Christopher Pokarier | Waseda University (original) (raw)
Papers by Christopher Pokarier
Exporting Japanese Aesthetics
This paper explores some general and conceptual issues in relation to the multiple uses of the di... more This paper explores some general and conceptual issues in relation to the multiple uses of the discourse of scale in discussion of natural disasters, and to how an inevitable plethora of explicit or implicit scales of magnitude and impacts may impact on both direct responses to disaster and subsequent understandings of its socio-political meaning. The research inquiry that this paper is a tentative manifestation of has been in direct reaction to the Tohoku ‘triple disaster’ of 11.3.11. The scope of this paper is conceptual and exploratory however, with specific observations about the Japanese case limited primarily to the concluding section.
This chapter first reflects upon the relationship between mobility and modernity and then notes t... more This chapter first reflects upon the relationship between mobility and modernity and then notes terrorism’s objectives in general. It then revisits briefly September 11’s cognitive and policy impacts on the organizational architecture of cross-border individual mobility, primarily in relation to commercial air travel. The post-9/11 security environment has lent unwarranted legitimacy to periodically ‘too strong states’ that have been indifferent to the individual and societal costs of clumsy border enforcement. Secure and just states will increasingly rely on non-state sources of information in their screening of cross-border individual mobility. Well-designed ICT applications may simultaneously facilitate legitimate individual mobility, and more precise and effective border screening and security. One vision is sketched of how a personal e-portfolio, containing mostly verifying information from non-state sources but in a common format acceptable to state authorities, might work to ...
Routledge Companion to Global Heritage Conservation, 2019
While the history of the domestic determinants of Australian trade policy has been thoroughly s... more While the history of the domestic determinants of Australian trade policy has been thoroughly studied, surprisingly little academic attention has been afforded to the drivers of foreign investment policy outcomes. This is at odds with Australia’s historical reliance upon imported capital, generally high levels of foreign ownership and control across the Australian economy – with several notable sectoral exceptions – and major policy changes over the forty year period from the mid‑1960s. Moreover, at certain historical junctures, inbound FDI has both been associated with significant developments in Australia’s pattern of international trade and was sometimes politically contentious. In keeping with the APEBH 2009 conference being hosted in Tokyo, this paper explores the historical political economy of Australian regulation of inbound FDI through a specific focus on Australia‑Japan investment linkages. The paper first sketches a conceptual approach ...
While the history of the domestic determinants of Australian trade policy has been thoroughly stu... more While the history of the domestic determinants of Australian trade policy has been thoroughly studied, surprisingly little academic attention has been afforded to the drivers of foreign investment policy outcomes. This is at odds with Australia's historical reliance upon imported capital, generally high levels of foreign ownership and control across the Australian economywith several notable sectoral exceptions-and major policy changes over the forty year period from the mid-1960s. Moreover, at certain historical junctures, inbound FDI has both been associated with significant developments in Australia's pattern of international trade and was sometimes politically contentious. In keeping with the APEBH 2009 conference being hosted in Tokyo, this paper explores the historical political economy of Australian regulation of inbound FDI through a specific focus on Australia-Japan investment linkages. The paper first sketches a conceptual approach to the analysis of domestic constituencies for particular FDI policy outcomes, which has been more fully explored elsewhere (Pokarier, EBHA 2007). This informs the subsequent discussion, and attempted conceptualisation, of the structures of business interests, evolving over five decades or more, that have disciplined successive Australian governments as well as their Japanese counterparts. This discipline was most clearly evidenced in the late 1980s and early 1990s when Japanese FDI was politically contentious for a time. It has also been witnessed in the subsequent public management of the bilateral relationship, and in the contemporary breadth and depth of business and other constituencies for closer economic engagement with Japan.
Open borders facilitate economic prosperity but entail risks. Whilst the promotion of further eco... more Open borders facilitate economic prosperity but entail risks. Whilst the promotion of further economic openness remains a formal objective of Japanese government policy, this imperative is tempered by politically salient national security concerns that are both broad in scope and deeply ...
