Yuanfeng Cai and Randall Shannon
The purpose of this paper is to identify underlying personal values that determine the mall shopping behaviour of Chinese consumers and to propose shopping intention as an…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify underlying personal values that determine the mall shopping behaviour of Chinese consumers and to propose shopping intention as an additional mediator that enhances the value‐behaviour link.
Design/methodology/approach
A self‐administered web‐based survey with convenience sampling was used to collect the data. A structural equation modeling technique was used to test the proposed model.
Findings
Chinese mall shoppers' behaviours were found to be explained by value orientations which were both similar and different from their counterparts in the West. While Western mall shoppers are more likely to be directed by social affiliation and self‐actualising values in previous studies, Chinese mall shoppers are more likely to be influenced by self‐transcendence and self‐enhancement (similar to self‐actualising) values in the present study. Additionally, shopping intention was found to improve the predictive power of consumers' attitude toward mall attributes in terms of shopping frequency and money spent in the mall.
Research limitations/implications
The main limitation of this study is related to measurement error, derived from using simplified instruments to measure personal values. In addition, both personal values and attitudes are abstract constructs, which are difficult to measure; therefore this may also contribute to a larger error variance.
Practical implications
The results of this study are especially beneficial for mall developers and retailers for crafting effective positioning strategies and guiding their communication strategies in the China market.
Originality/value
The proposed model makes a theoretical contribution by testing a Western theory in a non‐Western context. In addition, the proposed model helps researchers better understand the value‐behaviour relationship in a more comprehensive framework.
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Abstract
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The Chinese civilization is an important part of the history of mankind. The purpose of this paper is to show that there are project management lessons to be learned from Chinese…
Abstract
Purpose
The Chinese civilization is an important part of the history of mankind. The purpose of this paper is to show that there are project management lessons to be learned from Chinese history, including that relating to the management of the building process in ancient China.
Design/methodology/approach
Through a review of the literature, this paper discusses the key management and economic practices in the building process of ancient China and highlights these practices from an important document, the Yingzao Fashi or (“Treatise on Architectural Methods”), that was compared with the modern‐day project management framework.
Findings
This paper explains the official systems instituted for public projects; the management of labour, design and planning of construction works; quantity surveying practices; the use, control and recycling of building materials; and inspection of building elements in ancient China.
Practical implications
The study suggests that lessons in the principles of construction project management in ancient China bear many similarities with the nine areas of modern‐day project management body of knowledge relating to integration, scope, time, cost, quality, human resource, communications, risk, and procurement management. An area for future research would be to compare the Yingzao Fashi with modern‐day codes of practice for building works to determine which of its “ancient” provisions relating to quality management are still relevant today.
Originality/value
It was found that much emphasis was placed by the ancient Chinese on the quality aspects of prominent building projects. This is one facet from which modern‐day project managers and clients can draw lessons.
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J. Alexander Nuetah, Yitian Xiao and Pei Guo
The purpose of this paper is to provide readers with the main findings and conclusions of papers presented at the 2011 CAER‐IFPRI International Conference held under the theme “Is…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide readers with the main findings and conclusions of papers presented at the 2011 CAER‐IFPRI International Conference held under the theme “Is China entering a high food price era?”
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conduct a desk review of papers presented at the conference and provide a brief summary of the analytical tools, and main findings and conclusions of each presentation.
Findings
These reviews show that, while there seems to be an increase in the prices of agricultural commodities on the Chinese market, in real terms, these rises fall far below the increases in the prices of industrial commodities. Thus, expert views remain divided on whether China is entering an era of high food price.
Originality/value
The discussions initiated by the conference theme aroused researchers' curiosities for further studies into understanding the current level of food prices in China.