Showing papers by "Hong Kong Baptist University published in 1999"

Culture specific and cross-culturally generalizable implicit leadership theories: Are attributes of charismatic/transformational leadership universally endorsed?

Abstract: This study focuses on culturally endorsed implicit theories of leadership (CLTs). Although cross-cultural research emphasizes that different cultural groups likely have different conceptions of what leadership should entail, a controversial position is argued here: namely that attributes associated with charismatic/transformational leadership will be universally endorsed as contributing to outstanding leadership. This hypothesis was tested in 62 cultures as part of the Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness (GLOBE) Research Program. Universally endorsed leader attributes, as well as attributes that are universally seen as impediments to outstanding leadership and culturally contingent attributes are presented here. The results support the hypothesis that specific aspects of charismatic/transformational leadership are strongly and universally endorsed across cultures.

Replication and Theory Development in Organizational Science: A Critical Realist Perspective

Abstract: In this article we assess, from a critical realist perspective, the role played by replication in theory development We first present a concise review of critical realism and then reply to the objection that replication is not possible in the social sciences We go on to classify replications into six types along two dimensions Finally, we present a detailed argument for the significance of replication in social science research and propose a multifocal pattern of knowledge accumulation to be integrated with the scattered pattern commonly found in organizational science

Defining and developing autonomy in East Asian contexts

Abstract: Autonomy in language learning is sometimes presented as a Western concept unsuited to contexts, such as those in East Asia, which have different educational traditions. This paper argues that this view is unfounded but that we need to match the different aspects of autonomy with the characteristics and needs of learners in specific contexts. First the paper analyses the concept of autonomy as it relates to language learning and proposes a framework which would be applicable to learners in all contexts. Then it looks at three sources of influence which many teachers and researchers believe to have an important effect on students' approaches to learning in East Asia: the collectivist orientation of East Asian societies; their acceptance of relationships based on power and authority; and the belief that success may be achieved through effort as much as through innate ability. The paper then considers some of the attitudes and habits of learning which we might expect to result from these sociocultural influences. These are presented as hypotheses which might guide us towards a better understanding of our students but should not blind us to the immense variation that exists in reality. Within the framework for analysing autonomy developed earlier, the paper considers what aspects of autonomy might be most strongly rooted in East Asian traditions and how they might be developed in support of language learning. The paper warns against setting up stereotypic notions of 'East Asian learners' which, if misused, may make teachers less rather than more sensitive to the dispositions and needs of individual students.

A Cross-Cultural Test of a Model of the Work-Family Interface

Abstract: Recent efforts to more fully understand the mechanisms through which work and family experiences and their cross-over effects influence well-being have stimulated the development of integrative models of the work-family interface. This line of research is represented by the model which Frone, Russell, and Cooper (1992) tested with a sample of U.S. employees. In the current study, we examine the cross-cultural generalizability of this model among married Hong Kong employees. Results of the analyses suggest that many of the relationships among work and family constructs are similar across the two cultures, but that the nature and effects of the cross-over between family and work domains on overall employee well-being may differ. That is, life satisfaction of Hong Kong employees is influenced primarily by work-family conflict, while that of American employees is influenced primarily by family-work conflict. Limitations of the study and implications of the findings for assisting employees integrate their work...

Effects of water stress on photosystem II photochemistry and its thermostability in wheat plants

Abstract: Modulated chlorophyll fluorescence, rapid fluorescence induction kinetics and the polyphasic fluorescence transients (OJIP) were used to evaluate PSII photochemistry in wheat plants exposed to water stress and/or heat stress (25-45°C). Water stress showed no effects on the maximal quantum yield of PSII photochemistry (F v /F m ), the rapid fluorescence induction kinetics, and the polyphasic fluorescence transients in dark-adapted leaves, indicating that water stress had no effects on the primary photochemistry of PSII. However, in light-adapted leaves, water stress reduced the efficiency of excitation energycapture by open PSII reaction centres (F' v /F' m ) and the quantum yield of PSII electron transport (Φ PSII ), increased the non-photochemical quenching (q N ) and showed no effects on the photochemical quenching (q P ). This suggests that water stress modified the PSII photochemistry in the light-adapted leaves and such modifications may be a mechanism to down-regulate the photosynthetic electron transport to match a decreased CO 2 assimilation. In addition, water stress also modified the responses of PSII to heat stress. When temperature was above 35 °C, thermostability of PSII was strongly enhanced in water-stressed leaves, which was reflected in a less decrease in F v /F m , q P , F' v /F' m , and Φ PSII in water-stressed leaves than in well-watered leaves. There were no significant variations in the above fluorescence parameters between moderately and severely water-stressed plants, indicating that the moderate water stress treatment caused the same effects on thermostability of PSII as the severe treatment. It was found that increased thermostability of PSII may be associated with an improvement of resistance of the O 2 -evolving complex and the reaction centres in water-stressed plants to high temperature.

