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Cheung Kin Hang. ; Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2006. ; Includes bibliographical references (leaves 76-97). ; Abstracts in English and Chinese. ; Chapter Chapter 1: --- Introduction ; Divergent meanings of trust and institution --- p.1 ; Research questions --- p.1 ; Structure of thesis --- p.3 ; Chapter Chapter 2: --- Trust and Bounded Rationality ; Meaning and the four key elements of trust --- p.5 ; Plausible loss due to lack of certainty --- p.7 ; Positive expectation by a trusting party --- p.8 ; Relevance to human interaction --- p.9 ; Intentionality --- p.10 ; Trust and Rationality --- p.13 ; Herbert Simon's bounded rationality --- p.13 ; "Bounded rationality, use of authority, and trust" --- p.18 ; Chapter Chapter 3: --- Theory of Institution ; Institutionalisms in Politics and Exchange of Insights --- p.23 ; Understanding of North's Works --- p.25 ; North's understanding of human rationality and economic performance --- p.25 ; "Core idea, major traits of institution and its relationship with actors" --- p.30 ; Learning and Accumulation of Experiences --- p.38 ; Plasticity of human brain --- p.44 ; Path dependence and change of institution --- p.47 ; Chapter Chapter 4: --- Trust and Institution ; Divergent understandings of relationship of trust and institution --- p.54 ; At the neural level: institutionalized experience and neural systems for trust --- p.57 ; At interpersonal and organizational level: reciprocal trust and impacts of empowerment --- p.62 ; At organizational and macro-social level: deprivation experience and social violence --- p.68 ; Chapter Chapter 5: --- Conclusion --- p.73 ; References --- p.76

At the very moment that humanity is facing a broadening ecological crisis, and that both policy makers and civil society are calling for a transition towards more sustainable societies, modern science seems incapable of providing operational solutions for managing this transition. In this context, both Noble prize laureates and high-level science officials have stressed the need of an in depth transformation of the modes of organization of scientific research for governing the transition to sustainable societies. However, existing analyses of on-going initiatives show that most of the barriers to a major, consolidated effort in sustainability science will not be removed without far-reaching institutional change. To address this challenge, this paper proposes an incremental institutional change approach, based on a gradual institutionalization process of existing initiatives. The analysis in this paper shows that strategic research for sustainability and reform of research funding mechanisms will only be effective if they are supported at the same time by reforms of career and training paths at higher education institutions. To promote this vision, the paper proposes a set of capacity building measures that can be undertaken at the level of research funding, higher education institutions and networking.

作為一種新型扶貧手段,小額信貸產業在過去三十年中於發展中國家迅速興起。從業者常常聲稱小額信貸機構能夠為貧窮農民提供金融機會,而這些弱勢群體過去往往被排除在傳統金融機構之外;與此同時,不同於以往的扶貧手段,小額信貸機構被認為能夠在財務上達到平衡乃至盈利。這種雙重目標的前景吸引了許多發展中國家的興趣,因此,小額信貸產業作為解決貧困問題的一種嘗試而在國際舞台上獲得了迅猛的發展。 ; 由於中國獨特的社會和政治環境,小額信貸機構的發展有其特殊的軌跡。本研究以深入訪談和參與式觀察為主要研究方法,通過為期三個月的田野調查,對中國西部與北部的兩個非政府小額信貸組織進行了深入考察。研究發現,小額信貸組織正面臨無法同時達成雙重目標的困境;基於觀察與資料分析,本文提出,中國農村社區信任結構的轉型是小額信貸組織面臨多重問題的主要原因。隨著市場經濟的發展與城市化的加速,在日漸瓦解的熟人社會中,小額信貸機構的社會目標被其財務目標所壓制,導致原有的扶貧、婦女賦權等目標難以達成,更形成了目標替代的組織現象。 ; 為深入探討小額信貸產業中目標替代的現象,本文從組織目標的合法性與可測量性兩個角度提出假設,指出當邊緣目標具有強烈的合法性和直觀的可測量性,便可能取代相對難以觀測的核心目標。最後,本文指出,為保證小額信貸組織不偏離原有的社會目標,需要設計一種新型的、獨立的測量工具,用以跟踪記錄小額信貸組織的社會影響,並將其作為判斷組織表現的核心因素。 ; Known as an innovative tool for poverty alleviation, microfinance has been widely spread in developing countries in the past few decades. It is commonly claimed that microfinance institutions (MFIs) can provide financial opportunities to those who are unable to obtain loans from the formal system, while at the same time maintain their institutional sustainability. This promise has attracted the interest of developing countries with large population in poverty, leading to a remarkable emergence of microfinance industry on the global stage. ; Because of the special social and political environment, the development of MFIs in China has its unique trajectory. Based on interviews and participant observation, this three-month research focuses on two non-governmental MFIs in Western China and Northern China, revealing a plight of infeasible dual objectives and proposing an explanation from the angle of transformed trust structure. In a collapsing acquaintance community, the social objectives are suppressed by the demands of self-sustainability, thus violating the original intention of poverty alleviation and women empowerment, and leading to a phenomenon of goal displacement. ; To further discuss the logic behind the goal displacement phenomenon in microfinance industry, two propositions are suggested from the angles of legitimacy and measurability of organizational goals. The findings indicate that to ensure the ...

