Programming for the Internet and Experiential Learning: a New Approach Incorporating a Constructed World

This paper reports on a novel approach taken by the author to the teaching of an Internet programming course targeted at final year diploma and second year degree students. The uniqueness of engineers and their identity is discussed, as is the self-constructed world and ways of knowing in which humankind operates. The novel approach to teaching a software-coding course, and this course’s underlying philosophies of learning, the approach taken in class-contact time, and the methods of interaction with the students are presented, along with the conventional structure, quantitative measures, outline, and assessment of the course. The effects and observations of approaches employed are discussed, and the quantitative outputs achieved are presented alongside the unquantifiable impressions, comments and positive feedback.     

Futures beyond dystopia

The speculative imagination is an higher-order human capacity that can productively explore the not-here and the not-yet. To some extent it is already doing so. But these explorations are limited by prevailing cultural assumptions. The purpose of this paper is to suggest that there are other arenas to explore that, were they taken seriously, could exert sufficient symbolic ‘pull' to qualify as desirable images of futures. They could then begin to act as ‘magnets' for the realisation of possibilities that are presently obscured.     

The impact of the antecedents of relationship development on Thai and Australian resort hotels guests

This study examines the differences in the antecedents of relationship development between Thai and Australian resort guests in Thailand. A modified form of the key mediating variable (KMV) model is used to frame the study. The study found that relationship quality (characterised by trust and commitment) has a strong positive impact on Australian and Thai guests’ loyalty and that both groups rely on similar factors when evaluating their long term loyalty intentions. However, cross cultural variation in the weights attached to each of these factors was evident. Australians value special treatment and social benefits, while Thais place more emphasis on communications and opportunistic behaviour. These theoretical insights can assist resort operators to manage guest relationships and to develop service standards that address the guests’ cultural needs.     

浅谈传统文化与艺术设计

平面设计是利用视觉图像、符号来传达意图的设计形式,由于表现方式限于于平面,只通过视觉认知传达,因此有一定的局限性,但并不是说平面设计所表达的内容会因此减少和单薄,相反,在有限的表达方式下却能传达出丰富多彩,变幻莫测的意义.如果完全背离传统艺术形式,一味模仿西方的现代艺术,惟西方现代艺术马首是瞻,简单地挪用西方现代艺术形式,将使我们的艺术丧失民族的个性.     

浅议我国中小企业经营与发展

中小企业在我国的经济生活中发挥着重大的作用,因此如何发展中小企业,使我国中小企业更加蓬勃发展,造就出更多的大型企业、跨国企业,是一项具有重大意义的课题。文章指出我国中小企业要发展必需做好三个方面的工作,首先要建立一套适合企业发展的企业文化,其次要培育他们的创新机制,另外还要建立一套灵活、高效的内部管理体系,只有这样中小企业才有可能取得发展。     

An exploratory study of organizational flexibility in Malaysia: a research note

This note reports on an exploratory study examining the relationships between rules on employee behaviour and on management discretion and other aspects of organizations in Malaysia. Using the data from thirty-five Malaysian organizations, the authors highlight the differences between the implications of the rules for the two groups and their relationships with company performance.     

The Importance of Cultural Distance in the Perception of Evaluation of Service Quality

ABSTRACT

The paper deals with determinants in the cross-cultural setting of service encounters in tourism. The first part of the paper describes the theoretically expected influence of culture (cultural values) on the perception of expected and received service qualities. Based on a review of the literature cultural values are hypothesized to intervene in the formation of expectations and the perception of received service quality (satisfaction) across specific service quality related choice and/or decision and evaluation processes. Cases in point are particular dimensions of service quality encountered in tourism destinations, events and accommodation settings. The second part of the paper explores the usefulness and also the limitations of alternate cultural constructs found in the literature and used in the analysis of tourist's service quality judgements. Finally in part three the cultural distance is suggested as a useful potential proxy for the influence of cultural values in tourism applications and is discussed alongside other cultural constructs traditionally employed in tourism analyses.     

《神曲》中的两希文化对立与融合

但丁的《神曲》既浸透了宗教意识,又饱含了生命的热情。翻开《神曲》,我们可以看出,面对两希文化各有千秋的局面,但丁显得十分热切,但又带点茫然。但丁的《神曲》为两希文化的融合作出了一次伟大的尝试。从《神曲》中所反映出来的两希文化对立和融合出发,深入探讨了两种不同文化对作品的影响。     

企业文化中的民族文化内涵分析——以美国、日本为例

企业文化是企业家在企业发展过程中形成的经验与理念的概括与精华。从深层次考察,企业文化体现了企业所属国家的民族文化,其中以美国和日本最为典型。本文分析了美国、日本企业文化的特点,回顾了两国民族文化形成的历史过程及文化特性,进而指出美日两国企业文化与民族文化之间的渊源关系,企业文化的形成与构建是根植于民族文化土壤上的。     

楚辞所载宫廷名肴的烹饪艺术

此文主要介绍楚辞所载多种宫廷名肴的烹饪方法,表明中国的饮食文化在战国后期达到了又一高潮,此与当时楚国的政治经济实力形成正比,也与楚国得天独厚的地理环境和民情风俗有关。