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1 – 10 of 12Sixian Rao, Changwei Zhang, Fei Zhao, Lei Bao and Xiaoyi Wang
This paper aims to explore the influence of corrosion-deformation interactions (CDI) on the corrosion behavior and mechanisms of 316LN under applied tensile stresses.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the influence of corrosion-deformation interactions (CDI) on the corrosion behavior and mechanisms of 316LN under applied tensile stresses.
Design/methodology/approach
Corrosion of metals would be aggravated by CDI under applied stress. Notably, the presence of nitrogen in 316LN austenitic stainless steel (SS) would enhance the corrosion resistance compared to the nitrogen-absent 316L SS. To clarify the CDI behaviors, electrochemical corrosion experiments were performed on 316LN specimens under different applied stress levels. Complementary analyses, including three-dimensional morphological examinations by KH-7700 digital microscope and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy, were conducted to investigate the macroscopic and microscopic corrosion morphology and to characterize the composition of corrosion products within pits. Furthermore, ion chromatography was used to analyze the solution composition variations after immersion corrosion tests of 316LN in a 6 wt.% FeCl3 solution compared to original FeCl3 solution. Electrochemical experiment results revealed the linear decrease in free corrosion potential with increasing applied stress. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy results indicated that high tensile stress level damaged the integrity of passivation film, as evidenced by the remarkable reduction in electrochemical impedance. Ion chromatography analyses proved the concentrations increase of NO3− and NH4+ ion concentrations in the corrosion media after corrosion tests.
Findings
The enhanced corrosion resistance of 316LN SS is attributable to the presence of nitrogen.
Research limitations/implications
The scope of this study is confined to the influence of tensile stress on the electrochemical corrosion of 316LN at ambient temperatures; it does not encompass the potential effects of elevated temperatures or compressive stress.
Practical implications
The resistance to stress electrochemical corrosion in SS may be enhanced through nitrogen alloying.
Originality/value
This paper presents a systematic investigation into the stress electrochemical corrosion of 316LN, marking the inaugural study of its impact on corrosion behaviors and underlying mechanisms.
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Qianqian Shi, Longyu Yao, Changwei Bi and Jianbo Zhu
The construction of megaprojects often involves substantial risks. While insurance plays an important role as a traditional risk transfer means, owners and insurance companies may…
Abstract
Purpose
The construction of megaprojects often involves substantial risks. While insurance plays an important role as a traditional risk transfer means, owners and insurance companies may still suffer huge losses during the risk management process. Therefore, considering the strong motivation of insurance companies to participate in the on-site risk management of megaprojects, this study aims to propose a collaborative incentive mechanism involving insurance companies, to optimize the risk management effect and reduce the risk of accidents in megaprojects.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on principal-agent theory, the research develops the static and dynamic incentive models for risk management in megaprojects, involving both the owner and insurance company. The study examines the primary factors influencing incentive efficiency. The results are numerically simulated with a validation case. Finally, the impact of parameter changes on the stakeholders' benefits is analyzed.
Findings
The results indicate that the dynamic incentive model is available to the achievement of a flexible mechanism to ensure the benefits of contractors while protecting the benefits of the owner and insurance company. Adjusting the incentive coefficients for owners and insurance companies within a specified range promotes the growth of benefits for all parties involved. The management cost and economic benefit allocation coefficients have a positive effect on the adjustment range of the incentive coefficient, which helps implement a more flexible dynamic incentive mechanism to motivate contractors to carry out risk management to reduce risk losses.
Originality/value
This study makes up for the absence of important stakeholders in risk management. Different from traditional megaproject risk management, this model uses insurance companies as bridges to break the island effect of risk management among multiple megaprojects. This study contributes to the body of knowledge by designing appropriate dynamic incentive mechanisms in megaproject risk management through insurance company participation, and provides practical implications to both owner and insurance company on incentive contract making, thus achieving better risk governance of megaprojects.
