MacEwan Open Journals (MacEwan University)
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Attracting University-educated Job Seekers: Challenges and Recommendations for the Auto Sales Industry
No full textWhile a strong demand for university-educated employees exists within the auto sales industry, few graduates give serious consideration to car dealerships as career opportunities. Lexus of Edmonton, a leading luxury car dealership, presented our team with this concern, prompting a three-month marketing research project. This report examines the factors which influence university-educated job seekers’ decisions when searching for employment, and how Lexus of Edmonton can tailor their recruitment strategies to target graduates. Our examination followed a three-phase research design involving a review of 25 academic articles, a qualitative analysis of five in-depth interviews, and a quantitative analysis of 101 questionnaire responses.
In summary, we found that school involvement, internships, and online platforms were effective means of attracting university graduates. We identified business-majors as the audience most interested in a career with Lexus of Edmonton. We also found that corporate social responsibility and organizational culture were major concerns for graduates, with some metrics being considered as highly as salary and compensation. Based on these findings, our team recommends that Lexus of Edmonton expand their ongoing involvement with local universities, leverage their online presence to network with students, and tailor its communications to reflect their commitment to employee wellbeing. Drawing on this report as a case study in recruitment strategies, we hope that other employers and universities may optimize their own processes to better match graduates to career opportunities
Sorry, I Should Have Checked the Culture First : An exploration into the use of cultural context related to social orientations in interpersonal apologies
No full textHumans make mistakes, and as a result, apologies are an inescapable aspect of intercultural communication. This paper suggests that cultural pragmatics are the foundation for an effective apology. Through a content analysis of sources, the key contextual factors that impact an apology are individualism-collectivism orientations, rooted in the social values of different cultures. Some of the key findings proposed that these different orientations are exemplified in Japanese and American cultures, as they tend to focus on either the group or the individual in an apologetic situation. Apologies are not cross-culturally universal, but based on the pragmatics of cultural orientations, especially individualism-collectivism, they can be predicted. To examine this in the paper, apologies are defined in the context of universality, and Japan/the US are identified as cultures that present strong social contexts, requiring cultural context to create an apology. Then, the literature review establishes the importance of these socially based expectations through linguistics, social purpose, and saving face. The discussion section then argues that these concerns are more important than situational cues, that an individualistic orientation is less complicated to predict in regard to apologies, and that these pragmatic preparations prevent the escalation of the act being apologized for. In the conclusion, it is pointed out that even with these contextual clues, apologies are not entirely predictable, but these tools can help mitigate cultural misgivings.  
The identity of a new profession: Examining the aegis of Traditional Chinese Medicine
No full textIn Canada, there is a growing interest in regulating the practices of acupuncture and Chinese herbology under the banner of ‘Traditional Chinese Medicine’ (TCM). However, the origins and definition of TCM are unclear and therefore disputed. While TCM is often used as an umbrella term to represent Chinese medical traditions that span millennia, numerous academics consider TCM to be a modern construct that has departed from the foundational roots of Chinese medicine. To better understand TCM and its implications for the profession, our study investigates: 1) historical precedents leading up to the formal creation of TCM; 2) characteristics and defining features of TCM; and 3) how this relates to education, practice and regulation of the profession in Canada. A mixed-methods study design was employed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore perceptions of individuals who contributed to mediums that discussed the formation of TCM or traditions that exist outside of TCM. In addition, an anonymous web-based survey was sent to TCM-related professional organizations, who were asked to distribute the survey to their members to capture the views of persons practicing within TCM-related health professions in Canada. Due to a lack of participation from the organizations, no survey data was collected. Interviews revealed that TCM is a product of the standardization and simplification of Chinese medicine during the 1950’s and 60’s in China to meet healthcare needs at the time. Currently in Canada, there appears to be a lack of awareness that the establishment of TCM is not a comprehensive representation of Chinese medical traditions, and that many aspects of it may not be suited to the healthcare landscape of modern-day Canada. There is a need for more discussion surrounding the identity of this new profession
Kawhi Leonard’s Impact on the Toronto Raptors’ 2019 Playoff Run as a Markov Chain
No full textIn the summer of 2018, the Toronto Raptors engineered a trade that would forever change the history of their franchise. The blockbuster trade saw NBA superstar Kawhi Leonard in a Raptors uniform in exchange for then franchise cornerstone DeMar Derozan. The trade was heavily criticized with fans and analysts alike claiming the organization gave up its future for a small chance at a championship. The Raptors went on to win the championship with Kawhi as their centerpiece. By studying their performance in the playoffs as two separate Markov chains, when Kawhi was playing and when he was resting, his contribution can be analyzed. It was assumed that his presence would account for more defensive stops and a more efficient offense. Upon analyzing the collected data, it was seen that his presence accounts for more points per game and offensive rebounds per game and a decreased number of defensive stops. In the future this type of analysis can be applied to data from any team at any level where relevant statistics are tracked. By analyzing one player’s impact on games, organizations will have a better idea of which players to trade away or trade for as well as how to distribute minutes
More Precious Than a Coyote
No full text“More Precious Than a Coyote” examines the meaning of togetherness and acceptance of one’s identity in the life of a young Cree woman named Nica, who struggles to accept the ancestral powers passed down to her from her kokum. Nica’s powers manifest at an early age – dreams of animals and fruit. Her dreams are a power that she sees as alienating. Additionally, her own mother’s denial and abandonment of their Cree heritage and their ancestral powers push Nica inward while Kokum’s love and acceptance pulls Nica towards recognizing the preciousness of the power she holds and of where she comes from. As the narrative moves between the past and the present, Nica’s struggle continues from the time her powers manifest to the present time when her dreams are visited by a coyote. Interweaved within the intergenerational drama between Nica’s family is her complicated relationship with her ex-boyfriend, Darren. As Nica attempts to live a half-life of mundane routines – all in the hopes of quelling and detaching from her dreams – Darren’s sudden reappearance on her doorstep forces her to make a choice. Just like her mother and her kokum before her.
