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Collecting feedback from students through course, program and other evaluation questionnaires has become a costly and time consuming process for most colleges. Converting to data collection through the internet, rather than completion on paper, can result in a cheaper and more efficient process. This article examines several research questions which need to be answered to establish that results collected by the two modes of administration are equivalent. Data were gathered for a program evaluation questionnaire from undergraduate students at a university in Hong Kong. Students were able to choose between completion on paper or through the internet. In six of the seven Faculties the number of responses through each mode was roughly the same. Students in the Engineering Faculty favored the internet. Scores on the 14 out of 18 scales in the instrument showed small differences by mode of response, which became smaller still with controls for pertinent demographic variables. The main response question addressed in the study was whether there was any difference in the way respondents to the two modes interpreted the questions. The study demonstrated the equivalence of the two data sets by showing that both could be fitted to a common model with structural equation modeling (SEM). Five levels of tests of invariance further confirmed the comparability of data by mode of administration. This study, therefore suggests that changing to internet collection for course and program evaluations will not affect the comparability of ratings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Greater Bay Area (GBA) is to become a major innovation and technology hub of global impact. Such a transformation is to take place in the midst of a policy-driven economy in GBA's Mainland region and a market-driven economy in Hong Kong and Macau. In this paper, we examine the uniqueness and complexities of logistics and trade facilitation in GBA. This study establishes a discourse in GBA's logistics and trade facilitation between government and non-government stakeholders. Based on the discourse, we provide a conceptual context on the unique aspects of GBA, pinpointing critical issues such as the coexistence of differing institutional systems and interplay between state planning and market economy. A major objective of the paper is to identify and conceptualize unique logistics and trade features of GBA development, and to highlight opportunities for academic and policy research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existing literature primarily examined the impact of unexpected events on the stock market at a single scale, posing the challenge of a lack of multiscale analysis. This paper investigates the impact of COVID-19 on stock markets (China, the U.S., and Hong Kong) from a multiscale perspective using an improved ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD)-based event analysis method. First, the stock price series is decomposed into several independent intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) and a residue. Second, a novel composition method is proposed to reconstruct the IMFs into three components: high-frequency, low-frequency, and long-term trend. We find that the composition of low-frequency and long-term trend components is dominant, which is used to estimate the strength of COVID-19 impact on the stock markets. In addition, the outbreak of COVID-19 significantly increased the intensity of short-term fluctuations in stock prices. Finally, the high-frequency component is analyzed to capture the volatility spillover effects among the three stock markets by the BEKK(Baba-Engle-Kraft-Kroner)-GARCH model. The results show that before the outbreak, there are two-way volatility spillovers between any two of the three markets. After the outbreak, there is no spillover effect between China and Hong Kong, and Hong Kong has no spillover effect on the U.S. However, volatility in the U.S. market still has a significant spillover effect on the other two markets, implying that a mature market can absorb new information more quickly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the recent industrial relocation of Hong Kong manufacturing firms in the Pearl River Delta. Based on a combination of recent surveys, four in-depth case studies and nearly 20 firm interviews through the end of 2008, the paper argues that in response to a dynamic business environment in the region, some Hong Kong manufacturing firms in the PRD are forced to design new spatial strategies. The paper also identifies the different relocation strategies adopted by Hong Kong manufacturing firms, namely, total relocation, stratified relocation and 'pseudo relocation'. The industrial space of Hong Kong manufacturing firms will be expanded beyond the PRD. In addition, the new round of relocation of Hong Kong manufacturers is a response to the initiative ushered in by the provincial and local governments in order to achieve the objectives of industrial upgrading, sustainable environment and regional balanced development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of urban decay in Hong Kong is getting worse recently; therefore, the importance of urban renewal in improving the physical environment conditions and the living standards of the citizens is widely recognized in the territory. However, it is not an easy task for the Hong Kong Government to prepare welcome urban renewal proposals because the citizens, professionals and other concerned parties have their own expectations which are difficult to be addressed all at the same time. Although it is impossible to satisfy all stakeholders concerning urban renewal, it is preferable to have proposals conforming to the interests of the majority and beneficial to the present and future generations. This paper adopts the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to work out the most sustainable design proposal for an area undergoing urban renewal. AHP is a robust multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) method for solving social, governmental and corporate decision problems. Since there is a lack of published papers demonstrating a systematic and effective way for urban renewal proposal assessment, this paper attempts to fill this gap with the help of AHP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates both the short-run dynamics and the long-run co-movement of stock prices, capital flows and the real interest rates in Hong Kong. By using the Johansen multivariate cointegration technique, this paper finds that there are two cointegration vectors among the variables. In other words, the results show that the three variables in Hong Kong are moving together. This long-run relationship implies that even the stock market is efficient in the short-run. Its long-run movement can, however, be predicted by the activities of the capital market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the findings of an outdoor thermal comfort study conducted in Hong Kong using longitudinal experiments-an