The Effect of Emerging IT Groups on Coping with Rapid IT Change

Rapid IT change increases the complexity of IT management. In response, many organizations dedicate a group of IT professionals to evaluate emerging IT. A survey was sent to a nationwide sample of 1,000 IT organizations asking whether or not they had such a group, and how they coped with rapid IT change. Two hundred forty-six respondents provided data. The data revealed five categories of coping, Education and Training, New Procedures, Vendor Support, Consultant Support, and Endurance. Organizations with and without a group differed significantly on all but Endurance. These findings provide a basis for future research as well as a practical understanding of how IT managers cope with changing IT

Diffusion theory and multi-disciplinary working in children’s services

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how innovation in children’s services is adopted and developed by staff within new multi-disciplinary children’s safeguarding teams. It draws on diffusion of innovations (DOI) theory to help us better understand the mechanisms by which the successful implementation of multi-disciplinary working can be best achieved. Design/methodology/approach It is based on interviews with 61 frontline safeguarding staff, including social workers, substance misuse workers, mental health workers and domestic abuse workers. Thematic analysis identified the enablers and barriers to implementation. Findings DOI defines five innovation attributes as essential for rapid diffusion: relative advantage over current practice; compatibility with existing values and practices; complexity or simplicity of implementation; trialability or piloting of new ideas; and observability or seeing results swiftly. Staff identified multi-disciplinary team working and group supervision as advantageous, in line with social work values and improved their service to children and families. Motivational interviewing and new ways of case recordings were less readily accepted because of the complexity of practicing confidently and concerns about the risks of moving away from exhaustive case recording which workers felt provided professional accountability. Practical implications DOI is a useful reflective tool for senior managers to plan and review change programmes, and to identify any emerging barriers to successful implementation. Originality/value The paper provides insights into what children’s services staff value about multi-disciplinary working and why some aspects of innovation are adopted more readily than others, depending on the perception of diffusion attributes.

Rising carbon inequality and its driving factors from 2005 to 2015

Carbon inequality is the gap in carbon footprints between the rich and the poor, reflecting an uneven distribution of wealth and mitigation responsibility. Whilst much is known about the level of inequality surrounding responsibility for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, little is known about the evolution in carbon inequality and how the carbon footprints of socio-economic groups have developed over time. Inequality can be reduced either by improving the living standards of the poor or by reducing the overconsumption of the rich, but the choice has very different implications for climate change mitigation. Here, we investigate the carbon footprints of income quintile groups for major 43 economies from 2005 to 2015. We find that most developed economies had declining carbon footprints but expanding carbon inequality, whereas most developing economies had rising footprints but divergent trends in carbon inequality. The top income group in developing economies grew fastest, with its carbon footprint surpassing the top group in developed economies in 2014. Developments are driven by a reduction in GHG intensity in all regions, which is partly offset by income growth in developed countries but more than offset by the rapid growth in selected emerging economies. The top income group in developed economies has achieved the least progress in climate change mitigation, in terms of decline rate, showing resistance of the rich. It shows mitigation efforts could raise carbon inequality. We highlight the necessity of raising the living standard of the poor and consistent mitigation effort is the core of achieving two targets

Metrical Analyses on Population and Economic Growth and Urban ‘Quality Of Life’ of Metropolitan Cities in China during the 00s

In the first decade of the 21st century, along with rapid economic growth, China also experienced rapid urbanization, more specifically, the concentration of large populations from rural areas into urban areas. In 2005, the Chinese Government, in its Eleventh Five-Year Plan, had an attitude of promoting the sound development of urbanization, while also promoting cooperative development in regions. However, there has emerging some mass media reports on the shadow side of the rapid growth and the rapid concentration such as environmental problems e.g. pollution affairs since early of the 2010’s. These are the same as Japan had already suffered from the 1960's to 70's, so it suggests that the new era has come when Chinese inquire their 'Quality Of Life (QOL)'. This paper analyses 51 metropolitan cities (prefecture-level cities with over one million population in 2000). Firstly, mainly based on Population Census Reports data in 2000 and 2010, we examine the economic growth and the urban in-flow migration, and the relationship between these two kinds of the indicators in detail. We show a classification of 51 cities through cluster analysis and their geographical distributions, and then we summarize the dynamics of all over China economy and population during this decade. Based on published statistical data in 2005 and 2010 such as China City Statistical Yearbooks, we propose an indicator-system on China urban QOL of the 51 metropolitan cities. This QOL system is consisted of five groups of indicators (Education/ Daily-Life Convenience/ Urban-Life Enivironment/ Consumer-Side Sustainability/ Indstry-Side Sustainability) of 23 elemental indicators. At one time-point, QOL value is defined as an average of the group indicators, each of which is an average of each standard scores of the elemental indicators. On the other hand, ‘Change of QOL’ value is defined as an average of each standard scores of the change ratios of the elemental indicators. Using these kinds of QOL indicators, we also show a classification of the metropolitan cities through cluster analysis and their geographical distributions in China. Furthermore, we analyse correlations between the five group indicators of the QOL system and the economic level and its growth through MRA. As the results, there can be observed the negative values of correlation between GRP per capita and Consumer-Side Sustainability and so on statistical significantly

Aligning strategy typology and human resource management in a transitional environment : the case of Huabo Group

