Abstract: Few researchers have examined Japan?s inbound tourism and the important sources of visitors. This study examines factors that drive tourist traffic from Hong Kong to Japan. Focus group interviews is the methodology used and the findings indicate that Hong Kong people are motivated to travel to Japan mainly because of some ?trip-related features and push factors?, Japan?s ?natural wonders? and ?traditional culture,? ?tourism attractions? and ?the hospitality and shopping opportunities,? as well as various events. These findings pave the way for more effective marketing strategies Japan can use to target Hong Kong as an important market for its tourism industry.
Abstract: This paper examines the tendency of initial issuers to exhibit lower levels of disclosure in their prospectuses ensuing relaxed disclosure requirements by the exchange. We focus on disclosure pertaining to issuers? corporate governance structures with the element of disclosure branched into quality and quantity which we find to be highly correlated. Despite general postulation that disclosure quality and quantity will decline after relaxation, our results suggest otherwise. The departure is however largely attributed to companies? responses to investors? demand for enhanced disclosure following high-profile corporate failures. Furthermore, we also investigate the association between cost-of-equity capital and the quality and quantity of disclosure. Our findings are consistent with economic theory which advocates a negative relationship between them, suggesting that disclosure levels have a part to play in asset-pricing models.
Abstract: This paper explores how media victimization, which involves institutions and individuals, operates to construct risk and fear in society. A grounded theory analysis was conducted to investigate stories of problem in 130 public services announcements and 399 print newspaper articles in Hong Kong. It was found that, along the temporal dimension of story plot, a strong sense of distress is constructed in the narration of preconstructed future under particular essential and intensifying conditions of media victimization. By depicting fear and constructing risk in media content, media victimization is a socially constructed process of narration that enables individuals to anticipate themselves as potential victims. The politics of media victimization is that both government and nongovernment units are two bipolar forces calling for institutionalization in society for better governance.
Abstract: This paper is about developing a conceptual management model of strategic enrolment,
graduation and articulation (SEGA) in self-financing tertiary education in Hong Kong. This research
is significant as it provides information on how SEGA would be viewed as a successful conceptual
management model to (1) maximize enrolment, (2) improve graduation rates and (3) enhance
articulation opportunities within limited educational resources in self-financing tertiary education in
Hong Kong.
The proposed conceptual model of SEGA is modified from the concept of Strategic Enrolment
Management (SEM). However, as the drop-out rates are not significant in Hong Kong self-financing
tertiary education in comparing with the situation in U.S., the parameter of retention will not be
considered in this study. Instead, the parameter of articulation is introduced in this study.
This study seeks to establish a conceptual management model of SEGA which will be applied
to the self-financing tertiary education in Hong Kong; thus, the characteristics of the SEGA conceptual
model are to be discussed. Examining how SEGA would be developed successfully in the three core
areas (i.e. enrolment, graduation, articulation) of self-financing tertiary education in Hong Kong will
be studied in further research.
Abstract: The legal and ethics subject is one of the discipline subjects being offered in the hospitality and tourism programs. To investigate the effectiveness of this subject, this paper aims to examine, based on the hospitality and tourism students? perceptions in Hong Kong, (1) based on their work experiences; how much emphasizes their employers stress on those legal issues, and whether there are any discrepancies between students? perception and reality; (2) the usefulness and importance of law subject in general; and (3) what legal issues students face in their workplaces.
From sixteen legal and ethics issues, students perceived a greater importance of those issues than the companies? emphasis. The most discrepancies are employment law, insurance law, and tort. However, students have no different perception in legal issue of ?duty to protect guests? properties.? 63% of students agree that the law subject is the most important subject; and 68% of them believe that the law subject should be assigned to the compulsory category. Students have encountered in various legal issues such as ?employment law,? ?hygiene & safety,? ?duty to protect guest,? and ?contract law?; whereas, students have less encountered in legal issues of discrimination, copyright, and agency relationship. The legal and ethics subject is essential for hospitality and tourism students to apply those legal issues in the workplaces. The contents should focus in employment law, hygiene and safety, and duty to protect guests. In addition, the hospitality and tourism companies can provide more training legal knowledge, so that they can meet the employees? perceptions of those legal applications.
Abstract: Food is critical to the survival of human beings. High-quality and safety food is not only essential to the health of human beings but also to the economy and sustainable development of a country. With the increase in the number of food contamination incidents and recalls of food products in recent years, the stability and quality of food supply chain has become a worldwide concern. This paper provides an overview of the common quality management measures in food supply chain and examines how McDonald?s Hong Kong utilizes some of these measures in controlling and assuring the quality of its food supply chain.
Abstract: Recent studies on the use of Internet among youngsters suggest problematic behaviour and adverse impacts on overall health as there are uncharted boundaries of information and media through Internet. Such related problems include Internet addiction, shyness, alienation, psychological distress and academic performance decrement over time. As a consequence, the ability of students in tertiary education to communicate effectively and interact humanly could deteriorate as they become more accustomed to networking via Internet. However, students nowadays do increasingly rely on the Internet to perform research under the knowledge-based economy despite concerns over reliability and truthfulness of information available from Internet. There are a role and values of Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) for an optimal use of Internet. With reference to an interdisciplinary review, we suggest an interventionist approach to orient students in tertiary education to develop a strategic mindset that exploits Internet as a source for developing knowledge about learning outcomes while mitigating the risks associated with over-reliance and inadequate uses.
