Suchergebnisse

We supplement extant literature on acculturation by introducing a new construct – individual acculturation action profile (IAAP) – consisting of a configuration of behavioural and experiential indicators that reflect an individual's previous and current contact with and participation in other cultures. We operationalise each IAAP indicator individually, and the IAAP construct as an aggregated index (IAAPi), by assigning different weights to each construct indicator based on the magnitude of its theorised influence. We distinguish the antecedents of IAAP at multiple levels. Whilst contextual factors are likely to enhance or hinder people's participation in other cultures, we propose a taxonomy that addresses the dynamism between context and individual initiative. This article thereby expands literature on acculturation, offering notable implications for advantageous acculturative processes and outcomes. The proposed operationalisation of the IAAP construct at the acculturation–organisation nexus can be applied to study many walks of society and outcomes at multiple levels.

With the implementation of the pilot Emission Trading Schemes (ETSs) in China since 2013, there emerges a new opportunity for investing in Chinese green technology (greentech) projects. Apart from trading the international CERs (Certified Emissions Reductions), investors nowadays can also trade the CCERs (Chinese Certified Emissions Reductions) in the domestic carbon market. However, the pricing of CCERs is different from that of CERs due to the distinct climate policies in China, thus making the investment decisions in Chinese greentech projects a complicated problem. This study is, to our knowledge, the first attempt to evaluate greentech projects under uncertain climate policies in developing countries like China. To identify the investment environment of Chinese greentech projects, a qualitative research on the development of climate policies and greentech market is first conducted. Based on the study of international climate polices and carbon markets, the pricing mechanisms of carbon assets (carbon allowances and carbon offsets) are investigated. Furthermore, China's climate polices, including the energy policies and emission reduction policies, are analysed in detail. In addition, both the administrative and economic instruments used in China's climate policies are investigated. Then, business opportunities and challenges in greentech market are investigated. It is shown that there is substantial demand for greentech projects, and the uncertainties embedded a Chinese greentech project in power sector mainly come from the CCER price and electricity price. To integrate the different stochastic price processes, a real-options-based greentech investment (ROGI) model is developed to derive the investment options value and the optimal investment timing. Considering the possible interventions of the government, the CCER price is modelled as mean-reverting process with jump and cap-floor. In addition, an equivalent electricity price is developed and also described by a mean-reverting process. To solve the ROGI model with various uncertainties involved, a least-square Monte Carlo (LSM) approach is developed. The proposed LSM algorithm is built within the dynamic programming framework. It is shown that the optimal investment strategy can be characterized by a continuation region. The proposed ROGI model is verified by a real case of wind power project investment in China. Sensitive analysis is conducted to examine the effects of the model parameters on the investment decisions. Different climate policy scenarios are then tested, including carbon price jump, carbon price cap and floor, and carbon tax. Several interesting findings are concluded from the results analysis in this study. First, it is found that investors are relatively insensitive to the jump in the CCER price, the volatility of the CCER price, or the mean-reverting speed. Second, the CCER price floor set by the government can effectively encourage greentech investments while the price cap is not a major concern of investors. Finally, the long-term growth rate of the CCER price as well as the carbon tax rate can also plays a significant role in investment decisions. ; published_or_final_version ; Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering ; Doctoral ; Doctor of Philosophy

How public's social and political power can be sustained in public space? From Tahrir Square to Zuccotti Park, physical public space reminded us of its multiple ambitions and capabilities for accommodating consequential political activities as well as everyday practice of life. Put plainly, place still matters. 'Design to Occupy' is a starting point for the revolutionary making of space as well as the making of public. The Occupy toolkit is made for the public to fully utilize the place of the public, the richness and complexity of the toolkit helps users to open a discussion of the interrelationship between individual and the commons, private property and public commodity, the implementation of biopolitics and biopower. The idea of antagonism is used here as a type of programmatic generator, it is when two different positions or views collide between different groups of people. Rather than try to erase this moment, we, as landscape architects, should nurture it and make tools for its production. The three scenarios: the totalitarian, the utilitarian and the utopian, are the demonstrations for three representations of space. They may coexist or standalone in one place at one time. The intent of the design proposal is not trying to render an ideal democratic space, but to promote an independently operating public space that question public's evolving dialogue with power and governance, especially in Hong Kong. The further intent of the proposal is to test a theory proposed by Michel Foucault, aiming to engage urbanism apparatus with biopower and biopolitics. To offer an idea that the usage of public space cannot be predetermined, but defined by discursive practice of everyday life. ; published_or_final_version ; Architecture ; Master ; Master of Landscape Architecture

Worldwide, many countries regard green as a keyword related to development, and investments into environmental protection are an important way for enterprises to achieve green development. Therefore, clarifying which factors influence enterprises to invest into environmental protection is very important. Starting from micro-enterprises and using the data from companies listed in China's A-share manufacturing industry from 2008 to 2019, in this study, we empirically analyze the relationship between corporate performance (CP) and the scale of investments by enterprises into environmental protection (EI) and analyze the moderating effect of industry competition on the relationship between CP and EI. The result shows that (1) a positive correlation can be found between CP and EI; (2) fierce industry competition can increase the positive impact of CP on EI; and (3) compared with industries with non-heavy pollution, fierce industrial competition increases the positive impact of CP on EI in industries with heavy pollution. The research results show that performance is a key factor influencing enterprises' decisions about investments into environmental protection, and industry competition can stimulate enterprises to invest into environmental protection. This study explores the internal and external factors influencing an organization to promote active behaviors of investing into environmental protection, provides a reference for enterprises to explore "win–win" paths, and provides a certain theoretical basis for the government to improve relevant regulations.

As an important measure of enterprise governance, internal control can enhance the organizational rationality of the enterprise, ensure that the enterprise consciously assumes social responsibility for the protection of the natural environment and resources, and promote the sustainable development of the national economy. Using data from China's A-share heavy pollution industry listed companies from 2009 to 2018, this study explored the relationships among internal control quality, enterprise environmental protection investment, and financial performance. The results show that the quality of internal control has a significant positive impact on enterprise environmental protection investment and financial performance. Enterprise environmental protection investment has a significant positive impact on financial performance and plays a partial intermediary role in the positive impact of internal control quality on financial performance. While expanding the theory of resource-based concepts, this study clarified the positive impact of corporate environmental management and practical behavior on corporate value and provides a theoretical basis for companies to actively implement environmental protection responsibilities, strengthen internal environmental management capabilities, and enhance corporate value. At the same time, it also provides a basis for the government to issue relevant environmental protection policies, strengthen enterprise internal control construction guidelines, and encourage third-party organizations to evaluate the effectiveness of enterprise internal control.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of COVID‐19 outbreaks on emergency patients in a resuscitation room in Nanning, China. METHODS: A single‐center cross‐sectional retrospective study was conducted in the emergency department of a tertiary public hospital from January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2020, in Nanning, Guangxi, China. We collected the data of patients in the resuscitation room to investigate the number of patients accessing emergency services during the study period. Data in 2020 were compared to the data during the same period in 2019. RESULTS: The number of emergency patients in the resuscitation room during the COVID‐19 pandemic has decreased in intrinsic diseases, extrinsic diseases, and pediatric cases, especially in the early stages of the pandemic. Additionally, the length of stay of emergency patients in the resuscitation room was reduced. CONCLUSIONS: The number of emergency patients in the resuscitation room during the pandemic of COVID‐19 in 2020 was reduced compared to that in the same period in 2019 in Nanning, China. This situation shows a serious social problem, which should arouse the attention of the medical profession and the government.