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The purpose of this study is to examine whether service innovation capability can affect firm performance in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) context, and, if so, how.

This study developed a theoretical framework illustrating the performance impacts of service innovation capability through the business model in the AEC sector. An empirical study was conducted to test the hypotheses using 374 valid questionnaires using structure equation model (SEM).

The results verify that service innovation capability positively influences firm performance mediated by the business model. As to the direct effect, service innovation capability is positively associated with firm performance.

This study highlights how service innovation capability affects performance and reveals the underlying mechanism.

With respect to severe working conditions such as heavy load and impact, this paper aims to investigate the friction reduction and anti-wear performance of kaolin and molybdenum dialkyl dithiophosphate (MoDDP) composite lubricant additives to improve the lubrication effect of a single additive.

A four-ball friction test was carried out to determine the optimal concentration of kaolin and organic molybdenum additives and the tribological properties of the kaolin/MoDDP composite lubricant additives. A ring block test of composite lubricant additives was designed to investigate its lubrication performance under the severe working conditions of low speed, heavy load and impact.

The results showed that the optimal addition mass fractions of kaolin and MoDDP were 4.0 and 1.5 Wt.%, respectively, when kaolin and MoDDP were used as single lubricant additives. Compared with the single additive, the 4.0 Wt.% kaolin/1.5 Wt.% MoDDP composite lubricant additive showed excellent friction reduction and anti-wear effects under heavy load and impact conditions. Physicochemical analysis of the wear surface revealed that the lamellar kaolin additive and MoDDP had excellent synergistic effects, and the friction process promoted the generation of lubricant films containing a chemically reactive layer of MoS₂, MoO₂, FeS₂ and Fe₂O₃ and a physically adsorbent layer containing SiO₂ and Al₂O₃, which play important roles in anti-wear and friction reduction.

The excellent friction reduction and anti-wear effects of lamellar silicate minerals and the excellent antioxidant properties and good synergistic effects of molybdenum were comprehensively used to develop the composite additives with great lubricating properties.

The integration of social media and e-commerce has resulted in a rising phenomenon among individual content providers (ICPs), who used to offer free content, to provide consumers with paid content, such as online courses, Q&As or consultations. Despite the prevalence of ICPs’ content monetization, empirical research has rarely studied its underlying mechanism. This paper examines how the characteristics of free content contributed by ICPs on social media platforms influence their paid content sales, focusing on the perspective of human brand.

The empirical setting is an online knowledge exchange platform, where users are allowed to provide free content (e.g. answers) on the social media platform and launch paid content (e.g. lectures) on the e-commerce platform. A machine learning technique is employed to construct measures for the characteristics of free content, and fixed-effects estimation is presented to confirm which factors have a significant influence on the sales of paid content.

The empirical results show that the quality, diversity and expertness of free content have a significant positive impact on the sales of the ICP-paid content, with the brand popularity of ICP playing a mediating role.

This study is the first attempt to demystify the relationship between content contribution and ICPs’ content monetization from the perspective of human brand. The findings validate the effectiveness of the “Selling by Contribution” strategy and provide valuable insights for ICPs and social media platforms.

The primary aim of this paper is to concurrently use the data types to enhance econometric analysis in the housing market in developing countries, particularly Namibia.

Scholarly discussions on econometric analysis in the housing market in sub-Saharan Africa suggest that the inadequacy of time series data has impeded studies of such nature in the region. Hence, this paper aims to comparatively analyse the impact of economic fundamentals on house prices in Namibia using real and interpolated data from 1990 to 2021 supported by the ARDL model.

It was discovered that in all the three types of data house prices were affected by fundamentals except real GDP in the long term. It was also noted that there were not much significant variations between the real data and the interpolated data frequencies. However, the results of the annual data and the semi-annual interpolated data were more analogously comparable to the quarterly interpolated data

It is suggested that the adoption of interpolated data frequency type should be based on the statistical significance of the result. In addition, the need to monitor the nexus of the housing market and fundamentals is necessary for stable and sustainable housing market for enhanced policy direction and prudent property investment decision.

