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1 – 10 of over 1000
Article
Publication date: 24 May 2018

Xiaozhou Lu, Xi Xie, Qiaobo Gao, Hanlun Hu, Jiayi Yang, Hui Wang, Songlin Wang and Renjie Chen

The hands of intelligent robots perceive external stimuli and respond effectively according to tactile or pressure sensors. However, the traditional tactile and pressure sensors…

Abstract

Purpose

The hands of intelligent robots perceive external stimuli and respond effectively according to tactile or pressure sensors. However, the traditional tactile and pressure sensors cannot perform human-skin-like intelligent properties of high sensitivity, large measurement range, multi-function and flexibility simultaneously. The purpose of this paper is to present a flexible tactile-pressure sensor based on hyper-elastics polydimethylsiloxane and plate capacitance.

Design/methodology/approach

With regard to this problem, this paper presents a flexible tactile-pressure sensor based on hyper-elastics PDMS and plate capacitance. The sensor has a size of 10 mm × 10 mm × 1.3 mm and is composed of four upper electrodes, one middle driving electrode and one lower electrode. The authors first analyzed the structure and the tactile-pressure sensing principle of human skin to obtain the design parameters of the sensor. Then they presented the working principle, material selection and mechanical structure design and fabrication process of the sensor. The authors also fabricated several sample devices of the sensor and carried out experiments to establish the relationship between the sensor output and the pressure.

Findings

The results show that the tactile part of the sensor can measure a range of 0.05-1N/mm2 micro pressure with a sensitivity of 2.93 per cent/N and a linearity of 0.03 per cent. The pressure part of the sensor can measure a range of 1-30N/mm2 pressure with a sensitivity of 0.08 per cent/N and a linearity of 0.07 per cent.

Originality/value

This paper analyzes the tactile and pressure sensing principles of human skin and develop an intelligent sensitive human-skin-like tactile-pressure sensor for intelligent robot perception systems. The sensor can achieve to imitate the tactile and pressure function simultaneously with a measurement resolution of 0.01 N and a spatial resolution of 2 mm.

Details

Sensor Review, vol. 39 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0260-2288

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 August 2010

Youmin Xi, Xuanwei Cao and Liuxu Xiangli

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the indigenous He‐Xie management theory (HXMT) through the lens of a holistic perspective from Chinese philosophical wisdom.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the indigenous He‐Xie management theory (HXMT) through the lens of a holistic perspective from Chinese philosophical wisdom.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper revisited the challenges faced by orthodox management theories, proposing management scholars should borrow Eastern philosophical intelligence for problem solving when considering the tradition of Chinese culture on human orientation and its intelligence on tolerating and coping with ambiguity, uncertainty, and complexity. By tracing back the core concept of harmony in Confucianism, the paper identified the mechanisms for achieving harmony by differentiating further the general understanding of harmony and its original meaning in Chinese characters. The theoretical framework of HXMT was introduced then by integrating both evolutionism and constructivism perspectives.

Findings

The theoretical explaining power of HXMT is rooted in the time‐honored philosophies of Asia. HXMT got its gene from traditional thinking by applying dialectic and holistic perspectives. Within complex and unpredictable contexts, the existence of He‐Xie theme can replace the searching and planning to strategy. Guided by He‐Xie theme, the He principle and the Xie principle, as well as the coupling between them, compose the fundamental mechanisms for effective management and better performance in organizations.

Originality/value

The paper opens an avenue for indigenous HXMT. As a methodology for guiding management research and practice in coping with complexity and uncertainty, HXMT is expected to attract more attention from scholars to contribute to knowledge creation in Chinese management studies.

Details

Chinese Management Studies, vol. 4 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1750-614X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 24 August 2012

Youmin Xi, Xiaojun Zhang and Jing Ge

The purpose of this paper is to address several challenges faced by organizational management in the contemporary context, and how managers can better reply to management…

1336

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to address several challenges faced by organizational management in the contemporary context, and how managers can better reply to management challenges by integrating oriental and occidental philosophy and wisdom.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper first describes the characteristics of the contemporary management context and identifies challenges that managers are likely to encounter. The paper then investigates how oriental and occidental philosophy and wisdom reply to these management challenges, whilst also considering the relative advantages and disadvantages of both traditions. Based on the complementarity of these two traditions, the paper finally proposes a framework that integrates both oriental and occidental wisdom by HeXie Management Theory to better respond to management challenges.

