Jinliang Chen, Guoli Liu and Yu Wang
The purpose of this paper is to examine the nuanced effects of downstream complexity on supply chain resilience, based on portfolio theory and normal accident theory. Intelligent…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the nuanced effects of downstream complexity on supply chain resilience, based on portfolio theory and normal accident theory. Intelligent manufacturing is considered to clarify their boundary conditions.
Design/methodology/approach
The ordinary least squares regression was conducted, based on the data collected from 136 high-tech firms in China.
Findings
Horizontal downstream complexity has a positive effect on supply chain resilience significantly, while the negative impact of vertical downstream complexity on supply chain resilience is not significant. Contingently, intelligent manufacturing plays a negative moderating role in the relationship between horizontal downstream complexity and supply chain resilience, while it positively moderates the relationship between vertical downstream complexity and supply chain resilience.
Originality/value
This study disentangles the nuanced effects of both horizontal and vertical downstream complexity on supply chain resilience, based on portfolio theory and normal accident theory. It also clarifies their boundary conditions by considering the focal firm's intelligent manufacturing level as the contingent factor.
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Rene Dentiste Mueller, George Xun Wang, Guoli Liu and Charles Chi Cui
Marketing research has focussed more on in-group favoritism and out-group derogation (i.e. ethnocentrism) than out-group favoritism and in-group derogation (i.e. xenocentrism)…
Abstract
Purpose
Marketing research has focussed more on in-group favoritism and out-group derogation (i.e. ethnocentrism) than out-group favoritism and in-group derogation (i.e. xenocentrism). The purpose of this paper is to explore the xenocentric behavior in the consumer sphere to explain why some consumers have a bias for foreign products even when domestic ones are qualitatively similar or better. As the Chinese economy has experienced more than three decades of near double-digit growth and increased openness to foreign products, it is important to examine phenomena related to the formation of Chinese attitudes toward foreign products with the rising tensions between the seemingly irreversible globalization and Chinese re-awakening nationalism.
Design/methodology/approach
This study is based on a review of the extant literature and focus groups in three cities in China.
Findings
This study has found that consumer xenocentrism (CX) is prevalent in China, especially among the new emerging wealthy classes, younger consumers, and the local elite. It appears that Chinese consumers are psychologically or sociologically orientated or predisposed toward foreign (Western) goods. The findings from this study suggest that both consumer ethnocentrism and CX are possible or even expected. The short review of Chinese history presented here has shown that these phenomena can be explained by traditional in-group/out-group theories. Specifically, when there are too many xenocentrics, national esteem is threatened and this prompts many individuals to become more ethnocentric.
Research limitations/implications
This study is based on the literature and focus groups data, hence, the findings are not intended to be generalizable.
Practical implications
The findings from this study should be of interest to business practitioners and policy makers.
Social implications
The historical and cultural perspectives taken in this study indicate that understanding consumers’ xenocentric behavior entails knowledge and deep understanding of how cultural values and contemporary social-political forces interplay within consumers’ formation and change of attitudes toward the choice of domestic and foreign products.
Originality/value
This study shows that the ability of foreign products to meet the individual’s need or enhance his/her self-esteem more so than domestic products is indicative of something more than simply an international, cosmopolitan, or modern orientation. The fact that consumer foreign bias is found with both mundane and widely available products, expensive and inexpensive products, and conspicuous and non-conspicuous goods challenges the assumption that this phenomenon is simply traditional prestige-consumption behavior. Future research needs to be directed at measuring the CX construct and examine potential antecedents of such a behavior.
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This paper seeks to examine the growth of the Chinese online gaming industry and disentangle the mechanisms behind the emergence of unique online gaming culture in China.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper seeks to examine the growth of the Chinese online gaming industry and disentangle the mechanisms behind the emergence of unique online gaming culture in China.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a review paper that provides a detailed and state‐of‐the‐art overview of the development of the Chinese online gaming Industry.
Findings
The findings indicate that online gaming is a remarkable example of an industry that is rapidly growing due to innovative business models of Chinese companies. Chinese companies are also working with the government to improve formal institutions to promote the growth of online gaming. Furthermore, we also found that Chinese online gaming industry resembles other technology industries in the country such as those related to handset and PC. Although Chinese companies were traditionally weak in creating new technologies, they have demonstrated success in some modern technologies in recent years. In the early stage of the growth, foreign players dominated the Chinese gaming industry. In recent years, this industry is characterized by the dominance of domestic players in the ecosystem catering to the full value chain of the industry.
Research limitations/implications
A lack of primary data and empirical documentation and a lack of in‐depth treatment of some of the key issues are major limitations here.
Practical implications
The paper examines the implications of China's rapidly growing online gaming industry for high‐technology businesses all over the world. The findings of this paper would help understand the opportunities for foreign multinational companies to enter the Chinese technology market or to intensify their operations in the country as well as the risks associated with China's unique institutions.
Originality/value
This paper's greatest value stems from the fact that it analyzes demand conditions, industry structure and transfer and export conditions from the standpoint of the Chinese online gaming industry and market.
