The impact of foreign-owned enterprises in low-income economies

An economic impact snapshot of foreign and domestic enterprises from the functional economic areas of Guinea-Bissau showed that not all micro and small enterprises (MSEs) are local, and not all outside investment is large scale. We find that South–South entrepreneurship has prospects to improve livelihoods as drivers of economic growth and development in a low-income economy. While political instability and a lack of resources remain as barriers to solvency for both domestic and foreign investors in the global periphery, as opportunities and effective business strategies are fostered, improved socio-economic integration and development results.     

Balancing act: Business and household in a small Bolivian city

Sucre is a city of micro enterprises. The lines between business and household are often blurred: accounts are mixed, space is shared, and partners from outside the household are rare. On the surface, this kind of business organisation seems most inadequate for economic success. Yet a closer look at the internal workings of Sucre's businesses suggests that the complex 'balancing act' between business and household may represent not sloppy management (as micro-enterprise development agencies often maintain), but a flexible strategy for household well-being. Sucre's businesses essentially follow 'triple bottom line' accounting at the household level, taking into account both financial and non-financial goals.     

Banking on the poor: Peru's small and micro enterprise sector

Sixty per cent of Peru's urban workforce is employed within the small and micro enterprises (SMEs) which account for 95 per cent ofall business in the country's manufacturing, commercial, and service sectors. But in spite of credit needs of some US$ 1,250 million, in 1994 the combined input from the formal financial sector, international development agencies, and NGOs met only five per cent of this demand. The author examines the six principal mechanisms through which credit is available to SMEs, and describes the work of a Peruvian NGO network- IDESI- which specialises in providing credit and related services to small businesses, and in making strategic linkages between the popular sector and the conventional banking system.     

Can Business Development Services practitioners learn from theories of innovation and services marketing?

Business Development Services (BDS) programmes have become big business for international donors and NGOs. Focusing on small enterprises in developing countries, the current BDS approach assumes that the development of commercial markets is the key to success. Yet many of these programmes continue to have a limited impact. A review of modern theories of innovation and services marketing management suggests that this may be because current BDS support practice reflects a rather limited understanding of how new markets actually develop. Drawing on the insights that these theories offer, the authors suggest that BDS practice should develop a more evolutionary approach, recognising that service innovations develop through active, on-going interaction between suppliers and customers. The article concludes with practical policy guidelines and a discussion about tools that could help BDS to adopt this more successful approach.     

Small-scale social-environmental enterprises in the green economy: supporting grassroots innovation

To achieve a top-to-bottom growth of the “green economy”, incentives and enablers need to be identified for those micro enterprises working at the grassroots level. A three-year study of 1,300 social and environmental enterprises in developing countries reveals how they are developing new products and services for their communities, using new business models. But their scale-up is hampered by lack of access to research and technology support and gender barriers, as well as challenges with complex partnerships, progress monitoring, and financial viability. A large pool of innovative ideas remains untapped and an opportunity to build a sustainable economy is being missed.     

Emergency relief programmes for pastoral communities

This article makes the case that emergency relief programmes in pastoral areas of Africa do little to relieve the fundamental effect of famine, which is destitution. It argues that traditional mechanisms of coping with drought are often disrupted by food-aid programmes, especially Food-For-Work. Three case studies from Sudan and Kenya are used to support the argument. The article concludes by making policy recommendations for emergency programmes to be more effective in meeting the primary need of pastoralists following severe drought, which is to rebuild herds and therefore their livelihoods.     

Determinants of firm compliance to environmental laws: a case study of Vietnam

This paper seeks to develop a model of firm compliance behavior to environmental laws with specific focus on firms operating in Vietnam. Using an institutional approach, the paper employs Scott’s (Institutions and organizations, 2nd ed., Sage, Thousand Oaks 2001) “Three pillars of institution” as the generic theoretical framework for the synthesis of literature on compliance across fields. This study used a questionnaire-based survey to examine the validity of the factors identified in the literature. The method was face-to-face interviews with the managers of 63 enterprises operating in Vietnam. The hypotheses were tested using mean importance ratings, t-test of the means, and factor analysis. Almost all the listed factors determining compliance were found to be applicable to the responding companies. The level of importance placed on different factors were analyzed using Anova test and were found to vary across companies with different sizes and business structures.     

