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1 – 10 of 54Daniel T. L. Shek, Po Chung, Li Lin, Hildie Leung and Eddie Ng
After the handing over of Hong Kong sovereignty from 1997 and under the “one country two systems” model, the Special Administrative Region's Government initiated new policies of…
Abstract
Purpose
After the handing over of Hong Kong sovereignty from 1997 and under the “one country two systems” model, the Special Administrative Region's Government initiated new policies of civic education and amended or ignored the old ones. However, it was not until May 2011 that the complete new policy paper was introduced for consultation and then it was passed and issued as national education in April 2012. This article aims to analyze the civic education policy of Hong Kong in the transfer of power after the handing over in the following 15 years.
Design/methodology/approach
This policy analysis describes the preparations for Hong Kong’s future citizens and masters. Theories of citizenship education are adopted for this analysis. Moreover, theories of the state are also applied for more in‐depth understanding. These concepts are helpful to operationalize the contents of the study. It was a historical and comparative method to help to understand and explain the civic education policy of the HKSAR's governance.
Findings
Basically, it can be seen that the policies are anticipatory and responsive. The historical context of Hong Kong helped to make the correspondence with how the government expected to mold its future citizens in order to facilitate and implement their administration and governance.
Originality/value
This paper explores the role of the Hong Kong Government in the initiation and implementation of civic education.
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Fanny M.F. Lau and Gryphon Sou
Territory-wide system assessment (TSA) was launched and administered by Hong Kong (HK) Education Bureau (EDB) since 2004. Since then, parents and teachers have been questioning…
Abstract
Purpose
Territory-wide system assessment (TSA) was launched and administered by Hong Kong (HK) Education Bureau (EDB) since 2004. Since then, parents and teachers have been questioning its need, value, uselessness, effectiveness, harm for schools, teachers and students. In 2015, the issue blew up with Kau Yan School’s principal boycotting the tests. A series of discussions in the public and media and different surveys were then carried out widely in HK. After review, EDB announced in 2017 that the revised version of TSA be extended to Primary 3 students in HK. The purpose of this paper is to propose that TSAs for Primary 3, Primary 6 and Secondary 3 need a further review to judge their need and uselessness.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper reviews the educational policy governing the administration of the TSA. Primary and secondary data from focus group meetings, press interviews (Bogdan and Biklen, 1982; Miles and Huberman, 1994; Ouiment et al., 2001) and public reports would be analyzed. Besides, participant observation (Nosich, 1982; Sou, 2000; Sou and Zhou, 2007) and theoretical reasoning (Nosich, 1982; Sou, 2000; Sou and Zhou, 2007) have been applied for the critical review of this controversial test. The contrast study on the conflicting views of stakeholders in the education industry would bring up some insights of this controversial educational policy in Assessment for Learning.
Findings
Conflicting and contrasting perceptions from TSA to basic competency assessment (BCA) among stakeholders of education and government include governmental stakeholder – EDB’s awareness; EDB stressed that TSA is a low-stakes assessment which does not need extra practice for students; non-governmental stakeholders including legislative councilors’ perception, school principals’ perception, teachers’ perception, parents’ perception and students’ perception. Facing the opposition and grievances of different stakeholders, EDB announced in January 2017 that the revised version of TSA: BCA, be extended to HK in May 2017. Parents and legislative councilors were angry and they ask for a review or even cancellation for Primary 3 TSA.
Originality/value
This original study will initiate more thorough revisions and discussions for the TSAs for Primary 3, Primary 6 and Secondary 3 in HK, as a quality educational management step. While TSA for Primary 3 has been reviewed and substantially “revised,” the community at large still asks for further revision for its needs, uselessness and harm for parents, teachers and students. Since the underlying causes of students’ suicides are not fully identified, the problem of over-drilling practices for TSAs for Primary 3, Primary 6 and Secondary 3 needs to be satisfactorily resolved. Thus, TSAs for Primary 6 and Secondary 3, like that for Primary 3, should be reviewed for probable revision.
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This paper reports the results of a study on the half‐yearly reporting compliance practices of Australian and Singapore listed companies. The possible influence of four contingent…
Abstract
This paper reports the results of a study on the half‐yearly reporting compliance practices of Australian and Singapore listed companies. The possible influence of four contingent variables (country of origin, industry, company size and debt leverage) upon compliance practices is considered. In relation to the issue of half‐yearly reporting, a theoretical framework developed by Thomas (1991) is utilised by linking the variables examined to compliance practices adopted. 186 half‐yearly reports were examined for this study in the 1995/6 fiscal year from Australia and Singapore. The degree of compliance was measured using a compliance index. A series of statistical tools, namely analysis of variance (ANOVA), independent sample t‐test, logistic and multiple regressions, were used to analyse the data collected. Tests conducted to examine whether there was a significant country‐effect upon compliance practices adopted found overwhelming evidence to conclude that Singaporean companies' compliance was significantly higher than their Australian counterparts.
The purpose of this paper is to explore how biography influences professional and academic development. It aims to show how in different ways our experiences reflect the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore how biography influences professional and academic development. It aims to show how in different ways our experiences reflect the structures of society and that histories repeat themselves with different protagonists and different preys. It uses the author’s own biography to argue that in the author’s case, early influences of Irish migration shaped some of the decisions she made and her commitment to researching inequalities. The paper also asks how relevant are early life influences on the careers of equality and diversity academics?
Design/methodology/approach
This paper uses a biographical method that draws on a personal history of migration and relates these to historical moments to show the interconnection between the self and wider macro events.
Findings
The findings of the paper show the relevance and interconnection of biography with the macro and political context. The paper explores how an academic's personal biography[1] and the multi-layered relationship between the self and the wider macro historical context have influenced her research development. It does this by using her personal stories of being part of an Irish community and shows how everyday interactions may lead to a sense of being an outsider, of being other. History is used to show the multiple borders that Irish and other migrants experience, from biographic and diasporic borders, to violence and conflict and finally to work borders including the link with the author's research work. The paper argues that while the targets of discrimination may change over time, contemporary events can intensify the devaluation and othering of particular migrant groups.
Originality/value
Each biography has a unique element but the paper shows how individual biographies are connected and interrelated with the macro level of analysis.
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Eddie C.M. Hui and Ivan M.H. Ng
This paper aims to test the short‐ and long‐run interrelationships between Hong Kong's residential property market and stock market, as well as market fundamentals and…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to test the short‐ and long‐run interrelationships between Hong Kong's residential property market and stock market, as well as market fundamentals and China‐related factors, between 1990 and 2006.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors observed changes in the relationship between property prices and stock indexes by using Granger causality test, variance decomposition and CUSUM test. In contrast to some other studies, they have, at the same time, identified the break point(s) and variation of relation.
Findings
The findings reveal that the correlation between residential property price and stock index had become weaker over time, even though the trend of residential property price is similar to that of stock index during the sample period. Under such circumstances, it is more likely for investors to reap more benefits through portfolio diversifications.
Research limitations/implications
The credit price effect from the property market to the stock market, as observed between 1990 and 1994, has been replaced by a snowball effect within each of these two markets. In addition, stocks have become a hedge against inflation in the short‐run, while both stocks and real estate investments are utilized as such in the long‐run after 1995. Lastly, it appears that there are signs of interdependence between Hong Kong's stock market and the Chinese economy, whereas contagion might occur between China's economy and Hong Kong's property market.
Originality/value
The paper proffers some insights with regard to both real estate and stocks as investment options, and how closer integration between two regions (or nations) shape the interactions between various markets between them.
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Prior research has considered variations in accounting practice to be a function of a range of environmental factors. This paper investigates by means of a survey, the…
Abstract
Prior research has considered variations in accounting practice to be a function of a range of environmental factors. This paper investigates by means of a survey, the relationship between culture and professionalism. The results of the study have a number of implications for international accounting research, as they cast some doubt on the strength of relationship between culture and professionalism proposed by Gray. Furthermore, doubts are raised concerning the relevance of Hofstede's culture index scores in modern society.
Eddie C.M. Hui and Ivan M.H. Ng
The purpose of this paper is to apply a risk‐based option‐pricing framework for property developers to come up with the critical investment timings, based on their tolerance of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to apply a risk‐based option‐pricing framework for property developers to come up with the critical investment timings, based on their tolerance of risk.
Design/methodology/approach
The viability of a project is subject to the potential benefit and market conditions. Option embedded in the project is considered a perpetual call option that is an opportunity to establish a new building on a vacant land. With the aid of scenario testing, whether the immediate implementation is appropriate or not can be examined, and which key factor(s) affects the profit most can be assessed.
Findings
The results reveal that the chosen study case, Chelsea Court project, is highly favorable from a financial standpoint.
Research limitations/implications
Since the Samuelson‐McKean model specializes on non‐expired options that in general fit to the evaluation of options of a land development project with no maturity, it may be limited in evaluating projects with multi‐phases and a maturity date.
Practical implications
This valuation framework allows flexibility to assess the plausible investment timing under various suspicious circumstances about the property market.
Originality/value
The valuation framework presented in this paper provides advice for prospective property developers on whether to invest now or at a later stage to yield the best return.
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