published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

published_or_final_version / Housing Management / Master / Master of Housing Management

by Lai Tze-leung George, Lam Yip-wai Constant. / Abstract also in Chinese / Bibliography: leaves 158-162 / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1982

Thesis (M.S.Sc.)--The Chinese University of Hong Kong. / Bibliography: leaves 82-96.

This research analyses the expansion and transformation of higher education in Asia, focusing in particular on Chinese universities. It shows the rising of the so-­‐‑ called global university, that is, above all, an inclusive process which makes academic knowledge production something heterogeneous, complex and composite – characterised by different actors both private and public, institutional and non-­‐‑institutional. The global university is a point of multiplicity that places our view in the midst of the transformation of educational policies and knowledge taken as whole. It reveals a ‘global knowledge order’ parallel to a ‘new international division of labour’, where the higher education is becoming an important device in the filtering, restriction, and return of population and skilled workers around a whole set of internal national/transnational borders based on knowledge. Developing the concepts of stratification and differentiation, I investigate how the transformation of the educational system brings out and multiplies, rather than mitigates, the differences between universities, while this same segmentation refers to an original and powerful method of management of the increasingly qualified workforce. Higher education and its internationalization nowadays is an important dispositive to segment population within globalization, reconfigures hierarchies and manages the complex displacement of the present having the same force (or even more) as those of gender and race. Moreover, the Global University represents the most interesting terrain to observe the development of an original measurement of labour in its metamorphosis and the value form in cognitive capitalism. The growing intra-­‐‑regional mobility in Asia and the internationalisation of higher education characterise the innovative cartography of the present, wherein knowledge production becomes spatially dispersed and globally integrated. Knowledge, geographically embedded, defines the order of the current post-­‐‑ colonial space, while the Global University describes not only this kind of order, but also how this imbalance is used by the skilled workforce to survive in the local labour market.

published_or_final_version / Real Estate and Construction / Master / Master of Science in Real Estate and Construction

Housing is the most important of asset of the general public. It combines the function of a living place and a major storage of wealth. Socially, it is a vertical community lived hundreds even thousands of people. Technically, it is an artifact of modern architecture and a combination of various building services and specific knowledge and skills are required to keep it running smooth. The one who operates this epitome of a society is named as “Housing Manger” Housing management is a young profession in Hong Kong. Its status and role is built progressively through interaction with its service clients, those are the residents of estates. The social construction process forms the base of the profession in image and agreement building. Understanding the relationship between residents’ perception and the evolution of housing management profession helps the profession to setup its direction and goal in order to provide more appropriate services to safeguard the interest of the general public. The purpose of this study is to analyze how the role of housing management profession is developed and affected by the perception and expectations of residents. Housing management itself is also examined with the eight characteristics of a classical profession to see whether it fulfills the requirements to differentiate itself from other occupations and professions. A questionnaire survey and an interview in micro perspective are carried out to collect the first hand information of thinking from residents and industry practitioners. The findings indicated that the general public holds a positive image on the housing management profession and agree its contribution to the public interest, which is maintaining a safe and comfortable living environment for residents. The latest movements in qualification framework and legal recognized licensing system of housing managers have clearly stated its service boundary of the profession and improved its legitimacy in the industry. On the other side, the findings also indicate some aspects are waiting improvement to strengthen the status of the professions. It shows the direction for all stakeholders of the industry to work and cooperate with each other for the ultimate goal of a safe and enjoyable living environment. / published_or_final_version / Housing Management / Master / Master of Housing Management