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Mahmoud Abdelaziz Ahmed Abdelaziz, Jiani Wu, Changwei Yuan and Mohamed Ahmed Ghonim
In light of the current challenges in the business environment, firms, particularly those involved in supply chains, must foster innovation. In this context, the current study…
Abstract
Purpose
In light of the current challenges in the business environment, firms, particularly those involved in supply chains, must foster innovation. In this context, the current study employs the theory of dynamic organizational capabilities (DOCs) to track supply chain learning capabilities (SCLCs) and independently uncover their relationship to innovation at both the product and process levels. Similarly, the study intends to investigate the influence of technological turbulence (TT) on these relationships as a moderating variable.
Design/methodology/approach
The data were gathered using in-person interviews with 189 CEOs with some supply chain management proficiency from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the industrial zones of eastern Egypt. The study used a survey approach to collect data, and the SEM-PLS technique was utilized to analyze the data.
Findings
Study findings revealed that SCLCs positively affect product and process innovation. In addition, TT positively moderates the relationship between SCLCs and product and process innovation, except for risk-taking capability. Further theoretical and practical implications are derived from the study findings.
Originality/value
This research adds to the knowledge of the dynamic capabilities theory (DCT), which affects how firms interact with their external environment. Studying learning capabilities are employed as essential competencies to counterbalance high levels of TT in the external environment in terms of innovative performance and vice versa if firms do not attempt to strengthen their dynamic learning capabilities in supply chains. In addition, this study contributes to the literature by studying learning capabilities from the external perspective, where SCLCs are being developed as a new variable to improve innovation.
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Li Lin-Schilstra, Yuntao Bai, Lan Lin and Changwei Mo
Understanding employees’ multi-dimensional motivations is at the core of realizing the potential of a well-designed human resource (HR) system. This study aims to investigate…
Abstract
Purpose
Understanding employees’ multi-dimensional motivations is at the core of realizing the potential of a well-designed human resource (HR) system. This study aims to investigate whether the effects of HR practices on employee motivations, and their performance would be dependent on the service orientation of HR department.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors collected data in two surveys: a pilot survey and a main survey with a two-wave design. The pilot survey with 93 respondents was to verify the newly developed HR service orientation scale. In the main survey, a total of 276 supervisor-subordinate pairs from 48 companies were valid for analysis.
Findings
The authors find support for their hypothesis that promotion-oriented motivation mediates the relationship between discretionary HR practices and employee outcomes [in-role performance and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB)]. Furthermore, the indirect effect of discretionary HR practices on employee outcomes is stronger when the HR service orientation is higher. Transactional HR practices, however, are not evidenced to relate to employee prevention-focused motivation and outcomes.
Practical implications
The findings illustrate a comprehensive process of HR practices on employees’ multi-dimensional motivations. High service skills of HR professionals in handling internal employees’ needs could amplify employees’ promotion-focused motives, which in turn increase their in-role performance and OCB.
Originality/value
In sum, the authors' study contributes to both human resource management (HRM) and employee motivation literature by demonstrating the different impacts of discretionary and transactional HR practices on employees’ motivations. In addition, by revealing HR service orientation as an important contingency factor, the authors shed greater light on when and how HR practices can motivate employees.
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Changwei Pang, Qiong Wang and Songqiang Wu
The purpose of this paper is to examine the underlying mediating mechanism and contextual conditions in the relationship between dynamic capabilities and novelty-centered business…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the underlying mediating mechanism and contextual conditions in the relationship between dynamic capabilities and novelty-centered business model design (NCBMD).
Design/methodology/approach
Using data from 146 firms in China and the process conditional modeling, the authors acquire evidence supporting the hypothesized moderated mediation.
Findings
The authors find that interfunctional coordination plays a crucial mediator role in the relationship between dynamic capabilities and NCBMD. Environmental dynamism positively moderates the mediating effect of interfunctional coordination on the relationship of dynamic capabilities and NCBMD.
