Managerial Role Motivation and Role-related Ethical Orientation in Hong Kong

Journal of Business Ethics - Is there a relationship between the psychological construct of hierarchic managerial role motivation and the moral construct of role-related ethical orientation? In...     

Corporate Governance and Strategic Change in SMEs: The Effects of Ownership,Board Composition and Top Management Teams

This paper investigates how governance mechanisms affect the ability of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to introduce strategic change. Previous research typically assumes that governance mechanisms operate independently of each other. Building on agency theory and insights from the literature on small firm governance, we hypothesize that governance variables related to ownership, the board of directors and the top management team all affect strategic change and that it is important to examine the interaction effects of these governance mechanisms. Using a longitudinal sample of over 800 SMEs, our general logic and hypotheses are supported by the analyses. We find that closely held firms exhibit less strategic change than do SMEs relying on more widespread ownership structures. However, to some extent, closely held firms can overcome these weaknesses and achieve strategic change by utilizing outside directors on the board and/or extending the size of the top management teams. Implications for theory and management practice in SMEs are discussed. All three authors have contributed equally to the paper. Their names are listed alphabetically.     

Women Managers in Hong Kong: Personal and Political Agendas

The proportion of women managers in Hong Kong has been steadily increasing in recent years. Hong Kong's ‘can-do’ spirit, education system and laws against sex discrimination probably have contributed to the increase. However, roles in the private (home) and public (work) spheres remain highly gendered. This has led to intense worak–family stress for women managers, some of whom also face sex discrimination at work, such as negative attitudes toward women, the old-boy network and sexual harassment. However, the overall level of awareness of sex roles and sex discrimination among women managers is low. Furthermore, women managers tend not to court open and direct confrontation. Instead, they tend to pursue individualistic personal coping strategies. Women managers rely on support from their extended family and hire domestic help to cope with work–family stress. Women managers also work hard to prepare themselves for a job move when they perceive or encounter sex discrimination. They tend not to make demands of their husbands, the workplace, or the government due to concepts about the private and public divide and about gender roles in these two spheres. We argue that political agendas which push for more flexible gender roles, state childcare and women- and family-friendly organizational policies are needed to bring more women into management at a faster pace.     

Contrasting the evolution of corporate governance models: A study of banking in Hong Kong

The sub-prime mortgage crisis, the bankruptcies of important US banks, and many originally family controlled enterprises coming under non-family, CEO-type leadership during the 2008 global credit crunch led many people to rethink the relationship between risk management and family businesses. One of the foci was on the doctrine of separation of ownership. This paper attempts to compare and examine the evolution of corporate governance in the banking business in Hong Kong by using two key financial institutions based there. By contrasting the evolution of corporate governance, management style and pattern of succession, we can see that although they developed under the same business environment and legal framework, the East-West business culture and ideology led them to choose different ownership structures and ways of succession, which ultimately determined their different developmental trajectories.     

BOT在香港隧道项目中的应用:经验与教训

BOT(即建造-营运-移交)在香港公共服务领域的应用有悠久的历史.文章对BOT在香港隧道项目的具体应用进行分析,指出这些项目存在的问题,以期对内地交通运输事业的发展提供经验借鉴.     

Cooperative Goals in the Chinese Work Environment: A Hong Kong Case Study

This research seeks to develop an understanding of how cooperative teamwork among Chinese employees impacts upon the customer perception of service in the Hong Kong ship-repair industry. The research model was based on the ‘Theory of Cooperation and Competition’, a western-derived theory. The model used included the Chinese values of power distance, collectivism and conformity. The results suggested the need to explore alternative processes that Chinese people may engage in in managing their conflict. We question whether the ‘goals’ or ‘ends’ based approach to the operation of teams inherent in the Theory of Cooperation and Competition, is valid in the Chinese context where ‘process’ and ‘relationship’ are pivotal.     

Cultural identities of Chinese business: networks of the shark-fin business in Hong Kong

From a global standard, shark-fin consumption certainly violates international norms on bio-diversity and endangers the existence of the shark species. Furthermore, the commercial shark-fin industry generates additional adverse environmental impacts. Nevertheless, shark-fin consumption has served an important role in the cultural aspect of Chinese ‘foodway’. More importantly, the business relations and networks behind this industry have never been comprehensively studied. In so doing, this paper employs first hand interviews with the traders and processors, as well as official statistics from the government of Hong Kong, to come up with one of the most comprehensive and in-depth pieces of research on the business relations and the cultural aspects of shark-fin business in Hong Kong. In addition, we will explore the theoretical as well as the cultural dimensions of shark-fin business in trying to question the meaning of Chinese business networks. One of the key findings of this piece of research is that the collective activities of shark-fin consumption, business relations and networks are embedded along the historically, socially and culturally constructed Chinese identity. The implication is that such orchestration between culture and business can have far-reaching consequences to other Chinese businesses.     

