Suchergebnisse

Globalization has fostered greater rates of mobility and an increasing reliance on transnational networks for commerce, social interaction, and the transfer of knowledge. This is particularly true among diaspora groups who have left their homelands in search of better economic and political environments. Unlike those of the past, today's migrants stay connected via information and communications technology (ICT). Digital diaspora networks have the potential to reverse brain drain (the flight of human capital resulting from emigration) by facilitating knowledge sharing and technology transfer between the diaspora and the homeland. This paper explores the role that ICT-enabled diasporic networks are playing in reversing brain drain and stimulating brain gain and brain circulation. International development initiatives as well as empirical studies revolving around this concept are reviewed. The case of China is presented as an example of a country that has successfully leveraged its diaspora by implementing a number of strategies, including those based on ICT. A proposed research project, involving the Cape Verdean diaspora in Massachusetts, is also discussed.

A growing literature documents the characteristics of the so-called 'bamboo network,' the tightly woven communities of ethnic Chinese doing business around the world and the ongoing linkages such groups have maintained with their ancestral homeland. To date, most academic inquiry has focused on the economies of Southeast Asia, where the largest overseas populations reside and where the impact of strong family dominated businesses has been the most pronounced. The proposed study will examine the business networks of the American Chinese diaspora, contrasting their characteristics and connections to mainland China with those of overseas Chinese communities in other parts of the world. It will focus on the networking patterns among American Chinese professionals, including those that have most recently emerged in the high tech sector. A primary objective is to determine whether a different type of business network pattern has evolved in the American context, one that is less reliant on the traditional pillars of family, language and culture, and more on intellectual capital. Data will be derived from a variety of sources, including a survey instrument, interviews with individuals in the U. S. and China, articles and government web sites.

The concept of the Triple Helix (Etzkowitz and Leydes, 2000) has become an increasingly popular framework to analyze national innovation, competitiveness and regional economic development. The Triple Helix model emphasizes the multiple interrelationships that exist between three institutional spheres (academia, industry and government). In today's global and highly interconnected business environment, such linkages allow for new modes of collaboration and knowledge transfer to evolve, and provide an environment in which innovation can be nurtured. The proposed project is an exploratory analysis of the Triple Helix relationships in Singapore, a small island country that has made significant progress over the last two decades and which currently has the highest standard of living in Asia. Specific focus will be on the role of science-technology parks, national policy, and university research programs. Data will be collected and aggregated from the literature, secondary data sources, site visits and interviews.

Much has been made of India's emergence as a global power in recent years. In spite of the rapid growth in India's economy, there are many serious issues affecting the majority of its people, still living at the 'bottom of the pyramid'. Basic electricity is one such challenge. While India is currently the world's 4th largest consumer of electricity, it also has one of the least developed infrastructures in place to generate it. Indeed, one third of India's 1.2 billion people live without any source of electricity whatsoever. The need to address the challenges of ecological degradation and global warming has made renewable sources of energy, such as hydropower, an attractive alternative. In order to increase investment in this sector, the government of India has encouraged entrepreneurs to develop small hydropower plants, with up to 25 megawatt capacity. These small hydro power projects have started to proliferate in the mountainous regions of India, where there is an abundance of natural streams. This paper explores the social, economic and environmental impacts of small hydroelectric development in the State of Himachal Pradesh, in the Indian Himalayas.

Long considered to be a non-polluting and renewable energy source, small hydroelectric power (SHP) has been promoted as an alternative approach to electrical energy production in India. In recent years the government has opened up the SHP sector to private investors, offering tax breaks and other incentives to stimulate development. Such accelerated expansion has come at a cost. In many cases development has proceeded with inadequate feasibility analysis and with a lack of consideration of the risk factors and environmental, social and economic impacts. This paper explores sustainable SHP development in India, focusing on the state of Himachal Pradesh (HP). Using publically available state government data, as well as web-based and academic literature sources, the paper presents multiple perspectives on sustainable SHP development in the state of HP. We conclude with reflections on how sustainable SHP development in India might be achieved and suggestions for future policy-making and research.

Relations between the United States and the emerging giants of China and Brazil have become more intertwined in recent years due to rapidly changing global economic and political forces. Such a shifting landscape requires a greater level of understanding of each other's culture in order to successfully engage in trade and diplomacy. National culture determines our world view and to a great extent how we interact with others, how we view our place in the social order and how we do business. This paper was designed to analyze the cultural dimensions in each country using well-known frameworks from anthropology and social psychology. Considering the business environment in each country, the paper explored the three predominant business approaches, 'relationship marketing', guanxi and jeitinho that have evolved and how these approaches may conflict with one another in the international arena and ways to reach convergence in today's globalized business environment.

Relations between the United States and the emerging giants of China and Brazil have become more intertwined in recent years due to rapidly changing global economic and political forces. Such a shifting landscape requires a greater level of understanding of each other's culture in order to successfully engage in trade and diplomacy. National culture determines our world view and to a great extent how we interact with others, how we view our place in the social order and how we do business. In this paper we analyze the cultural dimensions in each country using well-known frameworks from anthropology and social psychology. Considering the business environment in each country, we explore the three predominant business approaches, "relationship marketing", guanxi and jeitinho that have evolved. We further discuss how these approaches may conflict with one another in the international arena and reflect on ways to reach convergence in today's globalized business environment.

China's explosive growth over the last three decades has pushed it to the far corners of the earth in search of petroleum, building materials and agricultural commodities. Establishing inroads into Latin America, a vast area rich in natural resources, has become a critical aspect of China's development strategy. In 2010, China surpassed the U. S. as Brazil's largest trading partner, significantly changing a pattern that has existed for decades and upsetting the balance of power in the region. While the trade relationship of Brazil and China may seem straightforward (i.e. Brazil exports raw materials to and imports manufactured goods from China), there are many economic and geopolitical factors at play that add to its complexity. What this might mean for future relations between the U.S. and these two countries is difficult to predict. This exploratory research project will investigate current trade and political relationships in the China-Brazil-US triangle, using standard statistical analysis, social network analysis and qualitative action research techniques.

Today's CIO is faced with an increasingly complex business environment, making the strategic management of information systems (IS) a daunting task. Technological change, shifting customer needs and wants, and the trend toward globalization are just a few of the external factors that impact IS strategy during the formulation stage. Scenario planning is a technique that has been used in strategy formulation for decades in both industry and government. A review of the literature reveals a wide range of areas in which scenarios are being applied in the context of IS management. Examples involving industry trends, emerging technologies, IT project management, and systems analysis and design are presented. This paper links the inclusion of scenario planning as an integral component IS strategy development. A case study from the telecommunication industry demonstrates its value as a means to support IS strategy.

Conference paper abstracts recently presented by Bridgewater faculty members: Barbara Bond, Assistant Professor, Social Work Lydia Burak, Professor, Department of Movement Arts, Health Promotion, and Leisure Studies Robert Cicerone, Associate Professor, Earth Sciences Brian Frederick, Assistant Professor, Political Science Martin Grossman, Associate Professor, Management James Leone, Assistant Professor, Department of Movement Arts, Health Promotion, and Leisure Studies.