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This paper aims to look into how the sports ecosystem in Hong Kong was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as the case of Hong Kong is unique from many other developed cities. Parallel to the attack of the pandemic, the period between 2019 and 2022 has also seen a major social unrest and an abrupt change of political landscape that could have unneglectable influence on the long-term development of sports in the city.

In view of the limitation in data and material that are available shortly after the period of study, the paper compares regular government statistics before and during the period to reflect the notable changes that were brought about by the anti-COVID measures and subsequently the demographic change resulting from the mixed impact of the global pandemic and local politics. Views of relevant stakeholders were also sought to formulate and verify the observations and conclusions of the paper.

This paper finds the sports ecosystem of Hong Kong recovered quickly and effectively from the hit of the COVID pandemic and reveals at the same time that the demographic change incurred mainly by the social unrest and its aftermath could have a longer impact on the city’s sports development.

This paper is one of the early works to study sports development in Hong Kong from a social-political perspective.

The purpose of this paper is to design a new type of magnetic suction wall-climbing robot suitable for the wall inspection of wind turbine towers to solve the problems in manual maintenance tasks.

By analyzing the shortcomings of existing wall-climbing robots, a magnetic suction integrated wheel structure is designed to effectively combine the adsorption structure and transmission structure. To enable the robot to adapt to the curvature of the wall surface of a wind turbine tower, a passive adaptive curvature structure is designed. The effects of the air gap, the thickness of the wheel plates on both sides, the size of permanent magnets and the size of aluminum rings on the adsorption force are studied. Through mechanical model analysis under different instability conditions, the magnetic circuit of the magnetic wheel is optimized and designed.

Applying the wall-climbing robot to engineering practice, experiments have shown that the developed wall-climbing robot can move safely and stably on the wall of the wind turbine tower. The robot can also carry a load of 20 kg, and the designed adaptive structure can cause the magnetic wheel to deflect up to 20° relative to the vehicle body, fully meeting the curvature requirements of the minimum diameter end of the wind turbine tower.

This paper proposes a magnetic suction integrated wheel structure through analysis of the working environment. And the parameters affecting the magnetic wheel adsorption performance were optimized. Meanwhile, a passive adaptive wind turbine tower curvature structure was proposed.

Sport has emerged as a powerful platform for promoting environmental awareness and action. Major collegiate and professional teams have implemented sustainability strategies, although some have hesitated to promote them out of concern for political polarization and fan alienation. This study aimed to examine differences in environmental attitudes among fans of two professional sport organizations competing in the same venue but in different sports.

Survey data were collected from 2,652 season ticket holders of the two organizations. The survey included measures of environmental awareness, perceived behavioral control, ascriptions of responsibility, awareness of team initiatives and green team fandom. Participants’ environmentalist status (active, passive or non-environmentalist) was also assessed. Analysis of variance was used to examine differences in environmental attitudes based on sport affiliation and environmentalist status.

Significant but small differences in environmental awareness and awareness of team initiatives based on sport affiliation were found. However, environmentalist status had a significant effect on environmental awareness, perceived behavioral control, ascriptions of responsibility and green team fandom, with active environmentalists scoring highest, followed by passive environmentalists and non-environmentalists. Surprisingly, fans’ environmentalist status did not significantly impact their awareness of team sustainability initiatives. Non-environmentalists, a substantial portion of the sample, did not express particularly negative attitudes toward sustainability.

This study extends previous research by examining fan attitudes toward environmental sustainability. It challenges the assumption that promoting sustainability initiatives may alienate fans, particularly non-environmentalists, and highlights the potential for sport organizations to leverage their unifying power to promote environmental action among diverse fanbases.

Active supporters and the organisations they form are crucial stakeholders for football clubs. Previous literature has noted the increasing interest and positive outcomes associated with corporate social responsibility initiatives within sport organisations, which fans perceive and include employee wellbeing. Whilst scholars have explored various stakeholders’ perceptions of athlete wellbeing, an opportunity exists to understand how active supporters perceive athlete wellbeing programmes. Thus, the purpose of the current research was to explore the perceptions of A-League Men’s active supporters regarding an athlete wellbeing programme.

Informed by stakeholder theory, active supporters of the A-League provided their perceptions of the Player Development Programme (PDP) – the athlete wellbeing programme associated with professional football in Australia. Data were collected through open-ended questions within an online survey and analysed through inductive thematic analysis.

Three themes were generated that answer the research question: impactful and beneficial; worthy of more attention and promotion and limited understanding. These themes underscore the positive impact of the wellbeing programme on both the club and its athletes whilst highlighting the necessity for increased programme visibility within the club and the broader community.

The current study’s findings contribute to the sport management literature by exploring active supporters’ perceptions of an athlete wellbeing programme in football. Since athlete wellbeing is essential for active supporters, including wellbeing initiatives within the club’s corporate social responsibility initiatives could produce positive marketing and sponsorship outcomes for clubs.

This study adopts the elaboration likelihood model and configuration perspectives to explore the internal mechanisms underlying the influence of live streaming on consumer trust building and purchase intention.

