An investigation of cultural cohesion in a community bank

This study examines the culture of a medium-sized community bank based in the Western United States. The study aims to identify the organization's culture and then measure the level of cultural cohesion that exists three years after a major cultural campaign was launched. The cultural characteristics the organization valued most highly were integrity, willingness to serve the customer and teamwork - all components of the official bank document on culture. Interestingly, the analysis uncovered some significant value differences among different employee groups and also employees and management; differences which can affect firm performance levels. The analysis also revealed that changing the culture in an organization does not necessarily lead to cultural cohesion.     

Transforming Educational and Business Practices in Belarus

Abstract

The Bryant College Collaborative Learning at a Distance (CLD) Program in Belarus was designed to promote collaboration across diverse cultural, political, and philosophical boundaries. CLD programs can assist the Newly Independent States (NIS) in meeting the political, social, and economic challenges associated with the transition from a centralized, administrative command economytoa more democratic and diversified society. Cost-effective, collaborative distance learning projects can help to address the problem of limited educational resources and prepare faculty, undergraduates, entrepreneurs, and NGO leaders for better understanding the role of civic responsibility as a foundation for western business practices.

The ongoing Internet-based, Bryant College CLD Program, including educational institutions, research facilities and business firms, focuses on a non-hierarchical model, emphasizing reciprocal, interactive learning and problem-solving. Components include Web-based courses, International Virtual Roundtable Discussions via E-mail, seminars on business skills and Web design, Internet protocol video conferencing between the U.S. and Belarus, a faculty exchange and training project, and a business internship program aimed at providing hands-on experience with business and NGO leaders in the U.S. This project demonstrates that Internet-based, collaborative learning can transcend cultural and language barriers and advance the development of a business environment supportive to the entrepreneurial spirit.     

Strategic Bundling of Development Policies with Adaptation: An Examination of Delhi's Climate Change Action Plan

A growing number of cities in the global South are taking proactive action on climate change. Their plans provide insights into the potential for strategically bundling long‐term development policymaking with the climate agenda. In this article I study the case of Delhi, the first city in India to adopt a climate change action plan. Drawing on the literature on urban ecological security, I examine: (1) the adaptation challenges that Delhi faces; (2) the multiple motivations that underlie early action; (3) the key actors, strategies, and associated action domains outlined in the plan; and (4) the extent to which the plan seeks to bring about systemic change. Proactive action at the city level serves multiple strategic goals. Delhi's case is significant in illustrating how it has leveraged emergent opportunities to advance its short‐term development agenda, given the tight fiscal constraints and governance challenges it faces. The plan has been strategically formulated to enhance competiveness, facilitate image‐building, garner support for pet projects and access alternative sources of funding. But the short‐term orientation of the plan and its limited mechanisms for citizen engagement have severely restrained its capacity to address underlying social vulnerabilities or bring about transformative change.     

Tourism and climate change: a review of threats and adaptation strategies for Africa

The intersection of tourism and climate change has seen significant research over the past two decades, focusing particularly on issues of mitigation and adaptation in the global North. Research output has predominantly been centred on the Mediterranean and Nordic countries and number of localities in North America. The global South has seen significantly less investigation, despite having significantly lower adaptive capacity to the impacts of climate change, and numerous countries with rapidly growing tourism sectors. The African continent specifically has seen appreciably less research than other countries in the global South, despite arguably having the lowest adaptive capacity and projections of severe impacts of climate change to the tourism sector from temperature increases, changes in precipitation volume and sea level rise. This paper therefore presents a review of the existing literature on adaptation strategies of tourism sectors and participants in African countries. The crucial argument of this paper is in highlighting the need for an increase in research into the threats of climate change to tourism in African countries, identifying future research trajectories. The development of such knowledge would assist in the development of adaptation and mitigation strategies for these most vulnerable tourism economies.     

浅析房地产广告的社会责任问题

随着住房改革的深入以及国家政策层面的支持,房地产开发投资逐年递增,发展了房地产广告,也出现了很多社会责任方面的问题。本文通过总结其中一些问题,提出了解决这些问题的具体策略。     

试论社区党建工作中存在的问题及有效对策

随着群众和社区党员数量的增加、居民构成的复杂化、居民自身素质的不断提升及权利意识的日益增强,对社区党组织的工作也提出了更高的要求。如何有效推进社区党建工作的顺利开展,是摆在我们面前的重要课题。基于此,本文对社区党建工作中存在的问题及有效对策进行了探讨。     

Community health service centers in China, not always trusted by the populations they serve?

Based on the idea that healthcare needs to be managed by individuals and that basic health services should be provided by the community, this paper examines the factors that impact urban outpatients' preferences for particular community health service centers (CHSCs) and hospitals. Rational consumption of healthcare is influenced by a patient's beliefs, beyond simple demographics and social structure. Ignorance of basic health issues leads to non-rational patient behavior, which also explains the confusion in Chinese health reform regarding people's mistrust of CHSCs. Health education in the form of self-managed care may increase personal health knowledge and encourage individuals to make use of the basic health services that are supplied by CHSCs.     

Growing deep roots: Increasing Aboriginal authority in contemporary forest governance arrangements

The governance literature highlights a shift away from “government” to new and more complex governing arrangements that involve a greater set of institutions and actors in decision-making processes. According to a number of studies, this shift is ongoing in forestry. This article seeks a better understanding of contemporary forest governance by exploring the emerging role of Aboriginal peoples in the Canadian forest sector. It is well known that Aboriginal participation in forest management is crucial for achieving sustainable forestry. Yet we know little about how Aboriginal communities can induce a change in governing conditions. We examined the various governance arrangements through which the Essipit Innu First Nation in Quebec (Canada) was able to exercise authority over forest management. Using multiple qualitative data gathering techniques, our analysis shows that Essipit innovated in forest governance by creating a partnership with the forest company Boisaco and, thus, gained authority over forest management decisions at the operational level. Our analysis explains that this new governance arrangement is built on growing collaboration and interdependencies between these two parties. Common values, orientations, mechanisms and tools are also necessary conditions. Finally, this research highlights the need for greater cultural understanding.     

The distinction between commercial and non-commercial bus services in Germany: Given by nature?

German public transport services by bus are characterized by a regulatory framework that distinguishes between commercial and non-commercial services. Contrary to the apparent views of legislators, this paper shows that costs and revenues are not the only parameters determining whether or not operators are able to provide services in a commercially viable way.Apart from the local characteristics of the specific service, we show that the classification of services as commercial versus non-commercial is determined in large part by the public transport authorities that set minimum quality standards to be provided by operators. Our analysis shows that the authorities awarding the contracts in some cases affect market organization significantly depending on how they make use of this power. Furthermore, market organization differs substantially with respect to the awarding structure and the contractual relationships, thus creating a challenge for operators and authorities in an embryonic market.     

近十年国内民间信仰的人类学研究概况——以社区研究方法为例

本文总结了近十年来民间信仰社区研究方法的三个主要特点,认为西部地区的研究尚待大规模开发。功能主义一直以来是中国民间信仰研究的重要理论范式,笔者基于这一理论梳理了民间信仰所具有的四个基本社会功能,并罗列了民间信仰研究的主要内容,及社区方法所具有的优势。