Yung (Simon) Yau and Ho Ling Chan
To develop a multi‐criteria decision‐making framework for evaluating different schemes of urban regeneration project.
Abstract
Purpose
To develop a multi‐criteria decision‐making framework for evaluating different schemes of urban regeneration project.
Design/methodology/approach
Urban decay in Hong Kong has long warranted community concern. To tackle the problem, there are generally two different approaches, namely building rehabilitation and redevelopment. In the past, urban regeneration was dominated by complete redevelopment. However, with the rise of the concept of sustainability, the choice of building rehabilitation is becoming increasingly popular. Nevertheless, with either option, difficulties are often encountered in balancing the diverse interests of the stakeholders, who have varied aims and ambitions for the achievements of a project. Therefore, we have developed a framework, which contains the factors to be considered when planning an urban renewal project. To obtain the relative importance of these factors in a reliable but reasonably inexpensive manner from the building‐related professionals, the Non‐structural Fuzzy Decision Support System was employed. In total, 34 building surveyors and 31 town planners were interviewed using structured questionnaires.
Findings
The set of perceived weightings of the decision criteria obtained from building surveyors was quite different from that from town planners. People of different backgrounds hold divergent views towards the relative importance of the decision criteria in an urban regeneration project.
Research limitations/implications
Due to the resource limitations, individuals from the professions of building surveying and town planning were studied only.
Practical implications
To achieve a credible decision‐making process, it is therefore advisable to have a balanced mix of members in any urban regeneration project decision making panel. Also, the framework developed in this study can be used to facilitate the decision making process in the future project.
Originality/value
This paper is the first attempt to explore the relative importance of various criteria for the decision‐making process in urban regeneration projects perceived by different professionals.
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Yaw A. Debrah and Ian G. Smith
Presents over sixty abstracts summarising the 1999 Employment Research Unit annual conference held at the University of Cardiff. Explores the multiple impacts of globalization on…
Abstract
Presents over sixty abstracts summarising the 1999 Employment Research Unit annual conference held at the University of Cardiff. Explores the multiple impacts of globalization on work and employment in contemporary organizations. Covers the human resource management implications of organizational responses to globalization. Examines the theoretical, methodological, empirical and comparative issues pertaining to competitiveness and the management of human resources, the impact of organisational strategies and international production on the workplace, the organization of labour markets, human resource development, cultural change in organisations, trade union responses, and trans‐national corporations. Cites many case studies showing how globalization has brought a lot of opportunities together with much change both to the employee and the employer. Considers the threats to existing cultures, structures and systems.
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Globalisation is generally defined as the “denationalisation of clusters of political, economic, and social activities” that destabilize the ability of the sovereign State to…
Abstract
Globalisation is generally defined as the “denationalisation of clusters of political, economic, and social activities” that destabilize the ability of the sovereign State to control activities on its territory, due to the rising need to find solutions for universal problems, like the pollution of the environment, on an international level. Globalisation is a complex, forceful legal and social process that take place within an integrated whole with out regard to geographical boundaries. Globalisation thus differs from international activities, which arise between and among States, and it differs from multinational activities that occur in more than one nation‐State. This does not mean that countries are not involved in the sociolegal dynamics that those transboundary process trigger. In a sense, the movements triggered by global processes promote greater economic interdependence among countries. Globalisation can be traced back to the depression preceding World War II and globalisation at that time included spreading of the capitalist economic system as a means of getting access to extended markets. The first step was to create sufficient export surplus to maintain full employment in the capitalist world and secondly establishing a globalized economy where the planet would be united in peace and wealth. The idea of interdependence among quite separate and distinct countries is a very important part of talks on globalisation and a significant side of today’s global political economy.
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Chau Ngoc Dang and Long Le-Hoai
Design-build (DB) has become widely prosperous in recent years. This new approach could be applicable to construction projects in either developed or developing countries…
Abstract
Purpose
Design-build (DB) has become widely prosperous in recent years. This new approach could be applicable to construction projects in either developed or developing countries. However, the implementation process of DB in Vietnam encounters difficulties due to the unfamiliarity and inexperience with the approach. This study aims to identify the correlation and causality between critical success factors (CSFs) and DB project performance measured by key performance indicators (KPIs).
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire was used to collect the project data from public and private sector DB projects in Vietnam. The correlation between CSFs and KPIs was identified through correlation analysis. Then, the causality was explored through regression analysis.
Findings
The results of correlation indicate that parties’ capabilities play an important role in determining the success or failure of DB projects. In addition, the results of causality highlight six CSFs which significantly affect DB project performance, including resolving conflicts quickly; effective overall managerial actions in planning, organizing, leading and controlling; project participants’ satisfaction with the financial return from the project; competent multidisciplinary project team; project team members’ good/active attitudes to the job; and adequate funding throughout the project. It was also shown that there is no significant difference about the project performance between public and private sector DB projects.
