Shang-Pao Yeh

Consumers’ Acceptance Model for Taiwan Agriculture and Food Traceability System

Abstract Due to globalization, the food-borne illness may cause damage to people’s health in various countries. Such scandals resulted in consumers losing confidence in the government’s ability to manage food safety. To regain consumers’ trust and confidence, many countries placed more emphasis on food traceability, which is capable of recording the details of a specific food as it makes its way from the farm to the table. Accordingly, in 2004, the Taiwan Agriculture and Food Traceability System (TAFTS) were implemented to govern food safety. Being the key stakeholder along the food supply chain, consumers’ acceptance to food traceability plays a critical role in the promotion and persistence of the policy. Based on the technology acceptance model (TAM), a consumers’ acceptance model is proposed by adding three extra constructs of mobile anxiety (MA), social influence (SI), and perceived limitations (PL). A survey of 380 participants being recruited from two major metropolises in Taiwan is conducted to examine the proposed model via structural equation modeling analysis. The empirical results show that the proposed model possesses good model fits and explanatory power. Some findings identify that perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU) exhibit significantly positive effects while PLhas a significantly negative effect on both attitude (ATT) and intention to use (ITU). Besides, ATT partially mediates the relationship between beliefs (PU, PEOU or PL) and ITU. However, due to high Internet usage rate and the popularity of social networks, there is no significant effect between two constructs of MA and ATT, MA and ITU, SI and ATT, or SI and ITU. Finally, some recommendations are provided to policymakers for better implementation of TAFTS.

Effects of Interaction in Teacher Professional Community on Teachers' Innovational Instruction

Abstract Modern changes of low birthrate have induced the dilemma and competition in the educational environment. To keep up with the knowledge and technology explosion, teachers, with the responsibilities of teaching the fundamental relationship between oneself and the society, telling the knowledge and skills for careers, and helping answer questions in the learning process, cannot fall behind the trend of knowledge and technology. The continuous professional development to enhance the role function would not be reduced with time that the establishment of teacher communities would assist in the professional development and actually benefit the members in professional communities, the served objects, and the public. Total 200 copies of questionnaires are distributed to the instructors in ten public and private universities in southern Taiwan. Total 124 valid copies are retrieved, with the retrieval rate 62%.The research analyses show 1.significantly positive correlations between Interaction in Teacher Professional Community and Innovative Approach in Innovational Instruction, 2.remarkably positive correlations between Interaction in Teacher Professional Community and Innovative Teaching Materials in Innovational Instruction, 3.partially positive correlations between Interaction in Teacher Professional Community and Innovative Environment in Innovational Instruction, and, 4.notably partial effects of Teachers’ Background on the correlations between Interaction in Teacher Professional Community and Innovational Instruction.

Chinese Paternalistic Leadership and Leadership Effectiveness in Textile Industry

Abstract The textile industry at one time, used to be one of the key industries in the economic development of Taiwan. Nevertheless, this labour- and time-intensive activity resulted in those employed in the industry not being able to devote adequate attention to both the family and business, that resulted in the enterprises being shipped out to other parts of labour-intensive Southeast Asia. This study aims to discuss the correlations between Chinese paternalistic leadership and organisational commitment, leadership effectiveness in the textile industry, and understanding the effects of supervisor–subordinate guanxi . Using quantitative questionnaire surveys, the supervisors and employees in 398 textile-related businesses in Taiwan, including 137 textile factories, 98 dyeing and finishing factories and 153 clothing factories, are studied. After applying hierarchical regression analysis to analysing the data, it is found that moral and benevolent leadership do not enforce as much obedience and performance as authoritarian leadership does. Instead, their loyalties are based on the “heart” of the employees to enhance their commitment to the organisation, by which the supervisor–subordinate guanxi could effectively adjust strong-arm leadership and the attitude of the employees. Therefore, it is suggested that Chinese supervisors should adopt benevolent leadership, maintain favourable guanxi with the employees, and improve the work atmosphere.

Efficiency Evaluation of Web-based Learning on Multinational: A Case Study on Financial Industry

Abstract Based on the web-based learning efficiency of Taiwan’s financial industry investing in China in 2010-2012, Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), Sensitivity Analysis, and Malmquist Productivity Index are integrated to measure the total efficiency (TE), pure technical efficiency (PTE), and scale efficiency (SE) of eleven banks which invested in China for further web-based learning improvement. The empirical results show that Mega International Commercial Bank and Bank of Taiwan present the best total efficiency (1.00), followed by Cooperative Bank (0.93); Mega International Commercial Bank and Bank of Taiwan reveal the best pure technical efficiency (1.00), followed by Land Bank (0.92); and, Mega International Commercial Bank and Bank of Taiwan appear the best scale efficiency (1.00), followed by Cathay United Bank (0.85). From Malmquist Productivity Index, Taiwan Cooperative Bank, Mega International Commercial Bank, and Bank of Taiwan show improvement on pure technical efficiency change that the web-based learning effectiveness is enhanced.