Conceptualizing the Dynamics of Rhetorical Practice and Technological Frame in the Context of Technology Diffusion

This paper examines and conceptualizes the process underlying the diffusion of a back office messaging system connecting the financial transaction activities of fund houses in Europe and banks in Taiwan. Drawing on the theoretical notions of rhetorical practice and technological frame, it develops a socio-cognitive process framework to conceptualize how the articulation of rhetorical situations and the deployment of rhetorical strategies influence stakeholders' sense-making towards a new technology. A conceptual framework is developed to enhance understanding of technology diffusion by taking into account the dynamic interplay between rhetorical practice and technological frame. We show that the persuasive power of rhetorical practices is largely influenced by (i) the rhetors' ongoing advancement of local knowledge, assumptions and beliefs, and (ii) an effective deployment of a balanced rhetorical strategy to promote the technology to different stakeholders. We demonstrate that analysis of rhetorical practice helps to explain how the phenomenon of diffusion is linguistically afforded and discursively constructed into a reality

Information Technology Implementation and Organizational Change: A Dissipative Structure Theoretical Lens

Previous research on information technology (IT) implementation and organizational change postulates that neither technology nor human agency determines the new structure of the organization, but rather the new structure emerges as a result of the interplay between technology and human agency. A majority of these studies assume a linear relationship between contingencies and outcome during the emergence process. However, during the implementation process, the characteristics of organizations become non-linear, almost chaotic. Therefore, we postulate that approaching to IT-enabled change from complexity theory would be better suited to explain the emergence process. We propose a framework based on dissipative structure theory and specify four stages that organizations undergo during the implementation process. While the emergence process is considered unpredictable, we argue that with the help of certain organizational practices (i.e., organizational learning/unlearning) and managerial interventions (i.e., use of rhetoric), organizations can condition the emergence of the new structure for the success of the implementation. doi:10.17705/3JSIS.0001

Organising the socio-economic relevance of university research: the case of nanomaterials research in Taiwan

This thesis is concerned with academics’ behaviour when organising research aimed at being relevant. More specifically, this study combines a sociological approach and an extensive bibliometric analysis, investigating the relationships between scientists’ perceptions of relevance, their research behaviours and their publishing activities in terms of organising nanomaterials research in Taiwan. By introducing a resource-based concept of the notion of relevance from a scientist’s perspective, it contributes to intellectual debates on changes to knowledge production and the relationship between scientific excellence and socio-economic relevance. The study finds that the ways nanomaterials scientists perceive and organise their research, specifically in terms of research orientation, industry involvement and interdisciplinary collaboration, are not entirely oriented towards socio-economic concerns. Scientists tend to adapt to the demand for relevance by demonstrating potential research applications and forming interdisciplinary collaborations. Nevertheless, they are more persistent in terms of not having industry involved in the research process. Balancing adaptation and persistence reflects scientists’ concerns with securing financial, intellectual and symbolic resources in order to establish their academic credibility. The bibliometric analysis broadly confirms the qualitative results findings, showing an increasing trend towards publishing in applied and targeted basic journals, and towards interdisciplinary collaboration. Yet, the proportion of university-industry papers has been rather stable over time. While our interviews suggest that senior scientists tend to consider interdisciplinary collaboration as a way to facilitate application, the bibliometric analysis shows that interdisciplinary co-authored papers tend to be more basic and receive more citations. The analysis also finds that junior scientists tend to feel more pressure to achieve a strong academic performance, thereby pushing them away from activities concerning achieving the envisioned socio-economic relevance of their research. Given the ambiguous notion of relevance and the inconsistency of policy practices, this thesis suggests that the real pressure is more to do with the demand for excellence than for relevance

The societal culture dimension within the human resource practices of Taiwanese management in the UK