alternative approach to conventional transverse surveys. In a longitudinal experiment, the thermal sensations of a relatively small number of subjects over different environmental conditions are followed and evaluated. This allows an exploration of the effects of changing climatic conditions on thermal sensation, and thus can provide information that is not possible to acquire through the conventional transverse survey. The paper addresses the effects of changing wind and solar radiation conditions on thermal sensation. It examines the use of predicted mean vote (PMV) in the outdoor context and illustrates the use of an alternative thermal index-physiological equivalent temperature (PET). The paper supports the conventional assumption that thermal neutrality corresponds to thermal comfort. Finally, predictive formulas for estimating outdoor thermal sensation are presented as functions of air temperature, wind speed, solar radiation intensity and absolute humidity. According to the formulas, for a person in light clothing sitting under shade on a typical summer day in Hong Kong where the air temperature is about 28°C and relative humidity about 80%, a wind speed of about 1.6 m/s is needed to achieve neutral thermal sensation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article introduces and summarizes selected papers from the first World Business Ethics Forum held in Hong Kong and Macau in November 2006, co-hosted by the Hong Kong Baptist University and by the University of Macau. Business Ethics in the East remain distinct from those in the West, but the distinctions are becoming less pronounced and the ethical traffic flows both ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that the context of the wider society and national culture places barriers, if not limits, upon the possibilities for the management and engineering of corporate cultures. The formal `espoused' corporate cultures, contained in Corporate Mission Statements (CMS's), of two Hong Kong companies are. examined and compared to descriptions of the cultural values of Hong Kong. Important differences on `key' dimensions are found; and thus it is argued that the companies may face difficulties in fully implementing their cultures in Hong Kong. The paper argues in general terms that transportable `supra-cultures' will not work and attention needs to be paid to the specifics of national cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public-private partnerships formed to carry out urban renewal activities are often criticized as property-led initiatives with little respect for the community and individuals concerned. Partnerships need participation from the partners, but in the course of participation, power politics emerge and evolve, leading to potential problems for the partnership governance structure. A more interesting issue is whether individual property owners at the renewal site can actually participate in this partnership and contribute to the renewal outcome. This paper shows that despite the call for more public/community involvement, most property owners are risk-averse. That is, when the monetary compensation meets their expectations, there is little incentive for them to participate, especially when the scheme is geared towards the investment profit of the scheme. The paper finds, based on a case study in Hong Kong, that individual owners tend to choose not to participate, with a view to maximizing their benefits. On the other hand, the request for further participation by owners never ceases. This leads to a demand for different forms of participation, such as the flat-for-flat model; the results are yet to be seen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2012 all Hong Kong universities will be extending the length of the undergraduate degree from 3 to 4 years and adding General Education as a degree requirement. This reform initiative represents a unique case of comprehensive organizational change of higher education on an unprecedented scale. This paper examines several of the most significant contradictions and tensions facing this initiative-the current structure of higher education based on the British system and the prevailing culture of teaching and learning in Hong Kong. The nature of these pre-existing conditions, and their contradictory relationship to the substance and purpose of general and liberal education, are outlined. The contradictions and tensions generated by the general education initiative are situated within the larger organizational tension between theory and practice, and structure and action. The paper delineates some of the strategies developed to address the existing and emerging tensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper looks at how housing and design attributes may affect the conduct of schoolchildren in one of the world's most densely populated cities, Hong Kong. By carrying out an empirical study with a sample of 633 students, we found that the influence of housing type and tenure is not as strong in this city as in other places. For example, children from private and public housing communities do not show markedly different behaviour at school. Moreover, we found that the size of the housing unit does not matter as long as the schoolchildren have some place of their own at home where they can claim a high degree of privacy. This may compensate for the lack of space in most Asian cities, which are compact and densely developed. We also found that, contrary to Asian family values, big families are not conducive to fostering well behaved kids. All of these findings have important implications for government policy in terms of the design and management of public housing communities as well as the development of senior housing estates, among other issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a comprehensive sample of listed companies in Hong Kong this paper investigates how family control affects private information abuses and firm performance in emerging economies. We combine research on stock market microstructure with more recent studies of multiple agency perspectives and argue that family ownership and control over the board increases the risk of private information abuse. This, in turn, has a negative impact on stock market performance. Family control is associated with an incentive to distort information disclosure to minority shareholders and obtain private benefits of control. However, the multiple agency roles of controlling families may have different governance properties in terms of investors' perceptions of private information abuse. These findings contribute to our understanding of the conflicting evidence on the governance role of family control within a multiple agency perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to add to the literature on volatility forecasting using data from the Hong Kong stock market to determine if forecasts from GARCH based models can outperform simple historical averaging models. Overall, unlike previous studies we find that the GARCH models with non-Normal distributions show a robust