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Guoli Pu and Weiting Qiao
Given the sudden disruption caused by COVID-19, knowledge sharing between organizations has become a meaningful way to improve supply chain resilience. However, there is still a…
Abstract
Purpose
Given the sudden disruption caused by COVID-19, knowledge sharing between organizations has become a meaningful way to improve supply chain resilience. However, there is still a lack of in-depth research on how to reduce the threat to knowledge sharing caused by increased levels of relational risk. With the emergence of new digital technologies, whether blockchain governance can control relational risk and replace traditional relational governance remains to be demonstrated.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses a cross-sectional survey approach in which quantitative data are collected from 300 participants from Chinese manufacturing enterprises to test the hypotheses.
Findings
The results show that relational and blockchain governance can significantly and complementarily reduce the level of relational risk in knowledge sharing. When the relational risk is at a low, medium or high level, the best matches of relational and blockchain governance are low-level relational governance–low-level blockchain governance, high-level relational governance–low-level blockchain governance and high-level relational governance–high-level blockchain governance, respectively.
Practical implications
The findings of this study have important practical implications for manufacturing enterprises in terms of how to choose reasonable governance modes to manage relational risk behaviour according to different relational risk levels to better understand the positive role of knowledge sharing in supply chain resilience.
Originality/value
The antecedent variables of knowledge sharing in previous studies are based on transaction cost theory or relational theory and have not moved beyond the original theoretical framework. This paper addresses this limitation, puts knowledge sharing in the academic context of digital technology, considers blockchain governance into the process of relational risk-knowledge sharing and defines blockchain governance, which is a novel approach in the supply chain resilience management literature.
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Guoli Wang and Chenxin Ma
Motivated by the wide application of procurement strategies in retailing, this paper aims to examine the effect of procurement strategies on decisions and profits and strategic…
Abstract
Purpose
Motivated by the wide application of procurement strategies in retailing, this paper aims to examine the effect of procurement strategies on decisions and profits and strategic inventory (SI) is considered.
Design/methodology/approach
The game-theoretic models are developed under a two-period fresh product supply chain (FSC), and consist of the mode of purchasing products only in the first period without SI (Scenario S), the mode of purchasing products in every period without SI (Scenario T) and the mode of purchasing products in every period with SI (Scenario TS).
Findings
Conducting the calculating and comparing, some major findings can be concluded. In general, two-period purchasing strategies (Scenarios T and TS) promote a higher freshness-keeping effort than the single buying strategy (Scenario S). Regarding the pricing strategy, SI and Scenario S can both contribute to obtaining a lower wholesale price, the retailer's pricing is relatively complicated and hinges on the consumer's sensitivity to freshness-keeping effort and the holding cost. Besides, comparing the sales quantity and the profit, the authors find that Scenario TS stimulates more demands and brings more profits for the manufacturer. However, Scenario TS is not the optimal selection for the reason that SI sometimes hurts the retailer and even the whole supply chain. Whereas, when the holding cost is in a certain range, Scenario TS will lead to a win-win situation.
Originality/value
The main findings of this study can give the enterprises some advice on the procurement strategies of fresh products and the decisions of pricing and the freshness-keeping effort.
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Guoli Pu, Xingwei Gao and Jianqi Qiao
Through the theory of dynamic capability, this study aims to make theoretical hypotheses and empirical explorations on the relationship between supply chain quality management…
Abstract
Purpose
Through the theory of dynamic capability, this study aims to make theoretical hypotheses and empirical explorations on the relationship between supply chain quality management (SCQM) practices, dynamic supply chain capability (DSCC), supply chain resilience (SCR) and environmental dynamics.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, DSCC is used as a mediating variable in the relationship between SCQM practices and SCR. To enhance the resilience of the supply chain, the moderating effect of environmental dynamics was tested. About 426 completed questionnaires were obtained from a cohort of Chinese manufacturing enterprises, and the proposed hypotheses were tested using the structural equation model method.
Findings
Empirical evidence shows that SCQM practices have a significantly positive impact on SCR at the overall level. Achieving better DSCC plays an important mediating role between SCQM practices and resilience. In addition, environmental dynamics have a moderating effect on the relationship between SCQM practices and DSCC.
Originality/value
This study constructs the influencing mechanism of SCQM practices on SCR through dynamic capability theory and enriches the relevant literature on SCR research. This study also provides management guidance for firms to enhance SCR through SCQM practices in an uncertain environment.
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Economic statecraft is a critical aspect of China’s foreign policy and has played a vital role in China’s relations with its Asian neighbors. The Chinese economic ties with Asia…
Abstract
Purpose
Economic statecraft is a critical aspect of China’s foreign policy and has played a vital role in China’s relations with its Asian neighbors. The Chinese economic ties with Asia are significant not only because China is the second largest economy in today’s world but also because it has an important impact on regional economic co‐operation and international supply chains. Relentless growth in military buildup and more assertive foreign policy led many pundits to focus almost exclusively on political and military aspects of the Chinese grand strategy in Asia. The purpose of this study is to re‐examine this picture by studying China’s economic statecraft in the region.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper will address following research questions: How does the Chinese foreign economic policy serve its political aspirations in East Asia? Why has China increasingly relied on a combination of economic pressures and incentives to achieve its foreign policy objectives? How effective is China’s economic diplomacy as a strategic weapon? What are the limitations of such policy? What challenges does Beijing face in exercising its economic power in East Asia?
