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1 – 10 of 39
Article
Publication date: 1 March 2005

Yifeng Chen, Dean Tjosvold and Sofia Su Fang

Given the susceptibility of cross‐cultural interaction to misunderstandings and disagreements, conflict management may be especially useful for helping employees develop quality…

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Abstract

Given the susceptibility of cross‐cultural interaction to misunderstandings and disagreements, conflict management may be especially useful for helping employees develop quality leader relationships with their foreign managers. One hundred and eleven Chinese employees from various industries in Shanghai were interviewed on specific incidents where they had a conflict, defined as incompatible actions, with their Japanese manager or American manager. A qualitative analysis of the incidents and statistical tests of the data supported the hypotheses that a cooperative approach to conflict, rather than competitive or avoidance approaches, help Chinese employees and their foreign managers strengthen their relationship and improve their productivity. Cooperative conflict management may be an important way to overcome obstacles and develop an effective leader relationship across cultural boundaries.

Details

International Journal of Conflict Management, vol. 16 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1044-4068

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 August 2017

Yi-Feng Chen, Yi Kang and Dean Tjosvold

How can governments and survivors prepare for and manage natural disasters? Post-disaster reconstruction researchers advocate that community involvement is needed to help…

Abstract

Purpose

How can governments and survivors prepare for and manage natural disasters? Post-disaster reconstruction researchers advocate that community involvement is needed to help survivors recover effectively. This study aims to propose that cooperative goals between government officials and survivors develop guanxi relationships and constructive controversy wherein survivors voice their opinions to aid disaster recovery.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors adopted the critical incident technique (CIT), which has proved especially useful for studying complex issues, as well as site-intensive research for interviews and participant observation. After developing a local reputation and rapport by working in a residential resettlement area for two months, an author used the CIT to ask 118 survivors of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake to describe specific incidents when they interacted with government officials about recovery issues and then to rate survey items that measure independent and dependent variables.

Findings

Results, including structural equation analyses, support the reasoning that cooperative goals between government and survivors facilitate guanxi and constructive controversy, which in turn produced effective disaster recovery, as indicated by survivors’ social support, satisfaction, reduced stress and beliefs that government officials led effectively.

Research limitations/implications

The data are self-reported and subject to biases and may not be accurate.

Practical implications

In addition to developing theoretical understanding, the results can have important practical implications for strengthening relationships and constructive controversy between government and survivors.

Social implications

Results suggest that communities have practical ways to prepare for disasters. Structuring cooperative goals among survivors, encouraging guanxi relationships, and training in constructive controversy should promote effective recovery from natural disasters.

Originality/value

The paper develops theory and research on how leaders can promote community involvement for effective disaster management. The paper proposes that high-quality interpersonal relationships, also referred to guanxi, and the open-minded discussion of opposing ideas, labeled constructive controversy, are major components of effective community involvement. The paper adds to the literature by empirically documenting the utility of the Western-developed theory of cooperation and competition and the concept of constructive controversy for understanding the effectiveness of government leadership for disaster recovery in China.

Details

International Journal of Conflict Management, vol. 28 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1044-4068

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 December 2017

Nancy Chen, Mike Chen-ho Chao, Henry Xie and Dean Tjosvold

Scholarly research provides few insights into how integrating the western values of individualism and low power distance with the eastern values of collectivism and high power…

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Abstract

Purpose

Scholarly research provides few insights into how integrating the western values of individualism and low power distance with the eastern values of collectivism and high power distance may influence cross-cultural conflict management. Following the framework of the theory of cooperation and competition, the purpose of this paper is to directly examine the impacts of organization-level collectivism and individualism, as well as high and low power distance, to determine the interactive effects of these four factors on cross-cultural conflict management.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a 2×2 experiment study. Data were collected from a US laboratory experiment with 80 participants.

Findings

American managers working in a company embracing western low power distance and eastern collectivism values were able to manage conflict cooperatively with their Chinese workers. Moreover, American managers working in a company valuing collectivism developed more trust with Chinese workers, and those in a company culture with high power distance were more interested in their workers’ viewpoints and more able to reach integrated solutions.

Originality/value

This study is an interdisciplinary research applying the social psychology field’s theory of cooperation and competition to the research on employee-manager, cross-cultural conflict management (which are industrial relations and organizational behavior topics, respectively), with an eye to the role of cultural adaptation. Furthermore, this study included an experiment to directly investigate the interactions between American managers and Chinese workers discussing work distribution conflict in four different organizational cultures.