This chapter explores both demand and supply aspects of creative work under conditions of acute a... more This chapter explores both demand and supply aspects of creative work under conditions of acute attention scarcity brought by ubiquitous connectivity and the digital content deluge. The quality agnosticism of social media platforms, designed for addiction, has heightened concerns about the balkanisation and dumbing down of markets for cultural products. Whether virtual communities of connoisseurship, and new ecologies of curation, may attenuate these effects is explored. The chapter then explores challenges for creative work under such conditions of hyper-connectivity, uncertainty-compounding information cascade effects, and content overload. The risks are not only to the commercial success of particular cultural products but also to the creative process itself. Clues as to what constitutes effective creative discretion—judgement about what influences and audience expectations to ignore, conform to, or articulate a response to—are sought in examples of past writers and artists.
This paper explores some general and conceptual issues in relation to the multiple uses of the di... more This paper explores some general and conceptual issues in relation to the multiple uses of the discourse of scale in discussion of natural disasters, and to how an inevitable plethora of explicit or implicit scales of magnitude and impacts may impact on both direct responses to disaster and subsequent understandings of its socio-political meaning. The research inquiry that this paper is a tentative manifestation of has been in direct reaction to the Tohoku ‘triple disaster’ of 11.3.11. The scope of this paper is conceptual and exploratory however, with specific observations about the Japanese case limited primarily to the concluding section
Internationalization of higher education systems increasingly is seen both as a desirable objecti... more Internationalization of higher education systems increasingly is seen both as a desirable objective in itself and as impetus to broader reforms at the institutional level. This paper focuses on the second, more recent, policy hope in Japan: namely that enhancing international student and staff mobility may generate both demand and supply side pressures for better practice in universities. The evidence is mixed, and Japanese experience shows that such international mobility relates imperfectly to what may be termed 'cognitive internationalization'. Japan has some institutions of high domestic stature that see themselves in a global market for research excellence, yet have very little experience of inbound foreign student and academic mobility, and still underdeveloped outbound flows. At the same time, some leading institutions with significant inbound student flows have, in effect, quarantined organisationally their impacts within institutional sub-units. Weaker institutions face the same compromises between academic standards and financial exigencies troubling some other higher education systems. This paper notes how the systemic reform impacts of international student and staff mobility are blunted by the sheer scale of the Japanese higher education system, and the ways in which institutional leadership is embedded in particular governance, employment practices, and socio-cultural contexts. Internationalization's impacts In recent decades higher education institutions and the governments and other stakeholders that impact upon them have placed considerable emphasis upon promoting the internationalization of students' learning experiences. This is seen to entail positive impacts on students such as broadening personal outlooks and aspirations as well as stimulating the development of particular border-spanning capabilities. The latter include foreign language skills, specific cultural aptitudes, and general skills for managing inter-personal differences and constrained communications. There is a growing research literature, beyond the scope of this paper to survey, that explores these impacts as well as dynamic ongoing dialogues within the large international professional communities embodied in such organisations as NAFSA and EAIE. The profoundly important contribution that international mobility of university researchers,
ABSTRACT Open borders facilitate economic prosperity but entail risks. Whilst the promotion of fu... more ABSTRACT Open borders facilitate economic prosperity but entail risks. Whilst the promotion of further economic openness remains a formal object of Japanese government policy, this imperative is tempered by politically salient national security concerns that are both broad in scope and deeply complex. Since 2000, a series of diverse and significant negative events – such as terrorism, crime, disease, and economic nationalism abroad – have impacted upon the perceived risks of open borders and reliance upon international supply chains. These developments have given rise not only to demands for specific public policy and private sector initiatives in response to such perceived threats, but have also contributed to a general attitudinal climate in which policy measures to guard ‘national interests’ find ready legitimacy. Economic openness is not inevitable, being strongly contested domestically.
This paper reports the findings of a survey of international students conducted to identify the s... more This paper reports the findings of a survey of international students conducted to identify the significance of reputation for quality as a determinant in the choice of Australian educational institutions. The findings include a comparison with other aspects of Australia's reputation ...
