Cross-border Communication Research Articles

The Building Blocks of a Euroregion: novel Metrics to Measure Cross-border Integration

The article explores how the notion of European integration at the local level can be conceptualized and measured. Based on a process-oriented inclusive understanding of integration and using relational datasets that maps both domestic and cross-border communication ties among political representatives in four Euroregions along the borders of Hungary–Slovakia and Sweden–Norway, we begin by applying and theoretically dissecting network-analytical metrics based on frequency of ties. Despite finding that such measures capture analytically relevant properties of political cross-border networks, we argue that they are less than ideal for capturing the notion of political integration. Instead, with inspiration from the blockmodeling tradition in network analysis, we propose two novel metrics—cross-border connectivity and integrational overfitting. These metrics not only enrich our understanding of political integration in cross-border settings but also can serve as useful mapping tools for policy-makers. A software client enabling the analysis of these measures supplements this article.

Bi-national Social Networks and Assimilation: A Test of the Importance of Transnationalism.

While the concept of transnationalism has gained widespread popularity among scholars as a way to describe immigrants' long-term maintenance of cross-border ties to their origin communities, critics have argued that the overall proportion of immigrants who engage in transnational behavior is low and that, as a result, transnationalism has little sustained effect on the process of immigrant adaptation and assimilation. In this paper, we argue that a key shortcoming in the current empirical debate on transnationalism is the lack of data on the social networks that connect migrants to each other and to non-migrants in communities of origin. To address this shortcoming, our analysis uses unique bi-national data on the social network connecting an immigrant sending community in Guanajuato, Mexico, to two destination areas in the United States. We test for the effect of respondents' positions in cross-border networks on their migration intentions and attitudes towards the United States using data on the opinions of their peers, their participation in cross border and local communication networks, and their structural position in the network. The results indicate qualified empirical support for a network-based model of transnationalism; in the U.S. sample we find evidence of network clustering consistent with peer effects, while in the Mexican sample we find evidence of the importance of cross-border communication with friends.

Integrated reporting as a cross-border communication tool for business - a fad or a sign of times?

Abstract A model of business communication currently used by companies, based on the financial statements and a number of satellite different themed reports, turns out to be unsatisfying towards high stakeholders’ demands for information. Stakeholders expect environmental, social and corporate governance indicators enclosed in the financial and non-financial information, in a form that provides a complete, consistent, clear, comparable and reliable picture of the corporates’ achievements. Therefore, in this article we analyze whether the Integrated Report (IR) could become a cross-border communication tool of business, which would satisfy the internal and external global environment needs. For this purpose, in the light of the differences in understanding of business responsibility for society between countries on each side of the Atlantic, the “pros” and “cons” of Integrated Reports are considered and the willingness of the business environment on this new form of communication is examined.

Curriculum Development & Pedagogy for Developing World Class Management Education in South Asia

The international environment is becoming more competitive and demanding. In addition, higher education and innovation are becoming more critical for countries to be able to benefit from the increasingly globalised international environment. Therefore, South Asian countries have to improve their skills and innovation capabilities in terms of management education system. World class Business Management education by curriculum design and pedagogy in south Asia: I suggest 10 points which should be the focus area in creating word class business management education in south Asia that includes academic delivery and curriculum, quality of business management faculties, cutting edge initiative for professional development, business management curriculum in sync with market needs, corporate relations, events/fest, B School and public-private and cross-border research partnerships, information and communications technology in the delivery of program, more Positive Institutional Culture, faculty Incentive and evaluation Systems and traineeship/ Summer Project.

Voices, letters, and literature through the Iron Curtain: exiles and the (trans)mission of radio in the Cold War

The article investigates the role of Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty as a crucial junction of cross-Iron Curtain communication throughout the Cold War. It explores how the radio stations turned into both real as well as imaginary targets of letters, underground literature, and private phone calls from the ‘Other Europe’. After outlining the radios' mission in the early 1950s, the article concentrates on the practical as well as the symbolic employability of exiles. This will help further the understanding of the central role of exiles in closing gaps between the radio stations' mission and their actual transmission. By reestablishing means of real cross-border communication, exiles turned into the key players of this ‘Cold War of the ether’.

