Antecedents and consequences of dimensions of human resource management practices in Vietnam

The purpose of this study is to extend the empirical research concerning the impact of human resource management (HRM) practices on organizational effectiveness into the context of developing and transitional economy countries. From a survey of 137 cross-sector companies, it was discovered that there are five dimensions of HRM practices currently in use in Vietnam. Variation in the application of these dimensions can be partly traced to several organizational characteristics, but most salient is the perception of management on the value of human resources. In some dimensions, this variation constitutes a source of the difference in the perceptual company performance. These findings break new ground to propose a process for implementing HRM practices in Vietnam.     

Integrating technology readiness into technology acceptance: The TRAM model

Based on previous theoretical streams, the present study integrates technology readiness (TR) into the technology acceptance model (TAM) in the context of consumer adoption of e‐service systems, and theorizes that the impact of TR on use intention is completely mediated by both perceptions of usefulness and ease of use. TAM was originally developed to predict people's technology‐adopting behavior at work environments, but this research stemmed from a questioning of its applicability in marketing (i.e., non‐work) settings. The differences between the two settings are exhibited by consumers' self‐determining selection behavior and their high involvement in the e‐service creation and delivery process. This paper first reviews the TAM and the construct of technology readiness, and then proposes and empirically tests an integrated Technology Readiness and Acceptance Model (TRAM) to augment TAM by taking technology readiness construct into the realm of consumers' adoption of innovations. The results indicate that TRAM substantially broadens the applicability and the explanatory power of either of the prior models and may be a better way to gauge technology adoption in situations where adoption is not mandated by organizational objectives. Further, theoretical and practical implications and future research directions are discussed. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

A note on board characteristics,ownership structure and default risk in Taiwan

This study applies dynamic generalized method of moments estimation to examine the influences of ownership structure and board characteristics on default risk for a full samples and two subsamples (high‐tech and conventional) of publicly listed firms in Taiwan. Our findings reveal that certain characteristics of corporate governance have explanatory power for default probability, but the impact is not straightforward. In particular, the impact of internal and external governance structures on default risk is industry dependent. Accordingly, governance proposals that encourage higher ownership among directors and large block shareholdings in high‐tech firms or reduce managerial ownership in conventional companies can have a counterproductive effect on corporate governance and result in higher bankruptcy possibility.     

Assessing Destination Image Through Combining Tourist Cognitive Perceptions with Destination Resources

The primary objective of the study is to assess tourist destination image through (1) measuring Xiamen tourists' cognitive image of Kinmen Island, and (2) analyzing main and subordinate resources of Kinmen. The major findings show that Kinmen Island is “a pleasant place for tour” and “a mystic place” for the mainland Chinese tourists. It also implies that tourists' curiosity, not the substantial resources about the destination, could be one of the reasons for their choices. The results of this study suggest tourism industry on the Island cannot merely depend on tourists' curiosity or the mysteriousness of the destination. It is essential to provide a product with integrity for the planning of the tourism industry of Kinmen.     

The role of person and organizational variables in the three component model of occupational commitment

We add to the small number of studies that have used the Meyer, Allen, and Smith (1993) three component model to better understand occupational commitment. A series of demographic (age, education), dispositional (emotional intelligence), and organizational variables (human resources practices and perceived organizational support) were examined for their relationship to occupational commitment. Our relatively small set of variables, from 431 debt‐collection employees and their supervisors at 34 banks in Taiwan, accounted for substantial variance in each of the commitment facets. In the context of the entire set of variables, perceived organizational support was the strongest predictor across all three forms of occupational commitment. Other variables (e.g., age, emotional intelligence) were of predictive value for a subset of the components only. Copyright © 2013 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

HOW DOES FOREIGN BANK OWNERSHIP IN THE BANKING SECTOR AFFECT DOMESTIC BANK BEHAVIOUR? A DYNAMIC PANEL DATA ANALYSIS

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how foreign bank ownership in the banking sector affects domestic bank behaviour and whether this relationship depends on the economic and financial conditions of the host country. This paper contains 795 individual banks in 39 countries covering the period 1999–2006. Foreign ownership is calculated using bank level data as a proxy for the degree of foreign bank ownership in the banking sector. First, we find that foreign bank ownership is associated with a decrease in both the profitability and overhead expenses of the domestic bank after applying the system panel Generalized Method of Moments model. Second, a lower level of economic development of the host country enhances the positive effects of foreign bank ownership on the income, profit and cost of domestic banks. Third, financial development plays an important role in determining the effect of foreign bank ownership. Fourth, while the use of aggregate foreign ownership data may provide us with a big picture, it may not explain why individual banks in the same country perform differently, which this study will answer.     

