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The purpose of this paper is to analyze the cavitation dynamics in the blade channel of a centrifugal pump with a particular focus on the direct influence of the pump’s volute.

A homogeneous multiphase model, namely the Zwart-Gerber-Belamri cavitation model, is employed to numerically describe the evolution of the process of cavitation within the pump. The RNG k-e turbulence model is applied to analyze the unsteady turbulent flow. A second order implicit formulation is used for the time discretization for the unsteady flow calculation and a finite volume algorithm is used for the space discretization.

The cavities in the passage exhibit an obvious life cycle which includes initiation, growth, contraction, and separation, and collapse with a frequency corresponding to the impeller rotation frequency under off-design conditions. This phenomenon arises through an alternating interaction between reverse flow with the cavity interface and is associated with the response of the vortex region to the effect of uneven pressure distribution on volute and impeller-tongue interaction.

This study simulated and analyzed the complex transient cavitation flow patterns inside a centrifugal pump and explains the reason for the unsteadiness. This knowledge is instructive in achieving the stable operation of pumps and in trouble shooting rough or cavitating operation.

The purpose of this paper is to highlight an assessment tool that can be used for all information literacy classes.

The assessment was designed and data were stored using Google Forms. Questions were basic, general questions about student confidence after attending a library instruction class. The assessment was piloted in the Fall 2015 semester, improved on and reissued in the Spring 2016 semester and is now in its current iteration as a tool to be used by most librarians.

The first two implementations were successful, but issues arose in distribution and in the type of questions. Tweaks to the distribution that would work in any computer lab on any campus were beneficial to librarians and students. The content of the questions were also modified after the first two implementations; questions about recalling resources were condensed and changed to questions on what the students learned and what they were still unsure of. All implementations showed positive results from the students on their confidence level after library instruction.

This tool and the implementation methods are versatile enough to be used at any kind of institution and with any general learning objective. Assessment is essential in library instruction; this tool provides a way for all librarians to quickly assess their class without taking much additional class time. In addition to the individual librarian, this is also useful for reporting statistics to the college administration if data are needed on the assessment of library instruction.

E-entrepreneurship is developed based on digital platforms, having specific technical opportunities, such as the interactive ecosystem, fast payment method and online store function, without strict requirements for online entrepreneurs. Considering China’s e-entrepreneurship environment and cultural background, this paper aims to analyse individuals’ e-entrepreneurship motivation based on the capability–opportunity–motivation–behaviour (COM-B) behaviour changing theory.

Through testing 602 samples based on the partial least squares path modelling and variance-based structural equation modelling, the factors from the opportunity and capability units positively affect individuals’ e-entrepreneurship motivation. Meanwhile, because of the economic and social environmental differences between China’s urban and rural regions, this study promotes the multi-group analysis based on individuals’ regional backgrounds.

First, as opportunity factors, technical and policy opportunities have significantly positive relationships with individuals’ e-entrepreneurship motivation. Second, entrepreneurial and cultural capabilities are essential for Chinese entrepreneurs while making an entrepreneurial decision. Third, because of the e-entrepreneurial environment difference and educational system gap, entrepreneurial capability exerts a greater influence on the e-entrepreneurship motivation for Chinese individuals from urban regions, and cultural capability exerts a higher impact on the e-entrepreneurship motivation for Chinese individuals from rural regions.

Whilst the phenomenon of e-entrepreneurship is emerging as a popular entrepreneurship area of study, little research has systematically explored individuals’ e-entrepreneurial motivation and analysed influencing factors from macro and minor aspects. According to the COM-B behaviour changing theory, this paper discovers influencing factors from environmental opportunity and personal capability units, and it is helpful to present individuals’ attitudes to the platform-based business model.

The purpose of this paper is to present an organized review of existing research on reconfigurable manufacturing system (RMS). The paper considers majority of the prominent research articles in the domain of RMS published ever since RMS was envisaged in 1997.

The paper systematically reviews, classifies and analyses the published literature on postulations and design of RMSs. The general observations from the literature and research gaps recognized thereon are highlighted at the end of each section/sub-section.

The paper reveals important aspects related to RMS research since its inception. It also recognizes the areas of RMS research requiring more focus. The study also highlights open issues and future directions for further research.

The literature in the domain of RMS has so far been narrow. This paper reviews the prominent research in this field and presents an overview of its conceptual developments and various mathematical models for the RMS design and its optimization so far developed by the researchers. Further, manufacturing advancements and future directions have also been proposed for the efficient execution of RMS paradigm in manufacturing industries.

The paper provides an organized listing of published research work in the field of RMS. This work will provide an insight to the researchers, practitioners and others related directly or indirectly to this field to develop and understand better strategies for supervising and controlling the smooth implementation of RMS.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has received considerable research attention globally over the past decade. Although a growing number of prior studies have investigated the various dimensions of CSR in general terms, few studies have investigated the critical role that CSR can play in the internationalization process of firms.

Using S&P 500 companies during 2004-2014, the authors found that the level of CSR commitment raises the level of reliability of firm and allows further international penetration. Moreover, better regulatory quality of host country is at actual support of internationalization only when considering the short term.

Better regulatory quality of host country is at actual support of internationalization only when considering the short term.

The authors build on internationalization theory and CSR and examine the relationship between firms’ level of internationalization and CSR commitment.

The velocity head is usually neglected in the energy equation for a pipeline junction when one-dimensional (1D) hydraulic transient flow is solved by method of characteristics. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of velocity head on filling transients in a branched pipeline by an energy equation considering velocity head.

An interface tracking method is used to locate the air–water interface during pipeline filling. The pressured pipe flow is solved by a method of characteristics. A discrete gas cavity model is included to permit the occurrence of column separation. A universal energy equation is built by considering the velocity head. The numerical method is provisionally verified in a series pipeline and the numerical results and experimental data accord well with each other.

The numerical results show that some differences in filling velocity and piezometric head occur in the branched pipeline. These differences arise because the velocity head in the energy equation can become an important contributor to the hydraulic response of the system. It is also confirmed that a local high point in the profile is apt to experience column separation during rapid filling. Significantly, the magnitude of overpressure and cavity volume induced by filling transients at the local high point is predicted to increase with the velocity in the pipes.

The velocity head in the energy equation for a pipeline junction could play an important role in the prediction of filling velocity, piezometric head and column separation phenomenon, which should be given more attention in 1D hydraulic transient analysis.

The purpose of this paper is to complement existing research of the relationship between concentrated ownership and firm performance by theoretically exploring the impact of outside blockholders on the firm, primarily from the perspective of voting power.

This paper proposes theoretical propositions based on analyses and logical extension of results of the existing theoretical and empirical studies.

This paper proposes three theoretical predictions: First, voting power provides outside blockholders a necessary condition to pursue shared and private benefits of control, and it is positively correlated with blockholders’ capability of influencing firm value. Second, everything else being equal, an outside blockholder is more (less) likely to pursue private benefits than shared benefits when the equity market is efficient and when the blockholder’s voting power is less (more) than 50 per cent. Third, controlling outside blockholders can capitalize on their voting power to appoint managerial delegates and board representatives to the invested firms for the purpose of pursuing private benefits of control.

This paper tries to make two contributions to the corporate governance literature. First, this research relies on a new perspective to explore the relationship between ownership structure and firm value. Second, this paper presents the first theoretical argument which states that controlling outside blockholders rely on their managerial delegates and board representatives to pursue their private benefits of control.

Construction managers face many work-related stressors induced by unrealistic schedule expectations, tight budgets, and long hours. Over time, these stressors can result in both mental and physical exhaustion, a condition referred to as burnout. Early-career managers are a key worker demographic, as they represent the near-term future of the construction industry, yet they have a high risk for burnout. The purpose of this study is to explore the prevalence of burnout in new construction managers, and to identify which individual or work-related factors are associated with feelings of burnout.

Using the Maslach Burnout Inventory General Survey (MBI-GS), data from 146 early-career professionals (less than 10 years of experience) with construction management degrees in the USA were collected and analyzed using correlational and best subset regression techniques.

The results show that the early-career demographic in the USA experiences both the Emotional Exhaustion and Cynicism dimensions of burnout at comparable levels to prior studies with more mid-to-late career respondents. However, the Professional Efficacy dimension was significantly higher in early-career professionals than any other sample. No individual factors, such as gender, marital status, or number of children, were predictive of any dimension of burnout. Instead, only work-related factors including co-worker friendliness, opportunities for personal development and promotion, and the ability to control the work pacing were strongly associated with one or more dimensions of burnout.

This study is the first to explore burnout in the key early-career demographic for construction managers in the United States construction industry. This work provides evidence that organizational policies and culture have a greater efficacy in alleviating burnout in this demographic, when compared to the work–life balance of the individual.

The purpose of this study is to determine the dimensions of cultural differences, which are theoretically most relevant to contract functions in international marketing. Moreover, the contradiction between contract governance and opportunism is reconciled by exploring the boundary conditions of specific cultural differences.

The authors obtained 235 bilateral data provided by Chinese exporters and overseas distributors. The authors matched a secondary data set with the questionnaire data, which were analyzed by confirmatory factor analysis and a hierarchical moderation model.

The results demonstrate that while contract specificity is less successful in this area, contingency adaptability is useful in reducing opportunism. Moreover, as the national cultural differences regarding uncertainty avoidance, power distance or individualism-collectivism become more pronounced. One contractual dimension will be more effective at curbing opportunism, while the other will be less effective.

Despite sample limitations, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first to theoretically identify the effect of cultural difference dimensions in contract governance, unlike past studies taking cultural differences as an aggregated variable. Furthermore, by exploring the boundary conditions of cultural differences, this paper effectively reconciles the conflicting findings on the relationship between contract governance and opportunism in various cultural context.

Exporters’ managers can design contingency adaptability to complement the limitations of contract specificity and consider cultural differences’ contingency effects.

First, the authors identify cultural differences dimensions related to contract governance, refining and emphasizing the research context. Second, comparing the efficacy of contract specificity and contingency adaptability in specific cultural context can show which contract is better at preventing opportunism.