The 1989 Annual Meeting of the Society for Risk Analysis dramatically demonstrated one of the most important reasons for having the Society - to bring together people with highly diverse backgrounds and disciplines to assess the common problems of societal and individual risks. The physical scientists emphasized the analytical tools for assessing environmental effects and for modeling risks from engineered systems and other human activities. The health scientists presented numerous methods of analyzing health effects, including the subject of dose-response relationships, especially at low exposure levels - never an easy analysis. The social and political scientists concentrated on issues of risk perception, communication, acceptability, and human touch. Others discussed such issues as cost-benefit analysis and the risk-based approach to decision analysis. Use of risk assessment methods for risk management continued to be a matter of strong opinion and debate. The impacts of state and federal regulations, existing and planned, were assessed in sessions and in luncheon speeches. These impacts show that risk analysis practitioners will have an increasingly important role in the future. They will be challenged to provide clear, easily understood evaluations of risk that are responsive to society's concern for risk, as evidenced in laws and regulations. Of course, the various risk analysis specialties overlapped in domains of interest.

Under the direction of the Communist Party of China (CPC), key legal challenges have been identified which will shape the modernization of China's legal and administrative institutions. An increasingly complex set of legal actors now seek to influence this development, including securities regulators, bankers, accountants, lawyers, local-level mediators and some of China's newly rich. Whilst the rising middle class wants to voice its interests and concerns, the CPC strives to maintain its leading role. This book provides a critical appraisal of China's deepening socialist rule of law and looks ahead to the implications of the domestic reforms for the international legal domain. With contributions from leading Chinese law specialists, it draws on specific illustrations from judicial reform, constitutional law, procedural law, anti-corruption, property law and urban development, socio-economic dispute resolution and Chinese macro-economics. The book questions how China's domestic law reforms will impact international legal systems, and how international law can be used in managing key regional and bilateral relationships and in dispute resolution, such as in the South China Sea and international trade. Assessing the state and direction of domestic law reform and including debates around the legal implications of some of China's most pressing foreign policy challenges today, this volume will be of huge interest to students, scholars and practitioners with an interest in Asia law, Chinese law, international law, comparative law and law reform.

Under the direction of the Communist Party of China (CPC), key legal challenges have been identified which will shape the modernization of China's legal and administrative institutions. An increasingly complex set of legal actors now seek to influence this development, including securities regulators, bankers, accountants, lawyers, local-level mediators and some of China's newly rich. Whilst the rising middle class wants to voice its interests and concerns, the CPC strives to maintain its leading role. This book provides a critical appraisal of China's deepening socialist rule of law and looks ahead to the implications of the domestic reforms for the international legal domain. With contributions from leading Chinese law specialists, it draws on specific illustrations from judicial reform, constitutional law, procedural law, anti-corruption, property law and urban development, socio-economic dispute resolution and Chinese macro-economics. The book questions how China's domestic law reforms will impact international legal systems, and how international law can be used in managing key regional and bilateral relationships and in dispute resolution, such as in the South China Sea and international trade. Assessing the state and direction of domestic law reform and including debates around the legal implications of some of China's most pressing foreign policy challenges today, this volume will be of huge interest to students, scholars and practitioners with an interest in Asia law, Chinese law, international law, comparative law and law reform.

This book examines the law reforms of contemporary China in light of the Party-state's ideological transformation and the political economy that shapes these reforms. This involves analysing three interrelated domains: law reform, power and wealth. The contributors to this volume employ a variety of perspectives and analytical techniques in their discussion of key themes including: commercial law reform and its governance of wealth and regulation of economic activity; the influence and authority of the Party-state over China's economic activity; and the influence of wealth and the wealthy in economic governance and legal reform. Utilizing an interdisciplinary approach, this book presents analytical perspectives of new work, or new lines of thinking about the new wealth, power and law reforms of China. As such, critical boundaries are explored between legal and financial reforms and what these reforms signify about deeper ideological, economic, social and cultural transformations in China. The book concludes by asking whether there is a 'China model' of development which will produce a unique variety of capitalism and indigenous variant of rule of law, and examining the 'winners and losers' in the transition from a centrally planned economy to a market economy. Law, Wealth and Power in China will be of interest to students and academics of comparative law, Asian law, Chinese economics and politics, Chinese Studies, as well as professionals in investment banking, finance and government.

