Min Zuo, Jiangnan Qiu and Jingxian Wang
Online collaboration in today's world is a topic of genuine interest to Internet researchers. The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of group knowledge heterogeneity…
Abstract
Purpose
Online collaboration in today's world is a topic of genuine interest to Internet researchers. The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of group knowledge heterogeneity (GKH) in open collaboration performance using the mediating mechanisms of group cognition (GC) and interaction to understand the determinants of the success of online open collaboration platforms.
Design/methodology/approach
Study findings are based on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), the formal mediation test and moderating effect analysis from Wikipedia's 160 online open collaborative groups.
Findings
For online knowledge heterogeneous groups, open collaboration performance is mediated by both GC and collaborative interaction (COL). The mediating role of GC is weak, while the mediating role of COL is strengthened when knowledge complexity (KC) is higher. By dividing group interaction into COL and communicative interaction (COM), the authors also observed that COL is effective for online open collaboration, whereas COM is limited.
Originality/value
These findings suggest that for more heterogeneous large groups, group interaction would explain more variance in performance than GC, offering an in-depth understanding of the relationship between group heterogeneity and open collaboration performance, answering what determines the success of online open collaboration platforms as well as explaining the inconsistency in prior findings. In addition, this study expands the application of Interactive Team Cognition (ITC) theory to the online open collaboration context.
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Rui Guo, Jingxian Wang, Min Zhou, Zixia Cao, Lan Tao, Yang Luo, Wei Zhang and Jiajia Chen
The study aims to examine how different types of green brand ritual (GBR) influence customer engagement behavior and the mediation mechanisms and boundary conditions of the…
Abstract
Purpose
The study aims to examine how different types of green brand ritual (GBR) influence customer engagement behavior and the mediation mechanisms and boundary conditions of the positive and negative pathways.
Design/methodology/approach
The study conducts two online experiments to collect data from a total of 940 consumers in China. Hypotheses are tested by independent samples t-test, two-way ANOVA and Hayes' PROCESS model.
Findings
Different kinds of GBR have different effects on customer engagement behavior. Internal GBR is more likely to play a positive role by inciting connectedness to nature. External GBR is more likely to play a negative role by inciting psychological resistance. This dual effect is especially pronounced for warm brands rather than competent brands.
Originality/value
The study pioneers the brand ritual into the field of interactive marketing and enriches its dual effect research. Additionally, the study figures out whether the category of brand ritual can trigger negative effect.
Practical implications
Inappropriate brand rituals are worse than no rituals at all. The results provide guidance for green companies to design effective brand rituals to strengthen the connection with consumers. Green brands should describe brand rituals in vivid detail and consciously lead consumers to immerse themselves in them.
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Jiangnan Qiu, Liwei Xu, Min Zuo, Jingxian Wang and Weadon Helen
Online knowledge integration has been an important concern of the online knowledge community as it can lead to various positive outcomes of online knowledge coproduction. This…
Abstract
Purpose
Online knowledge integration has been an important concern of the online knowledge community as it can lead to various positive outcomes of online knowledge coproduction. This paper identifies online knowledge integration factors by considering group heterogeneity and group interaction process.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the categorization-elaboration model (CEM) and interactive team cognition (ITC) theory, a research model that reflects the antecedent's factors and mediating factors of online knowledge integration was developed and empirically examined based on data collected from 2,339,836 data extracted from Wikipedia.
Findings
Group interaction process plays an essential mediator role in online knowledge integration. Group knowledge heterogeneity negatively influences online knowledge integration and group experience heterogeneity positively, and they both positively promote online knowledge integration through group interaction process with different paths.
Research limitations
Our research concerns the OKC context in one setting (Wikipedia). We expect that the results will generalize to other OKC platforms.
Practical implications
The findings of the study could assist the online knowledge community's organizers to understand the motivational mechanisms of online knowledge integration. Group interaction process could be regarded as the key role to promote group wisdom and maintain group independence.
Social implications
We advance the understanding of the online knowledge integration and gain a richer understanding of the importance of group interaction independence for online knowledge integration based on the agreement of group wisdom. It suggested keeping group interaction independence is an important aspect for highly online knowledge integration among heterogeneity groups.
Originality/value
This study extends CEM and ITC theory to the domain of knowledge integration context and finds the mechanism between group heterogeneity and online knowledge integration by introducing the group interaction process.
