W.A. Evans, K.C. Hau and D. Sculli
This article examines how cultural values influence managerialstyles. Differences between Western and Asian cultures are discussed.Managerial practices in companies in Hong Kong…
Abstract
This article examines how cultural values influence managerial styles. Differences between Western and Asian cultures are discussed. Managerial practices in companies in Hong Kong that are run by both local Chinese and by Western management are discussed, and compared with American and Japanese style of management. The relative importance of cultural values and the level of industrialisation in the society is considered, and the influence of the level of technology on management style, with particular reference to changes that have taken place in management of Hong Kong enterprises as they have developed, is also discussed. The general conclusion appears to be that the management style is a function of the level of industrialisation, but is tempered by cultural characteristics.
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Many graduates, especially those in the more practical disciplines such as engineering and social science, often take up employment in a manufacturing or service enterprise, doing…
Abstract
Many graduates, especially those in the more practical disciplines such as engineering and social science, often take up employment in a manufacturing or service enterprise, doing work of a managerial/administrative nature. Even recent graduates will often find themselves managing a sub‐system of an organisation such as materials purchasing, finished stocks, or quality control. This is particularly true in the smaller companies of the developing countries, where the graduate is usually one of a few professional employees reporting directly to the owners.
Management theory taught to non‐Western students is oftenculture‐bound and ignores cross‐cultural differences. The inference isthat what is relevant in the West is relevant…
Abstract
Management theory taught to non‐Western students is often culture‐bound and ignores cross‐cultural differences. The inference is that what is relevant in the West is relevant everywhere. This assumption impacts adversely on the effectiveness of any training. The article argues for a greater awareness of these issues among lecturers/trainers and students. In particular, it is suggested that lecturers/trainers should design and develop their learning strategies to encourage the open discussion of these differences. The overall objective should be to establish a classroom climate where one set of values is not automatically given precedence over another.
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Young-Long Chen and Chung-Ming Cheng
Wu et al.'s scheme has a security problem that is related to anonymity: attackers can determine by interception the identity of a legal user. This paper aims to propose a new…
Abstract
Purpose
Wu et al.'s scheme has a security problem that is related to anonymity: attackers can determine by interception the identity of a legal user. This paper aims to propose a new secure authentication which combines a chaos system with an Arnold cat map. The scheme improves upon that of the Wu et al.'s scheme. The scheme proposed herein provides for full anonymity and improves the security of authentication messages for wireless communications.
Design/methodology/approach
A novel scheme that integrates a chaos sequence is used with an Arnold cat map for authentication messages. Authentication messages are shuffled using an Arnold cat map to improve the security of authentication in wireless communications. An analytic approach based on a chaos sequence with an Arnold cat map is developed to secure authentication. The proposed scheme is presented in this study to overcome the inherent drawbacks of existing designs.
Findings
The integrated scheme involves two steps. First, a chaos map is used to generate a set of chaos sequences that is added to the authentication messages. Second, the authentication messages are shuffled using an Arnold cat map. The main feature of the proposed design is such that the chaos systems are sensitive to the initial values of conditions. Sensitivity will lead to long-term behavior unpredictability to reflect the non-linear dynamic systems. Furthermore, to increase the complexity of the authentication message, the authors also use an Arnold cat map.
Originality/value
The proposed scheme provides functions that include full anonymity properties, protection of the real identity of the user, one-time password properties, timestamp benefits and sufficient complexity of the password. The analysis shows that the proposed scheme exhibits the advantages of the chaos system and is more secure than previous schemes. Notably, the proposed scheme is effective for wireless communications.