While the history of the domestic determinants of Australian trade policy has been thoroughly stu... more While the history of the domestic determinants of Australian trade policy has been thoroughly studied, surprisingly little academic attention has been afforded to the drivers of foreign investment policy outcomes. This is at odds with Australia's historical reliance upon imported capital, generally high levels of foreign ownership and control across the Australian economywith several notable sectoral exceptions-and major policy changes over the forty year period from the mid-1960s. Moreover, at certain historical junctures, inbound FDI has both been associated with significant developments in Australia's pattern of international trade and was sometimes politically contentious. In keeping with the APEBH 2009 conference being hosted in Tokyo, this paper explores the historical political economy of Australian regulation of inbound FDI through a specific focus on Australia-Japan investment linkages. The paper first sketches a conceptual approach to the analysis of domestic constituencies for particular FDI policy outcomes, which has been more fully explored elsewhere (Pokarier, EBHA 2007). This informs the subsequent discussion, and attempted conceptualisation, of the structures of business interests, evolving over five decades or more, that have disciplined successive Australian governments as well as their Japanese counterparts. This discipline was most clearly evidenced in the late 1980s and early 1990s when Japanese FDI was politically contentious for a time. It has also been witnessed in the subsequent public management of the bilateral relationship, and in the contemporary breadth and depth of business and other constituencies for closer economic engagement with Japan.
International Journal of Public Policy
The history of Australian foreign investment policy poses an explanatory challenge: why did a cou... more The history of Australian foreign investment policy poses an explanatory challenge: why did a country long so open to overseas capital turn to more restrictive policy at the turn of the 1970s, only to significantly liberalise again from the mid-1980s through the early 1990s? Why has the regulatory apparatus of Australia's Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) been little changed over the last four decades, despite this latter significant liberalising policy shift? To address these questions some political economy issues inherent to FDI are first considered, and then the central role of foreign capital in Australia's historical development is discussed. The article subsequently explores the evolution of Australia's foreign investment regime and the confluence of economic. attitudinal and political factors that shaped policy outcomes at key historical junctures, particularly in the period from the early 1970s to the early 1990s.
International Journal of Public Policy
The history of Australian foreign investment policy poses an explanatory challenge: why did a cou... more The history of Australian foreign investment policy poses an explanatory challenge: why did a country long so open to overseas capital turn to more restrictive policy at the turn of the 1970s, only to significantly liberalise again from the mid-1980s through the early 1990s? Why has the regulatory apparatus of Australia's Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) been little changed over the last four decades, despite this latter significant liberalising policy shift? To address these questions some political economy issues inherent to FDI are first considered, and then the central role of foreign capital in Australia's historical development is discussed. The article subsequently explores the evolution of Australia's foreign investment regime and the confluence of economic. attitudinal and political factors that shaped policy outcomes at key historical junctures, particularly in the period from the early 1970s to the early 1990s.
International Journal of Public Policy
The history of Australian foreign investment policy poses an explanatory challenge: why did a cou... more The history of Australian foreign investment policy poses an explanatory challenge: why did a country long so open to overseas capital turn to more restrictive policy at the turn of the 1970s, only to significantly liberalise again from the mid-1980s through the early 1990s? Why has the regulatory apparatus of Australia's Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) been little changed over the last four decades, despite this latter significant liberalising policy shift? To address these questions some political economy issues inherent to FDI are first considered, and then the central role of foreign capital in Australia's historical development is discussed. The article subsequently explores the evolution of Australia's foreign investment regime and the confluence of economic. attitudinal and political factors that shaped policy outcomes at key historical junctures, particularly in the period from the early 1970s to the early 1990s.
ABSTRACT Much of the gradual transformation in Japan’s institutional architecture of corporate go... more ABSTRACT Much of the gradual transformation in Japan’s institutional architecture of corporate governance in the 1990s and 200s has been demanded by its firms, albeit mediated through political, bureaucratic, and juridical processes and communities of specialist expertise. Influential Japanese corporate constituencies want a regulatory environment that facilitates their adapting efficiently to the evolving business environment. Yet they also want the option of being free to build defences against outside bidders for control. The Japanese Government is open to firms being, with the consent of a majority of shareholders, closed to a foreign takeover, or indeed a domestic one that is seen as a threat to the rather nebulous notion of ‘corporate value’.
Qut Business School, 2001
Pokarier, Christopher (2001) Theorising the Drivers of FDI Policy Liberalisation. In: Academy of ... more Pokarier, Christopher (2001) Theorising the Drivers of FDI Policy Liberalisation. In: Academy of International Business (AIB) South East Asia Region (AIBSEAR) 2001 Conference "Business Alliance for Knowledge & Development: Inter-Firm, Inter-Sectoral and Cross-Cultural ...