Human Resource Management Practices in a Transitional Economy: A Comparative Study of Enterprise Ownership Forms in Vietnam

This exploratory study compared human resource management (HRM) practices in four types of companies in Vietnam. It found, from a sample of 169 companies, that the adoption of HRM practices reflects the company's ownership traits. Overall, foreign-invested companies (FICs) are somewhat more developed in HRM practices than state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Conversely, local private companies, albeit more entrepreneurial, are often less receptive to adopting HRM practices than SOEs. It also revealed that transforming SOEs into equitized companies has brought about no significant changes in this regard. Together with an examination of the impact of management's perceived value of human resources (HR), union status, and company size, the study provides more insight into the variations in HRM practices and suggests some implications for initiating change in this area.     

日本农业支持政策的最新趋势及启示

二战以来,日本农业分别经历了农业社会、工业化时代和全球化时代3个阶段的发展和变迁,其经验和教训对于中国农业发展具有一定的启示。研究对日本农业支持政策的演变及动向、特征与发展趋势以及目标机制和运作方式等方面进行了分析和探讨,结果显示:日本农业的变革涉及法律约束力、经营规模、农业贸易政策和国内支持等各个方面;日本农业的发展依赖于财政补贴,虽然其补贴强度呈下降趋势,但日本农业国内支持政策对保障农民收入、提高农产品竞争力仍具有重要作用。依据日本经验和教训提炼出的启示主要有:农户组织化经营要有计划地组织引导;农业经营规模的扩大要有序推动;农业剩余劳动力的就地消化要下大力气推动;国内支持政策应尽可能由纳税人负担。最后需要说明的是,降低农业支持水平与规模扩大的关系要根据实际情况合理辩证地处理。     

中国食物供求分析及预测：基于贸易历史、国际比较和模型模拟分析的视角

研究分别从贸易历史、国际比较和模型模拟的视角对中国未来食物供求平衡状况进行了展望和模拟分析。(1)贸易历史的角度的经验结果显示,中国食物贸易净进口呈扩大态势;(2)中国大陆与日本、韩国及中国台湾地区的国际比较结果表明,中国未来粮食净进口可能会进一步扩大,尤其是对蛋白质来源食物需求可能会快速扩张;(3)基于中国食物供求局部均衡模型的模拟分析结果显示,中国谷物和油料作物供求平衡的缺口将不断扩大,主要谷物和油料作物的自给率将不断下降,同时,中国采取的玉米产业需求抑制政策对中国粮食供求平衡具有深远影响。综合以上不同视角的结果可以看出,要根本解决中国食物供求平衡问题,有必要建立食物安全与其他安全的综合安全观,实现4个方面的战略转变。即:第一,从重视确保数量向重视确保国内外资源战略转变,如签订粮食供给的政府间协议。第二,从重视总体粮食安全向重视主食安全、区域安全、运输安全(或航道安全)、流通和分配渠道安全、不同收入群体家庭食物安全转变。第三,从重视单一的食物安全向产业安全和质量安全转变。第四,从重视本国食物安全向全球视角转变。     

Segmentation by Travel Related Risks: An Integrated Approach

This study took an integrated approach toward traveler risk segmentation by including psychological and behavioral variables together in the one study. This is an important first step to develop interventions targeting risk segments. A total of 864 respondents were surveyed in an Australian airport departure lounge. The results showed travel behavior and risk reduction strategies as the most significant model predictors. Three segments were identified including a higher-risk segment was found to comprise mostly older, visiting friends and relatives (VFR) travelers on repeat visits. Implications for developing more effective communication interventions are provided and future research directions are proposed.