Zhilong Tian, Yuanqiong He, Changxu Zhao and Guangxi Yi
Compared with the fierce price competition in 1998, the well‐order price competition is witnessed in Chinese iron and steel industry now and the pricing behaviors of steel firms…
Abstract
Compared with the fierce price competition in 1998, the well‐order price competition is witnessed in Chinese iron and steel industry now and the pricing behaviors of steel firms also follow the certain rules. Based on the methods of collecting the secondary data and interviewing, this paper examines the pricing behaviors of firms to explain the how Chinese steel firms make their pricing decisions and maintain the well‐order competitive relationship among them. The authors found out that (1) most Chinese steel companies adopt a kind of strategic perspective in their pricing decision making, in which understanding of the market trend and the close attention to their competitors are both important; (2) there obviously exists price leader and followers in Chinese iron and steel industry, and the relationship between price leader and followers is relatively stable and the factor behind this phenomenon is the existence of a kind of informal platform of communication among competitors, government and trade associations.
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Achieving basic education and equitable education outcomes remains a challenge, therefore, improving equity in education has evolved as a particularly important policy priority in…
Abstract
Achieving basic education and equitable education outcomes remains a challenge, therefore, improving equity in education has evolved as a particularly important policy priority in all OECD countries. This chapter concentrates on equity in the Maltese education system, with a particular focus on how the policyscape makes provision for achieving, improving, and maintaining equity in compulsory schooling. As an EU member state, Malta has been affected by the evolution, causes, and consequences of social, educational, and economic inequalities that have been an ardently contentious and controversial issue given the recent economic crisis in Europe. This chapter utilizes Bacchi’s ‘What’s the problem represented to be?’ (WPR) approach to analyse national school inclusion policy in Malta as illustrative of policies mobilized to address the problem of inequality, therefore acknowledging the need for a provision of equity as a major agenda. The results of this small-scale study have theoretical and methodological implications for academics, policymakers, and practitioners in the educational policy field. This study highlights the fact that there are a number of persistent challenges for achieving equity in education, especially the immigrant-native educational gap, despite European policy makers having been very active in the educational field.
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Nachiappan Subramanian, Angappa Gunasekaran, Thanos Papadopoulos and Pie Nie
Firms within industrial clusters are subject to challenges such as globalization, limited resources, volatility of international markets and financial instabilities. 4th party…
Abstract
Purpose
Firms within industrial clusters are subject to challenges such as globalization, limited resources, volatility of international markets and financial instabilities. 4th party logistics (4PL) service providers are supporting individual firms to overcome such challenges by using collaborative operational capabilities from within an industrial cluster to their enhance competitiveness. The purpose of this paper is to focus on China and proposes a collaborative operational capabilities framework to illustrate the role of 4PL in industrial cluster competitiveness.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper follows an extensive literature review and structured interviews in two types of clusters, drawing on resource-based view and importance-performance matrix analysis.
Findings
The paper proposes six elements (that is, synergy of logistics, expansion of industrial chain, financial ability, creativity and innovation ability, cooperation of companies and flexibility of supply chain) that comprise collaborative operational capabilities, and highlights the role of “creativity and innovation ability” and “supply chain flexibility” in the use of 4PL for industrial cluster competitiveness in Chinese context.
Research limitations/implications
The paper focusses on China and hence it could also be tested in the developed countries’ context with the support of large-scale empirical data to investigate further its usefulness and to identify other constraints.
Originality/value
The study contributes to the 4PL literature in that it proposes a framework that extrapolates the importance of 4PL in industrial cluster competitiveness in China.
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Ming Li, Jun Wang and Yingcheng Xu
Consulting experts is an effective way to utilize tacit resource. The purpose of the paper is to optimize the matching between panels of experts and groups of demanders to improve…
Abstract
Purpose
Consulting experts is an effective way to utilize tacit resource. The purpose of the paper is to optimize the matching between panels of experts and groups of demanders to improve the efficiency of tacit knowledge sharing.
Design/methodology/approach
Experts and demanders express preferences using linguistic terms. The estimate method based on trust is developed to get missing ratings. Weights of demanders are determined and knowledge needs are identified. Three kinds of satisfaction are measured based on grey relational analysis. To maximize satisfaction of experts and demanders and safeguard meetings of knowledge needs as well as the workload of experts, the optimization model is constructed and the solution is optimal matching results.
Findings
The presented approach not only optimizes the matching between demanders and experts but also sets up a panel of experts in case that knowledge needs exceed a single expert’s capacity.
Research limitations/implications
The approach expands research works of methods for tacit knowledge sharing. The continuous updating of matching results and the processing of the data with mixing formats need to be studied further.
Practical implications
The presented approach acts as a valuable reference for the development of knowledge management systems. It can be used in any scene that needs the match between experts and demanders.
