This study conducts a systematic literature review of e-tail product returns research. E-tail product returns are essentially acquisition of products that have been sold through…
Abstract
Purpose
This study conducts a systematic literature review of e-tail product returns research. E-tail product returns are essentially acquisition of products that have been sold through purely online or brick-and-click channels and then returned by consumer to business.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a systematic literature review protocol, we identified 75 peer-reviewed articles on e-tail product returns, conducted bibliometric analysis and content analysis of the articles and summarised our findings.
Findings
The findings reveal that the subject of e-tail returns is a new research area; academics have started to investigate several aspects of e-tail returns through different research methodologies and theoretical foundations. Further research is required in leading e-commerce countries and on key areas such as omni-channel returns management, customer satisfaction and service, the impact of resources such as people skills, the benefits of technology and IT systems in managing e-tail returns.
Practical implications
The study offers a summative account of current e-tail knowledge areas, which can serve as a reference guide for e-tailers to develop strategies for more efficient and competitive product returns.
Originality/value
This study contributes theoretically by developing clusters of key themes or knowledge areas about e-tail returns. It also provides a conceptual framework for e-tail returns management, which can be used as a springboard for further empirical research.
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E.Y. Yan, X.Y. Hao, M.L. Cao, Y.M. Fan, D.Q. Zhang, W. Xie, J.P. Sun and S.Q. Hou
The purpose of the study reported in this paper was to investigate the process for the preparation of carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) hydrogel and to characterize such a hydrogel…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the study reported in this paper was to investigate the process for the preparation of carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) hydrogel and to characterize such a hydrogel via various analytical techniques.
Design/methodology/approach
The hydrogel in the aqueous solution was prepared by using CMCS as the raw material and glutaraldehyde as the crosslinking agent. The as-prepared CMCS hydrogel was characterized by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectra.
Findings
The CMCS hydrogel possessed a porous structure and the shape of the pore was irregular. Generally, the diameter of the pores ranged from 20 to 70 nm. The results from FTIR, UV-vis and XRD showed that there was no obvious difference between the structures of the CMCS hydrogel and CMCS powder.
Research limitations/implications
The strength of the hydrogel is not high enough and the degree of swelling is relatively small. So, improving the strength and swelling degree of the hydrogel is necessary.
Practical implications
The CMCS hydrogel presented obvious hollow structures and its fabrication was processed absolutely in aqueous phase. Besides, it possessed low toxicity, good biocompatibility and biodegradability. So, the hydrogel will have potential applications in drug delivery and release, tissue engineering and other biomedical fields.
Originality/value
This paper is the first to present the relationship between the structures of the CMCS hydrogel and CMCS micromolecule, and it confirms that there is no fundamental difference between them.
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The purpose of this paper is to attempt to provide a review of the growing literature on co-authorship networks and the research gaps that may be investigated for future studies…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to attempt to provide a review of the growing literature on co-authorship networks and the research gaps that may be investigated for future studies in this field.
Design/methodology/approach
The existing literature on co-authorship networks was identified, evaluated and interpreted. Narrative review style was followed.
Findings
Co-authorship, a proxy of research collaboration, is a key mechanism that links different sets of talent to produce a research output. Co-authorship could also be seen from the perspective of social networks. An in-depth analysis of such knowledge networks provides an opportunity to investigate its structure. Patterns of these relationships could reveal, for example, the mechanism that shapes our scientific community. The study provides a review of the expanding literature on co-authorship networks.
Originality/value
This is one of the first comprehensive reviews of network-based studies on co-authorship. The field is fast evolving, opening new gaps for potential research. The study identifies some of these gaps.
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Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of preparation process and amounts of starting materials on the morphology of chitosan‐silica (CS‐silica) hybrid hollow nanospheres.
Design/methodology/approach
A simple method coupling sol‐gel process and in situ self‐assembly was used to prepare CS‐silica nanospheres from the solution containing chitosan‐poly (acrylic acid) (CS‐PAA) nanoparticles, tetraethoxyorthosilicate (TEOS) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). The morphology of CS‐silica hybrid hollow nanospheres was studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The chemical structures of CS‐PAA nanoparticles and CS‐silica nanospheres were characterised by FT‐IR spectra.
