The Drive Relation Among Interface Management, Service Ability and Service Performance： Case Study on Hotel Industry

服务界面管理是考察服务交互行为的新的理论视角。本研究构建了界面管理与员工服务能力、员工服务绩效和企业服务绩效等变量间的驱动关系模型。基于酒店企业的实证分析发现：服务企业的界面管理有助于提升服务系统的整体效率,界面管理对员工的服务能力存在显著但是有差异的驱动影响力,它对企业整体服务绩效的驱动影响力大于对员工个人服务绩效的驱动影响力,员工服务能力在界面管理与服务绩效间具有中介效应。     

Spanning Boundaries in Offshore Outsourcing Firms： A Case Study on KM System Initiatives in Wipro Technologies

Despite the increased attention on boundary spanning in organiz- ations, we still know surprisingly little about how boundaries are formed and what spanning activities can be applied to the context of offshore outsourcing firms （OOFs）. This paper examines the antecedents of boundary formation in OOFs and proposes that spanning activities can help OOFs to realize return from their IT investment in an effective and efficient manner. Our findings show that two theoretical models have been identified in this paper. The first model proposed that three boundaries are formed in the OOFs, namely structure, knowledge and subcultural boundaries. We explored the formation process and detailed with steps. The second model therefore is proposed to span these three boundaries and we have expiored detailed mechanisms in this paper.     

The 2007–2009 Financial Crisis: An Erosion of Ethics: A Case Study

This case study examines five dimensions of the 2007–2009 financial crisis in the United States: (1) the devastating effects of the financial crisis on the U.S. economy, including unparalleled unemployment, massive declines in gross domestic product (GDP), and the prolonged mortgage foreclosure crisis; (2) the multiple causes of the financial crisis and panic, such as the housing and bond bubbles, excessive leverage, lax financial regulation, disgraceful banking practices, and abysmal rating agency performance; (3) the extraordinary efforts of the Federal Reserve, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and the Department of the Treasury to stem the financial freefall triggered by the crisis and resuscitate financial institutions, (4) the ethical implications of the unprecedented actions by government institutions to rescue financial institutions and drag the country back from the brink of global financial collapse, and the conduct of the various parties contributing to the financial crisis, such as the shoddy behavior of mortgage brokers, the massive securitization of mortgages into overly complex bonds, the excessive leverage of financial institutions, the disgraceful work of bond rating firms, the abysmal risk management systems employed by financial institutions, and the massive operations of the shadow banking and over-the-counter derivatives markets; and (5) the major provisions of the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act signed into law to in response to the financial crisis and for the purpose of correcting the egregious conduct of major financial institutions.     

The Personnel Earthquake Continuum: Consequences of Collective Turnover — A Case Study of Qidian Founders’ Collective Turnover

Unlike previous studies that have primarily focused on the causes and processes, this research emphasizes the consequences of collective turnover. Starting from a literature review, we use event chains to explore the consequences of collective turnover. Based on the case study of the Qidian founders’ collective turnover, we build a holistic theoretical framework to show the dynamics and continuity over time, influenced by the complexity of context. Our main conclusions are as follows: (1) collective turnover has a cascade effect, causing a series of secondary and derivative events, (2) collective turnover has both proximal and distal impacts on human capital flow, operational performance and financial performance, (3) whether or not a collective turnover has a positive or negative effect depends on the context factors. An event chain perspective that extends collective turnover theory and organizational behavior theory is used. We advocate for an integrate understanding of the consequences of collective turnover. In addition, this research will provide practical, instructive policies to intervene in collective turnover.     

