Newsletter No. 234

Exploring Strategic Management Issues in Emerging Economies S eventy leadin g scholar s f r o m 4 9 to p busines s school s i n 1 6 countries exchange d view s o n ke y issue s affectin g strategi c management i n emergin g economie s a t the M i ni Conferenc e o f th e Strategic Managemen t Societ y (SMS ) organize d b y th e CUH K Department of Management on 18th and 19th December 2003 at Hotel Nikko. Entitle d 'Strategi c Managemen t i n Emergin g Economies : Challenging the Conventional Wisdom' an d co-sponsored by the Asia Academy o f Management, the conference was a celebratory even t o f the 40th anniversary o f the University. I t wa s also the f i r s t t i m e a n S M S conference had been held in Asia. Emerging economie s such a s Hon g Kon g an d Taiwan ar e expecte d t o assume a n increasingl y prominent role in the world economy. Howeve r th e theories an d researc h methodologies currentl y being use d fo r mature , developed market economies are not applicable to the social, political, and economic context s o f emerging economies. The objective o f th e conference wa s therefore to open up new theoretical perspectives an d draw up a roadmap on strategies for these economies. Close t o 4 0 researc h paper s wer e presente d i n 1 3 concurren t sessions, coverin g th e applicabilit y an d limitations o f establishe d theories, strategi c managemen t theorie s betwee n emergin g an d developed economies, and specific strategic management problems such as corporate governance , foreign direc t investment , ventur e capital , and networking i n emerging economie s i n Asia, Europe, an d Nort h America. The welcomin g addres s was delivered by Prof . Ambrose King , vice-chancellor o f the University. Renowned academics attending the conference include d keynot e speake r Prof . Mi chae l A . H i t t , distinguished professor and Joseph Foster Chair in Business Leadership at Texas A &M University ; Prof. Robert E. Hoskisson of the University of Oklahoma' s Pric e College o f Business; and Prof. Mike Wrigh t o f the Nottingham University Busines s School. From left : Prof . Iren e Chow , Departmen t o f Management; Prof . Michae l A. Hitt ; Prof . La u Chung-ming, conferenc e organizer ; an d Prof . Robert E. Hoskisson Support for Five Research Projects T he f o l l ow i n g fiv e researc h project s undertake n b y facult y members of the University have attracted funding support from different quarters : • A Study of Transabdominal Pressure Effect on Foeto-Maternal Haemmorrhage During External Cephalic Version (HK$44,000) Sponsor: Hon g Kon g Obstetrica l and Gynaecological Trust Fun d Principal investigator: Dr . Leun g Tak-yeun g (Departmen t o f Obstetrics an d Gynaecology ) • Quality Schools in Action (HK$5,000,000) Sponsor: Qualit y Educatio n Fun d Principal investigator: Prof . Lesli e L o (Hon g Kon g Institut e o f Educational Research ) Other investigator: Mr . Chi u Chi-shin g • A Supplementary Drug Abuse Monitoring System (HK$600,000) Sponsor: Bea t Drugs Fun d Principal investigator: Prof . Domi n i c Le e (Departmen t o f Psychiatry) • Investigation of the Effectiveness of Psychosocial Intervention for Women with Breast Cancer in Hong Kong (HK$155,250) Sponsor: Suen Chi Su n Charitable Foundatio n Principal investigator: Dr . Xu Liyin g (Centr e for Clinica l Trials ) • Development of a Quality of Life (QOL) Module for Nasopharyngeal Cancer and Assessing the Impact on QOL by Intensity-modulated Radiation Therapy versus Conventional Radiation Therapy (HK$143,750) Sponsor: Sue n Chi Su n Charitable Foundatio n Principal investigator: Prof . Benn y Ze e (Centr e fo r Clinica l Trials) Scientists Meet to Promote Technology at IEEE Conference A tota l o f 15 2 paper s wer e presente d i n 3 4 sessions a t th e 200 3 I EE E I n t e l l i gen t Automation Conferenc e ( I A C 2003) , hel d fro m 15th t o 17t h Decembe r 200 3 a t the Hon g Kon g Jockey Clu b an d The Chines e University . Ther e were also nine plenary talk s by speaker s from the US, Switzerland , mainlan d China , an d Hon g Ko n g . Th e con f e r ence , o r gan i z e d b y th e Department o f Automation an d