volatility forecasting performance in comparison to the historical models. The results indicate that although not all models outperform simple historical averaging, the EGARCH based models, with non-normal conditional volatility, tend to produce more accurate out-of-sample forecasts using both standard measures of forecast accuracy and financial loss functions. In addition we test for asymmetric adjustment in the Hang Seng, finding strong evidence of asymmetries due to the domination of financial and property firms in this market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the relationship between ethics and income among individuals of different religions in the HKSAR of China. The presence of both traditional Chinese religion and Christianity from the West makes our study particularly interesting. The content of ethical beliefs varies with religion and thus the effect of ethics on income may also vary across religion. Furthermore, a reverse causal relationship may run from income to ethics. Since culture and taste affect the consumption behavior of a person, depending on the religion of the person, a person with a higher income may or may not like to 'acquire' more ethics. Our empirical results find that there is indeed a simultaneous relationship between income and being ethical so that a single equation estimation of income on ethics and vice versa generates biased estimates. Using a two-stage instrumental variable estimation, our study finds that being ethical contributes to higher income for Christians and the non-religious group, but lowers it for people of traditional Chinese religion. On the other hand, an increase in income increases the likelihood of a person's being ethical for both Christians and the people of traditional Chinese religion, but reduces it for the non-religious group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, characteristics of mathematics classrooms in the East Asian countries1 of Hong Kong and Japan are discussed based on an analysis of the data of the TIMSS 1999 Video Study. The data shows that although students in these East Asian countries did not talk a lot in the classroom, they were exposed to more instructional content. The mathematics problems they worked on were set up mainly using mathematical language, and compared with the problems solved by students in other countries, the problems took a longer duration to solve and more proof was involved. According to the judgement of an expert panel on the Hong Kong lessons (Japan did not participate in this part of the study), more advanced contents were covered and the lessons were more coherent. The mathematics presentations were more developed, and the students were more likely to be engaged in the lessons. In sum, the overall quality of the teaching in this East Asian country was judged to be high. The findings show that high quality teaching and learning can take place even in a teacher directed classroom. It is argued that these East Asian classroom practices are deeply rooted in the underlying cultural values of the classroom and the wider society. The paper ends by drawing some implications of the study for the mathematics education community in other cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An effective way to change student learning is to change the form of assessment. This has become known as the backwash effect of assessment. However, academic teachers’ ways of understanding the role of assessment in student learning are also important. This paper reports a phenomenographic study of the views of the role of assessment amongst Swedish and Hong Kong university teachers. The results are described in eight categories of conceptions, placed within a two-dimensional outcome space. The two dimensions are (1) the relation between teaching and assessment, and (2) the focus of the backwash effect. The results indicate that two features of the described conceptions are critical for changing teachers’ views of the role of assessment. One is the way one understands the significance of “basic knowledge” in one’s discipline while the other is whether one looks upon the relation between teaching and assessment as being of an internal or external nature. As much research literature points out, to bring about changes in approaches to teaching and learning you must first bring about changes in conceptions of teaching and learning. To utilize assessment to improve student learning, teachers need to be made aware of the need of such improvement and of the role assessment can play in this process. On the basis of research such as that reported in this paper, staff developers could develop workshops or other strategies, which can accomplish this task. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban regeneration can be an effective tool to promote sustainability and enhance macro-level quality of life if the principles of encouraging participation, building community character, advancing equity, improving environment and enlivening the economy are observed. Through the assessment of various quality of life indicators related to these five basic principles for sustainable urban regeneration by the public, private and community sectors, this paper finds that Hong Kong falls far short of realizing these fundamental principles. There are also considerable discrepancies between the public and non-public (private and NGOs) sectors in terms of evaluating existing quality of life issues and perceiving their relative priorities. The private and community sectors tend to have lower rating of existing situation and consequently a longer priority list. On the contrary, the public sector seems to be more complacent with the existing quality of life situations and has a much shorter priority list. The public sector’s more relaxed attitude coupled with a top-down executive-led polity mean that Hong Kong will probably have a long way to go toward sustainable urban regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although detailed studies of code adoption and impact have already been conducted in Hong Kong, there has as yet been no critical analysis of why there has been a gap between the normative and positive factors underlying codes of ethics in Hong Kong. The purpose of this paper is to consider why Hong Kong companies adopting codes of ethics have failed to adhere closely to the best practice prescriptions for code adoption when it would likely be in their best interests to do so. This paper identifies some cultural factors, such as power distance and traditional Legalist assumptions approximating "Theory X," that appear to be involved in creating this gap, and offers some practical recommendations for closing the gap, which are presented in the form of hypotheses for further testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent handover of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China (PRC) brought Hong Kong worldwide attention and scrutiny. In the run up to the handover, the international media prominently featured stories about Hong Kong's freewheeling capitalism and the stability