The study pioneer to concurrently use the data types to enhance econometric analysis in the housing market in developing countries.

The bridge expansion joint (BEJ) is a key device for accommodating spatial displacement at the beam end, and for providing vertical support for running trains passing over the gap between the main bridge and the approach bridge. For long-span railway bridges, it must also be coordinated with rail expansion joint (REJ), which is necessary to accommodate the expansion and contraction of, and reducing longitudinal stress in, the rails. The main aim of this study is to present analysis of recent developments in the research and application of BEJs in high-speed railway (HSR) long-span bridges in China, and to propose a performance-based integral design method for BEJs used with REJs, from both theoretical and engineering perspectives.

The study first presents a summary on the application and maintenance of BEJs in HSR long-span bridges in China representing an overview of their state of development. Results of a survey of typical BEJ faults were analyzed, and field testing was conducted on a railway cable-stayed bridge in order to obtain information on the major mechanical characteristics of its BEJ under train load. Based on the above, a performance-based integral design method for BEJs with maximum expansion range 1600 mm (±800 mm), was proposed, covering all stages from overall conceptual design to consideration of detailed structural design issues. The performance of the novel BEJ design thus derived was then verified via theoretical analysis under different scenarios, full-scale model testing, and field testing and commissioning.

Two major types of BEJs, deck-type and through-type, are used in HSR long-span bridges in China. Typical BEJ faults were found to mainly include skewness of steel sleepers at the bridge gap, abnormally large longitudinal frictional resistance, and flexural deformation of the scissor mechanisms. These faults influence BEJ functioning, and thus adversely affect track quality and train running performance at the beam end. Due to their simple and integral structure, deck-type BEJs with expansion range 1200 mm (± 600 mm) or less have been favored as a solution offering improved operational conditions, and have emerged as a standard design. However, when the expansion range exceeds the above-mentioned value, special design work becomes necessary. Therefore, based on engineering practice, a performance-based integral design method for BEJs used with REJs was proposed, taking into account four major categories of performance requirements, i.e., mechanical characteristics, train running quality, durability and insulation performance. Overall BEJ design must mainly consider component strength and the overall stiffness of BEJ; the latter factor in particular has a decisive influence on train running performance at the beam end. Detailed BEJ structural design must stress minimization of the frictional resistance of its sliding surface. The static and dynamic performance of the newly-designed BEJ with expansion range 1600 mm have been confirmed to be satisfactory, via numerical simulation, full-scale model testing, and field testing and commissioning.

This research provides a broad overview of the status of BEJs with large expansion range in HSR long-span bridges in China, along with novel insights into their design.

The purpose of this paper is to study the corrosion behavior of Q235 steel in saturated acidic red and yellow soils.

The corrosion behavior of Q235 steel in saturated red and yellow soils was compared by weight-loss, SEM/EDS, 3D ultra-depth microscopy and electrochemical measurements.

R_p of the steel gradually increases and i_corr gradually decreases in both the red and yellow soils with time. The R_p of the steel in the red soil is lower, but its i_corr is higher than that in the yellow soil. The uniform corrosion rate, diameter and density of the corrosion pit on the steel surface in the red soil are greater than those in the yellow soil. Lower pH, higher contents of corrosive anions and high-valence Fe oxides in the red soil are responsible for its higher corrosion rates and local corrosion susceptibility.

This paper investigates the difference in corrosion behavior of carbon steel in saturated acidic red and yellow soils, which can help to understand the mechanism of soil corrosion.

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.

Current developments in the FinTech payment industry have shown a rapid revolution in Industry 4.0, and understanding the factors affecting individual acceptance of facial recognition payment (FRP) is crucial. Hence, this study aims to evaluate the benefits and risks of FRP system adoption in Malaysia.

