Chang-E Zhou, Haidan Niu, Qing Zhang, Huixia Li, Chi Wai Kan, Chang Sun, Jinmei Du and Changhai Xu
This paper aims to prepare an associative thickener base on two polyacrylate-based copolymers, which can be used for digital printing of nylon carpet with enhanced performance.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to prepare an associative thickener base on two polyacrylate-based copolymers, which can be used for digital printing of nylon carpet with enhanced performance.
Design/methodology/approach
An associative thickener was prepared by compounding two polyacrylate-based copolymers, cationic starch and polyacrylic acid; and mediated by polyethylene glycol and polyacrylamide crosslinker. The formulation of the associative thickener was optimized by using the orthogonal array testing strategy. The stability of the associative thickener was investigated by measuring effects of temperature, electrolytes, storage time and auxiliaries on viscosity. The associative thickener was compared with a commercial thickener by evaluating their performance in digital printing of nylon carpet.
Findings
The associative thickener provided same color strength and fastness in the printing of nylon carpet as the commercial one, but was more easily washed off for a better hand feeling of the printed carpet.
Practical implications
The prepared associative thickener can be applied for digital printing of nylon carpet.
Originality/value
The associative thickener can be facilely prepared from commercially available chemicals and suitable for digital printing of nylon carpet.
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Textiles are a suitable substrate for the growth of micro-organisms, especially at appropriate humidities and temperatures, when in contact with the human body. Due to the…
Abstract
Textiles are a suitable substrate for the growth of micro-organisms, especially at appropriate humidities and temperatures, when in contact with the human body. Due to the awareness that healthcare textiles enhance the quality of life, antimicrobials and antibacterial textiles have received, and continue to receive, considerable attention from researchers due to their potential to provide quality and safety benefits to many products. However, antimicrobial agents and antibacterial finishing processes have not grown in number because of possible harmful or toxic effects on humans and the environment. The application of rechargeable, safe antimicrobial agents and eco-friendly antibacterial finishing processes are being studied. This paper analyzes the disadvantages and advantages of antimicrobials and antibacterial finishing processes and finds suitable antimicrobials and antibacterial finishing processes for cotton. It is anticipated that the review will be a good resource for those who are interested in antimicrobials and biocidal textile materials, and will help to stimulate further interest in this area.
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Hui Chen and Donghai Liu
The purpose of this study is to develop a stochastic finite element method (FEM) to solve the calculation precision deficiency caused by spatial variability of dam compaction…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to develop a stochastic finite element method (FEM) to solve the calculation precision deficiency caused by spatial variability of dam compaction quality.
Design/methodology/approach
The Choleski decomposition method was applied to generate constraint random field of porosity. Large-scale laboratory triaxial tests were conducted to determine the quantitative relationship between the dam compaction quality and Duncan–Chang constitutive model parameters. Based on this developed relationship, the constraint random fields of the mechanical parameters were generated. The stochastic FEM could be conducted.
Findings
When the fully random field was simulated without the restriction effect of experimental data on test pits, the spatial variabilities of both displacement and stress results were all overestimated; however, when the stochastic FEM was performed disregarding the correlation between mechanical parameters, the variabilities of vertical displacement and stress results were underestimated and variation pattern for horizontal displacement also changed. In addition, the method could produce results that are closer to the actual situation.
Practical implications
Although only concrete-faced rockfill dam was tested in the numerical examples, the proposed method is applicable for arbitrary types of rockfill dams.
Originality/value
The value of this study is that the proposed method allowed for the spatial variability of constitutive model parameters and that the applicability was confirmed by the actual project.
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Shengxian Yu, Shanshi Liu, Xiaoxiao Gong, Wenzhu Lu and Chang-e Liu
Drawing on the social information processing theory, this study aims to adopt a moderated mediation model to investigate the mediation role of cognitive crafting and the…
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing on the social information processing theory, this study aims to adopt a moderated mediation model to investigate the mediation role of cognitive crafting and the moderation role of regulatory focus in the relationship between perceived deviance tolerance and employee innovative behavior.
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire study with 181 employees from a state-owned communications technology company in China was conducted through a two-wave survey, with a one-month lagged design. The model is tested through confirmatory factor analysis, correlation analysis and PROCESS bootstrapping program in SPSS24.0 and AMOS22.0 software.
Findings
This study confirms that perceived deviance tolerance is positively related to innovative behavior, while cognitive crafting mediates the relationship between perceived deviance tolerance and innovative behavior. Furthermore, the promotion focus positively moderates the relationship between perceived deviance tolerance and cognitive crafting, and higher promotion focus enhances the mediating effect of cognitive crafting on the relationship between perceived deviance tolerance and innovative behavior. The prevention focus negatively moderates the relationship between perceived deviance tolerance and cognitive crafting, and higher prevention focus weakens the mediating effect of cognitive crafting on the relationship between perceived deviance tolerance and innovative behavior.
