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The purpose of this paper is to explore the differences in international student mobility (SM) in two contrasting countries: UK and China, at national, institutional and individual levels. Both are countries in transition in a greater global context. The objective is to identify what these countries can learn from each other about the issues and policies surrounding the management of educational mobility.

An inductive approach was employed to understand real-life experience via multiple case studies. Participant observation and semi-structured interview methods with a variety of stakeholders were used to collect data which were then subjected to a thematic analysis to identify in which areas countries had developed good practice.

Over-arching themes were developed through comparing national findings. These reveal that national policy and family support are most influential in China, while British universities largely drive SM at an institutional level.

The significance of this knowledge lies in the potential for social impact and reform of successful mobility schemes. International mobility equates to social mobility through global employability of those who engage. Global citizenship is regarded as one of the paths to world peace and understanding. Mobilising a younger generation can contribute to better regional integration and international stability as part of an idealistic approach to geopolitics.

Concluding that neither country has a comprehensive and complete approach, this study proposes the areas in which all both could develop and details good practice. The value therefore emerges from the comparison and contrast and the practical focus of the research.

Purpose – This chapter will explore how Jean Quan was elected as Oakland’s first Asian American and woman mayor and the numerous challenges to lead the city’s governing coalition. Quan sought to build a diverse coalition to run the city. She has devoted her efforts to those in greatest need as she navigates the multiracial and multidynamic politics, and build her administration as progressive, inclusive, and universal.Design – This research uses voting records, U.S. Census data, media accounts, and interviews with local participants to study the research questions for this chapter; how and why did Jean Quan get elected as Mayor, and what has been her approach to leading the city’s governing coalition?Findings – This chapter’s preliminary findings after 18 months in office are that Mayor Quan has stabilized her governing coalition and has gotten back on track to begin to achieve her campaign goals.Research limitations and future research – The major limitation of this chapter’s research is Mayor Quan has been in office only 18 months, which is a short time to study Quan’s governing coalition and whether she will sustain this coalition in the coming years. Future research is needed to study how Quan compares to recent Oakland mayors and to other Asian American local elected leaders of large cities.Impact of research – This research builds upon previous research on Asian Pacific Islander elected officials at the local level and adds to the growing body of research on minority mayors and local elected officials.Value of research – As the United States grows increasingly diverse those who govern its cities have also become more diverse in the 21st century. This research makes an important contribution to the study of a fast growing population APIs and their elected leaders.

Fast‐developed IT products have had a great impact on high technology business. With increases of foreign investments flowing into Chinese IT markets, the impact of national culture and ethnicity on consumer behaviour has become a recognized issue. The main purpose of this paper is to examine how Chinese and western national culture differences significantly influence IT customers' purchasing decisions underlying Chinese IT markets.

A structured survey was used for this study. Owing to the difficulties of covering huge geographic areas in China, the two largest and modern cities, Beijing and Shanghai, were chosen as the target cities where the 200 questionnaires were distributed to both Chinese and western customers.

By sampling US customers as representative of western nations, different choices regarding using text message service, cell phones and personal digital assistant are compared between Chinese and US customers. The results indicate that the Chinese customer tends to be more a follower of his “friends” than to be “myself” compared with western customers.

The significant impact of national culture differences on IT products has not been fully acknowledged yet, particularly vis‐à‐vis of the Chinese markets. This research provides insights into the IT industry and market by comparing consumer behaviours between Chinese and US customers. The results can be a guide for IT products manufacturers who in particular are interested in high technology business in mainland China.

The Amalgamation of Functions The requirements of the first engine controllers were primarily to satisfy the needs of the engine and, almost as an afterthought, to consider interface with the aircraft and the pilot. The latter resulted in the overwhelming plethora of “essential” ground test‐sets and cockpit instruments that we see today. In a performance and integrity conscious world, beset with ever increasing costs and sometimes decreasing maintenance personnel skills, the engine controller can no longer be considered in isolation from the rest of the system that it serves. The obvious ability of a digital system to self‐check and diagnose itself, its interface with the real world, and to make intelligent decisions based on those tests, has enhanced the case for digital engine control.

Gives an in depth view of the strategies pursued by the world’s leading chief executive officers in an attempt to provide guidance to new chief executives of today. Considers the marketing strategies employed, together with the organizational structures used and looks at the universal concepts that can be applied to any product. Uses anecdotal evidence to formulate a number of theories which can be used to compare your company with the best in the world. Presents initial survival strategies and then looks at ways companies can broaden their boundaries through manipulation and choice. Covers a huge variety of case studies and examples together with a substantial question and answer section.

