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Nowadays, WiFi indoor positioning based on received signal strength (RSS) becomes a research hotspot due to its low cost and ease of deployment characteristics. To further improve the performance of WiFi indoor positioning based on RSS, this paper aims to propose a novel position estimation strategy which is called radius-based domain clustering (RDC). This domain clustering technology aims to avoid the issue of access point (AP) selection.

The proposed positioning approach uses each individual AP of all available APs to estimate the position of target point. Then, according to circular error probable, the authors search the decision domain which has the 50 per cent of the intermediate position estimates and minimize the radius of a circle via a RDC algorithm. The final estimate of the position of target point is obtained by averaging intermediate position estimates in the decision domain.

Experiments are conducted, and comparison between the different position estimation strategies demonstrates that the new method has a better location estimation accuracy and reliability.

Weighted k nearest neighbor approach and Naive Bayes Classifier method are two classic position estimation strategies for location determination using WiFi fingerprinting. Both of the two strategies are affected by AP selection strategies and inappropriate selection of APs may degrade positioning performance considerably.

The RDC positioning approach can improve the performance of WiFi indoor positioning, and the issue of AP selection and related drawbacks is avoided.

The RSS-based effective WiFi indoor positioning system can makes up for the indoor positioning weaknesses of global navigation satellite system. Many indoor location-based services can be encouraged with the effective and low-cost positioning technology.

A novel position estimation strategy is introduced to avoid the AP selection problem in RSS-based WiFi indoor positioning technology, and the domain clustering technology is proposed to obtain a better accuracy and reliability.

The reinforced concrete open-web sandwich slab is composed of upper rib, lower rib, surface plate and shear key and was applied to long-span structure crossing at 18–30 m. The shear-bearing capacity of shear key, having vital effects on the slab’s bearing capacity, is analysed to present its calculation formula used for the engineering application of the slab.

The shear-bearing capacity of shear key is analysed by the strut-and-tie model and the benchmark model established by the finite element method. Furthermore, the design formula of its shear capacity is given by the parametric analysis of FEM to adjust the result of the strut-and-tie model, using multivariate linear regression analysis of these parameters.

The calculation result of the benchmark model is compared with those of the strut-and-tie model and the standard formula, which indicates that the result of the strut-and-tie model is closer to that of the benchmark model than that of the standard formula. Moreover, the parametric analysis of the finite element model indicates that the volume–stirrup ratio of the shear key and the compression strength of the concrete have lesser effect on the shear capacity compared with the longitudinal reinforcement ratio and the shear-to-span ratio of the shear key and the relative section height of the rib.

The shear capacity of the shear key is provided in the paper by combining the finite element method and the strut-and-tie model, which is different from the calculation of the shear key in local codes and Chinese code, based on the theory of short corbel and the experiment of member. Furthermore, the formula of the shear capacity could be employed in the design and construction of the RC open-web sandwich slab, mainly used in the public and industrial multi-story building with long span to save the dwindling land resource currently.

This chapter examines whether the geographic distance between subsidiaries of multinational banks and their headquarters is an important factor in determining the performance of the subsidiaries. Using various performance indicators of 340 subsidiaries in 54 emerging and developing economies from 69 global banks during the years 1994–2008, we find evidence that first, the distance constraint adversely affects loan growth, profitability, and performance of foreign bank subsidiaries, and second, the unfavorable information asymmetry faced by foreign banks, due to the distance constraint, in financing foreign clients cannot be fully overcome by establishing their presence abroad such as setting up their foreign subsidiaries. We further examine if the effect of distance is symmetric across different banks and countries and find the following various economic, financial, and institutional factors to affect the strength of distance constraints in the multinational banking activities: the entry mode of foreign banks, the history of presence in local markets, the existence of credit information institutions, the cultural similarity between the home and host markets, financial depth, financial crisis periods, the stock market development, the banking market structure in host markets, and the hierarchy of the subsidiary in the multinational banking conglomerate.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a suitable motion planning for omni‐directional mobile robots (OMRs) by taking into account the motion characteristics.

Based on the kinematic and dynamic constraints, the maximum velocity, motion stability and energy consumption of the OMR moving in different directions are analysed, and the anisotropy of the OMR is presented. In order to obtain the optimal motion, the path that the robot can take in order to avoid the obstacle safely and reach the goal in a shorter path is deduced. According to the new concept of anisotropic function, the motion direction derived from traditional artificial potential field (tAPF) is regulated.

A combination of the anisotropic function and tAPF method produces high‐speed, highly stable and efficient motion when compared to the tAPF. Simulations and experiments have proven the validity and effectiveness of this method.

The practical factors, such as the effect of wear on the omni‐directional wheels, are not considered. Typical problems of APF, e.g. local minima, are not addressed here. In our future research, we will deal with these issues.

The proposed motion planning is applicable for any kind of OMRs, both three‐ and four‐wheeled OMRs, which can fully exhibit the advantages of OMRs.