Abstract: Breast cancer is the most common cancer and one of the top five major causes of cancer deaths among Hong Kong women. Screening is regarded as the critical component in early detection as well as the initial step in making a definitive diagnosis. Researches have indicated that mammography is the most commonly employed examination to detect breast cancer in the early stage, resulting in the reduction of mortality from breast cancer.
Currently, there are some non-territory wide breast screening programmes in Hong Kong and their effectiveness is considered to be low. With reference to screening programmes in the Asian-pacific perspectives, the purpose of this paper is to focus on the effectiveness of mammography in order to make some recommendations to the Breast Cancer screening programme in Hong Kong. To maximize its effectiveness, both public education and collaboration between the government and healthcare organizations are needed to develop a comprehensive community-based breast screening programme.
Abstract: As more and more students bring electronic gadgets to the classroom, more and more find teachers struggle to keep students actively engaged in the learning process. Whole brain teaching (WBT) is a relatively new strategy adopted by teachers in the United States. Its purpose is to increase student engagement and, in turn, increase student achievement. Currently, there is very limited literature about the WBT in academic databases. The current literature is mainly about WBT practices in secondary education or lower levels. This is the report of an attempt to use some of the WBT techniques in post-secondary education.
Two WBT techniques were used in teaching the course of Project Management at the top-up degree level. After the course ended, self-administered questionnaires were used to collect student feedback from students. Thirty-five questionnaires were returned, representing a response rate of 85%. The data were analysed using SPSS.
This is one of the first attempts to apply WBT in post-secondary education. The results show that students have generally positive attitudes towards WBT. This is encouraging because it implies that WBT is potentially suitable for Hong Kong students at the top-up degree level. Most items in the questionnaire have high reliability when measured by Cronbach?s Alpha. The questionnaire and experience can be used by future educators to further research into this area.
Abstract: There are increasing skyscrapers in the world. Lift maintenance services industry has become one of the most important engineering industries nowadays. A study was conducted through the survey with over a hundred respondents. These respondents are property management professionals. Results show that trust exists among lift maintenance contractors and management companies of the buildings. Trust is positively related to the level of switching cost during maintenance contract renewal.
Abstract: This research aimed to understand health promoting practices of Hong Kong college students by collecting some preliminary data. The research was a cross-sectional study, which was conducted in Hung Hom Bay and West Kowloon campuses of the College of Professional and Continuing Education (CPCE). Participants were mainly college students who studied in CPCE. Information about health promoting behavior of the college students were obtained by a self-administered questionnaire. The participants were chosen by random selection. The data were collected from March to April 2015 in the two campuses and were analyzed generally and by gender through the application of the SPSS. A total of 616 questionnaires were distributed and 610 were returned. The response rate was 99%. 40.4% seldom did physical activity as a routine and only 35.4% lived on a balanced diet. About two-thirds of the college students were mentally well because of enough sleep and seldom having insomnia. The majority of the students was positive in their spiritual well-being, and found life interesting and challenging. It is nice to know that over three quarters of the subjects were confident with their outlook and thus self-esteem.
Abstract: The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive understanding of how tourism and hospitality students learn and how they develop their approaches to learning in a self-financed college. The study investigates whether there is a change in students? approaches to learning as they progress through their programmes of study. Data was collected on student approaches to learning at four points: the initial entry to their associate degree programmes, the second year of study (associate degree), the beginning of the first semester of their degree programmes (top-up degree) and the final year of the same programmes. The study is a longitudinal one. It is hoped by that assessing and analyzing students? learning approaches and the direction of any change will allow feedback to be provided to colleges, curriculum planners, and teaching staff about how they are affecting the way their students approach to learning, and thereby assist them to work towards continued improvement and enhancement of learning and teaching.
Abstract: Although the concept of state capacity seems to highlight the importance of the state, I argue that the core insight that emerges from the literature review is quite the opposite. This insight is that the government can only do so much. Certain important kinds of state capacity depend on whether and how the state is connected to important stakeholders in society. After reviewing three concepts of state capacity in the literature, namely the capacity for social control, the capacity for industrial policy, and the capacity for industrial upgrading, I discuss the capacity for healthcare reform, which is relatively new in the literature about state capacity. In this new scenario, what the government finds is the medical profession who has been given the privilege for professional self-regulation. How to deal with a profession who has been enjoying a lot of autonomy, and who is unlikely to give up any power without seeing any return to its ?sacrifice,? will pose a great challenge to the state. I argue that when the issue is about state capacity for healthcare reform, the connection between the state and the medical profession as one of the most important stakeholders in the healthcare sector becomes even more critical.
