HRM in Hong Kong since 1997

A diverse set of human resource management (HRM) practices became institutionalized during Hong Kong's industrialization from the 1950s through the 1970s within the context of an open economy, a government disinclined to intervene in business decisions or the labour market and a weak trade union movement. Economic restructuring, labour market changes and rising labour costs during the 1980s and 1990s pressured employers to find more effective ways of using their human resources. We focus on how the economic downturn following the Asian Financial Crisis has impacted on employment practices including employment security, compensation, skill formation, work reorganization and employment relations. We discuss changes in the public as well as private sector and argue that reforms in the former are loosening the rigidities of its highly structured internal labour market system. Public sector employment practices are thus likely to converge increasingly with the ‘best practices’ of private sector and overseas government HRM systems.     

A look back at a luck-filled career

Business Economics - A successful career as a business economist first depends upon knowing your subject. Content, more than show, matters. Nonetheless, the ability to communicate that knowledge is...     

Hong Kong after 1997: The question of sovereignty

Ever since British-Chinese negotiations over the return of Hong Kong began in 1982, there has been a dialogue of the deaf about Hong Kong's future, Overholt provides a thorough overview of the historical, political economic, social and legal issues regarding Hong Kong's transition and of China's self-interest in Hong Kong's major functions as an airlock, entrepot, financial center, regional headquarters and manufacturer. Through his careful discussion of the foreseeable problems, Overholt reaches the conclusion that hong Kong is “useful pretty much the way it is” to China and doesn't see China disturbing the balance.     

Young Hong Kong managers: Their doubts about 1997

The economic success of Hong Kong—especially when compared to its much larger neighbor the People's Republic of China—has been a source of worry among business leaders in light of the colony's planned reversion back to China in 1997. Young managers in particular are nervous that, under the bureaucratic and repressive dominion of China, economic growth and opportunities will dwindle. How China handles its own affairs, as well as those of Hong Kong, may well affect the region's economy well into the next century.     

Managing human resources in Hong Kong: 1997 and beyond

Financial transition is not Hong Kong's only concern after 1997. This paper examines issues that senior human resource management executives must address as Hong Kong's deadline approaches. Within Hong Kong's particular political context, Farh, Leung and Tse identify the major social and economic trends that directly affect the management of heman resources and discuss the key implications of these trends with regard to personnel planning, recruitment and selection, training and compensation.     

The “Brain Drain” from Hong Kong

At one time, the top jobs in subsidiaries of Western companies located in Hong Kong were held by Westerners. Only recently have companies moved to fill professional positions with local talent. But as the localization process has speeded up, the once plentiful supply of talent is shrinking dramatically. Hong Kong Chinese professionals are leaving from fear of what repatriation with the PRC will bring.     

Executive opinions on Hong Kong: Point and counterpoint: The future looks bright for China and Hong Kong

The biggest debate about the future of Hong Kong is poised on whether China wil honor the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration or whether it will introduce corruption and over-regulation into Hong Kong's well-functioning Western economy. Fong,an appointee of the Hong Kong government, and Wilson, a longtime resident and employee of Western companies with offices in Hong Kong, briefly tackle both sides of the issue.     

The demand for business and management education in Hong Kong beyond 1997

In this contribution, the future market of business and management education in Hong Kong is investigated, bearing in mind that Hong Kong reverted to Chinese sovereignty. Hong Kong is expected to continue its prosperity, but the emigration of large numbers of Hong Kong professionals wanting to secure a safety net by acquiring a foreign passport has further created demands for better and more business and management education in an attempt to develop more professional managers. The study starts by discussing the current state of the Hong Kong economy and the phenomenon of the ‘brain drain’. In addition, it analyses a survey of the current state of business and management education in Hong Kong so that a market need can be identified to match economic growth. Finally, the study suggests a future research direction for Hong Kong's business and management education.     

Do family members agree on family purchase decision? – an empirical study among families in Hong Kong

Family decision making is one of the most important consumer decisions. It is complicated because all family members can be involved in the decision‐making process. The current study examined the impact of perceived buying preferences of individual family member on perceived family buying preferences. A new family decision‐making model with family members’ buying preference is proposed based on resources theory, social learning theory and family system theory. It is found that there is a synergy effect in a family decision‐making process. The synergy effect is expressed as positive correlations between individual family members buying preferences. Quota sampling was adopted to collect primary data in Hong Kong using triadic approach. Managerial implications and future research directions are suggested.     