Findings

The contemporary organizational environment is characterized by four key salient components: complexity, change, ambiguity, and uncertainty (CCAU). Managers are challenged by problems of determining causality, managing holistically, and adaptation to rapid change. Western philosophical approaches to confronting management challenges arising from CCAU, inherent in the wider economic environment, emphasize standardization and rational design on the basis of science, law, and religion. Conversely, Oriental philosophical approaches to management challenges oppose such rigid systems in favour of flexibility and adaptability which emphasize harmony and morality. Essentially, whereas western thought intends to limit the occurrence of unpredicted events through the development of scientific systems, oriental thinking aims to provide a flexible and fluid system which absorbs the effects of CCAU, thus limiting and using its impact. These two perspectives both have their own advantages and disadvantages when facing management challenges in the context of CCAU. By integrating these two complementary approaches, the authors propose HeXie Management Theory (HXMT). HXMT establishes a clear vision and mission to direct the development of organizations; to organize an integrated management system through the HeXie Theme and HeXie Coupling, and to apply the component “He Principle” and “Xie Principle” as basic mechanisms to cope with management challenges.

Originality/value

This study contributes to research on relationships between organizations and environment by providing a holistic analysis, and adds knowledge about how to reply to management challenges by constructing ambidextrous organizations based on HeXie Management Theory.

Details

Chinese Management Studies, vol. 6 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1750-614X

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 2 September 2009

Yu Xie, Qing Lai and Xiaogang Wu

Prior research showed that danwei, the work unit, was very important in determining workers' social, economic, and political lives in pre-reform urban China. In this chapter, we…

Abstract

Prior research showed that danwei, the work unit, was very important in determining workers' social, economic, and political lives in pre-reform urban China. In this chapter, we argue that danwei continues to be an agent of social stratification in contemporary urban China. Using data from a 1999 survey that we conducted in three large Chinese cities, Wuhan, Shanghai, and Xi'an, we assess the extent to which workers' socioeconomic well-being depends on the financial conditions of their danwei. Results show that the financial situation of danwei remains one of the most important determinants of earnings and benefits. However, the explanatory power of danwei's financial situation is much greater for earnings than for benefits.

Details

Work and Organizationsin China Afterthirty Years of Transition
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-84855-730-7

Article
Publication date: 13 August 2019

Yanjie Bian, Juan Xie, Yang Yang and Mingsong Hao

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of corporate social capital and local embeddedness on perceived business performance of Chinese enterprises operating overseas…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of corporate social capital and local embeddedness on perceived business performance of Chinese enterprises operating overseas, whose recent growth resulted from the Belt and Road Initiative.

Design/methodology/approach

This study reports the results of a sample of 83 Shaanxi outward foreign direct investment (FDI) firms operating in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. In-depth interviews with a few sampled firms are used to develop the survey questionnaire and help interpret the results of statistical analysis.

Findings

This study proposes two hypotheses and both are supported by the data. First, corporate social capital is a three-dimensional concept, covering governmental, market and personal sources with each source making an equal, positive effect on perceived overseas performance of the surveyed firms. Second, these firms do better when having developed a higher degree of local embeddedness, a measure on local channels used to obtain information and mobilize resources. While local embeddedness indeed mediates some effect of corporate social capital, both variables have shown direct impact on performance.

Research limitations/implications

Reported findings are from a small sample of 83 firms in an inland Chinese province, and business performance is measured by subjective evaluation rather than economic output.

Practical implications

The practical implication is that a Chinese FDI firm is expected to maintain all three relational channels – governmental, market and interpersonal – because the firm can gain different kinds of information and resources from these sources and each channel is necessary and equally important for the firm’s development. Importantly, it needs a different strategy to maintain and best use each channel. For the Belt and Road Initiative to be effective, China must establish platforms through which enterprises can strengthen and reconfigure their corporate social capital, as well as to cultivate and sustain their local networks in foreign destinations.

Details

Chinese Management Studies, vol. 13 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1750-614X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 May 2016

Xiaojun Zhang

The purpose of this paper is to interpret organizational change from a co-evolutionary perspective. It examines the co-evolution between institutional environments and…

1314

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to interpret organizational change from a co-evolutionary perspective. It examines the co-evolution between institutional environments and organizational change with the mediating role of uncertainty as perceived by managers.

Design/methodology/approach

The author employed an inductive case study to explore how institutional environments interact with organizational change in a novel context: a Chinese state-owned enterprise.

Findings

The author developed a co-evolutionary model of organizational change that emphasizes the interaction between institutional-level factors and organizational-level change as bridged by top management perceptions of uncertainty. The model also illustrates the dynamics of organizational uncertainty and its effects on organizational change.

Practical implications

The study implies that uncertainty may not be an inevitable negative influence on organizational development, and tell managers how to manages the dynamics of uncertainty through two principles.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the organizational change literature by interpreting organizational change as the results of interaction between multi-level factors from institutional, organizational, and team levels. The author also expand the understanding of uncertainty from a dynamic perspective.