Exporting Japanese Aesthetics
This paper explores some general and conceptual issues in relation to the multiple uses of the di... more This paper explores some general and conceptual issues in relation to the multiple uses of the discourse of scale in discussion of natural disasters, and to how an inevitable plethora of explicit or implicit scales of magnitude and impacts may impact on both direct responses to disaster and subsequent understandings of its socio-political meaning. The research inquiry that this paper is a tentative manifestation of has been in direct reaction to the Tohoku ‘triple disaster’ of 11.3.11. The scope of this paper is conceptual and exploratory however, with specific observations about the Japanese case limited primarily to the concluding section.
This chapter first reflects upon the relationship between mobility and modernity and then notes t... more This chapter first reflects upon the relationship between mobility and modernity and then notes terrorism’s objectives in general. It then revisits briefly September 11’s cognitive and policy impacts on the organizational architecture of cross-border individual mobility, primarily in relation to commercial air travel. The post-9/11 security environment has lent unwarranted legitimacy to periodically ‘too strong states’ that have been indifferent to the individual and societal costs of clumsy border enforcement. Secure and just states will increasingly rely on non-state sources of information in their screening of cross-border individual mobility. Well-designed ICT applications may simultaneously facilitate legitimate individual mobility, and more precise and effective border screening and security. One vision is sketched of how a personal e-portfolio, containing mostly verifying information from non-state sources but in a common format acceptable to state authorities, might work to ...
Routledge Companion to Global Heritage Conservation, 2019
While the history of the domestic determinants of Australian trade policy has been thoroughly s... more While the history of the domestic determinants of Australian trade policy has been thoroughly studied, surprisingly little academic attention has been afforded to the drivers of foreign investment policy outcomes. This is at odds with Australia’s historical reliance upon imported capital, generally high levels of foreign ownership and control across the Australian economy – with several notable sectoral exceptions – and major policy changes over the forty year period from the mid‑1960s. Moreover, at certain historical junctures, inbound FDI has both been associated with significant developments in Australia’s pattern of international trade and was sometimes politically contentious. In keeping with the APEBH 2009 conference being hosted in Tokyo, this paper explores the historical political economy of Australian regulation of inbound FDI through a specific focus on Australia‑Japan investment linkages. The paper first sketches a conceptual approach ...
While the history of the domestic determinants of Australian trade policy has been thoroughly stu... more While the history of the domestic determinants of Australian trade policy has been thoroughly studied, surprisingly little academic attention has been afforded to the drivers of foreign investment policy outcomes. This is at odds with Australia's historical reliance upon imported capital, generally high levels of foreign ownership and control across the Australian economywith several notable sectoral exceptions-and major policy changes over the forty year period from the mid-1960s. Moreover, at certain historical junctures, inbound FDI has both been associated with significant developments in Australia's pattern of international trade and was sometimes politically contentious. In keeping with the APEBH 2009 conference being hosted in Tokyo, this paper explores the historical political economy of Australian regulation of inbound FDI through a specific focus on Australia-Japan investment linkages. The paper first sketches a conceptual approach to the analysis of domestic constituencies for particular FDI policy outcomes, which has been more fully explored elsewhere (Pokarier, EBHA 2007). This informs the subsequent discussion, and attempted conceptualisation, of the structures of business interests, evolving over five decades or more, that have disciplined successive Australian governments as well as their Japanese counterparts. This discipline was most clearly evidenced in the late 1980s and early 1990s when Japanese FDI was politically contentious for a time. It has also been witnessed in the subsequent public management of the bilateral relationship, and in the contemporary breadth and depth of business and other constituencies for closer economic engagement with Japan.
Open borders facilitate economic prosperity but entail risks. Whilst the promotion of further eco... more Open borders facilitate economic prosperity but entail risks. Whilst the promotion of further economic openness remains a formal objective of Japanese government policy, this imperative is tempered by politically salient national security concerns that are both broad in scope and deeply ...