Abstract: Bus is one of the significant segments in Hong Kong public transport. Since 1970s, Hong Kong bus companies have faced keen competition with other modes of transport. The purpose of this study is to identify the connection among Intelligent Transportation System (ITS), service quality and customer satisfaction for Hong Kong bus industry with respect to the 5 components of SERVQUAL by comprehensive literature review. The discussion reveals that ITS can enhance service quality of Hong Kong bus companies, as well as its customer satisfaction. Through ITS, Hong Kong bus companies could improve the performance and increase their competitive advantages to compete with Mass Transit Railway (MTR).
Abstract: Considering the trend of using mobile devices for 3D medical image viewing, we constructed a cloud service system for 3D medical image processing using mobile devices. A multi-plane 3D display system was built that allows user to see and interact with 3D image via multiple mobile devices. 3D images are constructed by stacking continuous 2D image data other than the traditional 3D object. The cooperation of mobile devices brings out a special feature, cascaded view, which has a property that cutting faces of different mobile devices are concerned. Considering user experience, bookmark and annotation functions were provided for user to return to specific cutting face state and make note on it as picture archiving and communication system (PACS). We made a service prototype using computed tomography image as resource of 3D image for proof of service. Methodology of Service experience Engineering (SEE) was applied to test the satisfaction of users. Results show that both doctors and patients are satisfied with our prototype of 3D medical image processing systems. Conclusions are suggested that the proposed 3D medical image processing systems could be helpful for future healthcare.
Abstract: Every teacher understands the importance of getting timely student feedback for effective and efficient teaching and learning. However, students in Hong Kong are not keen to respond to prompts from teachers for questions and examples. There is a need for an efficient method to engage all the students in a classroom, and evaluate the progress of their learning. Studies have shown that student response systems (SRS) are effective increasing student engaging and active learning. In a traditional SRS, the students use a small portal device, called a clicker, to choose their answers to questions. With the widespread use of smart mobile phones, it is possible to replace the clickers with mobile phones, and the proprietary software with commercially available polling web site. The author subscribed to a polling website and used it together with the mobile phones of students to form an SRS. The SRS was used over a period of 6 weeks. Thirty-five polls were conducted and 1,155 answers were received. A follow-up survey showed that the students involved have very positive attitude towards the SRS. Over 90% of the students indicated the polling website was easy to access and worked well. The majority of the students indicated that it SRS made the lessons more interesting and helped them to maintain their attention. They also indicate that they were willing to use SRS in future. It is suggested that the Technology Acceptance Model be used to study teacher?s intention to use SRS in future.
Abstract: Non-profit organisations and their financial viability to execute their missions are of growing importance and focus in a global context. In addition, the drastic increase in the number of non-profit organisations also poses increasing challenges for non-profits to compete for funding and resources, which has forced them to find ways to improve their fundraising effectiveness. Although research illustrates that the implementation of market orientation contributes to better organisational and fundraising performance of non-profit organisations in different countries, non-profit organisations find the transition to market orientation to be difficult. The greatest challenge is the lack of knowledge in using marketing techniques that are prevalent in the non-profit arena. The deficiency of non-profit marketing research in the Chinese context and the low generalizability of western studies in other cultural contexts deter non-profit organisations from elevating fundraising effectiveness through market orientation and relationship marketing with donors. The purpose of this paper is to provide a critical analysis of the extant literature in the field of fundraising-related market orientation for non-profit organisations and suggest agenda for future research. The paper highlights a research field that is becoming vitally important yet immature particularly for the Chinese context in Hong Kong.
Abstract: The aim of the research presented here is to understand and evaluate the impacts of MOOCs (massive open online courses) on associate degree students? academic English learning at Hong Kong Community College of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Using Song & Hill?s (2007) self-directed learning model as a conceptual framework of this research, the work in progress project is aiming to analyse the influences of personal attributes, process attributes and learning context in MOOCs learning. As a preparation course for undergraduate degree studies, ?English for Academic Studies? is compulsory for all the year one students at HKCC. Through a 2-semester observational study, the researcher has found that she has encountered resistance and low attendance rate when she used examples and sample essays from textbooks. On the other hand, when she adopted tailored MOOCs (Massive Open Online courses) materials in and outside classroom, unexpected popularity was perceived. The preliminary finding of this research has shown that tailored MOOCs materials are extremely helpful for students who are using English as a second language; nevertheless, the role of classroom teachers cannot be neglected as appropriate guidance is desired from students. The research findings validate Song & Hill?s (2007) self-directed learning model.
Abstract: Technology grows fast in recent decades and has contributed to the development of health information system. The Government has established the eHR sharing system to bring about a host of benefits to the community through more efficient health care services, reduction on medical costs as a result of more effective and early treatment. The system would also enhance the availability and transparency of information through sharing of patient records between healthcare providers in both the public and private sectors, with the objectives to reduce the frequency of consultations, to improve the accuracy of diagnosis and patient management, to avoid duplicate investigations and errors associated with paper records, and to enable disease surveillance and public health research leading more effective policy formulation. In this essay, the authors suggest that there is much to be learned from the development and implementation of their electronic medical record system in Taiwan. A social marketing approach is recommended in order to improve and promote the electronic health record project in Hong Kong.