Computer-Aide d Eng i nee r i ng an d th e Chines e A u t oma t i o n Association, wa s on e o f th e University' s 40t h anniversary celebratio n programmes . The conference provided a forum for scientist s and engineers fro m th e worl d ove r t o mee t an d exchange their views o n the promotion o f scienc e and technology. It was also important for enhancing research an d deve l opmen t an d p r omo t i n g collaboration between mainland China and overseas scientists. Topics covere d included artificia l ne w networks, robotics , intelligen t transportatio n systems, syste m i den t i f i c a t i o n an d patter n recognition, intelligent information processing and optimization methods , intelligen t decisio n an d control, genetic algorithms, biomedical engineering and artificia l life , multimedi a an d simulatio n technologies, faul t diagnosis , chaos and wavelets , and Internet and network technologies . Renditions 30t h Anniversary Book Exhibition Renditions celebrate d its 30t h anniversary an d the University's 40t h anniversary with a book exhibition at Joint Publishing Bookstore in Central from 15t h to 18t h December 2003 . Prof. Ambrose King an d Prof. Ma L i n officiate d a t the openin g ceremony, and , together wit h Renditions' editor Dr. Eva Hung an d advisory edito r Prof . David E . Pollard, cu t th e birthda y cake . The y wer e the n presented with the latest Renditions publications . On d i s p l a y wer e a l l Renditions t i t l e s published ove r thre e decades , a s wel l a s cove r designs and signatures o f author s an d translator s wh o hav e c o n t r i b u t e d t o th e c e l e b r a t e d publication. International Discussion on Virtual Geographic Environments S ome 6 0 scholar s f r o m acros s th e wo r l d attended 2 0 pape r presentation s a t th e International Advance d Worksho p o n Virtua l Geographic Environment s an d Geocollaboration , hosted by the Joint Laboratory for Geoinformatio n Science (JLGIS ) o f th e Universit y o n 15t h an d 16th Decembe r 2003 . Th e wo r k s h o p wa s s p o n s o r ed b y th e K . C . Wo n g Education Foundation , Sz e Cheon g Investment Co . Ltd., the Hong Kon g Society fo r Photogrammetr y an d Remote Sensing , th e Internationa l Association o f Chinese Professional s in Geographi c Informatio n Science , and th e I EE E Hon g Kon g Sectio n Computer Chapter . Topics addresse d included research and applications i n virtual geographi c environments , spatial cogn i t i on , an d advance d virtual reconstructio n methods . The co-chairme n o f th e two-da y worksho p were Prof . L i n Hu i o f JLGI S an d Prof. Michae l Ba t t y o f Un i v e r s i t y Colleg e L o n d o n . Th e participants wer e renowned scholars from the US, China, UK , Russia , an d Germany . Pro-vice - chancellor Prof . Jac k Chen g delivere d th e welcoming addres s a t the opening ceremony . SHANGHA I AND HONG KONG IN THE L IMEL IGHT E ighteen scholar s f r o m Hon g Kon g an d S h a n g h ai p r e s e n t e d p a p e r s a t t h e c on f e r en ce ' C u l t u r a l Re l a t i o n s Be t we e n Shanghai an d Hon g Kong : Connection s an d Interactions', co-hoste d by th e Shanghai-Hon g Kong Developmen t Institut e an d the Researc h Centre fo r Comparativ e C i t y Cultur e o f th e Research Institute fo r th e Humanities fro m 18t h to 2 0 t h De c emb e r 200 3 a t th e Ch o Y i u Conference Hall . Prof . Ambros e K i ng , vice - chancellor, an d Mr. Le e Woo-sing, chairma n o f the Shanghai Fraternity Association Hong Kon g Ltd., officiate d a t the openin g ceremony . Prof . Yeung Yue-man, directo r o f the Shanghai-Hon g Ko n g Deve l opmen t Institute , delivere d th e keynote address . Aimed a t facilitating academi c exchang e o n Hong Kong and Shanghai culture, the conferenc e comprised si x sections , coverin g issue s suc h as the influx o f western culture, literature and movies of Shanghai and Hong Kong, and migrated societ y and its cultura l character . The previous annual meeting of the Shanghai - Hong Kon g Developmen t Institut e wa s hel d i n December 200 2 with the development o f wester n China a s its focus . 2 No. 234 19th January 2004