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A survey of an ‘organic, evolving and dynamic’ hybrid between writing and speech and language and language

If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -The purpose of this research is to investigate general managers' (GM) demographic characteristics and career paths in China's indigenous economy and budget hotels. Design/methodology/approach -A questionnaire was chosen as the most appropriate means of obtaining information from 104 general managers in Guangdong Province, China. Findings -The data from this study indicate that the majority of general managers are between ages of 31-51, predominantly males with three-year vocational college educations, and trained in either a hospitality/business-related major or totally non-business-related major. The career paths of younger general managers show more similarities with their counterparts on the international market. However, some unique differences are identified. General managers in China have more years of non-hotel experiences and pursue more diversified experiences. Experience in marketing and sales and human resources are considered particularly important in qualifying them for the GM position. Research limitations/implications -Non-random sampling was used, and it only focused on GMs in one region of China. Practical implications -The study shed some light on the demographic characteristics of GMs and the change of career paths over the past 20 years in China. The knowledge obtained from this study will help foreign hotels operating in China effectively select the right leaders and partners. Most importantly, the results will offer useful information to the Chinese hospitality industry as it expands its role in China. Originality/value -While an updated career development research of hotel GMs is needed, the findings have an incremental contribution to the body of knowledge on career development and a better understanding of hotel GMs in China.

An update on the world's newest lexicographical services. The computer and the Internet have become indispensable to the lives of educated people. As a result, ways of obtaining information have greatly changed. The readership of the printed media appears to have been gradually decreasing, something that may also happen with dictionaries. It has for example been noted that three mediums for dictionaries — paper, electronic gadgets, and the Internet — are now about equally popular with students. Gone therefore are the days when paper dictionaries dominated the reference world. For example, more than 70% of students interviewed at Hong Kong Polytechnic University claim that they use e-dictionaries more often than the traditional bulky paper products: among them, the most ‘bookmarked’ is the online version of the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Online dictionaries are now therefore the main force in word reference.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on the performance of service innovation (PSI), and the mediating effect of knowledge acquisition. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on social exchange and knowledge management theories, this paper establishes a relevant conceptual model and adopts a hierarchical regression analysis to examine the model with a data set of 298 firms from China. Findings CSR positively affects the PSI; however, the effects vary when firms take responsibility for different stakeholders. CSR for the same group of stakeholders influences differently the short-term financial and long-term non-financial PSI, whereas knowledge acquisition mediates the impact of employee and customer CSR on PSI, but not the impact of community CSR on PSI. Practical implications Managers could improve the PSI of the firm by strategically assuming CSR and by managing corporate knowledge acquisition activities. Originality/value This study contributes to the service innovation literature by identifying the influence of particular types of CSR on PSI, and by highlighting the influencing mechanism of knowledge acquisition. It extends scholarly understanding of the antecedents of PSI as well as the business returns to CSR.

Background: Several studies indicate that older age is a risk factor for probable post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, evidence on the prevalence and risk factors for elderly disaster survivors is limited. Methods: Multi-stage stratified sampling was applied in this cross-sectional study. The Revised Version of the Impact of Event Scale (IES-R) was used to evaluate symptoms of PTSD. Chi-squared test was used for univariable analysis of prevalence of probable PTSD by possible determinants. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was utilized to further explore risk factors for PTSD. Results: 427 elderly survivors age 60 or older participated. The prevalence of probable PTSD was 40.5, 36.3, and 21.5% according to a cut off score of the IES-R of 33, 35, and 2 points on average across items, respectively. In multivariable logistic regression, elderly survivors with a higher number of diagnosed chronic illnesses were more likely to be screened positive for PTSD and those with a greater number of family members living in the same home were less likely to be classified as having probable PTSD for all cut off scores. Elderly survivors with improved economic status and those with primary school or lower education were more often estimated to have probable PTSD with a cut off score of 35 and 2 points on average. Conclusions: Elderly survivors in a high impact area following a major earthquake are at high risk for developing PTSD. Those who live alone and report pre-existing chronic illness are particularly vulnerable.