Foreigners at the Gate: Foreign Direct Investment Regulations & Dispute Resolution Mechanisms in The People’s Republic of China

The elevation of law over politics is very new in China and the extent to which it is to be taken seriously is not always clear to the Chinese involved. The Chinese official and the Chinese citizen are part of a political structure in which the Party’s will and policies have been the most effective law… Laws and regulations have to be understood in this wider context of a society in which the formal legal position is only one consideration and still often not the most important

International diffusion and response : the social dimension of the EU-China relationship

The studies of political science and social policy have a strong tradition of analyzing the role of developed countries and the organizations like the European Union (EU) in shaping international diffusion of social policy. However, in-depth research focusing on the response of developing and emerging countries, in particular China, is lacking. Therefore, this dissertation presents an original analysis of the involvement of EU and China in bilateral and international social policy diffusion/transfer. It highlights the relational nature of the normative power Europe (NPE) and the impact of the recipient country China on the NPE. The dissertation conceptualizes the response of recipient countries to international diffusion and develops a typological framework of it. The dissertation refines the existing theoretical framework of policy learning by highlighting the complexity of learning through trial-and-error processes. It also illustrates the usefulness of careful case study design and content analysis in researching bilateral relations and refining the conceptual and theoretical frameworks of international diffusion. The analysis of the social dimension of the EU-China relations indicates that the EU’s mixed approaches combine pragmatic and normative concerns. The typological framework of the variability of response (VOR) introduced and developed in this dissertation is more capable of mapping China’s mixed response than the existing linear conceptual frameworks. China’s learning from European expertise in social security since late 1990s results from its reflections on the undesirable social consequences of neoliberal-oriented reforms since 1970s and has been reinforced by its successful cooperation with the EU in the past decade. The labour provisions travelling though free trade agreements from the EU has been restrained by some recipient countries including China. The findings unveil the complexity of the social dimension of the EU-China relationship due to each party’s mixed approaches. The findings indicate that the others’ positive perceptions of the EU are crucial for the success of the NPE. The dissertation accentuates complex causality in international diffusion including policy learning, which requires better understanding by taking different causal factors into consideration and refining existing theoretical frameworks including typological theories

Networking for the internationalization of SMEs: evidence from the Chinese context

This research emphasizes the active influence of a firm on network outcomes through its networking behaviour: the antecedent efforts undertaken by the firm to develop, manage, and leverage its networks for actual value creation in enabling/driving internationalization. Networking behaviour at the level of the firm is investigated as a core explanatory factor in the internationalization of SMEs in this study. The influence of the key decision-maker on the networking behaviour of SMEs is also examined. Eight qualitative case studies and a quantitative survey were conducted respectively in two stages to draw empirical evidence from the Chinese context. The in-depth case studies provide rich information about the latent factors (variables) of the constructs of the study and their associations, from which hypotheses for quantitative research are formulated. Case findings also support more comprehensive interpretation of the quantitative results. Quantitative analysis of survey data allows statistical validation and generalization of the findings. Findings of key behavioural aspects of networking concerning the likelihood of SMEs achieving (rapid) internationalization are derived. Network resources are identified to have possibly negative in addition to positive influences on internationalization. The findings highlight the significance of deliberate networking behaviour undertaken by a firm in pursuit of rapid internationalization. The research conceptualizes a precise causal model capturing the networking behaviour of the firm as antecedent to explaining and predicting network outcomes in the specific context of internationalization. The research advances an integrative perspective – with theoretical underpinnings from the network perspective, the internationalization model and the resource-based view – to provide more comprehensive understanding pertaining to networks and the internationalization of SMEs

Key Issues in Rural Development: A University Graduate Course

A graduate course on rural development issues is presented that focuses primarily on the processes involved in development both at a personal and abstract leve. A theoretical foundation for the course is outlined based on David Kolb\u27s theory of experiential learning. This model is transcribed into learning environments necessary to focus participant awareness of issues surrounding their own learning style. The role of the facilitator who demands attention to learning style as well as content in rural development is defined, utilizing Malcolm Knowles\u27 andragogical concepts. Finally the course curriculum is presented, followed by lesson plans and readings supplemental to the text books

The development problems of small island states: Zanzibar in its regional setting.

This is a study of the development problems of a particular category of developing countries, i.e., the developing small island state (SIS). The thesis seeks to establish their position within development theory emphasising the constraints that they confront in their development efforts. The main argument presented is that although small size is a development constraint, its effects are exacerbated by several other factors that are largely the result of not only size but also having a peripheral location and role within the global economy. A review and discussion of the literature relating to small states and SIS development is made focusing on the period following decolonisation when a plethora of Lilliputian states emerged. Their viability was questioned while more recently the emphasis has shifted to their vulnerability and to the need for sustainable development. Methodologically, the study identifies a range of problems commonly affecting SIS while through the use of statistical techniques a typology of SIS is identified. From this regional example, Zanzibar, the Comoros, the Maldives Seychelles and Mauritius are selected and an in depth comparative analysis is made. Through an historical approach, their post independence development experiences are analysed from which some important lessons are drawn. Focusing subsequently on Zanzibar, an empirical investigation is made focusing on its recent development experiences. The background to independence and the Revolution (1964) is analysed, identifying the socio-economic and political factors which have influenced its development before and after 1964. Three distinct phases are identified in post-Revolution Zanzibar. Though distinct from one another in their respective development strategies, they retain one common denominator, i.e. Zanzibar remains a dependent and vulnerable SIS

Believing and the Practice of Religion

Annotated draft manuscript of Believing and the Practice of Religion in which the author sought to spur a discussion about belief, a phenomenon that few religious scholars had addressed but that Bell held was central to the study of religion. This is a digital copy of the original manuscript located in the Catherine Bell Papers held by Archives & Special Collections at Santa Clara University

Winona Daily News

https://openriver.winona.edu/winonadailynews/1622/thumbnail.jp

Environmental Aspects in Global Modeling. Proceedings of the 7th IIASA Symposium on Global Modeling

The Seventh Global Modeling Conference concentrated on a key problem that, it was felt, deserved special attention, namely, the role of the environment in global modeling. The purpose of the conference was not so much to look back on what had been achieved (or remained to be done), but rather to examine what should be learnt for future modeling work from past achievements or omissions. It is hoped that the papers presented in this volume will give an overview of the problematique and of possibilities for future advances