Foreign Direct Investment and Regional Export Performance in China

This paper investigates the impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) on the export performance of China at the provincial level. First, it presents a theoretical discussion of the impact of FDI on foreign trade, and then an empirical study of the impact of FDI on the export performance of regions in Chin. It has been found that the impact of FDI on exports differs across three macro-regions in China. The effect is stronger in the coastal region than in the inland regions. Although FDI shows a positive and significant impact on exports from the central region, its impact on the western region is found to be insignificant.

Key relationship-based determinants of project performance in China

The aim of this paper is to investigate the relationship-based factors that affect performance of general building projects in China. Thirteen performance metrics that may be used to measure the success level of construction projects are defined and categorized into four groups namely cost, schedule, quality and relationship performance. Fourteen risks inherent in relationships and 16 tools expected to facilitate relationship building that may affect project success are identified. Data of different projects were collected in China via a self-administered postal survey. Multiple linear regression models are developed to help explain the variance in different performance metrics. It has been found that ten risks and nine tools have either positive or negative influence on project performance to some different extents and in different project development process stages. Detailed explanations are made, especially to those variables bearing unexpected signs. It is recommended that firms in the Chinese construction industry manage the relationship-based factors that are significant in the MLR models so as to achieve project success.

Relationship-based determinants of building project performance in China

The aim of this paper is to investigate the relationship-based factors that affect performance of general building projects in China. Eight performance metrics that may be used to measure the success level of construction projects are defined and categorized into two groups namely 'hard' and 'soft' performance. Eight indicators of risks inherent in relationships and seven indicators of tools expected to facilitate relationship building that may affect project success are identified. Data of different projects were collected in China via a self-administered postal survey. By using structural equation modelling techniques, a structural model is developed to help explain the relationship among different variables. It has been found that relational risk has negative influence on project performance. It is recommended that firms in the Chinese construction industry manage the relationship-based factors that are significant in the model so as to achieve project success.

Corpo híbrido: corpo cotidiano e corpo artístico na prática da performance art

Pós-graduação em Artes - IA

Dal teatro alla performance e ritorno. La svolta performativa nel teatro contemporaneo e la svolta teatrale nella performance art

Il fulcro tematico e concettuale della tesi consiste nel rapporto complesso, paradossale e spesso anche controverso esistente fra il teatro e la performance (art) – e cioè il rapporto fra i concetti di “teatralità” e di “performatività”. L’attenzione è posta su quelle correnti nelle arti performative contemporanee che tendono allo scioglimento delle nozioni di genere, disciplina, tecnica e autorialità e che mettono in questione lo status stesso dell’opera performativa (lo spettacolo) in quanto prodotto esclusivamente estetico, cioè spettacolare. Vengono esaminate – prelevando rispettivamente dal campo del teatro, della danza e della performance art – le pratiche di Jerzy Grotowski e Thomas Richards, Jérôme Bel e Marina Abramović. Quello che accomuna queste pratiche ben diverse tra loro non è soltanto la problematica del rapporto fra teatralità e performatività ma soprattutto l’aspetto particolarmente radicale e assiduo (e anche paradossale) del loro doppio sforzo, che consiste nello spingere la propria disciplina oltre ogni confine prestabilito e nello stesso tempo nel cercare di ri-definire i suoi codici fondanti e lo statuto ontologico che la distinguerebbero dalle altre discipline performative. Sono esaminate anche diverse teorizzazioni della performance con particolare attenzione a quei contributi che mettono in luce (e in questione) il delicato rapporto fra il teatro e la performance (art) attraverso una (ri)concettualizzazione e comparazione dei termini di teatralità e di performatività. La tesi esamina l’evoluzione della comprensione di quel rapporto all’interno del campo teorico-storico e artistico che inizialmente riflette la tendenza a percepire il rapporto in termini di opposizione e addirittura esclusione per approdare col tempo a una visione più riconciliante e complementare. Le radicali pratiche contemporanee fra il teatro e la performance rappresentano forse una nuova forma-processo performativa specifica e autonoma – che potrebbe essere definita tout court “performance” – e con cui viene definitivamente superato il progetto teatrale modernista?

Red capitalists:political connections and firm performance in China

Using a unique firm level data, this paper analyses the role of political connections in the post-entry performance of private start-up companies in China. It documents robust evidence that political affiliation enhances firms' survival and growth prospects. But interestingly politically neutral start-ups enjoy faster productivity improvements conditional on survival. In addition, the benefits of political connections are largely confined to firms associated with local or top level governments, and they are more pronounced in capital-intensive industries. We conclude that the close association between the state and a segment of the business community is leading to sub-optimal resource allocation in the economy by interfering with the process of market selection.

Optimizing Supply Chain Performance in China with Country-Specific Supply Chain Coordination

The implementation of country-specific supply chain coordination techniques ensures an optimal global supply chain performance. This paper looks at success factors going with a supply chain coordination strategy within the global supply chain of a successful, medium-sized, privately-owned company, one having locations in North America (USA), Europe (Hungary) and Asia (China). Through the shown GSL’s Chinese plant, we will endeavor to argue that increased collaboration in the supply network with appropriate supply chain coordination brings down not only the inventory level but can also improve conformance quality and reduce quoted lead times.

