...2009 > hot topics 69 TOPICS HOT L e g a L i s s u e s i n p L a i n L a n g u a g e This is the sixty-ninth in the series Hot Topics: legal issues in plain language, published by the Legal Information Access Centre (LIAC). Hot Topics aims to give an accessible introduction to an area of law that is the subject of change or public debate. International law 1 overview What is international law? – difference between international law and domestic law – Why do States obey international law? – subjects of international law – How do international law and domestic law interact? 4 sources of international law Jus cogens – international conventions and treaties – Australian treaty practice – custom – general principles of law – judicial decisions and writings of publicists – ‘hard law’ and ‘soft law’. 8 states What is a State? – rights of States – self-determination – creation and recognition of new States – case studies. AUTHOR NOTE: Jane Stratton currently leads corporate social responsibility programs in a leading Sydney law firm, teaches law students at a Sydney university and independently, undertakes community development projects in Western Sydney. Her work has included legal and policy roles in the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, the Australian Human Rights Commission, UN High Commission for Refugees and the ICTY. She has experience in litigious and political advocacy. Jane holds qualifications in law (Honours)...
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...2 LEARNING OBJECTIVES After reading this chapter you should be able to •• describe the basic characteristics of culture and explain how cultural dimensions can be used in global HRM, •• describe how the institutions of society can shape HRM policies and procedures, •• discuss the possibility of the convergence of HRM across countries, •• explain how the heritage of state socialism continues to influence the context of HRM in transition economies, and •• discuss the effects of cultural and institutional context on the HRM role and on employee expectations. 23 24 ESSENTIALS OF INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Springtime in Paris As she savored the last bite of her croissant, Martha Pereaux, HR director for C3 Technologies, thought about how she would approach her latest “cross-cultural collision,” as she had come to think of them. In the year since she had moved to Paris from Houston, there had been many, but none quite as bizarre as this one. Martha had taken the big promotion to head up the HR division of the joint venture between Houston-based SuperChem and the French company. C3 developed technology for the oil industry, primarily new types of concrete that formed the barrier wall for offshore oil and gas wells. The joint venture was meant to take on the likes of the giant Schlumberger on its own turf and compete with them for valuable technical staff. Everyone said she was the perfect choice, having grown up in a bilingual family in Canada...
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...legal systems of the world today are closed categories. | T. F | 7. | The distinguishing feature of the Common Law legal system is that the rules of law are codified. | T. F | 8. | The Civil law system has its origin in France during the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte. | T. F | 9. | The origin of the Common law system can be traced in the practice of the early American settlers. | T. F | 10. | The “inquisitorial system” is the feature of the Civil law, while the “adversarial system” is the Common law. | T. F | 11. | United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, India (excluding Goa), Canada, (excluding Quebec), Hong Kong and the United states (excluding Louisiana) and the States of the West Indies (Bahamas, Bermuda) are examples countries that adopt Civil law legal system.. | T. F | 12. | France, Germany, Italy, Netherland, Spain, Portugal,...
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...UNIT 40 INVESTIGATING INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS BTEC NATIONAL INTRODUCTION. The international nature of business is evident to anyone who, for example, buys an iPod from Apple or insurance from Aviva. Many brand names are recognised throughout the world as organisations increase demand for their products by expanding from a national to an international market. Initially, the nature of the international business environment will be considered by looking at the size and importance of international markets. Governments encourage businesses to trade internationally but protectionism is also common. International business is regulated not just by national governments but also by transnational trading arrangements promoted by trading blocs such as the European Union and global agencies such as the World Trade Organization (WTO). Both large and small businesses trade internationally but doing business internationally is often more complex than doing business in the home market. Consideration will be given to the issues facing a domestic (UK) business when it expands its operations into the international sphere. However, some insights can be made by considering issues faced by overseas businesses as they have expanded their operations by moving into the UK market. Tesco has had very limited success in extending operations into France and Carrefour has had similar problems in establishing operations in the UK. However, they both have had more success in Malaysia and...
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...in all sectors; at the same time, the insurance sector also cannot remain untouched. In the present era of globalization, insurance companies face a dynamic global business environment. Radical changes are taking place due to the internationalization of activities, the appearance of new risks, new types of covers to match these new risk situations and innovative ideas on customer service. The low growth rates in developed markets, changing customer needs and the highly uncertain economic conditions in the developing world have been exerting pressure on insurers’ resources while testing their ability to survive. The globalization process has opened up new service markets to provide developing nations with opportunities for the expansion of trade and economic growth. Insurance has always been a politically sensitive subject in India. In fact, until 2000, the insurance industry was a government monopoly. But thereafter it has been experiencing cutthroat competition with the entry of many foreign players in the Indian market in the form of joint ventures with Indian private sector players. As a consequence, the Indian insurance industry has closely integrated with the world economy. All segments of the financial sector had been opened to private players and it was inevitable that the insurance sector...