Abstract: Hong Kong citizens enjoy a high quality of health care service. However, it mainly relies on government subsidy through public health services, particularly in hospital utilisation. After years of healthcare reform process, a new government-regulated voluntary health insurance scheme has been proposed for public consultation. In the neighbouring Taiwan and Singapore, innovative and practical healthcare financing systems have been shown to be working well for their communities. In this essay, the authors reveal that there are lessons of learning for the Hong Kong Government and community. A new department is recommended to manage the new insurance scheme to make the health care system sustainable within an ageing population. Nonetheless, people need to bear some of the responsibility because health is essentially a personal affair.
Abstract: The present study reports on the findings of the functional text analysis of Chinese adolescent ESL learners L2 writing. I will start with a presentation of literature that focuses on studies of text types and genres in language learning, which helps conceptualize and frame the research questions that pertain to the domain of functional text analysis. Then, I will explain the methodology and theoretical framework: context-based text typology adopted by the present study. After that, I will summarize the results and findings by mapping out the contextual parameters that the students deployed. Finally, I will discuss the features and problems that have been identified in this study.
Abstract: An increasing body of work has identified 'corporate social responsibility' (CSR) as an institution, and has suggested that its institutionalised form may be deployed to pursue traditional business imperatives and avoid burdensome legislation. This article will examine how responsible gambling is understood in Macao's gambling industry and why firms in Macao's gambling industry engage in responsible gambling (RG). This study is primarily based on an in-depth examination and analysis of Macao's gambling industry with 49 semi-structured interviews. This study gives an account of the 'responsible gambling' practised in the gambling industry in Macao to show that gambling companies make use of the institutionalized (unstated) characteristics of CSR to leverage political and economic privileges. Responsible gambling is presented as the central component of CSR, articulated through varied stakeholders, while responsible gambling in practice focuses symbolically and solely on employee protection. The study shows that gambling companies derive substantial legitimacy benefits from the institution of CSR, thus positioned.
Abstract: The convergence of IT and marketing leads to the rising demand of digital marketers. Tertiary marketing education plays a crucial role in preparing students to grasp the knowledge and skills and to possess the attitude so necessary to contemporary marketing industry. However, several reports highlight that the shortages are significant in this sector. Both academics and practitioners are the key stakeholders to solve this disconnection. Although there are many studies investigating the relationship between marketing education and marketing practice, there are only a few quantitative studies focusing on digital marketing. Drawing on the literature and the standards of digital marketers' professional certifications, this study aims to develop a conceptual framework identifying the key attributes of an effective digital marketer. The proposed digital marketer model is composed of three key antecedents: (1) marketing knowledge and skills; (2) technical knowledge and skills; and (3) ethical knowledge and skills. First, marketing knowledge and skills refers to the communication, client engagement, strategic management and channel management. In order to practice data-driven marketing, digital marketers should also be equipped with technical knowledge and skills, including search engine optimization, statistical analysis, data mining, web and mobile apps. Similar to the professionals in other industries, digital marketers should uphold the code of ethics so as to protect the privacy of clients and the reputation of companies. The key finding provides insights to academics on how to revamp or streamline the marketing programmes and ultimately narrowing the gap between education and practice in the context of digital marketing.
Abstract: One of the major problems faced by professionals today is the problem of knowledge decay. In the provision of professional service, the problem of knowledge decay can lead to customer dissatisfaction, damage reputation and even human lives. Therefore, the problem of knowledge decay in the professional service provision service has been studied in various research. This article reviews the problem of knowledge decay and how e-learning can be used to minimise its effects. It will review the use of different types of e-learning for professional to acquire and retain their knowledge. These types of e-learning include Learning Management Systems, Massive Open Online Courses, Student Response Systems and Augmented Reality. Finally, it will suggest the integration of the various types of e-learning with the HRMIS (Human Resources Management Information System) of an organisation to enhance its competitive capability by aligning the professional development needs of its employees and the service delivery requirements of its customers.
Abstract: The prevalence of academic stress among the undergraduate students in Hong Kong is serious. The objective of this study is to discuss the causes and effects of academic stress among undergraduate students. It is found that the high expectation on their study, academic overload and friendship network are the major causes of academic stress. High academic stress has a negative impact on academic performance, and will also result in internet addiction, insufficient sleeping time, change in dietary behaviour and mental health problems. After reviewing the causes and effects of academic stress, and some relevant studies and reports of the situations in Hong Kong, recommendations to develop the strategies in dealing with academic stress are suggested.
Abstract: Corporations on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) engagement is determined by various factors including firm level factors such as size and financial performance of the firm (Vong and Wong, 2013), industry level factors includes competition level, industry nature and fit between issue and the industry (Coombs and Holladay, 2012). National factor is also a one of determinants for the company engaging in CSR (Waldman et al., 2006). National culture shapes which CSR concerns are addressed in particular countries and how they are addressed.