In this article a proposal of a non‐traditional methodology in achieving optimal flexibility with minimal inventory risk will be applied. The non‐traditional methodology will be able to achieve different levels of the production schedule changes with maximum flexibility and minimal inventory risk. The basic principle, implementation methodology as well as its effectiveness and benefits will be discussed. In order to overcome the risk of achieving flexible manufacturing or enhancing supply chain management, this article will address issues on methods to accommodate production sequence changes which include total production quantity change in a short lead time. The study uses the Family Ordering System methodology which has proven capable in solving manufacturing flexibility issues by reducing the total manufacturing lead time. Family Ordering System provides the flexibility of model changes and reduces production line stoppage as a result of part shortage by carrying extra inventory of unique parts.

Absent Chief Entrepreneur/Intrapreneur (‘Ntrepreneur) Officer (CNO) Churchill’s un wavering commitment of significant resources to the unproven radar (Decision to Dare) as early as the autumn of 1937, Great Britain would have not survived as a nation: No country survival. Absent Watson, Jr.’s unwavering determination to push IBM into computers, launching in 1951 the Defense Calculator, which at $3 million “was by far the most expensive project in IBM history,” IBM would not have survived: No corporate survival. From the [rather flimsy] briefing by Dr. R.V. Jones weaving fact and fancy, how did Churchill draw the firm conclusion that radar would be invented; and risk rewriting the entire plans for the air defense of Great Britain around radar? How did Watson, Jr. dismiss the unanimous recommendation of IBM’s 18 best systems experts that magnetic tape had no place at IBM; and launch the most expensive project at IBM to break into the unknown field of computers? Based on first‐person narratives, how could the single input of relatively flimsy data produce as the output, the certain realization of a futuristic technology? The most‐cited work on the psychology of decision‐making (Kahneman‐Tversky) is seen to be in applicable. Sigmund Freud’s Self‐Analysis offers a method of systematic introspection/ret rospection. We develop an established sequence of ordered procedures (Protocol) of memory management (Memory Management Disequilibria Dimensions (MD2) Protocol) which applies equally well to both the country and corporate survival decisions, and offers some suggestions to improve Memory Management for Decisions to Dare.

Globalisation is generally defined as the “denationalisation of clusters of political, economic, and social activities” that destabilize the ability of the sovereign State to control activities on its territory, due to the rising need to find solutions for universal problems, like the pollution of the environment, on an international level. Globalisation is a complex, forceful legal and social process that take place within an integrated whole with out regard to geographical boundaries. Globalisation thus differs from international activities, which arise between and among States, and it differs from multinational activities that occur in more than one nation‐State. This does not mean that countries are not involved in the sociolegal dynamics that those transboundary process trigger. In a sense, the movements triggered by global processes promote greater economic interdependence among countries. Globalisation can be traced back to the depression preceding World War II and globalisation at that time included spreading of the capitalist economic system as a means of getting access to extended markets. The first step was to create sufficient export surplus to maintain full employment in the capitalist world and secondly establishing a globalized economy where the planet would be united in peace and wealth. The idea of interdependence among quite separate and distinct countries is a very important part of talks on globalisation and a significant side of today’s global political economy.

Outlines the provisions of the US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act (1991) (FDICIA) and presents a study of its effects on banks and their customers. Develops a mathematical model to identify the factors contributing to the price of loans and applies it to 1977‐98 data from large and small banks. Shows that charges are affected by loan size, bank size and FIDICIA cost effects; with especially high margins in the middle market. Rejects the idea that higher interest rates are linked to increased loan defaults.

The purpose of this paper is to understand the institutionally driven changes impacting organizational accounting manipulation in Vietnam’s emerging transitional economy. Specifically, this study explore how Vietnamese accountants and regulators explain questionable accounting transactions and their rationalization for those practices, especially during the period of accounting system transition from Vietnamese accounting standards to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

The study uses interview-based methods involving 22 Vietnamese accountants, financial managers, audit partners and regulators.

This study have found dysfunctional approaches to revenue and expense recognition underpinned by institutional theory. At play is a combination of opportunities relating to weak accounting standards and organizational controls; management pressure; and a desire to avoid unwanted scrutiny from Vietnamese regulators.

This study does not include the views of non-financial managers or other accounting users. Future research could focus more on the perceptions of these other stakeholder groups.

Accounting manipulation can be collusive, therefore, regulators should have a stricter view and broader examination in the monitoring process.

This study examine accounting manipulation through the lens of New Institutional Sociology and also share the views of the accountants and regulators. This study argue that weak accounting standards are not the only factors contributing to accounting manipulation. When evaluating the existence of accounting manipulation, this paper find a combination of factors including: opportunities for manipulation, pressure from management and the rationale behind the conduct. These factors should be interpreted in context.