Chuanbao Nie, Bowen Fu and Qiang Gao
This paper aims to develop an efficient numerical method for nonlinear transient heat conduction problems with local radiation boundary conditions and nonlinear heat sources.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to develop an efficient numerical method for nonlinear transient heat conduction problems with local radiation boundary conditions and nonlinear heat sources.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the physical characteristic of the transient heat conduction and the distribution characteristic of the Green’s function, a quasi-superposition principle is presented for the transient heat conduction problems with local nonlinearities. Then, an efficient method is developed, which indicates that the solution of the original nonlinear problem can be derived by solving some nonlinear problems with small structures and a linear problem with the original structure. These problems are independent of each other and can be solved simultaneously by the parallel computing technique.
Findings
Within a small time step, the nonlinear thermal loads can only induce significant temperature responses of the regions near the positions of the nonlinear thermal loads, whereas the temperature responses of the remaining regions are very close to zero. According to the above physical characteristic, the original nonlinear problem can be transformed into some nonlinear problems with small structures and a linear problem with the original structure.
Originality/value
An efficient and accurate numerical method is presented for transient heat conduction problems with local nonlinearities, and some numerical examples demonstrate the high efficiency and accuracy of the proposed method.
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Umer Zaman, Laura Florez-Perez, Saba Abbasi and Muhammad Shahid Nawaz
Organizations are full of contradictions and leadership dilemmas. Managers often face challenges such as selecting between two contradicting options such that which one is more…
Abstract
Purpose
Organizations are full of contradictions and leadership dilemmas. Managers often face challenges such as selecting between two contradicting options such that which one is more important can hardly be judged. To manage contradicting dynamics, today’s managers can adopt the paradoxical leadership approach. We build a theoretical model to investigate the influence of paradoxical leadership on multi-dimensional project agility (proactivity, adaptability, and resilience), and multi-dimensional project success (management, investment, and ownership success).
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing on survey-based data from the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) megaproject (N = 209), we performed covariance-based structural equation modeling to test the conceptual model.
Findings
The findings show that (1) paradoxical leadership has a significant positive impact on megaproject success, (2) paradoxical leadership has a significant positive influence on project agility, (3) project agility has a significant positive effect on megaproject success, and (4) project agility has a significant effect that mediates the link between paradoxical leadership and megaproject success. This research provides a theoretical and practical comprehension of paradoxical leadership with a new perspective on megaprojects.
Originality/value
This study provides an extension of the existing studies on paradoxical leadership and identifies the role of contradicting dynamics and their impact on multiple facets of megaproject success. It not only clarifies the relationship between paradoxical leadership and megaproject success, but also identifies the mediating role of project agility that can play an effective role in mobilizing success in megaprojects.
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In the first two decades of the twenty-first century, low-cost carriers grew rapidly in many low- and middle-income economies. In this chapter, we examine the geography and…
Abstract
In the first two decades of the twenty-first century, low-cost carriers grew rapidly in many low- and middle-income economies. In this chapter, we examine the geography and network structure of low-cost carriers in such economies across Asia in 2018. We use these analyses to explore the relationship between budget airlines and economic development. Levels of disposable income and infrastructure adequacy help to account for the significance of low-cost airlines in some middle-income economies. And in turn, these airlines by fostering higher levels of accessibility and personal mobility may help catalyze faster development. However, the environmental externalities associated with aviation, especially atmospheric emissions, raise concerns about the sustainability of this mode. We assess these concerns and focus in particular on the development of low-cost carriers fleets in Asia. We ask whether the acquisition of more fuel-efficient aircraft will ameliorate aviation's environmental impact.
Teresa Canet-Giner, Ana Redondo-Cano, Carmen Saorín-Iborra and Naiara Escribá-Carda
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of employees’ perception of performance appraisal (PA) practices on innovative behavior (IB). The authors also propose to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of employees’ perception of performance appraisal (PA) practices on innovative behavior (IB). The authors also propose to analyze consistency, a dimension of Human Resource Management (HRM) system strength, as a moderating variable in the aforementioned relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative study was conducted, using a sample of 166 employees carrying out highly qualified, intensive knowledge jobs in four industrial companies in the Valencian region of Spain. The hypotheses were tested by applying the Smart-PLS 3.2 software.
Findings
The findings confirmed that in a context of professional and qualified work, PA practices have a direct and positive effect on IB. However, the results obtained did not enable us to affirm that employee perceptions of the consistency of the HR system moderated the relationship between PA and IB.
Originality/value
The paper’s originality lies in including the role of consistency, a dimension of HRM system strength, in the analyzed relationship. When employees believe that PA achieves the goals for which this practice was designed, and that this appraisal follows a clear strategic direction over time, they perceive that the assessment system is not arbitrary, i.e., that this HR practice is being applied consistently. Consequently, the present work shows the relevant role of the perception of consistent PA when the firm wants to encourage IB. This fact opens up the field to study how to define and implement control mechanisms that tell managers whether there is a fit between employees’ perceptions and the intentionality of the HRP these managers have defined.