A framework is proposed to fill in the literature gap by investigating the effect of different dimensions of national culture on different aspects of CSR. It is found that there is a relationship between cultural factor index (CFI) and CSR practice. For example, in the individualism society like United States (High scores in CFI), employee working condition is always on the top agenda for CSR initiatives. Unlike United States, in the collectivist society like Japan (Low scores in CFI), harmonious environment is an important consideration.
Ford and Toyota are used as examples to demonstrate the findings.
One of the greatest challenges of global companies is to maintain consistent message in their global corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy and pay attention to the local stakeholders' expectations. Thus, implications are offered to managers for multi-national companies on their CSR strategy.
Abstract: This paper attempts to analyse the influence of Japanese culture in Hong Kong society, with particular reference to the adaptation and appropriation of Japanese kimono. I will present two aspects for discussion, namely the depiction of Japanese women in Hong Kong pop music videos, and the adoption of Japanese kimono by Hong Kong young couples when taking their pre-wedding photos. Further, I shall examine whether or not the adaptation of Japanese kimono by Hong Kong people is an authentic representation of the traditional Japanese costume, and how far this reveals the understanding of Hong Kong people towards Japanese culture.
Abstract: The flipped classroom provides an alternative teaching approach for diversified learning. Learning is not only the way of sitting in a classroom and listening to a lecture. This study aims to reflect the teaching process and learning outcomes after conducted the flipped classroom. A population of 29 students were investigate in a subject. Descriptive statistics and qualitative method were applied in this case study to demonstrate teaching reflection through the student feedback of the subject. Results showed that students were more active, involve, and willing to learn through technology in the flipped classroom even some disadvantages can be improved. This study concludes that the pedagogy of the flipped classroom is worth of promoting in tertiary education to bring creative thinking and practical knowledge for students' learning and career development.
Abstract: Fruits and vegetables are important parts of healthy eating and they provide excellent sources of vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber in our diet. According to the WHO, inadequate consumption of fruits and vegetables may contribute to as much as 14% of gastrointestinal cancer deaths and 11% of deaths resulted from ischemic heart disease worldwide. Higher risk of all-cause mortality is associated with insufficient fruits and vegetables consumption. Since 2011, Hong Kong has been promoting a 2 Plus 3 a day diet campaign aiming to raise the public's awareness on consuming a minimum of 2 portions of fruits and 3 portions of vegetables daily. Recent statistics showed that 81% of people aged 18 - 64 failed to meet this requirement. This finding suggested a strong demand to identify the underlying determinants that affect fruits and vegetables consumption behaviour that led to this result. This paper focuses on investigating these determinants among university students in Hong Kong. Surveys were conducted in 2015 with 600 participants randomly selected from universities across Hong Kong. The results indicated that 87% of students consuming fruits and vegetables regularly were due to the health benefits associated with fruits and vegetables, almost half of the students (47%) reported that taste of fruits and vegetables had led to their consumptions. Other factors such as gender, accessibility and parents' consumption behaviour were also found to play a role as determinants. Meanwhile, taste, cooking methods and texture of fruits and vegetables were found to play significant roles in preventing their consumptions.
Abstract: The study aims to investigate the current utilization of health information for disease prevention and health promotion among college students in Hong Kong, to understand how they acquire health information through different electronic media and to what extent they trust these health information. A cross-sectional study was performed between October and November 2015, 821 questionnaires were distributed to respondents in different tertiary institutions in Hong Kong, data were collected and analysed through SPSS programme. The findings showed that the respondents were mostly likely to look for health information when they were feeling sick (50.4%). Both male (63.5%) and female (64%) respondents reported that they lacked appropriate health knowledge and it was important for them to obtain this kind of information. A majority of respondents used internet (85.4%) and social media (67%) as their main sources of health information. There were also 60% of respondents who demonstrated doubts towards the reliability of information from the internet (23.3%) and social media (32.9%). There was no significant gender difference in terms of how this health information was acquired. These results showed that internet and social media were the principle sources of health information for college students in Hong Kong. However, most of them were unsure about the validity and trustworthiness of this information. To prevent students from obtaining potentially unreliable health information on the internet or from social media platforms, more health promotion is recommended to be carried out among local tertiary institutions on enhancing students' awareness in obtaining reliable health information.
Abstract: In Hong Kong, the need for psychiatric care has been increasing. However, a shortage of medical resources, separation of public psychiatric services from primary health care, imbalance of public-private psychiatric services, and inefficient education and professional training system have created challenges for the current mental health system. Though psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, psychiatric nurses, medical social workers, and family doctors play the principal roles of medical service team in mental health system, their service capacity is limited. In order to improve the problematic and imperfect mental health system, several recommendations are proposed. Integrating mental health care in primary care and increasing service capacity of mental health professionals such as increasing the supply of and providing more training to clinical psychologists, psychiatric nurses and psychiatrists are effective solutions. In the long term, a sustained effort in mental health promotion plays a critical role in the future. In return, mental well-being leads to a happy and prosperous society. The challenges are concerning all stake holders.
