OAR@踏梣睋 Community:/library/oar/handle/123456789/2962026-08-07T19:55:11Z2026-08-07T19:55:11ZOn the swing : temporariness and intercultural communication competence among migrants from T羹rkiye in MaltaErben, eyma Esin/library/oar/handle/123456789/1484402026-08-07T09:09:07Z2026-01-01T00:00:00ZTitle: On the swing : temporariness and intercultural communication competence among migrants from T羹rkiye in Malta
Authors: Erben, eyma Esin
Abstract: This study examines the intercultural communication competencies (ICC) of migrants from T羹rkiye living in Malta. The research employs mixed-methods research design, combining a questionnaire completed by 105 participants with six months of participant observation. The study engages in a critical theoretical dialogue with approaches that treat ICC as an individual skill repertoire and instead discusses ICC as a relational practice shaped by structural and contextual conditions. The findings indicate that while language proficiency is significantly related to ICC, its explanatory power remains limited. The length of stay in Malta does not appear to be directly related to ICC. Field observations suggest that this may be linked to a widespread experience of transience, with many participants positioning Malta somewhere between permanent settlement and a stopover. In this context, migrants frequently socialize within their own cultural groups and other international migrant networks; Malta's character as a society shaped by intensive migration may further sustain this pattern. A negative relationship is observed between social network homogeneity and ICC, while a positive relationship emerges between ICC and openness to the local community. These findings suggest that treating ICC as a relational practice shaped by social network structures, settlement intentions, and the migration context may offer greater explanatory value than approaches focused on individual skills alone. This study contributes to existing discussions in the ICC literature by highlighting the structural and relational dimensions of ICC from the Maltese context.; Bu 癟al覺ma, Malta'da yaayan T羹rkiye doumlu g繹癟menlerin k羹lt羹rleraras覺 iletiim yetkinliklerini (K襤Y) incelemektedir. Arat覺rma, 105 kat覺l覺mc覺yla ger癟ekletirilen bir anket ile alt覺 ayl覺k kat覺l覺mc覺 g繹zlemini birletiren karma y繹ntemli bir arat覺rma tasar覺m覺 kullanmaktad覺r. al覺ma, K襤Y'yi bireysel bir beceri repertuar覺 olarak ele alan yakla覺mlarla eletirel bir kuramsal diyalog kurmakta ve K襤Y'yi yap覺sal ve balamsal koullar taraf覺ndan ekillenen ilikisel bir pratik olarak tart覺maktad覺r. Bulgular, dil yeterliinin K襤Y ile anlaml覺 bi癟imde ilikili olduunu ancak a癟覺klay覺c覺 g羹c羹n羹n s覺n覺rl覺 kald覺覺na iaret etmektedir. Malta'da kal覺 s羹resinin K襤Y ile dorudan ilikili olmad覺覺 g繹r羹lmektedir. Alan g繹zlemleri, bu durumun yayg覺n bir ge癟icilik deneyimiyle ilikili olabileceini ve bir癟ok kat覺l覺mc覺n覺n Malta'y覺 kal覺c覺 yerleim ile ge癟ici bir durak aras覺nda konumland覺rd覺覺n覺 d羹羹nd羹rmektedir. Bu balamda g繹癟menler s覺kl覺kla kendi k羹lt羹rel gruplar覺 ve dier uluslararas覺 g繹癟men alar覺 i癟inde sosyallemekte; Malta'n覺n youn uluslararas覺 g繹癟 alan bir toplumsal yap覺ya sahip olmas覺 da bu 繹r羹nt羹y羹 pekitirebilmektedir. Sosyal a homojenlii ile K襤Y aras覺nda negatif bir iliki g繹zlenirken K襤Y ile yerel topluma a癟覺kl覺k aras覺nda pozitif bir iliki ortaya 癟覺kmaktad覺r. Bu bulgular, K襤Y'nin yaln覺zca bireysel beceriler 羹zerinden a癟覺klanmas覺n覺n s覺n覺rl覺 kalabileceine ve sosyal a yap覺lar覺, yerleme niyetleri ve g繹癟 balam覺 taraf覺ndan ekillenen ilikisel bir pratik olarak ele al覺nmas覺n覺n daha a癟覺klay覺c覺 olabileceine iaret etmektedir. Bu 癟al覺ma, Malta balam覺ndan hareketle K襤Y'nin yap覺sal ve ilikisel boyutlar覺n覺 g繹r羹n羹r k覺larak K襤Y literat羹r羹ndeki mevcut tart覺malara katk覺da bulunmaktad覺r.2026-01-01T00:00:00ZLexically mediated compensation for coarticulation still as elusive as a white christmashMcQueen, James M.Jesse, AlexandraMitterer, Holger/library/oar/handle/123456789/1484272026-08-07T07:43:21Z2023-01-01T00:00:00ZTitle: Lexically mediated compensation for coarticulation still as elusive as a white christmash
Authors: McQueen, James M.; Jesse, Alexandra; Mitterer, Holger
Abstract: Luthra, Peraza-Santiago, Beeson, Saltzman, Crinnion, and Magnuson (2021) present data from the
lexically mediated compensation for coarticulation paradigm that they claim provides conclusive evidence
in favor of top-down processing in speech perception. We argue here that this evidence does not
support that conclusion. The findings are open to alternative explanations, and we give data in support
of one of them (that there is an acoustic confound in the materials). Lexically mediated compensation
for coarticulation thus remains elusive, while prior data from the paradigm instead challenge the idea
that there is top-down processing in online speech recognition.2023-01-01T00:00:00ZGreenwashing : awareness and perception of responsibility among graphic designers/library/oar/handle/123456789/1481182026-07-20T07:06:36Z2025-01-01T00:00:00ZTitle: Greenwashing : awareness and perception of responsibility among graphic designers