Research limitations/implications
First, the research setting focuses on a specific intermediary mechanism of dynamic capabilities on NCBMD. Second, dynamic capabilities are considered as an integrative construct in the study. Future research could further examine the effect mechanism of dynamic capabilities' sub-dimensions, which might provide more theoretical findings. Third, the impact of public policies, an important source of environmental dynamism, on NCBMD needs a fine-grained analysis. Fourth, the sample data restricts the popularity of the conclusion.
Practical implications
First, firms should be aware of the irreplaceable role of dynamic capabilities in the process of designing a novel business model. Second, firms promoting the design of business models should pay more attention to interfunctional coordination. Third, the significant moderating mediation effect reveals that the importance of interfunctional coordination for the relationship between dynamic capabilities and NCBMD under a highly dynamic environment.
Originality/value
First, the authors reveal how a firm's dynamic capabilities can promote NCBMD. By focusing on the influence of dynamic capabilities on NCBMD, the authors elucidate the source of value creation from the perspective of organizational capability. Second, the analysis of mediating effect delineates the bridging mechanism of dynamic capabilities and NCBMD. These findings emphasize the important role of interfunctional coordination in designing a novel business model. Third, given the context of this research, the results present implications for the role of a dynamic environment. For the methodology of theoretical research, the different findings indicate that scholars could further refine the manipulation of moderators, which contributes to elucidate new conclusions ignored in the past studies. Accordingly, this research extends both theoretical research and methodology.
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Changwei Pang, Hao Shen and Yuan Li
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationships between organizational slack, environmental characteristics, and new venture performance in China. The paper focuses…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationships between organizational slack, environmental characteristics, and new venture performance in China. The paper focuses on how different types of organizational slack, such as absorbed slack and unabsorbed slack, impact Chinese new venture performance. And it also examines the moderating effects of environmental characteristics, such as munificence and dynamism, on the slack‐performance linkage in Chinese transitional context.
Design/methodology/approach
A literature review on organizational slack and institutional environment characteristics provides the model and hypothesis. Using a sample of 91 Chinese new ventures, the authors conduct the examination on the theoretical model and hypotheses.
Findings
The results show that the relationship between absorbed slack and new venture performance is negative and unabsorbed slack has an inverse U‐shaped effect on new venture performance. Furthermore, the institutional environments, such as munificence and dynamism in transitional economies have different moderating effects on the relationship between organizational slack and new venture performance.
Research limitations/implications
This study focuses on the new ventures of China, which is context specific. It is necessary to replicate this research in other transitional economies because of some specific differences between China and other transitional economies.
Practical implications
The results of the study suggest that new ventures should strengthen the management of resources and decrease absorbed slack in order to reduce the managerial cost, and then raise the level of resource utilization. In addition, how the new ventures make better utilization of organizational slack to deal with institutional environment uncertainty would be a core task in future business operations.
Originality/value
The paper is original in its investigation of the effect of organizational slack on new venture performance in contingent transitional environments. The paper explains the relationship between different types of organizational slack and new venture performance from a contingent perspective, thus extending the extant research.
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Nan Xie, Yihai He, Ming Yao and Changwei Jiang
The purpose of this paper is to apply the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) with multiple distribution functions model, to simulate transient natural convection of air in a…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to apply the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) with multiple distribution functions model, to simulate transient natural convection of air in a two-dimensional square cavity in the presence of a magnetic quadrupole field, under non-gravitational as well as gravitational conditions.
Design/methodology/approach
The density-temperature double distribution functions and D2Q9 model of LBM for the momentum and temperature equations are currently employed. Detailed transient structures of the flow and isotherms at unsteady state are obtained and compared for a range of magnetic force numbers from 1 to 100. Characteristics of the natural convection at initial moment, quasi-steady state and steady state are presented in present work.
