As more business is being conducted internationally and corporations establishthemselves globally, the impact of cross-cultural aspects becomes an important research issue. The need to conduct cross-cultural research is perhaps even more important in the relatively newly emerging and quickly changing information systems (IS)field. This article presents issues relating to qualitative research, emic versus etic approaches, and describes a structured, yet flexible, qualitative research interviewing technique, which decreases the potential for bias on the part of the researcher. The grounded theory technique presented in this article is based on Kelly's Repertory Grid (RepGrid), which concentrates on “laddering,” or the further elaboration of elicited constructs, to obtain detailed researchparticipant comments about an aspect within the domain of discourse. The technique provides structure to a “one-to-one” interview. But, at the same time, RepGrids allow sufficient flexibility for the research participants to be able to express their own interpretation about a particular topic. This article includes a brief outline of a series of research projects that employed the RepGrid technique to examine similarities and differences in the way in which “excellent” systems analysts are viewed in two different cultures. Also included is a discussion of the technique's applicability for qualitative researchin general and cross-cultural studies specifically. The article concludes by suggesting ways in which the RepGrid technique addresses some of the major methodological issues in cross-cultural research.

In The Structure of Scientific Revolutions Kuhn (1962) outlines the central role which paradigms play in the development of scientific disciplines, and the revolutionary process by which paradigms may eventually be challenged and replaced by new paradigms. This revolutionary model of paradigmatic change may well describe the process by which the new paradigm of management education will become established. There is, of course, no guarantee that the /revolution' will be successful and that the new paradigm will supplant the old. The forces of counter-revolution, with interests vested in the old paradigm, can be strong and may hold off the challenge of the new, for the establishment of paradigmatic dominance is not only an intellectual and conceptual process, but also a social and political one. This situation is evident in the case of the development of a part-time MBA course at an institution in the Far East. Although the program design seemed to embody many of the principles espoused in a new paradigm of management education, revisions have been proposed for the course which may turn it back into a more traditional model of an MBA programme. The case raises the question of institutional readiness for a new paradigm of management education. It also highlights the need for institutional leadership in the process of questioning assumptions, practices and values as MBA programmes are challenged to meet the demands and opportunities of the 21st century.

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As business becomes established with a more international focus, there is a growing globalization of the information systems (IS) function. The need for compatible standards and procedures within these international networks means that the systems analyst will play a key role in this globalization process. It is, therefore, considered timely that there is a developing body of research into the effects of cultural differences on the design and development of IS. This article reports research into the way in which 'excellent' systems analysts are perceived in Canada and Singapore. The research method adopted the RepGrid technique from Kelly's Theory of Personal Constructs, which served as the vehicle to facilitate the elicitation of participant comments. Seventeen interviews were conducted in Singapore compared with 53 in Canada. The results suggest that, in terms of the overall approach and priorities that systems analysts place on their work, there is evidence of a commonality, which unites the profession in these two countries. This may be evidence of convergence, which occurs as the result of common education, training and socialization of new entrants into the international occupational community of systems analysts. However, there is also strong evidence of divergence between these two countries based on the different emphasis on the way in which systems analysts will play their roles in each country. As a reflection of the culture of each society, the Singaporean systems analysts are more fikely to rely on expertise to influence clients, whereas the Canadian systems analysts rely more on encouraging the client to participate in the design effort.

This paper reports on an exploratory study to elicit the impact of internships on accounting students: what interns had learnt; the process by which they learnt; the effect of what had been learnt on their expectations of the accounting profession; and their choice of a future career. The methodology involved qualitative data, with quantitative analysis and testing of hypothesis. The sample was 250 accounting students in Singapore who have completed eight weeks of internship. Interns reported a number of significant learning outcomes of which the most significant were personal and interpersonal skills. Of lesser importance were technical skills. Learning by reflection was the key to supporting these outcomes. The student believed that what they had learnt would support their future professional development, that the internship had prepared them for their first job and that it helped them to choose their career. The framework of Goleman's (1995) theory of Emotional Intelligence (New York: Bantam Books) was used to explain the results.Internships, career determination, internships, experiential learning, reflective learning, emotional intelligence, Singapore,