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This paper aims to investigate how institutional entrepreneurs in a mature field acquire different forms of legitimacy through various narrative strategies, as revealed by a historical analysis of the Late Qing Dynasty of China. Specifically, the study seeks to illuminate the narrative techniques employed by these entrepreneurs to build multi-level legitimacies for their new systems during the national crises of the late 19th century.

This study employs a qualitative approach based on three historical case studies of Westernization, namely advocates, reformists and revolutionaries during the Late Qing Dynasty of China. It delves into the institutional entrepreneurial activities of these groups, investigating how they navigated and influenced their sociopolitical context through narrative strategies.

The findings reveal that institutional entrepreneurs utilize various narrative techniques to build legitimacy. These include (1) modifying and disseminating narratives at the proper time, (2) ascribing their proposed system to cultural tradition by reinterpreting classical works and (3) offering understandable and concrete promises to stakeholders. The study also identifies an evolving pattern of narratives underpinned by mutual learning and continuous iteration among different factions of institutional entrepreneurs.

This paper adds new insights to the literature on institutional entrepreneurs and, more broadly, to institutional research literature by advancing our understanding of the discursive dynamics underlying institutional changes. It unveils the complex interplay of narrative techniques and legitimacy building in the context of societal and institutional upheaval, providing a nuanced understanding of the role of narratives in institutional entrepreneurship.

This study aims to explore the dynamics between the brand manufacturer’s revenue model choice and the platform’s private label product entry strategy, specifically, (1) Under the wholesale and agency models, when should the platform introduce its private label product to compete with the manufacturer? (2) Facing the potential threat of the platform’s entry, how should the manufacturer choose between the wholesale and agency models? (3) How does the platform’s entry strategy affect the manufacturer’s price decisions and demand? (4) What are the implications of the strategic interaction between the manufacturer’s model selection and the platform’s encroachment on social welfare and consumer surplus?

This study develops a multistage game model consisting of a manufacturer, a platform and consumers. The model describes the strategic interaction between the manufacturer and the platform, where the manufacturer first chooses one of the revenue models from the agency model and the wholesale model, followed by the platform’s decision whether to offer its own products to enter the competition, after which the two parties set the price of their products to compete on price according to their strategies, then the consumers make purchase decisions based on the principle of utility maximization.

For the platform, to not hurt its profitability in the manufacturer channel with too much competition, lower social utility sensitivity and lower similarity of product imitation rather favor platform entry. Platform entry affects manufacturers’ retail prices and demand differently across different revenue models. Interestingly, if the social utility sensitivity and imitation similarity are moderate, when the commissions extracted by the platform are low, manufacturers still have the incentive to adopt the wholesale model rather than the agency model. In addition, platform entry into competition increases consumer surplus and social welfare only when consumer sensitivity to social utility is low.

The research model innovatively describes the strategic interaction between the manufacturer and the platform; to more accurately portray the consumer demand model, this model also introduces the parameters of the similarity of the platform’s products to the products of the manufacturer, as well as the social utility sensitivity of consumers. Conclusions are drawn on the choice of platform entry strategy versus the choice of revenue model for manufacturers. Relevant managerial insights are provided for both platforms and manufacturers, which partially explains the existing market situation.

The circular economy (CE) has become increasingly popular in recent years due to its potential in combining the economic growth positively with businesses, society and the environment simultaneously. The purpose of this review is to provide a concise summary of the existing literature regarding how CE strategies can help mitigate climate change.

A comprehensive review of extant literature is undertaken on the topic of CE and climate change. Six sectors are explored in this chapter; although these sectors are different, but still, they are interdependent and are not completely separate.

Thorough study of literature reveals that the energy, transport and manufacturing sectors have the greatest potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, while the waste and building sector have a moderate potential for savings. The agriculture sector, on the other hand, is predicted to have the lowest potential for savings.

This chapter provides implications for achieving a sustainable future in terms of economic growth, social harmony and environment conditions by developing efficient and affordable methods to achieve the goal of CE.

This chapter is a unique endeavour to explore the intricate relationship between CE and climate change. Although both concepts have been explored individually by various studies, but our study is one of the few attempts made to emphasise the crucial role of CE to mitigate the climate change.