Abstract: The Hong Kong healthcare system is well-known for its good performance and supreme efficiency, but it is facing the problem of long-term sustainability. The shift of epidemiological pattern, increasing medical costs, and the imbalanced demands between the public and private sectors have caused huge financial burden on public healthcare services. There is also resource misallocation in the public system. Therefore, the Hong Kong healthcare system may be unsustainable in the long term. Re-structuring of the healthcare system and health reform are the effective ways for improving healthcare sustainability. Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme, performance measurement system, public private partnership, and fare adjustment scheme can be considered and implemented into the healthcare system for enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of resource utilisation in future.
Abstract: This study adopts quantitative approach to compare the students' perceptions in terms of perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PE) of using mobile device-based student response system (SRS) and to investigate the difference in the effects of contributing factors on the students' perceptions at two higher education institutions in Hong Kong. Seventy-eight students were sampled from the two institutions which represent students at their early and final stages of study. The significance of this study is that its findings can help the education management to implement mobile device-based SRS for learning in classrooms at different stages of study. An online survey was conducted to capture the students' perceptions and their contributing factors. The Kruskal-Wallis test results showed that there was no significant difference between the students' perceptions in these two institutions. Multiple regression analysis was then performed to investigate whether other factors that contribute to PU and PE, as those in combining Park et al's (2012) and Venkatesh and Davis' (2000) models, are different in the two groups. The results revealed that the effect of PE on PU and the effect of self-efficacy on PE were larger at the early stage of study.
Abstract: Motion sensing technology is an interactive technology that provides a new channel for the users to communicate with the computer without using any physical controller devices. Because the user is not required to operate the keyboard or mouse, this technology is suitable for elderlies who are often not familiar with the operation of computers.
This article will focus on discovering the potential of applying motion-based technology into the learning and training processes. It will provide a better understanding of the future development in the motion-based application.
As developing a motion-based application is really difficult and there is no single unified platform for developer to work on it, this article will point out some basic motion-compare coding with development directions in order to improve the quality of the further development.
Abstract: Heritage Preservation and Revitalisation has become a controversial issue in Hong Kong since the last decade. There is an increasing trend in the local community to concern for the retention of historic buildings to preserve the history of Hong Kong. The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) is one of the major organisations to perform preservation and revitalisation (P&R) projects. However, criticisms received throughout the years reveal that it may not be an easy task for URA to deliver P&R projects smoothly. Based on a review of contemporary literature, this study aims to analyse the social values obtained from P&R projects in Hong Kong, explore the challenges encountered P&R and provide insights to minimise the impacts of the challenges in P&R projects. This study is expected to benefit the profession of building management at large by pointing out the problems encountered in P&R and providing insights for tackling these problems.
Abstract: This paper synthesizes the literature in genre studies in educational context, specifically focussing on genre in systemic functional linguistics tradition. I retrieved the literature mainly from journal articles, book chapters, and research reports. I compared the three traditions of genre at the beginning, explicating the commonalities and differences among the three schools of genre in terms of definition, theoretical framework, and goal. I then focused on research in genre in educational context from systemic functional linguistics. I answered four major research questions by synthesizing the results with the retrieved literature: (1) delineating the historical development of genre studies in educational context; (2) mapping out types of genres that have been studied; (3) exploring the focused areas of studies of these genres; and (4) finally, finding out the research gaps in the field. The synthesis revealed that SFL genre could be applied in a wider context, such as ESL. In addition, more studies in academic writing is highly recommended.
Abstract: Basically there are two different views on the argument realization of resultative V-V compounds in Mandarin Chinese. One derives the compounds in the lexicon, and the other in syntax. However, some crucial problems remained unclear either in a pure lexical analysis or in a pure syntactic approach. Following Hale and Keyser (1993), this paper adopts a lexical-syntactic approach to Mandarin resultative v-v compounds and assumes that all subject NPs are external to VP/AP but introduced and licensed by the little v, which is a new unsatured predicate resulting from incorporating a light verb with a root verb. Therefore, the external subject NP gets its semantic role through the predication relationship that holds between the subject NP and the little v phrase as a whole, which means that the subject NP should be semantically consistent with the little v, as well as the root verb. Such assumption hence not only account for the problems remained either in the lexical approach or the pure syntactic analysis, but also captures Chinese native speakers’ intuition that V2 plays an important role in the interpretation of V-V compounds.
Abstract: This paper tests the effectiveness of trading range break (TRB) trading rules in the Hang Seng index futures market. Such trading rules are linked up with a test using market high-time and market low-time. It is discovered that the market inefficiency observed by Mok, Li and Lam (2000) has no longer persisted in HSIF market. This particular example is interesting because the market inefficiency does not come together with any trading rule.
Abstract: This present study uses Japan (Eastern) and Italy (Western) to analyze the cultural factors and value perceptions towards purchase luxury handbags. The aim of this research is to employ Hofstede’s cultural dimension and value perception model as an approach to develop and compare Eastern and Western consumers towards purchase intention. The finding has indicated that Japan and Italy have different characteristics in culture but their value perception somehow similar in some areas. The literature review approach is appropriate for this study since it can give us a conceptual framework for research or project planning on the basis of existing literature. The previous study on the differences of luxury perceptions across the cross-context has inspired and provided us a deeply understanding on this study. This research contributes to international luxury handbag companies, which provide insights of consumer’s purchase intention of diverse cultural and implement appropriate marketing strategies.