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Lina Zhai, Xue Lin, Jingxian Xu, Yunyi Wang and Jun Li
Personal protective assembles protect searchers and rescuers from potential hazards when they enter the earthquake disaster field. Since the earthquake rescue work is risky and…
Abstract
Purpose
Personal protective assembles protect searchers and rescuers from potential hazards when they enter the earthquake disaster field. Since the earthquake rescue work is risky and complicated, the corresponding protective clothing should meet with the protective, functional and comfort performance demands. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the design principles of this kind of protective clothing and present a design model based on the principles.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, the requirements of the protective clothing were investigated in terms of environment, human and clothing. Then the design principles were analyzed by the hierarchy method in four aspects: protection, comfort, ergonomics and compatibility. Design approaches were also investigated in accordance with the design principles in three hierarchies.
Findings
Key design points were summarized in the selection of the shell fabrics and linings, clothing styles, constructions and specifications. Also, the overall design methodology of the protective clothing for earthquake rescue members was established.
Originality/value
This paper provided a theoretical basis and design model for the development of earthquake search and rescuers’ clothing.
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Jingxian Xu, Huijuan Liu, Yunyi Wang and Jun Li
This study aims to investigate the heat transfer mechanism of the uniforms used by people working in hot, humid and windy environments. Furthermore, the effectiveness of an…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the heat transfer mechanism of the uniforms used by people working in hot, humid and windy environments. Furthermore, the effectiveness of an opening structure added to the armpit of the uniforms in improving thermal comfort was comparatively examined.
Design/methodology/approach
A set of uniforms was tested with the opening at the armpit alternatively zipped or unzipped. Thermal manikin and human tests were performed in a climatic chamber simulating the specific environmental conditions, including wind speeds at four levels (0.15, 0.5, 2, 4 m/s) and relative humidities at two levels (50 and 85%). Static and dynamic thermal insulations of clothing (IT) were examined by the thermal manikin tests. The human bodies' thermal responses, including heart rates (HR), eardrum temperatures (Te), skin temperatures (Tsk) and subjective perceptions, were given by the human tests.
Findings
Special mechanisms of heat transfer in the specific uniforms used in tropical monsoon climates were revealed. Reductions on IT were caused by the movement of the human body and the environmental wind, and the empirical equations would underestimate this reduction. The opening at the armpit was able to prompt more heat transfer under dynamic condition, with reducing the IT by 11.8%, lowering the mean Tsk by 0.92°C, and significantly improving the subjective perceptions (p < 0.05). The heat exhaustion was alleviated with lowering the Te by 0.32°C.
Originality/value
This study managed to improve the thermal performance of uniforms for workers under unforgiving conditions. The evaluation and design methods introduced by this study provided practical guidance for similar products with strict dress codes and cost control requirements based on the findings from thorough product tests and analysis.
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Fan Ding, Zhangping Lu and Jingxian Chen
Contract Manufacturers (CM, factory) can cultivate factory brand products by imitating Original Equipment Manufacturers' (OEM, brand owner) National Brand products, and compete…
Abstract
Purpose
Contract Manufacturers (CM, factory) can cultivate factory brand products by imitating Original Equipment Manufacturers' (OEM, brand owner) National Brand products, and compete with OEM through the online retailer, that is, factory encroachment. In practice, few consumers can identify the quality of those two products in the online market. Implementing blockchain technology (BTI) can help all consumers identify product quality but may change the operation decisions and incur implementation costs. This study aims to explore how will the BTI strategies affect participants' operation performance under the factory encroachment and delve into the decisions regarding NB product quality and CM encroachment.
Design/methodology/approach
This study constructs a three-level outsourcing supply chain comprising one contract manufacturer (CM, factory), one original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and one online retailer. By utilizing the Stackelberg game, the authors first compared the results between two strategic decisions of BTI and no-BTI by online retailers under the factory encroachment scenario. Then, the NB product quality decision and the CM's encroachment decision are also investigated.
Findings
BTI strategy can benefit all participants (triple win), which both occurs in exogenous and endogenous quality cases, and the triple win area will expand (shrink) as the BTI cost decreases (increases). In addition, the OEM will improve product quality to confront competition from the CM, and the OEM may not always benefit from the BTI, it depends on the maturity of the market. Interestingly, BTI could improve the consumer surplus when the proportion of novice consumers is low. Finally, this study also investigates the extended case that CM always encroaches into the market whether the online retailer choose BTI or not, which hurts OEM's profit and decreases the product quality.
Originality/value
This study sheds light on the strategic decisions of online retailers' BTI regarding supply chain members' profits, consumer surplus and social welfare under factory encroachment. It also demonstrates that the BTI strategy, under different quality decisions (endogenous and exogenous), can be more profitable for chain members and consumers.
