Abstract
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The purpose of this paper is to provide a model of possible solutions to potential employment issues arising from the outsourcing job trend. The case study offers university…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide a model of possible solutions to potential employment issues arising from the outsourcing job trend. The case study offers university administrators and education policy makers the rationale to develop sequential, fully articulated education programs that equip the students with job skills that make them competitive in a global work force.
Design/methodology/approach
The objective is achieved through a case study of an outsourcing outfit in Jonesboro, Arkansas. A range of recently published academic research and vocational literature provide the statistical background for the experiment conducted at Arkansas State University.
Findings
The US education system is not competitive when compared to Asian and European education systems, which emphasize math, science, and foreign languages. Collaboration between government‐funded entities and corporate America to invest in training the American human capital, as in the case of rural sourcing, is crucial to guarantee America's continuing position as a super world power.
Research limitations/implications
Resources include academic research as well as popular vocational publications to ensure the valid representation of academia and corporate America. In addition, several on‐site interviews and observations were conducted. However, due to the fluidity of the outsourcing situation, constant updating of data are required. Consulting the most recent statistics and publications is recommended to stay abreast of the situation.
Practical implications
Recommendations to globalize the American education system are made and are currently being shared with education policy makers at the state level. These recommendations include the implementation of foreign language requirements and more rigorous math and science programs in high schools.
Originality/value
This paper identifies practical tools to overcome the threats of outsourcing jobs to Asia through offering a road map to globalize the American education system with the goal of preparing a competitive workforce for the twenty‐first century.
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Yim‐Yu Wong, Thomas E. Maher and Sherriff T.K. Luk
The seconf of two articles on the transfer from foreign companies to affiliates in China. Addresses wholly owned subsidiaries. Tries to determine strategic management know‐how and…
Abstract
The seconf of two articles on the transfer from foreign companies to affiliates in China. Addresses wholly owned subsidiaries. Tries to determine strategic management know‐how and if it is currently being transferred. Attempts to forecast the likelihood of access to China’s domestic market and if this will grow.
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Stephen Baglione and Tom Zimmener
Ethics for many individuals is manifested daily through decisions and actions which display their commitment to personal values. Values permeate our lives, and influence our…
Abstract
Purpose
Ethics for many individuals is manifested daily through decisions and actions which display their commitment to personal values. Values permeate our lives, and influence our actions. Managers' decisions and actions should serve as a reflection of their ethics and a mirror for their personal values and beliefs. Therefore, the research question is: does ethics influence how a person performs at work and even where he or she works? If ethics affects where one works, would people with strong ethics gravitate to organizations that match through their policies and behaviors and their own personal, values and beliefs?
Design/methodology/approach
The survey was developed through a literature review and multiple iterations among colleagues. It was pretested among faculty, staff, and students in the USA. The US version was administered at a southeastern non‐secular university. The survey was then sent to China for translation. It was administered to an MBA class in China affiliated with the same US non‐secular university. The data were analyzed in SPSS.
Findings
A comparison of business executives ensconced in their communities and careers finds ethical behavior and positive values are sought and rewarded in both Chinese and American organizations. And, surprisingly, Chinese business executives believed more strongly than US business executives on all questions which linked economic benefit to organizational climate, productive workforce, and to the existence of strong and positive organizational values and beliefs. US business executives belief that positive ethical practices are rewarded in the short‐ and long‐term, while Chinese business executives believe only in long‐term rewards.
Research limitations/implications
This survey was done at one non‐secular university.
Practical implications
Shared values are critical in cementing lasting business relationships.
Originality/value
The authors believe the study is the first to compare the ethics of American and Chinese managers, or business owners who are well ensconced in their careers and the community within a cross‐section of industries and levels. These successful, highly‐educated professionals represent people who are currently, or may become, top‐level executives. As such, they are an important sample: professionals whose ethics may be guiding their decisions, and because of their work experience, unlike new college graduates, they may have a greater effect on the ethical behavior of organizations through their experience. Recent business scandals prove that the actions of a few have dramatic impact on an organization.
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Yim‐Yu Wong, Thomas E. Maher and Sherriff T.K. Luk
Briefly outlines the development and attraction of the “joint venture” approach to foreign investment in China. Provides a number of in‐depth interviews with top management…
Abstract
Briefly outlines the development and attraction of the “joint venture” approach to foreign investment in China. Provides a number of in‐depth interviews with top management personnel of five well‐known international joint ventures. Attempts to discover what strategic management knowledge was transferred from the Western partner. Finds only limited evidence to suggest such a transfer was taking place but suggests that these ventures are still relatively new. Points to China’s likely entry into the World Trade Organisation as an opportunity for change.
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When the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the International Campaign to Ban Landmines international awareness was heightened about the efforts of NGOs worldwide to ban…
Abstract
When the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the International Campaign to Ban Landmines international awareness was heightened about the efforts of NGOs worldwide to ban landmines. The international Mine Ban Treaty was signed on March 1, 1999 after serious use of the Internet to communicate how critical this was to global safety. The methods of sharing information between foreign governments and being able to track this critical communication is central to understanding how the treaty gained visibility and how NGOs created coalitions to assure the success of this work. This article talks about global communications and sharing that could not have taken place with speed, worldwide coverage, efficiency and cost‐effectiveness, if the Internet had not been born.
