Cultural Values, Connection, and Participatory Cultural Divide: Chinese Generation Cohort Differences in Adoption and Use of WeChat

abstract: This study explores how WeChat, one of the most popular Chinese-based Social Network Sites (SNSs), has been adopted and used under different patterns between two Chinese generation cohorts, namely “The post-70” (i.e., people who were born in the 1970s) and “The post-90” (i.e., people who were born in the 1990s). Three major issues were examined in this Study: (1) what are the differences in WeChat connection between two generations; (2) how Chinese post-70 and the post-90 cohorts differ regarding their cultural value orientations and how those differences influence their WeChat connection; (3) if there is a participatory cultural divide between two generation cohorts. Two hundred and eight the post-70 cohort and 221 the post-90 cohort were recruited to complete a 91-item survey. Results indicated significant differences between the post-70 and the post-90 cohorts in WeChat adoption and use, collectivistic/individualistic (COL/IND) orientations, and participation in creating and spreading of popular online memes. Moreover, factors influencing human capital- enhancing activities on WeChat were examined. Also explored were the influence of cultural values on the motivations to connect to the Internet and frequencies of different types of WeChat activities. Major findings and limitations were discussed.Dissertation/ThesisDoctoral Dissertation Communication 201

Sustainability in design: now! Challenges and opportunities for design research, education and practice in the XXI century

Copyright @ 2010 Greenleaf PublicationsLeNS project funded by the Asia Link Programme, EuropeAid, European Commission

Core competitiveness strategic thinking in China's maternal and child healthcare hospitals: an exploratory study

In recent years, China has achieved rapid economic and social development. To keep up with the economic growth, China adopted two-child policy and started to reform the medical system. Against such backdrop, there is a huge increase in the demand for women and children's health services. However, the overall service capacity of the maternal and child care service centers in China cannot satisfy the growing demand. Therefore, it is necessary to update development strategies so as to achieve a sustainable and healthy development. Based on the resource-based view, this thesis studies the core competitiveness of the hospitals. First, we conducted three rounds of Delphi consultation with 32 hospital managers and research experts in public health from eight different institutions to finalize the evaluation index for the core competitiveness specially developed for Chinese maternal and child care service centers. In order to validate the evaluation index, we have proceeded with correlation analysis of core competitiveness with five other maternal and child care service centers of same level in China. An in-depth the case study of Shunde Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital. and through SWOT analysis, we have proposed strategies for improving the core competitiveness of Shunde Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital to adapt to new situations. Last but not least, through analysis of the key influencing factors of the hospital’s development in the past decade, we have proved the importance of improving the core competitiveness so as to adapt to changes of the environment. This study found that VRIO resources and capabilities, dynamic capabilities and unique hospital culture are the three key factors to ensure excellent performances for Shunde Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital. To be more specific, hospitals should adopt specialization strategies, develop a talent team, improve management and service abilities, develop cooperative medical service system, improve abilities to treat critical and difficult diseases and establish a culture that encourages innovation and people-oriented.Nos anos mais recentes, assistiu-se na China, um acelerado desenvolvimento socioeconómico. A par disso, assistiu-se à introdução da política de “dois filhos” bem como de outras medidas públicas reformativas do sistema de saúde que estão a ser implementadas com grande sucesso. Porém, a capacidade total das maternidades e hospitais pediátricos está, no entanto, longe de ser capaz de satisfazer toda a procura nesta nova era. Consequentemente, é necessário repensar as estratégias de desenvolvimento de modo a atingir um desenvolvimento sustentado da saúde. Com base na teoria de recursos, a presente tese promoveu uma análise sobre as competências nucleares dos hospitais. Em primeiro lugar, aplicou-se o método Delphi com três fases de consulta onde intervieram 32 gestores hospitalares e peritos em saúde pública de oito diferentes instituições para a construção de um índice de avaliação de competências nucleares de centros de maternidade e de pediatria. Para validação do índice de avaliação realizaram-se análises de correlação de competências nucleares com outros cinco centros de maternidade do mesmo nível que o "Shunde Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital". Elaborou-se um estudo de caso aprofundado do Shunde Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital e, com base neste e na aplicação da análise SWOT foram formuladas estratégias para a melhoria das capacidades organizacionais nucleares do hospital. Por outro lado, a análise de fatores essenciais de desenvolvimento do hospital nos últimos 10 anos, este estudo demonstrou, ainda, a importância da relevação das capacidades organizacionais nucleares na adaptação do hospital às variações da envolvente global. O presente estudo permitiu concluir que os recursos e capacidades organizacionais VRIO, o domínio das capacidades dinâmicas e a cultura específica do hospital são os três fatores chave de estratégia para que os hospitais pediátricos e de maternidade possam ter um desempenho superior. As medidas mais importantes no quadro das capacidades organizacionais nucleares a reter são a estratégia de especialização, a construção do um sistema de retenção de talentos, melhoria de competências de gestão, a construção de um sistema médico integrado e o estabelecimento de uma cultura de inovação e cuidado com as mães e progénitos

Law in the present future : approaching the legal imaginary of smart cities with science (and) fiction