An orthogonal genetic algorithm for multimedia multicast routing

Abstract: Many multimedia communication applications require a source to send multimedia information to multiple destinations through a communication network. To support these applications, it is necessary to determine a multicast tree of minimal cost to connect the source node to the destination nodes subject to delay constraints on multimedia communication. This problem is known as multimedia multicast routing and has been proved to be NP-complete. The paper proposes an orthogonal genetic algorithm for multimedia multicast routing. Its salient feature is to incorporate an experimental design method called orthogonal design into the crossover operation. As a result, it can search the solution space in a statistically sound manner and it is well suited for parallel implementation and execution. We execute the orthogonal genetic algorithm to solve two sets of benchmark test problems. The results indicate that for practical problem sizes, the orthogonal genetic algorithm can find near optimal solutions within moderate numbers of generations.

Evolution of lowest singlet and triplet excited states with number of thienyl rings in platinum poly-ynes

Abstract: Soluble, rigid-rod organometallic polymers trans-[-Pt(PBu3n)2–C≡C–R–C≡C–]∞ (R=bithienyl 2, terthienyl 3) have been synthesized in good yields by the CuI-catalyzed dehydrohalogenation reaction of trans-[Pt(PBu3n)2Cl2] with one equivalent of the diterminal alkynyl oligothiophenes H–C≡C–R–C≡C–H in CH2Cl2/iPr2NH at room temperature. We report the thermal properties, and the optical absorption, photoluminescence, and photocurrent action spectra of 1 (trans-[–Pt(PBu3n)2–C≡C–R–C≡C–]∞, R=thienyl), 2 and 3 as a function of the number of thiophene rings within the bridging ligand. With increasing thiophene content, the optical gap is reduced and the vibronic structure of the singlet emission changes toward that typical for oligothiophenes. We also find the intersystem crossing from the singlet excited state to the triplet excited state to become reduced, while the singlet–triplet energy gap remains unaltered. The latter implies that, in these systems, the T1 triplet excited state is extended over several thiophene ...

Market Segmentation of Green Consumers in Hong Kong

Abstract: Market segmentation is one of the useful tools for marketers to define target markets. An intercept sample survey of 704 shoppers in Hong Kong was conducted to segment the market based on the past purchase of environmentally friendly as well as not-so-friendly products. Chi-square analysis and stepwise discriminant analysis were conducted to differentiate heavy and light green consumers using demographics and other environmental variables including green consumerism knowledge and perception about environmentally friendly products. It was found that heavy green consumers were more likely to have a higher education and a higher household income. They perceived that environmentally friendly products were good for their health and helped to save resources. Heavy green consumers were more likely to report that they perceived influence from other persons, the government and the green groups. They had a strong self-identity and think of themselves as green consumers and as someone who was concerned with...

Surface preparation and characterization of indium tin oxide substrates for organic electroluminescent devices

Abstract: The cleanliness of indium tin oxide (ITO) sub- strates used in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) is in- vestigated by contact angle measurement and by X-ray pho- toemission spectroscopy (XPS). It was found that ultraviolet (UV) ozone treatment is quite effective in removing organic contamination on the ITO surface. The degree of surface con- tamination was checked by changes in contact angles and by XPS. Strong correlation can be established between these two techniques. OLEDs fabricated from UV-irradiated ITO sub- strates exhibit low turn-on voltage and superior brightness. There are now widespread interests in using organic or poly- meric fluorescent thin films for fabricating electroluminescent (EL) devices (1, 2). The basic structure of an organic EL de- vice consists of one or more layers of organic fluorescent materials sandwiched between an anode and a metal cathode. In most cases, a thin film of indium tin oxide (ITO), with a thickness in the order of 0:1 mm, is used as the anode ma- terial. The ITO layer can be prepared by standard sputtering techniques onto a glass plate or a plastic substrate. Since ITO is a transparent conductor, it also functions as the viewing side for the EL device. Although there are now numerous re- ports on EL devices fabricated by many different materials, few reports have been devoted to the preparation of ITO for EL devices. Since organic EL devices are thin film devices, a small amount of contamination on the surface of the an- ode can severely alter the work function, or the interfacial barrier height between the organic layer and the anode. Un- less the anode is thoroughly cleaned, the electrical and optical characteristics can be highly unstable and unpredictable. It is, therefore, of utmost importance that the ITO substrate is carefully cleaned before deposition of the organic layers. A variety of methods (3-8) have been developed in the preparation of ITO surfaces for organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). A summary of these methods is shown in Table 1.