This edited volume presents fresh empirical research on the emerging outcomes of China's law reforms. The chapters examine China's 'going out' policy by addressing the ways in which the underpinning legal reforms enable China to pursue its core interests and broad international responsibilities as a rising power. The contributors consider China's civil and commercial law reforms against the economic backdrop of an outflow of Chinese capital into strategic assets outside her own borders. This movement of capital has become an intriguing phenomenon for both ongoing economic reform and its largely unheralded underpinning law reforms. The contributors ask probing questions about doing business with China and highlight the astonishing escalation of China's outbound foreign direct investment (OFDI). Law and Policy for China's Market Socialism includes contributions from leading China-law scholars and specialist practitioners from the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, the United States, the United Kingdom and other countries who all extend the examination of powerful influences on China's law reforms into new areas. Given the forecast for the growth of China's domestic market, those wishing to gain a better understanding and seeking success in the world's most dynamic marketplace will benefit greatly from reading this book. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in Chinese economics and business, Chinese Law, Chinese politics and commercial law.

This book examines the law reforms of contemporary China in light of the Party-state's ideological transformation and the political economy that shapes these reforms. This involves analysing three interrelated domains: law reform, power and wealth. The contributors to this volume employ a variety of perspectives and analytical techniques in their discussion of key themes including: commercial law reform and its governance of wealth and regulation of economic activity; the influence and authority of the Party-state over China's economic activity; and the influence of wealth and the wealthy in economic governance and legal reform.

Utilizing an interdisciplinary approach, this book presents analytical perspectives of new work, or new lines of thinking about the new wealth, power and law reforms of China. As such, critical boundaries are explored between legal and financial reforms and what these reforms signify about deeper ideological, economic, social and cultural transformations in China. The book concludes by asking whether there is a 'China model' of development which will produce a unique variety of capitalism and indigenous variant of rule of law, and examining the 'winners and losers' in the transition from a centrally planned economy to a market economy.

Law, Wealth and Power in China will be of interest to students and academics of comparative law, Asian law, Chinese economics and politics, Chinese Studies, as well as professionals in investment banking, finance and government.

Rejecting the idea that there are ready-made solutions to the challenges of constructing and managing knowledge in organizations, this book addresses the changing nature of knowledge construction and what can be achieved through innovative research practices. Key issues and debates include: working knowledge into the 21st century; the highly contextualized nature of research at work; post-modern perspectives on knowledge construction and practice and performance implications; the impact of globalization; the influences of new technology; language; power; and culture and gender upon the "construction" of knowledge. Leading experts from North America, Japan, Britain and Australia illustrate both practice and theory issues. This text should be of interest to researchers, teachers and students in the field of human resource management, policy-makers and all those concerned with continuing professional development.

This fascinating and controversial text makes sense of the complexities of research in the workplace and how 'working' knowledge is constructed. Featuring experts from Britain, Japan, North America and Australia, it is an outstanding contribution to the literature of Human Resource Management (HRM). It's interdisciplinary approach addresses key issues and debates such as:
* the influences of new technology, language, power, culture and gender upon the 'construction' of knowledge
* the impact of globalization
* working knowledge into the 21st century
* practice and performance implications.
It's outlook, geared towards the 21st century, makes it essential reading for researchers, teachers and students within HRM, policy-makers and all those concerned with professional development.

Recent challenges facing higher and tertiary education such as the impact of globalization and the emergence of new technologies, have called for a radical reconceptualization of the teaching-learning nexus. This book addresses contemporary contexts of flexible learning and its practices, and provides insights about directions in which education and training providers may be required to go in order to implement flexible learning in a variety of settings. Key issues and debates include: the social and economic dimensions of flexible learning and delivery; the implications of globalization and internationalization for higher education; flexible learning, knowledge and power; institutional strategies for implementing flexible learning and delivery; and practicing flexible learning through media and new technologies. By focusing on practical, critical perspectives, contributors from the UK, Canada and Australia present a state-of-the-art picture of the conceptualization of flexible learning and the implications of flexible delivery systems for individuals, educational organizations and industries interested in work-place based learning.

Work now invariably requires a continual focus on learning: to improve productivity, to enhance the flexibility of employees and to develop and transform organizations. This volume brings together leading experts from the United States, Britain, Australia and New Zealand to critically evaluate the current debates on workplace learning and to propose directions for future developments in both research and practice. Topics covered include:

* expectations of learning at work into the twenty-first century
* learning theories, practice and performance implications
* the relationship between workplace learning and other forms of lifelong learning
* the international developments in competency-based approaches to learning and assessment
* the influence of language, power, culture and gender upon the 'construction' of learning.
Topical and informative, this volume will be an invaluable resource for students and researchers of training, HRD, continuing and adult education.

Work now invariably requires a continual focus on learning: to improve productivity, to enhance the flexibility of employees and to develop and transform organisations. The volume brings together leading experts from the United States, Britain, Australia and New Zealand to critically evaluate the current debates on workplace learning and propose directions for future developments in both research and practice.
Topics covered include:
* expectations about learning at work into the twenty-first century
* learning theories, practice and performance implications
* the relationship between workplace learning and other forms of lifelong learning
* the international developments in competency-based approaches to learning and assessment
* the influence of language, power, culture and gender upon the 'construction' of learning.

