Malaysia–US Bilateral Relations in the Aftermath of the 2008 Global Financial Crisis

Malaysia–United States relations are enormously significant. From the perspective of the US Department of State, Malaysia is a significant player at both the regional and international levels. The world financial crisis that began in the US at the end of 2007 moderately affected the Malaysian economy. While the US was at the center of the crisis, Malaysia felt its effects as one of Asia's export-reliant economies. Regarding the implications of the crisis, some tangible evidence has been evaluated. The fourth quarter of 2008 was devastating for the world's advanced economies, including the US, and Malaysia's external trade-related sectors were severely struck. The primary reason for this visible effect was a disruption in the trade demand. Against this background, this paper examines the aftermath of the world financial crisis on the relations between Kuala Lumpur and Washington, particularly on the political and economic bilateral ties.

Women's Economic Empowerment in the Developing Countries

It is an established fact that women's empowerment is primary to the socio-economic and political development of a nation. It will be meaningless, if women that constitute half of the population of the globe do not have access to education, healthcare, employment and political decision making bodies. A nation benefits fully when both men and women contribute rigorously in social cohesion, economic growth, peace and prosperity. Findings from countries and reputable institutions such as World Bank and the United Nations revealed that greater gender equality correlates positively with national economic growth. The World Economic Forum recently reported that across the 135 countries examined, greater gender equality correlates positively with per capita gross national product. Countries with greater equality between women and men have economies that are more competitive and fast growing. Hence, removing barriers on empowering women stimulates economic development. This chapter commences with the meaning of women empowerment followed by the identification of various barriers on women empowerment, and investigation on women economic empowerment in the developing countries. The patriarchal system is also introduced to explain how it influences women empowerment. Finally, this chapter argues that women empowerment in general can only be achieved if the patriarchal system is transformed or reengineered to foster more equality between both groups.

A Perspective of Cross-Cultural Psychological Studies for Global Business

Some may still have a stereotypical image that Japanese employees work like a robot, and achieved the industrial development even though they are not logical thinkers. This chapter is against this based on the latest cross-cultural studies. The conclusions are as follows. (1) Even if Japanese appears to be illogical in the sense that they are less likely to do rule-based thinking, this does not means that they are less intelligent. (2) Easterners are more likely to do dialectical thinking. (3) Easterners' naïve dialecticism is strongly associated with cultural tradition, and it is plausible that it has been developed in a high-context culture. (4) Japanese people may have a collectivist culture, and it is not an undeveloped culture comparing with an individualist culture as shown in the case of ‘nemawashi'. Finally, it is proposed that the distinction between Westerners' low-context culture and Easterners' high-context culture provide important implications for globalizing business and that the notions of global mindset and ‘glocal' are important for international business.

Open Access Policies

Scholarly publishing is central to the efficiency of research, dissemination of research findings and diffusion of scientific and technical knowledge. Studies however reported that gaining access to published research findings is still a problem due to the increasing costs of journal subscription, a system protected by copyright law. This chapter briefly explains open access and explores its strengths and weaknesses. It further explains why the UK accepted the Finch Report recommendations to encourage innovations by enabling more people to read and use research publications. This chapter emphasizes that the benefit of open access policy as an incentive to enhance innovation must be encountered with caution as it will bring varying implications for different countries and disciplines. It also argues that although those involved in scholarly publishing have the right to be fairly compensated, they also have the moral obligation to ensure its dissemination for the benefit of public interest.

International Framework of Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries

Ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF) framework has assumed an important position within the broader management strategies of harvesting and managing marine fisheries without compromising the integrity and health of marine ecosystems. The EAF concept, embedded in many international instruments, is a testament of a growing recognition of the need to adopt a more holistic approach in fisheries governance by the international community. Attaining the full effect of the EAF framework would require States to have political will to implement this framework. With this in mind, this chapter analyses the extent to which Malaysia has adopted EAF framework for its marine fisheries management. It begins by examining the principles and management measures under international fisheries instruments regarding the EAF. It includes discussion of why the global community recognizes the EAF regime. Most significantly, Malaysia's national policy and legislative frameworks vis-à-vis the EAF principles and measures are also analyzed. This chapter recommends policy and legal reforms to address the gaps relevant to the implementation of EAF.