Findings
Beijing has a comprehensive, long-term grand strategy in Asia, and economic statecraft is a major component of it. Economic statecraft is a double-edged sword. It has given the People’s Republic of China more political influence but frictions and disputes between China and its trading partners are growing as well. Even with the slower growth of the Chinese economy, China will continue to be a game changer for the region. The economic diplomacy has long been part of the foreign policy toolkit used by the People’s Republic of China and will play more important role in the years to come.
Research limitations/implications
Thus far, China’s expanding economic ties with many countries in the world have not generated significant spillover effects. Although China is the dominant economic partner for every country in East Asia, its “soft power” remains to be weak. With the slower growth of the Chinese economy, another looming issue is whether China is going to be able to make a shift away from a trade- and export-led growth model that brought its dramatic economic success. All these could lead China’s economic statecraft less potent. Meanwhile, it should be noted that Asian economies that once relied on the USA are reaching a turning point as China comes to the fore, a trend that may challenge the existing international order. Should this momentum continue, it could alter the balance of power between Washington and Beijing in the region.
Practical implications
For Beijing, economic statecraft concerns both the economic dimension of foreign policy and the strategic dimension of economic policy. Although there is a growing literature on China’s soft power and military capabilities, the study of the economic dimensions of China’s foreign policy remains underdeveloped. With rising confidence and sophistication, Beijing has deployed economic resources to achieve geopolitical aims.
Originality/value
Needless to say, China’s economic statecraft has already triggered heated debate in the United States, Asia and elsewhere in the international community. However, the study of the Chinese economic diplomacy has received relatively little scholarly attention in the English-speaking world. This paper will fill a gap in the analysis and literature.
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Guoli Ji, Yong Zeng, Zijiang Yang, Congting Ye and Jingci Yao
The time complexity of most multiple sequence alignment algorithm is O(N2) or O(N3) (N is the number of sequences). In addition, with the development of biotechnology, the amount…
Abstract
Purpose
The time complexity of most multiple sequence alignment algorithm is O(N2) or O(N3) (N is the number of sequences). In addition, with the development of biotechnology, the amount of biological sequences grows significantly. The traditional methods have some difficulties in handling large-scale sequence. The proposed Lemk_MSA method aims to reduce the time complexity, especially for large-scale sequences. At the same time, it can keep similar accuracy level compared to the traditional methods.
Design/methodology/approach
LemK_MSA converts multiple sequence alignment into corresponding 10D vector alignment by ten types of copy modes based on Lempel-Ziv. Then, it uses k-means algorithm and NJ algorithm to divide the sequences into several groups and calculate guide tree of each group. A complete guide tree for multiple sequence alignment could be constructed by merging guide tree of every group. Moreover, for large-scale multiple sequence, Lemk_MSA proposes a GPU-based parallel way for distance matrix calculation.
Findings
Under this approach, the time efficiency to process multiple sequence alignment can be improved. The high-throughput mouse antibody sequences are used to validate the proposed method. Compared to ClustalW, MAFFT and Mbed, LemK_MSA is more than ten times efficient while ensuring the alignment accuracy at the same time.
Originality/value
This paper proposes a novel method with sequence vectorization for multiple sequence alignment based on Lempel-Ziv. A GPU-based parallel method has been designed for large-scale distance matrix calculation. It provides a new way for multiple sequence alignment research.
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Keqiang Bai, Yunzhi Luo, Guanwu Jiang, Guoli Jiang and Li Guo
This paper aims to propose a pulsing type joint servo driver-based obstacle surmounting method for a humanoid robot according to the whole-body dynamics model, which fully takes…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to propose a pulsing type joint servo driver-based obstacle surmounting method for a humanoid robot according to the whole-body dynamics model, which fully takes into account the relationship between the whole-body stability margin and instantaneous torque.
Design/methodology/approach
First, the authors designed a new practical instantaneous large torque strategy for a pulsing type joint servo driver by modeling the whole-body dynamics of the humanoid robot. The work also considered joint angle planning based on the dynamic model for crossing obstacles. Second, in the simulation and experimentation, the instantaneous torque of the driver is used to realize successful crossing of obstacles by the humanoid robot. This verifies the correctness of the whole-body dynamics model and the feasibility of the method for crossing obstacles.
Findings
The experimental data and results are described and analyzed, showing that the proposed method is feasible and effective through simulation and implementation.
Originality/value
The main contribution is the humanoid robot’s actuation control technology and humanoid action realization, which could be used for squatting and moving heavy objects to help a humanoid robot adapt effectively.