Practical implications
Organizations need to establish a tolerant and inclusive management system and create a harmonious working atmosphere to provide a platform basis to inspire the innovative behavior of employees. Also, regulatory focus variables are suggested to be considered in organizational human resource management processes (e.g. recruitment and training) to improve organizational person–job fit.
Originality/value
The primary contribution of this study is to confirm that perceived deviance tolerance has a positive impact on innovation behavior and thereby providing a new perspective to understand the impact effect of perceived deviance tolerance. Another contribution the study explores the mechanisms and boundary conditions of perceived deviance tolerance on innovative behavior fills the theoretical gap of perceived deviance tolerance.
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Peng-fei Guo, Tian-shun Hou and Ya-chuan Wang
The geological conditions of Longyang Reservoir are complex and it is located in strong earthquake area. In order to determine its seismic characteristics, the seismic response…
Abstract
Purpose
The geological conditions of Longyang Reservoir are complex and it is located in strong earthquake area. In order to determine its seismic characteristics, the seismic response and residual deformation of embankment dam should be studied to provide calculation basis for dam design and construction.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the geological survey data of Longyang Reservoir, the dam filling materials are tested by dynamic deformation tests, and the equivalent linear constitutive model parameters of the filling materials are obtained. Based on Duncan-Chang E-B model, the stress state of embankment dam in Longyang Reservoir before earthquake is calculated, and the dynamic response and earthquake residual deformation of embankment dam in Longyang Reservoir under earthquake condition are calculated by using equivalent linear model and Shen Zhu-jiang’s residual deformation model.
Findings
The results show that with the increase of dynamic shear strain, the dynamic shear modulus decreases and the damping ratio increases. The scatter plot between dynamic shear modulus and dynamic shear strain, and the scatter plot between damping ratio and dynamic shear strain under different confining pressures show strips. The calculation results shows that the acceleration of embankment dam in Longyang Reservoir increases with the increase of dam height, and the acceleration distribution has obvious amplification effect. Combined with the maximum dynamic shear strain during the earthquake and the state before the earthquake, the maximum vertical residual deformation of embankment dam in Longyang Reservoir is 2.98 cm which occurs at the top of the dam, calculated by the Shen Zhu-jiang’s residual deformation model.
Originality/value
Finite element calculation model parameters of embankment dam are obtained by dynamic triaxial tests. Seismic dynamic responses and residual deformation of embankment dam are analyzed. With the increase of dam height, the acceleration distribution shows an obvious amplification effect. The vertical displacement of embankment dam is larger along the dam axis and decreases in the upstream and downstream direction. The maximum horizontal displacement of embankment dam occurs in the middle of upstream and downstream dam slopes.
Highlights
- (1)
Finite element calculation model parameters of embankment dam are obtained by dynamic triaxial tests.
- (2)
Seismic dynamic responses and residual deformation of embankment dam are analyzed.
- (3)
With the increase of dam height, the acceleration distribution shows an obvious amplification effect.
- (4)
The vertical displacement of embankment dam is larger along the dam axis and decreases in the upstream and downstream direction.
- (5)
The maximum horizontal displacement of embankment dam occurs in the middle of upstream and downstream dam slopes.
Finite element calculation model parameters of embankment dam are obtained by dynamic triaxial tests.
Seismic dynamic responses and residual deformation of embankment dam are analyzed.
With the increase of dam height, the acceleration distribution shows an obvious amplification effect.
The vertical displacement of embankment dam is larger along the dam axis and decreases in the upstream and downstream direction.
The maximum horizontal displacement of embankment dam occurs in the middle of upstream and downstream dam slopes.
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Yahui Chen, Jianmin Zhang, Chang-E Liu, Tingting Liu and Wei He
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of intrinsic motivation and self-construal in explaining the relationship between work-related identity discrepancy and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of intrinsic motivation and self-construal in explaining the relationship between work-related identity discrepancy and employee innovation behavior.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on a survey of 637 respondents from 15 organizations in southern China, this study examines four hypotheses with regard to the relationship between work-related identity discrepancy and employee innovation behavior through hierarchical regression analysis.
Findings
The research results indicate that work-related identity discrepancy is negatively related to employee innovation behavior, but intrinsic motivation mediates their negative relationship, and self-construal moderates this mediating effect further. Specifically, the results demonstrate that perceiving work-related identity discrepancy can lower intrinsic motivation among employees with interdependent self-construal and subsequently reduce their innovation behavior.
Originality/value
Drawn on social cognitive theory, this study reveals the negative effect of work-related identity discrepancy on employee innovation behavior and the moderated mediation effect of intrinsic motivation and self-construal on the negative relationship. The finding expands existing literature on work-related identity discrepancy and employee innovation behavior.