This study is about the provision of value added services by management companies in Hong Kong, mainly focusing on middle class private residential properties. It is found that more and more value added services have been offered by management companies owing to the competitive market, escalating aspiration of residents and legal amendment. It is generally believed that provision of value added services is able to enhance competitive ability of management companies. Thus, management companies are willing to spend extra resources on the provision of the said services. On the other side, it is not difficult to find some front line staff of management companies complaining that the supporting from management companies are not sufficient for the provision of value added services. Then, they express that other management services and internal service quality have been affected adversely. These negative influences are not favorable for enhancing the competitive abilities of management companies. In this connection, the goal of this study is to find out the influences caused by the provision of value added services and provide recommendations to management companies for enhancing their competitive abilities in the market. 5 objectives have been set accordingly. Objective 1 is to explore the value added services provided by management companies in Hong Kong. For competing objective 1, a number of value added services offered by management companies have been identified. The value added services have been categorized into 5 groups based on their features. Objective 2 is to study business theory for enhancing profit, growth or competitive abilities of companies. Business theories including profit-service chain and satisfaction-service chain have been studied. Then, service-profit chain has been utilized to be the framework of methodology. Two questionnaires for residents and employees of management companies have been designed mainly based on the concept of service-profit chain. Objective 3 is to find out the value of value added services from residents' point of views. This objective has been completed by questionnaires. In addition, the influences caused by the provision of value added services on the value of other management services and internal service quality, from residents' and employees' point of views, have also been found by questionnaires for completing objective 4. Although the ranking of importance of value added services is behind some basic and essential management services including security, financial management, repair & maintenance and cleaning based on the reply of residents. It is found that, from residents' point of views, the value of value added services is high. It is estimated that management companies are able to enhance their competitive abilities by providing the said services. However, some negative influences in the value of other management services and internal service quality have been caused based on the reply of residents and employees. Both of the residents and employees express that the efficiency and quality of management services have been reduced. Besides, based on the reply of parts of employees, the additional working pressure has been caused by the provision of value added services. Turnover might be caused. For minimizing the negative influences and completing objective 5, recommendations have been offered accordingly for enhancing competitive abilities of management companies. / published_or_final_version / Housing Management / Master / Master of Housing Management

Home ownership is a dream for many Hong Kong people. In 1997, property prices in Hong Kong soared to a new height. To meet the community’s expectation, The HK SAR Government launched which believed Tenants Purchase Scheme (TPS) was a solution. Through this scheme, public housing tenants were encouraged to buy their flats in their affording price. In the beginning, it received a very good response and it seemed very optimistic. However, it was severely criticized lately about the estate management and the arguments arc never ended. According to Arnstein’s model, the cause might be due to different expectations, role change and participation from various involved parties, including Housing Authority, TPS flat owners and public housing tenants in the TPS estates. Cairneross, Clapham and Goodlad (1997) implied tenant, housing manager and councilor were playing a game under the framework of tenant participation and such game determinate the rules of housing management. Thus, that may apply to the situation happened in TPS. With the vision of living in peace and contentment for TPS residents, this dissertation aims at examining the role changing of residents, from tenant to owner, and the level of resident participation in those TPS estates and eventually to exam how these conflicts occur from such changes. By applying Arnstein's model to investigate the issue, we hope to identify the root cause and provide a light of resolution. To carry out the investigation, documentary review and interviews were conducted to gather information for analysis. Base on the findings with Arnstein's model, this paper concludes that TPS could be a good example to explain Arnstein's ladder of Citizen Participation – The change of role leads to the reallocation of estate management authority. If we can solve the management issues, TPS is a good scheme to help citizens to create comfortable living place. We hope this dissertation can help to provide a light of resolution. / published_or_final_version / Housing Management / Master / Master of Housing Management

I have been working in the property management field for 5 years, I have come across many challenges and problems which are require us to spend a lot of cost, time, and resources to solve and to deal with. I have found that those challenges and problems are mostly caused by the defects and design faults in the planning and design of the estate which arising my interested and curious about why the planning and design of the mass private housing estates can cause so much problems and challenges nowadays towards out the property management practices. It is a bit pity to say that during the research, I have found many of the housing managers are having the same thought with me and since housing managers are selfdom to be invited to participate in the developer’s project team meeting. That is the main reason why the planning and design of the mass housing estate will create many challenges and problems to the management team as well as to the residents. It is because they are lacking someone who knows the best of the end uses’ preferences and operations to give them practical comments for the planning and design of the development. In this research, you will be able to see how the planning and design of the mass private housing estate can impact the property management practices and the importance of having housing managers to join in the project team in the planning and design stage of the estate development. / published_or_final_version / Housing Management / Master / Master of Housing Management