New contracts: The key to change

Successfully managing change in an organization is very difficult. Paul Strebel sets out a new way of doing this, based on contract theory which states that stakeholders have both an explicit and implicit individual contract with their companies. These contracts must be modified if corporate change is to proceed.The author develops five propositions about the role of contracts in change management. Change can only succeed if these five propositions are satisfied and the operational implications fully understood and implemented.     

Lessons from the ‘made in Switzerland’ study: What makes a world-class manufacturer?

Many executives are currently striving to develop world-class manufacturing operations to ensure that they remain competitive in increasingly global markets. To do this, they are adopting a range of practices, from organisational changes such as empowerment and teamwork to the use of techniques such as pull production. Their goal is to substantially improve performance: faster cycle times, reduced manufacturing costs and greater customer satisfaction.The question of how far companies have moved towards world-class manufacturing is at the heart of the ‘Made in Switzerland’ project, a major benchmarking study of Swiss manufacturing practice and performance. The study was carried out in 1995 by IMD faculty and researchers working with consultants from IBM Switzerland. It is part of the internationally-based ‘Made in Europe’ project comprising similar studies in the UK, Germany, The Netherlands and Finland.The central hypothesis of the studies is that the adoption of best practice leads to high performance. The objective is to establish a benchmarking database for participating manufacturers around the world. The studies, which are highly structured, examine six areas of manufacturing practice and performance in detail and assess the relationship between them at individual plants. The areas covered in the study are quality, organisation and culture, concurrent engineering, logistics, lean production and manufacturing systems.Plants in each country are grouped according to their position on the practice and performance indices and then studied in order to pinpoint the issues and challenges facing the manufacturers within that group. Less than three per cent of the 800 plants currently on the ‘Made in Europe’ database are considered ‘world-class’. Yet for manufacturers striving to reach this level of performance, this small minority can provide some valuable insights for the way ahead.This article discusses many of the issues raised by the analysis described above, with particular reference to the ‘Made in Switzerland’ study. In the first section, it looks at the key lessons arising from the Swiss study and what insights these can provide for manufacturers, not only in the Swiss market, but across Europe. In the second section, it looks at how the study can be used for benchmarking and provides manufacturers with some general recommendations to help them focus their improvements and move closer to becoming world-class.     

谈谈不动产登记制度

不动产登记制度在物权法中占有重要的地位。与形式登记主义相比,实质登记主义更有助于发挥不动产登记的功能。在此基础上,应当确认不动产登记的司法性;相应地,不动产登记应当由特定司法机关统一承担;确立完善而全面的不动产登记种类,以充分发挥不动产登记的积极作用。     

我国行政伦理失范成因的社会文化环境分析

当前我国行政伦理失范的重要成因之一是几千年来我国传统文化对人们私人选择和公共选择行为的作用。文章试图通过对中国传统文化中的"官本位"、"人伦文化"以及"非规则化的规则化"3个部分来解释当前行政人员伦理失范行为的文化基础,指出正确地认识社会文化环境在当前发挥的强大惯性和运作基础,对于我国行政伦理的重构具有重要的现实意义。     

论“大众文化”产生和发展的历史与逻辑的必然性

“大众文化”的兴起和繁荣已是一个不争的事实,如何处理当代“大众文化”与“精英文化”之间的紧张关系,是摆在当代文化研究者面前的一道难题。本文通过分析当代“大众文化”产生和发展的历史的与逻辑的必然性,以期有利于说明当代文化发展的必然趋势,使“大众文化”与“精英文化”之间的融合成为可能。     

《1844年经济学--哲学手稿》的表层理论结构和深层理论的本质内容

<1844年经济学-哲学手稿>(以下简称<手稿>)因采用了从资本主义社会人的异化到共产主义社会人的复归的外在表述方式而留下了人道主义的残痕,但由于马克思当时基本实现了向唯物主义世界观和共产主义立场的转变,所以在<手稿>中运用了新的研究方法,这使<手稿>具有了历史唯物主义的深层理论结构.本文将通过对人道主义和<手稿>内容的具体分析来确证两者之间的本质差别,并进一步探究其中的新的研究方法.     

我国知识贫困的现状及其根源研究

在以知识创新为特点的新世纪,知识因素成为经济增长和社会进步中最重要的因素和贫 困的根源。作为发展中国家,我国在追逐知识发展这一"移动目标"的过程中,知识贫困现象愈显严重。 本文对我国知识贫困方面的现状及导致我国贫困现状的根源进行了较全面的分析研究。     

Pitfalls in planning for multinational operations

This paper reviews the planning practices in multinational firms, focusing particularly on the relationship between subsidiaries and head offices during the planning process. It examines the planning problems experienced by multinationals using a simple paradigm to classify problems according to whether their origin was primarily with home office or with subsidiary; with the planning system itself or with the managers involved in running that system.     

人事信息系统的基本环节

人事信息系统的主体框架有 6个基本环节 ,即人事信息的收集、加工、贮存、传输、反馈和利用 ,每一环节都有具体的目标要求。充分发挥人事信息系统的整体功能 ,能够强化人事管理的综合效能。     

自主学习模式与外语教学

自主学习,即由学生自主控制和调节学习材料及信息,并根据需要随时返回重复认知加工,从而使学习过程由容量和时间有限的短时记忆转化为容量和时间近乎无限的长时记忆,增强学习效能和积极性.自主学习模式与传统教学模式有质的不同.自主学习通过动机的唤醒和激励,目标和计划的确立与修订,方法、技巧与策略的掌握,结果和成效的评估与反馈来培养学生的探索精神、创造能力和实际运用语言的能力.