中国与越南企业收入核算的比较

中国与越南的会计准则和会计核算方法有不少相同之处，也存在着明显的差异，在收入核算方面，两国对收入的确认条件和计量原则基本相同，但对收入范围的界定，具体业务的计量、收入账户处理及披露都存在着差异。     

Facilitating industrial symbiosis programmes in developing countries: reflections from Gauteng,South Africa

This viewpoint reflects on how to improve the process of introducing facilitated industrial symbiosis programmes (FISPs) to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries. Although FISPs are a long-established industrial practice, their formal introduction to SMEs in developing countries has only recently begun, mostly through support from international development agencies. Based partly on anecdotal evidence from Gauteng, South Africa, we identify six key questions which need to be addressed to improve the process of facilitating FISPs.     

Enhancing competitiveness and securing equitable development: Can small,micro, and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) do the trick?

Many governments and aid agencies believe that small businesses can contribute to promoting more equitable development, as well as enhancing the competitiveness of local industries within a global economy. While small, micro, and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) may have a role to play in creating jobs, and generating and redistributing wealth, they need to overcome many obstacles. This article stresses the importance of understanding the specific context, establishing priorities among competing policy goals, and distinguishing between the actual and potential roles of different kinds of enterprises (by sector, size, and geographical location). Only on such a basis is it possible to identify the resources and policies most appropriate for each goal and each type of enterprise. These arguments are illustrated with reference to South Africa, whose government has sought simultaneously to promote SME development, Black Economic Empowerment, and global competitiveness.     

Health programmes for the disadvantaged

The implementation of health programmes by external health professionals (‘givers?s) in disadvantaged communities (‘receivers?s) faces a variety of interactional barriers, some of which can be appreciated within the framework of the doctor-patient relationship. This article identifies the problems of cultural dissonance, unrealistic expectations, hostility, and non-cooperation that sometimes arise within the giver-receiver relationship, and outlines strategies to deal with them. The recognition and resolution of these issues are important to ensure the success of health programmes.     

“Journalism ideology” and its influence on the producers of Radio Sonder Grense radio current affairs

In the same way that people can have a political or a personal ideology, their professional identities and how they practise a craft or an occupation may be influenced by what can be labelled as a “professional ideology”. Through conducting interviews with the producers of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) Afrikaans radio programmes Monitor, Spektrum and Naweek-Aktueel, this article reports on research which showed that there is indeed such a thing as a “journalism ideology”. The interviews focused on how “internal influences” – such as a journalist's background and training, newsroom routines – and “external influences” – such as the audience – influenced the decisions they made in choosing news stories and producing content. This “journalism ideology” influences the producers and in turn the news content of these current affairs programmes that are listened to daily by almost two million listeners. The conclusion drawn from the study is that, although the participants’ “journalism ideology” largely determines the news stories for their programmes, structural forces, newsroom routines and organisational constraints often dictate their actions. Finally, although all the participants saw themselves as “watchdogs of democracy”, internal pressures within the SABC could endanger that role.     

How Does the Business of News Influence Terrorism Coverage? Evidence From The Washington Post and USA Today

Observers argue that the business of news is responsible for worsening the coverage of terrorism, but exactly how economic considerations influence coverage is controversial. Based on an analysis of over 1600 articles from The Washington Post and USA Today, we find that concerns about the effects of economic pressures on terrorism reporting are exaggerated. The business climate affects coverage, but the long-term impact of market pressures on coverage is modest. Articles about terrorist violence are increasingly prominent, but coverage of counterterrorism remains robust. Efforts to inoculate the press against the worst excesses of the market are unnecessary.     