Originality/value
The approach provides a new way of helping demanders to find appropriate experts. Both experts’ and demanders’ preferences are considered. A panel of experts is set up when needed. Expert resources are utilized more efficiently and knowledge needs are met more comprehensively.
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Lucy Sojung Lee and Weiguo Zhong
This paper aims to investigate the importance and prevalence of Guanxi in business interactions in network-based societies such as China, few studies have the phenomenon from a…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the importance and prevalence of Guanxi in business interactions in network-based societies such as China, few studies have the phenomenon from a dyadic view. In a business dyad, one partner may not value Guanxi and take it as a template for actions as the other does.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors propose that such collective and asymmetric Guanxi orientation influence both the creation and distribution of relational rent in a Guanxi dyad. Furthermore, relationship-specific investments (RSIs) moderate the relationship between dyadic Guanxi orientation and relational rent creation and distribution.
Findings
Based on a matched sample of supplier-buyer dyads in China, the authors find that joint Guanxi orientation is positively related to joint pie creation, whereas Guanxi orientation imbalance has a positive effect on the pie distribution imbalance.
Originality/value
These results contribute to the literature by revealing how dyadic Guanxi dynamics and practices affect dyadic performance and providing managers with meaningful implications for dyadic Guanxi management.
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Christopher J. Shipley and Brian H. Kleiner
The purpose of this article is to recognise the different types of compensation programmes for commissioned sales employees and to establish ways to manage these programmes in an…
Abstract
The purpose of this article is to recognise the different types of compensation programmes for commissioned sales employees and to establish ways to manage these programmes in an ever changing business environment. This article will identify companies who use compensation programmes for their commissioned sales employees. This article will also compare and contrast the differences between the company’s different compensation plans. Compensation management is becoming increasingly more difficult for or ganisations to control because sales employees are wanting more and more. Managers need to find out what sales employees want and give it to them in a way that is fair and specific. Being specific in compensation and incentive plans is becoming the new method for managers to follow, while at the same time promoting a team atmosphere among sales employees. Results for compensation management of commissioned sales employees do not point to one best method, but managers are encouraging sales employees to work as a group and not against each other. This would create camaraderie among employees, thus enhancing the work environment and increasing quality and quantity of sales.
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Ronald L. Woods and Brian H. Kleiner
Looks into sexual harassment complaints at Mitsubishi Motors in Illinois, USA, which could become the largest sexual harassment case in US history with nearly 500 female…
Abstract
Looks into sexual harassment complaints at Mitsubishi Motors in Illinois, USA, which could become the largest sexual harassment case in US history with nearly 500 female plaintiffs eligible to receive a total amount of US$150 million in compensation and damages. Mentions other foreign companies operating in the USA, which have been charged with violation of employee rights. Mentions Employment Practices Liability insurance, which protects companies against the costs of workers winning damages in cases of discrimination or wrongful discharge. Attributes some of these employee abuse problems to the lack of flow of information within a company’s communication network. Points out that most companies have got downward communication from top management to employees sorted out, but that other forms of communication are lacking. Suggests that this might be due to control, incompetence, lack of understanding and unfairness when dealing with various societal groups – all of which can cost organizations a load of money, particularly in the litigious USA.
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The aim of this chapter is to investigate the potential of the disruption brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic to break the stagnation in the field of comparative and…
Abstract
The aim of this chapter is to investigate the potential of the disruption brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic to break the stagnation in the field of comparative and international education, detected on many fronts of the field by various scholars in the field. The chapter commences with a survey of the historical evolution of the field of comparative and international education, showing how the field has historically come to be defined by contextually induced discourse. At the same time, the historically trodden furrows have resulted in the field becoming trapped by historical forces, resulting in some stagnation in the field. It is argued that impediments to progress in the field of comparative and international education are the severance from practice, the “black box” syndrome of paying more attention to the societal context than to education, the tenacious attachment to the nation-state as the sole geographic level of analysis, the lack of an autochthonous theory, persistent Northern hegemony, and the regression of space and infrastructure at universities. Thereafter, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact thereof on education are discussed. In conclusion, the potential of the disruption brought about by the pandemic for the revisitation of comparative and international education is assessed.
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Narrates the discussion between Juan (a corporate executive of a multinational company) and Audrey (an independent environmental consultant) when they sit next to each other on a…
Abstract
Narrates the discussion between Juan (a corporate executive of a multinational company) and Audrey (an independent environmental consultant) when they sit next to each other on a flight. Explains, through the dialogue, some of the environmental pitfalls companies can encounter when basing operations in the USA, such as regulations relating to clean air, clean water, emissions, toxic pollutants, land use restrictions, species protection plans etc.). Makes the point that it is individuals who face civil and criminal penalties for breaking these regulations, not the company. Provides an overview of US environmental regulations and recommends that companies can avoid falling foul of the law through education, training and taking legal advice. Mentions ISO 14000 and 14001 environmental standards as a potential way forward, although they do not yet carry any weight under US law.
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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.