Search results

Narrates the discussion between Juan (a corporate executive of a multinational company) and Audrey (an independent environmental consultant) when they sit next to each other on a flight. Explains, through the dialogue, some of the environmental pitfalls companies can encounter when basing operations in the USA, such as regulations relating to clean air, clean water, emissions, toxic pollutants, land use restrictions, species protection plans etc.). Makes the point that it is individuals who face civil and criminal penalties for breaking these regulations, not the company. Provides an overview of US environmental regulations and recommends that companies can avoid falling foul of the law through education, training and taking legal advice. Mentions ISO 14000 and 14001 environmental standards as a potential way forward, although they do not yet carry any weight under US law.

The uncertainty of the interval variable is represented by interval factor, and the interval variable is described as its mean value multiplied by its interval factor. Based on interval arithmetic rules, an analytical method of interval finite element for uncertain structures but not probabilistic structure or fuzzy structure is presented by combining the interval analysis with finite element method. The static analysis of truss with interval parameters under interval load is studied and the expressions of structural interval displacement response and stress response are deduced. The influences of uncertainty of one of structural parameters or load on the displacement and stress of the structure are examined through examples and some significant conclusions are obtained.

This article focuses on psychosocial barriers to sexual health and their implications on the design and delivery of mass media‐based public health campaigns. A family planning campaign that attempted to address barriers to seeking sexual health information and services by promoting positive attitudes toward couple's communication about sexual health care is presented. Specifically, this article reports how the campaign conducted formative research to develop audience‐centered, culturally sensitive messages, particularly with young adults, aged 18‐24 as well as Hispanic young adults (aged 18‐24); and utilized mixed‐media to effectively reach at‐risk populations.

The purpose of this paper is to test the merits of the view that the English language has emerged as the dominant language in international business. If there is merit to this view, then the ability to speak English and its role as a lingua franca in the global economy would imply that countries which have English as an official language should have a benefit over non‐English‐speaking countries vis‐à‐vis their abilities to undertake international business.

Within an augmented gravity model framework, the importance of the English language in explaining bilateral foreign direct investment (FDI) data within the OECD is tested. In addition to English, all other common official languages within the OECD are also tested. Furthermore, the linguistic distance to English is used to test whether closeness of languages to English enhance international business activity.

The results indicate that English‐speaking countries within the OECD do have a benefit that comes with the English language. Furthermore, countries whose official languages are linguistically close to English benefit from the special role played by the English language. These results therefore highlight the importance of the English language in deploying multinational strategies, even in countries whose official language is not English.

These results therefore indicate the importance of the English language in international business. As such, having a proficiency with English within any corporation should enhance that corporation's ability to engage in international business.

Sharing a common language with FDI partners enhances the ability to communicate, and hence enhances FDI between the countries. This paper extends this evidence to show that when the common language is English, the common language effect is strongest.

Of all oil products consumed by the Argentine Air Force (AAF), jet fuel is the resource with highest demand and at the end of the day the most expensive support item procured by the AAF. Accurate predictions of Argentine jet fuel prices are necessary to improve AAF financial and logistics planning. Multiple regression analysis is one such tool that can aid in accurately forecasting the amount required when procuring this valuable commodity. Using this methodology, we develop and illustrate a highly predictive model that has an adjusted R2 of 0.98 and an average percentage absolute error of 4%.

This paper seeks to present a model based on evidence‐based administration (EBA), which aims to facilitate the creation, transformation and diffusion of knowledge in learning organizations.

A theoretical framework is proposed based on EBA and the case method. Accordingly, an empirical study was carried out in two organizations to illustrate the value of the framework.

Results show the goodness of this framework applied to learning organizations, both at the individual and the group scale.

The present study provides a basis for further research in the joint application of EBA and the case method.

A new field of future research is open, applying learning from the medicine field, which has theoretically been suggested in managerial science. Managerial implications are also very important.

This paper aims to reflect the quality of Chinese economic growth and analyze its influential factors through measuring the change rate of technological progress and its contribution rate to economic growth between 1978 and 2008.

In this paper, an all factor productivity (AFP) method is taken. AFP is essentially a weighted sum of all input factors' productivity. Besides, general hypotheses for production function, such assumptions are not required as neutral technological progress, constant returns to scale and producer equilibrium in method of AFP. Furthermore, specific forms of production function are not needed and can be calculated directly. This method tries to relax the assumptions to make the estimated rate of technological progress closer to the reality in China.

Empirical research using the AFP method shows a contribution rate of AFP to economic growth has been significantly improved since reform and opening‐up; however, that AFP fluctuates during different periods. China's economic growth is driven by investment and mainly depends on accumulation of capital input and moderate technological progress. Generally speaking, China's change of technological progress is consistent with its economic growth and technological progress plays an important role in its economic growth. The paper concludes that it is becoming significant for China to speed up its large‐scale technological progress, strengthen indigenous innovation, accelerate human resource development, and to facilitate promotion of system reform in an in‐depth manner.

First, in order to ensure the accuracy measurement, and taking into account the impact of macro‐economic control policies, the rate of change of technological progress and its contribution to economic growth are measured, according to the stages of China's economic cycles. Second, the perpetual inventory method is taken to calculate the annual value of fixed asset investment, and price deflated index is used to convert fixed asset investment into comparable data of the base year, 1978. Since the data of fixed assets price index began to be released from 1992, data from 1978 to 1991 are obtained by mathematical method through extension. Third, the theoretical model of AFP is transformed into an empirical one to estimate the change rate of technological progress and its contribution to economic growth in China.