Case studies

Scenario

A new student comes to see you, the international student adviser, and hands you a bag saying "I have brought you a very special gift". You are standing in the reception area when this occurs, with various waiting students looking on.

Do you

1. accept the gift with grateful thanks
2. politely decline the gift, and say that you are unable to accept it?

Issues

• Is the acceptance of a gift compatible with remaining fair and impartial?
• Will it cause offence to decline a gift?
• How might the giver, and any onlookers, interpret the acceptance of a gift?

Commentary

Option 1: Accept the gift with grateful thanks.

Even if the gift is something of only nominal value, both the giver and the other students watching may have a range of possible interpretations of the meaning of the giving and receiving of gifts (see cultural commentary). There are risks here that the gift-giver or the other students may understand the acceptance of the gift in unintended ways ("You accepted my gift, so you are indicating that you will be able to help me" or "Staff here will do favours for students who give gifts.") As an adviser, you need to correct any misconceptions (perhaps by indicating that gift-giving in the context is not a normal expectation in the UK, and asking them to explain its role in the giver's culture).

You may feel able to accept the gift if is not valuable; in this case, does your office or institution operate a policy regarding acceptance of gifts? To ensure transparency it is best that all gifts are recorded, and that there is an agreed policy for dealing with them.

In the case of expensive gifts, if your policy does allow them to be accepted, and perhaps sold or raffled for charity at a later date, it is important that the student is told this, and the reason for it.

Option 2: Politely decline the gift, and say that you are unable to accept it.

In some cases, declining a gift might ensure there was no possible suggestion of undue influence. However, it may also surprise or offend a student who has merely done what was normal in their culture, without seeking undeserved benefit. It may help to be able to show the student a code of practice or institutional policy to explain the decision and reassure them that the refusal was not intended to offend.

Cultural commentary

In the UK, it is generally acceptable to receive a small gift in thanks for a service rendered (eg end of term presents to a teacher), but gifts in advance of the service may be perceived as an attempt to influence the outcome, and valuable gifts after the event might be interpreted as a pay-off. UK service culture assumes that fairness comes from treating everyone according to the rules, and that within the constraints of the rules, every individual can expect to be given equal treatment. Staff normally expect material reward to come via a salary, not via perks of the job.

Other cultures' conventions around gift giving may vary eg a norm of giving a thank-you gift in advance of service; an expectation that some form of personal reward is needed to ensure good service in a bureaucratic set-up where contacts are more influential than rules (and often where pay levels are poor). Gift-giving may be a routine part of certain relationships.

Scenario

You receive a phonecall from a senior member of the university who has been asked by an international contact to "help" get his daughter a room on campus. The contact is potentially in a position to be of great help to the institution in his home country.

Do you

1. agree to give her priority over other students
2. offer to explain the room allocation system to the contact, but point out that the allocations policy treats all students equally?"

Issues

• Does the "greater good" of the institution sometimes over-ride standard policies and procedures?
• Who has the authority to make such a decision?

Commentary

Option 1: Agree to give her priority over other students.

This might be the best response for a "quiet life", but do you and/or the senior member of staff have the authority to make this decision? What would be an appropriate process to deal with exceptions to the rule?

Option 2: Offer to explain the room allocation system to the contact, but point out that the allocations policy treats all students equally.

You may feel it is appropriate to refer a decision upwards before saying no in certain circumstances, but if it is appropriate to say no, there may be an issue of finding a culturally acceptable way of doing so.

Cultural commentary

Any institution which operates internationally needs to understand that building international networks of contacts brings with it potential expectations, based on personal relationships. In the UK we often see relationships as being between organisations; in some cultures, those relationships are seen as being particular to individuals, and if those individuals move on, the "relationship capital" they have built up is lost. Personal relationships may require considerable time to be spent together socially, and may also require exchange of "favours". The Chinese concept of "guanxi" is one example of relationships being closely linked with a sense of mutual obligation.

These cultural differences may create conflicts and misunderstandings, which will require careful handling. On the one hand it is important to explain if expectations are mutually incompatible. On the other, it is important to ensure that the message is given through the right channels, in appropriate language, to be understood without giving offence.

Scenario

You are visiting a group of students on their year abroad to discuss their general welfare and progress. The students tell you about their experiences of assessment at the host institution and how local students routinely share information during examinations, apparently without penalty. Some of the students say that they have had help in this way from local students.

Do you

1. note this as an interesting cultural difference from the UK, but report nothing about it to colleagues back home
2. draw this to the attention of the academic co-ordinator for the exchange, in case they feel it appropriate to investigate further?

Issues

• Did the students believe they were talking to you in confidence, for instance within the context of a discussion about welfare and cultural differences?
• When there are cultural differences between partner institutions, to what extent should the custom and practice of the partner institution be respected, even if it sanctions behaviour which would not be acceptable at the home institution?

Commentary

Option 1: Note this as an interesting cultural difference from the UK, but report nothing about it to colleagues back home.

While it might not be appropriate (or realistic) to report students to their home institution for behaviour which might be deemed to be misconduct at home, are these issues which the home institution needs to consider as matters of general principle, and might it be beneficial at least to raise those for discussion?

Option 2: Draw this to the attention of the academic co-ordinator for the exchange, in case they feel it appropriate to investigate further.

Depending on the context of the discussion with students, passing on this information in connection with specific students might be a breach of confidentiality. Discussing it with a partner institution might also be a difficult and delicate matter. Isolated reports may be atypical of the experience at that institution – but unless logged, it will be difficult to establish whether this is an ongoing issue, and if so whether it causes concern eg by over-inflating the marks students at this institution receive.