Search results

This research uses the evolutionary game model theory to explore how to make decisions to maximize their own interests in the process of project claims from the perspective of small and medium-sized contractors in the construction industry.

This study defines the discount factor in the claim process based on the characteristics of construction claims and provides a specific calculation method. The paper analyzes the matching degree between the evolutionary game model and the process of construction claims. Further, the discount factor is introduced to construct an evolutionary game model of engineering claims with the goal of maximizing the contractor’s benefits.

The results of this study show that in the situation (C*d1-nC1*d1>0, v2-v1-g>0) and (C*d1-nC1*d1>0, v2-v1-g<0), the contractor claim decision-making strategy is a truthful claim, while in the situation (C*d1-nC1*d1<0, v2-v1-g>0) and (C*d1-nC1*d1<0, v2-v1-g<0), the contractor claim decision-making strategy is a high-price claim. The discount factor will affect the decision-making rate. It is noted that the fines and the explicit costs received during the contractor’s high-priced claim process exhibit a positive correlation with the rate of truthful claim decision-making by contractors. Meanwhile, the final revenue of high-priced claims by contractors shows a positive correlation with the rate of high-priced claim decision-making by the sensitivity analysis.

The author simulates the process of solving the actual claim problem through the evolutionary game model in engineering claims. It is hoped that researchers will collect empirical cases and compare the actual case solutions with the model solutions to further revise the model in future studies, an evolutionary game model of engineering claim decision-making with interference factors can be constructed to analyze the evolutionary stability. Secondly, the single factor sensitivity analysis of individual parameters is carried out in this paper, and the influence of multiple factors on claim decisions can be further analyzed in the later research.

The analysis of the claim process based on the evolutionary game model is conducive to the contractor’s rapid claim decision-making. The introduction of the discount factor to analyze the claim process is more conducive to the accuracy of the contractor’s claim decision.

The proposed model provides a supplement to the existing studies on dynamic construction claim decision-making. The claim decision is conducive to controling cost for the contractor, improving the contractor’s management level and developing a healthy construction market.

Social media facilitates the communication and the relationship between healthcare professionals and patients. However, limited research has examined the role of social media in a physicians' online return. This study, therefore, investigates physicians' online economic and social capital return in relation to physicians' use of social media and consumer engagement.

Using ordinary least squares (OLS) regression with fixed effects (FE) and panel data collected from Sina Weibo and Sina Health, this study analyzes the impact of physicians' social media use and consumer engagement on physicians' online return and the moderation effect of professional seniority.

The results reveal that physicians' use of social media and consumer sharing behavior positively affect physicians' online economic return. In contrast, consumer engagement positively impacts physicians' online social capital return. While professional seniority enhances the effect of physicians' social media use on online economic return, professional seniority only enhances the relationship between consumers' sharing behavior to the posts and physicians' online social capital return when professional seniority comes to consumer engagement.

This study reveals the different roles of social media use and consumer engagement in physicians' online return. The results also extend and examine the social media affordances theory in online healthcare communities and social media platforms.

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are increasingly recognized among technologies potentially driving the digital innovation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Nevertheless, the implications of AR/VR adoption in innovation processes have yet to receive much attention to date, with the need to explore the issues facilitating a systematic implementation in the SME context. This study aims to investigate the possible innovation paths of SMEs as a result of AR/VR adoption.

The authors performed a multiple case study research involving six Italian SMEs in manufacturing and service sectors that are investing in AR and/or VR solutions and are digitally innovating thanks to these technologies.

AR/VR solutions lead to different types of innovation in SMEs, i.e. for innovating product or service offerings, business processes or even the business model, when AR/VR extends to the company business logic. SMEs demonstrate being able to leverage internal sources with the essential commitment of top management and low resistance of employees in all kinds of AR/VR-enabled innovations. Conversely, they involve different external innovation sources according to the type of innovation pursued. Organizational issues emerged as more relevant than technological issues.