Practical implications
Identifying the correlation and causality between CSFs and different aspects of DB project performance could help project participants to know the controllable CSFs on which they must focus more. Hence, they could manage these CSFs properly to increase the chance of meeting time, cost and quality objectives of DB projects in which they are involved and achieving the owners’ satisfaction.
Originality/value
The findings of this study could provide project participants in Vietnam, as well as similar developing countries, with a better understanding of the impact of CSFs on different aspects of DB project performance. Hence, they could make effective CSFs-based improvements on their management-oriented approaches to enhance different aspects of DB project performance.
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The goal of this article is to examine the current trends of political cinema in postcolonial Hong Kong. Many leaders of the Hong Kong mainstream cinema have accepted the Chinese…
Abstract
Purpose
The goal of this article is to examine the current trends of political cinema in postcolonial Hong Kong. Many leaders of the Hong Kong mainstream cinema have accepted the Chinese authoritarian rule as a precondition for expanding into the ever-expanding Mainland film market, but a handful of conscientious filmmakers choose to make political cinema under the shadow of a wealthy and descendant industry, expressing their desire for democracy and justice and critiquing the unequal power relations between Hong Kong and China.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper consults relevant documentary materials and cinematic texts to contextualize the latest development of political cinema in Hong Kong. It presents an in-depth analysis of the works of two local independent filmmakers Herman Yau and Vincent Chui.
Findings
This study reveals a glimpse of hope in the current films of Herman Yau and Vincent Chui, which suggests that a reconfiguration of local identity and communal relationship may turn around the collective despair caused by the oppressive measures of the Chinese authoritarian state and the end of the Umbrella Movement in late 2014.
Research limitations/implications
Despite the small sample size, this paper highlights the rise of cinematic localism through a closer look at the works of Hong Kong independent filmmakers.
Practical implications
This study reveals an ambivalent mentality in the Hong Kong film industry where critical filmmakers strive to assert their creativity and agency against the externally imposed Chinese hegemonic power.
Originality/value
This investigation is an original scholarly study of film and politics in postcolonial Hong Kong.
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Yuming Hong and Daniel W.M. Chan
This paper aims to systematically and critically explore the research trend of construction joint ventures (CJVs) in some selected leading construction journals over the past two…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to systematically and critically explore the research trend of construction joint ventures (CJVs) in some selected leading construction journals over the past two decades between 1993 and 2012. It is also expected that some valuable insights into the extended application of JVs to facilities service management and maintenance could be generated from the research findings.
Design/methodology/approach
A powerful search engine “Scopus” was selected to identify those journals that have published CJV-related articles. The papers related to CJVs, as retrieved from the selected journals, were first classified based on their relevance to CJV study and were then analyzed in terms of the annual number of CJV-related publications, research focus of CJV studies and the applied research methods and techniques. Future research directions are suggested to enrich and add value to the extant literature about CJVs.
Findings
An apparent increasing trend of research on CJVs has been witnessed over the past two decades. A critical analysis of the two-decade research outputs indicated that research topics of CJVs published in the selected journals consist of several key areas: theory and model development; motives, benefits and other strategic demands of application; performance measurement or management; risk assessment or management; influential factors for practice; problematic issues and challenges in practice; and managerial practices of CJVs in the industry. This study also identified that the research methods employed in CJV studies are predominantly questionnaire survey, case study, literature review/analysis, and interview. Research techniques applied in CJV studies were classified into seven main groups, with rank-order analysis, structural equation modelling and regression analysis being the three mostly adopted analytical tools.
Research limitations/implications
The critical review of CJV literature reveals several inherent limitations of the existing research and practices of CJVs, The research findings also help visualize future research directions associated with the identification of barriers to the adoption and successful operation of CJVs, investigation of the appropriateness and effectiveness of CJV contracting strategies, and exploration into possible strategies for improving the industrial applications in future.
Originality/value
Joint ventures have been extensively used in the construction sector, which calls for the need of more rigorous and meaningful research to guide the appropriate and effective use of it. The findings of this taxonomic review could provide useful insights towards researchers into shaping their research foci under the umbrella of CJVs to suit the demands of both the literature base and the real construction market.
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Ling Jiang, Annie Peng Cui and Juan Shan
This study aims to examine the role of face consciousness, materialism and risk of embarrassment in determining consumer purchase intention toward counterfeit luxury brand. In…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the role of face consciousness, materialism and risk of embarrassment in determining consumer purchase intention toward counterfeit luxury brand. In addition, the authors explore boundary conditions of these relationships.
Design/methodology/approach
Study 1, a survey research (N = 321), examines the mediating role of risk of embarrassment between face consciousness on the purchase intention toward luxury counterfeits. Study 2 (N = 345), an experimental study, examines the moderating role of brand prominence of counterfeit (i.e. whether it contains prominent brand signals). Study 3 (N = 315) explores how the above-mentioned relationships are moderated by consumers’ moral rationalization (i.e. whether consumers seek rationalization when behaving unethically).
