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The purpose of this paper is to examine how family support affects challenge and hindrance appraisals, which in turn, influence entrepreneurs’ venture exit intention drawing on the challenge-hindrance job stressor model, family support, and the venture exit literature.

An experimental study (Study 1) was conducted to establish the relationships among family support, challenge and hindrance appraisals, and entrepreneurs’ venture exit intention. Two survey studies (Study 2 and Study 3) were conducted to extend the external validity of findings in Study 1 and to examine whether the theoretical framework holds in both the US and Chinese contexts.

All three studies demonstrate that family support decreases entrepreneurs’ venture exit intention by reducing hindrance appraisal. Study 3 also shows the mediating role of challenge appraisal in the family support – venture exit intention relationship.

This research contributes to the family embeddedness perspective not only by showing its relevance to the venture exit context but also by validating the relationship of family support with cognitive appraisals and venture exit intention in two cultural contexts. It also contributes to venture exit research by highlighting the unique role of cognitive appraisals in the formation of entrepreneurs’ venture exit intention.

Previous studies have indicated that career variety offers numerous benefits in the work environment; however, knowledge regarding the mechanisms that retain employees with diverse career experiences is scant. Drawing on person–environment (P–E) fit theory and the job crafting perspective, this study aims to explore the relationship between career variety and turnover intention, and the roles of job crafting and HR innovators and integrators in this relationship.

This study examines the nonlinear effect of career variety on turnover intention using survey data collected from 509 employees (Study 1) and 346 employees and their supervisors (Study 2) in China.

Career variety and turnover intention exhibited an inverted U-shaped relationship – mediated by job crafting. Additionally, the HR innovator and integrator moderated the relationship between career variety and job crafting. When the HR innovator and integrator were strong, employees engaged in more job crafting at intermediate levels of career variety.

The findings not only deepen our understanding of the inherent capabilities and preference traits of employees with diverse career backgrounds but also enrich the body of research on career variety, reconcile inconsistencies across previous studies and offer new insights into strategic organisational interventions for retaining a workforce with varied career experiences.

This study aims to explore the differences in the tourists’ perceived destination image on travel e-commerce platforms (e.g. Ctrip and Fliggy) and social media platforms (e.g. Xiaohongshu and Weibo).

The purpose of this paper is to comparatively study the conventional, i.e. single magnet, and novel hybrid-magnet switched-flux permanent-magnet (HMSFPM) machines.

The HMSFPM machines utilize two magnet types, i.e. low-cost ferrites and NdFeB. Thus, a set of magnet ratios (?), defined as the quotient of the NdFeB volume to the total PM volume, is introduced. This allows any desired performance and cost trade-off to be designed. Series- and parallel-excited magnet configurations are investigated using 2-dimensional finite element analysis.

The torque of the HMSFPM machines is lower than the NdFeB SFPM machine but the flux-weakening performance is improved for similar machine efficiency. If the machine dimensions are unconstrained, the HMSFPM machines can have the same torque for reduced material costs and a moderate increase in machine dimensions. Ferrite SFPM machines have the lowest cost for the same torque but a significant increase in machine dimensions is required. Finally, the series-excited HMSFPM machine is the preferred over the parallel-excited HMSFPM machine because it has superior demagnetization withstand capability.

Mechanical and winding eddy current losses are not considered in the efficiency map calculations.

The NdFeB SFPM, ferrite SFPM, series-excited HMSFPM, and the parallel-excited HMSFPM machines are compared for their electromagnetic performance, flux-weakening, PM demagnetization, efficiency, and material costs.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate and compare the influence of end-effect on the torque-speed characteristics of three conventional switched flux permanent magnet (SFPM) machines having different stator/rotor pole combinations, i.e. 12/10, 12/13 and 12/14 as well as three novel topologies with less permanent magnets (PMs), i.e. multi-tooth, E-core and C-core.

SFPM machines combine the advantages of simple and robust rotor and easy management of the temperature due to the location of the PMs and armature windings on the stator. However, due to spoke location of the PMs a large flux leakage in the end region, i.e. end-effect, can be observed which could result in a large reduction in the electromagnetic performance. Therefore, the influence of end-effect on the torque-speed characteristics is investigated. 3D-finite element analyses (FEA) results are compared with their 2D-FEA counterparts in order to account for the end-effect influence.

It has been concluded that due to end flux leakage, lower torque capability in the constant torque region is observed in the six machines. However, improved flux-weakening capability in the conventional machines can be exhibited at high current levels, whereas due to the large inductance lower power capability in the multi-tooth, E-core and C-core machines is obtained.

The influence of temperature rise on the performance is not included.

This paper has analysed the influence of end-effect on the torque-speed characteristics of several SFPM machines.

The purpose of this paper is to present a new optimal design for integral slot permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs) to shape the air-gap magnetic field in sinusoidal and to reduce the cogging torque, simultaneously.

For obtaining this new optimal design, the influence of different magnetizations of permanent magnets (PMs), including radial, parallel and halbach magnetization is investigated on the performance of one typical PMSM by using the conformal mapping (CM) method. To reduce the cogging torque even more, the technique of slot opening shift is also implemented on the stator slots of analyzed PMSM without reduction in the main performance, including the air-gap magnetic field, the average torque and back-electromotive force (back-EMF).