Findings
The size and morphology of CS‐silica nanospheres was largely dependent on the starting amounts of TEOS, PVP and ammonia. Moreover, the reaction time can also affect the structures of the hybrid nanospheres.
Research limitations/implications
The dispersibility of CS‐silica nanospheres was not good enough and the conglutination was inevitable to some extent.
Practical implications
The coupling of sol‐gel technology and in situ self‐assembly opened a new gateway for preparing other organic/inorganic composite nanoparticles. This kind of material could be used as a slow release agent for biocides in coatings/paints.
Originality/value
The hybrid CS‐silica nanospheres showed obvious hollow structures. The morphology of nanospheres can be efficaciously controlled via adjusting the starting amounts of PVP, TEOS and ammonia, and the stirring time. The obtained CS‐silica hybrid nanospheres will have potential applications in such as drug delivery and controlled release.
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Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study the preparation of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/CuS composite nanofibres, and the effects of solution and process parameters on the resulting nanofibres.
Design/methodology/approach
A facile method coupling self‐assembly and electrospinning technology was used to prepare PVA/CuS nanofibres from PVA/CuCl2 · 2H2O solution.
Findings
CuS nanoparticles were well dispersed in the composite nanofibres, the dimension of which was in the range of 4‐9 nm. Low amount of salt in electrospinning solutions and high‐applied voltage were beneficial for forming smooth and small sized nanofibres. The tip‐to‐collector distance has not affected the morphology of resulting nanofibres.
Research limitations/implications
The orientation of the composite nanofibres was hardly controlled and the diameter distribution of nanofibres was not uniform enough.
Practical implications
The method combining electrospinning and self‐assembly provided an effective strategy for preparing nanoparticles doped composite nanofibres.
Originality/value
The morphology of composite nanofibres was well controlled via adjusting the solution and process parameters, therefore, the fibres obtained will have potential applications as controllable nano‐optoelectronic materials.
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Jayantha Wadu Mesthrige and Tayyab Maqsood
Hong Kong, like many other developed cities and countries, invests heavily in transport development. This study investigates whether the speculative benefits of future…
Abstract
Purpose
Hong Kong, like many other developed cities and countries, invests heavily in transport development. This study investigates whether the speculative benefits of future improvements in accessibility, brought about by impending transport development, will be capitalized into nearby residential property values even prior to the opening of the development.
Design/methodology/approach
Deviating from the standard hedonic price approach, the present study employed a fixed-effects model with a large data set of residential property transactions in the vicinity of three-stations situated along a newly proposed mass-transit-railway line in Hong Kong.
Findings
The results suggest that the values of residential properties close to stations do reflect the accessibility enhancements to be brought about by transport improvements even before the opening of the line. Results revealed a 6.5% of property value premium after the announcement of construction; and higher up to 6.7% after the operation of the line. This indicates that forthcoming new transport-infrastructure development produces changes in spatial price-gradients for neighbouring residential properties. Findings indicate that potential buyers/investors recognized the positive benefits of the planned transportation development, even before completion of the project, and are ready to pay a premium for those properties close to railway stations, representing clear evidence that residential property prices/values, near stations, reflect anticipated accessibility enhancements brought about by transport improvements.
Originality/value
This study, using a novel approach – a fixed-effects model to capture the speculative benefits of future improvements in transport infrastructure – provides a positive hypothesis that expected benefits of future improvements in accessibility are capitalized into property values.
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Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to focus on numerical simulation investigations of deformation analysis of asymmetric break-down rolling of a hollow steel, which seriously affects the service life of the final product.
Design/methodology/approach
The 3D rigid-plastic thermo-mechanical coupled finite element method (FEM) for a large strain was used to analyze metal deformation in the deformation zone for asymmetric rolling with different roller diameters.
Findings
The distribution of stress, strain and dimension accuracy for different diameters was obtained. The results show that the additional shear strain which is different from the normal compression deformation is generated in an asymmetric rolling process. The higher the ratio between upper and lower diameters, the greater the additional shear deformation.
Originality/value
Asymmetric rolling is an important factor affecting the dimensional accuracy of the hollow steel. This study can provide a theoretical basis for developing a reasonable rolling process of the hollow steel.