Selling through entertaining: The effect of humour in television advertising in Hong Kong

Considerable research evidence has indicated that humour has a positive impact on attention but no consensus is reached with regard to the persuasive effect of humour in advertising. Two hundred and fifty-four university students were recruited to watch five television commercials and respond to a structured questionnaire in this study. Results show that humour secures attention getting while disrupts message processing. Humour enhances message persuasiveness when the moderating variable need for cognition (NFC) is controlled. Participants with low NFC are easier to be persuaded by humorous commercials than participants with high NFC do. It is also found that repeated exposure to the same humorous commercial does not harm its persuasive effect. Male audiences regard humorous commercials as more persuasive while female audiences are the opposite. The study provides guidelines for advertisers/advertising practitioners who would like to employ humour in their communication at the same time it draws ethical concerns towards the increased application of entertainment-coated persuasion.     

An Examination of Sales Promotion Programs in Hong Kong: What the Retailers Offer and What the Consumers Prefer

This study gives an insight into the retailer's capability of managing sales promotion by examining the sales promotion programs offered by Hong Kong cosmetic and toiletry retailers and the consumers’ preferences. The results indicate that instant-reward programs are popular among retailers and preferred by consumers. The results also show that the preferences for sales promotion programs are dependent upon consumers’ demographic and sociocultural characteristics. Implications for advertisers designing and communicating sales promotions are offered.     

The tourism SMEs in the global value chains: the case of Andalusia

This paper examines the implications of the globalization of value chains for the role of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the tourism industry. To begin with, the configuration of the global tourism value chain is analysed. Next, the participation of Andalusian SMEs in the global tourism value chains is investigated. A number of case studies have been developed in two relevant sectors, hotels and travel agencies, giving priority to the main tourist typologies existing in Andalusia: sun and sand, business and congress, cultural and rural. As a result, a SWOT analysis has been produced. Finally, from the key findings some policy recommendations supporting the role of tourism SMEs in global value chain are made.

粤港澳知识产权法律制度研究比较

当前中国特别是珠三角地区面临产业结构优化升级,可以预见粤港澳以往"前店后厂"的合作模式将会发生嬗变,这也就意味着粤港澳地区面临着一次总体产业结构升级。知识产权作为知识经济的重要部分,在社会经济生活中意义重大。在粤港澳未来合作发展中知识产权也将是一个有待深入发展和潜力巨大的合作领域。因此,探寻粤港澳地区知识产权制度的差异,在发展中消除障碍,在实践中建立有效沟通机制意义重大。     

Family Business Succession in Hong Kong: The Case of Yung Kee

This case study examines the succession of Chinese family business in Hong Kong, drawing upon theories of the firm. More specifically, it utilizes capabilities theories, property rights economics and Neo-Confucianism to understand management disputes and infighting among the members in a Chinese family business in Hong Kong. This paper will argue that the founder of a Chinese business firm in Hong Kong is able to lead his or her offspring to create a dynamic enterprise via charismatic leadership and family rules embedded in traditional Chinese values. However, these two strategic assets disappear following the passing away of the founder as well as the emergence of new social values. When the founder passes on the enterprise to his or her offspring using more or less the equal inheritance system, the traditional Chinese value is unable to enforce the leader’s will to consolidate the strengths of the second generation family members to maintain the founder’s business. Furthermore, when the business is owned by all family members, property rights of the firm become unclear. Without effective enforcement of traditional Chinese values and with collective ownership rights, some family members will have the incentive to capture the economic rent that is shared by all members. In other words, some family members behave opportunistically or even cheat in order to capture economic gains in the public domain. High monitoring and enforcement costs in the form of court battle and endless disputes will occur. Rent dissipation occurs in the form of deterioration of the quality of the family business. This case study is based on Yung Kee, an internationally well-known roast goose restaurant in Hong Kong as an illustration.     

