Ke Zhang and Ailing Huang
The purpose of this paper is to provide a guiding framework for studying the travel patterns of PT users. The combination of public transit (PT) users’ travel data and user…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide a guiding framework for studying the travel patterns of PT users. The combination of public transit (PT) users’ travel data and user profiling (UP) technology to draw a portrait of PT users can effectively understand users’ travel patterns, which is important to help optimize the scheduling of PT operations and planning of the network.
Design/methodology/approach
To achieve the purpose, the paper presents a three-level classification method to construct the labeling framework. A station area attribute mining method based on the term frequency-inverse document frequency weighting algorithm is proposed to determine the point of interest attributes of user travel stations, and the spatial correlation patterns of user travel stations are calculated by Moran’s Index. User travel feature labels are extracted from travel data containing Beijing PT data for one consecutive week.
Findings
In this paper, a universal PT user labeling system is obtained and some related methods are conducted including four categories of user-preferred travel area patterns mining and a station area attribute mining method. In the application of the Beijing case, a precise exploration of the spatiotemporal characteristics of PT users is conducted, resulting in the final Beijing PTUP system.
Originality/value
This paper combines UP technology with big data analysis techniques to study the travel patterns of PT users. A user profile label framework is constructed, and data visualization, statistical analysis and K-means clustering are applied to extract specific labels instructed by this system framework. Through these analytical processes, the user labeling system is improved, and its applicability is validated through the analysis of a Beijing PT case.
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Lean Six Sigma is a most widely used technique in quality management. In manufacturing and service industries, this technique is used for process excellence. In the power sector…
Abstract
Purpose
Lean Six Sigma is a most widely used technique in quality management. In manufacturing and service industries, this technique is used for process excellence. In the power sector, there has been hardly any study on the usage of LSS. Can LSS transform the ailing power sector organization from frog into princes? The purpose of this paper is to explore LSS impact on the power sector.
Design/methodology/approach
A multiple case study approach is followed. Five cases, one each from the generation, the transmission and three from distribution companies are studied based on the rationale of theoretical sampling.
Findings
LSS is an important methodology that can be used in generation, transmission and distribution of electricity energy to drive out inefficiency and improve customer satisfaction, profits, etc. In addition, the success stories of all five cases suggest the sustainable economic benefit to the organization due to the implementation of LSS.
Research limitations/implications
This study intends to make an academic contribution to the pertinence of LSS in the power sector. The multiple case study approach is used on a theoretical sample of power utilities in India. This study will provide the theoretical contribution for LSS. In addition, this study will help the practitioner and managers to effectively implement LSS, especially in the power sector.
Practical implications
This study can be used by power sector organizations to implement LSS. A special section on implication for practice is added so that organization can make use of it while implementing LSS in the power sector.
Originality/value
Power is one of the most important infrastructures for the development of a country. In a developing country, the power sector is ailing; the application of LSS can transform the power sector by driving out inefficiency, waste and variation. It will not only prove to be a boon to utilities, but it will also help the customer and society at large. Consequently, it will help in reducing the power tariff, which in turn will make power financially accessible to all categories of consumers. In addition, the private investment in this sector will also improve, if power sectors appeal, to financiers as an efficient organization, compared to loss-making one organization, at present.
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Khalid Mehmood, Katrien Verleye, Arne De Keyser and Bart Lariviere
The widespread integration of artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled personalization has sparked a need for a deeper understanding of its transformative potential. To address this…
Abstract
Purpose
The widespread integration of artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled personalization has sparked a need for a deeper understanding of its transformative potential. To address this, this study aims to investigate the mental models held by consumers from diverse cultures regarding the impact and role of AI-enabled personalization in their lives (i.e. individual well-being) and in society (i.e. societal well-being).
Design/methodology/approach
This paper uses the theories-in-use approach, collecting qualitative data via the critical incident technique. This data encompasses 487 narratives from 176 consumers in two culturally distinct countries, Belgium and Pakistan. Additionally, it includes insights from a focus group of six experts in the field.
Findings
This research reveals that consumers view AI-enabled personalization as a dual-edged sword: it may both extend and restrict the self and also contribute to an affluent society as well as an ailing society. The particular aspects of the extended/restricted self and the affluent/ailing society that emerge differ across respondents from different cultural contexts.
