Chan Hum, Tae-Hee Choi, Sing-Kai Lo, Say Sok and Wai Mui Christina Yu
This study examines the management practices and alignment features needed to develop academic staff’s careers, mainly focusing on teaching competencies in the evolving landscape…
Abstract
Purpose
This study examines the management practices and alignment features needed to develop academic staff’s careers, mainly focusing on teaching competencies in the evolving landscape of Cambodian public universities.
Design/methodology/approach
A multiple-case research design was adopted to collect data from interviews with 11 academic leaders and focus-group discussions (FGDs) with 13 academic teachers at two public universities in provincial Cambodia. A thematic approach was performed to code and analyse data to address the research questions.
Findings
This study found that the management of academic careers in the selected universities was hybrid, deregulating state control to relative institutional autonomy for contracted employees but rather centralised management for civil servants. However, weak institutional leadership and negligence in formulating comprehensive institutional guidelines for strategic human resource management (HRM) have caused misalignments of management practices to develop academic careers in the studied contexts.
Research limitations/implications
This case study limits its findings to two universities in provincial Cambodia. Nevertheless, this study adds to the scarce literature on the research topic in Cambodian public universities and opens a path for cross-institutional and national comparative studies on similar foci.
Originality/value
This is a ground-breaking study set in the evolving space of Cambodian public higher education, where attention to the research area remains limited.
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Man has been seeking an ideal existence for a very long time. In this existence, justice, love, and peace are no longer words, but actual experiences. How ever, with the American…
Abstract
Man has been seeking an ideal existence for a very long time. In this existence, justice, love, and peace are no longer words, but actual experiences. How ever, with the American preemptive invasion and occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq and the subsequent prisoner abuse, such an existence seems to be farther and farther away from reality. The purpose of this work is to stop this dangerous trend by promoting justice, love, and peace through a change of the paradigm that is inconsistent with justice, love, and peace. The strong paradigm that created the strong nation like the U.S. and the strong man like George W. Bush have been the culprit, rather than the contributor, of the above three universal ideals. Thus, rather than justice, love, and peace, the strong paradigm resulted in in justice, hatred, and violence. In order to remove these three and related evils, what the world needs in the beginning of the third millenium is the weak paradigm. Through the acceptance of the latter paradigm, the golden mean or middle paradigm can be formulated, which is a synergy of the weak and the strong paradigm. In order to understand properly the meaning of these paradigms, however, some digression appears necessary.
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Albert P.C. Chan, James M.W. Wong and Y.H. Chiang
The construction industry plays a significant role to the economy of Hong Kong not only in terms of output but also the employment. The sector, however, has been severely hit by…
Abstract
The construction industry plays a significant role to the economy of Hong Kong not only in terms of output but also the employment. The sector, however, has been severely hit by the economic downturn in recent years resulting in serious unemployment. Employment planning becomes one of the critical aspects for the recovery of the economy. The main objective of this paper is to establish a labour demand model for the Hong Kong construction industry. The unique characteristics and the current conditions of the construction labour market are reviewed. Regression analysis based on 123 construction projects was used to compute the relationship between expenditure and site workers employed. The best predictor of average labour demand of construction projects in Hong Kong is found to be DL = 463 C 0.934, where DL is the actual labour demand in man‐days, C is the final cost of contract in millions. The labour demand‐cost relationship can be applied as a manpower forecasting model to estimate the total labour required for a given type of project. The developed model enables a more reliable and accurate planning of manpower requirements in the construction industry.
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K. Chan, S.F. Chan and Catherine Chan
This paper describes a project which uses the quality‐function‐deployment technique to improve a distance‐learning program, operated by a government training organization in Hong…
Abstract
This paper describes a project which uses the quality‐function‐deployment technique to improve a distance‐learning program, operated by a government training organization in Hong Kong, for junior staff in the clothing‐manufacturing industry. The scope of this study is twofold: it identifies 12 appropriate study modules for modifying the course content; and it identifies the kinds of supporting services which help students to study the course. An evaluation is made of the existing study modules and supporting services that are identified as successful. Suggestions are made regarding bridging the gap between importance and satisfaction for some of the important quality dimensions. The methodology attempts to translate customers’ voices into various design features of the products and services in order to prepare the course for continuous improvement.