This study invited 757 experienced live streaming e-commerce users from Chinese platforms such as TikTok and RED, who participated in survey by filling questionnaires collected online. The research employed a mixed-method approach using SEM and fsQCA. SEM was utilized to analyze quantitative data to determine the direct and mediated relationships within product trust, while fsQCA served as a complement to identify the combinations of conditions that enhance product trust.

The findings reveal three important insights. Firstly, in the context of live streaming e-commerce, both product characteristics and streamer characteristics significantly influence consumers' trust in products. The para-social interaction plays a partial mediating role in the relationship between streamer characteristics and product trust. Secondly, four distinct paths are identified that contribute to enhancing product trust in live streaming e-commerce. Thirdly, PSI emerging as a core condition across all four paths, underscores the importance for merchants to foster positive social interactions with consumers beyond the live streaming environment.

This study enhances understanding of the dynamic live streaming e-commerce industry, offering insights into consumer behavior and practical guidance for merchants seeking to build engaged, trustworthy customer relationships.

This paper takes the Shanghai-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect as a quasi-natural experiment and investigates the impact of capital market liberalization on the corporate debt maturity structure. It also aims to provide some policy implications for corporate debt financing and further liberalization of the capital market in China.

Employing the exogenous event of Shanghai-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect and using the data of Chinese A-share firms from 2010 to 2020, this study constructs a difference-in-differences model to examine the relationship between capital market liberalization and corporate debt maturity structure. To validate the results, this study performed several robustness tests, including the parallel test, the placebo test, the Heckman two-stage regression and the propensity score matching.

This paper finds that capital market liberalization has significantly increased the proportion of long-term debt of target firms. Further analyses suggest that the impact of capital market liberalization on the debt maturity structure is more pronounced for firms with lower management ownership and non-Big 4 audit. Channel tests show that capital market liberalization improves firms’ information environment and curbs self-interested management behavior.

This research provides empirical evidence for the consequences of capital market liberalization and enriches the literature on the determinants of corporate debt maturity structure. Further this study makes a reference for regulators and financial institutions to improve corporate financing through the governance role of capital market liberalization.

Amid rising concerns over unhealthy dietary habits and their impact on public health, this study aims to explore the role of avatars in promoting healthier eating and enhancing customer satisfaction in restaurants. By leveraging the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and nudge theory, this research sought to gain insights into consumer behavior and assess how digital innovations can encourage healthier food choices.

This study recruited 672 participants in the USA. Participants viewed a video featuring an avatar that informed them about available healthy food options, simulating a restaurant ordering scenario. Following the video, participants completed comprehensive online surveys. The collected data was analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling to assess the effectiveness and implications of the intervention.

The findings revealed that health consciousness, environmental awareness, social norms and perceived behavioral control significantly influence dietary habits. Restaurant health initiatives and avatar persuasiveness were found to encourage healthier food choices, improve customer satisfaction and loyalty and enhance electronic word-of-mouth. The study confirmed that avatars equipped with attributes such as competence, warmth, trustworthiness and credibility can be an effective digital nudge for consumers toward healthier dietary decisions.

This study’s originality lies in its integration of TPB and nudge theory, bridging the gap between individual psychological factors and external cues. This comprehensive framework provides valuable insights for restaurant managers, artificial intelligence developers and policymakers, offering practical strategies to promote healthier eating and enhance customer experiences through digital innovation.

鉴于公众对不健康饮食习惯及其对公共健康影响的日益关注, 本研究旨在探索虚拟形象在促进更健康饮食和提升餐厅顾客满意度中的作用。通过利用计划行为理论（TPB）和劝导理论（Nudge Theory）, 本研究试图深入了解消费者行为, 并评估数字创新如何鼓励更健康的食品选择。

本研究在美国招募了672名参与者。参与者观看了一个展示虚拟形象的视频, 该虚拟形象向他们介绍了可供选择的健康食品选项, 模拟了餐厅点餐场景。观看视频后, 参与者完成了全面的在线调查。收集的数据通过偏最小二乘结构方程模型（PLS-SEM）分析, 以评估干预的有效性和影响。

研究发现, 健康意识、环境意识、社会规范和感知行为控制显著影响饮食习惯。餐厅健康倡议和虚拟形象的说服力被发现能够鼓励更健康的食品选择, 提高顾客满意度和忠诚度, 并增强电子口碑。研究证实, 具备能力、温暖、可信度和信誉等属性的虚拟形象可以成为有效的数字劝导工具, 引导消费者作出更健康的饮食决策。

本研究的原创性在于它将计划行为理论和劝导理论结合起来, 填补了个体心理因素和外部线索之间的差距。这一综合框架为餐厅经理、人工智能开发者和政策制定者提供了宝贵的洞见, 提供了推动更健康饮食和通过数字创新增强顾客体验的实用策略。

En medio de la creciente preocupación por los hábitos alimentarios poco saludables y su impacto en la salud pública, este estudio pretende explorar el papel de los avatares en la promoción de una alimentación más saludable y la mejora de la satisfacción del cliente en los restaurantes. Aprovechando la Teoría del Comportamiento Planificado (TPB) y la Teoría del Impulso, esta investigación trata de profundizar en el comportamiento del consumidor y evalúa cómo las innovaciones digitales pueden fomentar la elección de alimentos más saludables.