Scarlet Fever Outbreak, Hong Kong, 2011

Scarlet Fever Outbreak, Hong Kong, 2011

Practical Obstacles in Cross-Border Litigation and Communication between (EU) Courts

markdownabstract__Abstract__ In cross-border civil litigation the use of different official court languages causes severe problems when - at least one of the parties - is not familiar with the official language of the court, since the parties' constitutional right to a fair trial depends very much on the communication with the court. As a consequence, interpreters must often be used during the trials and hearings and legislatures have to decide to what extent legal documents should be translated. The article takes the position that the European legislature sometimes underestimates the language problem and does not always provide sufficient safeguards for the parties' right to be heard (in a language they can understand). In particular, the defendant's procedural rights often require a translation of documents in cross-border service of process and must take precedence over procedural economy. European regulations also tend to emphasize the cooperation between courts in different Member States without taking into consideration that there is often no common language and that many judges will not have the language skills to communicate with their colleagues. The use of standard forms available in the 23 official languages is no perfect solution for all situations.

Introduction: Law and Language; Implications for Harmonisation and Cross-Border Litigation

markdownabstract__Abstract__ This volume explores the framework of language and the law against the background of the harmonisation of private law in the EU, the obstacles in cross-border litigation and communication between courts and ways to tackle these, the modest introduction of English as an optional court language and the protection of language rights in multilingual states.

International Voice Tariffs: Disparities and Recommendations for Convergence in South Asia

The purpose of this paper is to explore the issues of international roaming in South Asia and make recommendations on how transparency and consistency in tariffs may be achieved; two elements that are important if the objective of SAARC is to provide its citizens a single-market environment. International roaming is a service that allows ease of communication for travelers and facilitates cross-border communication. It is a service that is only used by those who can afford foreign travel and high roaming charges; however, it is these communication links that connect the region. Affordability aside, research shows significant price variations within the SAARC region. Such disparities in roaming tariffs have long been the cause of concern for many and efforts have been made to regulate tariffs at a regional level within other organizations; the most successful being that of the European Union (EU). This paper also draws upon such examples.

9/11, the BSE Crisis, and Environmental Management in the Transboundary Plains–Prairies Region

As the Canada–US environmental relationship is driven by subnational, regional cross-border relationships, it has been argued that it is only indirectly affected by national differences in other policy domains. Although the Canada–US relationship has long been characterized by the absence of conflict, there are several policy domains in which the stances of the two nations diverge. This paper examines if Canada–US environmental relations in the subnational Saskatchewan–Montana borderland region remain indirectly affected after existing international tensions in other policy domains were inflamed by the September 11, 2001 (9/11) terrorist attacks on the United States and the 2003 BSE Crisis. 9/11 triggered a cascade of changes in the way that borders have been conceptualized and managed around the world, and it led to the implementation of stringent new border security regulations. Although 9/11 was a national/international level event, it has served to “thicken” the border at the national, regional, and local levels. By contrast, the BSE Crisis did not lead to such robust changes to the border and cross-border relationships; however, lingering tensions remain among some individuals and communities on the Canadian side of the border. This paper illustrates how restricted cross-border communication, mobility and cooperation, and eroded trust between international neighbors induced by 9/11 and the BSE Crisis, have been detrimental to formal transboundary grasslands conservation and management efforts across the Saskatchewan–Montana border.

Cross-Border Spatial Planning: Understanding, Designing and Managing Cooperation Processes in the German–Polish–Czech Borderland

Seven years after the accession of Poland and the Czech Republic into the European Union (EU) the intensity and the quality of cross-border cooperation along the new internal borders are still lagging behind. The physical barriers have been removed with the Schengen Agreement coming into force in 2007. However, the legal, institutional and mental barriers of cross-border cooperation still persist. Cross-border cooperation in spatial planning is often discontinuous and does not meet the expectations of the concerned parties. At the same time, the political pressure to cooperate is high and considerable financial means are available for territorial cooperation in the EU Structural Funds period of 2007–2013. On the basis of three case studies in the area of the German–Polish border, the paper illustrates that there is a lack of knowledge and deficient competences for cross-border cooperation in municipalities and regional administrations. Impeding and supporting factors for cooperation have been identified. It has been proven that institutional capacity among the cooperating partners is crucial. The paper presents recommendations on how to design and manage cross-border communications to achieve transboundary strategy development for efficient and sustainable regional development in Central Europe's border regions.

