ABSTRACTS 1. GROWING CONCERN AND HOSTILITY ABOUT CHINESE FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT IN THE U.S.: AN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

Heavy infusions of foreign direct investment (FDI) from overseas multinational corporations (MNCs) can produce xenophobic reactions in target countries. The concern is that inward FDI may lead to economic and even political domination by investing companies and their governments. Recent examples include the European reactions to heavy USFDI in Europe during the 1960s, the U.S. reaction to inward Japanese FDI in the 1970s, and the current U.S. reaction to Chinese capital inflows into the U.S. It is the position of this paper that hostile reactions to inward FDI are typically exaggerated and, if translated into public policy induced capital barriers, can threaten the economic benefits of the free movements of capital across international borders. ABSTRACT Online retail sales have grown tremendously over the past decade yet online sales only represent 5.5 percent of total retail sales in the US. Hence, there is room for growth as more companies join the ranks of online vendors. The trust that is important for offline sales is even more important for online sales; therefore, online retailers are constantly trying to determine what motivates website visitors to become buyers. It has been determined that trust is one of the motivating factors. This study examines the use of website social presence in the form of a virtual spokesperson (VSP) as a way to elicit initial trust in an electronic commerce website. The study examines two propositions: 1) the use of a VSP on an electronic commerce website will increase the trusting beliefs of a first time website visitor; and 2) the use of a VSP on an electronic commerce website will increase the trusting intentions of a first time website visitor. Empirical evidence is found that supports the two propositions that the use of a VSP will increase the website visitor's trusting beliefs and trusting intentions toward the website. ABSTRACT In spite of evidence that student evaluations of teaching are reliable, stable, and valid, faculty opinion about them is divided. This study examines three potential biases in student evaluations of teaching — class size, course level, and course type — which have been reported by researchers. In addition to investigating differences between all courses in different categories, purer tests are performed by