Institutional context as a moderator of the relationship between board structure and acquirer returns

The objective of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of the supervisory role of the board of directors in the context of mergers and acquisitions (M&As). We focus our study on the European case, for which there is no previous exhaustive evidence on this topic. Using information on 985 mergers and acquisitions carried out over the period 2003–2016 by companies in the major European countries, we analyze the influence of supervisory capacity of the board (small size, higher proportion of outsiders and separated Chairperson-CEO positions) on acquirer returns, differentiating between Anglo-Saxon and continental European contexts. Our results confirm that the effectiveness of corporate governance practices depends strongly on their fit with the broader institutional context. Specifically, we find that a smaller size of the board of directors and the separation of the positions of Chairperson and CEO lead to higher acquirer returns in European Anglo-Saxon countries. By contrast, we do not find evidence that any proxy of supervisory capacity of the board significantly improves acquirer returns in the rest of countries.     

Learning in Design and Technology: The Impact of Social and Cultural Influences on Modelling

The paper introduces the highly problematic nature of modelling in design and technology education and examines the relationship between cognitive and concrete modelling. Its aim is to gain insight into what learners do, rather than what others say they ought to do in their learning activities. The variety of purposes that educators have for learners’ modelling are discussed through examining the contested curriculum justification for design and technology education itself. The paper proposes that learners’ modelling cannot be extracted from the social milieu in which they act and it provides some insights of these social influences through the analysis of two case studies. Their settings are a girls’ secondary school and a college of higher education. Each case study is presented independently but organised with a common format to consider a) the impact of assessment on learning intentions and outcomes; b) cultural influences on learning and modelling; c) social influences on learning and modelling. A discussion of the emergent themes considers implications for teachers. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

以企业再造思想振兴东北老工业基地

从企业再造理论产生的背景和东北老工业基地的实际情况来看,在振兴东北老工业基地的实践中应贯彻企业再造思想.要以企业再造思想为指导,把整个东北地区看做一个大组织,搞好地区的文化建设;要从企业再造理论的精神实质出发,建立新的完善的市场机制;要坚持企业再造思想所强调的三个核心原则,搞好东北地区的行政改革.     

Social Scientific Explanations?

Generally valid scientific explanations of observable social phenomena are still hardly available. By applying philosophical insights generated by Quine and derived from semiotics to social research methodology three kinds of context dependencies accompanying theory formation within social science are identified. The third context dependency is mostly not attended in theory formation about social phenomena thereby producing a ``connotation fallacy', which leaves almost all social theories undetermined and fallible. These context dependencies should be taken into account in the research design and be tested for using statistical criteria comprising a new methodology presented in this article.     

Cultural industry development and multiple group participation in Taiwan

Based on the unique historical site culture assets, series of culture activities and constructions are held by Taiwan municipal government positively in recent years to raise local strength. Though the city landscape of Taiwan is far away from the traditional one, the comparison and analysis of foundation of cultural industry and the situation of cultural participation should be carried on to find out the real issues in Taiwan＇s cultural industry and cultural marketing so as to strengthen the ability of local development. This study finds out the resources of culture administration and the social participation in hope for clearing up the matters of Taiwan＇s cultural industry development, avoiding type Ⅲ errors, and giving suggestions.     

文化差异对中国大学生英语写作的影响

文化差异对学生的外语学习尤其是写作影响很大。文化差异对篇章结构、语句结构、措词和修辞都产生影响。     

发展先进文化在发展中国社会主义市场经济中的作用

发展先进文化在发展社会主义市场经济中具有重要作用 ,它对于市场机制的建立具有促进作用 ,对市场经济具有文化制约作用 ,此外 ,文化是社会生产力 ,发展先进文化对市场经济的发展具有要素性作用。     

弘扬创新精神 实现跨越发展——上海商业职业技术学院精神文明建设创新的实践

上海商职院坚持创新领导观念,抢抓发展机遇;坚持创新培养措施,提升教师素质;坚持创新管理制度,凝聚发展能量,推动学院办学条件根本改变、办学规模迅速扩展、办学特色日益鲜明、办学质量和效益稳步提高、文明程度显著增强,荣获上海市“文明单位”称号。     

论精神文明建设与发展生产力

精神文明建设是社会主义的重要特征，其直接目的是为了全面提高人的素质，发展和推广科学技术，为物质文明的发展提供精神动力、智力支持和思想政治保证，从而推动生产力的发展。因此，精神文明建设也是解放和发展生产力。     

Optimising a Probabilistic Model of the Development of Play in Soccer

We present a probabilistic model based on the one developed by Hernández Mendo and Anguera (Revista de Psicologíca Social, 16(1), 71–93, 2001). Here we have tried to break down the interaction contexts that the opposing teams are able to generate and transform during the game. We are aware that a given player or team does not produce consistent behaviour in similar situations. However, a degree of uncertainty is assumed to exist regarding whether the results obtained are a specific function of the analysis used. In order to carry out this research a category system which optimized that used in the previous model was developed. This system should enable the interaction between teams to be observed within the actual play of a soccer game. A lag sequential analysis was performed on the basis of a coding of the behavioural flow. After describing the behavioural patterns obtained a probabilistic model of the development of play in soccer is proposed.