In a transitional society like China, it is a challenge to align an enterprise human resource management with its strategy while adapting to a dynamic external environment. There is limited studies in this regard, particularly on how private enterprises may align human resource management with strategy typology in a changing environment of emerging economy. Guided by the theoretical framework of strategy typology and human resources management alignment proposed by Miles and Snow (1984), this study investigates Huabo Group, a pharmaceutical distribution firm in Chongqing of China as a case study because this firm has developed and grown in a very dynamic, complex and hostile environment due to the rapid change of Chinese pharmaceuticals industry. Thus it provides a very illustrative sample to examine strategy typology and human resources management alignment in emerging market like China. Based on quantitative and qualitative data through survey and interview/focus group, this study: (1) finds and justifies the prospector strategy of Huabo Group under transitional external environment; (2) identifies and discusses the gaps and issues of aligning Huabo’s human resources management and prospector strategy; (3) proposes strategies to improve its human resources system to better align and support its strategy for the enterprise sustainable growth in a rapid changing environment. The study provides an illustrative case from Chinese pharmaceuticals industry to manage the challenges of aligning human resource management with organizational strategy while adapting to external environment in emerging economy, thus enriching theoretical literatures. The research results provide valuable reference for similar enterprises to give consideration to human resources management alignment during strategy adjustment under rapid changing emerging market like China.Numa sociedade em transição, como a chinesa, alinhar a gestão de recursos humanos de uma empresa com a sua estratégia e em simultâneo adaptar-se ao ambiente dinâmico externo constitui um desafio. A investigação sobre este assunto tem sido limitada, especialmente sobre como as empresas privadas podem alinhar a gestão de recursos humanos com uma tipologia de estratégia num ambiente mutável de uma economia emergente. Guiado pela matriz teórica da tipologia estratégica de Miles e Snow (1984), este estudo investiga o Grupo Huabo, uma empresa de distribuição farmacêutica em Chongqin na China, tomando-o como um caso de estudo por esta empresa se ter desenvolvido e crescido num ambiente hostil, complexo e muito dinâmico devido às rápidas mudanças na indústria farmacêutica chinesa. Desta forma, constitui um caso muito ilustrativo para examinar o alinhamento entre a tipologia estratégica e a gestão de recursos humanos num mercado emergente como o da China. Com base em dados quantitativos e qualitativos decorrentes de questionário e entrevistas/grupos focais, este estudo: 1) descobre e justifica a estratégia prospetora do grupo Huabo no quadro de um ambiente externo em transição, 2) identifica e discute as discrepâncias e os desafios de alinhar a gestão dos recursos humanos da Huabo com a estratégia prospetora, e 3) propõe estratégias para melhorar o seu sistema de recursos humanos com vista a um melhor alinhamento e apoio estratégico que favoreça o crescimento sustentável da empresa num ambiente em mudança rápida. O estudo faculta um caso ilustrativo da indústria farmacêutica chinesa para gerir o desafio do alinhamento da gestão de recursos humanos com a estratégia organizacional no quadro da adaptação a um ambiente externo numa economia emergente, assim enriquecendo a literatura teórica. A investigação constitui uma referência útil para empresas similares que queiram considerar o alinhamento da gestão de recursos humanos durante o ajustamento estratégico em condições de mercado emergente em rápida mutação tal como o da China

Global Risks 2015, 10th Edition.

The 2015 edition of the Global Risks report completes a decade of highlighting the most significant long-term risks worldwide, drawing on the perspectives of experts and global decision-makers. Over that time, analysis has moved from risk identification to thinking through risk interconnections and the potentially cascading effects that result. Taking this effort one step further, this year's report underscores potential causes as well as solutions to global risks. Not only do we set out a view on 28 global risks in the report's traditional categories (economic, environmental, societal, geopolitical and technological) but also we consider the drivers of those risks in the form of 13 trends. In addition, we have selected initiatives for addressing significant challenges, which we hope will inspire collaboration among business, government and civil society communitie

Impact of emerging and frontier economies on global markets

The emerging markets have been the source of global economic growth for quite some time now, with far-reaching effects to the rest of the world, in particular to advanced economies. It is not news that emerging markets have become the sweethearts of the financial press and a favorite talking point of governments, foreign trade advisors, and corporations worldwide. Although these markets were best known in the past as a commodity paradise, or the place to go for natural resources, cheap labor, or low manufacturing costs, emerging markets today are positioned for growth. This paper argues that rapid population development, growing middle-class, and sustained economic development is making many international investors and corporations look to emerging markets with new lenses, with substantial impact on advanced economies and the world as a whole.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309676049_Impact_of_Emerging_and_Frontier_Economies_on_Global_MarketsSupporting documentatio

Chinese multinational enterprises' firm-specific advantages and a critic on the international business theory

We argue that the extant literature tends to view that EMNEs do not have FSAs and in particular, innovation-based ownership advantages. This, however, is not a fact but a myth that deserves detailed examination. Drawing on a case study of four Chinese multinationals, we argue that some Chinese multinationals have brilliant innovation capabilities particularly in areas such as services-based innovation, architectural innovation and grafting innovation. This helps to explain their rapid rise and internationalisation. We therefore argue that Dunning’s OLI paradigm is still relevant in the context of EMNEs. However we also accept that the OLI paradigm needs to be taken with a complementary view that EMNEs also internationalise to augment their assets/capabilities. We call for further studies on EMNEs’ FSAs with a broader view of innovatio