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This monograph reports and compares “desirable” leadership traits, and leadership traits actual exhibited by managers and supervisors as defined by responses on the original…
Abstract
This monograph reports and compares “desirable” leadership traits, and leadership traits actual exhibited by managers and supervisors as defined by responses on the original English and a Chinese language translation of the Ohio State University leadership behaviour description questionnaire XII (LBDQ XII). From anecdotal evidence and personal experience, the researcher found considerable difficulty in transferring research results from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore to useful practice in the interior of China and performed this study in an attempt to gain understanding for management training courses. Data was collected for 220 managers and supervisors in two hotels in the interior of China. Both expatriate and indigenous Chinese managers were included. All supervisors were Chinese. A significant (p < 0.05) difference between Chinese and non‐Chinese expatriates was observed for factor: Tolerance of Freedom, interestingly, with the Chinese managers indicating more tolerance of freedom than the expatriate managers. Nonetheless, Chinese supervisors believed the ideal manager should be even more tolerant of freedom than their managers (p < 0.01).
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This paper aims to develop a managerial style typology relevant to kibbutz industry analysis and applicable to all cooperative organizations.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to develop a managerial style typology relevant to kibbutz industry analysis and applicable to all cooperative organizations.
Design/methodology/approach
This study applied qualitative methods to evaluate the organizational biographies of Factories five factories, using open interviews and document analysis.
Findings
The findings show that before privatization took place, these industries were managed according to socialistic democratic principles. Once they became global and capitalistic, some kibbutz industries adopted a business cooperative style that combines features of capitalism and socialism, while others underwent a crisis and opted for a stricter and more bureaucratic managerial style.
Research limitations/implications
This research is based on five case studies; further research is recommended to establish the current typology.
Practical implications
This study shows very clearly that the cooperative business style can be offered for businesses previously operated according to socialistic principles.
Originality/value
This study augments current literature by elucidating the speed with which business activity is conducted according to cooperative principles. It presents a typology relevant to kibbutz industry and cooperative organizations alike, addressing the cooperative managerial, cooperative business and bureaucratic styles, enabling maintenance of normative management that adapts itself to global and capitalistic environments.
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Albert P.C. Chan, Linda C.N. Fan and Ann T.W. Yu
A reengineering philosophy for the construction industry has emerged, harvesting components of a production philosophy. The objective of construction process reengineering is to…
Abstract
A reengineering philosophy for the construction industry has emerged, harvesting components of a production philosophy. The objective of construction process reengineering is to progressively develop an integrated project delivery process focusing on optimising process predictability and enhancing the value of the final product. This philosophy requires a holistic approach to reengineering, integrating the concepts of concurrent engineering, lean production and process redesign into the construction process. The objective of this paper provides an overview of construction process reengineering (CPR) through the examination of its origin, definition, concepts and application. A hospital project was used as a pilot case study to examine the application of the CPR concepts.
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Mihail Cocosila, Glen Farrelly and Houda Trabelsi
The purpose of this study is to describe a comparative study of the perceptions of users and non-users of an early contact tracing application helping to prevent the spread of the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to describe a comparative study of the perceptions of users and non-users of an early contact tracing application helping to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The unprecedented incidence of this disease warrants investigating theoretically the use of mobile contact tracing applications as a promising approach to curtail its transmission.
Design/methodology/approach
A consumption value-based model of the adoption and use of a contact tracing mobile application was built and tested through a cross-sectional survey conducted with 2 samples (of 309 already users and 306 non-users) in the Province of Alberta, Canada.
Findings
Utilitarian and social values together with health information seeking and perceived critical mass drive the use of the application while perceived privacy risk is an obstacle to usage for both users and non-users.
Research limitations/implications
Study participants self-assessed their risk category of potential exposure to the COVID-19 virus, and this was a subjective measure including an emotional component.
Practical implications
No major differences in the approaches targeting users and non-users of a mobile contact tracing application to encourage its adoption and use are necessary.
Social implications
Additional efforts are required to convey to people information on the benefits and current rate of use of such an application and to mitigate privacy risk concerns.
Originality/value
Overall, the study offers theoretical and practical contributions that may help improve the adoption and usage of contact tracing applications addressing the COVID-19 pandemic or other possible public health crises.