Kemin Li, Zhifu Huang, Hanwen Ma, Shaofei Wang, Chaofeng Qin and Pengcheng Liu
The purpose of this study was to investigate the tribological properties of bulk Fe2B with pre-oxidation treatment.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to investigate the tribological properties of bulk Fe2B with pre-oxidation treatment.
Design/methodology/approach
Bulk Fe2B was oxidized in an electric box furnace with a soaking time of 9 min under 750°C in air. Then, the tribological experiments were carried out on an UMT-Tribolab tester.
Findings
The oxide layer was composed of Fe, Fe2O3, Fe3O4, B2O3 and H3BO3. The oxidative direction of bulk Fe2B was perpendicular to the sample surface. But, the oxidative direction of Fe2B crystals was irregular. At 0.1 m/s, the friction coefficient was the lowest. The effects of shortening the running-in period of friction and reducing the friction coefficient by pre-oxidation treatment at 0.1 m/s were remarkable. Nevertheless, the effect of pre-oxidation treatment was futile at 0.2 m/s. Wear mechanisms of oxidized Fe2B mainly were adhesive and abrasive wear.
Originality/value
The effects of shortening the running-in period of friction and reducing the friction coefficient by pre-oxidation treatment were remarkable.
Details
Keywords
Jim Haslam, Jiao Ji and Hanwen Sun
The purpose of this paper is to summarise and reflect upon key issues at the interface of prices, information and regulation with a focus upon the stock market in context…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to summarise and reflect upon key issues at the interface of prices, information and regulation with a focus upon the stock market in context. Reflecting upon academic research in the area of efficient markets, and regulatory policy, the concern is to discern issues in terms of policy and support for policy. What does the research imply for policy? Is it possible that the research, perhaps given its rhetoric, can be misinterpreted in relation to policy? The study is also concerned to develop avenues for future research based on these considerations.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is an analytical and critical review and writing.
Findings
The reading of the research suggests a pragmatic regulatory policy that should be concerned to improve stock market functioning, including with respect to information, as well as the context of which this is part. At the same time, the literature may be read as promoting anti-regulatory policy.
Practical implications
On the one hand, these are consistent with the pragmatic policy referred to above. On the other hand, further research is suggested to explore substantively the rhetoric of the research and its interpretation and to explore understandings of the research and its implications amongst key constituencies in practice.
Originality/value
The concern is to bring key insights from the academic literature together with a view to promoting a pragmatic policy orientation, while cautioning in a critical perspective about how this academic literature and research might be interpreted from a policy perspective.
Details
Keywords
Rashed Isam Ashqar and Júlio Lobão
This paper aims to examine the influence of religious backgrounds and religiosity on three dimensions of household finance (the decision to hold secured debt, the likelihood of…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the influence of religious backgrounds and religiosity on three dimensions of household finance (the decision to hold secured debt, the likelihood of being in a state of financial distress and the likelihood of being in a state of financial well-being) across a large sample of European countries.
Design/methodology/approach
The study uses data from the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) data set, spanning from 2004 to 2018. The authors conduct regression analysis to examine the relationship between religion and household financial choices.
Findings
The study finds that belonging to a predominantly Catholic or Orthodox (Protestant) country is negatively (positively) associated with the likelihood of holding a mortgage. Belonging to a mostly Catholic (Protestant) country is negatively (positively) associated with the likelihood of being in a state of financial distress. Belonging to a predominantly Catholic (Protestant) country is positively (negatively) associated with the likelihood of being in a state of financial well-being. These relationships remain robust after controlling for a large number of demographic and economic variables.
Originality/value
In this paper, the authors analyze for the first time the impact of religion on household finance in a wide range of European countries. It is also the first time that the EU-SILC database, which aggregates data on more than three million European households, is used for the study of this topic.
Details
Keywords
Daoguang Yang, Jiani Wang and Hanwen Chen
This study aims to investigate whether and how earnings guidance affects corporate innovation.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate whether and how earnings guidance affects corporate innovation.
Design/methodology/approach
Exploiting the setting of China, where the Shenzhen Stock Exchange has required all public firms listed on its ChiNext board to issue earnings guidance since 2012, this study uses a difference-in-differences (DID) methodology to examine the effect of earnings guidance on corporate innovation and further conducts cross-sectional analyzes from the information risk and monitoring demand perspectives. Moreover, the authors conduct path analysis to verify the possible channels through which corporate innovation is impeded by market pressure or improved through increased corporate transparency.
Findings
This study documents a positive relationship between earnings guidance and corporate innovation, as measured by the number of invention patents, indicating that the “corporate governance” hypothesis dominates in China. Cross-sectional analyzes show that this positive effect is more pronounced for firms subject to greater information risk and monitoring demand. Finally, the path analysis further confirms that earnings guidance improves innovation by increasing corporate transparency.
Practical implications
First, this study captures the bright side of mandatory earnings guidance and suggests that increasing the disclosure frequency can yield benefits for firms. Second, the findings imply that regulations, regardless of what they refer to, should be based on a country’s specific context.
Originality/value
First, this study provides evidence supporting the “corporate governance” argument based on the context of China and, thus contributes to the debate on earnings guidance. Second, this study enriches the literature on the economic consequences of earnings guidance. Third, the study extends research on the determinants of corporate innovation.