Turkey's Economic Sustainability in Global Hypercompetition

The Republic of Turkey represents solid business opportunities for both Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and domestic enterprises. However, the economic sustainability of these opportunities lies in several key factors such as global hypercompetition, business creativity, the informal economy, and international brand equity. While abundant talent exists in multiple industries in Turkey, a major challenge is to encourage businesspersons and government elite to harness this talent better and make it more efficient. This chapter shall explore these and other factors like human resource management and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) training to examine how the nation's long-term economic prosperity can be maintained in a global environment which demands sustainable development.

Multinational Corporations

Foreign Investors are looking forward to enter organized retail sector, which has a mere 8 percent presence in India, but the present government in India which endorses liberal economic framework proscribe 100 percent FDI in multi-brand retail sector on the grounds of safeguarding small indigenous retailers known as ‘kirana stores'. The objective of the chapter is to explore the importance of Multi National Corporations (MNCs) not only in multi-brand retail sector but otherwise as a potent source of technology, efficiency and equality for farmers and poor, poverty alleviation and growth for a developing economy as a whole.

Communication (Intercultural and Multicultural) at Play for Cross Cultural Management within Multinational Corporations (MNCs)

With the globalization of economy, multinational corporations (MNCs) and joint ventures are expanding across the world, and China's vast market is attracting more foreign enterprises. Hence, misunderstanding, or even conflicts in employees' communication and cooperation in these cross-cultural enterprises exist more often than not. Compared with the general management activities, cross-cultural communication is more difficult than the general communication. Therefore, how to overcome the barriers in cross-cultural communication and how to achieve effective communication among employees is a common problem of all cross-cultural aMNCs. Hence, the purpose of this chapter is on communication, intercultural communication and multicultural communication in MNCs. The chapter will cover the meaning of multinational corporations, as well as language and diversity, and the roles that language and diversity play in MNCs. The chapter will conclude with factors to be sensitive about when becoming effective cross cultural managers for MNCs.

The Political Context of Migration in the UK

This chapter considers the societal response to the arrival in the UK of significant numbers of Roma Gypsies from East and Central Europe in recent years through the framework of Imogen Tyler's (2013) ‘social abjection' concept. In particular the chapter examines the relations between media and political discourses surrounding Roma migrants in the context of growing anti-EU sentiment on one hand and a parallel critique of multiculturalism on the other in order to examine the role and function that the Roma have played in these debates. The interplay between these different fields of discourse draws on a ‘consensus of disgust' that affirms social boundaries and creates physical, social and moral distance from ‘Others' considered as ‘polluting' and of less worth. The promotion and incitement of disgust as a mechanism of governance serves wider political and ideological objectives while also inhibiting the potential of social integration strategies, restricting the inclusionary potential of such policies and the assimilation of Roma populations.

The Quest for Security in India-ASEAN Relations

The international system becomes conscious of striving for a new security structure in the world, moving away from archaic Cold War paradigms. The modern states are engaged in a process of dialogue and discussion with their friends and partners to help shape a new security environment free of confrontation and strain. India's security cooperation with Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) can also include this theme. The nature of the global village has made it necessary to tackle even non-military issues of security in a comprehensive manner in general and those of the region of South and Southeast Asia in particular. India-ASEAN convergence of security interest is not only of great strategic importance for the Southeast Asian region but also for Asian security as a whole. This chapter attempts to view ASEAN-Indian security relations from the perspective of India's ‘Look East Policy' and ASEAN's Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) for regional peace and stability. The present chapter outlines three looming aspects which shaped the outlook for India-ASEAN current security relations: a) complex geo-strategic and security interdependence in the case of conventional security; b) securitisation of non-conventional security threats through institutional mechanisms; c) cooperative security imperative for ‘Greater Asian' security through multilateral engagement. By highlighting current security challenges, this chapter also attempts to look at the possible policy approaches that India and ASEAN may have to adopt so that their security cooperation is not merely sustained but also evolves further into a credible pillar of regional security engagement within the Asian setting.