Abstract: “Globesity” has been coined by the World Health Organization to describe the increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity all over the world. Obesity is a condition involving personal and social dimensions. There are studies investigating different risk factors of obesity, including the history and behaviours of family members, unhealthy diet as well as inadequate exercise. In a fast food culture, people tend to eat various types of food containing higher proportion of fat, sugar and salt. Inadequate physical activities also increase the risk of overweight and obesity. Weight control is an important strategy of health promotion in the community. The Hong Kong government has implemented the nutrition labelling scheme in order to help customers make informed food choices. The Department of Health has co-operated with schools to promote healthy eating and adequate exercise as well as a comprehensive weight control education. However, community awareness is also an important component that can affect the long-term maintenance of weight control in Hong Kong. Factors influencing community awareness include low health literacy, inadequate personal interest, and insufficient allocation of technical and financial resources. In order to increase the effectiveness of weight control promotion, education of weight control should be strengthened to enhance health literacy in the society. The health professionals should be encouraged to enrich and acquire more professional knowledge in obesity and weight management. To alleviate the prevalence of obesity continuously, the government, the schools and the public should take initiatives in the promotion of weight control in Hong Kong.
Abstract: The “EatSmart@restaurant.hk” Campaign has been launched since 2007 in order to cultivate a healthy eating habit in Hong Kong. EatSmart restaurants provide customers with the healthier dishes, containing more vegetables and less oil, salt and sugar. This Campaign is a good way to encourage citizens to eat healthily and fit into their eating out culture. There are some deficiencies in its promotion, namely the sustainability of the Campaign. The supervision of EatSmart restaurants is not enough and can hardly guarantee the quality of healthier dishes. Moreover, it cannot attract restaurants to join due to the lack of incentives. The contents of promotion materials are also unclear. Although the Campaign has been implemented for around 9 years, the obesity rate is still increasing slightly. The majority of people consume inadequate daily fruits and vegetables intake even nowadays. Besides, there are very few restaurants participating in it. As a result, the effectiveness of the Campaign seems to be doubtful. As such, it is necessary to improve the Campaign. The Government plays the crucial role in this health promotional initiative, not only in its sustainably, but also provides a supporting policy, such as incentives to participate and regular checking of the EatSmart restaurants.
Abstract: Hong Shen 洪深 (1894-1955) is regarded as one of the founders of modern Chinese drama, however, the research on his life and works has been long neglected. This paper is divided into two parts, in which the first part will be the literature review on Hong Shen, and the second part will analyse Hong Shen’s works during Tsinghua College and the United States Era. The purpose of this paper is to re-examine Hong Shen’s contribution to modern Chinese drama by studying his adaptation works before coming back from the United States to China, which marked the beginning of his creative career. By studying the other side of his works, this paper aims to provide another interpretation on Hong Shen, analyse the meaning and significance of adaptation works in modern Chinese drama, as well as the relationship between adaptation and realism.
Abstract: Marketers are increasingly applying gender stereotypes to brands and products. From the perspective of terror management theory, reminders of mortality should increase stereotypic thinking to protect people against death-related concerns. For marketing researchers and practitioners, it is an important question whether death anxiety will trigger similar mechanism in consumer behaviour. Through three experimental studies, this paper seeks to investigate the impact of mortality salience on perception, evaluation, and purchase intention of gender-stereotyped products. It will be shown that once consumers' mortality was made salient, they believed that products perceived to be feminine were less competent and thus liked them less. However, respondents’ locus of control rather than their gender influenced the mortality salience effect. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed.
Abstract: Although Guidelines on Sex Education in Schools was released in 1997, adolescents have perceived the sex education as useless while the teachers have negative comments on their roles in the implementation of sex education. Apart from the different perceptions among the adolescents and teachers, the effectiveness of the current sex education in Hong Kong is questionable. It may be attributed to the teachers’ attitudes, background; manpower; lack of training for the teachers; traditional teaching method; depthless topic coverage; and the school environment. It is critical that the government, school administrators, teachers, social workers and health professionals should be cooperating with each other to provide a comprehensive sex education for the adolescents. The government should support the schools financially and provide a clear direction to them by the policies, together with the encouragement for adoption of liberal and comprehensive approaches. The schools should focus on the implementation of sex education, include changing the traditional lecturing method; attempting to provide the sex education on the internet; strengthening the training of the teachers; involving the health professionals and covering comprehensive knowledge and practical skills with a logical sequence in sex education.