Originality/value
This cross-cultural research contributes to the personalization and well-being literature by providing detailed insight into the transformative potential of AI-enabled personalization while also having important managerial and policy implications.
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Xinyi Huang, Fei Teng, Yu Xin and Liping Xu
This paper aims to study the effect of the establishment of bankruptcy courts on bond issuance market. This paper helps to predict that the introduction of bankruptcy courts in…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to study the effect of the establishment of bankruptcy courts on bond issuance market. This paper helps to predict that the introduction of bankruptcy courts in China can mitigate price distortions caused by the implicit government guarantees and promote the development of the high-risk bond market.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper exploits the staggered introduction of bankruptcy courts across cities to implement a differences-in-differences strategy on bond issuance data. Using bonds issued in China between 2018 and 2020, the impact of bankruptcy courts on the bond issuance market can be analyzed.
Findings
This paper reveals that bond issuance credit spreads increase and is more sensitive to firm size, profitability and downside risk of issuance entity after the introduction of bankruptcy courts. It also reveals a substantive increase in bond issuance quantity and a decrease in issuer credit ratings following the establishment of bankruptcy courts. In addition, the increase of credit spreads is more prominent for publicly traded bonds, those whose issuers located in provinces with lower judicial confidence, bonds issued by SOEs and bonds with stronger government guarantees. Finally, the role of bankruptcy courts is more pronounced in regions with higher marketization.
Originality/value
This paper relates to previous studies that investigate the impact of laws and institutions on external financing. It helps provide new evidence to this literature on how improvements of efficiency and quality in bankruptcy enforcements relate to the marketization of bond issuance. The results provide further evidence on legal institutions and bond financing.
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Ailing Wang, Yong Deng, Kaihong Li, Wenlei Li, Dongliang Yu, Gan Cui, JianGuo Liu and Zili Li
Alternating current (AC) corrosion is a type of corrosion that occurs in buried pipelines under AC stray current interference, which can increase the hydrogen embrittlement…
Abstract
Purpose
Alternating current (AC) corrosion is a type of corrosion that occurs in buried pipelines under AC stray current interference, which can increase the hydrogen embrittlement sensitivity of pipelines. However, rare research works have been conducted on the hydrogen permeability characteristics of pipeline steel under AC stray current interference. The purpose of this paper is to study hydrogen permeation behavior of X80 steel under AC stray current interference.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, the hydrogen permeation behavior of X80 steel under AC interference is studied by AC hydrogen charging experiment in a dual electrolytic cell. The relationship between hydrogen evolution rate and hydrogen permeation flux is studied using the gas collection method. The difference between AC hydrogen permeability and direct current (DC) hydrogen permeability is also discussed.
Findings
The anodic dissolution caused by AC corrosion promotes the chemical desorption reaction of the adsorbed hydrogen atoms on the surface, reducing the hydrogen atom absorption ratio by 70%. When the AC is smaller than 150░ A/m2, the hydrogen permeation process is controlled by the hydrogen atom generation rate, and the hydrogen permeation flux increases with the increase in hydrogen atom generation rate. When the AC exceeds 400░ A/m2, the hydrogen permeation process is controlled by the absorption ratio. The hydrogen permeation flux decreases with the decrease in the absorption ratio. Under AC interference, there is a maximum hydrogen permeation flux that linearly correlates to the H+ concentration in the solutions.
Originality/value
The high-strength steel is very sensitive to hydrogen embrittlement, and X80 steel has been widely used in oil and gas pipelines. To date, no research has been conducted on the hydrogen permeation behavior of pipeline steel under AC interference, and the hydrogen permeability characteristics of pipeline steel under AC interference are not clear. The research results of this paper are of great significance for ensuring the intrinsic safety of high-strength pipelines under AC stray current interference.
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Ryan Varghese, Abha Deshpande, Gargi Digholkar and Dileep Kumar
Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) is a booming sector that has profoundly influenced every walk of life, and the education sector is no exception. In education, AI has…
Abstract
Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) is a booming sector that has profoundly influenced every walk of life, and the education sector is no exception. In education, AI has helped to develop novel teaching and learning solutions that are currently being tested in various contexts. Businesses and governments across the globe have been pouring money into a wide array of implementations, and dozens of EdTech start-ups are being funded to capitalise on this technological force. The penetration of AI in classroom teaching is also a profound matter of discussion. These have garnered massive amounts of student big data and have a significant impact on the life of both students and educators alike.