Presented in absentia on April 27, 2020 at "Student Research Day" at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta. (Conference cancelled)
Faculty Mentor: Chris Hutchinson
Department: Englis
A Sphere of One\u27s Own: The Eighteenth-Century Shift from a One- To a Two-Sex Model of Sexual Difference
No full textDrawing on a selection of primary and secondary sources, this paper extends Thomas Laqueur’s thesis that theories of sexual difference evolved from a one-sex to a two-sex model in the late eighteenth century by examining the political implications of this shift. Specifically, it will survey how proponents of the former model, such as Olympe de Gouges and Marquis de Condorcet, tended to dominate the moderate stage of the French Revolution, only to be violently excised from the public sphere during the radical Jacobin phase when Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s two-sex ideas about "natural" gender roles gained ascendance. The consequences of this shift were long-lasting, as France\u27s "republican mothers" were shunted into the private sphere and denied the vote well into the twentieth century.
Presented in absentia on April 27, 2020 at "Student Research Day" at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta. (Conference cancelled)
Faculty Mentor: Kelly Summers
Department: History 
Can Biofeedback Increase the use of Stress Interventions?
No full textUndergraduate students struggle to incorporate stress coping strategies or self care routines into their lives that take time (e.g., yoga or exercise). However, there are many useful stress coping methods that do not require a significant time investment (e.g., deep breathing, cognitive reappraisal). These strategies can also be employed in the moment when students are facing an immediate stressor, like writing a final exam. Although these simple strategies exist, students often do not use them in the moment. It is unclear whether this lack of use is due to lack of knowledge , lack of belief that the strategy will be effective, or other factors. Our proposed study will examine these first two ideas. We will recruit participants into one of four groups: 1) deep breathing, 2) cognitive reappraisal, 3) deep breathing with biofeedback, 4) cognitive reappraisal with biofeedback. Physiological (i.e., heart rate variability) and psychological (i.e., perceived stress) measures will be assessed at baseline. Participants will then complete a stress-inducing mathematics task. Next, participants will be taught one of the two stress interventions. The stress task will then be repeated, and participants will be asked to use the intervention during the second stress task, either receiving heart rate variability biofeedback or not. Throughout the rest of the semester, participants will receive email prompts inquiring if they have used the learned intervention. We hypothesize that participants who receive biofeedback, and thus see that the intervention is effective, will use the intervention more often throughout the semester.
Presented in absentia on April 27, 2020 at "Student Research Day" at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta. (Conference cancelled)
Faculty Mentor: Michele Moscicki
Department: Psycholog
AR.T Augmented Reality
No full textOriginal artwork is often very expensive; being able to see how a painting will look on a wall before you buy is advantageous. As a collaborative project between the MacEwan Computer Science and Design departments, we set out to develop an AR app that can be used by consumers to shop for art on the walls of their homes and offices.
Presented in absentia on April 27, 2020 at "Student Research Day" at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta. (Conference cancelled)
Faculty mentor: Dana Cobzas
Department: Computer Science
NOTE: Until June 1, 2022 this work is only available to MacEwan users. It can be accessed at https://roam.macewan.ca/islandora/object/gm:214
Racism and Xenophobia Towards China and People with Chinese Ethnicity Following COVID-19: A Content Analysis of Replies to Donald Trump’s Controversial Tweets
No full textThis content analysis examined public reactions to Twitter posts made by Donald Trump referring to COVID-19 as the “Chinese Virus”. Fifty replies were open coded from which eight themes emerged: endangerment, stigmatization, xenophobia, accountability, accuracy, inferiority, visual promotion, and written promotion. The themes correspond to four meta-themes regarding China, its population, and people with Chinese ethnicity including: explicit opposition to racism towards China and its population, neither an opposition nor a promotion of racism, an implicit promotion of racism, and an explicit promotion of racism. The most prevalent theme addressed xenophobia and more specifically, an opposition to racism towards people with Chinese ethnicity. While most replies to Trump’s Tweets demonstrated an opposition to xenophobia, 14 of the 50 Tweets analyzed explicitly promoted racism. 
‘Googleplex Cultures’: A Marxist Analysis of Silicon Valley Workplace Cultures
No full textThis paper takes a Marxist approach to analyze Silicon Valley workplace cultures and how they exploit and alienate their workers. Unlike traditional corporate offices, Silicon Valley workplace cultures offer a range of perks and benefits that attract every office worker; however, it makes them feel a sense of appreciation, known throughout the paper as ‘Googleplex culture’. This culture presents a “decentralized workforce explicitly with integrated units working together to find solutions to problems or failure” (Tran, 2017) while providing employees with a range of unconventional, yet useful amenities. Throughout this paper, it is clear Googleplex culture’s onsite benefits, such as kitchens, free meals, snacks, cafés, private rooms, designated sleep areas, workout facilities, and many more perks the average workers could only wish for, obscure both the absolute and relative surplus labour which lead to exploitation. Googleplex cultures claim to be centred around the worker; however, the concept of crunch depicted in these companies is mainly focused on profits rather than employee health, further providing evidence that these workplace cultures initiate Marx\u27s four forms of alienation.