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Three types of industrial buyer-seller relational process models are available: joining theory, stage theory, and state theory. However, historically, these models have developed based on the knowledge and cultural context of the Western world. Several researchers note that national culture may have an impact on international industrial buyer-seller relationships. Including culture in the models is highly important, especially as the business environment is increasingly more global and different countries have different business cultures. The goal of this paper is to define the most suitable industrial buyer-seller relational process models for describing relationships in various contexts. The paper includes a through literature review and a single case study in order to reach this objective. A new state theory model evolved during the research. It consists of two beginning states: searching and starting; four purely middles states: constant/static, decline, growth, and troubled; and a purely end state: termination. The state of dormant/inert is both a middle state and an end state, that is, when the relational actors are not in contact does not mean that the relationship has ended, but instead, for example, new legislation may have been implemented, which requires the actors to evaluate their relationship and its future. A relationship goes through the two beginning states in the order mentioned above, but after that, any state may occur.

This study incorporates two Chinese cultural variables guanxi (personal relationship) and xinyong (personal trust) with other relational variables that are well defined in the west, i.e. supplier competence, commitment, conflict handling and satisfaction to see how they generate partnership relationship in a sino‐western relationship marketing context.

Research objectives are achieved through a combination of model building, quantitative design, testing of hypotheses using AMOS and analysis of findings. The subject scope is imbedded within cultural impact on relationship marketing in a sino‐western context.

This study finds that Western suppliers must be competent in product knowledge, market development, and adaptation to buyers' requirements to resolve conflicts in order to establish their xinyong with the buyers. Competence allows suppliers to show psychological commitment and establish guanxi with the buyers. It also shows that guanxi has a stronger influence on xinyong than on satisfaction. Suppliers should use guanxi to generate buyer's perception on xinyong whilst maintaining a reasonable level of buyer satisfaction with their products and services. Also, relationship between xinyong and satisfaction is not significant. A buyer's satisfaction on the supplier's product and services does not necessarily mean that this buyer perceives the supplier having xinyong because Chinese mix (up) business with personal relationships together and sometimes they make trade‐off between them!

This relationship study was conducted in a single‐product relationship context within the clothing industry in the PRC environment and therefore, its findings may not be generalised to other industry. Future Chinese relationship study should increase the sample size so as to cover more industries to allow comparison across industries. This is especially valid between a manufacturing and a service‐based industry. A service‐based industry may even emphasize more on guanxi and xinyong because of its intangible aspects! Future research should include the xinyong constructs, the concepts of face and reciprocity. To what extent these important Chinese cultural values affect satisfaction and xinyong have not been determined.

Effective conflict handling skills and guanxi are vital to formulate a xinyong positioning strategy. A supplier must be competent in product knowledge, market development skills, and adapt to a buyer's requirements to resolve conflicts with the buyer to establish xinyong.

This research is an initial attempt to establish the relationship between guanxi, xinyong and partnership relationship and generates a new research area in Chinese relationship marketing.

Aligned with cultural attraction theory, this study aims to propose a cultural attractiveness index (CAI) that helps tourism practitioners and scholars evaluate and track the cultural attractiveness of urban destinations (cities) in the context of sustainable development.

Applying the Delphi method, a panel of experts was recruited to conduct three rounds of review to generate dimensions and determine indicators and corresponding weights. This study then verified CAI with statistical data from three sample cities (London, New York and Beijing).

A 12-item three-dimensional index structure (cultural places, cultural activities and cultural atmosphere) was created as CAI. This study also applied the CAI to compare three sample cities. The comparison identified possible aspects to be improved in developing cultural attractiveness, confirming CAI’s usefulness in fostering sustainable development.

The new CAI offers an effective tool for ascertaining a sustainable city’s cultural attractiveness while extending the cultural attraction theory and filling the existing gaps in the literature through a benchmark instrument. The CAI also provides an effective tool for destination managers and tourism practitioners for their sustainable initiatives in cities.