created by its administrative institutions. Lost in the media attention was the role of nonprofit organizations and the voluntary sector in Hong Kong's political and economic development. Although Hong Kong has a vibrant civil society, it has received little attention from scholars. This paper reviews the role of the third sector in Hong Kong's development. Among the issues the paper addresses are the legal codes that govern the creation and operation of nonprofit organizations in Hong Kong, the evidence regarding the role of the nonprofit sector in Hong Kong's development, particularly its relationship to the government and market sectors, and the implications of the 1997 transition for the nonprofit sector's role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the martin gale hypothesis for five Asian stock markets using the spectral shape tests of Durlauf (1991). Unlike the variance ratio test employed in previous studies (eg, Pan et al, 1991), the spectral shape tests are consistent against all stationary alternatives to the martingale null. The spectral shape tests were applied to daily and weekly returns on the stock indices of Thailand, Hong Kong, Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan over a period of 17 years. The results show that the martingale null is rejected for most markets. There is some evidence that the rejections may be due to low frequency or long memory influences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the 2009 Informs International Conference sponsored by the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) in Hong Kong, China from 6-7 August 2009. It mentions that the problem related to tour planning was discussed. It mentions that the discussion was focused on several topics including, detection of radioactive materials, public health and national security.

Based on the evaluation findings of the B.E.S.T. Teen Program which aimed at promoting behavioral, emotional, social, and thinking competencies in primary school students, it is argued in this paper that promotion of psychosocial competence to prevent addiction in primary school students is a promising strategy. A total of 382 Primary 5 (Grade 5) and 297 Primary 6 (Grade 6) students from five primary schools in Hong Kong participated in the program. Different evaluation strategies were adopted to evaluate the program. First, objective outcome evaluation adopting a non-equivalent group pretest-posttest experimental-control group design was conducted to examine change in the students. Second, to gauge students' perceptions of the program, subjective outcome evaluation was conducted. The evaluation findings basically converged to tentatively suggest that young adolescents benefited from participating in the program. Implications on the development, implementation, and evaluation of addiction prevention programs for teenagers are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How does the market react when more or fewer investors are allowed to trade certain stocks? Stock Connect, a cross-border investment channel between mainland China and Hong Kong, provides a natural testing ground. Investors are allowed to trade a list of qualified stocks from the stock market on the other side, and when a stock is removed from the list, investors can only sell but cannot buy that stock. We find that the inclusion of stocks is correlated with abnormal returns, implying downward-sloping demand curves for stocks. The effect weakens over time and disappears in about 40 trading days. There are no abnormal returns when stocks are removed from the list. On the other hand, when investors can only sell some stocks, they have a significantly higher propensity to sell. Their trading style becomes more contrarian for such stocks, and they tend to trade in small amounts. After 6 months, their investment behavior returns to that before the removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents information on the Second International Conference on Asian-Pacific Financial Markets which was held in Hong Kong on September 12-14, 1991. The conference was organised by the Department of Finance & Banking, National University of Singapore (NUS) together with and hosted by the Department of Economics and Finance, City Polytechnic of Hong Kong. The objective of the conference was to provide a forum for discussing and consolidating research ideas and findings on the performance, regulation and policy issues regarding the Asian-Pacific financial markets.

This paper addresses the methodological concerns in quantifying urban heat island (UHI) intensity in Hong Kong SAR, China. Although the urban heat island in Hong Kong has been widely investigated, there is no consensus on the most appropriate fixed point meteorological sites to be used to calculate heat island intensity. This study utilized the Local Climate Zones landscape classification system to classify 17 weather stations from the Hong Kong Observatory's extensive fixed point meteorological observation network. According to the classification results, the meteorological site located at the Hong Kong Observatory Headquarters is the representative urban weather station in Hong Kong, whereas sites located at Tsak Yue Wu and Ta Kwu Ling are appropriate rural or nonurbanized counterparts. These choices were validated and supported quantitatively through comparison of long-term annual and diurnal UHI intensities with rural stations used in previous studies. Results indicate that the rural stations used in previous studies are not representative, and thus, the past UHI intensities calculated for Hong Kong may have been underestimated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lesson study approach is a systematic process for producing professional knowledge about teaching by teachers, and has spread rapidly and extensively in the United States. The learning study approach is essentially a kind of lesson study with an explicit learning theory-the variation theory of learning. In this paper, we argue that having an explicit learning theory adds value to lesson study, as the variation theory of learning serves as a source of guiding principles for the teachers when they engage in pedagogical design, lesson analysis and evaluation. Through the use of two Hong Kong learning study cases, one from each of the two major ways of conducting learning study, we demonstrate the power of variation theory in explaining and predicting the relationship between what has taken place in the classroom and what the learners learn, and subsequently identifying ways to improve student learning through promoting teacher professional learning in a learning study setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper applies the principles of glocalization theory to Disney's successful adaptation in Hong Kong. Glocalization refers to the interface of the global and the local. After Hong Kong Disneyland's lack of success within a year of its opening in 2005, Disney executives attempted to cater to the local Chinese context. From a glocalization perspective, four major changes were