Findings
At initial time, effects of the magnetic field and gravity are both relatively limited, but the effects become efficient as time evolves. Bi-cellular flow structures are obtained under non-gravitational condition, while the flow presents a single vortex structure at first under gravitational condition, and then emerges a bi-cellular structure with the increase of magnetic field force number. The average Nusselt number generally increases with the augment of magnetic field intensity.
Practical implications
This paper will be useful in the researches on crystal material and protein growth, oxygen concentration sensor, enhancement or suppression of the heat transfer in micro-electronics and micro-processing technology, etc.
Originality/value
The current study extended the application of LBM on the transient natural convective problem of paramagnetic fluids in the presence of an inhomogeneous magnetic field.
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Shiyu Feng, Chaoyue Li, Xiaotian Peng, Lei Shao and Weihua Liu
The purpose of this study is to measure the mass diffusion coefficient of nitrogen in jet fuel using digital holography interferometry for cost-effective designing and modeling of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to measure the mass diffusion coefficient of nitrogen in jet fuel using digital holography interferometry for cost-effective designing and modeling of the aircraft tank inerting system.
Design/methodology/approach
The mass diffusion coefficients of N2 in RP-3 and RP-5 jet fuels were measured by digital holography interferometry at temperatures ranging from 278.15 to 343.15 K. The Arrhenius equation is used to adequately describe the relationship between mass diffusion coefficients and temperature. The viscosities of RP-3 and RP-5 jet fuels were also measured to examine the accuracy of the Stokes–Einstein model in calculating mass diffusion coefficients.
Findings
As temperature increases from 278.15 to 343.15 K, the mass diffusion coefficients increase 4.23-fold for N2 in RP-3 jet fuel and 5.13-fold for N2 in RP-5 jet fuel. The value of Dµ/T is not constant as the Stokes–Einstein equation expressed, but is a weak linear function of temperature.
Practical implications
A more accurate diffusion model is proposed by fitting the measured Dµ/T with the temperature and calculating the mass diffusion coefficients of N2 in RP-3 and RP-5 jet fuels within 10 per cent relative deviation.
Originality/value
A measurement system for mass diffusion coefficients of N2 in RP-3 and RP-5 jet fuels was constructed based on the digital holography interferometry. The mass diffusion coefficient can be expressed by a uniform polynomial function of temperature and viscosity.
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Jing Zhang and Yong He
This paper aims to identify key dimensions of brand value co-creation activities and empirically examine the impacts of different dimensions of brand value co-creation upon brand…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to identify key dimensions of brand value co-creation activities and empirically examine the impacts of different dimensions of brand value co-creation upon brand performance among Chinese industrial services firms.
Design/methodology/approach
Key dimensions of brand value co-creation activities are identified and a research framework is presented based on qualitative interviews with three industrial services firms. Then, the conceptual model and 14 research hypotheses addressing the impacts of different dimensions of brand value co-creation activities upon brand performance are tested by conducting a questionnaire survey among 258 pairs of Chinese B2B services providers and their client companies.
Findings
The research results show that: on the whole, integration of brand value chain and service-dominant logic (SDL) can lead to stronger theoretical explanation about the industrial services brand value and brand performance. In other words, value co-creation activities among multiple stakeholders can help customers perceive brand value in a favorable way and finally improve brand performance; branding process involves eight kinds of value co-creation activities on four interfaces between firm-employees, firm-customers, employees-customers, and firm-other stakeholders, indicating that the cultivation of industrial services brand needs a broader stakeholder perspective; value co-creation activities on the firm-employees interface is original driver of brand development by impacting brand value and brand performance via value co-creation on other interfaces.
Originality/value
This paper is the first kind of research that empirically explores the formation mechanism of industrial brand value from the perspective of SDL and also provides insightful implications for managers by pointing out that B2B service providers need to consider the interactive value co-creation behaviors in the social network constructed by different stakeholders in order to improve brand management performance.
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