Internet and CALL

1.IntroductionFor a long ti me,the traditional English teaching mode is teacher-centered and knowledge-instruction-based.Inthis kind of teach-ing mode the teachers usually givelectures only by usingtextbooksinclassroom.The learners have to passively acquire knowledge andcomplain the boring learning of English in such a single method;therefore,it is essential to set up a newteaching mode to meet thehigher need of Englishlearners andincrease their interest of learningEnglish.Withthe rapid deve…     

Macroeconomic factors and firm’s cross-border merger and acquisitions

This study investigates the impact of macroeconomic variables on the wealth effects of cross-border acquisitions by Malaysian multinational companies. The sample consists of 159 cross-border acquisitions by Malaysian MNCs bidding in 22 countries around the world from 2000 to 2007. The macroeconomic variables examined in this study are foreign economic condition, GNP correlation between countries, and level of economic development of target country. The findings indicate that, foreign economic condition affects the wealth effect negatively, while the level of economic development of target country affects the wealth effect positively. Aside from the macroeconomic variables, we also find that English or non-English language, government’s rules index and the telecommunication infrastructure all play certain roles in the Malaysian cross-border acquisitions. Implied from this study is that, value creation of the Malaysian cross-border acquisitions is a function of the foreign economic condition and the level of economic development of the target foreign country.     

Reforms and agricultural productivity in Central and Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Republics: 1989–2005

This paper analyses the changes in agricultural performance in Central and Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet republics since the start of the transition process. We provide a conceptual framework for the evolution of productivity and efficiency measures and link this evolution to the issue of factor abundance taking into account specific transition characteristics. We document the changes in agricultural performance using empirical data on the evolution of partial productivity and total factor productivity estimates and we illustrate how productivity varies between countries at various stages of the transition process. Over the past twenty years, virtually all transition countries witnessed an initial decline in productivity, and virtually all countries currently witness an increase in productivity. However, the depth and length of the initial decline differs enormously between countries. Our analysis indicates that the productivity changes were related to the extent of the pre-reform distortions, initial resource endowments and technology use, and the reform implementation in the countries.     

Language and Creativity: The Leadership Quandary (and Opportunity?)

The author argues that for leadership research and praxis to better conjoin leadership with creativity and innovation, it is necessary to understand how language shapes the relationship. Language reflects both political and referential qualities, and the relationship is not always harmonious. If leadership practitioners fail to address the schism, dysfunctional situations can ensue. To avoid such problems, it is suggested that researchers and practitioners engage the aforementioned relationships through a reflexive process that continually doubles back and interrogates its basic assumptions.     

Forensic Accounting and Fraud： Capability and Competence Requirements in Malaysia

The 2011 Global Economic Crime Survey instituted by PricewaterhouseCoopers （PwC） confirms the economic crime in Malaysia to be on the increase and, therefore, requires immediate attention to stem the tides. In anticipation of the challenges occasioned due to a shift from the modified cash basis to the accrual basis of accounting, the Malaysian State＇s determination to move from a developing nation to a developed nation, and to be ranked among the first 10 in 2020, this paper presents the need for forensic accountant and auditor capability （i.e., mindset and skills） on forensic accountant and auditor competence （i.e., task performance fraud risk assessment （TPFRA）） in the Malaysian public sector. It also draws the attention of the users of public sector accountants and auditors to the understanding of fraud mechanisms and how to deal with fraudsters. The population of this study comprised the accountants and auditors in the office of the Accountant General and Auditor General of Malaysia. The objective of this paper is to investigate the competence requirements of accountants and auditors in the effective and efficient utilization of capability requirements, which have the potentials to usher in the best global practices in fighting fraud in the Malaysian public sector.     

Cheese and Cheese文化

奶酪,又名干酪,英文名作Cheese,即芝士。在法国,从1月1日到12月31日,每天都可以吃到不一样的奶酪。我们对奶酪的抗拒很大程度上来自嗅觉的障碍,以及害怕变得脂肪丰满,其实呢,搭配得法,也许你也会天天都Cheese的。     

Exchange rate regimes and capital mobility: issues and some lessons from central and eastern European applicant countries☆

The five most advanced central and eastern European countries that aspire to join the European Union, EMU and to adopt the euro, have pursued very dissimilar exchange rate strategies up to now. Yet, there is only one instance in which a country was unable to sustain its chosen exchange rate regime. This paper explores two keys to exchange rate sustainability and argues that failure to maintain internal policy consistency and policy credibility is decisive in forced exit. The paper then relates the findings to possible policy lessons for emerging market economies in the Western Hemisphere.     

Capital Structure and Regulation: Do Ownership and Regulatory Independence Matter?

We study the effect of ownership structure and regulatory independence on the interaction between capital structure and regulated prices using a comprehensive panel data of publicly traded European utilities. We find that firms in our sample tend to have a higher leverage if they are privately controlled and regulated by an independent regulatory agency. Moreover, the leverage of these firms has a positive and significant effect on their regulated prices, but not vice versa. Our results are consistent with the theory that privately controlled regulated firms use leverage strategically to obtain better regulatory outcomes.     