Results contribute to the literature on digital transformation of SMEs and provide managerial guidance on innovation sources and organizational issues to be considered to effectively deploy AR/VR solutions into specific innovation paths.

This study explores the impact of emergent technologies in the innovation process along with multiple perspectives, degree of complexity, and strategic importance in the SME context.

To adapt to the rapidly changing market environment, firms must constantly adjust and change their knowledge base to develop new technologies. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the improvement path of firms’ breakthrough innovation from the perspective of knowledge recombination in the context of dynamic change in the knowledge base. By analyzing the influencing mechanism of environmental dynamism on the relationship between the two, this paper provides a theoretical foundation for managers to make knowledge recombination decisions under a dynamic external environment while further enriching the firm’s innovation achievements.

Using data from 220 manufacturing firms listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen A-share stock from 2010 to 2018, an extensive panel data set was constructed to investigate the effect of knowledge recombination, which was divided into recombination creation and recombination reuse, on firms’ breakthrough innovation. In addition, the authors differentiated environmental dynamism as market dynamism and technological dynamism and then examined its moderating role in the above relationships.

The research results show that various recombination behaviors of knowledge elements have a differentiated effect on firms’ breakthrough innovation presented as follows: Knowledge recombination creation is significantly positively correlated with firms’ breakthrough innovation, while knowledge recombination reuse is significantly negatively correlated with firms’ breakthrough innovation. In addition, environmental dynamism has a considerable moderating effect between knowledge recombination and firms’ breakthrough innovation further, emphasizing that the moderating effect on different types of knowledge recombination behaviors is significantly distinct.

First, given that this study refers to several Chinese noted databases to collect second-hand data for empirical analysis, future research could use first-hand data by collecting questionnaire survey and interview to provide a more practical and detailed research conclusion. Second, the authors focused on the contextual variable to explore the moderating role of environmental dynamism on the relationship between knowledge recombination and breakthrough innovation. Nevertheless, the indirect effects of other internal factors were not discussed. The authors advocate future studies to involve other moderators from employee social and phycological perspectives, such as trust in colleagues in the proposed theoretical models in this study.

This study is conducive for managers to attach great attention to knowledge management practices in the firm and to understand the critical role of knowledge recombination in affecting innovation performance under dynamic environmental changes. Moreover, this study provides practical guidance and serves as a reference for firms to strengthen their knowledge recombination ability as full utilization of existing knowledge elements and exploration of new knowledge values.

Primarily, from the perspective of dynamic changes in the knowledge base, this paper explores how the knowledge recombination behaviors affect firms’ breakthrough innovation, thereby enriching and extending the relationship theory between knowledge recombination capabilities and breakthrough innovation, while new and valuable ideas are provided in the study of issues related to the firms’ breakthrough innovation; Moreover, this study analyzes the moderating effects of diverse types of environmental dynamism on the relationship between knowledge recombination and firms’ breakthrough innovation from a multi-dimensional perspective proposing that the moderating effects of environmental dynamism on different knowledge recombination behaviors are distinct.

Sustainable development is inseparable from rational and responsible use of resources and promotion of green entrepreneurship. The contemporary green development agenda encompasses climate, economic, technical, social, cultural, and political dimensions. International efforts to greening the global development are conducted by the major economies, including China as the world’s largest consumer of energy and the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases. China is aware of its environmental problems, as well as of its part of the overall responsibility for the accomplishment of the sustainable development goals. By means of the decarbonization efforts, the latter are integrated both into the national development agenda (the concept of ecological civilization) and China’s international initiatives (the greening narrative within the Belt and Road Initiative). Over the past decade, China has made a breakthrough on the way to promoting green entrepreneurship and greening of its development (better quality of air and water, renewable energy, electric vehicles, and organic farming). On the other hand, emissions remain high, agricultural land loses productivity, and freshwater resources degrade due to climate change. In conventional industries (oil, coal mining, and electric and thermal energy), decarbonization faces an array of impediments. In this chapter, the authors summarize fundamental provisions of China’s approach to building an ecological civilization and measures to reduce emissions and achieve the carbon neutrality status within the nearest decades. The analysis of obstacles to the decarbonization of the economy and possible prospects for the development of green entrepreneurship summarizes China’s practices for possible use in other countries.