This volume critically examines definitions of informal learning, focusing on its application in a variety of workplace contexts. Informal learning has become an important issue as post-industrial workplaces seek to harness its productive potential. The book features: theories of informal learning; the unmasking of contemporary corporate rhetoric; the implications for accounts of workplace learning of poststructuralist and postmodern perspectives; case studies based on interviews with practising managers and HRM practitioners; and a glossary of key concepts and issues.

The 1989 Annual Meeting of the Society for Risk Analysis dramatically demonstrated one of the most important reasons for having the Society - to bring together people with highly diverse backgrounds and disciplines to assess the common problems of societal and individual risks. The physical scientists emphasized the analytical tools for assessing environmental effects and for modeling risks from engineered systems and other human activities. The health scientists presented numerous methods of analyzing health effects, including the subject of dose-response relationships, especially at low exposure levels - never an easy analysis. The social and political scientists concentrated on issues of risk perception, communication, acceptability, and human touch. Others discussed such issues as cost-benefit analysis and the risk-based approach to decision analysis. Use of risk assessment methods for risk management continued to be a matter of strong opinion and debate. The impacts of state and federal regulations, existing and planned, were assessed in sessions and in luncheon speeches. These impacts show that risk analysis practitioners will have an increasingly important role in the future. They will be challenged to provide clear, easily understood evaluations of risk that are responsive to society's concern for risk, as evidenced in laws and regulations. Of course, the various risk analysis specialties overlapped in domains of interest.

Informal learning has become an extremely important issue as post-industrial workplaces seek to harness its productive potential. Managers and Human Resource Development practitioners have attempted to deploy informal learning in the design of corporate cultures. However most discussions of the subject have tended to be uncritical expositions which do not challenge the underlying economic, philosophical and organisational rationale. Unmasking Workplace Learning critically examines definitions of informal learning, focusing on its application in a variety of workplace contexts. The book features:
* theories of informal learning
* the unmasking of contemporary corporate rhetoric
* the implications for accounts of workplace learning of poststructuralist and postmodern perspectives
* case studies based on interviews with practising managers and HRM practitioners
* detailed glossary of key concepts and issues.

This edited volume presents fresh empirical research on the emerging outcomes of China's law reforms. The chapters examine China's 'going out' policy by addressing the ways in which the underpinning legal reforms enable China to pursue its core interests and broad international responsibilities as a rising power. The contributors consider China's civil and commercial law reforms against the economic backdrop of an outflow of Chinese capital into strategic assets outside her own borders. This movement of capital has become an intriguing phenomenon for both ongoing economic reform and its largely unheralded underpinning law reforms. The contributors ask probing questions about doing business with China and highlight the astonishing escalation of China's outbound foreign direct investment (OFDI). Law and Policy for China's Market Socialism includes contributions from leading China-law scholars and specialist practitioners from the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, the United States, the United Kingdom and other countries who all extend the examination of powerful influences on China's law reforms into new areas. Given the forecast for the growth of China's domestic market, those wishing to gain a better understanding and seeking success in the world's most dynamic marketplace will benefit greatly from reading this book. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in Chinese economics and business, Chinese Law, Chinese politics and commercial law.

The perception, assessment and management of risk are increasingly important core principles for determining the development of both policy and strategic responses to civil and environmental catastrophes. Whereas these principles were once confined to some areas of activity i.e. financial and insurance, they are now widely used in civil and environmental engineering. Comprehensive and readable, Civil and Environmental Risk: Mitigation and Control, provides readers with the mathematical tools and quantitative methods for determining the probability of a catastrophic event and mitigating and controlling the aftermath. With this book engineers develop the required skills for accurately assessing risk and formulating appropriate response strategies. The two part treatment starts with a clear and rigorous exposition of the quantitative risk assessment process, followed by self-contained chapters concerning applications. One of the first books to address both natural and human generated disasters, topics include events such as pandemic diseases, climate changes, major hurricanes, super earthquakes, mega tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, industrial accidents and terrorist attacks. Case studies appear at the end of the book allowing engineers to see how these principles are applied to scenarios such as a super hurricane or mega tsunamis, a reactor core melt down in a nuclear plant, a terrorist attack on the national electric grid, and an abrupt climate change brought about by a change in the ocean currents in the North Atlantic. Written by the current Chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board, Environmental risk managers will find this reference a valuable and authoritative guide both in accurately calculating risk and its applications in their work.

Key Features
Mathematical tools for calculating and Controlling Catastrophic Risk
Presents a systematic method for ranking the importance of societal threats
Includes both Natural and Industrial Catastrophes
Case studies cover such events as pandemic diseases, climate changes, major hurricanes, super earthquakes, mega tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, industrial accidents, and terrorist attacks.