Determination of the sp3/sp2 ratio of a-C:H by XPS and XAES

Abstract: X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray excited Auger electron spectroscopy were used to determine some of the properties of diamond like amorphous carbon films deposited using saddle field glow discharge of methane. By applying the chemical shift technique and curve fitting technique to the C1s peak in the X-ray photoelectron spectrum of the film, we were able to determine the sp 3 /sp 2 bonding ratio of the films. The ratio from this method was in agreement (±1%) with that calculated from the X-ray excited Auger electron spectrum of the same film. The method was also applied to a-C:H films doped with different impurities (boron and phosphorus) in amounts varying from 1% to 20%. We found that the sp 3 /sp 2 ratio of the film was dependent on the deposition parameters and on types of impurities and their concentrations.

Moderating the outputs of support vector machine classifiers

Abstract: In this paper, we extend the use of moderated outputs to the support vector machine (SVM) by making use of a relationship between SVM and the evidence framework. The moderated output is more in line with the Bayesian idea that the posterior weight distribution should be taken into account upon prediction, and it also alleviates the usual tendency of assigning overly high confidence to the estimated class memberships of the test patterns. Moreover, the moderated output derived here can be taken as an approximation to the posterior class probability. Hence, meaningful rejection thresholds can be assigned and outputs from several networks can be directly compared. Experimental results on both artificial and real-world data are also discussed.

The Perceived Role of Ethics and Social Responsibility: An Alternative Scale Structure

Abstract: The Perceived Role of Ethics and Social Responsibility (PRESOR) instrument was developed in the United States by Singhapakdi et al. (1996b) as a reliable and valid scale to measure the perceived role of ethics and social responsibility in achieving organizational effectiveness. This study was carried out to confirm the factorial structure of the instrument and to assess its reliability and validity for use in Hong Kong, the finance and service heart of the Asia-Pacific region and a culture with clear differences in ethical attitudes and perceptions from those of the United States. Constructive replication of the exploratory factor analytic procedure of the original study with a representative sample of Hong Kong managers failed to support the hypothesized scale structure but instead suggested a different, two-factor, structure. Confirmatory factor analysis defined the alternative model which comprised two interpretable, negatively intercorrelated factorial scales, "Importance of ethics and social responsibility" and "Subordination of ethics and social responsibility in the achievement of organizational effectiveness". The model showed a high level of goodness-of-fit for the population and the two subscales, comprised of five items and four items respectively, were shown to have acceptable internal consistency reliability. Correlational and multiple regression analysis showed highly significant levels of association with the ethical ideology dimensions of the EPQ (Forsyth, 1980), used in the validation of the original scale, and with two ethical philosophy subscales derived from the ATBEQ (Preble and Reichel, 1988). The instrument is short, easily administered, is psychometrically sound and has considerable potential in the study of the perceived role of ethics and social responsibility in the achievement of organizational effectiveness.

Adaptive image segmentation with distributed behavior-based agents

Abstract: Presents an autonomous agent-based image segmentation approach. In this approach, a digital image is viewed as a two-dimensional cellular environment which the agents inhabit and attempt to label homogeneous segments. In so doing, the agents rely on some reactive behaviors such as breeding and diffusion. The agents that are successful in finding the pixels of a specific homogeneous segment will breed offspring agents inside their neighboring regions. Hence, the offspring agents will become likely to find more homogeneous-segment pixels. In the mean time, the unsuccessful agents will be inactivated, without further search in the environment.

Darboux transformation and soliton solutions for generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equations

Abstract: A Darboux transformation with multi-parameters for coupled generalized nonlinear Schrodinger equations is derived with the help of a gauge transformation of the spectral problem. As a reduction, a Darboux transformation of the generalized nonlinear Schrodinger equation is obtained, from which soliton solutions of the generalized nonlinear Schrodinger equation are given.

