A Novel Measure for Soft Power: Perceived Soft Power Scale for International Students

Öz

Soft power is a significant contemporary notion of power observed in multiple ways that forge effective international diplomacy that accounts for co-opting, persuasion, and creating a sphere of influence despite coercive ways of power. Soft power refers to the ability to persuade, to create an appeal and is considered an asset in cultivating global influence in multiple terms. The potential soft power of higher education institutions (HEIs) contextualizes the soft power construct into attraction, satisfaction, and the expectation of a favorable decision and reflects an increased likelihood of diplomatic success through international students as para-diplomats. To this end, the study provides an account of the development of a new multidimensional construct measure of the potential soft power of HEIs. The 26-item Perceived Soft Power Scale for International Students (PESPSIS) explores the process and the outcome aspects of soft power, providing a valid and reliable instrument based on international students’ perceptions of the potential soft power of HEIs. Findings from the study involving 230 international students affiliated with a Turkish public university demonstrate that the PESPSIS has acceptable internal reliability and construct validity. The results also indicate a 3-factor structure consisting of 26 items, as attraction, satisfaction, and expectation of a favorable decision, accounting for 54.24% of the total variance explained. It is suggested that an instrument such as the PESPSIS aligns more closely with the conceptualization of the soft power of HEIs and provides a valid construct measure of soft power relevant to research and practice in university student populations.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Soft power
• International student
• Higher education
• Internationalization

Yumuşak Güç İçin Yeni Bir Ölçek: Uluslararası Öğrenciler İçin Algılanan Yumuşak Güç Ölçeği

Öz

Yumuşak güç, sert ya da zorlayıcı güce rağmen işbirliği, ikna ve bir etki alanı yaratmayı amaç edinen, etkili uluslararası diplomasi oluşturan ve çeşitli şekillerde gözlemlenen önemli bir çağdaş güç kavramıdır. Yumuşak güç, ikna etme, çekicilik yaratma becerisini ifade eder ve birçok açıdan küresel etkiyi geliştirmede bir varlık olarak kabul edilir. Yükseköğretim kurumlarının potansiyel yumuşak gücü, yumuşak güç yapısını çekicilik, memnuniyet ve lehte (olumlu) karar beklentisi olarak bağlamsallaştırır ve para-diplomatlar olarak uluslararası öğrenciler aracılığıyla artan bir diplomatik başarı olasılığını yansıtır. Bu amaçla, çalışmada HEI'lerin potansiyel yumuşak gücününün ölçülmesine yönelik çok boyutlu ve yeni bir ölçme aracının geliştirilmesi amaçlanmaktadır. 26 maddelik Uluslararası Öğrenciler İçin Algılanan Yumuşak Güç Ölçeği [Perceived Soft Power Scale for International Students (PESPSIS)], uluslararası öğrencilerin HEI'lerin potansiyel yumuşak gücüne ilişkin algılarına dayanan geçerli ve güvenilir bir ölçüm modeli sağlayarak, yumuşak gücün süreç ve sonuç yönlerinin değerlendirilmesine olanak tanır. Bir Türk devlet üniversitesinde bulunan 230 uluslararası öğrencilerden elde edilen bulgular, PESPSIS’in kabul edilebilir bir iç güvenilirliğe ve yapı geçerliliğine sahip olduğunu göstermektedir. Ayrıca araştırma bulguları, çekicilik/cazibe, memnuniyet ve lehte karar beklentisi olarak 26 madde altına toplanan ve açıklanan toplam varyansın %54,24’ünü oluşturan 3 faktörlü bir yapıya işaret etmektedir. PESPSIS gibi bir aracın, HEI'lerin yumuşak gücünün kavramsallaştırılmasıyla uyumlu olduğu ve üniversite öğrenci popülasyonlarında araştırma ve uygulamayla ilgili geçerli bir yumuşak güç yapısı ölçüsü sağladığı söylenebilir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Yumuşak güç
• Uluslararası öğrenci
• Yükseköğretim
• Uluslararasılaşma

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