As a result of economic reform commencing in 1978 in China, cultural beliefs of the Chinese busines,owners are changing. While much has been published concerning large and multinational businesses, there is gap in kno...As a result of economic reform commencing in 1978 in China, cultural beliefs of the Chinese busines,owners are changing. While much has been published concerning large and multinational businesses, there is gap in knowledge of cultural beliefs of small and medium sized enterprises. To provide new knowledge, a survey or, these smaller sized enterprises located throughout China was conducted in the summer of 2006. Respondents were selected from urban and rural areas, coastal and inland provinces and various industries to provide information or, their opinions on how some of their cultural beliefs have changed from 1990 to present. Specific beliefs questionea include： Use of fengshui, Traditional Forbidden Activities, Company Naming Responsibility, Company Name Basis, Use of Numbers, Use of Physiognomy, and Prediction of a Company＇s Future. The importance of fengshui has risen aver in the last sixteen years and certain traditional.forbidden activities such as not turning over the fish while eating has remained important as a cultural belief. Naming a company is important and the desirability of a good name is bared on various factors. Use of numbers, physiognomy, and non-scientific methods for predicting the future success,of companies are of lesser use. These aspects of culture are reviewed in consideration of the change from a planned economy to amarket-based economy.展开更多
The design is a cultural activity. The design always influences all aspects of our daily lives, as large as the country＇s politics, economical reform and development, as small as the necessities of daily life. All th...The design is a cultural activity. The design always influences all aspects of our daily lives, as large as the country＇s politics, economical reform and development, as small as the necessities of daily life. All the designs mentioned here consist of both sensual activities of art and the rational activities of science. ＂Design is also a culture＂. Design is a culture-based, which means to absorb nutrients from the culture. Whether in ancient or modem, East or West, design is always to have a certain culture. Design and culture interrelate with, influence and promote each other. We humans live in a designed cultural environment and atmosphere which is constantly being designed. The design has become a way for human survival and development. Works of our designers are no longer just a product, a brand, a package, a poster or a building, but design of a new lifestyle, a new culture, which are a reflection, expansion and continuation of the culture. The design itself is creating culture.展开更多
Sustainable development is the latest concept in a long series of conceptual innovations aimed to bring a space of dream to our harsh reality due to economic growth. This inflation of adjectives added to the developme...Sustainable development is the latest concept in a long series of conceptual innovations aimed to bring a space of dream to our harsh reality due to economic growth. This inflation of adjectives added to the development, like sustainable, viable, etc., is an attempt to blur our eyes about its negative effects; it is like a magic conjuration. When we look at all its implications, we are so far. There are reasons to be pessimistic： The paths that this concept will lead us to are not clear. In the sustainable development concept, we find only a new packing to our harsh reality： a matter of marketing. Sustainable development was presented as a ＂solution＂ to our innumerable recent problems; on the contrary, it may be a problem to solve. Shouldn＇t this concept be seriously questioned and maybe condemned？ Assuming no drastic measure taken to control earth problems, by the year 2032, 70% of the planet will be destroyed. Sustainable development is a rhetorical ploy which seeks to reconcile what is irreconcilable： the environment and the development. A policy which is not carefully enough thought will carry along various perverse and adverse effects for the ecology as much as for the economy.展开更多
With the advent of knowledge, knowledge has become a key resource of economic increase and growth. More and more enterprises begin to adopt knowledge management to enhance the competitiveness of enterprises, however, ...With the advent of knowledge, knowledge has become a key resource of economic increase and growth. More and more enterprises begin to adopt knowledge management to enhance the competitiveness of enterprises, however, knowledge management is not simply the use of information technology, but need to establish corresponding corporate culture environment. Therefore, building corporate culture adapting to knowledge management is an important concern.展开更多
This study was carried out within the European research project ＂Biology, Health and Environmental Education for Better Citizenship＂. It is a comparative analysis of textbooks from eight Mediterranean countries whic...This study was carried out within the European research project ＂Biology, Health and Environmental Education for Better Citizenship＂. It is a comparative analysis of textbooks from eight Mediterranean countries which differ by their cultures, their socio-economical levels, and their religions. This work is focused on the sensitive educational topic ＂Human Reproduction and Sex Education＂. And 43 biology textbooks are analyzed among eight countries： four are in Europe and four in Africa and Middle East. Grids were built to identify implicit values in the texts and images. It is a more precisely explicit or implicit presence of cultural, socio-economical, and ethical dimensions. The investigation concerns whether the authors of textbooks present differently this theme depending on the socio-cultural, ethical, and religious contexts. The content of the textbooks was analyzed as reflecting the conceptions of their authors and publishers. The outcomes of the analyses show that several textbooks present images of human beings restricted to only one ethnic type, usually white-skinned and with fair hair. The social, cultural, economical, and ethical dimensions were generally absent, except for some interest for them in few European textbooks.展开更多