Small,Local and Cheap? Walkable and Car-oriented Retail in Competition

Abstract

I develop a model of competition between walkable shops, and other shops whose customers drive (car-oriented shops). Walkable shops operate in monopolistic competition within a local area, or neighbourhood. A small cost advantage for car-oriented shops can turn into a larger price advantage. High prices in walkable shops effect a regressive transfer from poorer to richer consumers, since the poorer are less likely to have cars. Internalizing environmental and social costs of urban automobile use could reduce prices and increase capacity utilization in walkable shops in more densely populated local areas. Many common combinations of planning and pricing tools fail to internalize important costs, and may actually subsidize driving to shop, but a combination of planning and the pricing (through taxation) of retail parking could effectively internalize the relevant costs.     

How Does Cooperation and Competition Foster or Inhibit Creativity and Innovation?

The current article provides a brief insight into the relationship between cooperation and competition in organizational settings as they relate to the origination and proliferation of new ideas. Does cooperation stifle creativity? Does competition promote innovation? Or is it likely the answer resides in a more complex process somewhere in the middle? With a vested interest in organizational productivity, leadership should pay special attention to what social processes give rise to these phenomena.     

How Do Developmental and Accommodative HRM Enhance Employee Engagement and Commitment? The Role of Psychological Contract and SOC Strategies

In the context of the changing workforce, this study introduced two perspectives on HRM and distinguished universalistic developmental HRM from contingent accommodative HRM. We predicted two separate pathways for the effects on two employee outcomes: work engagement and affective commitment. We expected that developmental HRM would universally relate to employee outcomes by rebalancing the psychological contract between the employee and organization into a less transactional to a more relational contract. We also predicted that accommodative HRM would relate to outcomes only when fulfilling specific needs of employees, associated with their selecting, optimizing, and compensating strategies. Results of a multilevel study among 1058 employees in 17 healthcare units fully supported our expectations regarding the role of the psychological contract. Additionally, we found support for the expected roles of selection and compensation, but not for optimization strategy. This study contributes to the literature by demonstrating that HRM relates to employee outcomes through multiple pathways, which can be either universal or contingent.     

Why and How Do Employees Break and Bend Confidential Information Protection Rules?

Organizations cannot function effectively if their employees do not follow organizational rules and policies. In this paper, we explore why and how employees in two high‐tech organizations often broke or bent rules designed to protect their employers' confidential information (CI). The CI protection rules sometimes imposed requirements that disrupted employees' work, forcing employees to choose between CI rule compliance and doing their work effectively and efficiently. Employees in these situations often broke the rules or bent them in ways that enabled employees to meet some of the rules' requirements, while also satisfying other expectations that they faced. We discuss implications of our findings for practice and for future organizational scholarship on rule following.     

Formal control and social control in domestic and international buyer–supplier relationships

Focusing on long-term buyer–supplier relationships, this article addresses two questions: (1) What are the antecedents that lead to the adoption of formal control, social control, or both? (2) What is the nature of the relationship between formal control and social control - are they substitutes or complements? We develop a model to investigate the impact of the length of cooperation and institutionalization on the use of control mechanisms. Further, we argue that in China, formal control and social control may be substitutes in domestic buyer–supplier relationships, but they may be complements in international relationships. Survey data collected nationwide with executives in 380 domestic and 200 international buyer–supplier relationships in China are used to test our hypotheses.     

Bias of distance functions estimates and Primont and Primont’s homotheticity test

The question of whether a technology exhibits particular properties such as radial input or output homotheticity is a crucial one for a producer since it should strongly impact on its reactions to market changes. Primont and Primont (Econ Lett 45:191–195, 1994) established that it can be tested using only weak assumptions. They further used their results to test for input homotheticity of an educational production technology (Primont and Primont, Can J Econ 29:587–591, 1996). In this paper, it is shown that if not implemented properly, the test can lead to biased results. Some ways to obtain unbiased results are also suggested.

Anti-Monopoly：Sense and Sensibility

In this summer,the most stringent action ever to rectify the Chinese automotive market was launched by the National Development and Reform Commission （NDRC）and its branches,the State Admin istration of Industry and Commerce（SAIC）,     

Managers' interpretations of LCA: enlightenment and responsibility or confusion and denial?

Environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) and ‘life cycle thinking’ are popular approaches to evaluate and manage the environmental aspects of products. While LCA has been propagated as a decision‐making tool, the interest here is in LCA as a mental model, which managers may interpret and enact differently. If LCA and ‘life cycle thinking’ manage to infuse organizations with an extended sense of responsibility, this could counteract some of the ‘organized irresponsibility’ of modern markets. However, LCA use may also lead to confusion, doubt and denial. This article explores potential managerial interpretations of LCA with a small illustration from the wholesale trade, and through a conceptualization of the illustration in terms of Hatch's ( 1993 ) dynamic model of organizational culture. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Medium-term and Long-term Momentum and Contrarian Effects on China during 1994-2004

We examine momentum and contrarian effects in China＇s stock market during 1994-2004 and find that no medium momentum effects exist. Meanwhile, contrarian strategy works effectively over the horizon of 18-36 months. 1-month gap for avoiding bid-ask bounce and lead-lag effect make no considerable change to our empirical results. Transaction costs seem to have no significant impact on contrarian strategies＇ profit.