El estudio reclutó a 672 participantes en Estados Unidos. Los participantes visionaron un vídeo en el que un avatar les informaba sobre las opciones de comida saludable disponible, simulando una situación en la que solicitaban comida en un restaurante. Después del vídeo, los participantes rellenaron unas exhaustivas encuestas en línea. Los datos recogidos se analizaron mediante un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales por mínimos cuadrados parciales para evaluar la eficacia y las implicaciones de la intervención.

Los resultados revelaron que la conciencia saludable, la conciencia medioambiental, las normas sociales y el control conductual percibido influyen significativamente en los hábitos alimentarios. Se comprobó que las iniciativas relacionadas con la salud en los restaurantes y la capacidad de persuasión de los avatares fomentan la elección de alimentos más sanos, mejoran la satisfacción y la fidelidad de los clientes y potencian el boca a boca electrónico. El estudio confirmó que los avatares dotados de atributos como competencia, calidez, fiabilidad y credibilidad pueden ser un estímulo digital eficaz para que los consumidores tomen decisiones dietéticas más saludables.

La originalidad de este estudio radica en la integración de la TPB y la Teoría de los Estímulos, que tiende un puente entre los factores psicológicos individuales y las señales externas. Este marco integral aporta valiosas ideas a los gestores de restaurantes, desarrolladores de IA y responsables políticos, ofreciendo estrategias prácticas para promover una alimentación más sana y mejorar las experiencias de los clientes a través de la innovación digital.

Integrating transaction costs economics and task-technology fit theory, this study distinguishes two categories of social media–enabled interactions, namely task-related interactions and tie-related interactions, and explores the match between these two and firms' use of contracts in achieving safeguarding and coordinating purposes in interfirm governance.

Two studies were conducted to test the hypotheses. In Study 1, this study collaborated with a professional market research firm and collected responses from Chinese manufacturing firms in a survey. In Study 2, this study designed a scenario-based experiment and collected 239 participants from the Credamo platform.

This study categorized social media–enabled interactions into task-related interactions and tie-related interactions and conducted two studies to reveal that the safeguarding purpose of contract specificity is amplified by tie-related interactions, whereas the coordinating purpose of contract specificity is strengthened by task-related interactions.

This study assumes that firms permit and encourage the use of social media. However, some firms might prohibit the use of social media due to risk issues, or their partners may be prohibited from using social media.

Given that social media–enabled interactions have joint effects with contracts in achieving safeguarding and coordinating purposes, a firm's employees should match their goals with an appropriate type of social media–enabled interactions.

This study enriches the interfirm governance literature by uncovering the roles of these two types of interactions in matching contract specificity to achieve safeguarding and coordinating purposes, which provides actionable insights for managers in governing interfirm relationships.

Considering the substantial benefits derived from the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) in construction projects, governments and its related sectors have introduced mandatory policies requiring the use of BIM. However, little is known about the impact of mandatory policies on BIM-based project performance. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to provide a systematical understanding on the impact of policy interventions on the implementation practice of innovative technologies.

This paper utilizes the propensity score matching and difference in differences (PSM-DID) method to investigate the impact of policy interventions on BIM-based project performance. Using the panel data collected from 2015 to 2021 in the Hong Kong construction industry, this paper explores the impact of the first mandatory BIM policy on the BIM-based project performance of three key stakeholders.

The subjective BIM performance and BIM return on investment (ROI) have significantly improved after implementing the mandatory BIM policy. The promotion effect of mandatory BIM policy on BIM-based project performance gradually increases over time. Moreover, the promotion effect of mandatory BIM policy on BIM performance shows significant heterogeneity for different stakeholders and organizations of different sizes.

This study examined the impact of policy interventions on BIM-based project performance. The research findings can provide a holistic understanding of the potential implications of innovative mandatory policy in performance improvement and offer some constructive suggestions to policymakers and industry practitioners to promote the penetration of BIM in the construction industry.

This paper aims to provide a reference for the development of digital transformation from the perspective of manufacturing process links.

This paper applies canonical correlation analysis based on digital technology patents in the key links of manufacturing industries (product design, procurement, product manufacturing, warehousing and transportation, and wholesale and retail) and the related indicators of economic benefits of regions in China.

(1) The degree of digitalization of manufacturing process links is significantly correlated with economic benefits. (2) The improvement of the degree of digitalization in the “product design” link, the “warehousing and transportation” link, the “product manufacturing” link and the “wholesale and retail” link has significant impacts on the economic benefits of manufacturing industry. (3) The digital degree of the “procurement” link has no obvious influence on the economic benefits of manufacturing industry.

The research results can provide reference for the formulation and implementation of micro policies. The strategy of improving the level of digital transformation of key links of manufacturing industry is put forward to better promote both the digital transformation of manufacturing industry and economic development.

This paper innovatively studies the relationship between digitalization of manufacturing process links and economic benefits. The findings can provide theoretical and empirical support for the digital transformation of China's manufacturing industry and high-quality development of economy.