Purpose: The prime focus of this chapter is to extensively review and analyse the vast literature available on the utilities of AI in health care, learning, and development. The specific objective of thematic exploration of the literature is to explicate the principal facets and recent advances in the development and employment of AI in the latter. This chapter also aims to explore how the EdTech and healthcare–education sectors would witness a paradigm shift with the advent and incorporation of AI.
Design/Methodology/Approach: To provide context and evidence, relevant publications were identified on ScienceDirect, PubMed, and Google Scholar using keywords like AI, education, learning, health care, and development. In addition, the latest articles were also thoroughly reviewed to underscore recent advances in the same field.
Results: The implementation of AI in the learning, development, and healthcare sector is rising steeply, with a projected expansion of about 50% by 2022. These algorithms and user interfaces economically facilitate efficient delivery of the latter.
Conclusions: The EdTech and healthcare sector has great potential for a spectrum of AI-based interventions, providing access to learning opportunities and personalised experiences. These interventions are often economic in the long run compared to conventional modalities. However, several ethical and regulatory concerns should be addressed before the complete adoption of AI in these sectors.
Originality/Value: The value in exploring this topic is to present a view on the potential of employing AI in health care, medical education, and learning and development. It also intends to open a discussion of its potential benefits and a remedy to its shortcomings.
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Bernard Bekuni Boawei Bingab, Joseph Ato Forson, Anselm Komla Abotsi and Theresa Yabaah Baah-Ennumh
The incentive to strengthen university governance is espoused by a number of implications but among these three are very conspicuous: improve quality of university education…
Abstract
Purpose
The incentive to strengthen university governance is espoused by a number of implications but among these three are very conspicuous: improve quality of university education system, and thus provide students and the general public value for money; enhance the utilization of resources invested in university education; and nevertheless contribute significantly in human capital formation, guaranteeing effective and efficient public leadership and services to society. However, there are dearth studies on how this can be realized in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly Ghana. The purpose of this paper is to explore pertinent issues for desirable university governance and how it can be achieved in the sub-region drawing from the Ghanaian perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a qualitative study seeking to explore the questions: what is needed to ensure desirable university governance? And how can it be achieved? Data were collected from primary sources and bolstered with secondary sources. In-depth interviews (structured and semi-structured guides) and documentary evidence were used to collect data from 19 participants in selected public and private universities in Ghana.
Findings
The study examines key governance issues such as funding, accountability, infrastructure, trust, and regulation. The paper further identifies and discusses dilemmas (weakness in legislative instruments, quality assurance, increased enrollment and self-regulation) institutions of higher learning have had to contend with in the discharge of their duty.
Social implications
In an effort to make a difference between poverty and wealth, knowledge becomes an indispensable means and university education is at the center of such knowledge. The call for public universities to be managed like businesses continuous to be as contentious as an issue, as the term governance and the discussion might not end any moment soon. For the proponents of this idea, public universities are no longer getting the needed resource support from the state and by implication the state does no longer view university education as a social good and, therefore, they must find their own way of operating by introducing reasonable fees to generate revenue. However, the school of thought that is against this idea thinks that university education must continue to be treated as a social good because it is geared toward the development of the country and is expensive and if not subsidized, who can afford. The poor and disadvantaged will be marginalized and so the state must directly or indirectly continue to fund university education in return for accountability.
Originality/value
This explorative study is a contribution to the discourse of university governance. It primarily focuses on issues that could serve as a catalyst in enhancing university education. This has important implications for equipping universities in Ghana and within the African sub-region with similar challenges for a better output to meet the development needs of its ailing economies and reposition it as a major firebrand to instill competition on the global arena of lifelong learning.
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Humaira Haque, Md. Nurul Kabir, Syeda Humayra Abedin, Mohammad Dulal Miah and Parmendra Sharma
The ownership structure in Japanese firms has experienced a significant change recently, fueled primarily by regulatory changes. This has important repercussions on corporate…
Abstract
Purpose
The ownership structure in Japanese firms has experienced a significant change recently, fueled primarily by regulatory changes. This has important repercussions on corporate performance and risk. This paper examines the impact of insider ownership on the default risk of Japanese firms.