made: (1) reduction of prices; (2) adaptation to local visitors' customs; (3) change of décors and settings; and (4) adaptation of labor practices. Ever since, Hong Kong Disneyland has proved successful: park attendance and revenues from growth have increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines generalized trust and trust in institutions in Confucian Asia, covering six countries namely, China, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam, and one dependent region, Hong Kong. Using data from the 2006 AsiaBarometer Survey, our study affirms the reliability and validity of using a two-item scale to measure generalized trust. Our analysis suggests that due to demographic differences, there are variations in the level of generalized trust of countries in Confucian Asia, despite the fact that these societies share a similar background in Confucian philosophy. The relationships between generalized trust and political trust, and between generalized trust and trust in public institutions, are weak but positive. The positive relationship between generalized trust and trust in economic institutions is only significant for some of the economies, while trust in international institutions has the weakest relationship with generalized trust for all societies. We conclude the paper with research implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite major theoretical progress in computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL), relatively less attention has been paid to the problem of how research advances may impact schools and classrooms. Given the global changes and educational policies for twenty-first century education, issues of how research in CSCL can be integrated with classroom practice for innovation pose important challenges. This paper draws on experiences in Hong Kong and examines research-based CSCL classroom innovations in the context of scaling up and sustaining a knowledge-building model in Hong Kong classrooms. It begins with an examination of the rationale for CSCL research in classrooms and then considers a range of problems and constraints for school implementation. Classroom innovations involve complex and emergent changes occurring at different levels of the educational system. The experience of CSCL knowledge-building classroom innovations in Hong Kong schools is reported, including: the macro-context of educational policies and educational reform, the meso-context of a knowledge-building teacher network, and the micro-context of knowledge-building design in classrooms. Three interacting themes-context and systemic change, capacity and community building, and innovation as inquiry-are proposed for examining collaboration and knowledge creation for classroom innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable development is a priority area of research in many countries and regions nowadays. This paper illustrates how a multi-stakeholders engagement process can be applied to identify and prioritize the local community's concerns and issues regarding sustainable development in Hong Kong. Ten priority areas covering a wide range of community's concerns in relation to the economic growth, societal development and environmental protection have been identified. An index is then constructed based on these priority areas to track the public's views on the progress of Hong Kong towards a more sustainable city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the recognition of the crucial role of family and with the belief that parents have the greatest influence on a child's life, family and parent education has been widely practiced in Hong Kong and many other countries as measure for poverty alleviation. A study, employed quantitative method of a cross-sectional parent survey ( N = 10,386) was conducted to comprehend needs and parenting practice of poor families, and to identify appropriate strategies to promote family and parent education in Hong Kong. Regression analysis was used to investigate the association between family variables, psychological stress and parenting behavior. The study identified five categories of disadvantaged families and salient factors that distinguished families from the normal population based on the findings of discriminant analysis. Moreover, data indicates that family relationship and social networks are protective factors to economically disadvantaged families, whereas sense of powerlessness amplifies the negative effects of low income. Base on the findings, the paper suggests that strategies for poverty alleviation that focus purely on parenting or parent education are fragmented and fail to address the complexity of poverty as a social issue. A holistic perspective that goes beyond the scope of parent education to support families, adopting a family perspective in poverty-alleviation work and service provision, and addressing barriers constrain parenting are the future service directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on three surveys carried out for studying living conditions of youth, women and elderly living in six remote areas (Tuen Mun, Yuen Long, Tin Shui Wai, Sheung Shui, Fan Ling and Tai Po) in the New Territories of Hong Kong, this paper reports the poverty and social exclusion of these three groups of people. The quality of life of youth, women and elderly is adversely affected by limited job opportunities, high cost of travel for employment, and poor neighbourhoods in the community. However, perceptions of reasons for their problems are different for the three groups, due to differences in bonding and bridging social capital they have, as well as the differences in perceptions on social exclusion and discrimination directed upon them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

questionnaire was administered to 231 Hong Kong preservice teacher education students to examine their epistemological beliefs and conceptions of learning. Pearson correlation analysis showed significant pairs of epistemological beliefs and conceptions of learning. Regression and path analysis showed epistemological beliefs had significant predictor relationships with conceptions of learning. Four structural equation models were proposed to examine the predictive relationships between epistemological beliefs and selected pairs of quantitative and qualitative conceptions of learning, and the models were validated by confirmatory factor analysis. The results support the hypothesis that epistemological beliefs have significant predictive relationships with quantitative and qualitative conceptions of learning, implying epistemological beliefs play an important role in students' learning. The paper concludes with implications drawn for the future direction of educational practices and research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the relationships among life satisfaction, positive youth development, and problem behaviour. A total of 7,975 Secondary One students (4,169 boys and 3,387 girls; with most aged 12) of Chinese ethnicity recruited from 48 schools responded to validated measures of