中國自一九七八年以來一直致力於法制現代化建設,但至今仍未能建立一個具有高度凝聚力和獨立性的法律共同體,國家與法律職業之間的關係依然緊張。職業主義並沒有隨著過去三十年的法律發展而成為改革的核心。在這種背景下,非職業化法律服務制度在中國的發展無疑值得進一步的關注與研究。 ; 本文將分析國家在職業化與非職業化機制中所扮演的角色。在全面評估非職業化法律服務發展概況的基礎上,分析的焦點將放在基層法律工作者和非政府組織雇員這兩類重要的非職業化服務團體上。本文也將通過實證研究與比較研究的方法對這兩種類型的非專業人士進行深入的探討。 ; 本文通過以上視角得出若干重要的啟示。第一, 非職業化法律制度的發展主要服務於國家控制的目標。第二,非職業化法律服務團體的生存與發展必須建立在滿足特定國家機構利益的前提上。第三,在本文所觀察的樣本中,非政府組織雇員比基層法律工作者更有效率。總體而言,國家在職業化和非職業化機制的形成與運作中都發揮了決定性的作用。 ; Since 1978 China has been committed to modernizing its legal system, yet a cohesive and independent community of legal personnel is far from established and the tension between the state and the legal community remains high. Despite three decades of legal development, China has not truly made professionalism central to its reform agenda. Among many others, one noteworthy but understudied aspect is the widespread use of non-lawyers in the legal services system. ; This dissertation aims to examine the role of the state in the making of professional and non-professional mechanisms in China. In addition to a holistic evaluation of non-professional legal services, the dissertation includes empirical studies and comparative analyses of the two most important groups of non-lawyers the government-sponsored basic-level legal workers and the non-lawyer staff of non-governmental organizations. ; These perspectives reveal a number of important facts. First, the development of non-professional legal institutions mainly serves the purpose of state control. Second, non-professional groups are able to survive only by satisfying the bureaucratic interests of specific state agencies. Third, the staff of non-governmental organizations observed in this study appeared to perform more effectively than basic-level legal workers. Overall, the dissertation argues that the state dictates the formation and operation of both professional and non-professional mechanisms in China. ; Detailed summary in vernacular field only. ; Detailed summary in vernacular field only. ; Detailed summary in vernacular field only. ; Pan, ...