This chapter explores both demand and supply aspects of creative work under conditions of acute a... more This chapter explores both demand and supply aspects of creative work under conditions of acute attention scarcity brought by ubiquitous connectivity and the digital content deluge. The quality agnosticism of social media platforms, designed for addiction, has heightened concerns about the balkanisation and dumbing down of markets for cultural products. Whether virtual communities of connoisseurship, and new ecologies of curation, may attenuate these effects is explored. The chapter then explores challenges for creative work under such conditions of hyper-connectivity, uncertainty-compounding information cascade effects, and content overload. The risks are not only to the commercial success of particular cultural products but also to the creative process itself. Clues as to what constitutes effective creative discretion—judgement about what influences and audience expectations to ignore, conform to, or articulate a response to—are sought in examples of past writers and artists.
This paper explores some general and conceptual issues in relation to the multiple uses of the di... more This paper explores some general and conceptual issues in relation to the multiple uses of the discourse of scale in discussion of natural disasters, and to how an inevitable plethora of explicit or implicit scales of magnitude and impacts may impact on both direct responses to disaster and subsequent understandings of its socio-political meaning. The research inquiry that this paper is a tentative manifestation of has been in direct reaction to the Tohoku ‘triple disaster’ of 11.3.11. The scope of this paper is conceptual and exploratory however, with specific observations about the Japanese case limited primarily to the concluding section
Internationalization of higher education systems increasingly is seen both as a desirable objecti... more Internationalization of higher education systems increasingly is seen both as a desirable objective in itself and as impetus to broader reforms at the institutional level. This paper focuses on the second, more recent, policy hope in Japan: namely that enhancing international student and staff mobility may generate both demand and supply side pressures for better practice in universities. The evidence is mixed, and Japanese experience shows that such international mobility relates imperfectly to what may be termed 'cognitive internationalization'. Japan has some institutions of high domestic stature that see themselves in a global market for research excellence, yet have very little experience of inbound foreign student and academic mobility, and still underdeveloped outbound flows. At the same time, some leading institutions with significant inbound student flows have, in effect, quarantined organisationally their impacts within institutional sub-units. Weaker institutions face the same compromises between academic standards and financial exigencies troubling some other higher education systems. This paper notes how the systemic reform impacts of international student and staff mobility are blunted by the sheer scale of the Japanese higher education system, and the ways in which institutional leadership is embedded in particular governance, employment practices, and socio-cultural contexts. Internationalization's impacts In recent decades higher education institutions and the governments and other stakeholders that impact upon them have placed considerable emphasis upon promoting the internationalization of students' learning experiences. This is seen to entail positive impacts on students such as broadening personal outlooks and aspirations as well as stimulating the development of particular border-spanning capabilities. The latter include foreign language skills, specific cultural aptitudes, and general skills for managing inter-personal differences and constrained communications. There is a growing research literature, beyond the scope of this paper to survey, that explores these impacts as well as dynamic ongoing dialogues within the large international professional communities embodied in such organisations as NAFSA and EAIE. The profoundly important contribution that international mobility of university researchers,
ABSTRACT Open borders facilitate economic prosperity but entail risks. Whilst the promotion of fu... more ABSTRACT Open borders facilitate economic prosperity but entail risks. Whilst the promotion of further economic openness remains a formal object of Japanese government policy, this imperative is tempered by politically salient national security concerns that are both broad in scope and deeply complex. Since 2000, a series of diverse and significant negative events – such as terrorism, crime, disease, and economic nationalism abroad – have impacted upon the perceived risks of open borders and reliance upon international supply chains. These developments have given rise not only to demands for specific public policy and private sector initiatives in response to such perceived threats, but have also contributed to a general attitudinal climate in which policy measures to guard ‘national interests’ find ready legitimacy. Economic openness is not inevitable, being strongly contested domestically.
This paper reports the findings of a survey of international students conducted to identify the s... more This paper reports the findings of a survey of international students conducted to identify the significance of reputation for quality as a determinant in the choice of Australian educational institutions. The findings include a comparison with other aspects of Australia's reputation ...
