Teaching negotiation with computer simulations: Pedagogical and practical considerations

In Conclusion Two sets of issues — one set focused on teaching objectives, the other set on practical concerns — must be addressed if the instructor hopes to use computer-based teaching materials effectively in the classroom. If these issues are not addressed, the simulation may either be used in ways that do not forward the instructional objectives of the seminar or course, or the technology will not be managed and used in a manner that is most conducive to effective learning.     

We need a larger theory of negotiation: The importance of pre-negotiating phases

Negotiation Journal -     

比较是一面镜子--《中俄经济体制改革》评介

中国经济体制改革走过了20多年的历程,俄罗斯的社会经济改革也10年有余,这两个发展中大国的经济转轨一直备受世人瞩目,尤其是改革后的体制与结果更是引人注目、发人深省.     

中美应对国际体系转型的战略和举措

在当前国际体系转型的长期进程中,中美互动的侧重点和复合面主要在反恐、经贸、金融和能源等领域以及亚洲地区的分体系方面,双方在整个国际体系的指导思想和构建原则问题上存在差异.而且,随着国际力量对比的变化,中美在应对国际体系行为体多元化和多样化方面也面临新的挑战.在稳中有升的中美关系的大框架内,两国在国际体系中的互动具有两重性的特点,既有合作,也有竞争,但以前者为主.作为两个世界上的主要大国,中美互动将在相当程度上影响着国际体系的发展方向.     

Enhancing the effectiveness of international development: a systems approach

Every day 25,000 people die of hunger and hunger-related causes. While it is recognised that the international development system is not as effective as it should be, years of endeavours to achieve greater harmonisation of international aid and to create an effective architecture pass by without adequate results. The article introduces a framework for enhancing the effectiveness of the international development system, based on fundamental concepts of Systems Thinking. It discusses the complex systemic challenges to development and suggests that more effective control is a key precondition for greater effectiveness in development as a whole.     

The design of international trade agreements: Introducing a new dataset

Preferential trade agreements (PTAs) have been proliferating for the last twenty years. A large literature has studied various aspects of this phenomenon. Until recently, however, many large-N studies have paid only scant attention to variation across PTAs in terms of content and design. Our contribution to this literature is a new dataset on the design of trade agreements that is the most comprehensive in terms of both variables coded and agreements covered. We illustrate the dataset’s usefulness in re-visiting the questions if and to what extent PTAs impact trade flows. The analysis shows that on average PTAs increase trade flows, but that this effect is largely driven by deep agreements. In addition, we provide evidence that provisions that tackle behind-the-border regulation matter for trade flows. The dataset’s contribution is not limited to the PTA literature, however. Broader debates on topics such as institutional design and the legalization of international relations will also benefit from the novel data.     

Complex adaptive systems as a valid framework for understanding community level development

Complex adaptive systems (CAS) theory is gaining mainstream recognition in development policy and management. This article looks to the correlations between development theory and CAS theory to support an argument for the validity of community level development as a complex adaptive system. The article describes some theoretical and practical implications of using CAS theory as a framework for community level development. This includes a call for researchers and practitioners to understand more thoroughly the contextualised nature of development, and the communities in which development interventions are implemented.     

Dominant party systems: a framework for conceptualizing opposition strategies in Russia

This article explores the problems facing opposition political parties in Russia. In order to conceptualize the conditions in which opposition parties operate and which determine the strategies they adopt, the concept of dominant party systems is used as an analytical framework. Ideological flexibility, access to administrative resources, and the ability to mobilize key socio-economic groups (key factors in the maintenance of one-party domination) are all features associated with Russia's ‘dominant’ party, United Russia. It is argued that, whilst Russia is not a dominant party system along the lines of those which existed in Mexico and Japan, there are sufficient commonalities with such systems, in terms of the problems facing opposition political parties as to make comparison a useful exercise. The optimum strategies for opposition parties in dominant party systems (activist recruitment, ideological positioning and coalition-building) are identified and it is argued that these are all areas which Russian opposition parties need to address if they are to successfully challenge the regime and the ‘party of power’, United Russia.