Catherine or Kate : the tertiary spaces of collaboration, performance and humour in contemporary art

The traditional model of visual arts practice is one that privileges highly individuated and predominantly material investigations and outcomes. This approach overlooks and devalues the formal and informal dialogues and collaborations that take place in the process of making art. This Masters research project considers how the experience of working in collaboration can generate a new model for thinking about practice-led methodologies in visual arts. It aims to do this by mapping out and elaborating on the processes and approaches to making that fellow Masters student Catherine Sagin and I have come to use in our alliance as ‘Fiona Mail’, ‘Catherine Sagin’ and ‘Catherine or Kate’ respectively. The fluidity of our collaborative moniker is one example of the way this project creatively explores and re-assesses the implications of collaboration. Drawing upon the contextual frames of conceptual art, performance art, and comedy this research looks at the significance of and possibilities for working as a collaborative duo.

China's performance in Sino-African cooperation and the impact in Africa's development

Trabalho de Dissertação apresentado à Universidade Fernando Pessoa como parte dos requisitos para a obtenção do grau de Mestre em Cooperação Internacional e Desenvolvimento

How transition paths differ:enterprise performance in Russia and China

We use enterprise survey data to analyse and contrast the determinants of enterprise performance in China and Russia. We find that in China, enterprise growth and efficiency is associated with rapid increases in factor inputs, and with ownership to a lesser extent, but not greatly correlated with industry-specific or institutional factors. However, in Russia, enterprise growth is not associated with improvements in factor quantity (except for labor) or quality. The main determinants of company performance are instead demand and institutional factors at a regional level. The findings are robust across a variety of specifications.

Impacts of FDI Renewable Energy Technology Spillover on China's Energy Industry Performance

Environmental friendly renewable energy plays an indispensable role in energy industry development. Foreign direct investment (FDI) in advanced renewable energy technology spillover is promising to improve technological capability and promote China’s energy industry performance growth. In this paper, the impacts of FDI renewable energy technology spillover on China’s energy industry performance are analyzed based on theoretical and empirical studies. Firstly, three hypotheses are proposed to illustrate the relationships between FDI renewable energy technology spillover and three energy industry performances including economic, environmental, and innovative performances. To verify the hypotheses, techniques including factor analysis and data envelopment analysis (DEA) are employed to quantify the FDI renewable energy technology spillover and the energy industry performance of China, respectively. Furthermore, a panel data regression model is proposed to measure the impacts of FDI renewable energy technology spillover on China’s energy industry performance. Finally, energy industries of 30 different provinces in China based on the yearbook data from 2005 to 2011 are comparatively analyzed for evaluating the impacts through the empirical research. The results demonstrate that FDI renewable energy technology spillover has positive impacts on China’s energy industry performance. It can also be found that the technology spillover effects are more obvious in economic and technological developed regions. Finally, four suggestions are provided to enhance energy industry performance and promote renewable energy technology spillover in China.

Lighter than Tai

YEAR: 2008 ROLE: Performer FORMAT: Live Art Event at Tiananmen Square Beijing, China (3 hours) and Later on Summit of Mt. Tai Shan, Shandong Province, China (6 hrs + 3 hrs). WITH: Solo WHAT: In the Hall of Reverence on Tiananmen Square, Beijing Mao Zedong's body lies in state surrounded by flowers and draped with a Red Flag of Communist China. His casket with a glass top lies on a black stone from Mt. Tai, reflecting the quotation from Sima Qian (China's Han Dynasty historian) that "One's life can be weightier than Mt. Tai or lighter than a goose feather". This pair of performances were a quiet, personal reflection upon what such a once revolutionary expression might mean in today's very different time and place. The work was conceived during the Olympic Cultural Festival showing of Intimate Transactions (www.intimatetransactions.com) - during the tumultuous times leading up to China's proudly staged August 2008 Olympics. The rise and rise of China had long been generating major geopolitical, ecological and cross-cultural shifts throughout the region and beyond. In this dramatic epicentre of change and at a time of such great national pride, how might we each act in ways that are ecologically 'mighty' and yet simultaneously have an impact lighter than a goosefeather? This is both a question for China in its relations with the autonomous provinces and the environment as it is for all of us in our own 'local' affairs. However ecologically speaking all that is of local concern is of global concern and noone can therefore be exempt from the need to sustain that which we share in common and must all protect for the future. Performance 1: Tiananmen Square, Beijing: Dropping 100 goose feathers. Performance 2: The summit of Mt Tai, Shandong Province. Building a mountain from Goose Feathers. SHOWING HISTORY: 1: Anniversary of Protest Crackdown, Jun 8th 2008. 2: Dawn on Tai Shan's summit, 15th June, 2008 DETAILS: Performance 1: Begin an hour after dawn (5.45am) in Tiananmen Square Bring pre-prepared performance shirt, a bag of goose feathers tipped with red. Begin at the "Gate of Heavenly Peace" under the image of Chairman Mao. Circumnavigate the world's largest open and the most surveilled public space 5 times dropping feathers periodically. Meditate on Forces of Change. Finally enter Chairman Mao's mausoleum with the masses and move quietly past his preserved body. End the performance at the Gate of Heavenly Peace 3 hours later. Performance 2: Walk up Mt. Tai Shan in silence meditating on Forces of Change (6 hours). Stay overnight on the summit. Begin an hour before dawn (3.45am) in silence. Bring performance shirt, a sack of goose feathers and a simple wooden structure. On the sunrise viewing side of the mountain build a miniature, fragile 'mountain' in goose feathers and sticks on the edge of a sheer precipice. Watch the sun rise as the feathers blow away into the valley deep below (3 hours).