Findings
First, this research shows that risk of embarrassment mediates the negative relationship between face consciousness and Chinese consumers’ purchase intention toward luxury counterfeits, whereas this relationship was not found between materialism and counterfeit purchase intentions. Second, this negative mediating effect holds only when the counterfeit brand is highly prominent. Third, the mediating effect depends on consumers’ moral rationalization, with a positive impact on the purchase intention toward luxury counterfeits, regardless of brand prominence.
Research limitations/implications
This study represents a preliminary inquiry into the dynamics between face consciousness and materialism in influencing Chinese consumers’ purchase intention toward counterfeit luxury products. Unlike their Western counterparts, whose materialistic views of possessions predict their counterfeit luxury consumption (Davidson et al., 2019), Chinese consumers are more likely to be driven by the social implications of counterfeit luxury to communicate a prestigious social image to others on account of genuine luxuries’ high social recognition.
Practical implications
While Chinese consumers are one of the most potent global luxury buyers, they are immersed in the world’s biggest counterfeit luxury market. By digging into the core value of Chinese consumers (i.e. face consciousness), this research provides a number of managerial implications for luxury goods companies to engage in international efforts to educate consumers against counterfeit luxury.
Originality/value
This study makes at least three contributions to the counterfeit consumption literature. First, this study represents a preliminary inquiry into the dynamics between face consciousness and materialism in influencing Chinese consumers’ purchase intention toward counterfeit luxury products. Second, this research identified the complex mechanism of face consciousness as an independent variable on consumers’ purchase intention toward luxury counterfeits. Finally, the authors examined the boundary conditions of brand prominence and consumers’ moral rationalization. The findings may help luxury brand managers identify strategies to discourage counterfeit consumption.
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Leo Yat Ming Sin and Suk‐ching Ho
Looks at consumer research in Greater China including Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Maps out the contributions within this area and guides future research. Examines the…
Abstract
Looks at consumer research in Greater China including Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Maps out the contributions within this area and guides future research. Examines the state of the art over the 1979‐97 period, with particular emphasis on the topics that have been researched, the extent of the theory development in the field and the methodologies used in conducting research. Uses content analysis to review 75 relevant articles. Suggests that, while a considerable breadth of topics have been researched, there remains much to be done, there is further room for theoretical development in Chinese consumer behaviour studies; and the methodologies used need improvement and further refinement.
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Hong Kok Wang, Chin Tiong Cheng, Gabriel Hoh Teck Ling, Yan Yan Felicia Yong, Kian Aun Law and Xuerui Shi
This paper aims to explain the factors shaping collective action within low-cost housing communities, focusing on parcel holders, through the utilisation of an expanded…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explain the factors shaping collective action within low-cost housing communities, focusing on parcel holders, through the utilisation of an expanded institutional analysis development (IAD) framework, which extends upon Ostrom’s foundational framework. Additionally, the paper explores four different property management approaches accessible to these communities.
Design/methodology/approach
The research employed a mixed-method approach comprising four sequential steps. Firstly, a quantitative inquiry entailed a questionnaire survey administered to 633 parcel holders across four low-cost housing schemes, aimed at discerning factors influencing collective action. Subsequently, a qualitative investigation involved face-to-face interviews with key stakeholders to elucidate the contributing factors of collective action, with a specific focus on Nursa Kurnia (a successful low-cost housing scheme comprising 200 units), accessible via Kuala Lumpur Middle Ring Road II. Thirdly, the study explored the social practice of “commoning the governance”. Lastly, the paper advocated for housing policy interventions, specifically proposing government subsidies for lower-income parcel holders.
Findings
Exemplified by the success of Nursa Kurnia, the research findings emphasised the importance of shifting local management’s mindset from a zero-sum approach to a win-win perspective. It highlighted the pivotal role of four factors (resource system, governance system, context and historical development) in shaping collective action and fostering improved property management practices. Moreover, the study highlighted the potential of “commoning the governance” as a new approach capable of addressing collective action challenges in low-cost housing management, presenting a promising avenue for future endeavours.
Research limitations/implications
As more studies utilising the expanded IAD framework become available in the future, there is potential for further refinement and enhancement of the framework.
Practical implications
This study offers valuable insights for policymakers, property developers, local management and local communities, shedding light on challenges associated with the self-organisation of shared resources. Moreover, it highlights the potential of “commoning the governance” as a new property management approach to mitigate the impact of collective action problems.
Social implications
The well-being of society’s most vulnerable segment is indicative of the overall societal health. This underscores the significance of addressing the interests and needs of these lower-income groups within the broader social context.
Originality/value
Exploring collective action within the context of self-organising low-cost housing, the study delves into an area marked by persistent challenges like free-riding tendencies and vandalism. Despite significant attention given to collective action issues in the past, the novel approach of “commoning the governance” remains unexamined in the realm of low-cost housing maintenance and management.
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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.