life satisfaction, positive youth development and problem behaviour. While life satisfaction was positively correlated with different measures of positive youth development, these measures were negatively correlated with measures of substance abuse, delinquency and intention to engage in problem behaviour. Based on a series of structural equation models, a non-recursive model was found to best fit the data, which suggests that adolescents having higher levels of positive youth development are more satisfied with life and have fewer problem behaviour, with life satisfaction and problem behaviour negatively reinforcing each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the findings of a longitudinal childhood resilience study which investigated the relationship between resilience-related beliefs and positive child development. Three waves of data collection (T1, T2, and T3) were completed in January 2005, July 2005, and January 2006 with a sample of 843 grade 4 pupils, drawn from six primary schools in Hong Kong, and their parents or guardians. At T1, parents/guardians responded to a 24-item inventory of life adversities affecting their children since birth; at T1 and T3, they completed a 25-item Parental Assessment of Child’s Habit, which provided parental evaluation of children’s performance at home and in school. At T1, T2, and T3, children responded to a 58-item Child and Youth Resilience Measure, a 9-item scale on Chinese cultural beliefs about adversity, and an 11-item Chinese Resilience Measure for Children and Adolescents in Hong Kong. Regression analyses, based on linear mixed models, controlling for gender, T1 and T2 scores, personal variables, and random effects of schools, were conducted to test and validate the hypothesis that children’s resilience beliefs are predictive of positive child development, and that this predictive relationship is stronger with increasing adversity in children’s lives. Implications of these findings for the development of resilience-based interventions to enhance the quality of life of children facing adversities are examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surviving the aftermaths of the Asian Financial Crisis and SARS in 2003, Hong Kong’s economy has re-gained its momentum and its economic growth has been quite remarkable too in recent few years. Nevertheless, as reflected by the Social Development Index (SDI), economic growth in Hong Kong does not seem to have benefited the people of the city at large as we see social qualities such as cohesion, security, equity, and empowerment are gradually eroded. This paper aims to summarize the current state of social development in Hong Kong based on the SDI-2008 and identify the major social, political and economic challenges that are confronted by Hong Kong. Based on the findings, a range of policy options proposed for promoting a more balanced approach to social and economic development are discussed. The article illustrates the utility of social indicators research such as the SDI in assessing quality of life and assisting related social planning initiatives in Asian communities such as Hong Kong. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the relationship between organizational ethical climate and the forms of organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), including in-role and extra-role behaviors, and examines the mediating effect of employee loyalty. A sample of employees from a traditional Hong Kong-based company was used as a study group. The purpose of this study was to examine the causes and implications of how various ethical work climates affect employee performance. Based on a model proposed by Victor and Cullen, ethical climate is arranged from lower levels to higher levels. The results suggest that lower levels of ethical climate (instrumentality and independence), characterizing a weak relational contract between employee and employer, are associated with negative extra-role behavior. In contrast, higher levels of ethical climate (caring and law-and-code), symbolic of a strong relational contract at work, are associated with positive extra-role behavior. Moreover, normative commitment mediated a positive relationship between caring and identification with the company, whereas attitudinal loyalty mediated the negative relationship between independence and altruism. Implications for future research and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As more than 50% construction and demolition (C&D) wastes are composed of concrete debris in Hong Kong, recycling this debris into Recycled Aggregate (RA) for production of Recycled Aggregate Concrete (RAC) is an efficient way to alleviate the burden on landfill areas. Since RA is generated from concrete debris which has undergone years of services, the resulting RAC bears the weaknesses of lower density, higher water absorption, and higher porosity that limit them to lower-grade applications. Pinpointing to these weaknesses, Tam et al . [2005, Cement Concrete Res 35(6):1195–1203] developed the Two-Stage Mixing Approach (TSMA) for improving the strength of RAC, leading to the possibility in applying RAC for higher-grade applications. While the improvement in strength by TSMA has been proven in Tam et al.’s work [2005, Cement Concrete Res 35(6):1195–1203], the durability, in terms of deformation (shrinkage and creep) and permeability (water, air and chloride permeability), remains to be verified. In this paper, 0%, 20% and 100% of RA substitutions have been experimented to compare the durability performance of the Normal Mixing Approach (NMA) and the TSMA. Experiment results highlight that: (i) the higher the substitutions of RA, the weaker the performance of RAC; and (ii) the deformation and permeability of RAC can be enhanced when adopting TSMA. Therefore, it demonstrates that TSMA can help to improve the durability of RAC, on top of the previously verified strength improvement, and thus opening up wider applications of RAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper shows how the patterns of variation created in the teaching were critical in helping a class of Primary 3 students in Hong Kong to learn about the colour of light, so that the students attained conceptual rather than procedural knowledge. A ‘Learning Study’ approach was adopted, which is a Lesson Study grounded in a particular learning theory to improve teaching and learning. This study, based on the learning theory of Variation advanced by Marton and Booth, was premised on three types of variation: variation in students’ ways of experiencing what is to be taught/learnt (V1), variation in teachers’ ways of dealing with the ‘object of learning’ (V2), and the use of ‘pattern of variation’ as a guiding principle of pedagogical design to enhance students’ learning (V3). In planning the lesson, a conscious effort was made to create relevant patterns of variation, i.e. varying certain critical aspect(s) while keeping other aspects of the object of learning invariant in order to help students to discern those aspects. Comparison between the results