Details

Cross Cultural & Strategic Management, vol. 25 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2059-5794

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 March 2008

Nancy Chen Yifeng and Dean Tjosvold

This study seeks to empirically examine the impact of goal interdependence and leader‐member relationship on cross‐cultural leadership in joint ventures in China.

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Abstract

Purpose

This study seeks to empirically examine the impact of goal interdependence and leader‐member relationship on cross‐cultural leadership in joint ventures in China.

Design/methodology/approach

The research question is how to facilitate leader‐member relationships between foreign managers and Chinese employees in joint ventures in China. Two hypotheses were generated. This study applies the theory of cooperation and competition and the theory of LMX to develop responses to the research questions. Completed survey questionnaires were analyzed on a valid sample of 199.

Findings

Results supported the theorizing that cooperative goals between managers and employees can strengthen their leader‐member relationships, which in turn facilitate cross‐cultural leadership. The results also extended this theorizing to cross‐cultural settings.

Research limitations/implications

Although the theory of cooperation and competition and the theory of LMX were developed in the West, they could be useful in Chinese contexts for understanding cross‐cultural leadership.

Practical implications

Foreign managers working in joint ventures in China who develop strongly cooperative goals may be able to develop high quality relationships that in turn promote employee commitment and performance.

Originality/value

This study provides overall support for the theory of cooperation and competition and the theory of LMX. Although developed in the West, they have been found useful for predicating behavior in Chinese contexts regarding cross‐cultural leadership.

Details

Leadership & Organization Development Journal, vol. 29 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-7739

Keywords

Content available
Article
Publication date: 1 December 2006

330

Abstract

Details

Leadership & Organization Development Journal, vol. 27 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-7739

Article
Publication date: 13 February 2019

Sumukh Hungund and Venkatesh Mani

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors influencing small and medium enterprises’ (SMEs) adoption of innovation approaches.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors influencing small and medium enterprises’ (SMEs) adoption of innovation approaches.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology involves two steps. First, all the variables relevant to the adoption of innovation in SMEs are identified. Subsequently, primary data are gathered from decision makers of 213 SMEs, and a multinomial logistic regression analysis is performed.

Findings

The results indicate that SMEs adopt both open innovation and closed innovation approaches. The firm-level factors such as firm age, firm size, education qualification, work experience and culture, and external factors such as customers, competition, technological advances and ecosystem influence adoption of open innovation approach compared to closed innovation approach. Factors such as culture among firm-level factors and competition among external factors influence the adoption of closed innovation approach.

Practical implications

The study helps the managers or the decision makers of the SMEs to know the suitable factors influencing the firm to adopt innovation which could potentially help the firms in their business strategy.

Originality/value

The study explores the adoption of innovation approaches of SMEs in emerging economies. The outcomes of this research have far-reaching implications for theory and practitioners in emerging economies.

Details

Benchmarking: An International Journal, vol. 26 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-5771

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 June 2019

Shuo-Fang Liu, Yuan-Chin Hsu and Hung-Cheng Tsai

Belief in Mazu has a crucial cultural status in Taiwan and the coastal area of Fujian, China. The design and manufacture of apparel and accessories to be placed on statues of the…

Abstract

Purpose

Belief in Mazu has a crucial cultural status in Taiwan and the coastal area of Fujian, China. The design and manufacture of apparel and accessories to be placed on statues of the deity are also considered a sacred and critical part of the religion’s cultural and artistic inheritance. The crown hat of Mazu is one of the most essential elements of the deity’s apparel. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

This study explored the styles of Mazu crown hats using Kansei engineering (KE). People generally use adjectives words to provide aesthetic evaluations. Fuzzy theory is suitable for processing linguistic problems that include vagueness, thereby providing a reasonable method of quantifying such aesthetic evaluations. Therefore, this study first established a fuzzy positioning model (FPM) of word evaluations for analysis. Factor analysis was used to obtain representative image adjectives that represented Mazu’s image. Fuzzy analysis methods were then employed to rank the various image adjectives through evaluation words and to determine the differences between adjectives. Finally, on the basis of image analysis results and expert suggestions, the crown hat was redesigned and its suitability verified.

Findings

Four results were obtained. First, four image adjectives appropriate for representing Mazu’s image were identified, of which “noble and kind” is the most suitable. Second, fuzzy analysis was found to successfully rank style images. Third, the crown hat style and design characteristics suitable for Mazu were acquired. Fourth, the verification demonstrated that the redesign effectively enhanced the perceived image of the crown hat design.