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Jingxian (Cecilia) Zhang, Kevin K. Byon, Kaijuan Xu and Haiyan Huang
The paper aims to (1) explore the positive and negative sociocultural, economic, and environmental impacts on satisfaction, and behavioral intentions; and (2) examine the changes…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims to (1) explore the positive and negative sociocultural, economic, and environmental impacts on satisfaction, and behavioral intentions; and (2) examine the changes in relationships among event impacts, satisfaction and behavioral intentions of host city residents before and after a major sporting event.
Design/methodology/approach
We used panel data to estimate how resident responses change over time. The data were collected three months before (N before = 266) and three months after (N after = 266) the Nanjing Youth Olympic Games. Data were analyzed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), structural equation modeling (SEM) and invariance tests.
Findings
A significant relationship exists between negative and positive perceived sociocultural, economic, and environmental impacts, satisfaction and behavioral intentions. In addition, findings suggest that the effect of the sociocultural impacts on satisfaction and of satisfaction on behavioral intentions strengthened after the event. The relationship between positive environmental impacts and satisfaction was reduced across the two points in time. Our results indicate that residents’ assessment regarding the sporting event partially changed over the whole six-month course of the study.
Originality/value
This study differs from most recent research in that it examines the sociocultural, economic, and environmental event impacts in modeling residents’ satisfaction and testing the influence of negative event impacts on residents’ satisfaction and behavioral intentions. The current study contributes to the literature by emphasizing the changes that occur regarding the relationships among event impacts, satisfaction and behavioral intentions across the same respondents over time.
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– This research aims to compare website-based investor relations (WIR) in developed and developing economies, represented by the US, UK, Hong Kong and mainland China.
Abstract
Purpose
This research aims to compare website-based investor relations (WIR) in developed and developing economies, represented by the US, UK, Hong Kong and mainland China.
Design/methodology/approach
A WIR level evaluation index consisting of 82 items was constructed, based on website content analysis. Item discrepancies caused by local contexts were considered in order to make the items applicable to all economies. Data were collected from the websites of companies listed in the Dow Jones Industry Average, the biggest 30 companies on the FTSE100, Hang Seng Index and China CNINFO40. The WIR levels of developed and developing economies were evaluated and compared under the index system. T-tests of differences between means were used to evaluate significance.
Findings
Listed companies' WIR levels were very similar between Hong Kong and mainland China as well as between the US and UK, but companies listed in the US and UK have a much higher level of WIR. The differences of WIR between developed and developing economies were very significant. Developed economies' WIR show many advanced features such as using real-time and being more complete, convenient, user-friendly, accurate and fair.
Originality/value
As a comparative study of WIR between developed and developing economies, the study is among the first in this field, especially in including mainland China.
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Ata Allah Taleizadeh, Mahsa Noori-Daryan and Shib Sankar Sana
This paper aims to deal with optimal pricing and production tactics for a bi-echelon green supply chain, including a producer and a vendor in presence of three various scenarios…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to deal with optimal pricing and production tactics for a bi-echelon green supply chain, including a producer and a vendor in presence of three various scenarios. Demand depends on a price, refund and quality where the producer controls quality and the vendor proposes a refund policy to purchasers to encourage them to order more.
Design/methodology/approach
In the first scenario, the members seek to optimize their optimum decision variables under a centralized decision-making method while in the second scenario, a decentralized system is assumed where the members make a decision about variables and profits under a non-cooperative game. In the third scenario, a cost-sharing agreement is concluded between the members to provide a high-quality item to the purchasers.
Findings
The performance of the proposed model is investigated by illustrating a numerical example. A sensitivity analysis of some key parameters has been done to study the effect of the changes on the optimal values of the decision variables and profits. From sensitivity analysis, the real features are observed and mentioned in this section.
Originality/value
This research examines the behavior of partners in a green supply chain facing with a group of purchasers whose demand is the function of a price, greenery degree and refund rate. This proposed mathematical model is developed and analyzed which has an implication in supply chain model.
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Mohd Anwar Zawawi, Sinead O'Keffe and Elfed Lewis
The purpose of this paper is to provide a comparative review of intensity‐modulated fiber optic sensors with non‐optical sensors for health monitoring applications, from the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide a comparative review of intensity‐modulated fiber optic sensors with non‐optical sensors for health monitoring applications, from the current research activities in the area.
Design/methodology/approach
A range of published research work in sensor design for four different health monitoring applications, including, lumbar spine bending, upper and lower limb motion tracking, respiration and heart rate monitoring, are presented and discussed in terms of their respective advantages and limitations.
Findings
This paper provides information on the various types of sensors applied into the health monitoring area. The sensing techniques of the fiber optic sensor for the stated applications are focused and compared in details to highlight their contributions.
Originality/value
A comparative review of published work is illustrated in an informative table content, to allow a clear idea of the current sensing approaches for health monitoring applications.