RESEARCH

Ivey is a world leader in international management research and the development of innovative learning materials. Through research, faculty members remain at the forefront of knowledge and bring to the classroom the excitement that comes with new developments in their fields.

Ivey is producing a significant and increasing amount of important Asia-related research - check back often under DOWNLOADS: Recent/Forthcoming Research Publications. This work is taking place by faculty and Ph.D. students, and can be found in books and leading journals. Some of our Asia-focused research includes Cooperative Strategies, Leadership, and Japanese Foreign Direct Investment (JFDI).

Assisted by the Asian Management Institute, the volume of Asia-related research is escalating. This effort contributes to Ivey's ranking as the top school in the world for International Strategic Management research in the past decade (Source: Journal of International Management, 2003).

In the wake of backlash against Made-in-China toys in 2007, two studies done by Ivey Professor Paul Beamish and Hari Bapuji at the University of Manitoba generated significant international attention. The two studies: “Toy Recall – Is China Really the Problem?” and “Toy Import and Recall Levels: Is There a Connection?” were published by the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada and quoted in over 200 media outlets. The earlier research showed that most toy recalls were the results of design flaws by the creator companies rather than attributed to Chinese manufacturers. The follow up findings showed that toy recalls have increased at a faster rate than the increase in imports from foreign countries. Also, design-related recalls were higher, and increased faster, than manufacturing-related recalls, and that the trends were less pronounced for Chinese-made toys.

In 2008, “Toy Recalls and China: One Year Later” was published by the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada. This paper analyzes the data on toy recalls and notes that the number of recalls continued to increase in 2008. However, the total number of toy units recalled appears to be decreasing. This decrease in units, relative to recalls, is particularly salient for toys recalled for excessive levels of lead. Further, a marginal increase in the recalls of toys made in countries other than China is noted.

"Toy Recalls and China: One Year Later"

(PDF 105 KB)