Huiru Li, Xinyi Liu, Hengli Zhou and Zhiyong Li
A proliferation of articles surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic is calling for new insights through review. This paper aims to bibliometrically analyze the current progress of…
Abstract
Purpose
A proliferation of articles surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic is calling for new insights through review. This paper aims to bibliometrically analyze the current progress of research around hospitality and tourism to define the research directions on herd immunity and the prevention of disease under the “new normal.”
Design/methodology/approach
This paper analyzed 326 articles regarding COVID-19 published in SSCI hospitality, leisure and tourism journals in 2020 and 2021 by combining manual analysis and bibliometrics to reveal research topics and to gain insight into research structures.
Findings
The results of this paper summarized topics related to stakeholders’ mentality and behavior, responses of travel suppliers to the COVID-19 pandemic, economic impact and demand forecasting, social issues of human rights and racism and reflection on tourism and transformation of the industry. More research is called for in the future to focus on a better response to the crisis, including crisis management education and training and the improving the resilience of small- and medium-sized enterprises.
Research limitations/implications
A three-dimensional consideration was proposed to promote the sustainable development of hospitality and tourism.
Originality/value
In the “new normal” phase of herd immunity and disease prevention, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper that provides an up-to-date systematic overview of the evolution of COVID-19 research in tourism and hospitality and encourages more conceptual, practical and futuristic studies.
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Weikang Zhang, Huiru Gu, Sainan Wu, Shusen Zhong, Jing Yang, Huiqin Luan and Qi Li
The purpose of this paper is to optimize the degradation test for products subject to multiple types of inherent stresses and external random shocks. The mechanism that shows how…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to optimize the degradation test for products subject to multiple types of inherent stresses and external random shocks. The mechanism that shows how the variables to be optimized influence the considered multiple objectives is also aimed to be explored by using the grey incidence analysis (GIA) model.
Design/methodology/approach
The Gamma process is employed to model the influences of different types of stresses and external random shocks. The GIA model is introduced to transfer multiple considered objectives as a comprehensive degree of grey incidence. The particle swarm optimization is integrated to search the globally optimal value of the characteristic variables to be optimized.
Findings
The acceleration of tested stresses and external random shocks both make the engineering systems become more vulnerable to the inherent degradation. And, the Kriging model can provide guidance of searching the optimal values of test characteristic variables and mitigate the computation burden. The grey incidence model can make the optimization focused and improve the optimality of objective values.
Originality/value
The proposed method can effectively overcome the drawbacks brought by the limitation of test data and can specify the dependence strength between the inherent degradation and external random shock. The computation cost and accuracy of optimization can be simultaneously ensured by the proposed model.
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Huiru Zhang, Limin Jia, Li Wang and Yong Qin
Based on complex network theory, a method for critical elements identification of China Railway High-speed 2 (CRH2) train system is introduced in this paper.
Abstract
Purpose
Based on complex network theory, a method for critical elements identification of China Railway High-speed 2 (CRH2) train system is introduced in this paper.
Design/methodology/approach
First, two methods, reliability theory and complex theory, are introduced, and the advantages and disadvantages for their application in identifying critical elements of high-speed train system are summarized. Second, a multi-layer multi-granularity network model including virtual and actual nodes is proposed, and the corresponding fusion rules for the same nodes in different layers are given.
Findings
Finally, taking CRH2 train system as an example, the critical elements are identified by using complex network theory, which provides a reference for train operation and maintenance.
Originality/value
A method of identifying key elements of CRH2 train system based on integrated importance indices is introduced, which is a meaningful extension of the application of complex network theory to identify key components.
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Changlong Ye, Yunfei Zang, Suyang Yu and Chunying Jiang
The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate a multipurpose inspection robot that can both walk on the ground and climb on poles. The structure design, size optimization…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate a multipurpose inspection robot that can both walk on the ground and climb on poles. The structure design, size optimization, kinematics analysis, experiment and arithmetic of the robot are discussed in the paper.
Design/methodology/approach
The robot consists of three adjustable modules and a two-degree-of-freedom parallel mechanism in tandem, and the wheel-finger mechanism of each module can realize wheel-finger opening and closing for fast movement and obstacle crossing. This paper uses geometric analysis and simulation analysis to derive size optimization, and vector coordinate method to derive kinematics. Finally, the experiment is carried out by simulating the working environment of the robot.