Disruptive innovation is regarded as an important engine of the new technological revolution, which can change the traditional market structure and business model completely. Articles on disruptive innovation remain fragmented and heterogeneous in terms of theoretical paradigms and empirical studies. For the purpose of further understanding about disruptive innovation, and to recognize its evolutionary trajectory and research trends, this paper provides a systematic literature review.

Based on data from Web of Science a total of 1,415 articles were collected to identify productive countries, prominent journals, influential authors and main sub-fields on disruptive innovation. Additionally, important articles are analyzed for content.

There is an overall increasing trend in the number of articles, a uniformity of highly productive authors and countries and a primary concentration in business and management journals. Moreover, six research clusters are identified and an antecedent-decision-outcome framework is constructed to categorize significant studies.

This paper outlines the key focuses of the field: application and adoption of disruptive technology, identifying and responding to disruptive innovation, commercialization of disruptive technology, disruptive innovation strategies and disruptive business models.

This paper combines bibliometrics and content analysis to systematically overview disruptive innovation research.

China’s rural elderly care system faces significant challenges in addressing the needs of an ageing population, particularly in resource-limited areas. This study aims to critically examine the rural mutual aid elderly care model in China through the lens of active ageing principles. It explores how this model tackles elder care challenges in rural areas by emphasising health, participation and security, aiming to assess its effectiveness in reducing care costs while fostering self-reliance and mutual assistance.

A qualitative research methodology was used, focusing on document analysis to explore the rural mutual aid elderly care model within an active ageing framework. The study reviewed policy documents, academic literature and organisational records, using thematic analysis to understand the historical context, policy evolution and institutional support for this model.

The research identifies a significant shift from traditional passive care models to those grounded in active ageing principles. The rural mutual aid model, centring on health, participation and security, enables elderly individuals to engage in self-help and mutual assistance, thereby enhancing autonomy and reducing dependency. Key success factors include strong community networks and culturally resonant support systems. However, challenges such as resource limitations and regional disparities suggest areas for further improvement.

The reliance on document analysis may not fully capture the experiences of elderly participants or account for regional variations in the model’s implementation. Future research could incorporate mixed methods, including interviews or case studies, for a more nuanced understanding of elderly care in rural China. The findings emphasise the need for scalable and adaptable policies to enhance the model’s effectiveness and support culturally appropriate care strategies.

The research presents significant implications for policymakers and practitioners regarding the rural mutual aid elderly care model. It emphasises the need for scalable policies that address resource limitations and enhance community engagement to improve care effectiveness. Key implications include promoting financial and social sustainability by fostering self-reliance among older adults, prioritising active ageing initiatives to enhance quality of life and community cohesion and adopting localised strategies that consider regional disparities. Moreover, these findings offer a blueprint for other countries facing similar ageing challenges, advocating for a culturally sensitive and community-driven approach to elderly care across East Asia.

The study’s findings significantly impact how ageing is perceived and managed in rural Chinese communities. The shift from traditional, passive elderly care models to those grounded in active ageing principles reflects a societal transformation in valuing and supporting older adults. By promoting health, participation and security, the rural mutual aid elderly care model creates inclusive environments where the elderly actively contribute to their well-being and that of others. This approach challenges perceptions of ageing as a decline, fostering autonomy and meaningful engagement, ultimately reducing social isolation and enhancing cohesion through strengthened intergenerational relationships and shared responsibilities.

This study contributes to the literature by focusing on the rural mutual aid elderly care model in China through active ageing principles, addressing a notable gap in the non-Western application of these concepts. The findings offer valuable recommendations for policymakers and practitioners, emphasising community-driven approaches to ageing challenges in rural areas.

