I

COPING MECHANISIMS ADAPTED BY STUDENT TRAINEES UNDER THE

U.S.A. WORK AND TRAVEL PROGRAM FORS.Y. 2014-2015 TO RESOLVE
PROBLEMS ON CULTURAL DIFFERENCES

An Undergraduate Thesis
Presented to the
School of Nutrition and Hospitality Management
Centro Escolar University

In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Degree
Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management

by
Mon Alvin Abundo

Samyrrh Jazmine Florentino

Don Jersey Baluyot

Mariella Polanco

Kim Cordero

Dennis Sakay
March 2015

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APPROVAL SHEET

This thesis entitled, COPING MECHANISIMS ADAPTED BY STUDENT

TRAINEES UNDER THE U.S.A. WORK AND TRAVEL PROGRAM FORS.Y.
2014-2015 TO RESOLVE PROBLEMS ON CULTURAL DIFFERENCES
presented and submitted by Mr. Mon Alvin Abundo, Mr. Don Jersey Baluyot, Mr.
Kim Cordero, Ms. Samyrrh Jazmine Florentino, Ms. Mariella Polanco and Mr.
Dennis Sakay, is hereby accepted as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for
the degree Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management in the
School Of Nutrition and Hospitality Management of Centro Escolar University and
approved by the Committee.

___________________________
Ms. ErlindaCajayon
(Adviser)

__________________________________
Dr. Ong
(Panelist)

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The accomplishment of this research study will not be possible
without the cooperation and the help of the people who exerted their
efforts. The researchers would like to extend their deepest gratitude to the
following people who helped to make this research study possible.
To Ms. Erlinda C. Cajayon, whose words of encouragement and
wisdom made this study uncomplicated, for being supportive and
accommodating to the researchers.
To the researchers friends, who had given their moral support and
helped in the completion of this ventures.
To our beloved family members, who gave them the opportunity and
understanding to finish the study.
And most of all to Almighty God, who gave them enough courage,
knowledge and good health.

The Researchers

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DEDICATION

The researchers would like to dedicate this research study to the Almighty
Father for the knowledge and enlightenment He had given to the researcher; Ms.
ErlindaCajayon, for her kindness, patience, guidance and trust and to our
beloved parents, for the love and support.

M.A.A
D.J.B.
K.C.C.
S.J.F.
M.R.P.
D.R.S.

THESIS ABSTRACT

Title: COPING MECHANISIMS ADAPTED BY STUDENT TRAINEES UNDER

THE U.S.A. WORK AND TRAVEL PROGRAM FORS.Y. 2014-2015 TO
RESOLVE PROBLEMS ON CULTURAL DIFFERENCES
Researchers:Abundo, Mon Alvin, Baluyot, Don Jersey, Cordero, Kim, Florentino,
Samyrrh Jazmine, Polanco, Mariella, Sakay, Dennis
School: School of Nutrition and Hospitality Management
Course/Degree: Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management
Adviser:Ms.Erlinda C. Cajayon
Rationale:The purpose of this study is to asses the coping mechanisms which
was used by the Work and Travel Program Participants in order to Cope up with
the problems on Cultural Differences.
Statement of the Problem: The main problem of this study is how the student-trainees
under Work and Travel Program cope with culture differences in the workplace in the
Unites States of America.
Specifically, this research is sought to answer the following:
1.What is the profile of the respondents in terms of:
1.1 Age

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1.2 Gender
1.3 Civil Status
1.4 Nationality
2. What are the factors that the respondents considered as problem on their coworker in
terms of their cultural differences?
3. What is the degree of seriousness of the problems with the cultural differences of the
student-trainees?
4.
What coping mechanisms do the student-trainees adopt to solve the problems
with the cultural differences in the workplace?
5.
Is there a significant difference on the perception of the respondents on the
degree of seriousness of the problems regarding the cultural differences when
grouped according to age and gender?
Summary of Findings:After the thorough analysis of data, the following findings
were drawn:
Respondents Profile

1. The demographic profile of the respondents according to:

1.1

Age: The study shows that 23 out of 30 or 76.6% of the total number

of respondents age are between 19 21.

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1.2

Gender: It shows in the study that 16 out of 30 or 53.3% of the total

number of the respondents are male and 14 out of 30 or 46.7% of the total
number of respondents are female.
1.3
Civil Status: Majority of the total number of the respondents are
single or 93.3% and 2 out of 30 or 6.7% of the total number of the
respondents are married.
1.4
Nationality: Most of the respondents 8 out of thirty or 26.7% are
Filipino citizens.

