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The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of sentence combining (SC) and sentence decombining (SD) activities on fostering reading comprehension. As a widely used writing activity for enhancing syntactic fluency in English Language Arts (ELA) classes, SC requires learners to combine short sentences into longer and more complex sentences, while SD requires learners to break down a long sentence into the shortest grammatically allowable sentences.

This study assessed the effects of SD and SC in comparison with a control group on the improvement of reading comprehension ability among college students learning English as their second language (L2) in the context of a six-week English language learning program. Participants with overall intermediate English language proficiency were randomly assigned to one of three different conditions: SC, SD and control. Also, a subset of the participants was interviewed after the intervention.

The results showed that SD was more effective than SC or control condition in enhancing syntactic knowledge and reading comprehension, as measured by a standardized English proficiency test. Data obtained from post-study interviews further suggested that only SD was perceived by the participants as having enhanced their reading comprehension.

The present study provides a valuable addition to a body of research on sentence manipulation activities in ELA classes. For those L2 learners who have passed a pre-intermediate threshold level, SD appears to be more beneficial than SC in enhancing syntactic knowledge, which, in turn, appears to contribute to better reading comprehension.

The purpose of this paper is to conduct the design, development and testing of a controller for an autonomous small‐scale helicopter.

The hardware in the loop simulation (HILS) platform is developed based on the nonlinear model of JR Voyager G‐260 small‐scale helicopter. Autonomous controllers are verified using the HILS environment prior to flight experiments.

The gains of the multi‐loop cascaded control architecture can be effectively optimized within the HILS environment. Various autonomous flight operations are achieved and it is demonstrated that the prediction from the simulations is in a good agreement with the result from the flight test.

The synthesized controller is effective for the particular test‐bed. For other small‐scale helicopters (with different size and engine specifications), the controller gains must be tuned again.

This work represents a practical control design and testing procedures for an autonomous small‐scale helicopter flight control. The autonomous helicopter can be used for various missions ranging from film making, agriculture and volcanic surveillance to power line inspection.

The research addresses the need for systematic design, development and testing of controller for a small‐scale autonomous helicopter by utilizing HILS environment.

In operational tropical cyclone (TC) forecasting practice, there are usually many TC track guidances available from various official sources. When they do not converge, the guidances need to be ensembled by systematic approaches to formulate the best possible track as an official local TC track forecasting.

The main approach of the research is focused on finding an atmospheric environment favourable for TC survival (genesis) with the help of commonly accepted knowledge in atmospheric physics that reveals mechanism driving evolution and change of synoptic patterns in the atmosphere, using routinely available observational data, i.e. identification of TCF/TCR areas. The techniques developed are then applied to ensemble the TC track guidances available operationally to formulate an official TC track forecasting.

The results show that TC movement is very dependent on the atmospheric environment surrounding a TC. Whether the environment is favourable (TCF) or resistant (TCR) to survival of a TC system is a vital factor to determine where the TC moving. A systematic approach to the identification of the TCR/TCF areas is a key technique to ensemble available TC track guidances to formulate an official TC track forecasting.

In operational TC forecasting, TC track forecasting is the most important and difficult issue. The results indicate that the systematic approach to TC track forecasting has philosophical justification, solid scientific ground, sound logic and practical viability, and thus, make TC track forecasting easy and effective.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that affect the stability of interfirm trading ties in China's transitional economy. In particular, the paper explores whether the propensity to engage in repeat transactions with past partners is attributable to rational choice based on expectations for the benefits of social capital, or an outcome of institutional pressure that binds firms sharing similar positions within the institutional structure bequeathed from China's socialist past.

This study utilizes data on the actual trading ties between 32 final vehicle assemblers and 477 parts and components suppliers in the auto industry during the period from 1998 to 2005. Using logistic regression analysis, the study highlights the factors that lead to the greater likelihood of repeat transactions between a particular pair of assemblers and suppliers.

The result of the analysis suggests that while rational motives, such as transaction cost economization, do account for the propensity to engage in repeat transactions with past partners, it also confirms the persistence of a strong tendency to continue transacting with firms sharing similar institutional lineage, regardless of the benefits that could be accrued from such durable networks.

This study adds to the existing literature on social networks in China by highlighting the path‐dependency and institutional legacy in the formation of business networks during China's transition towards a market economy.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the internal process by which high performance work systems (HPWSs) affect firm performance. It attempts to show the mediating effect of employee job satisfaction in the human resource (HR)‐performance link and also to show the moderating effect of employees' perception on the effectiveness of HPWSs.

Using a nationally representative data set from Korea (firm‐level samples: 245 firms, employee‐level samples: 6,709), this study analyses the mediating effect of job satisfaction in the relationship between HPWSs and firm performance with ordinary least squares (OLS) analysis and examines the moderating effect of employee perceptions with OLS and hierarchical linear modeling (HLM).

Results show that: there are positive associations between HPWSs and firm performance and between HPWSs and job satisfaction; job satisfaction has a mediating effect in the HR‐Performance link; and employees' perceptions of the effectiveness of HR practices moderate these relationships.

Limitations of the study are the measurement of HR practices, omitted variable problem, and generalizability of the results in this study. Scholars argue for the positive effect of HPWSs on firm performance and managers attempt to introduce HPWSs in their firms, but most of them do not fully understand what happens in the HR‐performance link. This study demonstrates that job satisfaction is a “black box” in the linkage between HPWSs and firm performance and may inform managers of appropriate policy levers that, if manipulated appropriately so that employees feel the effectiveness of HPWSs, can help the firm achieve more desirable organizational outcomes.

Many scholars argue that research to examine the internal process in the HR‐performance link is essential for rigorous elaborations of SHRM‐related theories, but few studies have investigated this issue. This study reveals the mediating and moderating mechanisms through which the HR‐performance link exerts its influence.

This paper, in face of the increasing interconnectivity between local and global, has attempted to retrospect the critical moment of Korean society under Tae‐woo Rho (1988–93) regime, in which Korea struggled for fundamental reforms of the earlier centrally controlled state system through economic rationalization and labor flexibilization. During that juncture of Korean history, neo‐liberalization under the influence of Fordian decline was a governing theme behind the Korean economy's policy formation as well as labor agenda. This reliance of government on the neo‐liberal pillar has made an impact on the subsequent leaderships under Young Sam Kim (1993–1998) and Dae Jung Kim (1998‐present). After briefly reviewing the major aspect of Korean economy and labor problems surrounding the financial crisis of East Asia around 1998, the international influence of Fordian decline and neo‐liberalization as a Korean alternative has been discussed.