Research on joint ventures in China: progress and prognosis

Previous published studies on international joint ventures (JVs) in China are reviewed and assessed by summarising important research patterns. A model of management of international JVs in China is developed which emphasises the central theme of cross-cultural management. Dimensions in research on international JVs in China and directions for future research are also discussed

How Will Comparative Effectiveness Research Affect the Quality of Health Care?

Outlines how the use of comparative effectiveness research on the relative merits of a healthcare intervention compared with others could improve quality of care and outcomes. Presents challenges in enhancing CE research and expanding its adoption

Business for Sustainable Society Project

This three-year project's main objective was: "How can business/industry realise a sustainable society?" The two goals for achieving the main objective were: (1) to identify promising business models for realising a sustainable society and develop relevant methods to quantify their potential while proposing measures to promote such businesses, and (2) to clarify the conditions of business/industry activities and a direction of local development that are suitable for sustainable local society. "Research on Environmentally-Sound Business Models (BM Research)" and the "Research on Environmentally-Sound Local Industry System (LIS Research)" were implemented with these two goals in mind. They were reinforced with associated research to accomplish the goals based on the results of a progress review that was made on completion of the first half of the Third Phase

A Multilevel Analysis of Implicit and Explicit CSR in French and UK Professional Sport

Research question: This paper examines the ways in which French and UK professional sports clubs implement and communicate their CSR policies. In addition to identifying similarities and differences between CSR practices in the two countries, our analysis extends and adapts the implicit-explicit CSR framework to the field of sport. Research methods: We used a mixed methods approach to analyse qualitative and quantitative data on the CSR strategies of 66 professional rugby union (Top 14, Aviva Premiership Rugby) and football (Ligue 1, Premier League) clubs over the 2017-2018 season. Results and findings: We found major differences in CSR communication between France and the UK. Communication by French clubs tends to highlight sport’s values, involve few media channels, whereas communication by UK clubs explicitly vaunts their social responsibility and involves numerous channels. In the case of CSR implementation, there are similarities between French and UK clubs, especially in the fields their CSR initiatives cover (e.g., health, diversity), as well as differences. However, the scope of initiatives varies more between sports than between countries, with football demonstrating a more international outlook than rugby. Implications: This article expands Matten and Moon’s (2008) implicit-explicit CSR framework by identifying the influence of interactions between sectorial/field-level factors and national/macro-level factors on CSR practices, and by distinguishing between CSR communication and CSR implementation. Our results throw light on the shift from implicit to explicit CSR in French professional sport

Using the Rural Economic and Enterprise Development (REED) framework for analysis and joint action: outline and workplan for action research

The framework for fostering Rural Economic and Enterprise Development (REED) which is based on the analysis of successes and experiences of programmes and projects by an international group of practitioners from different professional backgrounds and countries is an example of a more holistic and spatial approach to local, rural and urban development. The framework, which tries to address the shortcomings of the traditional rural-urban dichotomy, is comprised of ten cornerstones for successful intervention, covering the policy and institutional dimension, access to infrastructure, services and markets, entrepreneurial competence and stakeholder links (see Figure 1). The REED framework can be applied at different levels, i.e., national and regional, because it is areabased. For example, many decisions concerning the political, economic and institutional environment for Rural Economic and Enterprise Development are made at national level. Decision-makers on public policies for rural areas are charged with designing strategies for rural development. Increasingly, this is done in a programmatic way, such as in inter-ministerial committees for designing PRSPs, sector investment programmes (SIPs) and sector-wide approaches (SWAPs). The REED framework adds value to the planning process because it feeds the perceptions, needs and experiences of relevant stakeholders in a systematic way. Where the focus is on developing a certain region (at sub-national level), regional development authorities can use the REED framework to create a dynamic environment for economic activity and to stimulate innovation. In this way, the specific characteristics of the region and the relevant framework conditions can be taken into consideration when elaborating and formulating key strategies, processes and possible ways to implement them, related to the individual cornerstones (see Figure 1). Within the cycle of typical government and donor-supported public investment, policies/ interventions, there are several options for applying the REED framework

Nursing research for a multi-ethnic society

Summary points • Conducting research that appropriately and sensitively pays attention to ethnicity presents an important challenge to nursing researchers and demands particular competencies. • Nursing research must recognise the multifaceted nature of ethnicity and the varied ways in which health-related experiences and outcomes may be associated with ethnicity. • Ethnic identities are complex and fluid so that using fixed ethnic categories in research requires careful consideration. • Describing and explaining differences between ethnic 'groups' demands careful attention to sampling, data generation and analysis so that partial or misleading interpretations are avoided. • Researchers should be alert to the potential for research on minority ethnic groups to do more harm than good and should seek to ensure that their research focus and approach is informed by the experiences and priorities of these groups

Providing innovative planning education experience: teaching regional planning in an international context

Rapidly changing economic, social, and environmental conditions have created a need for urban and regional planning practitioners who are resilient, innovative, and able to cope with the increasingly complex and cosmopolitan nature of major metropolitan areas. This need should be reflected in planning education that allows students to experience a diverse range of approaches to problems and challenges, and that exposes students to the diverse array of perspectives on planning issues. This paper investigates the outcomes of a collaborative regional planning exercise organised jointly by planning academics from both Queensland University of Technology and the International Islamic University of Malaysia, and involving planning students from both universities. The regional planning exercise consisted of a regional appraisal and report topics of the area under investigation, Klang Valley – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It culminated with the presentation of regional development strategies for the area, with a field trip to Malaysia being the cornerstone of the project. The collaborative exercise involved a series of workshops and seminars organised locally, in which both Australian and Malaysian planning students participated, as well as meetings with local and federal planning officials, and also a forum for Young Planners of Australian and Malaysian Planning Institutes. The experience attempted to bridge the teaching of theoretical concepts of regional planning and development and the regional, more professional knowledge of planning practice, as it relates to specific political, institutional and cultural contexts. A survey of participating students, from both Queensland University of Technology and the International Islamic University of Malaysia, highlights the benefits of such project in terms of leaning experience and exposure to different cultural contexts