Findings
The robot can realize ground walking and ground turning through the robot entity prototype experiment on the built working environment and efficiently realize 0°–90° pole climbing by the assemble design, optimization and machining. In addition, the robot can also smoothly complete the state transition process from 0° ground to 90° pole climbing. Furthermore, the robot shows good environmental self-adaptation and can complete daily inspection work.
Originality/value
The robot can pitch and yaw at a large angle and has six-legged characteristics. It is a multipurpose inspection robot that can walk on the ground and climb on poles. And through structure design, size optimization, kinematics analysis and simulation, the existing robots’ common shortcomings such as poor barrier-crossing ability and poor environmental adaptability are solved.
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Mu Weisong, Li Chengcheng, Tian Dong and Feng Jianying
The purpose of this paper is to analyze and identify Chinese consumers’ behavior and preference characters toward table grapes, especially to explore the variance of consumption…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze and identify Chinese consumers’ behavior and preference characters toward table grapes, especially to explore the variance of consumption preference in recent five years.
Design/methodology/approach
Two representative China-wide questionnaire surveys were conducted by face-to-face and online questionnaire survey, respectively, in 2009 and 2014. Comparative study was adopted to dig the changes of consumers’ preferences and habits. ANOVA was adopted to explore the statistically difference among consumers’ behavior and preferences.
Findings
The results indicate that Chinese consumers are rational-motivation-driven grape consumers, they prefer to sweet taste, seedless and medium priced grapes. Safety and quality characters (clean appearance, freshness and taste) were ranked as the most important grape attributes. As a whole, it was found that consumers are more quality-focussed and safety-conscious five years later, so some variances was showed in their purchase habits and preferences, such as the choice of purchase place, attitude to special grapes and willingness to pay to safe and genetically modified grapes.
Originality/value
This research not only indicates some stable preferences of Chinese consumers toward table grape, but also finds out some significant changes in consumers’ behavior before and after five years based on a comparative study in 2009 and 2014.
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This paper aims to make a comprehensive evaluation of the progress and achievements made by China and Japan in literature collection, publication and academic research of South…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to make a comprehensive evaluation of the progress and achievements made by China and Japan in literature collection, publication and academic research of South Manchuria Railways Co (SMR) after the Second World War and points out the existing and urgent problems.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper adopts the methods of literature research, questionnaire survey, comparative analysis and expert consultation.
Findings
After the Second World War, both China and Japan made great achievements in the collection, publication and research of SMR data, as well as in the academic research of SMR. However, as a new research field, there are still some problems in deepening the excavation and utilization of SMR data, expanding the research fields, improving the research methods, etc.
Originality/value
SMR itself was the product of a war of aggression. Although it died with the defeat of the war of aggression, remaining SMR data also has very precious value, it records the history of Japanese aggression against China, is the biggest database for the study of the problems in China and northeast Aisa at that time. In addition to Japan and China, the USA and the Soviet Union also kept part of the SMR data, so that to involve them in the research of SMR is also the purpose of this paper.
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Nnamdi O. Madichie and Ayantunji Gbadamosi
The purpose of this paper is to highlight the strategies undertaken by “entrepreneurial” universities to leverage their bottom-line especially in response to withdrawals of public…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to highlight the strategies undertaken by “entrepreneurial” universities to leverage their bottom-line especially in response to withdrawals of public funding. Internationalisation has been the most prominent from setting-up overseas branch campuses to aggressive recruitment drives for international students, and more recently, the launch of new programmes to attract a wider market.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on a documentary analysis, this study explores the future of curriculum development in entrepreneurial universities, using narratives around an “unconventional course” launch as a case illustration.
Findings
The findings reveal an interesting interaction of innovation, opportunity recognition, risk taking and pro-activeness at play within a university environment. The study also highlights how instructors have, in the past, based their syllabi on celebrities – from the Georgetown University to the University of South Carolina, University of Missouri and Rutgers University cutting across departments from English through sociology to Women’s and Gender Studies.
Practical implications
Overall this study captures the relationship between hip-hop artistry and poetry, as well as meeting the demands of society – societal impacts – not the least, bringing “street cred” into the classroom.
Social implications
The case illustration of a course launch at the University of Missouri linking hip-hop artists to curriculum development and pedagogy, opens up the discourse on the future trajectory of teaching and learning in higher education, with its attendant social implications – not the least for life after graduation.
Originality/value
This study provides fresh insights into the entrepreneurial potential of universities in co-branded/marketing activities with the hip-hop industry.