The new concept of an anisotropic function is proposed to indicate the quality of motion in different directions. Different motion effects can be obtained in the same direction with different weights denoted by the anisotropic function, i.e. different trade‐offs can be achieved by varying the weights.

International banking refers to the activities of providing financial services (banking) to clients (both institutional and individual) located in many different countries. This encompasses a wide range of activities, including transactions with foreigners and domestic residents relating to deposits and lending in domestic and foreign currencies, facilitating foreign currency transactions and foreign exchange risk hedging, participating in international loan syndications, and facilitating international trade finance for clients.

Following the growing adoption of social media, many entrepreneurs are launching personal social media channels. This study focuses on the effect of entrepreneurs' shared information on We Media platforms on the value relevance of their earnings.

Using entrepreneurs' We Media data collected from A-share-listed companies on the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges from 2010 to 2018, this study investigates the effect of the data on the value relevance of earnings using the modified Ohlson model. The authors applied textual analysis to retrieve entrepreneurial We Media data acquired manually from Weibo.

We Media platforms can increase the value relevance of earnings. Entrepreneurs can enhance investor trust by establishing social ties with investors. Investors are more likely to recognize earnings information publicized by enterprises, owing to internal consistency. Particularly, value relevance improves significantly with more personal information being posted and more “likes” being acquired on entrepreneurs' We Media accounts. This positive effect is more obvious in privately owned and highly marketized regions.

The findings extend the research on the economic consequences of We Media as an important information channel, enrich the research on the social media posting behavior of entrepreneurs and provide a reference for enterprises to instill trust using new information disclosure methods and for governments to establish a safe internet environment to promote the sustainable development of the capital market.

This chapter examines spillover effects of global monetary shocks on lending by foreign banks in an emerging country, South Korea. Foreign banks play a significant role by providing additional domestic credit and foreign currency liquidity and directing international capital flows via the banking sector. Using macroeconomic and banking data for the period of 2000Q1–2016Q2, the authors present evidence that foreign bank branches in Korea have responded in providing their foreign currency loans with one-quarter (three months) time lag to changes in monetary policies in their home countries (mainly, the United States and the Euro area). This short-run spillover effect of monetary policy shocks from the home countries to foreign banks in Korea seems consistent with the main findings from our bank-level data analysis. This chapter also discusses useful policy implications.

To date, researchers examining the motivations of volunteers at festivals and events have used a range of measurement indexes, most of which appear to have common antecedents in the psychology literature. It is not clear if different events actually require different scales, or if individual scales are more generalizable than is currently recognized so that the proliferation of scales is largely an academic exercise. The current study takes a preliminary step in exploring this issue by using an existing scale developed to measure the motivations of volunteers at western sporting events to examine the motivations of volunteers at a music festival in China.

The Volunteer Motivation Scale for International Sporting Events (VMS-ISE) is administered to volunteers at the Midi Music Festival in China. The 467 respondents are divided into two subgroups. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) is applied to the first subsample to explore the factor structure of the index. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) is then applied to the second subsample to test the factor structure of the resolved scale.

The results of the EFA are promising, yielding a resolved factor structure, which is very close to the hypothesized index. The resolved scale is reasonably well supported by the subsequent CFA.

The findings suggest it may be possible for researchers to use a smaller number of scales on a larger range of festivals leading to a better understanding of similarities and differences in motivations across event volunteers. The results should also be helpful to festival organizers in their continuing efforts to recruit volunteers.

Drawing on the branded service encounters perspective, the purpose of this study is to investigate how frontline service employees’ environmentally irresponsible behaviors affect customers’ brand evaluations.

The research conducted two experiments. The first experiment explored the effect of frontline service employees’ environmentally irresponsible behaviors on customers’ brand evaluations via corporate hypocrisy. The second experiment explored the moderation effect of employees’ prototypicality and the importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) among customers.

Experiment 1 indicates that for firms with a green brand image, frontline employees’ environmentally irresponsible behaviors result in customers’ perception that the firm is hypocritical, thus reducing their brand evaluations. Experiment 2 shows that employee prototypicality and CSR importance to the customer enhance the negative impact of frontline employees’ environmentally irresponsible behaviors on customers’ brand evaluations through customers’ perception of corporate hypocrisy.

This study is one of the first efforts to explore how frontline service employees’ environmentally irresponsible behaviors affect customers’ responses. It helps understand the impact of frontline employees’ counter-productive sustainable behaviors on customers’ brand perception, as well as the relationship between CSR and employees.

This study suggests that firms’ green brand image does not always lead to positive customer response. When frontline employees’ behaviors are inconsistent with firms’ green brand image, it can trigger customers’ perceptions of corporate hypocrisy and thus influence their brand evaluations. Therefore, firms should train frontline service employees to make their behaviors align with the firms’ green brand image.

This study is one of the first efforts to explore how frontline service employees’ environmentally irresponsible behaviors affect customers’ responses. It helps understand the impact of frontline employees’ counter-productive sustainable behaviors on customers’ brand perception, as well as the relationship between CSR and employee.