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... state and trends of the 2011 Environment Department This report was prepared by a World Bank team comprising of Nicholas Linacre, Alexandre Kossoy and Philippe Ambrosi, with important contributions from Manelle Aït Sahlia, Veronique Bishop, Benoît Bosquet, Christophe de Gouvello, Taisei Matsuki and Monali Ranade. 2 | State and Trends of the Carbon Market 2010 New Approach for the 2011 Report With the goal of providing a comprehensive discussion of the issues that most affected the carbon market in 2010, the authors of last year’s report have restructured State and Trends of the Carbon Market for 2011. The report still provides an overview of the size and reach of the carbon markets, as well as the evolution of the Kyoto flexibility mechanisms, and offers potential supply/demand scenarios for coming years. However, it no longer includes a detailed breakdown of carbon transactions, as in previous years. Instead, the report provides a more in-depth analytical discussion of the regulation and policy issues that will guide future carbon market development. The findings and opinions expressed in this report are the sole responsibility of the authors and should not be cited without permission. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the World Bank Group, its Executive Directors, the countries they represent or of any of the participants in the carbon funds or facilities managed by the World Bank. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work...
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...CHAPTER 3 THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY SYSTEM The purpose of this chapter is to help students understand what the international monetary system is and how the choice of system affects currency values. It also provides a historical background of the international monetary system. This enables students to gain perspective when trying to interpret the likely consequences of new policies in the area of international finance. This chapter describes how exchange rates are determined under four different mechanisms--free float, managed float, fixed-rate system, and target-zone system. Under the latter three systems, governments intervene in the currency markets in one form or another to affect the exchange rate. Key Points 1. Under the latter three systems, which involve varying degrees of central bank intervention, the real exchange rate is liable to change, with important implications for exchange risk management (as discussed in Chapters 9 through 11). 2. Regardless of the form of intervention, fixed rates don't remain fixed for long. Neither do floating rates. The basic reason that exchange rates don't stay fixed for long in either a fixed- or floating-rate system is that governments subordinate exchange rate considerations to domestic political considerations. 3. The gold standard is a specific type of fixed exchange rate system, one that required participating countries to maintain the value of their currencies in terms of gold. Calls for a new gold standard...
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...A Survey of Electronic Cash, Electronic Banking and Internet Gaming 1 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE ..........................................................................................................................5 FOREWORD ..........................................................................................................................7 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................... 11 ELECTRONIC CASH .......................................................................................................... 15 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... SMART CARDS/STORED VALUE CARDS........................................................ The Basics ..................................................................................................... Stored-Value Card Issuers ............................................................................ COMPUTER E-CASH ............................................................................................ The Basics ..................................................................................................... E-Cash Issuers ............................................................................................... REGULATORY POLICY ......................................................................................... SUMMARY OF ELECTRONIC CASH...
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... CSR is increasingly an essential issue for companies.1 It is a complex and multidimensional organisational phenomenon that is understood as the scope for which, and the ways in which, an organisation is consciously responsible for its actions and non-actions and their impact on its stakeholders. It represents not just a change to the commercial setting in which individual companies operates, but also a pragmatic response of a company to its consumers and society.2 It is increasingly being understood as a means by which companies may endeavour to achieve a balance between their efforts to generate profits and the societies that they impact in these efforts.3 This chapter discusses these issues. First, it describes CSR and its core principles. Second, it describes CG and narrates CG’s convergence with CSR. Third, it highlights how different economies are incorporating CSR notions in their corporate regulation. 1 Jeremy Moon and David Vogel, ‘Corporate Social Responsibility, Government, and Civil Society’ in Andrew Crane et al. (eds), Oxford Handbook of Corporate Social Responsibility (2008) 303; David Vogel, The Market for Virtue: The Potential and Limits of Corporate Social Responsibility (2005); Nada K Kakabadse, Cecile Rozuel and Linda Lee-Davies, ‘Corporate Social Responsibility and Stakeholder Approach: A Conceptual Review’ (2005) 1(4) International Journal of Business Governance and Ethics 277, 279. 2 Wilfred Luetkenhorst, ‘Corporate Social Responsibility...
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...THE AUSTRALIAN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM: THE POTENTIAL FOR EFFICIENCY GAINS A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE Background paper prepared for the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission June 2009 This paper was prepared at the Commission’s request by staff of the secretariat to the Commission. The lead author was Emily Hurley. Ian McRae Ian Bigg Liz Stackhouse Anne-Marie Boxall and Peter Broadhead provided some input and commented on drafts. This is a paper prepared as background for the NHHRC. The views and findings expressed in it should not be taken to be the views of the NHHRC or of the Australian Government. 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction ....................................................................................................4 International overview of efficiency .............................................................4 Health status – due to more than the health care system ............................7 An Australian focus ......................................................................................8 Summary ......................................................................................................8 A framework for efficiency............................................................................9 Operational Efficiency .................................................................................10 Health sub-sectors .....................................................................................11 Hospitals...........