The Manchus established the Qing dynasty that ruled China for 267 years. There are many reasons for their long-term governance, one of which is believed to be the establishment of a well-structured bureaucratic system with high administrative efficiency. Emperor Yongzheng introduced a major reform of the southwest border administrative structure, which laid a solid foundation for the centralization of politics and enhanced regional stability for subsequent monarchs. This dissertation investigates the role that the Green Standard Army played in the bureaucratization of the tribal headman institution in Yunnan during the reign of Yongzheng and its continuing importance in enhancing regional stability and prosperity thereafter. The dissertation comprises six chapters. Chapter One is an introduction in which the objectives of the study are explained and the research literature on the topic is reviewed. Chapter Two consists of detailed elaboration on the origins and development of the tribal headman system, Yongzheng's changing attitude towards the bureaucratization policy and the reasons for its final implementation. Chapter Three examines the historical importance of the Green Standard Army in terms of the early-Qing military and politics. Special attention is paid to the Army's role in suppressing the Revolt of the Three Feudatories. Chapter Four cites several examples to show that the Army functioned effectively as a government agency during the process of bureaucratization, although its importance gradually declined. Chapter Five outlines the natural geographical conditions of the Yunnan region and explains the extent to which the bureaucratization policy influenced regional development. Chapter Six concludes the dissertation. ; published_or_final_version ; Chinese Historical Studies ; Master ; Master of Arts

为什么中国地方人大的发展会存在一定程度的地方差异?本文以市级人大为例,分析了经济现代化与人大发展之间的关系。通过对全国性数据的定量分析,本文发现:首先,一个地方的经济发展水平越高,当地市级人大的立法权、监督权和代表功能的发展水平越高。第二,一个地方的第二、第三产业生产总值所占的比重越高,当地的市级人大越有可能在立法和代表方面发挥重要的作用。 ; 本文还利用丰富的定性资料和统计数据分析了其中的因果机制,发现随着经济现代化水平的不断提高,市级人大有更强的动力行使立法权、监督权和发挥代表功能,以应对经济现代化所带来的各种挑战;此外,经济现代化给市级人大的发展带来了更多的财政资源和人力资源,因此也就提升了市级人大的能力。因而经济现代化能够对人大的发展起到促进的作用。 ; 可以说,中国市级人大的发展是政治制度调适的一种表现形式,一方面,尽管市级人大已经逐渐摆"橡皮图章"的尴尬地位,但党对人大的领导仍然得到有效的维持;另一方面,人大的发展调整了人大与"一府两院"、人大与民众之间的关系,加强了制度化的横向分权和自下而上的问责:这可以在一定程度上减少官员违法滥权的现象,改善政府的施政绩效,提高政府的回应性,缓和社会矛盾,也就促进了社会的稳定,提高了政权的政绩合法性,因而有助于中共政权更好地适应经济现代化所带来的外部环境的变化。 ; 本文的发现表明,一方面,正如许多研究所揭示的,经济现代化的过程可能会造成社会的不稳定,并且给威权政体的生存带来威胁;然而另一方面,经济现代化又会促进威权政体中的政治制度进行调适,从而在一定程度上有利于促进社会的稳定和威权统治的延续。 ; 然而,需要指出的是,这种政治制度的调适具有一些难以克服的局限性,随着经济现代化水平的继续提高,政治制度调适的需求可能会进一步增加,但调适的空间可能会逐渐缩小,在这种情况下,威权统治者能否继续通过政治制度的调适来保持威权体制的生命力,则仍然是未知之数。 ; Why does regional variation exist in the development of Local People's Congresses in China? Taking Municipal People's Congresses (MPC) as cases, this research explores the relationship between economic modernization and the development of People's Congresses (PC). Based on quantitative analysis on national data, it reveals that, firstly, the higher the level of economic development, the higher the levels of MPCs' development in legislation, supervision and representation; secondly, the larger the proportion of the gross product of secondary and tertiary industries in GDP, the higher the development levels of MPCs' legislation and representation. ; This research also analyzes abundant qualitative and quantitative data to reveal the causal mechanism and finds that, firstly, as the modernization of economics, MPCs have stronger motivations to promote their legislation, supervision and representation for dealing with the challenges brought by economic modernization; secondly, economic modernization also increases the finanicial and human resources owned by MPCs, which is beneficial to the development of their capacities. Thus economic modernization can make contributions to PCs' development. ; The dissertation argues ...