This paper aims to explain the factors shaping collective action within low-cost housing communities, focusing on parcel holders, through the utilisation of an expanded institutional analysis development (IAD) framework, which extends upon Ostrom’s foundational framework. Additionally, the paper explores four different property management approaches accessible to these communities.

The research employed a mixed-method approach comprising four sequential steps. Firstly, a quantitative inquiry entailed a questionnaire survey administered to 633 parcel holders across four low-cost housing schemes, aimed at discerning factors influencing collective action. Subsequently, a qualitative investigation involved face-to-face interviews with key stakeholders to elucidate the contributing factors of collective action, with a specific focus on Nursa Kurnia (a successful low-cost housing scheme comprising 200 units), accessible via Kuala Lumpur Middle Ring Road II. Thirdly, the study explored the social practice of “commoning the governance”. Lastly, the paper advocated for housing policy interventions, specifically proposing government subsidies for lower-income parcel holders.

Exemplified by the success of Nursa Kurnia, the research findings emphasised the importance of shifting local management’s mindset from a zero-sum approach to a win-win perspective. It highlighted the pivotal role of four factors (resource system, governance system, context and historical development) in shaping collective action and fostering improved property management practices. Moreover, the study highlighted the potential of “commoning the governance” as a new approach capable of addressing collective action challenges in low-cost housing management, presenting a promising avenue for future endeavours.

As more studies utilising the expanded IAD framework become available in the future, there is potential for further refinement and enhancement of the framework.

This study offers valuable insights for policymakers, property developers, local management and local communities, shedding light on challenges associated with the self-organisation of shared resources. Moreover, it highlights the potential of “commoning the governance” as a new property management approach to mitigate the impact of collective action problems.

The well-being of society’s most vulnerable segment is indicative of the overall societal health. This underscores the significance of addressing the interests and needs of these lower-income groups within the broader social context.

Exploring collective action within the context of self-organising low-cost housing, the study delves into an area marked by persistent challenges like free-riding tendencies and vandalism. Despite significant attention given to collective action issues in the past, the novel approach of “commoning the governance” remains unexamined in the realm of low-cost housing maintenance and management.

The purpose of this study is to explore the interfacial adhesion between superhydrophobic coatings FC-X (X = 1%, 2%, 3%, 4% and 5%) and the concrete substrate, along with the impact of FC-X on the water repellency characteristics of the concrete substrate.

One synthetic step was adopted to prepare novel F-SiO₂ NP hybrid fluororesin coating. The impact of varying mass fractions of F-SiO₂ NPs on the superhydrophobicity of FC-X was analyzed and subsequently confirmed through water contact angle (WCA) measurements. Superhydrophobic coatings were simply applied to the concrete substrate using a one-step spraying method. The interfacial adhesion between FC-X and the concrete substrate was analyzed using tape pasting tests and abrasion resistance measurements. The influence of FC-X on the water repellency of the concrete substrate was investigated through measurements of water absorption, impermeability and electric flux.

FC-4% exhibits excellent superhydrophobicity, with a WCA of 157.5° and a sliding angle of 2.3°. Compared to control sample, FC-X exhibits better properties, including chemical durability, wear resistance, adhesion strength, abrasion resistance, water resistance and impermeability.

This study offers a thorough investigation into the practical implications of enhancing the durability and water repellency of concrete substrates by using superhydrophobic coatings, particularly FC-4%, which demonstrates exceptional superhydrophobicity alongside remarkable chemical durability, wear resistance, adhesion strength, abrasion resistance, water resistance and impermeability.

Through the examination of the interfacial adhesion between FC-X and the concrete substrate, along with an assessment of FC-X’s impact on the water repellency of the concrete, this paper provides valuable insights into the practical application of superhydrophobic coatings in enhancing the durability and performance of concrete materials.

This study explores the influence of Zhongyong thinking on the zone of tolerance (ZOT) for the quality of Shanzhai products among low-income Chinese consumers as well as examines the moderating effects of frugality and price.

Data were collected from 228 low-income Chinese consumers to test the hypothesized relationships between Zhongyong thinking, frugality, price and the ZOT of quality.

