Changes in Chinese work values: A comparison between the One-Child, Social Reform and Cultural Revolution Generations

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the changes in Chinese workers’ values by comparing the work-related values of the One-Child Generation, the Social Reform Generation and the Cultural Revolution Generation. Design/methodology/approach – A survey was conducted with 918 Chinese employees, the vast majority of them working for Chinese domestic firms in Guangzhou, Shaoguan, and Harbin. The collected data were analysed mainly using ANOVA, Tukey’s pairwise comparison and Kruskall-Wallis tests. Findings – The One-Child Generation was found to place less importance on income and job security, while possessing higher tolerance towards the practice of nepotism, than the older two generations. We found no significant differences in the levels of intrinsic values and altruism among the three generations. Additionally, our results indicate overall low altruistic values and high extrinsic values across all three generations of Chinese workers. Originality/value – China’s unprecedented generation of only-children as workers is an unknown factor. It is only now, over a decade after the One-Child Generation first entered the job market, that a comparative study between their work values and those of previous generations has become possible. This study exploits the momentum and is one of the first studies to include the One-Child Generation in the investigation of work value changes in Chinese society

Analysing cluster evolution using repeated cross-sectional ordinal data

This study contributes to the existing literature on tourism market segmentation by providing a new matching-clustering procedure that allows patterns of behaviours to be identified using repeated cross-sectional surveys. By extracting equivalent samples over time, the matching method allows inter-temporal cluster analyses to be performed so that a deeper insight into a phenomenon can be obtained beyond the traditional aggregate level of understanding. The paper provides a step-by-step description of the matching-clustering procedure that can be easily replicated, both within and outside the tourism field, when repeated cross-sectional data are available. From a practical and managerial perspective, the proposed procedure helps destination managers and municipal- ities to describe and verify the efficacy of policy and strategies adopted over years without the necessity to rely on longitudinal surveys, which are often difficult to conduct

European Working Time Directive : a prescription for regulating junior doctors' Working Time?

This study explores attempts to regulate working time in a particular part of the medical sector. The specific focus is upon the perceptions and experiences of those in whose benefit the legislation purports to be, namely the junior doctors. It considers how the broader debates surrounding the European Working Time Directive (EWTD) are manifested in this specific section of the medical profession. The study argues that historical modes of regulation through self-governance, professional autonomy and minimal state intervention have helped to foster opposition to the EC law among many senior doctors. Their views about working-time regulation are compared to those provided by junior doctors. This enables an assessment of the ways in which traditional self-regulation has been overtaken by subsequent forms of governance in the medical profession, namely new public management and statutory control. The accommodation in process underlines the significance of the medical profession's exclusive culture and socialisation processes. These processes facilitate the transmission of ideas on issues such as work conditions, and occupational resistance to measures such as the Directive. Conversely, the difference in attitudes between senior and junior doctors reflects the evolving nature of the profession in response to increasing in managerial authority and state intervention. Following on from these debates, the study explores the processes by which the various modes of regulation have been implemented and enforced. It considers the respective roles played by the state, hospital managers and the medical profession, exploring the impact of working time regulation, with particular reference to doctors' health, medical training, and medical staffing and services. The study provides an assessment of the emerging impact of the regulation itself. The study draws upon a mix of methods including semi-structured interviews with Pre-Registration House Officers and elite figures. The latter comprise policy-makers at EC, UK and devolved levels senior figures within the medical and health services, including employer and employee representatives and members of both the UK and European judiciary. Questionnaire surveys were also administered to all PRHOs practising in Wales. The study concludes that a combination of factors have diluted the potential impact of the EWTD. These include the inadequate monitoring and enforcement mechanisms of a regulation whose fundamental terms have been 'fudged' by the state on the one hand, and the widespread application of a rigid shift system by the medical profession and hospital managers to junior doctors' training and service on the other. As a result, views on the EWTD are inconsistent and the degree of compliance with its provisions is variable.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

The Effect of Tourism Taxation on International Arrivals to a Small Tourism-Dependent Economy

This paper examines the effects of tax policies on international tourist arrivals to the Maldives using the fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) panel data method. The Maldives is chosen as a case study because the nation is heavily dependent on tourism and earn up to 70% of total government revenue in tourism tax. As expected, the estimated tax elasticities show that tourism tax adversely influences inbound travel, but significant differences across source markets are observed. Specifically, a 10% increase in tourism tax reduces demand by 5.4%. The degree of responsiveness of tourism demand to changes in taxes is essential for tourism policy since a change in the cost of visiting a destination resulting from a change in tourism tax policies affects inbound tourism demand. Consequently, the effectiveness of current fiscal policies is a matter of concern for attracting international tourists to the Maldives

Consumers' Willingness to Pay for Quality and Safety in Clams

The aim of the research is to estimate the potential demand for certified clams in Italy and to investigate the determinants of maximum amount that respondents are willing to pay for this product. Quantitative analysis was used based on 1,067 face-to-face interviews collected in 3 Italian regions in the north bordering the Adriatic Sea (Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Veneto, and Emilia-Romagna) carried out during 2008. The consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) is measured using a contingent valuation method. In order to estimate separately the determinants of the probability that respondents are willing to pay and the maximum that they are willing to pay, a generalization of Tobit model was adopted. The results indicate that consumers are willing to pay a premium price mainly to purchase better quality products. The research provides some initial insight into consumers' WTP that can be useful for certified fish farming. © 2014 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

Me, My Girls, and the Ideal Hotel: Segmenting Motivations of the Girlfriend Getaway Market Using Fuzzy C-Medoids for Fuzzy Data.

Segmenting the motivation of travelers using the push and pull framework remains ubiquitous in tourism. This study segments the girlfriend getaway (GGA) market on motivation (push) and accommodation (pull) attributes and identifies relationships between these factors. Using a relatively novel clustering algorithm, the Fuzzy C-Medoids clustering for fuzzy data (FCM-FD), on a sample of 749 women travelers, three segments (Socializers, Enjoyers, and Rejoicers) are uncovered. The results of a multinomial fractional model show relationships between the clusters of motivation and accommodation attributes as well as sociodemographic characteristics. The research highlights the importance of using a gendered perspective in applying well established motivation models such as the push and pull framework. The findings have implications for both destination and accommodation management

Short-term changes of blood pressure and aortic stiffness in older patients after transcatheter aortic valve implantation

Background: Both aortic valve stenosis and aortic stiffness are moderators of arterio ventricular coupling and independent predictors of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Studies on the effect of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) on aortic functional properties are limited. We performed a study to investigate the possible short-term changes in aortic stiffness and other aortic functional properties after TAVI in older patients. Methods: TAVI Care&Cure is an observational ongoing study including consecutive patients undergoing a TAVI procedure. Central and peripheral hemodynamic measurements were measured non invasively 1 day before (T-1) and 1 day after (T+1) TAVI using a validated oscillometric method using a br

The behaviour of repeat visitors to museums: Review and empirical findings

This study presents a theoretical and operational framework for analysing repeat visit to museums. Starting from the literature on repeat visit in tourism, the specificities of these cultural attractions are made explicit through a review of theoretical and applied works. Consistently with previous contributors, the paper suggests that the analysis of actual past behaviours has to be preferred to the one of attitudes. The application of proper econometric models is also remarked in order to put into account individual profiles. Information coming from three techniques is then used in an integrated way in order to provide a more comprehensive view of the phenomenon. Evidence from an ad hoc survey suggests the necessity to give a greater attention to perceived cultural value during the visit, promoting cultural events during the week and addressed to children, and taking care of those visitors that come from far places also through an integrated tourist supply. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht