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In this paper, the authors aim to study the relationship between hydrogen embrittlement (HE) susceptibility and cathodic current density applied on the X70 steel girth welds.

The HE susceptibility of X70 steel girth welds were investigated through slow strain rate tensile test and observed and analyzed by optical microscope and scanning electron microscope methods.

The results show that HE susceptibility of X70 girth weld was basically unchanged with increasing of ion concentration while gradually increased and maintain at a specific value with the increase of cathodic current density. As for same ion content, a dense calcareous deposit layer generated on the sample surface in soil simulation solution with Ca2+ and Mg2+ resulted a decreased HE susceptibility while the porous calcareous deposit layer resulted a increased HE susceptibility.

A logistic regression model was established to describe the correlation between HE index and the cathodic current density.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which each dimension of authentic leadership (AL) is related with employee organizational commitment (OC) and assessment of leadership effectiveness for employees in Nigeria and to investigate the moderating effects of contingent reward leadership behaviors on these relationships. By testing the dimensions of AL with employee outcomes, this study provides further validity and empirical evidence to the theoretical structure of AL theory across cultures.

This empirical study used cross-sectional survey data collected from a sample of 212 Nigerian employees from 16 organizations across various sectors.

The results of hierarchical regression analysis of this study showed a positive relationship between AL behaviors and the outcome variables of OC and perceived leader effectiveness (LE) among Nigerian employees. The moderation result shows that the leader’s contingent reward behaviors reduce the effects of the internal moral perspective dimension of AL. As authentic leaders interact with followers and followers experience high levels of moral and ethical behaviors, contingent rewards become less important to followers.

Leadership effectiveness and OC are desirable organizational outcomes across cultures. From a practical standpoint, the results indicate several authentic dimensions are related to OC and leadership effectiveness among Nigerian employees. This extends the applicability of AL into the African countries. Particularly, it provides additional insight into a contemporary leadership model that can positively impact the leadership development in Nigeria. While the interactive effects of contingent reward were limited, they do suggest that some combinations of behaviors should be considered to effectively meet situational needs.

This is the first study that examines the relationship of the components that constitute AL with OC and perceived LE in the context of Nigeria, a major African nation.

This study aims to elucidate the process and internal mechanism of place identity construction in traditional villages under the impact of tourism by taking Cuandixia village as a case. The research methods comprise participatory observation and in-depth interviews with the residents. The main results are as follows: the impact of tourism on traditional villages is mainly reflected in space reconstruction, livelihood change, social relations restructuring and culture change; under the impact of tourism, the representation of residents’ identity construction shows complexity, with positive and negative effects; and the place identity construction of residents affects their perception of and attitudes toward tourism. Moreover, self-esteem and self-efficacy principles play a key role in their perception of tourism. This study provides some reference for further investigation of the tourism development model and the mental mechanism of residents in traditional villages.

To compare the tendency of US and Hong Kong Chinese companies to utilize three alternative human resource management (HRM) strategies to offset uncertainties in the supply of labor.

Data were collected from 158 US and 66 Hong Kong Chinese companies concerning the extent to which these companies engaged in training and development, monitoring and assessment of employee performance, and staffing through an internal labor market. Data were also obtained concerning the uncertainty in the supply of qualified employees.

After controlling differences in industries and company size, the results show that, when faced with labor uncertainty, use of the three (HRM) strategies was increased by Hong Kong Chinese companies, but decreased by US companies.

This study provides new information about how cultural differences may play out in business organizations. The results may provide some insight into how competitors in a global marketplace may react to environmental uncertainties and greater resource dependence.

This study fills a need to understand how organizations operating different cultural contexts differ in their reactions to uncertainties in the business environment.

Knowledge sharing (KS) of employees has numerous benefits for organizations. Therefore, the aim of this study is to provide a model for KS in research centers (RCs) that can facilitate the employee's knowledge sharing behavior (KSB).

Based on the extensive literature review, a valid instrument was adopted to collect the required data set on KS, KSB and intention to KS, and finally 317 complete questionnaires were collected from Iranian research centers. The structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to assess the measurement model and to test the research hypotheses.

The findings show that intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors and intention to methods of KS play an important role in KSB. In other words, simultaneous supply of motivational factors and KS methods interesting for employees lead to their KSB. The SEM confirmed the research model and showed a good fit of it.

The implication emanating from this study is that the employees' KSB in RCs as a significant part depends on simultaneous supplying of motivational factors (especially intrinsic motivational factors) and methods of KS that are interesting for employees.

What distinguishes this study from other studies in KS domain could be implied in two subjects. First, the presented model is simple and prepared of the introduced factors, which will lead to KSB. Second, this study was conducted in diverse research fields such as electrical and electronics, telecommunications, materials, chemistry, biotechnology, information technology, management and industrial engineering, computer network security, mechanical and manufacturing. The research model was derived from the collected data of these areas that is unique in this domain.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the knowledge and practices of selected group of Polish children in early school age in terms of issues such as: (1) the principles of food preparation, storage and eating meals; (2) personal hygiene; and (3) basic information about microorganisms.

The auditorium survey method was used. The questionnaire consisted of 15 questions related to the children's knowledge of personal hygiene, the principles of food preparation and storage and the physiology of microorganisms and 13 questions related to the children's personal and food hygiene practice. In total, 169 questionnaires were collected. The study group of children had incomplete knowledge and often reported inappropriate food hygiene practices.

The subjects of food preparation and storage and knowledge of microbes were particular problem areas. By contrast, aspects related to handwashing, the appropriate practices while coughing or sneezing and washing fruit before consumption were positively evaluated. The children demonstrated the most knowledge in the field of personal hygiene. However, a very low percentage of correct answers was noted for the question about handwashing at school. None of the 13 questions related to this practice received more than 90% correct answers. The boys and girls demonstrated a comparable level of knowledge and practice in the area of food safety. It was showed that the place of school influenced answers to a greater extent compared to gender.

The results of the study play an important role in the prevention of food poisoning and are useful for the teachers, staff of training institutions and parents. They can also inspire institutions in countries with a high incidence of food poisoning to search for the causes in the inappropriate hygienic practices of young children.

Despite the unparalleled importance of value within healthcare, value-based models remain underutilised in the procurement of medical devices. Research is needed to understand what factors incentivise standard, low-priced device purchasing as opposed to value-adding devices with potentially higher overall health outcomes. Framed in agency theory, we examine the conditions under which different actors involved in purchasing decisions select premium-priced, value-adding medical devices over low-priced, standard medical devices.

We conducted 2 × 2 × 2 between-subjects scenario-based vignette experiments on three UK-based online samples of managers (n = 599), medical professionals (n = 279) and purchasing managers (n = 449) with subjects randomly assigned to three treatments: (1) cost-saving incentives, (2) risk-sharing contracts and (3) stronger (versus weaker) clinical evidence.

Our analysis demonstrates the harmful effects of intra-organisational cost-saving incentives on value-based purchasing (VBP) adoption; the positive impact of inter-organisational risk-sharing contracts, especially when medical professionals are involved in decision-making; and the challenge of leveraging clinical evidence to support value claims.

Our results demonstrate the need to align incentives in a context with multiple intra- and inter-organisational agency relationships at play, as well as the difficulty of reducing information asymmetry when information is not easily interpretable to all decision-makers. Overall, the intra-organisational agency factors strongly influenced the choices for the inter-organisational agency relationship.

We contribute to VBP in healthcare by examining the role of intra- and inter-organisational agency relationships and incentives concerning VBP (non-) adoption. We also examine how the impact of such mechanisms differs between medical and purchasing (management) professionals.

The increase in demand variability created by manufacturing enterprises presents new challenges for increasing resource usage and sharing flexibility. For this reason, it is of great importance to research manufacturing grids and their service modes. The purpose of this paper is to establish a systematic strategy and a system tool for manufacturing grid systems.

A manufacturing service oriented manufacturing grid (MSoMG) system is presented with open grid service architecture as the system architecture and GT3.9 as a development tool. A framework is proposed to support MSoMG by providing advisory tools and methods for uncertain information analysis and processing, multi-objective decision making of manufacturing grid service execution, manufacturing grid service performance prediction based on knowledge template, and flexible manufacturing grid service scheduling and solution. The methodology of the adopted rough set is discussed in detail. Finally, the design support strategies for MSoMG are investigated to guide the coordination of manufacturing activities.

Many conventional methods and models become very limited for manufacturing grid service with uncertain information. The processing of uncertain information and reasonable application flow can help to improve the completion rate and reliability of manufacturing grid services.

This research provides a solid foundation for manufacturing gird operations and can promote the use of a manufacturing grid mode.

A MSoMG system is presented. The manufacturing grid service with uncertain information is considered as well as design support strategies.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of organisational and structural change on the evolution of quality and safety in health organisations, specifically in mental health services.

Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews. In total, 25 executive management team members in both public and private mental health services were interviewed and data were analysed using Burnard’s framework.

Three overarching themes emerged: organisational characteristics, leadership and accountability; sustaining collaboration and engagement with stakeholders; and challenges to and facilitators of quality and safety. Taken together, the findings speak to the disruptive and disorienting impact of on-going organisational change and restructuring on leaders’ ability to focus on, and advance, the quality and safety agenda.

Typical with qualitative research of this nature, the potentially limited generalisability of the findings must be acknowledged.

There is a need for strategies to implement change that are informed by evidence and theory and informed by decades of research on this topic, rather than introduced ad hoc. Change agents must pair effective change management and implementation science strategies to specific contexts, depending on what is being implemented and ensure appropriate evaluation of organisational change to bolster the evidence base around quality and safety and inform future decision-making.

The study explores an identified gap in the literature on the impact of on-going organisational re-structuring and transformation on the evolution of quality and safety in mental health services.