Finally, an optimal configuration including the Hat-type magnet poles with halbach magnetization on the rotor and shifted slot openings on the stator is obtained through the CM method, which shows the main reduction in cogging torque and the harmonic content of air-gap magnetic field.

The obtained optimal design is completely practical and is validated by comparing with the corresponding results obtained through finite element method.

This paper presents a new optimal design for integral slot PMSMs, which can include different design considerations, such as the reduction of cogging torque and the total harmonic distortion of air-gap magnetic field by using the CM method.

Given the rapid growth of the Chinese cruise market, several Chinese cities are attempting to become a hub for cruise ships. The aim of this study is to evaluate the competitiveness of those cities with regard to hosting cruises. It employs a cloud model that transforms the qualitative description of competitive indicators into quantitative measurement and assesses the competitive advantage and specialization of the top homeports in China. Questionnaires are delivered to experts from eight cruise ports in China and the cloud model based on 14 evaluation factors is used to analyze the competitiveness of the ports under investigation. The result shows that the city’s scale, population, and development have been the main factors for assessing the competitiveness of port cities. The research provides insight about the Chinese cruise port cities’ competitiveness, which is particularly useful for future development decision and marketing strategies of ports and prospective destinations.

This study aims to investigate the impact of cross-border charitable activities on host- and home-country consumers based on the social identity theory.

Through an extensive literature review and two experimental designs, this study establishes the research framework and hypothesises the relationships between the constructs.

National power moderates the impact of cross-border charitable activities on host- and home-country consumers. In particular, compared to countries with high national power, countries with low national power undertaking cross-border charitable activities will receive more positive reactions from the host-country consumers, and, conversely, more negative reactions from the home-country consumers.

From the consumer perspective, this study finds that brand cross-border charitable activities have different influences on consumers in different countries because of an identity transformation mechanism that exists between the “insiders” and the “outsiders”, which is different from the assumptions of western theories.

The findings provide insights for undertaking brand cross-border charitable activities.

Previous studies, which are based on social identity categorisation, assume that cross-border charitable activities have a more positive impact on home-country consumers than host-country consumers. However, this study adopts the research paradigm of social identity relationisation and draws an opposite conclusion, which not only expands the theory of local intergroup interaction, but also clarifies how brand cross-border charitable activities influence Chinese consumers.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of the stator core design for a surface permanent magnet motor (SPMM) on the cogging torque profile. The objective is to show how the cogging torque of this type of motor can be significantly reduced by implementing an original compound technique by skewing stator slots and inserting wedges in the slot openings.

At the beginning generic model of a SPMM is studied. By using FEA, for this idealised assembly, characteristics of cogging and electromagnetic torque are simulated and determined for one period of their change. Afterwards, actual stator design of the original SPMM is described. It is thoroughly investigated and the torque characteristics are compared with the generic ones. While the static torque is slightly decreased, the peak cogging torque is almost doubled and the curve exhibits an uneven profile. The first method for cogging torque reduction is skewing the stator stack. The second technique is to insert wedges of SMC in the slot openings. By using 2D and 2 1/2D numerical experiment cogging curves are calculated and compared. The best results are achieved by combining the two techniques. The comparative analyses of the motor models show the advantages of the proposed novel stator topology.

It is presented how the peak cogging torque can be substantially decreased due to changes in the stator topology. The constraint is to keep the same stator lamination. By skewing stator stack for one slot pitch 10° the peak cogging torque is threefold reduced. The SMC wedges in slot opening decrease the peak cogging almost four times. The novel stator topology, a combination of the former ones, leads to peak cogging of respectable 0.182 Nm, which is reduced for 7.45 times.

The paper presents an original compound technique for cogging torque reduction, by combining the stator stack skewing and inserting SMC wedges in the slot openings.

The objective was to investigate the utility of cottonseed oil (CSO) as a raw material for the synthesis of CSO water-based alkyd resin. The synthesis involved the polymerization of CSO, trimethylolpropane, phthalic anhydride (PA) and trimellitic anhydride (TMA). The prepared resin coating material was subsequently applied to the surface of steel structure material.

This study aimed to synthesize water-based alkyd resins using CSO. Therefore, the alkyd resin was introduced with TMA containing carboxyl groups and neutralized with triethylamine (TEA) to form a water-soluble salt. Then, the esterification kinetics of CSO water-based alkyd resin were investigated, and finally, the basic properties of CSO water-based alkyd resin coating were evaluated.

It was demonstrated that CSO water-based alkyd resin exhibited excellent water solubility and that the esterification kinetic of the synthesis reaction could be described by a second-order reaction. The coating properties of the material were investigated and found to have good basic properties, with 40% resin addition having the best corrosion resistance. Consequently, it could be effectively applied to the surface of steel structural materials.

This study not only met the requirement of environmentally friendly development but also expanded the application of CSO through the synthesis of CSO water-based alkyd resin via alcoholysis. Compared to fatty acid process, the alcoholysis reduced the need for fatty acid pre-extraction, simplifying the alkyd resin synthesis process. Thus, economic costs are effectively reduced.