Determinants of the adoption of HRM practices in tourism SMEs in Spain: an exploratory study

This paper explores the relationship between the adoption of HRM practices in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and the characteristics of the firm and the person responsible for HRM. We propose a conceptual model based on the resource-based view, which is tested with quantitative data from 164 tourism’s SMEs in Catalonia (Spain). As predicted, the adoption of HRM practices is positively associated with the presence of an HRM department. Also, SMEs in which the person responsible for HRM has previous experience in similar positions are greater adopters of HRM practices. Finally, SMEs which cooperate with other organizations are more likely to implement HRM practices.     

African Entrepreneurs and International Coordination in Petty Businesses: The Case of Low-End Mobile Phones Sourcing in Hong Kong

Abstract

This paper examines the contribution of African entrepreneurs to world trade through global coordination. Unlike the multinational giants which earn impressive profit through global sourcing, small African entrepreneurs survive by identifying opportunities in petty businesses and exploiting narrow profit margin. Through careful economic calculation, they buy low-end goods from one part of the globe and sell them in the other part. Their self-interest activities enhance global well-being. This paper begins with an Austrian perspective of international entrepreneurship and global coordination. The theory is illustrated by African entrepreneurs who source Shenzhen-made mobile phones in Hong Kong and sell them in Africa. By arbitraging price differentials, they earn pure entrepreneurial profit. A detailed case study of the global coordination of a Tanzanian entrepreneur will be presented. This paper concludes that, as a result of the effort of African entrepreneurs, low-end mobile phones manufactured in Shenzhen are shipped to Hong Kong and consumed by people in Tanzania, bringing benefits to all parties concerned. The case study fully illustrates the principle of the ‘invisible hand’ in the global market.     

论内地与香港食品安全合作法律机制的构建——一种跨行政区域软法治理的思路

内地与香港食品安全合作的有序推进需要相应法律机制的保障。这一法律机制应立足于两地食品安全合作法律实践的现状,从组织机构、表现形式和内容三方面予以构建。内地与香港食品安全合作法律机制的组织机构建设应依托于两地合作的整体性机构安排,革新和完善现有的磋商交流机制;两地食品安全合作法律机制的表现形式主要是行政协议。行政协议在法律性质上属于软法;在内容上,这些行政协议至少应涵盖四类规则:食品安全信息交流制度、食品安全标准协调制度、食品安全能力建设制度和食品安全突发事件协处制度。     

中国内地与香港贸易关系的实证分析

长期以来,香港是中国重要的贸易顺差来源地和重要的转口贸易地,同时,香港对外贸易的发展也离不开内地的支持.两地贸易的相互依存度正在不断上升.香港进口与出口之间具有互动的因果关系.香港的进口带动出口的发展,香港出口的增加,促进了产品价值的实现,可以进口更多更好的产品或投入品,形成良性循环.中国内地进出口的发展处于不平衡状态,特别在改革开放初期,重视出口、忽视进口的现象比较严重,进出口互动发展格局尚未形成.因此,不断调整中国内地进出口产品数量、优化贸易结构,对于中国内地对外贸易的发展具有重要意义.     

Determinants of Loan Repayment Performance of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Ghana: The Case of Asante Akyem Rural Bank

We examine the role of a typical set of determinants of loan repayment performance of SMEs in the context of a rural bank’s setting in Ghana. Our analysis using survey data suggests that, while higher application cost, loan size and interest rate exert significantly negative influence on loan repayment, higher educational background of the SME operators is associated with significantly better repayment performance. Interestingly, in comparison with those with only primary-level education, SME operators with tertiary education register the best repayment performance followed by those with secondary education. We provide detailed discussion and managerial implications of these findings.     

Exploring the role of internationalization knowledge in fostering strategic renewal: A dynamic capabilities perspective

Internationalization knowledge (IK) is important to successfully enter and develop competitive strategies abroad. Yet, how IK is advanced and improved across the multinational enterprise (MNE), and how this contributes to the MNE’s strategic renewal is less understood. This analysis is based on an in-depth case study of Microsoft International to explore how IK is advanced, improved, and integrated across the enterprise. Our findings suggest that IK plays a critical role in fostering strategic renewal of an MNE. More specifically, sensing, seizing, and transforming capabilities jointly provide the necessary basis that enable IK to facilitate strategic renewal. We contribute to the literature by (1) explicating three categories of IK and their hierarchical relationship; (2) reveal how three distinct capabilities required by MNEs capture and integrate the three categories of IK across the enterprise; and, (3) offering that strategic renewal is triggered by routines based on the development and integration of IK.