Talking Trade: Language Barriers in Intra-Canadian Commerce

This paper tests for one mechanism that can explain the existence of a language barrier to trade. Specifically, I ask if those industries that require more cross-border communication in order to export their products trade more between Canadian provinces that know the other's language(s). I find that trade in industries with a need to communicate directly (orally) with importers increases with the probability that people in another province speak the same language. This finding reveals a disadvantage for minority language regions in services trade.

Talking trade: language barriers in intra-Canadian commerce

This article tests for one mechanism that can explain the existence of a language barrier to trade. Specifically, the author asks if those industries that require more cross-border communication to export their products trade more between Canadian provinces that know the other’s language(s). The author finds that trade in industries with a need to communicate directly (orally) with importers increases with the probability that people in another province speak the same language. This finding reveals a disadvantage for minority language regions in services trade.

Borders and communication: Connecting disciplines

The studies compiled in this special issue of the Journal of Borderlands Studies comprise a unique set of analyses investigating the role of communication across borders. Simply put, nothing can be more critical to the interaction of borders than communication. The works that follow arose from Communication Across Borders, a conference held in Israel in July, 2008, jointly sponsored by Michigan State University and the Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya, Israel. The goal of the conference – and, in turn, this special issue of JBS – was to explore and elaborate upon the advances in information technology, conceptualization, and theoretical propositions that enable cross-border communication.

How do major European companies communicate their corporate identity across countries? - An empirical investigation of corporate internet communications

The article analyses how major European multinationals communicate their corporate identity across countries via their corporate websites. It examines the approach of the top 100 European listed companies which have a corporate website with head offices in the UK, France or Germany by comparing their home ("parent") website with the host websites in the other two countries using a content analysis approach. It finds that companies adopted a "glocal" approach which varied according to the country of origin and also to the industry sector. It suggests that a true "Single Market" in European corporate communications still has some way to go and that companies need to adapt elements of their internet communications and website policy more fully to cross-country differences and exploit the full benefits of internet-based corporate branding. The study therefore integrates the literature on global and corporate branding and corporate communications and the internet. Few, if any, studies have empirically investigated cross-border corporate website communications in Europe. Further work could extend the study into other sectors and other countries.

Catching outbreaks wherever they occur

Communicable diseases have no respect for boundaries. As pandemic influenza A (H1N1) swept the globe this year, WHO's Member States could take comfort in the legal requirements of the International Health Regulations (IHR), which were updated in 2005 to require countries to report certain disease outbreaks to the World Health Organization (WHO). not all parts of the world are or may be parties to the IHR, and where there is a gap in surveillance there is always the possibility that an outbreak can slip through the net. For example, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip--though not party to the IHR--are covered by the Middle East Consortium on Infectious Disease Surveillance (MECIDS). This coordination mechanism of Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian health officials shares information and takes coordinated action to help detect and respond to infectious disease outbreaks. It is one example of how regional disease surveillance can be achieved in difficult political environments, and also of how such cooperation works to implement the requirements of the IHR. When WHO declared Phase 6 of the A (H1N1) virus in June, we found we needed an urgent meeting, says Dr Bassam al-Hijawi, head of the Disease Control Directorate at Jordan's Ministry of Health. Increasing the capabilities of laboratories in the region posed one challenge for which it was necessary to hold face-to-face talks, even if it meant travelling to a third location because of political tensions between the sides. But we succeeded in going to Jerusalem to discuss it, says al-Hijawi, an epidemiologist, who serves on the executive board of MECIDS. We started [working according to] the same rules together, even though Israel reported the first A (H1N1) case. This was in compliance with the International Health Regulations, he says. MECIDS was established in 2003, when nongovernmental organizations Search for Common Ground and Washington-based Nuclear Threat Initiative began facilitating regional cooperation in public health. MECIDS was established as part of those efforts, in which the Ministry of Health of Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and Jordan were initially sharing data on foodborne disease outbreaks. Since then, data sharing has expanded to other disease areas, including vector-borne diseases and pandemic influenza. MECIDS partners have protocols for cross-border collaboration for investigating infectious disease outbreaks, including a bird culling radius across the borders, an automatic system for notifying each and tested collaboration for general preparedness for pandemic influenza. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Harmonizing diagnostic and reporting methodologies, sharing training programmes and facilitating cross-border communication between laboratory technicians and public health officials are other important activities. It's just not a talking organization. This is a direct action organization, says Terence Taylor, who is vice-president of Global Health and Security, at the Nuclear Threat Initiative, that is helping MECIDS implement its plans. idea behind MECIDS is that everybody is equal, says Dr Alex Leventhal, the director of Israel's Health Ministry Department of International Relations and the consortium's first chair. Leventhal is joined by Dr Adel Belbesi, assistant secretary-general for primary health care at Jordan's Ministry of Health. Dr Assad Ramlawi, the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Healths director of primary care and public health, is the third principal and currently holds the year-long rotating post. The three principals are the heads of their respective delegations to MECIDS and they take turns in occupying the rotating chair. We have to exchange information and support each other, Ramlawi says of the need for health professionals to protect their respective communities from the outbreak of infectious diseases. …

