Joseph KK Ho's work diary

A story about new year and best friends: All the Polytechnic classmates gathered together and were about to share a cake, one with the words on top stating "Happy together". My best friend (a boy) turned to the other best friend of mine (a girl) and declared: "Happy to get her.."... After graduation from HK Polytechnic, and returned from UK, I met them individually again in HK; He got another girlfriend and the other friend got another boyfriend.. After all, the cake had long been digested.

From what I have heard throughout 2015, the first part of all the propositions always make good sense, but not the rest of the proposition content... Example 1: we need to expand airport runway capacity Example 2: we need to study history and learn more about the China Example 3: we need to protect freedom of expression and copyright.. It is like: Example 1: we need to increase our quality of life with more wealth, so let's rob our parents. Example 2: we need to have more public space to improve our quality of life, so let's tear down our apartments,, Advice: better make use of proper research skills to study and evaluate the ideas carefully. 

I am currently conducting a survey on systems thinking in management in Hong Kong . Pls kindly participate; if feasible, also forward to your friends to do so. Many tks. Link

The education centre asks teachers to discuss the problem of why students' dissertation progress is slow and failure rate high? Simply, the problem is a symptom of our education system failure. Dissertation requires an engaging learning mindset and certain level of practice-oriented intellectual skills. Both most students do not have. Now, what can be done about it? Suggestions:  1. cancel the subject of dissertation works in the Degree programme. 2. lower the standard of assessment on dissertation projects so that even dissertation reports of very poor quality get a pass. 3. provide intensive personalized coaching to students  to do final-year projects. The existing formal education system in HK does not prepare students to do dissertation projects.

The following is the outline of Systems thinking for management workshop. Each session is 2 hours 30 min. There are 7 lectures altogether: 1. Basic notions in systems thinking and strands of applied systems thinking 2. Usage of metaphors 3. Hard systems thinking and system dynamics 4. Organizational Cybernetics 5. Soft systems thinking and methodologies 6. Emancipatory systems thinking and postmodern systems thinking 7. Critical systems thinking The workshop is delivered by J.K.K. Ho. Notes will be provided during the lecture. Venue is very likely to be in Sheung Shui.  The workshops are expected to be held on Sunday afternoon from 2:30pm to 5pm. Workshop is  delivered in Cantonese, with some jargons in English. Further announcement is made in JKKH coaching page . Only JKK Ho's Facebook friends or their friends are invited to enroll to the workshop.

The questions to ask: Category 1: - Question 1: Does the university have a high ranking and a good reputation? Question 2: Can I quickly and easily earn a recognized qualification by studying for a degree program offered by this university? Category 2: -  Question 3: Is your university worth supporting? Question 4: What have you been doing to stand by your university when it is being threatened by evil forces?

I will be at HKUSPACE 7/f., United Centre on Dec 1 (Tue) from 7 to 8:30pm to answer AMA students' queries about the subject.

Basic information: AMA exam:  Exam is 2-hour; answer 2 questions out of 4. Need to review course content by referring to the teaching plan . Also do textbook exercises and lecture problems, etc. All questions involve calculation plus some brief  essay form answers. I will be back to HKUSPACE at 6th floor United Centre (outside life exit) to answer students' queries at the following dates in the evening (6:30 to 8:30pm): Nov. 16 Nov. 23

Pls click the link to do the survey . Tks.

Some suggestions for doing AMA assignment are as follows: 1. Do study the articles provided by Mike Tayles and pick up some ideas from there. 2. The textbook chapters on quality management, JIT, performance measures of  ROI, EVA and the last chapter  on balanced scorecard are useful. Especially, they offer examples of performance measures. 3. Try to provide 3 performance measures on each of the balanced scorecard perspectives for illustration in your case study.  4. Linking up the performance measure to make up a strategy map (balanced scorecard concept) is useful. Indicate how the strategy map reflects the strategy of the company you are studying. 5. Go to google scholar to download additional references on balanced scorecard for literature review. 6. Read my blog article on AMA assignment report template for structuring your essay. 7. Remember that balanced scorecard measures at the business unit levels, not corporate level. And performance measures diff...

My new venture into sharing economy model: Link

At university and students liaison meetings, the following students' complaints come up regularly: Student A : The programme is very intensive; I am not able to absorb more than 50% of what is covered in the workshops. I am very keen to learn but what can be done about it. University admin staff : It is an intensive programme, so you have to work hard and accept the arrangement. Students want a programme of short duration. Moreover, if we extend the programmme duration, the school fee will be increased a lot, which cannot be accepted by students. This writer : I thought the programme has already been solved 30 years ago. Students should study the programme content before the school year begins and start to do some self-study about 1-2 months before the school year starts. This will enable them to learn more an enjoy the learning during the study. They should also cultivate learning as a life-time hobby. University programme is not based on speedy spoon-feeding and the system ...

Individual Assignment: 2500 words (50%) This will be a project related to Management Control Systems – the use of Financial and Non-financial Performance Measures .  Further details below and on the module website. Due date : 23 October 2015 Group B; 30 October 2015 Groups A and C.  Individual Assignment Task: Assignment title:  Management Control Systems – the use of Financial and Non-financial Performance Measures Managers in companies have always employed financial and non-financial performance measures (FPMs and NFPMs) to judge and guide their progress.  However it would appear that over the last 20 years greater emphasis has been placed on non-financial measures. Required: Briefly explain and illustrate FPMs and NFPMs with an example from a company. Discuss the possible reasons for this trend of greater emphasis on NFPMs.  Critically discuss the benefits that may accrue from a focus on NFPMs, compared to FPMs and the problems a...

Introductory Session – Lecture 1:  Relevant costs and Decision making. Management and Cost accounting fundamentals Aim Before addressing the more advanced topics in advanced management accounting you need to revise the fundamentals covered on an earlier accounting module. You should be familiar with the general content of these chapters from your earlier studies and just need to be reminded / updated.  Reading Chapters 1, 2 and 10 in the recommended text and articles. Dekker, H  (2003) Value chain analysis in inter-firm relationships – a field study”. Management Accounting Research, Vol.14, p.1-23) Self assessment Consider the end-of-chapter review questions for chapters 1, 2 and 10. Activities and Questions Attempt end-of-chapter exercises: 1.12   Purposes of accounting systems ( Solution in Appendix A ) ...

eCommerce – teaching plan (night-time class; total 24 hours) 2015 HK tutor: Joseph, K.K. Ho Day and time Topics References Sept. 10 (Thu) 6:30-10pm ·        Introduction to e-business and e-commerce ·        Marketplace analysis for e-commerce Chaffey: Chapters 1-2 Sept. 11 (Fri) 6:30-10pm ·        e-Business infrastructure ·        e-Environment Chaffey: Chapters 3 and 4 Sept. 12 (Sat) 2-7pm ·        e-Business strategy ·        Supply chain management ·        e-procurement Chaffey: Chapters 5, 6 and 7 Oct. 8 (Thu) 6:30-10pm ·        e-marketing ·        Customer relationship management Ch...