Originality/value

This study employed KE to improve the design of a Mazu crown hat. The proposed FPM can aid the development of cultural and creative design.

Details

International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology, vol. 31 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0955-6222

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 January 2022

Weishi Chen, Yifeng Huang, Xianfeng Lu and Jie Zhang

This paper aims to review the critical technology development of avian radar system at airports.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to review the critical technology development of avian radar system at airports.

Design/methodology/approach

After the origin of avian radar technology is discussed, the target characteristics of flying birds are analyzed, including the target echo amplitude, flight speed, flight height, trajectory and micro-Doppler. Four typical airport avian radar systems of Merlin, Accipiter, Robin and CAST are introduced. The performance of different modules such as antenna, target detection and tracking, target recognition and classification, analysis of bird information together determines the detection ability of avian radar. The performances and key technologies of the ubiquitous avian radar are summarized and compared with other systems, and their applications, deployment modes, as well as their advantages and disadvantages are introduced and analyzed.

Findings

The ubiquitous avian radar achieves the long-time integration of target echoes, which greatly improves detection and classification ability of the targets of birds or drones, even under strong background clutter at airport. In addition, based on the big data of bird situation accumulated by avian radar, the rules of bird activity around the airport can be mined to guide the bird avoidance work.

Originality/value

This paper presented a novel avian radar system based on ubiquitous digital radar technology. The authors’ experience has confirmed that this system can be effective for airport bird strike prevention and management. In the future, the avian radar system will see continued improvement in both software and hardware, as the system is designed to be easily extensible.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. 94 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1748-8842

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 August 2024

Bo Wang, Yifeng Yuan, Ke Wang and Shengli Cao

Passive chipless RFID (radio frequency identification) sensors, devoid of batteries or wires for data transmission to a signal reader, demonstrate stability in severe conditions…

Abstract

Purpose

Passive chipless RFID (radio frequency identification) sensors, devoid of batteries or wires for data transmission to a signal reader, demonstrate stability in severe conditions. Consequently, employing these sensors for metal crack detection ensures ease of deployment, longevity and reusability. This study aims to introduce a chipless RFID sensor design tailored for detecting metal cracks, emphasizing tag reusability and prolonged service life.

Design/methodology/approach

The passive RFID sensor is affixed to the surface of the aluminum plate under examination, positioned over the metal cracks. These cracks alter the electrical length of the sensor, thereby influencing its amplitude-frequency characteristics. Hence, the amplitude-frequency profile generated by various metal cracks can effectively ascertain the occurrence and orientation of the cracks.

Findings

Simulation and experimental results show that the proposed crack sensing tag produces different frequency amplitude changes for four directions of cracks and can recognize the crack direction. The sensor has a small size and simple structure, which makes it easy to deploy.

Originality/value

This research aims to deploy crack detection on metallic surfaces using passive chipless RFID sensors, analyze the amplitude-frequency characteristics of crack formation and distinguish cracks of varying widths and orientations. The designed sensor boasts a straightforward structural design, facilitating ease of deployment, and offers a degree of reusability.

Details

Sensor Review, vol. 44 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0260-2288

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 July 2024

Yongqing Ma, Yifeng Zheng, Wenjie Zhang, Baoya Wei, Ziqiong Lin, Weiqiang Liu and Zhehan Li

With the development of intelligent technology, deep learning has made significant progress and has been widely used in various fields. Deep learning is data-driven, and its…

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Abstract

Purpose

With the development of intelligent technology, deep learning has made significant progress and has been widely used in various fields. Deep learning is data-driven, and its training process requires a large amount of data to improve model performance. However, labeled data is expensive and not readily available.

Design/methodology/approach

To address the above problem, researchers have integrated semi-supervised and deep learning, using a limited number of labeled data and many unlabeled data to train models. In this paper, Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) are analyzed as an entry point. Firstly, we discuss the current research on GANs in image super-resolution applications, including supervised, unsupervised, and semi-supervised learning approaches. Secondly, based on semi-supervised learning, different optimization methods are introduced as an example of image classification. Eventually, experimental comparisons and analyses of existing semi-supervised optimization methods based on GANs will be performed.

Findings

Following the analysis of the selected studies, we summarize the problems that existed during the research process and propose future research directions.

Originality/value

This paper reviews and analyzes research on generative adversarial networks for image super-resolution and classification from various learning approaches. The comparative analysis of experimental results on current semi-supervised GAN optimizations is performed to provide a reference for further research.

Details

International Journal of Intelligent Computing and Cybernetics, vol. 17 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-378X

Keywords

1 – 10 of 39