Jiongyi Yan, Emrah Demirci and Andrew Gleadall
This study/paper aims to develop fundamental understanding of mechanical properties for multiple fibre-reinforced materials by using a single-filament-wide tensile-testing…
Abstract
Purpose
This study/paper aims to develop fundamental understanding of mechanical properties for multiple fibre-reinforced materials by using a single-filament-wide tensile-testing approach.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, recently validated single-filament-wide tensile-testing specimens were used for four polymers with and without short-fibre reinforcement. Critically, this specimen construct facilitates filament orientation control, for representative longitudinal and transverse composite directions, and enables measurement of interlayer bonded area, which is impossible with “slicing” software but essential in effective property measurement. Tensile properties were studied along the direction of extruded filaments (F) and normal to the interlayer bond (Z) both experimentally and theoretically via the Kelly–Tyson model, bridging model and Halpin–Tsai model.
Findings
Even though the four matrix-material properties varied hugely (1,440% difference in ductility), consistent material-independent trends were identified when adding fibres: ductility reduced in both F- and Z-directions; stiffness and strength increased in F but decreased or remained similar in Z; Z:F strength anisotropy and stiffness anisotropy ratios increased. Z:F strain-at-break anisotropy ratio decreased; stiffness and strain-at-break anisotropy were most affected by changes to F properties, whereas strength anisotropy was most affected by changes to Z properties.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to assess interlayer bond strength of composite materials based on measured interlayer bond areas, and consistent fibre-induced properties and anisotropy were found. The results demonstrate the critical influence of mesostructure and microstructure for three-dimensional printed composites. The authors encourage future studies to use specimens with a similar level of control to eliminate structural defects (inter-filament voids and non-uniform filament orientation).
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Carlos M.P. Sousa, Christos Tsinopoulos, Ji Yan and Gabriel R.G. Benito
The aim of this research is twofold: (1) to investigate when the effect of R&D investment on New Product Development (NPD) performance peaks – the sweet spot and (2) to analyze…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this research is twofold: (1) to investigate when the effect of R&D investment on New Product Development (NPD) performance peaks – the sweet spot and (2) to analyze the influence of firms’ export activities on where that spot is. Drawing on the knowledge-based view (KBV), we argue that export intensity and export experience lead to differential effects on how R&D investments are converted into new products.
Design/methodology/approach
We test our conceptual framework using time lagged data and optimal-level analysis. The dataset consists of an unbalanced panel of 608,891 observations and 333,516 firms.
Findings
The results support the expected inverted U-shaped relationship between R&D investment and NPD performance. They also show moderating effects of export intensity and experience. Export intensity enhances innovation processes by enabling firms to stretch the points at which R&D investments eventually taper off. In contrast, export experience improves firms’ ability to convert R&D investments into NPD performance. Our results demonstrate that, all else equal, firms with relatively higher export experience can spend less on R&D and still achieve higher levels of NPD performance.
Originality/value
We contribute to the literature by investigating how export activities provide a valuable context for understanding the theoretical mechanisms that help explain the inverted U-shaped relationship between R&D investment and innovation. We show the effects of exporting activities on the precise points where the R&D investment–NPD performance relationship peaks, thereby identifying the optimal point within this nonlinear relationship.
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Friendships, an important form of people’s everyday relationships with others, have been studied by many scholars from different disciplines. However, there is limited research on…
Abstract
Friendships, an important form of people’s everyday relationships with others, have been studied by many scholars from different disciplines. However, there is limited research on friendship in the context of childhood, particularly that of Chinese rural children. This chapter presents findings from an in-depth study on Chinese children’s understandings and experiences of friendships with peers in the context of a rural primary boarding school. Data for this research were collected through an intensive five-month study, using an ethnographic approach, in a rural primary boarding school (given the pseudonym ‘Central Primary School’) in the western area of China in 2016. This chapter discusses parents’ influences on children’s selection of friends, particularly their ‘good’ friends, and their understandings of the functions of making friends in the context of rural China. It unpacks parents’ interventions on children’s friendships by discussing the moralised hierarchical relationship between children and their parents – children are expected to show obedience to parents. Then, it argues that the Confucian-collectivist values construct a relationship between a child’s individual achievement and their family’s collective good, which makes friendship not only an individual issue but also a collective one too.