Details

Journal of Organizational Change Management, vol. 29 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0953-4814

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 June 2015

Yan Liu, Hai Wang, Hongbo Qin and Yongqiang Xie

– This paper aims to provide a focused review on the geometrical designs for performance enhancement of piezoresistive microaccelerometers.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to provide a focused review on the geometrical designs for performance enhancement of piezoresistive microaccelerometers.

Design/methodology/approach

By analyzing working principle and conventional geometries, the improved research proposals are sorted into three groups in terms of their anticipated objectives, including sensitivity, resonant frequency and cross-axis sensitivity. Accessible methods are outlined and their merits and demerits are described.

Findings

Novel geometries obviously enhance the performance of accelerometers, and the efficacy can be further elevated by newer materials and fabrication processes.

Research limitations/implications

This paper mainly focused on the improved geometrical designs for sensitivity, resonant frequency and cross-axis sensitivity. Other performance parameters or design schemes are not included in this paper.

Originality/value

This paper generalizes the available geometries and methods for the enhancement of sensitivity, resonant frequency and cross-axis sensitivity in piezoresistive accelerometers design.

Details

Sensor Review, vol. 35 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0260-2288

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 April 1984

Li Xi‐Kui

A new approach to deal with the finite element analysis of incompressible material is presented. The constrained variational problem relating to the analysis of incompressible…

Abstract

A new approach to deal with the finite element analysis of incompressible material is presented. The constrained variational problem relating to the analysis of incompressible material is transformed into two unconstrained variational problems in two corresponding displacement subspaces, which are called the incompressible‐deviatoric (Sd) and the compressible‐undeviatoric (Sc) displacement subspaces respectively. The displacement and deviatoric stress, and the pressure fields, are determined by means of variations in the two subspaces respectively. As compared with some current methods, it is found that the present method is capable of solving the problem of incompressible material with v = 0.5, and that there is no problem about the existence of solution. Further, the ill‐conditioning of the global matrix can be entirely eliminated and the computational effort can be considerably reduced as well. The formulation for the finite element analysis of incompressible material with material or geometrical non‐linearity based on the subspace Sd are given in the paper. The numerical results for some examples show the advantages of the approach presented in the paper.

Details

Engineering Computations, vol. 1 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-4401

Article
Publication date: 8 August 2016

Muhammad-Bashir Owolabi Yusuf, Nasim Shah Shirazi and Gairuzazmi Mat Ghani

This study aims to examine the determinants of poverty among microcredit beneficiaries in Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine the determinants of poverty among microcredit beneficiaries in Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on a nationwide survey of microcredit beneficiaries of Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund. Using the national poverty line, this study classified borrowers into the poor and the non-poor. A Tobit model was estimated to examine the determinants of poverty among the borrowers.

Findings

The model was found to fit the data well and six out of the ten specified independent variables are found to be statistically significant.

Practical implications

The results of the study can be helpful in fully characterizing poverty dynamics and in policy formulation in using microcredit to reduce poverty.

Originality/value

The paper is the first to examine the determinants of poverty among Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund recipients.

Details

Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy, vol. 10 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1750-6204

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 September 2022

Lixia Wang, Xin Zhang, Beibei Yan and Vigdis Boasson

This paper aims to examine the internal logical relationship between two intergenerational inheritance ways of passing property rights and residual control rights (RCR) and to…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the internal logical relationship between two intergenerational inheritance ways of passing property rights and residual control rights (RCR) and to construct a conceptual model comprising transfer elements, paths and timing of succession in this process.

Design/methodology/approach

Driven by the cases of Haixin, Tianyijiao and Changhe Group, this paper applies research methods of copying and expanding analysis logic, progressive deduction, content analysis and comparative research based on the perspective of HeXie theory to explore the deep interrelation of transfer elements, paths and timing during family business succession.

Findings

The findings present that the content of intergenerational inheritance of a family firm is the inheritance of property rights and RCR. First, the inheritance of property rights is a static inheritance of time-point delivery, whereas the inheritance of RCR is a dynamic inheritance process for a period of time. Second, the inheritance of property rights and RCR are not independent; only a “HeXie” succession of both rights can realize a successful inheritance of family firms.

Originality/value

This paper constructs the paths and timing model of intergenerational inheritance of property rights and RCR in family firms. This paper integrates the current literature studies on the family inheritance of property rights and RCR and explains their internal mechanisms. This paper also provides a theoretical foundation and empirical evidence for family business transitions in the business world.

Details

Chinese Management Studies, vol. 17 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1750-614X

Keywords

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