Stakeholder interests are complex, sensitive and highly uncertain and may influence the development of net zero carbon building (NZCB). However, this study aims to conduct a systematic literature review to explore the stakeholder interests towards achieving NZCB.

A total of 62 articles were identified from the Scopus database and thoroughly reviewed to extract relevant information on stakeholders' interest towards achieving NZCB.

A total of 28 stakeholder interests influencing the development of NZCB were identified from the literature and were classified into six major groups according to their uniqueness (economic, social, environmental, technological, political, regulatory and legal).

The findings of this study provide insight into the specific stakeholder interests towards achieving NZCB. Thus, the findings of this study could serve as a guide for future research, policy formulation and implementation to expedite the practice of building towards net zero carbon (NZC). Empirical studies are suggested in future studies to test and consolidate the theoretical claims of this study.

This paper undertakes a comprehensive systematic review of studies on stakeholder interests towards achieving NZCB, which is the least investigated in the literature.

Mega construction projects (megaprojects) require technological innovation cooperation (TIC) to address complex construction demands and the interests of multiple stakeholders. Although TIC has been extensively discussed at the firm level, a significant gap remains in understanding megaprojects at the project level. This paper aims to identify TIC’s influencing factors and transmission paths and discuss stakeholders’ TIC mechanisms at the project level.

Based on case analysis, expert interviews, literature analysis and the Delphi method, this paper identifies the influencing factors of TIC in megaprojects at the project level. A structural system of these influencing factors is constructed by interpretive structural modeling (ISM), developing various mechanisms for TIC from bottom to top. The Matriced’ Impacts Croisés Multiplication Appliquée à un Classement (MICMAC) method validates the driving forces and dependencies of the influencing factors, clarifying their roles and positions within the system. Additionally, the TIC mechanism is constructed.

The research findings identify 26 influencing factors categorized into four hierarchical levels: cooperative relationships, cooperative behavior, cooperative performance and technological innovation risks. Regarding direct factors, resource sharing affects goal congruence and communication effectiveness in megaprojects, affecting TIC’s satisfaction and trust. Most factors exist in the middle layer, and bridging the upper and lower levels depends on stakeholder collaboration. The root factors in the independent group significantly impact TIC, including policy circumstances, high technical requirements and limited site conditions. Addressing these issues influences improvements in other factors. The development of a digital resource-sharing platform, the enhancement of innovation incentives, the optimization of benefit distribution mechanisms and the improvement of risk-sharing mechanisms are essential for the effective operation of the TIC mechanism.

This study contributes to identifying and classifying challenges and opportunities in TIC. It explores transmission paths for enhancing TIC and presents strategies for successfully implementing and delivering megaprojects.

Conducting innovation in low-carbon technology is vital to boost the low-carbon economy. Collaborative innovation among industry-university-research (IUR) is an effective mode of developing low-carbon technologies. There is a lack of visualization and analysis of the spatial-temporal of such collaboration among the IUR. This paper aims to serve as insights to guide IUR’s collaborative innovation in Chinese universities to promote low-carbon technologies.

This paper uses IncoPat to collect patent data. Collaborative patent output on low-carbon technologies was selected as the indicator to measure the effectiveness of IUR collaboration. The temporal evolution trend of the collaborative patent output in Chinese universities is analyzed.

The collaborative patent output of the Chinese IUR varies greatly among the regions, evolving from stronger in the east and weaker in the west, to stronger in the south and weaker in the north region. The triple helix (TH) innovation system in China’s low-carbon sector is dominated by intraregional collaborative innovation, while there is a weak bilateral synergy between universities and research institutions.

This paper innovatively developed a novel TH model that characterize the regional differences of the IUR collaboration in low-carbon technology innovation of Chinese universities. A new attempt focuses on the spatial-temporal evolution of the collaborative innovation of IUR to promote low-carbon technologies.