Learning Approaches and Outcome‐Based Teaching and Learning: A Case Study in Hong Kong,China

Outcome‐based education is a pedagogical process which focuses on the achievement of certain specified results. Outcome‐based teaching and learning (OBTL), therefore, is concerned with curriculum design and ensuring that the contents, delivery, activities, and assessments are all aligned to help facilitate students to attain specific intended learning outcomes. This study explores whether and how outcome‐based teaching impacts on the learning approaches of one cohort of undergraduate business students at a university in Hong Kong, China to undergo outcome‐based teaching, newly introduced as part of a university‐wide policy to adopt OBTL. The learning approaches of these business students were measured using John Biggs's (1987 Biggs, J. 1987. Student approaches to learning and studying, Melbourne: Australian Council for Educational Research.  [Google Scholar]) Study Process Questionnaire (SPQ) to determine whether these students tended to favor surface learning approaches, deep learning approaches, or achieving learning approaches upon initial entry into the university. Changes in learning approaches were tracked, after a semester's exposure to OBTL, through survey and focus group interview methods. Findings indicated a significant amount of transference between learning approaches deployed by these students, demonstrating a high level of adaptability.     

New Approaches to Evaluating the Performance of Corporate–Community Partnerships: A Case Study from the Minerals Sector

A continuing challenge for researchers and practitioners alike is the lack of data on the effectiveness of corporate–community investment programmes. The focus of this article is on the minerals industry, where companies currently face the challenge of matching corporate drivers for strategic partnership with community needs for programmes that contribute to local and regional sustainability. While many global mining companies advocate a strategic approach to partnerships, there is no evidence currently available that suggests companies are monitoring these partnerships to see if they do, in fact, represent ‘strategic’ investments. This article argues that applying the management concept of ‘investment performance’ to corporate–community partnerships requires questioning traditional evaluation methods that focus on the results of programmes or activities. We adopt a case study approach to introduce an evaluation framework that considers performance from both corporate and community perspectives and that conceptualises partnership performance as comprising four aspects: (1) the contribution of the partnership to the overall portfolio of a company’s community investment programmes, (2) the appropriateness of the partnership model, (3) the effectiveness of the partnering relationship and (4) the ability of the partners to achieve programme goals. The application of this evaluation framework to an established corporate–community partnership programme provided some useful insights as to how partnership performance can be improved.     

The Impact of Export Promotion Programs on Firms’ Export Competencies and Performance in a Transition Economy: The Case of Russian Manufacturers

Abstract

This study evaluates the effects of export promotion programs (EPPs) in Russian manufacturers. It examines a multi-dimensional set of subjective and objective indicators including the level of awareness, use, the perception of usefulness, as well as different intermediate export marketing results, and final performance indicators. The results show that most EPPs are successful in attaining their goals as to improving firms’ export marketing competencies. Though, at the same time, they point to clear problems, regarding program awareness, availability, and accessibility. The paper concludes with a discussion about managerial and public policy implications.     

The Effect of the World Wide Web on Agency—Advertiser Relationships: Towards A Strategic Framework

Buffeted by the fragmentation of media and markets, the World Wide Web has started transforming the competitive landscape in the advertising industry. Increasingly, advertising agencies are forced to compete with in-house CIS/MIS departments, public relations agencies and computer graphic studios and boutiques for Web-related accounts. Vis-à-vis the immediacy of the challenge, agencies are forced to either broaden their business horizon to include all aspects of communications or to stay focused on their core business-making advertisements for traditional media. This article examines the possible effects of the World Wide Web on the blurring of boundaries in advertiser- agency performed promotional activities, analyses the similarities in the strategies adopted in the transition from radio to television, and appraises the options which agencies face in adopting the Web.     

A Study on Characters and Characterization in Jin yong’ s novel The Heaven Sword and the Dragon Sabre:from the perspective of Narratology

Jin yong’s martial arts novels have always been flourishing our literature world. Some critics even call his nar- rative system as Jin yong Narratology. In his novels, there are a large number of unforgettable characters especially female characters that are warmly received by readers. What’s more, his methods of characterization in his novels can be said to be classic and sole. And that is the reason that characters in his novels make deep impressions on readers. Thus, this thesis aims to analyze a special female character Zhou Zhiruo in The Heaven Sword and the Dragon Sabre from the aspects of character and characterization in Narrotology. Zhou Zhiruo is a round character seldom seen in Chinese novel. Through studying on image features and reasons of her image features, Jin yong’s martial arts novels’ charm has been greatly displayed. It is hoped that this thesis can provide some useful information for researchers or persons who take interest in Jin yong Narratology