The View Beyond the Corner Office: Thoughts on an Interdisciplinary Theory of International Corporate Communications

The significance of international corporate communications (ICC) is growing, and the complexity associated with it is increasing. PR professionals are more and more engaged with international multicultural comparisons and models. Nevertheless, systematic understanding of international corporate communications remains underdeveloped. Whatever economics, law, cultural studies, political science, sociology, social psychology, linguistics and even communications theory beyond the range of PR have to say about the topic scarcely enters into the picture. This essay illustrates the status quo of international corporate communications through examples and it proposes a heuristic analytical grid, along with its interdisciplinary application. Finally, it concludes with a few basic considerations about the future of cross-border corporate communications, underlining the importance of globally-engaged corporate communicators' knowledge about the levels of target countries, target institutions, target contents and target actors.

Do Migrants Remit Democracy? International Migration, Political Beliefs, and Behavior in Mexico

International migrants are agents of democratic diffusion. They spread attitudes and behaviors absorbed in democratic host countries to their less democratic home countries by way of three processes: (a) migrant returns, (b) cross-border communication between migrants still abroad and their friends and family back home, and (c) migrant information networks in high-volume migration-producing communities. Marshaling data from an original June 2006 national survey in Mexico, the authors show that through one or another of these processes, migration alters the political participation and behavior of Mexicans living in Mexico.

An Electronic Infrastructure for Research and Treatment of the Thalassemias and Other Hemoglobinopathies: The Euro-Mediterranean Ithanet Project

Hemoglobin (Hb) disorders are common, potentially lethal monogenic diseases, posing a global health challenge. With worldwide migration and intermixing of carriers, demanding flexible health planning and patient care, hemoglobinopathies may serve as a paradigm for the use of electronic infrastructure tools in the collection of data, the dissemination of knowledge, the harmonization of treatment, and the coordination of research and preventive programs. ITHANET, a network covering thalassemias and other hemoglobinopathies, comprises 26 organizations from 16 countries, including non-European countries of origin for these diseases (Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Tunisia and Turkey). Using electronic infrastructure tools, ITHANET aims to strengthen cross-border communication and data transfer, cooperative research and treatment of thalassemia, and to improve support and information of those affected by hemoglobinopathies. Moreover, the consortium has established the ITHANET Portal, a novel web-based instrument for the dissemination of information on hemoglobinopathies to researchers, clinicians and patients. The ITHANET Portal is a growing public resource, providing forums for discussion and research coordination, and giving access to courses and databases organized by ITHANET partners. Already a popular repository for diagnostic protocols and news related to hemoglobinopathies, the ITHANET Portal also provides a searchable, extendable database of thalassemia mutations and associated background information. The experience of ITHANET is exemplary for a consortium bringing together disparate organizations from heterogeneous partner countries to face a common health challenge. The ITHANET Portal as a web-based tool born out of this experience amends some of the problems encountered and facilitates education and international exchange of data and expertise for hemoglobinopathies.

Christian democracy and the origins of European union

Major study of the role of European Christian democratic parties in the making of the European Union. It radically re-conceptualises European integration in long-term historical perspective as the outcome of partisan competition of political ideologies and parties and their guiding ideas for the future of Europe. Wolfram Kaiser takes a comparative approach to political Catholicism in the nineteenth century, Catholic parties in interwar Europe and Christian democratic parties in postwar Europe and studies these parties' cross-border contacts and co-ordination of policy-making. He shows how well networked party elites ensured that the origins of European Union were predominately Christian democratic, with considerable repercussions for the present-day EU. The elites succeeded by intensifying their cross-border communication and coordinating their political tactics and policy making in government. This is a major contribution to the new transnational history of Europe and the history of European integration.