Correlation between Social Skills and Cross-cultural Adjustment of Chinese Nurses in Japan

<p>Objective: Although Japan and China share some commonalities, such as Chinese characters and Confucianism, there are differences in interpersonal behavior. Social skills can play a particularly important role in interpersonal relationships in cross-cultural settings. This study aimed to examine how social skills of Chinese nurses are correlated with their cross-cultural adjustment in the Japanese workplace. Methods: An exploratory quantitative study of 39 Chinese nurses was conducted to examine the correlation between cross-cultural adjustment and social skills in Japan. Data were dichotomized by average social skills and analyzed using Mann-Whitn U test. Results: Chinese nurses in Japan were divided into high- and low-social-skills groups based on their mean total score on the [Social Skills] scale. The high-social-skills group had significantly higher total scores on the [Three Dimensions of Cross-Cultural Adjustment] scale, [Sociocultural Adjustment] (p=.006), and [Self-Realization] (p=.012). Moreover, they were positively motivated to develop their expertise as nurses in Japan. Conclusions: Effective social skills training reflecting the characteristics of Japanese interpersonal behavior and cultural support is important in developing collaborative work environment between Japanese and Chinese nurses. Providing support programs for Chinese nurses in Japan may improve not only their career development but also the quality-of-care services performed by a team including Chinese nurses.</p>