Abstract: With the low fertility rate over the years and the increasing longevity of people in Hong Kong, it is expected that population aged 65 or above will be as high as 32 percent by mid-2046. Primary health care offers a comprehensive and holistic service package to improve and strengthen primary care and health functions, highlighting the importance of assigning a long-term health partner so as to make better use of healthcare resources and to enhance quality of care. The reform consultation documents, Your Health, Your Life and Building a Healthy Tomorrow, introduce a basic model in which a system is established to register medical professionals, provide subsidies and improve primary care. Primary care adopts an integrative approach involving professionals to deliver a wide range of services comprising of health promotion, prevention of treatment and care for acute and chronic diseases, health risk assessment and disease identification, self-management support, and supportive care for end-stage diseases or disabilities. The Hong Kong Government has put great efforts in interdepartmental and cross-sectoral collaboration to provide professional, high quality and timely services. An example of this is public-private partnership offering healthcare programmes to individuals and the community, and it has proven beneficial in terms of resource allocation and continuation of long-term service packages. In the latest Policy Address, the Government intends to facilitate the partnership and to draw up a blueprint for expansion and provision of primary healthcare services. To achieve total primary care, input of expertise and experience of all stakeholders are desired to establish a quality care system that is within the easy reach of everyone in the community.
Abstract: Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have become progressively ubiquitous in smokers and their roles of smoking cessation give rise to much controversy. With reference to the increasing prevalence of e-cigarettes use, the paper aims to examine the efficacy of e-cigarettes in quitting smoking and to make recommendations to existing policies. Health impacts of e-cigarettes are still not being proven in the long-term and cessation effectiveness is not well established. However, e-cigarettes constitute a gateway to cigarette smoking, nicotine addiction as well as dual use of e-cigarettes and traditional tobaccos among smokers and youth population. Current policies on e-cigarettes in Hong Kong pose certain grey areas. The Government should put greater efforts into regulatory measures regarding the sale and promotion of e-cigarettes. Increased public education is also important in order to safeguard public health of the community.
Abstract: The waiting time of total joint replacement (TJR) is very long in the public hospitals of the Hospital Authority (HA). It may lead to negative impacts on the outcomes of TJR. While HA continuously develops joint replacement centres, it still cannot reduce the waiting time of TJR significantly. The quality of healthcare services in both the public and private sectors is comparable but there are very large differences in the charges. Hence, patients are willing to wait on the list. To reduce the waiting time of TJR, two approaches are recommended. There can be a Government subsidisation programme of TJR to shift patient to private hospitals. Adequate manpower, particularly in physiotherapists, Chinese Medicine Practitioners, clinical psychologists and nurses, should be a top priority to reduce the length of stay in the hospitals, releasing more beds for patients in the queue.
Abstract: “Picky eating” is a common behaviour among Hong Kong children. It may be caused by the unhealthy eating habits developed during childhood, the children’s impressions on food and bad parental education. Children who are “picky eaters” may have different kinds of health problems such as obesity, malnutrition and poor immunity. It may also result in poor growth development among these children. Therefore, the behaviour of “picky eating” should be avoided and the children can then improve the behaviour of “picky eating” step by step. In Japan, the government has implemented the School Lunch Programme, which aims at promoting food and nutrition education among students. Europe has a Food and Nutrition Policy for Schools. The policy aims at changing the eating environment of the children in order to promote healthy eating. The Hong Kong Government can consider and adopt the practices in Japan and Europe. Besides, schools, parents and media should be responsible for promoting healthy eating among children. Education, healthy public policy, changes to the lunchboxes and promotion of healthy eating are useful in stopping the behaviour of “picky eating” among children.
Abstract: In this paper, I focus on surveying the literature on adolescent L2 writing from the perspective of learning how to mean. I retrieved most of the published studies on adolescent L2 writing from 1990 to 2015. I summarized different themes from these studies, such as, factors that influence adolescent L2 writing, adolescent L2 writing teaching and assessing. I concentrated on exploring the findings from different themes, like, (1) Adolescent identity; (2) Home and community influence; (3) Internet and new technology; (4) L1 influence; (5) Classroom instruction; (6) Feedback and error correction; and (7) Assessment. I delineated the overall picture in the field and finding out possible research avenues for future researchers in this field. For example, longitudinal, developmental, L2 writing curriculum research perspectives are proposed for future researchers in the field. The synthesis found that adolescent L2 writing is an emerging field and more research attention is deserved.
Abstract: Sleep is a naturally recurring state that is significant and crucial factor for physical development and mental health. However, it is often neglected by many people, especially in developed countries. Many people, adults and children, are affected by sleeping disorder and the problem of sleeplessness has become a common complaint. The attributing factors of sleeplessness include environment, drugs, beverages and alcohol, smoking, stress, anxiety, biorhythm, chronic diseases and lifestyle behaviours. Insomnia affects both physical or mental health. Weight gain, depression, mood disorder, chronic diseases, injuries and even death are the consequences. Leaving treatment by cognitive behavioural therapy and medications aside, prevention is the preferred action. Stress management, attention and improvement to the environment, avoidance of alcohol, smoking and certain food and beverages like caffeine containing drinks, management of chronic conditions, and the appropriate and sensible use of electronic screen devices are key preventive measures, that helps to promote quality sleep and thus avoiding insomnia.
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