The perceived risks and benefits framework is adopted as the foundation in this study to examine the various risks and benefits that users perceive, along with the trust factor, to study the relationships between these variables. Data were collected via an online questionnaire, and the hypotheses were tested using Partial Least Squares analysis on 277 responses.

The results revealed that perceived risk is a significant predictor of users' intention to use the FRP system. Privacy risk and financial risk significantly influence perceived risks, while security risk does not. Although convenience, perceived ease of use and perceived trust positively influence perceived benefits, perceived benefits do not significantly influence adoption intention. Moreover, perceived trust negatively affects perceived risks while positively affecting both perceived benefits and adoption intention. Additionally, personal innovativeness moderates the relationship between perceived risks and the intention to use the FRP system.

This study helps policymakers and service providers understand individuals’ concerns and expectations regarding FRP systems. It aids practitioners in developing strategies to build trust, address innovativeness differences and mitigate risks, serving as a roadmap for integrating these systems into Malaysia's financial landscape.

This study distinguishes itself from prior research by evaluating FRP system adoption in Malaysia through the lens of perceived risks and benefits framework. It also explores personal innovativeness as a moderator, examining its impact on the relationship between usage intention and perceived risks and benefits. Additionally, it highlights perceived trust as a crucial factor influencing individuals' intention to adopt FRPs.

This study aims to examine the relationship between managerial ability and innovation efficiency, the mediating effect of digital transformation and the moderating effect of internal control.

This study collected A-share manufacturing listed companies in China from 2008 to 2019 and analyzed the data by means of multiple regression analysis, mediating effect test, moderating effect test and heterogeneity test. Finally, the authors conducted robustness test by remeasuring key variables and adding control variables.

The empirical results show that the higher managerial ability can improve innovation efficiency, internal control has a positive moderating effect and digital transformation plays a partial mediating effect on the relationship between managerial ability and innovation efficiency. Specially, it is found that the mediating effect of digital transformation is not significant in non-state-owned firms.

This study suggests that it is necessary to focus on the managerial ability in terms of both cultivation and supervision, to further deepen the digital transformation from the aspects of firms, government and society, especially to support the digital transformation of non-state-owned firms, and to make efforts to improve the corporate governance mechanism and internal control system, so as to better comprehensively realize the improvement of enterprise innovation efficiency.

Based on the mediating effect analysis of digital transformation and the moderating effect analysis of internal control, this study explores the role of managerial ability on innovation efficiency from a new perspective, expanding the related theoretical framework and research boundaries.

This paper aims to investigate the motivational drivers for knowledge sharing (KS) through the application of mobile social networking (MSN) and their influence on employee productivity in the Malaysian construction industry.

The data was collected by distributing a self-administered questionnaire among employees working in the construction industry. A total of 250 questionnaires were collected and analysed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. This study used a variety of analysis methodologies including correlation analysis, reliability and validity testing, as well as a structural model in evaluating the relationships between KS, motivational factors and influence on productivity.

The empirical results of this study reveal that utilitarian motivation is positively related to internal and external KS. Similarly, internal and external KS have a positive influence on productivity, while internal and external hedonic motivation does not show any significant relationship with productivity.

Considering the paucity of evidence regarding the determinants of KS motivational drives on employee productivity in the Malaysian construction industry, this study enriches the social cognitive theory-based literature on KS.

This study provides some insights to the players in the construction industry in implementing the most appropriate KS promotion strategies that could potentially influence employee productivity. Organisations in the construction industry that place great emphasis on utilitarian motivation including competency, reward and incentives are more likely to have a better influence on KS and, in turn, positively impact employee productivity.

This study meaningfully contributes to enhancing the understanding of the motivational drivers for sharing knowledge on MSN and its influence on productivity. The findings of this study potentially assist construction practitioners in developing a holistic blueprint for managing their KS towards improving the overall productivity of their employees.