本研究旨在于建立文化吸引力指数(CAI), 帮助旅游从业者和学者在可持续发展的背景下评估和跟踪旅游城市的文化吸引力。

本研究采用德尔菲专家咨询法, 聘请了一个专家小组对指标体系进行了三轮审查, 以建立评价维度、确定指标和相应的权重。最后, 该研究用三个样本城市(伦敦、纽约和北京)的统计数据验证了CAI。

本文创建了一个由3个维度12项指标组成的评价指数体系CAI（文化场所, 文化活动和文化氛围）。三个样本城市的相关统计数据也验证了CAI评价体系在促进城市可持续发展方面的科学性, 也通过跨城市比较找到各自可进一步提升文化吸引力的维度。

新的CAI为衡量可持续城市的文化吸引力提供了评价体系, 填补了现有文献的空白。该CAI还为目的地管理者和旅游从业者提供了一个有效的基准工具, 以促进可持续城市发展目标的实现。

alineado con la teoría de la atracción cultural, el estudio propone un índice de atractivo cultural (CAI) que ayuda a los profesionales y académicos del turismo a evaluar y rastrear el atractivo cultural de los destinos urbanos (ciudades) en el contexto del desarrollo sostenible.

Aplicando el método Delphi, se reclutó un panel de expertos para realizar tres rondas de revisión para generar dimensiones y determinar indicadores y pesos correspondientes. Luego, el estudio verificó el CAI con datos estadísticos de tres ciudades de muestra (Londres, Nueva York y Beijing).

Se creó como CAI una estructura de índice tridimensional de 12 ítems (lugares culturales, actividades culturales y atmósfera cultural). El estudio también aplicó el CAI para comparar tres ciudades de muestra. La comparación identificó posibles aspectos a mejorar en el desarrollo del atractivo cultural, lo que confirma la utilidad de CAI para fomentar el desarrollo sostenible en las ciudades de la muestra.

El nuevo CAI ofrece una herramienta eficaz para determinar el atractivo cultural de una ciudad sostenible al mismo tiempo que llena los vacíos existentes en la literatura a través de un instrumento de referencia. El CAI también proporciona una herramienta eficaz para los administradores de destinos y profesionales del turismo para sus iniciativas sostenibles en las ciudades.

Purpose: This paper contains an evaluation of the results from a survey on ISO 9000 certified hotels in Egypt. This study is focused on factors influencing the choice of the registration agency; problems with registration agencies; satisfaction level with the registration agencies and the use of training and consultancy in achieving the certification. Design/methodology/approach: Postal survey was used in this study to gather the required data from a sample size of 40 certified large hotels in Egypt. The sample was drawn from a list provided by ISO 9000 certification office in Egypt. A response rate of 60 per cent was achieved. Findings: The certified hotels in Egypt performed well in their registration process and benefited from ISO implementation. They were using their registration agencies for private consultancy and it has been recommended that they should avoid using their registration agencies for private consultancy as this creates conflict of interest and constitutes a violation of ISO 62. Originality/value: Adds to the body of knowledge concerning the ISO 9000 registration agencies in the service sector with particular focus on Egypt.

This paper aims to study the effect of external glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) plates on the flexural and shear behaviour of structurally deficient reinforced concrete (RC) beams, a total of ten 180mm×250mm×2,500mm beams, including over‐designed, unplated under‐designed and plated under‐designed, were tested under four‐point bending condition. Experimental results indicate that the use of GFRP plates enhances the strength and deformation capacity of RC beams by altering their failure modes. Application of side plates on shear‐deficient RC beams appears to be more effective than using bottom plates on flexure‐deficient RC beams. However, without any improvement of concrete compressive capacity, additional shear capacities provided to the beams under the action of side plates increase the likelihood of beam failure by concrete crushing. Simultaneous use of bottom and side plates on flexural‐ and shear‐deficient RC beams may result in reduced deflection.

The purpose of this paper is to determine a model of how a foreign businessman obtains and maintains cronyism from his Chinese counterpart that emphasizes on an insider perspective to convert him from a new friend to an old friend of his Chinese counterpart through a guanxi adaptation mechanism.

A vigorous analysis of extant literature and an investigation of insider dynamics within a new friend/old friend perspective.

Gift‐giving is strategic and a foreign businessman must manage its monetary value very cautiously in order to alleviate the “face” and provide renqing so as to generate ganging and to obtain cronyism from his Chinese counterpart. In saying that, relativism prevails. A foreign company must establish a zone of ethical tolerance so that its executive knows the limits when practicing gift‐giving. In China, an old friend is a supporter and therefore a foreign business should not openly criticize his Chinese counterpart. Frequent visits to China must be maintained.

