Teacher development in China： A study of pedagogical training in TCFL

This paper on pedagogical training of TCFL （Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language） programs is based on the author＇s five-week study in the summer of 2008 at six Chinese universities. Based on class observations, interviews of teachers and students, and documents provided by the six universities, the author has found that their curriculum for pedagogical training is insufficient; theory and practice are often disconnected due to insufficient hands-on experience; and the training for cross-cultural communication skills needs to be improved.     

Gaps in management education： A case study of University of Management and Technology

This paper aims to identify the gaps in management education highlighted by 3 primary stakeholders： students, faculty and alumni. The study tries to address the issue of relevance and compatibility of management education and investigates areas of improvement perceived by respondents. The paper assumes that business departments of universities have to bring changes in learning strategies to meet the requirements of stakeholders. This research takes UMT （University of Management and Technology） as a case study and presents gaps in management education. Data are collected from all the 3 stakeholders： students, faculty and alumni of MBA （Master in Business Administration） program offered at UMT. The survey is administered using an exclusively-designed research instrument and the data set of 211 students, 55 faculty members and 145 alumni is analysed using appropriate statistical techniques. The management of business schools should develop an integrated and well-coordinated mechanism to share common vision and strategies among stakeholders. A need to revise current MBA curriculum is identified, which emphasizes on the development of different types of skills among MBAs to make the program compatible with the existing corporate sector. The universities dealing in management education are recommended to redesign their curriculum in a more integrated and coordinated way in anticipation with aspiration of the existing corporate sector, which would then help reduce the identified gaps among stakeholders. The management of business schools should have a continuous assessment mechanism incorporating the feed back of all stakeholders, particularly students, faculty and alumni. The paper makes a fruitful contribution to the existing academic literature through an empirical investigation in Pakistani environment. A critical discussion is carried out, and gaps in management education are highlighted, which may motivate management institutions to revise their curriculums.     

A qualitative investigation of trainees＇ adjustment in Japan：A case study of trainees from Indonesia

In Japan, there is a residence status known as “the trainee”. This is the status for residents who undertake “activities to learn and acquire the technology, skills, or knowledge at public or private organizations in Japan”. With the introduction of the Industrial Training Program in 1993, trainees have been permitted to extend their stay in Japan for education and employment purposes up to a maximum of three years. This study aims to investigate the adjustment styles of trainees and to consider the changes in their attitudes toward Japan in the course of this adjustment. Six male Indonesian trainees （mean age=23.83） were invited to a semi-structured interview. They were employed at the same factory, involved in the manufacture of car components, and were trainees in their first-, second-, and third-years. The interview mainly focused on the trainees＇ Japanese language skills, the changes in their images of Japan or Japanese people, the communication between them and their Japanese colleagues, and the difficulties they encountered during their stay in Japan. The results revealed that there were clear differences between the first, second, and third trainees. As the trainees＇ Japanese language skills improved, their communication with the Japanese colleagues increased. Subsequently, they developed more positive images of Japan and Japanese people and hoped to have more informal communication with Japanese people.     

Beyond cultural specific？ Cross-cultural management in the context of globalization： General trends and psychological implications

By reviewing evaluations collected via interviews from supervisors and employees in different companies, the author tries to pinpoint the extent to which a given corporate culture is applicable in a different cultural context. These studies present the results from really HR-audits. The study deals with the influence of corporate culture. This case study is about a German establishment in the United States （mechanical engineering industry）. The results clearly reveal that the acceptance of a corporate culture in a foreign cultural context is very low among the employees of the host country, regardless of the cultural patterns in the individual cases. The attempt to implement at any price a given concept of motivation programs and human resources development measures has held negative effects instead of positive effects on work efficiency and on the commitment of staff. The results will be critically analyzed. Psychological implications will be worked out and general trends are discussed.     

＂I don＇t see color,I only see children!＂： A study of teachers＇ color-blindness for Asian students/family

The purpose of this study is to explore USA educators＇ resistance toward cultural awareness for Korean students and families in the New York metropolitan area. The authors aim to challenge teachers＇ color-blindness that is widely spread among USA educators. Guided by critical race theory, the authors show that the perceived fairness of color-blindness could cause struggles for Korean parents and students in American schools. The authors posit USA teachers need to thoroughly understand that if a teacher does not see color, then s/he does not really see children. This study, hopefully, will help educators recognize the necessity of understanding diverse ethnic parents＇ perspectives and needs. Also, this study will provide an opportunity for educators to rethink assumptions that are embedded in color-blindness, and advance muiticultural education that is more culturally relevant and responsive for different ethnic/racial groups＇ needs.     

Interaction of activity involvement and recreational location selection behavior in Lowland City： A case study of public parks in Saga City, Japan

INTRODUCTION Public parks are representative of city green ar-eas that provide numerous recreation opportunities to the people in the community. At the same time, public parks offer social, economic, and environmental benefits. High quality park service contributes to urban quality, but requires a large city government budget on personnel, parks resources, and admini-stration to maintain public parks’ high quality of ser-vice. In order to maintain and explain the budget for public parks…     

CHIANG Kai-shek and Warlords in the Field of ＂Communist Suppression＂： A Case Study of Dispatching SUN Lien-chung＇ s Troops to Jiangxi in 1931

＂剿共＂为了解南京国民政府时期蒋介石对地方实力派的策略提供了一个很好的场域与视角。以蒋档、蒋日记等新资料,还原1931年初蒋调原西北军孙连仲部赴赣＂剿共＂过程,有助于深化＂剿共＂场域中蒋对地方实力派策略的认识。