This thesis examines approaches to international human resource management by Taiwanese MNCs located in the UK. A range of international human resource management models are discussed, from the universalist paradigm originating in the US to more contextual models, particularly those emphasising the impact of culture. The key elements of Chinese culture and their application to management are reviewed Interview and questionnaire data is drawn from 32 Taiwanese companies operating in the UK in the manufacturing and financial services sectors, and is analysed using SPSS and NVivo packages. Key findings include that the cultural origin of Taiwanese managers remains crucial in the way they manage UK subsidiaries. The small size of the Taiwanese companies also influences their internationalisation and international human resource strategy. In addition, there is a sectoral difference in the different HR practices being adopted. Japanese MNCs have been the only non-western MNCs to have been studied in depth. Although the Japanese and Chinese have been said to share a similar culture, they are shown in this thesis to adopt different techniques to achieve their HRM goals. It is concluded that many goals similar to those of western models of HRM can be found in Taiwanese MNCs, but achieved through different HR practices, for example, group reward rather than individual reward for commitment. It is suggested that conventional HRM frameworks fail to readily explain companies of non-western origin and the thesis tries to develop an IHRM model suitable for Chinese MNCs. Following strong economic development in China, research on Taiwanese MNCs can contribute to future perspectives on Chinese internationalisation and management transfer

From early Tang court debates to China's peaceful rise

This volume presents new topics from Chinese history of the last 1400 years from a broad range of fields such as politics, religion, society, economy and culture. The refreshing eight articles give new insights on events as different as the inter-religious court debates of the Tang, the Jiaqing reform of the Qing, the China display on the Chicago World Fair in 1893, Christianity and state-building in Chaozhou, the Taiwan salt trade, Chinese indentured labour in World War I in France, China's rise and current internet regulation. This book highlights the complexity of multi-level interaction of different agents in the center and periphery of China, inside and outside China, contributing to intellectual debates, political and social dynamics, economy structure, modernization, identity building and interaction with the outside

From Early Tang Court Debates to China's Peaceful Rise

This volume presents new topics from Chinese history of the last 1400 years from a broad range of fields such as politics, religion, society, economy and culture. The refreshing eight articles give new insights on events as different as the inter-religious court debates of the Tang, the Jiaqing reform of the Qing, the China display on the Chicago World Fair in 1893, Christianity and state-building in Chaozhou, the Taiwan salt trade, Chinese indentured labour in World War I in France, China's rise and current internet regulation. This book highlights the complexity of multi-level interaction of different agents in the center and periphery of China, inside and outside China, contributing to intellectual debates, political and social dynamics, economy structure, modernization, identity building and interaction with the outside

Global Perspectives on NGO Communication for Social Change

This book examines the central role media and communication play in the activities of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) around the globe, how NGOs communicate with key publics, engage stakeholders, target political actors, enable input from civil society, and create participatory opportunities. An international line-up of authors first discuss communication practices, strategies, and media uses by NGOs, providing insights into the specifics of NGO programs for social change goals and reveal particular sets of tactics NGOs commonly employ. The book then presents a set of case studies of NGO organizing from all over the world—ranging from Sudan via Brazil to China – to illustrate the particular contexts that make NGO advocacy necessary, while also highlighting successful initiatives to illuminate the important spaces NGOs occupy in civil society. This comprehensive and wide-ranging exploration of global NGO communication will be of great interest to scholars across communication studies, media studies, public relations, organizational studies, political science, and development studies, while offering accessible pieces for practitioners and organizers

The Making and Circulation of Nordic Models, Ideas and Images

This critical and empirically based volume examines the multiple existing Nordic models, providing analytically innovative attention to the multitude of circulating ideas, images and experiences referred to as "Nordic". It addresses related paradoxes as well as patterns of circulation, claims about the exceptionality of Nordic models, and the diffusion and impact of Nordic experiences and ideas. Providing original case studies, the book further examines how the Nordic models have been constructed, transformed and circulated in time and in space. It investigates the actors and channels that have been involved in circulating models: journalists and media, bureaucrats and policy-makers, international organizations, national politicians and institutions, scholars, public diplomats and analyses where and why models have travelled. Finally, the book shows that Nordic models, perspectives, or ideas do not always originate in the Nordic region, nor do they always develop as deliberate efforts to promote Nordic interests. This book will be of key interest to Nordic and Scandinavian studies, European studies, and more broadly to history, sociology, political science, marketing, social policy, organizational theory and public management. The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license