A foreign businessman needs to understand the guanxi dynamics of renqing and ganging and their sequential arrangement in the adaptation mechanism. He should use gift‐giving to offer renqing so as to establish ganging with his Chinese counterparts.

Provides a depth analysis of two emotional aspects in the guanxi adaptation mechanism, i.e. renqing and ganging which is a definitive device to convert a foreign businessman from a new friend to an old friend of his counterpart in the Chinese market.

Advanced fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites have been increasingly used over the past two decades for strengthening, upgrading and restoring degraded civil engineering infrastructure. Substantial experimental investigations have been conducted in recent years to understand the compressive behaviour of FRP-confined concrete columns. A considerable number of confinement models to predict the compressive behaviour of FRP-strengthened concrete columns have been developed from the results of these experimental investigations. The purpose of this paper is to present a comprehensive review of experimental investigations and theoretical models of circular and non-circular concrete columns confined with FRP reinforcement.

The paper reviews previous experimental test results on circular and non-circular concrete columns confined with FRP reinforcement under concentric and eccentric loading conditions and highlights the behaviour and mechanics of FRP confinement in these columns. The paper also reviews existing confinement models for concrete columns confined with FRP composites in both circular and non-circular sections.

This paper demonstrates that the performance and effectiveness of FRP confinement in concrete columns have been extensively investigated and proven effective in enhancing the structural performance and ductility of strengthened columns. The strength and ductility enhancement depend on the number of FRP layers, concrete compressive strength, corner radius for non-circular columns and intensity of load eccentricity for eccentrically loaded columns. The impact of existing theoretical models and directions for future research are also presented.

Potential researchers will gain insight into existing experimental and theoretical studies and future research directions.

The purpose of this paper is to present the results of experimental and theoretical studies on the flexural capacity of reinforced concrete (RC) beams strengthened using externally bonded bi-directional glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites and different end anchorage systems.

A series of nine RC beams with a length of 1,600 mm and a cross-section of 200 mm depth and 100 mm width were prepared and externally strengthened in flexure with bi-directional GFRP composites. These strengthened beams were anchored with three different end anchorage systems namely closed GFRP wraps, GFRP U-wraps and mechanical anchors. All these beams were tested with four-point bending system up to failure. The experimental results are compared with the theoretical results obtained using the relevant design guidelines.

The experimental results demonstrate a significant increase in the flexural performance of the GFRP strengthened beams with regard to the ultimate load carrying capacity and stiffness. The results also show that GFRP strengthened beams without end anchorages experienced intermediate concrete debonding failure at the GFRP plate end, whereas all the GFRP strengthened beams with different end anchorage systems failed in rupture of GFRP with concrete crushing. The theoretical results revealed no significant difference among the relevant design guidelines with regard to the predicted ultimate moment capacities of the bi-directional GFRP strengthened RC beams. However, the results show that ACI Committee 440 Report (2008) design recommendation provides reasonably acceptable predictions for the ultimate moment capacities of the tested beams strengthened externally with bi-directional GFRP reinforcement followed by FIB Bulletin 14 (2001) and eventually by JSCE (1997).

The research work presented in this manuscript is authentic and could contribute to the understanding of the overall behaviour of RC beams strengthened with FRP and different end anchorage systems under flexural loading.

The implicit assumption underlying the work of most anti-corruption agencies (ACAs) is that they need to change public attitudes toward corruption to ensure a cleaner future. The means of achieving this objective usually rest on sanctions, prevention, and sermons. Changing attitudes is seen to be largely a matter of prosecuting the corrupt, putting preventive measures in place, emphasizing the negative social and criminal consequences of corruption, and exhorting the public to achieve higher moral standards. Engaging the public is rarely undertaken directly. If it were, it would entail a community relations approach based on face-to-face, decentralized interaction between the ACA and the public. In principle, this approach might have three significant advantages. First, it could enable the anti-corruption message to be communicated more directly and, possibly, more effectively. Second, it might assist the ACA in identifying groups within the community which have developed, or are developing, attitudes which are potentially antithetical to its objectives. Third, it could serve as a springboard for local anti-corruption initiatives which might help to embed desired practices in the community or groups within it. In this chapter, we examine the extent to which one of the few agencies to adopt a full-blown community relations strategy – Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) – has been able to achieve those benefits.