Design/methodology/approach
We collected data from the Nikkei Corporate Governance Evaluation System (CGES) database for the period 2004–2019. Our final dataset yields 36,116 firm-year observations. We apply a firm fixed effect model for baseline regression. Endogeneity was checked by applying propensity score matching (PSM) and two-stage least squares (2SLS) techniques. Furthermore, the robustness of baseline regression results was checked using alternative estimation techniques.
Findings
Results show a significant positive influence of insider ownership on default risk. Furthermore, ROA volatility and stock price volatility appear to be the major channels through which insider ownership affects a firm’s default risk. We further document that external monitoring mechanisms, including traditional main bank ties, institutional ownership and analyst coverage, are the key risk-mitigating factors.
Research limitations/implications
Our research deals with Japanese firms only. Future research may attempt to analyze the cases of emerging economies. Furthermore, future research might examine the ownership-default risk relationship for financial institutions to see if this relationship differs between financial and nonfinancial firms.
Practical implications
Insider ownership enhances the probability of default. Hence, policymakers may consider instituting a ceiling for insider ownership in Japanese firms. Moreover, we highlight various risk-mediating channels that would help policymakers adopt guidelines for mitigating corporate risk.
Originality/value
Our study is the first to investigate the effect of insider ownership on default risk in Japanese settings. Prior studies identified various determinants that affect firms’ default risk. Our study contributes to this stream of literature by examining the impact of insider ownership on default risk and extending the limited literature related to insider ownership.
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Karambu Kiende Gatimbu and Maurice Juma Ogada
Importance of small-scale tea producers in Kenya is not in doubt. They account for 60% of all tea produced in the country, serve about 560,000 tea farmers and employ about 10,000…
Abstract
Purpose
Importance of small-scale tea producers in Kenya is not in doubt. They account for 60% of all tea produced in the country, serve about 560,000 tea farmers and employ about 10,000 people directly. However, the subsector faces a myriad of challenges ranging from declining yields and rising costs of production to fluctuating world prices. Thus, it is imperative that the producers entrench efficiency as a critical success factor. This makes it important for the producers to understand their relative performances to inform decisions on improving input use. Congruent with this motivation, this study sought to analyze the technical efficiency (TE) of the country's small-scale tea processors within and across the regions under the management of Kenya Tea Development Authority.
Design/methodology/approach
To allow comparison across regions, this study adopted a stochastic metafrontier approach and to be able to decompose inefficiency into persistent and time-varying components, the study adopted regression analysis.
Findings
Results showed that the small-scale tea processors operated at a mean TE level of 76% with a technology gap ratio (TGR) of 97%. This implies that the prevailing level of output could be maintained even if inputs were reduced by 24%. Persistent inefficiency could be reduced possibly through rationalization of structural and managerial components of the firms.
Research limitations/implications
While it is important to adopt yield-enhancing technologies and innovation, small-scale tea processors have the latitude to improve their earnings through enhanced TE. They can save up to 24% of their input and be able to pay farmers better even with the fluctuating global tea prices. Enhancing TE should be given priority because it is within the control of the individual firms.
Originality/value
This is a pioneering study in panel data analysis of TE of small-scale tea processors within and across regions in Kenya.
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The efficiency of each of an organization’s individual workers determines its effectiveness. The study aims to explore the relationship between human resource management (HRM…
Abstract
Purpose
The efficiency of each of an organization’s individual workers determines its effectiveness. The study aims to explore the relationship between human resource management (HRM) practices and organizational effectiveness with employee performance as a mediating variable.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from 800 police officers in the Greater Accra and Tema regions. The data were supported by the hypothesized relationship. Construct reliability and validity was established through confirmatory factor analysis. The proposed model and hypotheses were evaluated using structural equation modeling.
Findings
The results show that career planning and employee performance were significantly related. Self-managed teams and employee performance were shown to be nonsignificantly related. Similarly, performance management and employee performance were shown to be nonsignificantly related. Employee performance significantly influenced organizational effectiveness. The results further indicate that employee performance mediates the relationship between HRM practices and organizational effectiveness.
Research limitations/implications
The generalizability of the findings will be constrained due to the research’s police service focus and cross-sectional data.
Practical implications
The study’s findings will serve as valuable pointers for the police administration in the adoption, design and implementation of well-articulated and proactive HRM practices to improve the abilities, skills, knowledge and motivation of officer’s to inordinately enhance the effectiveness of the service.
Originality/value
By evidencing empirically that employee performance mediates the relationship between HRM practice and organizational effectiveness, the study extends the literature.