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The article presents abstracts on business policy and strategy topics which include the complexities of top management team (TMT) composition, insights about dynamic capabilities observed from simulated evolving competition, and venture capital syndication in China.

These proceedings contain presentations and summaries of papers presented at a Wheat Competitiveness Conference. They begin with two presentations--"The Wheat Prototype Study within an Overall Conceptual Framework of Competitiveness" (James Langley) and "U.S. Competitiveness in the World Wheat Market: A Prototype Study" (Jerry Sharples). The 23 summaries of contributing reports are divided into four groups. Papers in the section on aggregate analysis of export supply and demand in world wheat markets are "Patterns and Trends in World Wheat Competitiveness" (Mathew Shane), "Measuring Economic Competitiveness in Trade" (Peter Perkins), "Revealed Competitive Advantage for Wheat" (Thomas Vollrath), and "Potential Growth in the World Wheat Market: The Impact of Factors Underlying Demand" (Mervin Yetley). The section on major factors affecting supply, demand, and trade on world wheat markets contains "Forces That Could Expand U.S. Wheat Exports: Estimates from a World Wheat Trade Model" (Jerry Sharples, Praveen Dixit), "Shortrun Impact of U.S. Macroeconomic Policy on the U.S. Wheat Market" (Mark Denbaly), "The Value of the Dollar and Competitiveness of U.S. Wheat Exports" (Stephen Haley, Barry Krissoff), "Protection and Liberalization in World Wheat Markets" (Nicole Ballenger, Cathy Jabara), "International Transportation and the Competitiveness of U.S. Wheat Exports" (Kay McLennan), "Enhancing the International Competitiveness of U.S. Wheat through Agricultural Research" (Ira Branson, Yao-chi Lu), "The Green Revolution for Wheat in Developing Countries" (Gary Vocke), and "Variability in Wheat Land Values of Major Exporting Countries" (John Sutton). In the section on wheat export markets and factors affecting supply, demand, and trade are "Summary of Export Markets" (John Sutton, Ron Trostle) and these summaries: "The U.S. Wheat Market" (William Lin, Robert McElroy), "The Canadian Wheat Market" (Pat Weisgerber, et al.), "The Australian Wheat Market" (Paul Johnston), "The French Wheat Market" (Mark Newman), and "The Argentine Wheat Market" (Jorge Hazera). In the section on wheat import markets and factors affecting supply, demand, and trade are "Summary of Import Markets" (James Langley, Gene Mathia) and these summaries: "The Mexican Wheat Market" (Myles Mielke), "The Brazilian Wheat Market" (Edward Allen), "The Conduct of Wheat Marketing in North Africa" (George Gardner, David Skully), "The Dynamics of China's Wheat Trade" (Frederic Surls), "The Soviet Wheat Market" (Emily Moore), and "The East European Wheat Market" (Robert Cummings). Other contents include a conference summary and comments by review panels of trade and university economists. (YLB)

Economic change in China is coming about through wide-ranging economic reforms, is taking place at an unprecedented pace, and is affecting the lives of many of the inhabitants of the world's most populous nation. However, the attempts to reform the political process have been slow, like the attempts to reform the Chinese press. The Chinese press is the instrument of the Communist Party and a vital cog in the machinery of government. Changes in China's press system are taking place, mostly rhetorically rather than in practice. But a part of the rhetoric is driven by the realization that economic development and national modernization cannot continue to move forward without corresponding changes in other social sectors, including the press. There are two approaches to promote press reform. One advocates that the basic system and role of the press should be altered and would involve redefining Chinese press theory; while the other calls for relatively modest adjustments in the press' present operation and would involve affecting media performance through changes in content and improvement of news writing and presentation. Regardless of which approach is taken, it seems clear that problems arise in the discussion on press reform, such as whether an open economic system can exist in a closed press system and the impact on society as journalists become more independent and better educated. (Three notes are included, and 37 references are appended.) (MS)

This paper articulates the effective transformation from low-knowledge workers into high-value human capital by service management innovation. By using a Chinese catering establishment as an example, the paper specifically explicates management practices rooted in the indigenous culture contributing to human capital development, ultimately obtaining superior firm performance. On the one hand, these practices lead to a high level of trust and employee commitment, employee optimization, brand creation, and internal service innovation; on the other, they also form a strong type of social control in the given cultural context, contributing to employee retention. We challenge the literature that often regards high-skilled workers as human capital and promote additional ways to obtain value-added resource-based competitive advantage through service management innovation. We highlight the significance of linking management innovation to human capital development in a service environment with low-knowledge workers, involving multiple stakeholders in the given cultural and economic context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Provides abstracts of papers dealing with various aspects of science, engineering, mathematics, computer science, science education, and other academic fields. Science education abstracts focus on such topics as microcomputers, industry relationships, curriculum and instructional strategies. Program descriptions are also included. (JN)