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Fang Hu and Yahua Zhang
This paper investigates CEO turnover and the usefulness of relative performance evaluation (RPE) as a management incentive in an emerging economy lacking market-based competition.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper investigates CEO turnover and the usefulness of relative performance evaluation (RPE) as a management incentive in an emerging economy lacking market-based competition.
Methodology/approach
In a sample of China’s listed state-owned enterprises (SOEs) from the period 2001 to 2005, we manually collect the data where a CEO has gone after being removed by reading the annual reports of the firms and searching the major news and business publications, and run OLS regressions to examine how various incentives provided by different CEO turnovers such as promotion, demotion, and rotation affect the firm performance.
Findings
We find that 41% of departing CEOs in SOEs is being promoted. The promotion is positively associated with preceding firm performance relative to peers in the same region and this association is more significant than that between the promotion and firm’s specific performance. Furthermore, the promotion outperforms other incentive schemes such as CEO demotions by 5–8% in terms of subsequent Tobin’s q in three years. These consequences persist in undeveloped regions where there are fewer firms listed on the stock market, a lower stock market capitalization, or a higher regional Herfindahl–Hirschman Index (
Research implications
The findings imply that promotion based on RPE provides an important incentive by creating competitions.
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Prior studies argue that social capital is vital for firm growth. Adding to this line of research, this paper provides more evidence regarding the contribution of bonding and…
Abstract
Prior studies argue that social capital is vital for firm growth. Adding to this line of research, this paper provides more evidence regarding the contribution of bonding and bridging social ties to various aspects of small-l and medium-sized enterprise (SME) development. Building on the original data from Russia, this paper investigates the effects of firm-internal and firm-external relational ties on SME performance and geographic expansion. The findings indicate that horizontal bridging ties facilitate specific strategies of SME growth. Thus, this paper supports prior research conducted in the Asian context, and allows for extending the outcomes of bonding and bridging social capital into broader institutional settings. In addition, this study raises the question of relationship between the composition of social capital and distinct organizational characteristics of SMEs. Finally, the paper discusses the implications for future research, and outlines some practical recommendations for SMEs operating in emerging markets.
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M A Shariful Amin, Vess L. Johnson, Victor Prybutok and Chang E. Koh
The purpose of this research is to propose and empirically validate a theoretical framework to investigate the willingness of the elderly to disclose personal health information…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research is to propose and empirically validate a theoretical framework to investigate the willingness of the elderly to disclose personal health information (PHI) to improve the operational efficiency of AI-integrated caregiver robots.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing upon Privacy Calculus Theory (PCT) and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), 274 usable responses were collected through an online survey.
Findings
Empirical results reveal that trust, privacy concerns, and social isolation have a direct impact on the willingness to disclose PHI. Perceived ease of use (PEOU), perceived usefulness (PU), social isolation, and recognized benefits significantly influence user trust. Conversely, elderly individuals with pronounced privacy concerns are less inclined to disclose PHI when using AI-enabled caregiver robots.
Practical implications
Given the pressing need for AI-enabled caregiver robots due to the aging population and a decrease in professional human caregivers, understanding factors that influence the elderly's disclosure of PHI can guide design considerations and policymaking.
Originality/value
Considering the increased demand for accurate and comprehensive elder services, this is the first time that information disclosure and AI-enabled caregiver robot technologies have been combined in the field of healthcare management. This study bridges the gap between the necessity for technological improvement in caregiver robots and the importance of transparent operational information by disclosing the elderly's willingness to share PHI.
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Arménio Rego, Miguel Pina e Cunha, Dálcio Reis Júnior, Cátia Anastácio and Moriel Savagnago
The purpose of this paper is to study if the employees’ optimism-pessimism ratio predicts their creativity.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study if the employees’ optimism-pessimism ratio predicts their creativity.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 134 employees reported their optimism and pessimism, and the respective supervisors described the employees’ creativity.
Findings
The relationship between the optimism-pessimism ratio and creativity is curvilinear (inverted U-shaped); beyond a certain level of the optimism-pessimism ratio, the positive relationship between the ratio and creativity weakens, suggesting that the possible positive effects of (high) optimism may be weakened by a very low level of pessimism.
Research limitations/implications
Being cross-sectional, the study examines neither the causal links between the optimism-pessimism ratio and creativity nor other plausible causal links. The study was carried out at a single moment and did not capture the dynamics that occur over the course of time involving changes in optimism/pessimism and creativity. Future studies may adopt longitudinal or quasi-experimental designs.
Practical implications
Managers and organizations must consider that, even though positivity promotes creativity, some level of negativity may help positivity to produce creativity.
Originality/value
This study suggests that scholars who want to study the antecedents of creativity (and innovation) must be cautious in focusing only on the positive or the negative sides of individuals’ characteristics, and rather they must explore the interplay between both poles. Individuals may experience both positive and negative states/traits (Smith et al., 2016), and this both/and approach may impel them to think divergently, to challenge the status quo and to propose “out the box” and useful ideas.