Trends in international business thought and literature: One country,two currencies? Hong Kong's exchange-rate regime after 1997

A key factor in assessing the future of the Hong Kong dollar is whether China would, after 1997, take the drastic step of abolishing the Hong Kong dollar in favor of the Renminbi (RMB) as legal tender. While this possibility should not be discounted, our view is that a merger of the two currencies would only occur in the distant future when the RMB becomes fully convertible. This study argues that the status quo of the HK$-US$ link would be preserved at least until the turn of the century. A combination of factors, including the overriding need to maintain confidence and stability in Hong Kong, which is crucial for a smooth transition of sovereignty; the weak relationship between either imported or domestic-generated inflation and the exchange rate link; and the misconception that Hong Kong's export competitiveness has been undermined by an overvalued Hong Kong dollar would help to support the argument that other alternative regimes for the Hong Kong dollar exchange rate would not be feasible in the short run. These alternative regimes include changing to a floating rate     

The information content of option implied volatility surrounding the 1997 Hong Kong stock market crash

This study examines the information conveyed by options and examines their implied volatility at the time of the 1997 Hong Kong stock market crash. The author determines the efficiency of implied volatility as a predictor of future volatility by comparing it to other leading indicator candidates. These include volume and open interest of index options and futures, as well as the arbitrage basis of index futures. Using monthly, nonoverlapping data, the study reveals that implied volatility is superior to those variables in forecasting future realized volatility. The study also demonstrates that a simple signal extraction model could have produced useful warning signals prior to periods of extreme volatility. These results indicate that the options market is highly efficient informationally. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 27:555–574, 2007     

Hong Kong as a complex adaptive system

In this contribution, the post-war economic development of Hong Kong is considered from a complexity theory perspective. It is argued that over the last 50 years Hong Kong has displayed many of the signature qualities of a complex adaptive system in its transformation from dusty entrepot port to the secondwealthiest Asian economy. Insights from theories of complexity are used to shed light on a range of empirical phenomena. In contrast with the orthodox laissez faire account of Hong Kong's ascendancy, a complexity based explanation can be used to account for the presence of endogenously induced systemic disruptions and does not discount the role of external intervention in those areas of the economy prone to escalating feedback.     

Required human resources competencies in the future: a framework for developing HR executives in Hong Kong

The management of human resources has emerged as a critical factor in creating and maintaining the competitive edge of a business. The HR manger should be a business partner who plays the role as a diagnostician and a strategist in the company. Hong Kong HR practitioners are known to be poorly equipped to play such a part since professional HRM training in Hong Kong have largely neglected strategic aspects. At the time of the study, Hong Kong experienced its worst economic downturn since 1984 where bankruptcy and unemployment are at an all time high. This study aimed to provide updated views on the competency needed for future HR leaders in Hong Kong in face of the challenges ahead. Against the background of a literature review, a survey contrasted the views of CEOs and HR executives regarding the required level of competencies of future HR leaders in Hong Kong. The findings establish an empirical basis for a framework guiding the direction and content of the future development of HR practitioners in Hong Kong.     

Country-of-origin evaluations: Hong Kong consumers' perception of foreign products after the Chinese takeover of 1997

Television advertising in the UK is regulated by the Independent Television Commission (ITC) who have published guidelines for advertisers regarding, among other things, the manner whereby advertisements may communicate with children. This paper aims to illustrate that children of ten and eleven years of age are able to understand the meaning of a selection of regulations, and are able to recall advertisements that they believe to be in contravention of ITC guidelines for a variety of reasons.     

The development of international business in Africa (1947–1997)

The genesis of international business in Africa from 1947 to 1996 is traced to colonial times. The article analyzes the dynamics and observes that international business in Africa witnessed growth but has not meaningfully influenced Africa's general economic development because of constraints: poor infrastructure, lack of maintenance culture, inadequate funding, debt burden and overemphasis on export of raw materials instead of manufactured goods. The article suggests placing a greater emphasis on the development of intermediate and capital goods industries and granting debt relief to all African countries as a means of further promoting international business entente in Africa.     

香港码头处理费问题的困扰及其出路

香港码头运营成本过高,特别是码头处理费(THC)全球最高,一直是困扰香港物流业运作的主要问题．如果THC问题不能尽快妥善解决,必将对香港的转口贸易、航运业产生严重影响,削弱CEPA实施的效益,拖慢香港的经济复苏步伐。为提高香港航运业的竞争力,特区政府有必要改革航运政策机制,考虑兴建新码头,并引入新营运商。     

A new look at the forward premium “puzzle”

We decompose the spot and forward rates into (permanent) nonlinear trend components and (transitory) stationary components. We examine the unbiasedness of the permanent (transitory) component of the forward rate in predicting the permanent (transitory) component of its corresponding future spot rate. The transitory component of the future spot rate under reacts to the transitory component of the forward rate. However, the permanent component of the forward rate is an unbiased predictor of the permanent component of the future spot rate. A robust nonlinear cotrending relation is also found between the forward and future spot rates and the hypothesis of the forward‐rate unbiasedness is sustained in the long run. These results suggest that the forward rate better explains the long‐term behavior of the future spot rate. Simulation analysis shows that if the transitory component of the forward rate fully predicts the transitory component of the future spot rate, the forward premium puzzle disappears. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 31:599–628, 2011