The following paper puts forward 45 combination schemes of different-type pumps in different daily-average heads and operation loads in Jiangdu Pumping Station. Based on every scheme, the minimum electricity consumption cost selected as the objective function, this paper gives the results of variable speed optimal operations with dynamic planning methods in both considering time-sharing electricity prices and not, simultaneously, it gives the results of fixed speed conventional operation considering time-sharing electricity prices. Then according to the unit energy consumption cost, the paper gives comparison analysis of the effect of different-type pumps in variable speed optimization operation, the conclusions can offer decision-making bases for optimization research of pumping stations considering time-sharing electricity prices and tide levels of Yangtze River, and offer references for transformation and economical operation of large and medium-size pumping stations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring the evolution of digital television in China: An interplay between economic and political interestsAbstract This paper argues that the primary obstacles facing the transition to digital TV involve: (1) administrative infighting, (2) heavy-handed policymaking processes, and (3) the pursuit of self-interest and centralized control by the state network. After profiling China's television infrastructure, the paper concludes that the Communist Party's current policy initiative for the development of its digital television industry is not feasible. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the advent of global restructuring in China, the service sector has become a central site for also restructuring gender. This paper analyzes the gender structure of China?s new global service sector through examining ethnographies of two international hotels, which are linked to a U.S.-based transnational corporation. I ask: Why did these hotels produce different gender identities in response to similar gendered work protocols? My first case, which I call ?the Beijing Transluxury Hotel,? illustrates how the importation of new luxury practices by a U.S. corporation are embedded in socialist institutions. This embedding produces a ?productive femininity.? A brief discussion of my second case study, the ?Kunming Transluxury Hotel.? reveals that managers reproduced only a thin veneer of socialist organizational legacies and women are engulfed by markets. I explain how a defensive femininity is produced in response. The creation of feminized workers grounds global restructuring in women?s bodies and identities with different consequences for women in contrasting locales. By examining workplaces central to China?s new global service sector we can better understand not only how globalization structures gender processes but also the gender processes that structure globalization. The femininities produced in China?s Transluxury Hotels help to bridge cultural differences between businessmen from around the globe, who gather in these sites for conferences and business entertainment. By underscoring shared class and gender identities of businessmen ? as these identities are constructed in contrast to the women who serve them ? international hotels can form and reinforce an international hegemonic masculinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the international business settings, multinational corporations commonly face challenges and allegations of treating local labor unfairly. Through discourse analysis, this paper illustrates the case of Foxxcon Technology Group, which is the largest producer of Apple products with its factories located in Guanlan, Longhua, and Chengdu. An audit of Foxxcon Technology Group revealed serious and pressing violations of Chinese labor laws. These Employees worked an average of 60 hours per week, while earning only $360- $450 per month. Employees were given the ultimatium to either obey the rules, work grueling hours, or to leave their employment positions. In 2010, at least 10 employees committed suicide, setting the tone of the miserable conditions that employees had to withstand. In response to the criticism following the Foxxcon suicide, Apple became the first technology company to join the Washington-based Fair Labor Association (FLA). Based on the analysis of discourses constructed by stakeholders in this case, the paper highlights the negotiation of stakes among various parties and the strategic management of Foxxcon in handling with stakeholders' pressures in this international business context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper suggests a new way of operationalising innovation capabilities of firms by incorporating intensity, scope and spillover effects of innovation. Based on panel data estimation of Korean and Chinese listed firms in high technology industries over four years, this study show that patent intensity rather than R&D intensity contributed to financial performance of firms in both countries. It also indicates that the depth of innovation capability in a few specific technology fields leads to better performance in Korea, while the diversity of innovation capability over different technology fields results in better performance in China. Furthermore, the positive spillover effect of neighbouring firms suggests that technologically related innovation efforts of other firms is a significant predictor of the firm's own innovation in both Korea and China as well as financial performance in Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The field corporate social responsibility (CSR) is extensively discussed in the specialized literature. However, the focus is generally on the developed countries, even if the need of CSR is more pronounced in the developing ones, due to the gaps in social, economic and environmental aspects. CSR is founded on the idea that corporations are in close relationship with the economic, environmental cultural and social systems, because business activities influence and are influenced by them. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the CSR activities developed by companies present in China (domestic and foreign) in close connection with the main challenges to the sustainable development of this country. To achieve this objective, the research methods used consisted in an investigation of the specialized literature and in an analysis of secondary data. The results show that the CSR activities in China have grown steadily over the past decade, the government's measures being a key driver. In this context, most of the state-owned companies have embraced CSR practices. However, environmental performance, labour practices, transparency and ethical behaviour are viewed as the most pressing CSR issues for businesses in China over the next decade. Therefore, CSR implementation needs both the managers' ethical awareness and the change of institutional framework. Meanwhile, to respond to the sustainable development issues, the companies would also need to embrace the so-called CSR Innovation, through which they could take the social, economic and environmental problems as a source for innovating new businesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is an overview of the history, evolution and current challenges of the Chinese Banking Industry. Early conclusions are that the industry segment has been rapidly restructuring and changing since 1979 when Deng Xiaoping implemented major market reforms and that these changes have accelerated with the Country's entrance into World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001. Evolving from a single government-controlled institution that acted both as a central and commercial bank, to multiple organizations dominated by market fundamentals and increasing competition, these changes have created several challenges for Chinese financial institutions. The preliminary conclusion is that the role Chinese banks will play in future economic development will be dictated by how well the banks are able to adapt to the new market risk and competition created by market reforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With rapid economic growth, China has witnessed the epidemic of childhood overweight and obesity. This paper contributes to this line of empirical study by employing switching regression model to study two groups of children: those who patronize fast food and those who do not. Moreover, we estimate and compare the counter factual weights of children in each of the two categories. Using the data from 2006 China Health and Nutrition Surveys (CHNS), we verify the positive impact of fast food consumption on children's BMI and also find that children's self-selection on fast food consumption affects two groups of children unevenly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper engages a long-standing debate between economics and the development state literature. Does state intervention have a positive or negative effect on firm performance. It also introduces a new concept: politicized capitalism which is the form of state intervention common in postcommunist economies--where the state is actually intervening inside the firm. Of interest to organizational analysis is the very careful account and measure of intervention, and the opening of the black box of the firm to see what is actually going on inside the firm when you have political interventions in corporate governance. The data is from firms listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange -- so-called "red chips" that are the core firms of the Chinese industrial economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper attempts a sociologically-grounded alternative institutional analysis of transitions, particular of China's economic transition. It attempts to challenge the prevalent studies on transitions, mainly efficiency-concerned and represented by Kornai, arguing for a paradigmatic alteration to institutionally-based historical comparisons. I believe that transitions are most sensitive to institutions. Thus such a mid-ranged complex sociologically-grounded institutional account may be fruitful to study transitional variations across regions, economic sectors, and business organizations, whereas a pure economic analysis of the comparative advantages is attentive merely to the exchange relations, costs of labor, land, and capital. The mainstream economics has propensity to focus exclusively on micro-economic analysis in terms of efficient transactions and firm streamline. But to analyze a national economy needs to go much further than those efficiency concerns. Second, I attempt to argue to treat transitions as forms of social action. This requires including a socially constructed perspective of the dynamic and subjective aspects (or subjectivity) of transitions. As such, to study China's transition is to examine how China's social expectations have changed and how China's own political processes and political developments have delivered such changes. Third, I also attempt to propose a need to consider institutions dynamically as social actors in making transitions. As such, one needs to investigate how institutional reforms and changes fared are able to implement various components of a transition. Fourth, I want to predict the historical persistence of China's economic openness along with further political liberalization. Yet it is unrealistic to perceive this persistence as an over-night product at one stroke. Despite a plausible short-run dyssynchronization between economic processes and political processes,. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In her study of how culture matters in the emergence of the life insurance market in the United States, Viviana Zelizer adopts a Weberian tradition to argue that the life insurance market was able to develop in the second half of the 19th century because there was a change in cultural values, specifically a growing awareness of the economic loss of human life, that made the public receptive to life insurance. Puzzles remain when we apply Zelizer's argument to the case of China. A life insurance market has been emerging in People's Republic of China in the 1990s without an acceptance of the economic evaluation of death. Based on an ethnographic study of the organizational practices of insurers, the interactions between the sales agents and the prospects, and clients' motives and meanings of buying life insurance, I argue that when culture as a shared meaning system is unfavorable to the emergence of a market, the constitutive properties of culture in Goffman and Swidler's conception make the market possible. Nonetheless, culture manifested as shared ideas and values has an influence on the trajectory and the features of the market. The life insurance market in China emerged first as a money management, rather than a risk management, market due to a cultural taboo on thinking and talking about death that is rooted in the Chinese concept of life and death. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the role of culture and institution in constituting consumption motives and preferences. Based on an ethnographic case study of buying life insurance among the Chinese in China, it explores how consumption is driven not only by economic reasons but also by culturally and institutionally factors. The findings indicate that the motives for buying life insurance of some kinds vary from time to time, depending on interactive interplays among the product features, the institutional arrangements, and the cultural schemas. The prominent motives have shifted from performing the etiquette of reciprocity and showing love for the child to acquiring economic gains and managing certain types of risk. The selection and purchase of a particular product is directly driven by a configuration of both cultural and institutional forces. The concept of life and death is the underlying force that structures the predispositions to favor certain kinds of products. The cultural and institutional properties that constitute the purchases vary in relation to the nature and the features of the products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traffic demand elastic is proposed as a new indicator in this study to measure the feasibility of the high-speed railway construction in a more intuitive way. The Matrix Completion (MC) and Semi-Supervised Support Vector Machine (S3VM) are used to realize the measurement and prediction of this index on the basis of the satisfaction investigation on the 326 inter-city railways in china. It is demonstrated that instead of calculating the economic benefits brought by the construction of high-speed railway, this indicator can find the most urgent railways to be improved by directly evaluate the existing railway facilities from the perspective of transportation service improvement requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the light of China's recent ascent as the world's second largest economy, this essay critically engages with current US public discourses around China. In particular, we explore how Orientalist knowledge about China is appropriated within neoliberal contexts. Our thematic analysis of news reports around China for 2010 in the New York Times led to three themes: (a) The Shoppers' Republic of China; (b) China's responsibility to consume, and (c) China as the space outside international law. Our critical analysis points toward the relevance of theorizing the interplay between Orientalism and Neoliberalism in contemporary US mainstream discourses of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past decade the imports from the People's Republic of China into the United States have risen from almost nothing to the point where China is now the leading supplier of imported apparel to the United States. As this change occurred, Hong Kong has played a major role in contracting and marketing for the Chinese textile and apparel producers, particularly those located in Guangdong province. As the integration of Hong Kong into China occurs in a formal way the relationship between Hong Kong and China will become even stronger and more influential on the United States market. A distinct possibility is that Hong Kong and Guangdong will be merged into a single economic entity in 1997 or soon thereafter. If that occurs, "South China" may become a separate nation in economic reality, if not in political structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]