Details
Keywords
Bo Yan, Zhuo Chen and Hanwen Kang
The purpose of this paper is to identify the risk factors that affect aquatic product quality in the “farming-supermarket docking” condition. This paper investigates how the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify the risk factors that affect aquatic product quality in the “farming-supermarket docking” condition. This paper investigates how the investment scale can affect earnings and aquatic product quality assurance level. Also, it aims to determine an effective method for increasing aquatic product assurance level, coordinate the supply chain and improve management of the entire supply chain.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors construct a coordination model for quality risk control of the aquatic supply chain by simulating the model in a tilapia supply chain using the case study method. They applied Karush–Kuhn–Tucker conditions to analyze upstream enterprises (breeding base) and downstream enterprises (corresponding supermarket) under the conditions of sufficient or insufficient funds, Further, they consider the relationships among revenue, optimum quality assurance and investment scale at different capital positions; discuss the best cooperation conditions in four cases; and draw conclusions on ways to control quality risk.
Findings
The proposed coordination model is found to be effective in controlling aquatic product quality risk. The simulation results show that when the enterprise funds are sufficient, the sales prices, product freshness, quality assurance ability, collaboration and quality test ability have a positive influence on quality assurance level, whereas coefficient and price sensitivity have a negative influence on it. Additionally, it can obtain high-quality assurance levels and earnings in both breeding bases and supermarkets under the condition of adequate investment.
Originality/value
The study built a coordination model combined with the characteristics of the aquatic supply chain by adding the quality penalty mechanism, product freshness parameters and cost function in the “farming-supermarket docking” mode into the traditional principal–agent model. Research results are beneficial to enhancing the quality assurance level of the aquatic supply chain and improving the coordination level of the supply chain.
Details
Keywords
Siyuan Xu, Yupeng Mou and Zhihua Ding
The continuous impact of the pandemic and the downturn of the global economy have brought new challenges to the tourism industry. In this context, effectively attracting consumers…
Abstract
Purpose
The continuous impact of the pandemic and the downturn of the global economy have brought new challenges to the tourism industry. In this context, effectively attracting consumers and improving user stickiness are the top priorities of tourism platform companies. This study explores the impact of ethical concerns raised by new issues under the multi-governance environment on user stickiness. Based on the trust theory, the authors provide solutions for tourism platforms.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopted a quantitative approach, gathering survey data via an online platform. A total of 400 participants were investigated, and 356 valid questionnaires were returned, with a recovery rate of 89%. Questionnaires that did not meet the inclusion criteria were excluded, leaving 298 valid responses.
Findings
Studies have found that consumers' ethical concerns about platform companies are key factors affecting user stickiness, and among these, consumer trust plays a mediating role. They have found that corporate social responsibility (CSR) behaviours help alleviate ethical concerns and improve trust in enterprises. At the same time, enterprises should properly control the number of platform collaborators, and excessive platform cooperation negatively moderates the impact of consumer ethical concerns on competence-based trust.
Originality/value
This study complements the deficiency of previous research with regard to ethical concerns in a multi-governance environment. These findings indicate that subject diversity exacerbates the negative impact of ethical concerns on consumer trust; however, CSR alleviates the impact of ethical concerns on consumer trust.
Details
Keywords
Mahdi Salehi, Mahmoud Mousavi Shiri and Seyedeh Zahra Hossini
The purpose of this paper is to emphasize the relationship between managerial ability, earnings management, internal control quality and audit fees to establish whether or not…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to emphasize the relationship between managerial ability, earnings management, internal control quality and audit fees to establish whether or not there is a significant relationship between the variables of managerial ability, earnings management, internal control quality and the audit fees.
Design/methodology/approach
The study sample includes 190 listed companies on the Tehran Stock Exchange during 2009–2016. Research hypotheses were tested using the statistical methods of multivariable linear regression and data envelopment analysis pattern.
Findings
The obtained results indicate that there is a significant and direct relationship between managerial ability and internal control quality as well as real earnings management and internal control quality. Based on the results obtained from the second hypothesis, the authors could claim that there is an inverse and significant relationship managerial ability and audit fees. The third hypothesis also revealed that in companies with lower audit fees, there is a stronger relationship between managerial ability and internal control quality. The results of related tests show no significant relationship between accrual-based earnings management and internal control quality.
Originality/value
This paper is the first study in Iran whose main focus is on the relationship between managerial ability, earnings management, internal control quality and audit fees.
Details
Keywords
Xueyan Dong, Yuxin Tian, Mingming He and Tienan Wang
The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) adoption on knowledge workers' innovative work behaviors (IWB), as well as the mediating…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) adoption on knowledge workers' innovative work behaviors (IWB), as well as the mediating role of stress appraisal and the moderating role of individual learning abilities.
Design/methodology/approach
This study analyzed the questionnaire results of 313 knowledge workers, and data analysis was conducted by using SPSS 25.0, SPSS 25.0 macro-PROCESS and AMOS 28.0.
Findings
This study found that AI adoption has a double-edged sword effect on knowledge workers' IWB. Specifically, AI adoption can promote IWB by enhancing knowledge workers' challenging stress appraisal, while inhibiting IWB by fostering their hindering stress appraisal. Moreover, individual learning ability significantly moderated the relationship between AI adoption and stress appraisal, which further influenced IWB.
Originality/value
This study integrates the conflicting findings of previous studies and proposes a comprehensive theoretical model based on the theory of cognitive appraisal of stress. This study enriches the research on AI in the field of knowledge management, especially extending the understanding of the relationship between AI adoption and knowledge workers’ IWB by unraveling the psychological mechanisms and behavior outcomes of users' technology usage. Additionally, we provide new insights and suggestions for organizations to seek the cooperation and support of employees in introducing new technologies or driving intelligent transformation.