Revisiting the expatriate failure concept: A qualitative study of Scandinavian expatriates in Hong Kong

This article advances the understanding of expatriate failure, which remains a contested social phenomenon in international work life as well as scholarly research. The study challenges the definition of expatriate failure and its inherent biases, i.e., the epistemological primacy of the firm level and the failure/success binary. We argue that this qualitative study of 51 Scandinavian expatriates in Hong Kong can contribute to advancing theory on the expatriate failure concept by asking individual expatriates what constitutes failure to them. By applying social constructionist and social anthropological ideas to the expatriate failure concept debate, we develop the internationality thesis which demonstrates a discrepancy between the expatriates’ perceptions of successful international assignments and the actual nature of their lived lives; many expatriates desire to enrich their lives through experiencing an international/intercultural and adventurous lifestyle, but, in fact, living lives with limited intercultural exposure and interaction. We conclude by proposing a reconceptualisation of expatriate failure in terms of offering both a new definition and approach to researching expatriate failure in which time/duration, context, and geographical location need to be taken into account. We believe the new approach can overcome some of the empirical unsoundness of mainstream definitions.     

Squatting as a transition problem in South Africa

This paper applies principles of transition to land tenure and squatting in South Africa. Political transition in South Africa reassigned political property rights, which produced contestable, and rent‐seeking incentives for squatting as a means to privatize land and redistribute wealth. Government failure to establish and protect private property rights in a squatter camp resulted in common‐pool problems that resisted private and public resolution with consequent rent dissipation and social loss. In response to this retreat from duty, informal agents emerged to claim their own share of the prize. Without enforceable rules of capture, the growth of squatter camps in South Africa will continue. JEL classification: D7, H8, K1, K4, R1, R4.     

Optimal failure rates and penalty-bonus policies in the offshore petroleum sector

We characterize optimal time profiles of risk-reducing expenditures and wreck probabilities for petroleum platforms. The input to our analysis is the development of wreck cost, direct and imputed. Particular attention is paid to the question of how private companies deviating from socially optimal standards may be induced to comply with such standards by means of a) a time-variant penalty, b) a no-wreck bonus and c) a time-invariant penalty.     

区域主导产业发展中的地方政府行为研究

地方政府的活动范围应根据市场发挥作用的程度、社会自治的能力加以界定,更好地发挥市场的作用,优化市场经济运行的环境应是政府行为的着眼点。从地方政府官员的意识、赶超愿望、获得新闻界的关注程度等角度探讨地方政府的行为诱导机制,阐明地方政府财政能力、协调能力等方面是导致区域主导产业畸型增长的内因,提出改变地方政府行政模式,是实现地方政府目标与区域主导产业可持续发展的关键所在。     

完善我国证券市场监管体制研究

如何完善我国的证券市场监管体制是保证我国证券市场能够持续、健康、稳定发展的重要课题.本文首先对市场监管失灵的理论进行了介绍,然后深入分析了我国证券市场监管体制的形成过程及其特点,最后就如何完善我国的证券监管体制提出了建议.     

企业经营战略失败分析

企业制定经营战略的目的是适应环境的变化,然而由于种种原因,企业的经营战略常常面临着失败。 因此从七个角度分析失败的原因,并提出相关建议,从而树立起全局观念、创新观念、风险观念和应变观念 等一系列重要战略观念。     

市场失灵与企业创新

新古典理论认为市场失灵会使得资源配置的效率偏离帕累托最优状态,文章认为,市场失灵还会影响到企业的创新方向和创新数量,导致全社会该产生的创新可能创新不够,不该产生的创新却层出不穷,从而降低资源配置的长期效率,针对市场失灵的不同类型,政府只要采取不同的措施,就能够正确引导企业的创新行为。     

论养老保险制度中政府与市场的关系

从经济学视角考察了一般意义上政府和市场关系的发展脉络。以此作为理论依据，对养老保险制度中政府与市场的职能定位做出了具体划分，进而得出了充分发挥政府和市场的共同作用，完善中国当前养老保险制度的相关启示。     

论协理：社会资源配置的第三机制——当代和谐社会的基本建构机制

由于市场机制与行政权力机制分别存在着失灵现象,第三种社会资源配置机制应运而生,这就是“协理”机制。其核心是无政府而有管理,无市场而达自治与协调,社会关系网络是其基本存在形态,伦理原则是其力量基础,而既非国家产权也非私人产权的“人际产权”是其适用领域。今天它已经成为克服市场机制与政府机制的缺点、建设和谐社会的基本社会机制。     

旅游院校英语口语教学与跨文化语用意识

交际中的跨文化语用失误是中国学生在外语学习中经常遇到的现象.从文化差异的角度分析了交际中的跨文化语用失误,指出英语口语教学中,可从教材、教学方法、第二课堂等方面培养学生的跨文化语用意识,提高交际能力.