2. What are the factors that you considered as problems with co-workers in
terms of cultural differences according to;
2.1 Communication- In terms of problems on Cultural Difference
according to communication, the respondents Fairly agreed that
it is a problem to consider with regards to cultural differences
and it has a mean of 2.76.
2.2 Religion- In terms of problems on Cultural Difference according
to religion, the respondents Fairly agreed that it is a problem to
consider with regards to cultural differences and it has a mean
of 2.61.
2.3 Practices- In terms of problems on Cultural Difference according
to practices, the respondents Disagreed that it is a problem to
consider with regards to cultural differences and it has a mean
of 2.38.
2.4 Race- In terms of problems on Cultural Difference according to
race, the respondents Disagreed that it is a problem to consider
with regards to cultural differences and it has a mean of 2.27.

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3. What is the State of seriousness of the problems with the cultural

differences of the student- trainees in terms of age bracket and gender.
3.1 Age bracket- They disagreed that problems were created due to
miscommunication, their religion, practices and race.
3.2 Gender- both the male and female respondents Disagreed on the
State of Seriousness of the problem with Cultural Differences of StudentTrainees according to Communication, Religion, Practices and Race.

4. What coping mechanisms do the student-trainees should adapt to solve

the cultural differences in the workplace- The results shows that The
question travel around and experience to understand cultural differences
got the highest mean which is 4.50
5. Is there a significant difference on the perception of the respondents on
the degree of seriousness of the problems regarding the cultural
differences when grouped according to age and gender- The result shows
that there is no significant difference on the perception of the respondents
on the degree of seriousness of the problems regarding the cultural
differences when grouped according to age and gender.

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Conclusions:
Based on the result of the study, the researchers therefore conclude the
following:
1. The Respondents answered that the best coping mechanism to adopt in
order to cope up with the cultural differences is totravel around and
experience to understand cultural differences.
2. Based on the study the researchers conclude that there was no
significant difference on the Degree of Seriousness of the Problems with
Cultural Differences of the Student-Trainees when grouped according to
Gender.
3. Based on the study the researchers conclude that there was no
significant difference on the perception of the respondents on the degree
of seriousness of the problems regarding the cultural differences when
grouped according to age and gender.

Recommendations:
1. The researchers Recommend that future researchers should make a
study concerning on other factors that the future Work an Travel
Participants on how they would cope with Cultural Differences.
2. Future Researchers should also conduct a study regarding on how the
employers can manage to stop the occurrence of problems from
Cultural Differences in their workplace.
3. Future Researchers should also conduct a study regarding the effects
of having a culturally diverse work force on employees performance
level in their job.
4. The researchers also recommends that the future researchers should
go deeper in this study on how the student trainees affect their
relationship with their co-workers which has a different culture.

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Table of Contents

Title Page

Approval Sheet

ii

Acknowledgement iii
Dedication

ix

Thesis Abstract

Table of contents

xvii

List of tables and figures

xviii

Chapter I The Problem and Its Background

Introduction

Background of the Study 3

Statement of the Problem

Conceptual Framework 8
Assumption

Hypothesis 9
Significance of the Study9
Scope and Delimitation of the Study

10

Definition of terms11

Chapter II Review of Related Literature and Studies

Local Literature

13

Foreign Literature 15
Foreign Studies

18

Local studies

20

Chapter III Methodology of Research Used23

Research Methodology 23
Subject of the Study

24

13

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Sampling Technique

24

Statistical Treatment of Data

24

Chapter IV Presentation, Analysis and Interpretation

28

Chapter V Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations

Summary 62
Conclusions

64

Recommendations

65

Bibliography 66
Appendices 67
A. Letter for Dean 68
B. Letter for Manager

69

C. Letter for Respondents

D. Survey Questionnaire 74
E. Curriculum Vitae

81

72

62

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LIST OF TABLES
Table 1

29

Table 2

30

Table 3

31

Table 4

32

Table 5

34

Table 6

36

Table 7

38

Table 8

40

Table 9

42

Table 10

44

Table 11

45

Table 12

46

Table 13

47

Table 14

48

Table 15

49

Table 16

50

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1

29

Figure 2

30

Figure 3

31

Figure 4

32

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