Abstract: This thesis explores the awareness and sense of responsibility of creative communication agency leaders regarding greenwashing. Greenwashing is a misleading communication practice that abuses consumers growing concern for sustainability, leading to growing mistrust of consumers around truly sustainable products and slowing down the sustainability movement. While the legal responsibility lies with the client commissioning the misleading visuals, graphic designers and other creatives function as the mediator between the client and the consumer, thereby carrying out the practical work. This thesis uses a qualitative approach to explore the awareness of four Maltese creative communication agencies leaders around greenwashing and to explore their potential responsibility as communicators. The study draws its importance from the 2024 introduced Green Transition Directive (EU 2024/825) that turns a moral consideration for graphic designers into a legal wrong. Firstly, the interviews revealed that greenwashing can easily be mixed up with other issues within the wider domain of sustainability in designers minds. Another finding is that a potential lack of sense of responsibility among creatives may be explained by the belief that individual action does not have a sufficient impact to tackle those problems. Since lawmakers and companies are perceived as more powerful, some interviewees attribute the main responsibility for introducing positive environmental change to these parties. All agencies interviewed have principles for the selection of their clients and declined clients for ethical reasons. Being able to be selective and act ethically also depends on the establishment of an agency. At the beginning of ones career, however, there can be the temptation to overlook design ethics in an effort to establish professional acumen and market exposure.
Description: B.Comms. (Hons)(Melit.)2025-01-01T00:00:00ZTheoretical perspectives on generative and agentic AI adoption in service environments/library/oar/handle/123456789/1478942026-07-08T08:55:55Z2026-01-01T00:00:00ZTitle: Theoretical perspectives on generative and agentic AI adoption in service environments
Abstract: The editors of this special issue particularly welcome submissions that explicitly draw upon, refine or combine well-established theories that have been influential in service and technology research, including (but not limited to) the following ones (as discussed in Camilleri & Troise, 2023):
Anthropomorphism theory (e.g., human-likeness, emotional attachment and/or moral attributions to AI).
Affordance theory (perceived action possibilities enabled or constrained by GenAI and/or Agentic AI interfaces).
Assemblage theory (AI as part of dynamic socio-technical service systems).
Behavioral reasoning theory (reasons for and against AI use in service encounters).
Cognitive fit theory (taskAI alignment and decision quality).
Commitmentconsistency theory (habit formation and sustained AI use).
Communication accommodation theory (linguistic and stylistic adaptation in humanAI interaction).
Contingency theory (contextual conditions that can have an impact on AI effectiveness).
Diffusion of innovations theory (organizational and market-level adoption trajectories).
Expectancy and expectation-violation theories (surprise, delight, discomfort or distrust in AI services).
Flow theory in computer-mediated environments (engagement, creativity and immersion).
Functionalist theory of emotion (affective responses to AI-enabled services).
Humancomputer interaction / humanmachine communication theories.
Information systems success model (service quality, satisfaction and net benefits of AI).
Politeness theory (face-management and social norms in AI communication).
Self-determination theory (autonomy, competence and relatedness in AI use).
Situational theories of problem-solving and publics.
Social cognitive theory (learning AI use through observation and social influence).
Social presence and social response theories.
Structural role theory (AI as role-performing service actors).
Technology acceptance model (TAM) and unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT).
Theory of conversation.
Theory of planned behavior (TPB) and its related theory of reasoned action (TRA).
Trustcommitment theory.
Uses and gratifications theory.
Submissions that integrate multiple perspectives, compare existing conceptual frameworks and develop new theoretical models specific to GenAI and Agentic AI in services are especially encouraged for this special issue.
Illustrative research questions may include (but are not limited to): How and to what extent do customers and employees anthropomorphize Generative versus Agentic AI in service encounters? Which GenAI and Agentic AI affordances drive value co-creation, trust, reliance or resistance in services? How do emotional cues, social presence and politeness strategies influence engagement with AI-driven service agents? Under what contingencies does AI adoption enhance or undermine service quality, relationships and well-being? How do expectations and expectation violation aspects influence satisfaction and continued use of AI-enabled services? How do organizations implement Agentic AI within broader service systems? What ethical, relational, psychological and accountability tensions emerge from sustained humanAI interactions, particularly when AI acts autonomously?
The special issue welcomes conceptual, qualitative, quantitative, experimental or mixed-methods approaches, provided that the contributing authors demonstrate strong theoretical grounding and relevance to the underlying objectives of this journal.2026-01-01T00:00:00Z