize a specific pool of employees with extensive international life-work experience. This study was designed to explore the phenomenon of the transcultural individual from a humanistic perspective. To be a transcultural individual is to have successfully integrated two or more cultures into their worldview. The study also examined transcultural traits or characteristics, as a positive attribute to being an agent of change in the workplace. Three underlying premises drove this study: first, human relations are malleable; second, transcultural individuals are naturals in interindividual intercultural interactions; and third, change is continuous. The study population included five women and four men located in Washington, D.C., and Paris, France. The study used a qualitative interpretive inquiry design and a transdisciplinary theoretical framework to explore the nine life stories. Semistructured interviews provided rich and thick descriptions for analysis. The results were threefold: the participants transcended their inherited culture to attain a degree of cultural freedom; a transcultural life lessens angst in the face of change; and self-perception of being a manager and/or leader of change seems normal to the participants. vi The findings uncovered the transcultural life experience as a way of being and a way of knowing the world. Moreover, being transcultrual, from a human development and an existential transformative process, appears to predispose individuals to being proactive agents of change in the workplace. This study highlighted the positive humanistic perspectives, derived from being a transcultural individual, that organizations need from individuals with relevant knowledge to address cross-cultural challenges and complexified work settings due to a continuous state of change. The study also revealed a perception of change to be related to individuals’ prior life experiences with change, including emotional behaviors and coping mechanisms developed under such circumstances. Unforeseeably, conversations exposed personal perceptions of time in relation to change. In conclusion, recommendations for transcultural individuals and organizations are derived, and further research is suggested. vii Table of Contents Page Dedication .......................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgments............................................................................................................... v Abstract of the Dissertation ............................................................................................... vi List of Figures .................................................................................................................. xiv List of Tables .................................................................................................................... xv CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................... 1 The Transcultural Life Experience ..................................................................................... 1 A Human Phenomenon .................................................................................................. 1 The Transcultural Paradigm ........................................................................................... 6 A Humanistic Philosophical Stance ............................................................................... 8 Problem Statement .............................................................................................................. 9 Purpose of Study ............................................................................................................... 14 Research Questions ........................................................................................................... 16 Potential Significance ....................................................................................................... 17 Theoretical Foundation ..................................................................................................... 20 Constructs of the Workplace Environment .................................................................. 20 Transcultural Theory .................................................................................................... 23 Agent of Change Role Theory ..................................................................................... 25 Learning from Experience............................................................................................ 26 Humanistic Lens........................................................................................................... 27 Summary of the Methodology .......................................................................................... 28 viii Researcher’s Stance ..................................................................................................... 28 Data Collection Methods.............................................................................................. 30 Data Analysis ............................................................................................................... 31 Trustworthiness ............................................................................................................ 32 Ethical Considerations ................................................................................................. 32 Delimitations ................................................................................................................ 33 Limitations ................................................................................................................... 34 Definition of Key Terms ................................................................................................... 34 CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ....................................................... 43 Overview ........................................................................................................................... 43 Literature Review Methods .........................................................................................