While the history of the domestic determinants of Australian trade policy has been thoroughly stu... more While the history of the domestic determinants of Australian trade policy has been thoroughly studied, surprisingly little academic attention has been afforded to the drivers of foreign investment policy outcomes. This is at odds with Australia's historical reliance upon imported capital, generally high levels of foreign ownership and control across the Australian economywith several notable sectoral exceptions-and major policy changes over the forty year period from the mid-1960s. Moreover, at certain historical junctures, inbound FDI has both been associated with significant developments in Australia's pattern of international trade and was sometimes politically contentious. In keeping with the APEBH 2009 conference being hosted in Tokyo, this paper explores the historical political economy of Australian regulation of inbound FDI through a specific focus on Australia-Japan investment linkages. The paper first sketches a conceptual approach to the analysis of domestic constituencies for particular FDI policy outcomes, which has been more fully explored elsewhere (Pokarier, EBHA 2007). This informs the subsequent discussion, and attempted conceptualisation, of the structures of business interests, evolving over five decades or more, that have disciplined successive Australian governments as well as their Japanese counterparts. This discipline was most clearly evidenced in the late 1980s and early 1990s when Japanese FDI was politically contentious for a time. It has also been witnessed in the subsequent public management of the bilateral relationship, and in the contemporary breadth and depth of business and other constituencies for closer economic engagement with Japan.
International Journal of Public Policy
The history of Australian foreign investment policy poses an explanatory challenge: why did a cou... more The history of Australian foreign investment policy poses an explanatory challenge: why did a country long so open to overseas capital turn to more restrictive policy at the turn of the 1970s, only to significantly liberalise again from the mid-1980s through the early 1990s? Why has the regulatory apparatus of Australia's Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) been little changed over the last four decades, despite this latter significant liberalising policy shift? To address these questions some political economy issues inherent to FDI are first considered, and then the central role of foreign capital in Australia's historical development is discussed. The article subsequently explores the evolution of Australia's foreign investment regime and the confluence of economic. attitudinal and political factors that shaped policy outcomes at key historical junctures, particularly in the period from the early 1970s to the early 1990s.
International Journal of Public Policy
The history of Australian foreign investment policy poses an explanatory challenge: why did a cou... more The history of Australian foreign investment policy poses an explanatory challenge: why did a country long so open to overseas capital turn to more restrictive policy at the turn of the 1970s, only to significantly liberalise again from the mid-1980s through the early 1990s? Why has the regulatory apparatus of Australia's Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) been little changed over the last four decades, despite this latter significant liberalising policy shift? To address these questions some political economy issues inherent to FDI are first considered, and then the central role of foreign capital in Australia's historical development is discussed. The article subsequently explores the evolution of Australia's foreign investment regime and the confluence of economic. attitudinal and political factors that shaped policy outcomes at key historical junctures, particularly in the period from the early 1970s to the early 1990s.
International Journal of Public Policy
The history of Australian foreign investment policy poses an explanatory challenge: why did a cou... more The history of Australian foreign investment policy poses an explanatory challenge: why did a country long so open to overseas capital turn to more restrictive policy at the turn of the 1970s, only to significantly liberalise again from the mid-1980s through the early 1990s? Why has the regulatory apparatus of Australia's Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) been little changed over the last four decades, despite this latter significant liberalising policy shift? To address these questions some political economy issues inherent to FDI are first considered, and then the central role of foreign capital in Australia's historical development is discussed. The article subsequently explores the evolution of Australia's foreign investment regime and the confluence of economic. attitudinal and political factors that shaped policy outcomes at key historical junctures, particularly in the period from the early 1970s to the early 1990s.
ABSTRACT Much of the gradual transformation in Japan’s institutional architecture of corporate go... more ABSTRACT Much of the gradual transformation in Japan’s institutional architecture of corporate governance in the 1990s and 200s has been demanded by its firms, albeit mediated through political, bureaucratic, and juridical processes and communities of specialist expertise. Influential Japanese corporate constituencies want a regulatory environment that facilitates their adapting efficiently to the evolving business environment. Yet they also want the option of being free to build defences against outside bidders for control. The Japanese Government is open to firms being, with the consent of a majority of shareholders, closed to a foreign takeover, or indeed a domestic one that is seen as a threat to the rather nebulous notion of ‘corporate value’.
Qut Business School, 2001
Pokarier, Christopher (2001) Theorising the Drivers of FDI Policy Liberalisation. In: Academy of ... more Pokarier, Christopher (2001) Theorising the Drivers of FDI Policy Liberalisation. In: Academy of International Business (AIB) South East Asia Region (AIBSEAR) 2001 Conference "Business Alliance for Knowledge & Development: Inter-Firm, Inter-Sectoral and Cross-Cultural ...