Wai Ching Alice Chu, Man Hin Eve Chan, Jenny Cheung and Hong-Oanh Nguyen
Since its development by Tinbergen (1962), the gravity model of international trade has widely been applied to analyse the effect of various factors on trade relationships between…
Abstract
Since its development by Tinbergen (1962), the gravity model of international trade has widely been applied to analyse the effect of various factors on trade relationships between countries. Past studies on trade gravity vary not only in the mix of model variables but also in how they have come into the analysis. This study reviews existing literature on bilateral trade with an aim to identify influential predictors such as changes of trade policy and national development strategy and highlight important yet understudied factors such as transport and logistics infrastructure, and sustainable development. To demonstrate the needs to examine these critical factors across industry sectors, the study presents the case of textiles and clothing (T&C) production and trade between China and its trading partners as an illustration. Through the literature review, it shows how the gravity model can be applied to address current issues in international trade arena such as the potential trade war between the US and China, China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and other important factors shaping global T&C trade. This study offers future research directions for analysis of global trade in the T&C industry and contributes to the wider literature of international business and trade.
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C.M. Tam, Thomas K.L. Tong and C.T. Lau
In this paper, we discuss how a multi‐criteria decision‐making technique (ELECTRE III) facilitates construction practitioners in decision making for selecting an appropriate…
Abstract
In this paper, we discuss how a multi‐criteria decision‐making technique (ELECTRE III) facilitates construction practitioners in decision making for selecting an appropriate construction plant. We first introduce the theoretical background of the technique. Then a case study on how to apply the technique to select concrete vibrators is presented. The findings demonstrate the effectiveness of the model in outranking various options in the process of concrete vibrator selection. The use of ELECTRE III can systematically analyse expert judgments on the decision factors and alternatives that can rationalize the selection process.
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Siu C. Hui, C.T. Lau and A.C.M. Fong
A wireless campus environment provides user mobility, as users are no longer tied to fixed locations to access the network. It also offers high network accessibility as network…
Abstract
A wireless campus environment provides user mobility, as users are no longer tied to fixed locations to access the network. It also offers high network accessibility as network resources remain accessible after office hours. While existing communication applications can work in a wireless network, they are separate applications that often require different devices. This paper describes a personal communications system that integrates various services into a unified platform, providing a one‐stop source for both information access and communication within a wireless campus environment.
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Xinjin Liu, Xinxin Yan, Xuzhong Su and Juan Song
With the popularization of electronic products, the electromagnetic radiation pollution has been the fourth largest pollution after water, air and noise pollution. Therefore…
Abstract
Purpose
With the popularization of electronic products, the electromagnetic radiation pollution has been the fourth largest pollution after water, air and noise pollution. Therefore, electromagnetic shielding property of textiles is attracting more attention. In this paper, the properties of electromagnetic shielding yarns and fabrics were studied.
Design/methodology/approach
Ten kinds of yarn, stainless steel short fiber and polyester blend yarn with three different blending ratios T/S 90/10, T/S 80/20 and T/S 70/30, stainless steel short fiber, polyester and cotton blend yarn with blending ratio C/T/S 35/35/30, core-spun yarn with one 30 um stainless steel filament C/T28tex/S(30 um), core-spun yarn with two 15 um stainless steel filaments (C/T28tex/S(15 um)/S(15 um)), twin-core-spun yarn with one 30 um stainless steel filament and one 50D spandex filament C/T28tex/S(30 um)/SP(50D), sirofil wrapped yarn with one 30 um stainless steel filament feeding from left S(30 um)+C/T28tex, sirofil wrapped yarn with one 30 um stainless steel filament feeding from right C/T28tex+S(30 um), sirofil wrapped yarn with two 15 um stainless steel filaments feeding from two sides S(15 um)+C/T28tex+ S(15 um), were spun. The qualities of spun yarns were measured. Then, for analyzing the electromagnetic shielding properties of fabrics made of different spun yarns, 20 kinds of fabrics were woven.
Findings
The tested results show that comparing to the T/S 80/20 blend yarn, the resistivity of composite yarns with the same ratio of the stainless steel filament is smaller. The possible reason is that comparing to the stainless steel short fiber, the conductivity of stainless steel filament is better because of the continuous distribution of stainless steel in the filament. Comparing with the core-spun yarn, the conductivity of the sirofil wrapped yarn is a little better. Comparing to the fabric woven by the blend yarn, the electromagnetic shielding of the fabric woven by the composite yarn is better, and comparing to the fabric woven by the core-spun yarn, the electromagnetic shielding of the fabric woven by the sirofil yarn is a little better. The possible reason is that the conduction network can be produced by the stainless steel filament wrapped on the staple fiber yarn surface in the fabric, and the electromagnetic wave can be transmitted in the network.
Originality/value
In this paper, the properties of electromagnetic shielding yarns and fabrics were studied. Ten kinds of yarn, including three stainless steel short fiber and polyester blend yarns, one stainless steel short fiber, polyester and cotton blend yarn, two core-spun yarns, one twin-core-spun yarn, three sirofil wrapped yarn, were spun. Then, for analyzing the electromagnetic shielding properties of fabrics made of different spun yarns, 20 kinds of fabrics were woven. The effects of fabric warp and weft densities, fabric structures, yarn kinds, yarn distributions in the fabric on electromagnetic shielding were analyzed.