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Outlines some basic human embryological facts and considers several myths such as “the immediate product of fertilization is just a potential human being”. Gives medical facts to…
Abstract
Outlines some basic human embryological facts and considers several myths such as “the immediate product of fertilization is just a potential human being”. Gives medical facts to clarify these issues and concludes that these have far reaching implications for many areas of research. Argues that these decisions, at present, are based more on myth than science.
Man has been seeking an ideal existence for a very long time. In this existence, justice, love, and peace are no longer words, but actual experiences. How ever, with the American…
Abstract
Man has been seeking an ideal existence for a very long time. In this existence, justice, love, and peace are no longer words, but actual experiences. How ever, with the American preemptive invasion and occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq and the subsequent prisoner abuse, such an existence seems to be farther and farther away from reality. The purpose of this work is to stop this dangerous trend by promoting justice, love, and peace through a change of the paradigm that is inconsistent with justice, love, and peace. The strong paradigm that created the strong nation like the U.S. and the strong man like George W. Bush have been the culprit, rather than the contributor, of the above three universal ideals. Thus, rather than justice, love, and peace, the strong paradigm resulted in in justice, hatred, and violence. In order to remove these three and related evils, what the world needs in the beginning of the third millenium is the weak paradigm. Through the acceptance of the latter paradigm, the golden mean or middle paradigm can be formulated, which is a synergy of the weak and the strong paradigm. In order to understand properly the meaning of these paradigms, however, some digression appears necessary.
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Felix T.S. Chan and Alain Yee‐Loong Chong
The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors examining the determinants of users' mobile commerce (m‐commerce) usage activities.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors examining the determinants of users' mobile commerce (m‐commerce) usage activities.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from 402 users in Malaysia, and structural equation modelling analysis was employed to test the research model.
Findings
The results showed that different demographic, motivation and security perceptions variables have different relationships with the types of m‐commerce usage activities.
Practical implications
The results from this study will be useful for m‐commerce companies in formulating appropriate marketing strategies, as well as developing appropriate applications that will attract more consumers.
Originality/value
Although past literatures have focused on technological aspects of m‐commerce, few studies have examined the applications and strategies of m‐commerce. Furthermore, most studies on m‐commerce adoptions have focused on the relationships between technology adoption factors and behavioural intentions of users. There are few studies which have investigated the actual m‐commerce usage activities of users.
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Attempts to establish the extent to which the use of computers in Australia’s Department of Social Security (DSS) has facilitated changes in social security policy and its…
Abstract
Attempts to establish the extent to which the use of computers in Australia’s Department of Social Security (DSS) has facilitated changes in social security policy and its administration. Bases findings on case studies relating to two new DSS policies, supplemented with documentary evidence. Identifies that computers are used in the DSS for six main purposes ‐ administering, automating, protecting, monitoring and evaluating policy, as well as for modelling future policy options. Identifies that, instead of increasing efficiency in administration, computers have simply increased productivity by enabling administrative practices to be extended into new areas; observes an emerging computer‐dependent culture dominated by quantitative (rather than qualitative) practices. Establishes that the flexibility offered by computer technology has also contributed to the introduction of more complex social security policies. Concludes that computer technology has contributed to the formulation and administration of social security policies.
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Manuel Goyanes, Márton Demeter, Gergő Háló, Carlos Arcila-Calderón and Homero Gil de Zúñiga
Gender and geographical imbalance in production and impact levels is a pressing issue in global knowledge production. Within Health Sciences, while some studies found stark gender…
Abstract
Purpose
Gender and geographical imbalance in production and impact levels is a pressing issue in global knowledge production. Within Health Sciences, while some studies found stark gender and geographical biases and inequalities, others found little empirical evidence of this marginalization. The purpose of the study is to clear the ambiguity concerning the topic.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on a comprehensive and systematic analysis of Health Sciences research data downloaded from the Scival (Scopus/Scimago) database from 2017 to 2020 (n = 7,990), this study first compares gender representation in research productivity, as well as differences in terms of citation per document, citations per document view and view per document scores according to geographical location. Additionally, the study clarifies whether there is a geographic bias in productivity and impact measures (i.e. citation per document, citations per document view and view per document) moderated by gender.
Findings
Results indicate that gender inequalities in productivity are systematic at the overall disciplinary, as well as the subfield levels. Findings also suggest statistically significant geographical differences in citation per document, citations per document view, and view per document scores, and interaction effect of gender over the relation between geography and (1) the number of citations per view and (2) the number of views per document.
Originality/value
This study contributes to scientometric studies in health sciences by providing insightful findings about the geographical and gender bias in productivity and impact across world regions.