The recent establishment of a digital culture and society, together with current financial crisis and urgent energetic and climatic needs, has radically changed the architectural scene from the optimism of some years ...The recent establishment of a digital culture and society, together with current financial crisis and urgent energetic and climatic needs, has radically changed the architectural scene from the optimism of some years ago to a situation of uncertainty and huge social demands and challenges. In this context, it is suggested to rethink the role of structure in architecture, such as an enabler, a guide and a catalyst. The purpose of this paper is to present the economic, cultural and social context in which architecture develops nowadays. The method, to suggest a discussion on which role the structure may adopt in the architecture to come. The achievement, to highlight its potential to face current requirements and challenges.展开更多
文摘As a result of economic reform commencing in 1978 in China, cultural beliefs of the Chinese busines,owners are changing. While much has been published concerning large and multinational businesses, there is gap in knowledge of cultural beliefs of small and medium sized enterprises. To provide new knowledge, a survey or, these smaller sized enterprises located throughout China was conducted in the summer of 2006. Respondents were selected from urban and rural areas, coastal and inland provinces and various industries to provide information or, their opinions on how some of their cultural beliefs have changed from 1990 to present. Specific beliefs questionea include： Use of fengshui, Traditional Forbidden Activities, Company Naming Responsibility, Company Name Basis, Use of Numbers, Use of Physiognomy, and Prediction of a Company＇s Future. The importance of fengshui has risen aver in the last sixteen years and certain traditional.forbidden activities such as not turning over the fish while eating has remained important as a cultural belief. Naming a company is important and the desirability of a good name is bared on various factors. Use of numbers, physiognomy, and non-scientific methods for predicting the future success,of companies are of lesser use. These aspects of culture are reviewed in consideration of the change from a planned economy to amarket-based economy.
文摘The design is a cultural activity. The design always influences all aspects of our daily lives, as large as the country＇s politics, economical reform and development, as small as the necessities of daily life. All the designs mentioned here consist of both sensual activities of art and the rational activities of science. ＂Design is also a culture＂. Design is a culture-based, which means to absorb nutrients from the culture. Whether in ancient or modem, East or West, design is always to have a certain culture. Design and culture interrelate with, influence and promote each other. We humans live in a designed cultural environment and atmosphere which is constantly being designed. The design has become a way for human survival and development. Works of our designers are no longer just a product, a brand, a package, a poster or a building, but design of a new lifestyle, a new culture, which are a reflection, expansion and continuation of the culture. The design itself is creating culture.
文摘Sustainable development is the latest concept in a long series of conceptual innovations aimed to bring a space of dream to our harsh reality due to economic growth. This inflation of adjectives added to the development, like sustainable, viable, etc., is an attempt to blur our eyes about its negative effects; it is like a magic conjuration. When we look at all its implications, we are so far. There are reasons to be pessimistic： The paths that this concept will lead us to are not clear. In the sustainable development concept, we find only a new packing to our harsh reality： a matter of marketing. Sustainable development was presented as a ＂solution＂ to our innumerable recent problems; on the contrary, it may be a problem to solve. Shouldn＇t this concept be seriously questioned and maybe condemned？ Assuming no drastic measure taken to control earth problems, by the year 2032, 70% of the planet will be destroyed. Sustainable development is a rhetorical ploy which seeks to reconcile what is irreconcilable： the environment and the development. A policy which is not carefully enough thought will carry along various perverse and adverse effects for the ecology as much as for the economy.
文摘With the advent of knowledge, knowledge has become a key resource of economic increase and growth. More and more enterprises begin to adopt knowledge management to enhance the competitiveness of enterprises, however, knowledge management is not simply the use of information technology, but need to establish corresponding corporate culture environment. Therefore, building corporate culture adapting to knowledge management is an important concern.
文摘This study was carried out within the European research project ＂Biology, Health and Environmental Education for Better Citizenship＂. It is a comparative analysis of textbooks from eight Mediterranean countries which differ by their cultures, their socio-economical levels, and their religions. This work is focused on the sensitive educational topic ＂Human Reproduction and Sex Education＂. And 43 biology textbooks are analyzed among eight countries： four are in Europe and four in Africa and Middle East. Grids were built to identify implicit values in the texts and images. It is a more precisely explicit or implicit presence of cultural, socio-economical, and ethical dimensions. The investigation concerns whether the authors of textbooks present differently this theme depending on the socio-cultural, ethical, and religious contexts. The content of the textbooks was analyzed as reflecting the conceptions of their authors and publishers. The outcomes of the analyses show that several textbooks present images of human beings restricted to only one ethnic type, usually white-skinned and with fair hair. The social, cultural, economical, and ethical dimensions were generally absent, except for some interest for them in few European textbooks.
文摘The recent establishment of a digital culture and society, together with current financial crisis and urgent energetic and climatic needs, has radically changed the architectural scene from the optimism of some years ago to a situation of uncertainty and huge social demands and challenges. In this context, it is suggested to rethink the role of structure in architecture, such as an enabler, a guide and a catalyst. The purpose of this paper is to present the economic, cultural and social context in which architecture develops nowadays. The method, to suggest a discussion on which role the structure may adopt in the architecture to come. The achievement, to highlight its potential to face current requirements and challenges.