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Booi Chen Tan, Teck Chai Lau, Abdullah Sarwar and Nasreen Khan
The purpose of this study is to propose a research framework to examine the effects of consumer consciousness, food safety concern and healthy lifestyle on the attitudes toward…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to propose a research framework to examine the effects of consumer consciousness, food safety concern and healthy lifestyle on the attitudes toward eating “green” simultaneously in a single study. Besides, the mediating role of healthy lifestyle in forming a positive attitude toward eating “green” is also examined in this study.
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire-based approach was applied in this study. The unit of analysis was individual consumer (aged 18 years and above) who lived in Klang Valley, Malaysia. PLS-SEM was used to test the structural relationship of the constructs in the model based on the 300 useable data collected.
Findings
The results indicated that health consciousness, food safety concern and healthy lifestyle have a significant effect on attitudes toward eating “green”, whereas environmental and price consciousness did not have such effect. A healthy lifestyle also mediates the relationship between health consciousness and attitude toward eating “green”. An individual’s healthy lifestyle that focused on physical health-related activities will increase the effect of consumer health consciousness on their attitudes toward eating “green”.
Practical implications
The outcome of this study provided deeper insights for firms to assess the feasibility of entering or expanding their operations in the green market with more enduring and effective sales and marketing strategies.
Originality/value
Consumers’ acceptance of or resistance toward organic food had become the centre of the research focus by the academician and the industrial practitioners over the years, despite the inconsistencies of the results obtained to predict such behavior. In this study, besides examining the direct effect of the proposed variables on the attitudes toward eating “green”, the mediating role of a healthy lifestyle in forming such attitudes was also examined.
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Nachiappan Subramanian and Muhammad Abdulrahman
Carbon Efficient Practices (CEPs) are gaining momentum due to the serious consequences of climate change. While past studies have focused on the effects of either drivers or…
Abstract
Purpose
Carbon Efficient Practices (CEPs) are gaining momentum due to the serious consequences of climate change. While past studies have focused on the effects of either drivers or barriers to green practices especially in the context of developed countries, relatively little attention has been devoted to the simultaneous effects of drivers and barriers on product redesign, particularly in the context of China. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a blend of the Contextual Interaction Theory and Newton’s second law of motion, this paper proposes a conceptual model that simultaneously examines the impact of CEP drivers and barriers on product redesign and performance.
Findings
Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis on a sample of 239 Chinese manufacturing firms indicated that drivers had substantially higher effects on product redesign and performance compared to the influence of other barriers.
Originality/value
Use of Newton’s second law of motion as a theoretical framework for understanding the adoption of CEPs in the context of China is novel. Implications of this pattern of results on academic theory building and practice are offered.
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T.E. Wong, C.Y. Lau and H.S. Fenger
A simple analysis method was developed to determine the fatigue life of a ceramic ball grid array (CBGA) solder joint when exposed to thermal environments. The solder joint…
Abstract
A simple analysis method was developed to determine the fatigue life of a ceramic ball grid array (CBGA) solder joint when exposed to thermal environments. The solder joint consists of a 90Pb/10Sn solder ball with eutectic SnPb solder on both top and bottom of the ball. A closed‐form solution, based on the calculation of the equilibrium of the displacements within the electronic package assembly, was first derived in order to calculate the solder joint strains during temperature cycling. In the calculation, an iteration technique was used to obtain a convergent solution for the solder strains, and the elastic material properties were used for all the electronic package assembly components except for the solder materials. A fatigue life prediction model was established.
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The chapter articulates the transition to and evolution of the commercialisation of Chinese professional football. It is periodised based on major turning points. The research…
Abstract
The chapter articulates the transition to and evolution of the commercialisation of Chinese professional football. It is periodised based on major turning points. The research yielded two major findings. First, there exists a distinct ‘Chinese way’ of commercialising football. However, it does not indicate that Chinese football doggedly avoided the Western governance model. For the club governance, Chinese football authorities set about recommending privately operated enterprises, large and medium-sized state-owned enterprises. Second, the commercialisation transitions of professional football in China were triggered by exogenous policy shifts, rather than endogenous changes in market structures, resulting in higher horizontal financial fragility than is associated with the commercialisation model adopted in more developed Western markets. The applicability to voluntary football clubs is assessed as well.
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Nicholas P. Salter and Leslie Migliaccio
This chapter reviews previous research on allyship: non-minority individuals who choose to support minorities while working to end discrimination and prejudice. In particular, the…
Abstract
Purpose
This chapter reviews previous research on allyship: non-minority individuals who choose to support minorities while working to end discrimination and prejudice. In particular, the focus of this chapter is on how allyship applies to the workplace. We argue that allyship can be a diversity management tool to help reduce workplace discrimination.
Methodology
To explore this topic, we conducted a literature review on allyship in the workplace and synthesized previous research together. We examined research from both organizational and non-organizational settings.
Findings
Our review of previous literature is divided into three sections. First, we discuss what all entails allyship, including knowledge, communication, and, in particular, action. Next, we discuss the many outcomes previous research suggests comes from allyship (including benefits to other individuals, benefits to the overall culture, and benefits to the ally him or herself). Finally, we conclude with a discussion of who is likely to become an ally as well as the journey a person goes through to become a true ally.
Value
This chapter can be useful for practitioners who wish to promote allyship within his or her workplace. Organizations that want to strengthen their diversity and inclusion climate can consider developing ally training programs and promoting ally culture. Additionally, this chapter can be useful for researchers who wish to study the topic. Currently, there is a dearth of research on allyship specifically within the workplace; this chapter can help future researchers identify areas for empirical exploration.