of the pre- and post-test shows that there was significant gain in the students’ learning outcomes with respect to the intended object of learning. The findings contribute knowledge to how the Theory of Variation can be used in practice. It also illustrates how teachers can make use of this theoretical framework to analyze their own teaching and thereby, develop an analytical awareness of teaching and learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper adopts the context-embedded approach to examine the marketing practices of 307 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the People’’s Republic of China by comparing the survey findings with that of Hong Kong and Guangdong SMEs. Chinese SMEs focus on regional markets to avoid direct competition with Hong Kong SMEs in the international markets and also their Guangdong counterparts in the turbulent nationwide market. To market their own brands, Chinese SMEs have to analyze the market and use superior marketing strategies in the competitive markets. Chinese SMEs do not attain the superior competitive positions as that of their Guangdong counterparts, but they use customer satisfaction surveys and claims investigation to help develop excellence in product performance. Also, Chinese SMEs have to provide value-added products and services and also a well-rounded marketing competitive strategy to gain market shares. The traditional state-owned enterprise structure in China facilitates the development of hierarchical organizational structure and joint decision making process. Thus, care should be taken in assuming that marketing tools and techniques are equally applicable across all places, even in similar cultural contexts. Socio-cultural influences and mediating environmental factors should be considered when attempting to understand the marketing practices of Chinese small firms, specifically when China is in transition to a socialist market economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This paper reports longitudinal changes in bone mineral density (BMD), calcium homeostasis and dietary calcium intake in a group of Hong Kong breastfeeding women during the first year postpartum. Design and subjects: Nine mothers who breastfed exclusively or almost exclusively for at least 3 months and 14 formula feeding mothers aged 20-40 y were interviewed after delivery, 2 and 6 weeks, 3, 6 and 12 months postpartum. BMD at L2-L4 lumbar spine (LS), trochanter (Tro) and femoral neck (FN), serum intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH), serum bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (b-ALP), urinary deoxypyridinoline (Dpd), serum and urinary calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) and dietary intake of macronutrients were assessed. Results: Compared to the formula feeding group, BMD assessed at LS, Tro and FN decreased significantly in the breastfeeding group over the first 6 months, with rebound to approximate baseline values at 12 months for the latter two sites. Serum iPTH increased in both groups, whereas serum b-ALP was consistently higher in the breastfeeders. Urinary Ca and P excretion decreased early postpartum in both groups, but the breastfeeders had higher excretion at 3 and 6 months. Breastfeeding mothers consumed significantly more Ca than the formula feeding mothers in the early postpartum. Conclusions: Increased calcium requirement during early lactation is affected through mobilisation of bone and renal calcium conservation. Bone mineral loss during lactation is temporary. Further studies are warranted to investigate the effects of diet and other hormonal factors on the calcium homeostasis during lactation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since July 1997, Hong Kong has become a Special Administrative Region (SAR) under the sovereignty of China. This paper compares the social well-being of Hong Kong residents before and after the change of sovereignty by analyzing six sets of survey data collected between 1990 and 2001. These are six biennial territory wide Social Indicator Surveys conducted to collect subjective assessments of well-being of Hong Kong residents. Analysis of the survey data which are typically categorized subjective evaluations has to deal with the commonly encountered problems of ‘direct quantification’ (Schuessler and Fisher, 1985) and ‘incomplete data’ (Little R.J.A. and Rubin D.B., 2002, Statistical Analysis with Missing data (Wiley-Interscience, New Jersy). The problems are handled by applying ‘optimal scaling’ and ‘hot-deck imputation’ as recommended by Shen S.M. and Lai Y.L. (2001, Social Indicators Research 55, pp. 121-166). Different life domain measures as well as compound measures in the form of indices are studied. The data analysis indicates that the residents of Hong Kong were most satisfied in 1997 and least satisfied in 1995. It reveals that the sovereignty change had major impact on many life domains of the people of Hong Kong and the effect was compounded by the economic situation of the territory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the changes in the quality of life of poor households in Hong Kong in the late 1990s by analyzing their levels of expenditure, income security and poverty before and after 1997. Though there have been significant increases in the levels of expenditure among CSSA recipients, the expenditure among these poorest households in Hong Kong is still below that of non-CSSA recipients. Increasing poverty in Hong Kong is the result of increasing housing costs borne by these low expenditure households, who have to squeeze their expenditure on food and other items in order to meet the rising cost of housing. De-industrialisation and mass unemployment have given capital and the state unchecked authority to restructure the economy and to deregulate the labour market. Many low-income households have been hit hard as they faced redundancy, unemployment and wage-cuts after the 1997 Asian financial crisis. What jobs have been created are mostly part-time, temporary and contract jobs, and there has thus been an erosion in both job and income security. The quality of life of poor households is devastating not only in the sense that their living standards are low, but also that they are socially excluded from the mainstream of society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the results of a convenient sample survey of 500 Hong Kong university students conducted in May 2003. The main aim of the survey was to investigate the respondents’ perception of the residential environment and its implications for the quality of life (QOL). Results indicated that the respondents were generally satisfied with the residential environment, scoring a mean satisfaction rating of 3.32, on a 5-point Likert scale. The type, size and age of a respondent’s home, years of occupancy and attending university were found to be significantly related to the overall satisfaction. Transport (4.37), environmental quality (4.30), and public utilities (4.25) were reported to be the most important infrastructures for the QOL, but environmental quality (3.21), education (3.11) and greening (2.98) were considered to be the least satisfactory ones. The desirable distribution of facilities and services was defined by their functions and the new urban designs were appreciated by the respondents. Although available space was less than the ideal and public transport was a serious concern, the respondents had adapted well to the high-density environment and enjoyed the urban life in Hong Kong. It is hoped that the results and findings of this study can provide a reference for the formulation of future development strategy in Hong Kong. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper shows the importance that urban planning plays in the development of Hong Kong. This leads to a reassessment of the role of the government, which is the sole proprietor of the land, in the economy – while it acknowledges the importance of market forces. The first part shows how, since 1945, Hong Kong authorities have been obliged to intervene more in urban planning and local development, despite their liberal ideology. The second part focuses on the interaction between government action and market forces, and their influence in this development. The third part deals with the question of the economic integration between Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta (PRD) after China started its economics reforms in 1978. The deconcentration of Hong Kong industries to China was mainly due to market forces, but provided a new role for the government. This role is analyzed through its transportation policy – the domain with the most visible governmental intervention before and after 1997. It indicates the preference of the government to develop the territory rather than better integration with the PRD, because of the internal economic problems that may emerge from this integration. Nevertheless, for political and economic reasons, this integration is also seen as necessary. The future of Hong Kong’s economy lies in the answers the authorities will give to this dilemma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports a multi-stage study carried out between 1999 and 2001 which aimed to develop an instrument to address the need for a culturally relevant measure of quality of life for Chinese older persons in Hong Kong and similar communities. The first stage of the research involved a focus group study conducted in August 1999 which it was hoped would reflect how 'quality of life' may be interpreted by older persons themselves. The next stage, a content analysis of the focus groups, enabled the construction of a questionnaire containing over 100 items on various aspects of quality of life (QoL). The questionnaire was reviewed by a panel of experts and the items were refined and reduced to 86 to which were added a further 25 items for socio-demographic background. This formed the initial instrument. The final stage was a validation study based on a representative community survey, with a sample of 3,000 respondents drawn for the research team by the Census and Statistics Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government. The survey yielded 1,616 successful interviews with older persons aged 60 or above. The careful stratification of the sample enabled us to say that subjects in all the stages of the survey had broadly similar characteristics to the general Hong Kong elderly population in sex and age distribution. After a rigorous process of validation, the research team recommended the adoption of both an index and six domains for measuring Hong Kong older persons' QoL. The new scale contains a total of 21 items which can be grouped into various domains: subjective well-being, with 4 items; health with 5 items; interpersonal relationships with 6 items; achievement - recognition with 4 items, finance and living conditions (1 item each). The overall QoL scale has a Cronbach's alpha of 0.72 with its domains ranging from 0.65 to 0.77 which indicates a high degree of statistical reliabilities. The name recommended for the scale was 'Hong Kong Quality of Life for Older Persons Scale' — abbreviated as 'HKQoLOCP'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent developments from the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and other international trade agreements have forced industries worldwide to face a new era of intense competition. The clothing industry sector, which has played a pivotal role in industrial development in Hong Kong, faces challenges from continued global economic restructuring and the accession of China to the WTO. Apparel manufacturers and trading firms need to review their competitive priorities and develop new business and manufacturing practices and strategies to compete. This paper presents the key findings of a recent study on the adoption of automation systems and strategy choices and discusses their relevance to the transformation of the apparel operations and businesses in Hong Kong. Two models namely, for integrated apparel business manufacture and for an apparel sourcing and coordination centre, are devised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eutrophication has been considered to be undoubtedly one of the key factors stimulating phytoplankton growth, since it involves the enrichment of a water mass with both inorganic and organic nutrients supporting plant growth. Nutrient enrichment as a result of anthropogenic activity occurs in estuaries and coastal waters as well as in lakes and freshwater impoundments, and blooms of phytoplankton are one of the effects of such an accelerated process of nutrient enrichment. This paper presents the results of a two-year survey of the nutrients and phytoplankton at 3 stations in Junk Bay, Hong Kong, carried out from 1997 to 1998. The relationships between nitrogen, phosphorus, and their ratio, with phytoplankton abundance have been studied. The results show that the highest nitrogen concentration was in Station 2 which is close to a sewage input, whereas the highest phosphorus concentration was in Station 1 which is close to a landfill area. The mean N:P ratios at the three stations were between 8 and 14. The diatoms were the dominant group during most of the year but it seems that diatoms were more sensitive than dinoflagellates and other algal groups to the increase in nutrients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many studies in the field of comparative education take national education systems as the basic unit of analysis. The present paper has been conceived within this tradition, but has a different angle of approach. It focuses on 47 international schools in a small territory. Some of the international schools were grouped into larger systems but others were free-standing institutions. The focus of the paper thus lies at an intersection between cross-national and intra-national comparisons. It makes methodological observations on the nature of comparisons that are possible within such a microcosm, and on the conceptual lessons that can be derived from such analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]