Decentralization Reforms and Regionalism in China: A review

Abstract: Since 1978, the decentralization reforms, in general, and the reforms in planning and fiscal systems, in particular, have brought about dramatic changes in the context of central-regional/local relationships, which have in turn generated a tremendous impact on and problems for China’s regional development This article aims to examine the impacts and consequences of China’s decentralization reform on regional development over the past seventeen years With a brief review of prereform experiences, this article focuses on the decentralization reforms of planning and fiscal systems in the 1980s and 1990s: the contract-responsibility reforms and the ongoing tax-sharing reforms, and their regional implications and consequences Special attention is paid to regionalism that is emerging as a result of these reforms The authors argue that regionalism, in forms of territorial segmentation and confrontation, was planted in the traditional administrative economic system, but grew and was exacerbated by the current

Algorithms for allocating wavelength converters in all-optical networks

Abstract: In an all-optical wide area network, some network nodes may handle heavier volumes of traffic. It is desirable to allocate more full-range wavelength converters (FWCs) to these nodes, so that the FWCs can be fully utilized to resolve wavelength conflict. We propose a set of algorithms for allocating FWCs in all-optical networks. We adopt the simulation-based optimization approach, in which we collect utilization statistics of FWCs from computer simulations and then perform optimization to allocate the FWCs. Therefore, our algorithms are widely applicable and they are not restricted to any particular model or assumption. We have conducted extensive computer simulations on regular and irregular networks under both uniform and nonuniform traffic. Compared with the best existing allocation, the results show that our algorithms can significantly reduce: (1) the overall blocking probability (i.e., better mean quality of service) and (2) the maximum of the blocking probabilities experienced at all the source nodes (i.e., better fairness). Equivalently, for a given performance requirement on blocking probability, our algorithms can significantly reduce the number of FWCs required.

Career issues and international adjustment of business expatriates

Abstract: Western business expatriates, mostly from the USA, France, the UK and Sweden, responded to a mail survey exploring career issues and their degree of international adjustment Unexpectedly, it was found that meeting career goals within the corporation does not significantly affect work adjustment, but it does have a positive impact on the other two dimensions of sociocultural adjustment, general and interaction adjustment As predicted, it does also have a positive affect on psychological adjustment, as measured by subjective well‐being Surprisingly, none of the other variables depicting career issues for expatriates, career development fit, wrong/ useful career move, and supportive corporate attitude to expatriation, had any significant effect on either sociocultural or psychological adjustment These unexpected findings are discussed in detail and approaches for further research in this area are recommended

From the special 2 + 1 Toda lattice to the Kadomtsev-Petviashvili equation

Abstract: The nonlinearization of the eigenvalue problems associated with the Toda hierarchy and the coupled Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) hierarchy leads to an integrable symplectic map S and an integrable Hamiltonian system (H0), respectively. It is proved that S and (H0) have the same integrals {Hk}. The quasi-periodic solution of the (2 + 1)-dimensional Kadomtsev-Petviashvili equation is split into three Hamiltonian systems (H0),(H1),(H2), while that of the special (2 + 1)-dimensional Toda equation is separated into (H0),(H1) plus the discrete flow generated by the symplectic map S. A clear evolution picture of various flows is given through the `window' of Abel-Jacobi coordinates. The explicit theta-function solutions are obtained by resorting to this separation technique.

Quasi-periodic solutions of the modified Kadomtsev-Petviashvili equation

Abstract: The (2 + 1)-dimensional modified Kadomtsev-Petviashvili equation is decomposed into systems of integrable ordinary differential equations resorting to the nonlinearization of Lax pairs. Abel-Jacobi coordinates are introduced to straighten the flows, from which quasi-periodic solutions of the modified Kadomtsev-Petviashvili equation are obtained in terms of Riemann theta functions.

Mispricing of index futures contracts and short sales constraints

Abstract: This article examines if changes in short sales constraints affect the extent to which index futures contracts are mispriced. In particular, the study analyzes the mispricing of the Hong Kong Hang Seng Index futures contracts. Tests are conducted over three distinct regulatory regimes relating to the short selling of stocks in Hong Kong. This permits a study of how changes in short selling regulations affect the mispricing of futures contracts. The study indicates that relaxing the constraints on short selling reduces the extent of futures mispricing. Multiple regression analysis is used to test the relationship between the magnitude of mispricing and various economic factors including cash market volatility, time-to-maturity of the contract, trading cost, and dividend payout rates. The study also finds that lifting of the short selling restrictions speeds up market adjustment, especially when a long-hedge (long futures, short stock) signal is detected. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 19: 695–715, 1999

Potential moderating influence of career growth opportunities on careerist orientation and work attitudes: evidence of the protean career era in Singapore

Abstract: The emerging transactional or protean employment contract appears to have precipitated the development of a careerist orientation on the part of employees. This study examined the generalizability of the construct in a collectivist culture and the potential moderating influence of career growth opportunities on the careerist orientation–work attitude relationships. The results tend to support the generalizability of careerist orientation across cultures and, importantly, showed an absence of a moderating influence for career growth opportunities, suggesting that organizations cannot effectively counter the negative effects of careerist orientation on work attitudes. Limitations of the study, directions for future research, and implication of the findings for organizational dependence on employees as a competitive resource are discussed. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.