目的
本研究旨在分析僱員對工作表現評核實務的看法,如何影響其創新行為。作者們亦建議去分析人力資源管理系統的其中一個優點特質: 一致性,並且以一致性作為上述關係的一個調節變量來進行分析。
研究設計/方法/理念
此為一項定量研究。樣本為166名在西班牙巴倫西亞地區四間工業公司內從事高質素及知識密度高的工作的僱員。各項假設已應用了Smart-PLS 3.2 軟件進行了測試。
研究結果
研究結果確認了在專業及合資格工作的環境下,工作表現評核實務對創新行為會起直接及積極的影響。唯取得的研究結果不能讓我們確認僱員對人力資源系統一致性的看法、調節了表現評核與創新行為之間的關係。
研究的原創性/價值
本研究的原創性、在於就該關係的分析研究內,納入了人力資源管理系統強度的一個層面 -一致性 - 的角色。若僱員相信表現評核達到其設立的預期目的,並相信該評核長期跟隨著一個清晰的戰略方向,他們會覺得有關的評核制度不是隨機的;即是說,他們會覺得該人力資源實務是一貫地應用的。因此,本研究明確顯示了如公司欲鼓勵創新行為,僱員覺得表現評核有一致性這個觀感是有其相關角色的。這項事實、開啟了研究如何界定及執行機制,讓主管知悉員工的看法與他們所釐定的人力資源實務的目的是否吻合。﹞
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Hongquan Chen, Saixing Zeng, Chongfeng Wu and Haiping Fu
The authors develop a theoretical framework of how foreign competition in a firm's home country jointly interacts with other environmental factors to influence the…
Abstract
Purpose
The authors develop a theoretical framework of how foreign competition in a firm's home country jointly interacts with other environmental factors to influence the internationalization pace. This study moves beyond the debate on whether foreign competition promotes or inhibits the internationalization pace by unpacking the nature of pace across strategic and operational dimensions. By differentiating the internationalization paces of market scope and international commitment, the study results show that foreign competition has a positive effect on the former and a negative effect on the latter. This indicates that the determinants of different paces are conditional upon the different knowledge types among foreign competitors.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a panel data set of Chinese construction corporations over the period from 2009 to 2015, the authors extend previous research on the effect of home country environment on internationalization behavior in an emerging economy by examining the effects of the interplay between foreign competition in home country and industrial contexts. The authors also explore the moderating effect of subnational institutions on the relationship between foreign competition and internationalization pace. They use a Poisson model and a GEE model to examine the main effects and moderating effects involved.
Findings
The results indicate that industry dynamism strengthens the positive effect of foreign competition and the pace of market scope, while industry munificence weakens the negative effect of foreign competition and the pace of international commitment. The authors’ findings support the coexistence of “pushing” and “pulling” effects of environmental factors from a firm's home country. The authors extend the argument of “institutional escapism” by focusing on subnational institutions. They show that firms located in a region with a low level of marketization are more likely to respond by accelerating the pace of their international expansion to escape from their home country.
Originality/value
The authors’ findings have implications for practitioners and policymakers working with emerging market firms (EMFs). The authors suggest that local governments should consider building high-quality institutions that can reduce the possibility of investment opportunities escaping EMFs. The authors’ findings indicate that international knowledge from foreign competitors may also assist EMFs in understanding more about the cultural environment before entering host countries, although it cannot help them to resolve cultural uncertainty when operating in host countries. Hence, managers should carefully evaluate their competitiveness before they decide to engage in global competition at an accelerated rate.
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Gary C. Biddle, Robert M. Bowen and James S. Wallace
Traces the growth in the use of economic value added (EVA, previously known as residual income) and uses two previous research studies to assess some claims for its merits…
Abstract
Traces the growth in the use of economic value added (EVA, previously known as residual income) and uses two previous research studies to assess some claims for its merits. Compares EVA’s ability to explain stock returns with that of earnings before extraordinary items (EBEI) and cash flow using 1984‐1993 US data; and finds EBEI is most closely related. Examines EVA’s incentive effects on management investing, financing and operating decisions and shows that, although EVA users decreased new investment, increased dispositions of assets, increased share repurchases, used assets more intensively and increased residual income, market reactions to this were weak. Suggests possible reasons for this and concludes that EVA may align management incentives with shareholders’ interests but this does not necessarily increase shareholder value.
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Olebogeng Glad Dibetso, Margaret Mary Sutherland and Caren Brenda Scheepers
The purpose of this study is to empirically quantify the factors that are perceived to drive or inhibit performance of information technology (IT) outsourced employees from a…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to empirically quantify the factors that are perceived to drive or inhibit performance of information technology (IT) outsourced employees from a range of information technology outsourcing (ITO) stakeholders in South Africa.
