Abstract Purpose: Written communication differences across cultures can set the tone for effective or disastrous business relationships. Although English has been the go-to language in business, managers from different countries can significantly differ in how they convey the firms' information. This study explored these differences by examining the documentation presented by foreign corporations as part of their initial public offering (IPO) in the USA, particularly Chinese firms. Design/methodology/approach: This work examined cultural-related differences in written communications by looking at foreign corporations' descriptions of their strengths, strategies and challenges included in F-1 documents submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as part of the IPO process. The sample consisted of 97 American depositary receipts (ADRs) identified in the Bank of New York Mellon's ADR directory from 2003 to 2015. Findings: This study found that Chinese firms significantly differ from other countries' firms in depicting their strengths, strategies and challenges. Research limitations/implications: Limitations have to do with the sample size. Future research may address this by considering other depositary markets, not just the USA. Originality/value: The results will be significant for potential ADRs investors; they must be conscious of these differences in the written documentation submitted by Chinese firms compared to other foreign firms. The market should also be aware of these differences, as the Chinese seem less open to sharing information about the under spinning of their operations and financial prospects.

Resumo Este estudo visou avaliar a aplicabilidade, precisão e desafios envolvidos na verificação automática dos requisitos de projeto especificados pela Norma de Desempenho utilizando um software de checagem de modelos BIM (Building Information Modeling). Os objetivos específicos incluem: (a) definição de um processo de parametrização de um conjunto de regras computacionais que incluem parte dos requisitos de projeto definidos pela Norma, (b) teste e avaliação da parametrização proposta utilizando o modelo BIM de um projeto habitacional real e de grande escala, e (c) comparação da precisão e dos tempos de checagem entre os métodos manual e automatizado. Os pesquisadores desenvolveram e testaram a checagem automática de aproximadamente um terço dos requisitos de projeto da Norma. Os resultados indicam uma diminuição substancial do tempo de checagem e um aumento do número de não-conformidades detectadas através do método automatizado em comparação com a técnica tradicional de avaliação de conformidade.

Abstract This study aimed to evaluate the applicability, accuracy, and challenges involved in the automated checking of design requirements specified by a Performance Code (PC) using a BIM (Building Information Modeling)-enabled model checker software application. Specific goals include: (a) definition of a workflow for the parameterization of a set of computational rules addressing part of the PC design requirements, (b) testing and evaluation of the proposed parameterization using a BIM model of a real large-scale housing project, and (c) comparison of accuracy and checking times between manual and automated methods. The research team developed and tested the automated checking of approximately one-third of the requirements. Findings indicate a substantial checking time decrease and an increase in the number of nonconformities detected through the automated method in comparison to the traditional technique of compliance assessment.