The Effect of Board Characteristics on a Firm＇s Strategic Change

The purpose of this study is to identify the relationship between the characteristics of the board of directors and strategic change of a firm in the Chinese context. In this study, strategic change is defined as strategic deviation relative to industry norms and strategic variation relative to historical experiences. The size, independence and leadership structure of the board of directors are defined as the board characteristics. We then propose hypotheses on the effects of board characteristics on a firm＇s strategic change. This study takes strategic resource allocation profile as measure to calculate strategic deviation and strategic variation, and then empirically tests and verifies the hypotheses using data from Chinese publicly listed companies in the information technology industry from the year 2006 to 2010. We find that the size, independence and leadership structure of the board of directors significantly affect both strategic deviation and strategic variation. Therefore, we conclude that board characteristic affects a firm＇s strategic change. The conclusion of the study indicates that moderate reductions in the size of the board, increasing the proportion of independent directors and separating the roles of chairman and chief executive officer can facilitate promoting the process of strategic change for a firm in a dynamic environment. Through this study we re-examine the role and significance of the board of directors in strategic decision-making for a firm, and provide useful suggestions on how to form a board that can meet the needs for strategic change for a firm in a dynamic business environment.     

The Kite Produced in Tianjin

The kite-making in China has a long history of more than 2,000 years. It is said that Gong Shuban of Lu State of the Spring and Autumn and Warring Period made a wood magpie. Also at that time, Mu Zhai made a wood eagle to fly in the sky. These were the prototype of kites in China. During the end of Qin Dynasty and the beginning of Han Dynasty, a man named Hah Xin made a paper kite using bomboo sticks as its framework, which was covered with paper and drawn by a string of thread to fly in the sky. During the period of the Five Dynasties, Li Ye     

Congratulatory Messages For the New Year

The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in Beijing wishes a happy and a prosperous New Year in 2007 to the People and Government of the People＇s Republic of China. In the year of 2007, we look forward to strengthening the relationships between the two countries and further cooperation between the Government of the People＇s Republic of China and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in various fields.     

The Effect of Acculturation on Reparative Behavior in Shame and Guilt Cultures

As the number of immigration and their later generations grow in the workforce of more developed Western countries, understanding the processes and consequences of acculturation has gained a new level of importance. An old and re-emerging issue is the morality and reparative behavior in Western versus Eastern cultures, as well as its antecedents and consequences. We examined the effects of acculturation on the perception of psychological proximity, the intensity of moral emotions of shame and guilt, and the degree of compensation to victims of one＇s wrongdoing. Our sample was comprised of a collectivistic group from a shame culture, China, and an acculturated group of Chinese living in a much less collectivistic society of a guilt culture, Canada. Our results indicated that participants＇ perception of psychological proximity to other people and the level of compensation offered to the victims of transgression were significantly different among the two samples. Furthermore, shame and guilt mediated the relationship between perceived psychological proximity and the decision to compensate differently.     

Historical Xiangfan Marching Toward Future

Xiangfan, composed of Xiangyang and Huancheng, is a transportation and Communication hub in China's Hubei Province, a rising industrial city and a famous historical and cultural city. Situated in the middle reaches of the Han River, a tributary of the Yangtze River in northwestern Hubei Province, Xiangfan controls three cities, five counties, and     

Biblical Influence on “I Have a Dream”

American Baptist minister,the winner of the Nobel Peace Price in1964,Martin Luther King,Jr.is the foremost advocate of nonviolence of his time and a driving force in the push for racial equality in the1950's and the1960's.His landmark recitation of civil rights,“I Have a Dream”,delivered in1963,has been particularly valued and rightly acknowledged as one of the most significant speeches in the American history.Its poetic language and burning intensity give it a place in American letters…     

Beijing Radio Factory

Situated on the western side of the Shangrila Hotel in the suburbs of Beijing, the Beijing Radio Factory is known as a garden factory. Founded in 1956, the factory is a major backbone enterprise specializing in production of electronics and audio products and an export base of China's mechanical and     

From 1851 to Today——China in the World Expo

Some say that to host the World Expo represents the comprehen- sive strength of a country,and then to participate in the World Expo also represents the development of a country.China's interaction with the World Expo and its role in the 150 year history of the Expo serves as a record of China's development in modern and contemporary times. As early as in 1851,when the first World Expo was held in London,the UK, there were already Chinese products ex- hibited in the Expo and won honors.There     

Improving Attitude toward Corporate Strategy with Visual Mapping： Scale Development and Application in Europe and China

Companies operating across borders face greater challenges in ensuring compliance with company strategy in different cultural contexts. Recent research shows the cognitive and emotional benefits of utilizing visual representations of knowledge in organizations. This study aims to test if mapping a corporate strategy visually can improve attitudes toward firm strategy and the intention to comply with it. An experiment is conducted comparing two knowledge maps to a textual version of the same company strategy. In order to measure attitudes toward the strategy, a scale was developed and tested in Europe and China. The study outcome provides a parsimonious and effective tripartite scale of attitude with cognitive, affective and behavioral components. The scale was then applied to a different sample to test the effect of mapping a company strategy visually on attitude toward the strategy, and to test if the effect is persistent in Europe and China. The results of the experiment show that subjects exposed to the visual conditions had significantly more positive affective and cognitive attitudes toward the content.