The results demonstrate a negative relationship between Zhongyong thinking and the ZOT of quality. This negative relationship is intensified by an increase in frugality, highlighting the complex interplay between cultural thinking and economic behaviors.

This research sheds new light on the research about the ZOT for quality by integrating the principles of mean and harmony with consumer rationality to explore the impact of Zhongyong thinking on low-income consumers’ ZOT for Shanzhai product quality. It further enriches the understanding of frugality’s role by discussing how it interacts with Zhongyong thinking to affect the ZOT for product quality among low-income consumers in emerging markets.

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.

The purpose of this paper is to combine triboelectric nanogeneration technology with ball bearing structure to achieve energy collection and fault monitoring.

In this paper, according to the rotation mode of ball bearings, the freestanding mode of triboelectric nanogeneration is selected to design and manufacture a novel triboelectric nanogeneration device Rolling Ball Triboelectric Nanogenerator (RB-TENG) which combines rotary energy collection with ball bearing fault self-sensing.

The 10,000s continuous operation experiment of the RB-TENG is carried out to verify its robustness. The accurate feedback relationship between the RB-TENG and rotation velocity can be demonstrated by the fitting comparison between the theoretical and experimental electrical signal periods at a certain time. By comparing the output electrical signals of the normal RB-TENG and the rotor spalling RB-TENG and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) balls with different degrees of wear at 500 r/min, it can be concluded that the RB-TENG has an ideal monitoring effect on the radial clearance distance of bearings. The spalling fault test of the RB-TENG stator inner ring and rotor outer ring is carried out.

Through coupling experiments of rotor spalling fault of the RB-TENG and PTFE balls fault with different degrees of wear, it can be seen that when rotor spalling fault occurs, balls wear has a greater impact on the normal operation of the RB-TENG, and it is easier to identify. The fault self-sensing ability of the RB-TENG can be obtained, which is expected to provide an effective scheme for monitoring the radial wear clearance distance of ball bearings.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-08-2024-0295/

This study aims to investigate the micro mechanism of macro rheological characteristics for composite modified asphalt.Grey relational analysis (GRA) was used to analyze the correlation between macro rheological indexes and micro infrared spectroscopy indexes.

First, a dynamic shear rheometer and a bending beam rheometer were used to obtain the evaluation indexes of high- and low-temperature rheological characteristics for asphalt (virgin, SBS/styrene butadiene rubber [SBR], SBS/rubber and SBR/rubber) respectively, and its variation rules were analyzed. Subsequently, the infrared spectroscopy test was used to obtain the micro rheological characteristics of asphalt, which were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed, and its variation rules were analyzed. Finally, with the help of GRA, the macro-micro evaluation indexes were correlated, and the improvement efficiency of composite modifiers on asphalt was explored from rheological characteristics.

It was found that the deformation resistance and aging resistance of SBS/rubber composite modified asphalt are relatively good, and the modification effect of composite modifier and virgin asphalt is realized through physical combination, and the rheological characteristics change with the accumulation of functional groups. The correlation between macro rutting factor and micro functional group index is high, and the relationship between macro Burgers model parameters and micro functional group index is also close.

Results reveal the basic principle of inherent-improved synergistic effect for composite modifiers on asphalt and provide a theoretical basis for improving the composite modified asphalt.

This study was aimed at clarifying the post-fire shear strength of self-drilling screws and the load-bearing capacity of single overlapped screwed connections using steel sheets and self-drilling screws. The self-drilling screws for shear tests were made of high-strength, martensitic-stainless and austenitic stainless-steel bars.

Shear loading tests were conducted on self-drilling screws to obtain basic information on post-fire shear strength. Tensile tests were conducted on the screwed connections to examine the transition of failure modes depending on the test temperature after experiencing the heating and cooling procedures.

The post-fire shear strengths and reduction factors of self-drilling screws of each steel grade were quantified. Furthermore, heated temperature-dependent sheet bearing failure, net sheet failure and screw shear failure modes were observed for the screwed connections.

The transition of the failure modes of the screwed connection could be explained using the equations of the post-fire shear strength proposed in this study. The basic experimental data required to evaluate the post-fire shear strength of screws were obtained.