Chains and networks,territories and scales: towards a relational framework for analysing the global economy

A vast and continually expanding literature on economic globalization continues to generate a miasma of conflicting viewpoints and alternative discourses. This article argues that any understanding of the global economy must be sensitive to four considerations: (a) conceptual categories and labels carry with them the discursive power to shape material processes; (b) multiple scales of analysis must be incorporated in recognition of the contemporary ‘relativization of scale’; (c) no single institutional or organizational locus of analysis should be privileged; and (d) extrapolations from specific case studies and instances must be treated with caution, but this should not preclude the option of discussing the global economy, and power relations within it, as a structural whole. This paper advocates a network methodology as a potential framework to incorporate these concerns. Such a methodology requires us to identify actors in networks, their ongoing relations and the structural outcomes of these relations. Networks thus become the foundational unit of analysis for our understanding of the global economy, rather than individuals, firms or nation states. In presenting this argument we critically examine two examples of network methodology that have been used to provide frameworks for analysing the global economy: global commodity chains and actor‐network theory. We suggest that while they fall short of fulfilling the promise of a network methodology in some respects, they do provide indications of the utility of such a methodology as a basis for understanding the global economy.     

A review of the Chinese cultural influences on Chinese enterprise management

In order to create and sustain competitive advantage, a company should not only develop technologies to create products and processes that meet customer needs, but also stimulate a corporate culture that commits to continuous performance improvement. Managing corporate culture is one of a number of important factors that make for organizational change and business success. This paper reviews the cultural roots and identifies the characteristics of Chinese cultural values and management. A comparative analysis of the differences between Anglo-American and Chinese cultures is made. The cultural influences on Chinese management systems are then elaborated with reference to enterprise management in Mainland China and Hong Kong. With unique cultural heritage, collective orientation has a pervasive influence on the mode of Chinese management and organization. The prevailing Chinese culture values stress largely the paternalistic approach to management, acceptance of hierarchy and the importance of relationships. Today's Chinese enterprises need to determine changes in practice or value or both aspects of corporate culture in order to facilitate organizational change and maintain a competitive edge over their rivals. The paper also discusses the links of cultural values to employee involvement (EI) and total quality management (TQM), and initiates a need to manage cultural influences on EI/TQM practices to improve organizational performance in Chinese enterprises.     

家庭结构、重大疾病和农村劳动力迁移

在四川省大样本农户调查数据基础上,利用Probit模型分析了家庭结构特征对农村年轻劳动力迁移的影响。研究发现在控制个人特征的前提下：三代同堂家庭显著支持了年轻劳动力外出,而核心家庭对劳动力的外出有显著负面影响;家庭中有未成年人会限制年轻劳动力的外出;年轻配偶的重大疾病显著地影响了年轻人的外出老年人的严重疾病反而促使年轻劳动力外出,但如果家庭中存在未成年人,则老年人的严重疾病会对年轻劳动力迁移产生显著负面影响。研究结果突出体现了当前中国农村劳动力迁移在很大程度上是一种家庭内部的分工行为,在制定社会保障政策时应该予以重视。     

University Influence on Student Opinion*

L'influence du contexte universitaire sur le liberalisme-conservatisme de l'etudiant est examine en utilisant un questionnaire qui fut administre aux etudiants de premiere et de troisieme annee. Une proportion plus importante d'etudiants de troisieme annee possedent une mentalite liberale par rapport a ceux premiere annee. Cette relation demeure constante lorsque l'ensemble des facteurs sous-jacents au liberalisme sont determines par des techniques empi-riques et tenus constants par des tableaux a double entree. Dans une large mesure les hypotheses reliees a l'engagement dans les affaires universitaires de meme que le processus par lequel on acquiert une mentalite liberale a l'uni-versite sont mis a l'essai et verifies. C'est ainsi qu'on suggere un cadre conceptuel rajeuni afin d'orienter les nouvelles recherches dans ce domaine.
University influence on student liberalism-conservatism is studied by means of questionnaires distributed to first- and third-year students. A larger percentage of third-year students are found to be relatively liberal and this relationship persists when the set of background factors most closely related to liberalism is empirically selected and held constant by cross tabulation. Hypotheses related to university involvement and the process of acquiring a more liberal attitude at university are tested and confirmed for the most part. A revised theoretical framework is presented as a possible basis for further research.     

Optimising the queuing system for an ear,nose and throat outpatient clinic

Several authors have considered the problem of the efficient running of hospital outpatient clinics. The first solution was probably by Welch & Bailey (1952). More recent authors include Fetter & Thompson (1966), Vissers (1979), Stafford & Aggarwal (1979). The Ear, Nose and Throat outpatient clinic presents a special case due to the complex queuing structure involved, which is described in the next section. A simulation of this special clinic was undertaken, any useful theoretical results being impossible to obtain.     

Government communication about potential policies: Public relations,propaganda or both?

In this article, we discuss some of the arguments for and against government communication about potential public policies. This form of government communication is controversial, as it can be perceived as tax-financed propaganda for the politician or political party that is in power. Our basic argument here, however, is that an administration can communicate about potential policies in an ethical manner that also strengthens the democratic relationship between politicians and citizens by opening up the policy formulation process.