Design/methodology/approach
The first phase was a qualitative study on 19 stakeholders focussed on the development of the constructs. The second phase was quantitative, with a sample of 116 ITO stakeholders of the largest IT company in South Africa.
Findings
The study revealed that the ITO stakeholders had misaligned perceptions on inhibitors and somewhat congruent perceptions with regards to drivers of performance. Managers and poor performers’ perceptions of inhibiting factors of performance were significantly different. The empirical evidence showed that the key drivers of performance were intrinsic factors and leadership, whilst the inhibiting factors were mainly related to poor leadership.
Research limitations/implications
The major limitation was that the population was represented by one large organisation in the South African IT industry and its clients, thereby excluding the rest of the IT industry participants, specifically the medium and small IT companies. The quota sample resulted in a non-probability study, and thus, the results of this study may not necessarily be generalised to other populations. This study’s findings on differences between good and poor performers must be investigated in other industries.
Practical implications
For outsourced employees to perform optimally, some key intrinsic factors must be fulfilled. Passion and pride, aligned to a meaningful job role, will unleash outstanding performance. Organisations need to ensure that there is regular feedback to managers on their performance and subsequent leadership development. Alignment of managers and poor performers’ perceptions on drivers and inhibitors could improve performance.
Social implications
These findings demonstrate the large gap in perceptions about the key drivers and inhibiters of performance.
Originality/value
The study reveals that top performers tend to have higher order and intrinsic motivators, compared to poor performers, who have a mixture of extrinsic and intrinsic needs, and managers have a misaligned expectation of extrinsic motivators.
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Joana Story and Filipa Castanheira
The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between hybrid HR systems in call centers and their effect on workers' performance.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between hybrid HR systems in call centers and their effect on workers' performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing on a sample of 337 call center operator-supervisor dyads, the authors analyzed how the joint perceptions of monitoring and high-performance work systems (HPWS) are associated with workers' authenticity to explain performance, rated by supervisors.
Findings
The authors found that when monitoring is perceived as low, HPWS is not associated with authenticity, suggesting that it requires the joint effect of monitoring and HPWS to communicate HR management priorities in call centers. In addition, the authors found that high ratings of monitoring combined with low perceptions of HPWS were associated with the lowest levels of authenticity, whereas the highest levels of authenticity at work were found when high monitoring was combined with high HPWS. The results supported a conditional indirect effect through authenticity to explain when and how hybrid HR systems are associated with better supervisor-rated performance.
Originality/value
This is the first study to test the interaction effects between HPWS and monitoring practices to explain authenticity as a key strategic component of performance in call centers.
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Zhihua Xu, Fu Yang, Yingjie Yuan and Dan Jia
This study investigated the effect of individual perceptions of innovation-oriented human resource system (IHRS) on individual innovative work behavior (IWB) and how this effect…
Abstract
Purpose
This study investigated the effect of individual perceptions of innovation-oriented human resource system (IHRS) on individual innovative work behavior (IWB) and how this effect is realized.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted an online questionnaire survey at three time points with 481 employees in three Chinese organizations. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized relationships among the variables.
Findings
Perceived IHRS was found to positively influence IWB, and this effect was sequentially mediated by individual perceptions of innovative culture and intrinsic motivation.
Practical implications
In order to elicit IWB, HR systems should be constructed around the strategic objective of innovation. Moreover, there should be a match between IHRS and innovative culture to trigger intrinsic motivation and ultimately IWB.
Originality/value
This study examines the effect of perceptions of IHRS on individuals' IWBs; Moreover, it integrates organizational culture and individual motivation and finds a chain mediating role of individual perceptions of innovative culture and intrinsic motivation in the relationship between IHRS and IWB.
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Lavagnon Ika, Jack Meredith and Ofer Zwikael
The performance of large-scale projects is often challenged due to major environmental changes that occur during their life. However, literature has paid little attention to the…
Abstract
Purpose
The performance of large-scale projects is often challenged due to major environmental changes that occur during their life. However, literature has paid little attention to the governance adaptations required to respond effectively to these changes. This paper aims to study changes in the project environment over time, the corresponding governance adaptations and their impact on project performance.
Design/methodology/approach
To ensure triangulation between two sources of evidence, we used both primary and secondary data sources and examined 14 projects through 2 studies, the first focused on seven documented, illustrative case projects and the second on interviews with senior and project managers involved in seven additional projects.
Findings
We found the key environmental changes that should trigger appropriate governance adaptations to be market evolutions, technological advancements and sociopolitical events. However, we also found that these necessary governance adaptations are not commonly implemented timely, sufficiently or effectively.
Originality/value
The paper distills the dynamics of large-scale projects in achieving project effectiveness and raises theoretical propositions on the combination of environmental changes and deficient governance adaptations that, over time, turns efficient projects into ineffective projects and discusses implications for theory and practice.