Mental discipline,punishment and recidivism: reading Foucault against de-radicalisation programmes in the War on Terror

This article uses Michel Foucault’s Discipline and Punish to examine how de-radicalisation programmes in the War on Terror transform power–knowledge relations, mental discipline and punishment by attempting to instil self-governance through non-violence. Foucault’s theories on the evolution of discipline and punishment can be applied to de-radicalisation programmes, but only after considerable revision. By asking questions on the nature of knowledge, practice, state involvement and recidivism of de-radicalisation, I contend that many programmes may be ultimately limited by a disproportionate focus on religious rehabilitation rather than political dialogue regarding the motivations for such violence.     

The Australian journalism vs cultural studies debate: implications for South African media studies

ABSTRACT

This article describes an investigation into factors required for a development programme in intercultural business communication amongst the personnel of a South African company operating in the Japanese market. Drawing from items that were identified in the literature, and amongst individuals who operate in the Japanese market, a set of criteria was identified that could be included in a South African-Japanese intercultural business communication course. These criteria were used in a structured questionnaire, which was pre-tested in interviews and a focus group, and then administered to a group of company managers who had travelled to Japan on business. The results of the research are a set of items ranked in terms of salience within three categories. The first comprises degree of knowledge of important aspects of Japanese life, the second consists of factors that lead to culture shock, and the third includes aspects that are deemed to be important in a course on South African–Japanese intercultural business communication.     

优势互补 共创双赢——韩资企业在津发展状况、现存问题及对策研究

自中韩建交以来,大批韩国企业在津投资设厂对天津经济建设起到了推动作用,对韩国的经济发展也有促进作用。目前,韩资企业在津发展总体状态良好,但在经营中也遇到一些问题和困难。天津市各级政府要充分重视和尽快解决韩资企业存在的问题,为韩资企业创造一个良好的投资经营环境。从韩资企业角度看,如何发挥特长、增强竞争力,更好地利用天津的优势,加快自身的发展也是一个值得认真思考的问题。天津优越的地理位置和良好的工业基础对韩国企业界有很大的吸引力,而韩国企业家通过在天津的投资办厂和商贸活动也使自身大大获利。相信通过双方共同努力,一定会优势互补,共创双赢。     

THE MASS MEDIA AND ATTITUDE CHANGE: AN ALTERNATIVE VIEW

SUMMARY

Against the background of her research in Belgium the author discusses the role of the media, and particularly of television, in creating negative racial and ethnic images amongst children. This is done under the following separate headings: (i) setting of the problem, (ii) cognitive processes concerning images of ethnic minorities, (iii) racism and socialisation, (iv) images of ethnic minorities in television programmes for children, (v) the influence of television programmes on the formation of knowledge, attitudes and social behaviour, (vi) the role of education in combating racial and ethnic prejudices and finally (vii) the importance of media literacy training for combating the formation of negative racial and ethnic images/stereotypes.     

When Settlement and Resolution Are in Conflict: Searching for a Mideast Peace Dividend

Using a contemporary case involving Palestinians and Israelis working on business ventures following the 1993 Oslo Peace Accords, the author focuses on the differences between conflict resolution and conflict settlement. In situations of deep-rooted conflict, settlement and resolution are often the same thing; attitude change among individuals is required to attain either goal. The Petty and Cacioppo Model (1986) specifies that attitude change results from central routes or peripheral routes. The author reflects on the model's predictive elements in the business venture case and its useful implications for other conflicts.     

The psychosocial effects of conflict in the third world

In current armed conflicts around the world, over 90 per cent of casualties are civilians. This article reviews medical and anthropological evidence of the psychosocial effects of extreme experiences such as torture, mutilation, rape, and the violent displacement of communities. The consequences for women and children are considered in particular. The author argues that the social development programmes of non-governmental development organisations should be extended to support social networks and institutions in areas of conflict, and ends by giving guidelines for mental health promoters working in traumatised communities.     

Teaching Negotiation and Dispute Resolution in Colleges of Business: The State of the Practice

Tracing the history of how the study of dispute resolution came into the mainstream of behavioral science courses in business schools, the author gives a positive assessment of the appropriateness of the content and pedagogy of negotiation courses currently taught in business schools for the challenges of the next decade. He proceeds to make recommendations for improving the definition and acquisition of negotiation skills.