This doctoral research concerns smart cities, describing digital solutions and social issues related to their innovative technologies, adopted models, and major projects around the world. The many perspectives mentioned in it were identified by online tools used for the textual analysis of two databases that were built from relevant publications on the main subject by authors coming from media and academia. Expected legal elements emerged from the applied process, such as privacy, security, transparency, participation, accountability, and governance. A general review was produced on the information available about the public policies of Big Data in the two municipal cases of Rio de Janeiro and Montréal, and their regulation in the Brazilian and Canadian contexts. The combined approaches from science and literature were explored to reflect on the normative concerns represented by the global challenges and local risks brought by urban surveillance, climate change, and other neoliberal conditions. Cyberpunk Science Fiction reveals itself useful for engaging with the shared problems that need to be faced in the present time, all involving democracy. The results achieved reveal that this work was, in fact, about the complex network of practices and senses between (post)modern law and the imaginary of the future.Cette recherche doctorale centrée sur les villes intelligentes met en évidence les solutions numériques et les questionnements sociétaux qui ont trait aux technologies innovantes, ainsi qu’aux principaux modèles et projets développés autour d’elles à travers le monde. Des perspectives multiples en lien avec ces développements ont été identifiées à l’aide d’outils en ligne qui ont permis l’analyse textuelle de deux bases de données comprenant des publications scientifiques et des écrits médiatiques. De ce processus analytique ont émergé des éléments juridiques relatifs aux questions de vie privée, de sécurité, de transparence, de participation, d’imputabilité et de gouvernance. De plus, à partir de ces informations a été réalisée une revue des politiques publiques relatives aux mégadonnées dans les villes de Rio de Janeiro et de Montréal, ainsi que des réglementations nationales du Canada et du Brésil en lien avec ce sujet. Finalement, à travers l’exploration d’écrits scientifiques et fictionnels de la littérature, les principaux enjeux normatifs soulevés localement et mondialement par la surveillance urbaine, les changements climatiques et les politiques néolibérales ont pu être mis à jour. Le courant cyberpunk de la science-fiction s’est avéré particulièrement utile pour révéler les principaux problèmes politiques, en lien avec la préservation de la démocratie, auxquelles sont confrontées nos sociétés présentement. Les résultats de la recherche démontrent finalement la présence d’un réseau de pratiques et de significations entre le droit (post)moderne et les représentations imaginaires du futur

Copyright law, digital content and the internet in the Asia-Pacific

This e-book provides an insight into the key issues facing copyright law and digital content policy in a networked information world, based on papers presented at the First International Forum on the Content Industry and Intellectual Property. Published by Sydney University Press, this e-book provides an insight into the key issues facing copyright law and digital content policy in a networked information world, based on papers presented at the First International Forum on the Content Industry and Intellectual Property. The book features chapters from a wide range of experts in their respective fields from across the Asia-Pacific region, including Australia, the People\u27s Republic of China, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Singapore. Some of the areas examined include the new digital environment, digital content policy, the networked information economy, copyright law and new media. The book provides a timely and scholarly appraisal of the legal and policy considerations facing anyone trying to regulate, sponsor or utilise the vast array of new media and content platforms now available

Data Rights Law 3.0

With a global view and a vision of our digital future, we should move forward with an understanding of data rights legislation at pace. The earlier we set the value norms around data in this digital long distance race, the more likely we will grasp the opportunities therein and embrace a future of commonly understood values. With a view to the future, the branch of Chinese law that is most likely to lead the world is that related to the digital economy. At the same time, if China wants to be amongst the world’s leading digital economies, the basics to be understood and promoted most are higher quality, fairer and more sustainable institutional protection for data rights and subject-relevant interests, and the ability to offer systematic and accurate legal rules within the various digital disciplines

University Teachers and Students’ Digital Competence: A Case Study of Gansu Agricultural University in China

[ES] Vivir hoy en día en una sociedad del conocimiento permite ser capaces de conocer los cambios en la estructura de la sociedad, las vinculaciones entre países y la adquisición de conocimientos, así como el desarrollo y la penetración cada vez mayor de la tecnología en todos los aspectos de nuestra vida. El brote del nuevo coronavirus (COVID-19) ha impulsado aún más la revolución en educación. El modelo educativo ha cambiado y con él llegan diversos retos. Se exige a los profesores y a los estudiantes que estén dotados de la competencia digital adecuada y de capacidad para utilizar con eficiencia diversas herramientas de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC), especialmente en educación superior. Además, la brecha de la competencia digital se amplía, no sólo entre los países desarrollados y los países en vías de desarrollo, sino también dentro de un mismo país, debido al desequilibrio del crecimiento económico, como la enorme brecha entre el este y el oeste de China. Es muy necesario mejorar la competencia digital para afrontar mejor los desafíos, reducir la brecha digital y adaptarse a esta sociedad del conocimiento, así como al nuevo entorno de aprendizaje. Los principales objetivos de esta tesis son: en primer lugar, presentar la definición de competencia digital en educación superior, indicar las dimensiones que se utilizan habitualmente para evaluar la competencia digital de los profesores y estudiantes universitarios, determinar el estado de la investigación en este campo e identificar las áreas de investigación futura mediante una revisión sistemática de la literatura y un estudio de mapeo. En segundo lugar, realizar un estudio empírico sobre los profesores y estudiantes universitarios de la Universidad Agrícola de Gansu, situada en el oeste de China. Para los profesores universitarios en activo, la atención se centró en la exploración de su competencia digital, el uso de las TIC por parte de los profesores y sus actitudes hacia el uso de las TIC en la educación. Con respecto a los estudiantes universitarios, especialmente los de primer y último curso, se hizo énfasis en la competencia digital de los estudiantes y sus actitudes hacia las TIC; y también se incluyó su disponibilidad de recursos tecnológicos, su potencial de competencia digital y la formación previa relacionada con las TIC y la competencia digital. Además, los factores que influyen en la competencia digital para determinar sus necesidades de desarrollo han sido examinados