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Zahir A. Quraeshi and Mushtaq Luqmani
The purpose of this paper is to provide a systematic framework for guidance to developing countries in promoting competitive capabilities in targeted sectors.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide a systematic framework for guidance to developing countries in promoting competitive capabilities in targeted sectors.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a conceptual paper that incorporates experiences culled from the literature on national sectoral development (call centers).
Findings
Many businesses today are dissecting their value chains and outsourcing functional activities offshore. Beginning in the 1990s, developing countries tried to attract manufacturing (sub) activities such as assembly. More recently, in a deeply interconnected business world, developing nations are fostering sectoral development through a process of attracting offshore activities other than manufacturing to their shores.
Practical implications
Many developing countries are searching for ways to emulate the success of countries such as India to spur economic development. A framework for developing national sectoral competitiveness can benefit policymakers in the public and private sectors by outlining a path toward further economic development.
Originality/value
The paper makes an original contribution by presenting a synthetic framework delineating the steps towards building competitive sectoral capabilities and discussing all aspects of the framework.
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Brennan Day, Ruth Burnice Mckay, Michael Ishman and Ed Chung
The modern industrialized world was completely caught off guard by the recent SARS outbreak. Fortunately, for most organizations, the impact has been short lived, but management…
Abstract
The modern industrialized world was completely caught off guard by the recent SARS outbreak. Fortunately, for most organizations, the impact has been short lived, but management has been provided with a reminder of the impact of the external environment in a world of ever increasing globalization. As seen with the SARS outbreak, a lack of preparedness can have devastating effects on business and warrant inclusion in a business definition of a crisis. This paper uses the recent SARS epidemic as a background to highlight the importance of crisis planning, particularly in emerging economies, and suggests how organizations can address these concerns.
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The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of parallel importation on brand equity in high and low product involvement arrangements.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of parallel importation on brand equity in high and low product involvement arrangements.
Design/methodology/approach
A 2 × 2 (authorized goods/gray‐marketed goods)×(high involvement/low involvement) between‐subjects experimental design is utilized; consumer electronics and ballpoint pens are examined.
Findings
The results of this empirical study show that source channel (authorized goods versus gray goods) has a significant impact on brand equity; among the five brand equity dimensions, consumers are most concerned about the difference in “perceived quality” between gray goods and authorized goods; given the levels of stimuli, sourcing channel stimuli are found to have more powerful effects than product involvement on consumer evaluations of brand equity.
Practical implications
Marketing implications of the study are as follows. For authorized agents: they could emphasize the “perceived quality” of their products in order to prevent market “squatting” from gray marketers. For manufacturers: authorized goods have a stronger effect on brand equity than gray goods; therefore, manufacturers could adapt the contents and packaging of their products to match consumption behavior in each different country to achieve the purpose of market segmentation and to prevent the products from being diverted. For gray marketers: they should not only emphasize the lower prices of their products, but also highlight their brand knowledge and the brand recognition and provide a valid and sensitive reflection of the brand's standing to their customers.
Originality/value
The most notable finding from this study may be that given the levels of stimuli, sourcing channel stimuli were found to have more powerful effects than product involvement on consumer evaluations of brand equity.
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Kusumal Ruamsook, Dawn M. Russell and Evelyn A. Thomchick
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the issues pertinent to sourcing internationally from low‐cost countries (LCCs) and to understand which issues are associated most…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the issues pertinent to sourcing internationally from low‐cost countries (LCCs) and to understand which issues are associated most strongly with a firm's logistics performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Comparative examination of supply sources in developed countries and LCCs is conducted using a paired‐sample setting. Data acquired by a mail survey of US‐based manufacturing firms are analyzed using a canonical correlation analysis (CCA). CCA helps to reveal the structure of relationships within and between a set of sourcing issue variables and a set of the logistics performance variables investigated.
Findings
Results indicate that the issues that should be priorities for improvement are: supplier production capability; business culture and practices; and communication infrastructure.
Research limitations/implications
The survey data and analysis focused on US manufacturing firms importing from LCCs. However, there is increasing activity of US retailers importing from LCCs, suggesting a need for a follow‐on study which considers the retailer perspective.
Practical implications
Results not only validate the issues to be considered in sourcing from LCCs, but also provide a direction for logistics managers in allocating an organization's scarce resources to the issues of highest potential for improving logistics performance.
Originality/value
The fast emerging role of LCCs as supply sources of US firms and the cost advantages of sourcing from LCCs are widely recognized. However, challenges associated with sourcing internationally from LCCs and the extent to which they are related to a firm's logistics performance have received limited attention in existing logistics research. This study contributes valuable insights into this area of international sourcing and logistics management.