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Browsing by Author "Li, Lan"

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    Antecedents and consequences of expatriate satisfaction: an empirical investigation of hotel managers in Pacific Asian countries
    Li, Lan (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1995)
    With increasing global competitiveness, top management of multinational corporations have realized that their resources cannot be effectively and efficiently transformed into marketable outputs without having managers who have global perspectives and a familiarity with the company's interest in overseas operation. To create a management team with global perspectives, multinational firms are using expatriate managers to fill overseas managerial positions. In Pacific Asia, the region's economic growth has attracted tremendous investments in hotel development from multinational companies, and these companies are increasingly hiring foreign professionals and managers to fill their business needs. However, while some expatriates have been very successful in Asia, many others encountered inherent problems related to overall satisfaction in the foreign environment which may lead to failures in their assignments. Failures in overseas assignments or expatriate turnovers are very costly to multinational companies. Current literature indicates a void in the research on predictors of hotel expatriate satisfaction and the relationship between satisfaction and turnover. The purpose of this study is to examine the antecedents (predictors) and consequences (turnover) of hotel expatriate satisfaction in three Asian countries; China, Hong Kong, and Singapore. The study consisted of a mailed survey of the expatriate hotel managerial employees in the three countries, followed by compilation and statistical analysis of relevant data to obtain empirical results which are used to develop a model of antecedents and consequences of hotel expatriate satisfaction. The findings from this study suggests that expatriate satisfaction can be predicted by five factors; (1) cultural adjustment, (2) skill variety, (3) role clarity, ( 4) participation, and (5) cross-cultural training. In addition, the research indicates that both expatriate job and general satisfaction relate to turnovers, and job satisfaction has stronger impact on expatriate's intention to quit.
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    The Role of an Urban Waterfront - Rethinking the Shanghai Bund
    Li, Lan (Virginia Tech, 2023-07-06)
    Waterfront space is an essential urban component that protects inner land and functions as an interface between nature and the built and human environments. Researching both theoretical and practical resources could be helpful in determining their prospective roles and benefits. Instead of being used solely as a public space, it should be a site that combines urban and natural environments. The Bund in Shanghai is an ideal location for studying the development of a more sustainable environment and investigating the relationship between urban and natural environments. The current Bund is in response to a row of buildings built during the period of foreign settlement and has weak connections to both the city and the river. As a first step toward reimagining its role and relationship with its surroundings, I investigate the site's design development history, site features, and people's needs. The general design direction is guided by two design principles. First, the proposed Bund is strongly associated with its history, natural environment, and urban context. Thus, the new development is inextricably attached to its location and environment. In addition, the new Bund provides more micro-spaces that people can utilize based on their activities. These spaces are interconnected, but their occupancy by different people does not conflict. The Bund's function and relationship with the urban environment, people, and nature will be redefined through the analysis and design phases.