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Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to substantiate the influence of approaches to the economic mechanisms formation for managing supply chains on export and import volumes as well as local cargo transportation. Design/methodology/approach: The study outlines that the information technology use, in particular, highly specialized supply chain management (SCM) software, is necessary for the effective functioning of global supply chains (GSCs). For the purposes of the one-factor regression models of the relationship between the signs for the analyzed factors, volume of external cargo transportation, volume of internal cargo transportation and amount of investment in SCM software were built, and the correlation coefficients were also determined. The research was based on data of the Russian Federation, China and Germany. Findings: According to the results, for local cargo transportation for all three counties (Russian Federation: R² = 0.3679, China: R² = 0.441, Germany: 0.441), the correlation coefficients indicated no connection between the factors under study, while for external ones, they denoted a strong direct relationship: Russian Federation: R² = 0.906, China: R² = 0.8692, Germany: 0.926. It is statistically confirmed that external transportations are carried out by enterprises involved in GSCs, while the local ones are mainly performed by the domestic market-oriented companies. Originality/value: The study presents a model for the formation of economic mechanisms of SCM from the perspective of a systemic approach. It allows for structural analysis of the SCM strategy's impact on the functioning of participants within three management levels (corporate, business and functional). The study contributes to the practical domain of SCM: the results of the study can be applied by top managers of companies in developing SCM strategies, as well as by officials in developing and implementing governmental supply chain-related policies. In terms of scientific contribution, the research can also be of use: its methods and results can be applied by scientists in researching approaches to the economic mechanisms formation for managing supply chains on export and import volumes, as well as local cargo transportation in various countries and regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thesis of this paper is that governments of some otherwise enlightened states are increasingly fearful of acknowledging the restraints imposed on them by existing international law. They are also reluctant to enter into new commitments by way of international conventions that would expand the reach of international law. The paper asks whether these fears are based on a true understanding of international law or on some distorted view of it. It will draw comparisons and some contrasts between Australia and the United States in their reactions to a number of recent events as well as to some enduring situations of contemporary relevance. Had time (and the limits of my research) permitted, one might also have examined public attitudes toward international law in China, Japan, and Russia in this context, where similar fears appear to be entertained. France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom, also enlightened states, appear by contrast to belong to a group more dedicated to international law. As Robert Kagan has recently remarked, the experience of two world wars at close quarters, and the formation of the European Union, have made the European countries more dedicated to process, where the United States is more interested in results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the effect of absurd advertising on memory and persuasion across cultures. Drawing on Hofstede's cultural dimensions, it is hypothesized that the effect of absurdity on recall is culturally invariant, whereas the effect on attitude toward the ad is contingent on the recipients’ cultural orientation. The assumptions are tested using a between-subjects experimental design, in which we manipulated type of absurdity and used the cultural dimensions as blocking variables. Data was collected from 274 students in the United States, Germany, Russia, and China. We discuss theoretical and managerial implications of these findings as well as guidelines for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]