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...U N I T E D N AT I O N S C O N F E R E N C E O N T R A D E A N D D E V E L O P M E N T WORLD INVESTMENT REPORT 2013 GLOBAL VALUE CHAINS: INVESTMENT AND TRADE FOR DEVELOPMENT New York and Geneva, 2013 ii World Investment Report 2013: Global Value Chains: Investment and Trade for Development NOTE The Division on Investment and Enterprise of UNCTAD is a global centre of excellence, dealing with issues related to investment and enterprise development in the United Nations System. It builds on four decades of experience and international expertise in research and policy analysis, intergovernmental consensusbuilding, and provides technical assistance to over 150 countries. The terms country/economy as used in this Report also refer, as appropriate, to territories or areas; the designations employed and the presentation of the material do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. In addition, the designations of country groups are intended solely for statistical or analytical convenience and do not necessarily express a judgment about the stage of development reached by a particular country or area in the development process. The major country groupings used in this Report follow the classification of the United Nations Statistical Office. These are:...
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...U N I T E D N AT I O N S C O N F E R E N C E O N T R A D E A N D D E V E L O P M E N T WORLD INVESTMENT REPORT 2013 GLOBAL VALUE CHAINS: INVESTMENT AND TRADE FOR DEVELOPMENT New York and Geneva, 2013 ii World Investment Report 2013: Global Value Chains: Investment and Trade for Development NOTE The Division on Investment and Enterprise of UNCTAD is a global centre of excellence, dealing with issues related to investment and enterprise development in the United Nations System. It builds on four decades of experience and international expertise in research and policy analysis, intergovernmental consensusbuilding, and provides technical assistance to over 150 countries. The terms country/economy as used in this Report also refer, as appropriate, to territories or areas; the designations employed and the presentation of the material do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. In addition, the designations of country groups are intended solely for statistical or analytical convenience and do not necessarily express a judgment about the stage of development reached by a particular country or area in the development process. The major country groupings used in this Report follow the classification of the United Nations Statistical Office. These are:...
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...to grow by 22% this year), Brazil (13%) and China (11%). The potential long-term growth in emerging economies – many of which have growing middle classes – is vast. To give just one example: the per capita consumption of chocolate in China is only a tenth of that in Switzerland. Yet, as this global tour of the chocolate industry suggests, the future is not without challenges. The immediate concern is the balance between supply of cocoa and the chocolate industry’s demand. Manufacturers are already confronting this issue, investing in the development of higher-yield beans, encouraging more sustainable practices, collaborating more closely with farmers to improve efficiency and exploring potential new sources of cocoa in countries such as Australia and Vietnam. Across the world, consumer tastes remain diverse. In the US,...
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...BRIEFING NOTES World Trade Organization 6th Ministerial Conference Hong Kong, China 13–18 December 2005 Contents Press information 3 Snapshot – Doha Development Agenda 5 Agriculture 6 Cotton 11 Trade in services 12 Market access, non-agricultural products 15 Intellectual property (TRIPS) 17 Trade facilitation 23 Rules: ad, scm including fisheries subsidies 25 Rules: regional agreements 28 Dispute settlement 31 Trade and environment 35 Small economies 37 Trade, debt and finance 38 Trade and technology transfer 39 Technical cooperation 40 Least-developed countries 42 Special and differential treatment 45 Implementation issues 47 Electronic Commerce 50 Members and accessions 51 Bananas 55 Statistics 57 Jargon buster - Country groupings 73 Jargon buster – An informal guide to 'WTOspeak' 75 Issued 5 December 2005 NOTE These briefing notes describe the situation as it exists at the time of going to press (mid- November 2005) They are designed to help journalists and the public understand the key issues of the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference. While every effort has been made to ensure the contents are accurate, they are not legal interpretations of the WTO agreements, nor do they prejudice member governments’ positions in the conference and in the negotiations. In addition, some simplifications are used in order to keep the text simple and clear. In particular, the words “country” and “nation” are frequently used to describe WTO members, whereas...
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...Dictionary of Travel, Tourism and Hospitality By the same author Britain – Workshop or Service Centre to the World? The British Hotel and Catering Industry The Business of Hotels (with H. Ingram) Europeans on Holiday Higher Education and Research in Tourism in Western Europe Historical Development of Tourism (with A.J. Burkart) Holiday Surveys Examined The Management of Tourism (with A.J. Burkart eds) Managing Tourism (ed.) A Manual of Hotel Reception (with J.R.S. Beavis) Paying Guests Profile of the Hotel and Catering Industry (with D.W. Airey) Tourism and Hospitality in the 21st Century (with A. Lockwood eds) Tourism and Productivity Tourism Council of the South Pacific Corporate Plan Tourism Employment in Wales Tourism: Past, Present and Future (with A.J. Burkart) Trends in Tourism: World Experience and England’s Prospects Trends in World Tourism Understanding Tourism Your Manpower (with J. Denton) Dictionary of Travel, Tourism and Hospitality S. Medlik Third edition OXFORD AMSTERDAM BOSTON LONDON NEW YORK PARIS SAN DIEGO SAN FRANCISCO SINGAPORE SYDNEY TOKYO Butterworth-Heinemann An imprint of Elsevier Science Linacre House, Jordan Hill, Oxford OX2 8DP 200 Wheeler Road, Burlington MA 01803 First published 1993 Reprinted (with amendments) 1994 Second edition 1996 Third edition 2003 Copyright © 1993, 1996, 2003, S. Medlik. All rights reserved The right of S. Medlik to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted...
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