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1 – 10 of over 1000Hang Jia, Zhiming Gao, Shixiong Wu, Jia Liang Liu and Wenbin Hu
This study aims to investigate the corrosion inhibitor effect of migrating corrosion inhibitor (MCI) on Q235 steel in high alkaline environment under cathodic polarization.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the corrosion inhibitor effect of migrating corrosion inhibitor (MCI) on Q235 steel in high alkaline environment under cathodic polarization.
Design/methodology/approach
This study investigated the electrochemical characteristics of Q235 steel with and without MCI by polarization curve and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Besides, the surface composition of Q235 steel under different environments was analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. In addition, the migration characteristic of MCI and the adsorption behavior of MCI under cathodic polarization were studied using Raman spectroscopy.
Findings
Diethanolamine (DEA) and N, N-dimethylethanolamine (DMEA) can inhibit the increase of Fe(II) in the oxide film of Q235 steel under cathodic polarization. The adsorption stability of DMEA film was higher under cathodic polarization potential, showing a higher corrosion inhibition ability. The corrosion inhibition mechanism of DEA and DMEA under cathodic polarization potential was proposed.
Originality/value
The MCI has a broad application prospect in the repair of damaged reinforced concrete due to its unique migratory characteristics. The interaction between MCIs, rebar and concrete with different compositions has been studied, but the passivation behavior of the steel interface in the presence of both the migrating electric field and corrosion inhibitors has been neglected. And it was investigated in this paper.
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Jianyao Jia, Shan Jiang, Liang Xiao and Fei Lu
The adoption of emerging information and communication technologies in construction project teams has engendered numerous virtual spaces, characterized by communication visibility…
Abstract
Purpose
The adoption of emerging information and communication technologies in construction project teams has engendered numerous virtual spaces, characterized by communication visibility and content persistence. As a result, the knowledge exchanged in these virtual spaces serves as a team’s digital resources. However, the extant literature mostly takes a process-based approach to examine the impact of knowledge sharing, thus failing to fully comprehend the process of converting digital resources into performance, resulting in a gap in the literature.
Design/methodology/approach
This study employs team resource-based theory to construct a theoretical model and develop hypotheses. Specifically, knowledge integration capability and team efficacy are hypothesized as two types of critical capabilities that mediate the links between knowledge sharing (quantity and quality) in virtual spaces and management performance. Data from 128 middle and senior construction project managers were collected to test the proposed theoretical model.
Findings
The results suggest that relationships between knowledge sharing (quantity and quality) and project management performance are both mediated by knowledge integration capability. Moreover, team efficacy could only partially translate knowledge sharing quantity into performance and couldn’t transform knowledge sharing quality into performance. Besides, knowledge integration is found to strengthen the link between knowledge sharing quantity and performance but weaken the relationship between knowledge sharing quality and performance.
Originality/value
This study explores how knowledge shared in virtual spaces could be leveraged for improving management performance in construction project teams. The findings in this study enhance the understanding of knowledge sharing in digital environments and afford important insights into transforming digital resources into performance within construction project teams.
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Dan Wang, Xueqing Wang, Lu Wang, Henry J. Liu and Xiajie Jia
The purpose of this study is for examining the evolution of stakeholder influence and the trans-period effect (TPE) of process performance of public–private partnerships (PPPs)…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is for examining the evolution of stakeholder influence and the trans-period effect (TPE) of process performance of public–private partnerships (PPPs). TPE refers to the ripple effect of project performance across different phases of a PPP.
Design/methodology/approach
Social network analysis is used to analyze each stakeholder’s influence on PPP performance. For examining the TPE, partial least squares structural equation modelling is conducted.
Findings
The performance in the five phases (e.g. initiation and planning, procurement, construction, operation and transition) of PPPs exhibits significant TPE. The stakeholder network varies in different phases. The most influential stakeholder is a public authority, followed by a public initiator and a private consortium.
Research limitations/implications
The project type of PPPs is not considered in the stakeholder network analysis. Future work should focus on developing a multidimensional stakeholder network by considering the typology of the project. Moreover, the TPE cannot reflect the relationships between the KPIs in the different phases, and thus, further study is required.
Practical implications
This research provides a useful tool for measuring the life cycle outputs and outcomes of PPPs through enhanced process-oriented performance measurement. The developed PMS enable practitioners to have a better understanding of the process performance of the projects and then ensure informed decision-making about actions to be required and taken to improve future performance.
Originality/value
This study contributes to knowledge of performance management by simultaneously addressing the process and stakeholder management theories within the context of PPPs. The proposed PMS provides an insight into managing stakeholders’ influences to enhance the life cycle performance of PPPs.
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Hong Lu, Bin Liang and Deena DeVore
The victim’s rights movement and restorative justice (RJ) have gained momentum around the world. More laws and policies have focused on crime victims and their families. Western…
Abstract
The victim’s rights movement and restorative justice (RJ) have gained momentum around the world. More laws and policies have focused on crime victims and their families. Western literature suggests that the victim’s family suffers physical, emotional, and financial tolls and that the power of the victim’s family in pursuing justice for their loved ones remains limited. This is particularly concerning within the political and legal context of the abolitionist movement, innocence project, and human rights groups’ campaigns against police torture. Grounded in the perspectives of RJ and Chinese legal culture, this study examines the victim’s family, represented by Ding and senior Yu, of the Nian Bin capital murder case. Drawing on published reports and using the thematic content analysis method, this study examines the following aspects of victim’s family in a death penalty case: 1) victim family’s physical, emotional, and financial tolls; 2) victims’ family and the criminal justice system; 3) victims’ family and the media; and 4) the relationship between the victims’ and the accused’s families. This study concludes with discussions of the competing goals of families impacted by a crime and RJ practices that would help mitigate the loss of the victim’s family and enhance their confidence in the criminal justice system.
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In 2017, the Chinese Super League (CSL), the first professional football division in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), became the highest-spending league in the international…
Abstract
Purpose
In 2017, the Chinese Super League (CSL), the first professional football division in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), became the highest-spending league in the international players’ transfer market, with a total spending of €377m. Moreover, the government of the PRC is backing the CSL with an ambitious football plan. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to examine the governance of the CSL by questioning the organisational viability of the league.
Design/methodology/approach
In addition to the relevant international literature, this study is based on 14 recent scholarly articles published in Mandarin from 2013 to 2018 to reflect the national academic debate. Moreover, website research on all CSL clubs has been conducted. The institutional analysis follows the integrative change model of Cunningham (2002) complemented by agency and bureaucracy theory.
Findings
The CSL still faces substantial governance problems caused by the divergence of goal setting, organisational inefficiencies and compliance issues. The organisational change is notably constrained by internal competitive value commitments and external power dependency.
Research limitations/implications
The institutional findings on the CSL provide a starting point for empirical studies. The approach contributes to the theory of sport governance processes.
Practical implications
The material and insights are informative for decision makers to evaluate the competitiveness of the CSL.
Originality/value
This paper is the first international in-depth analysis of the governance of the CSL using the body of knowledge published in Mandarin.
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Although an important facet of modernist architecture in which function plays a prominent role, building flexibility is not entirely a new concept. Its relevance transcends…
Abstract
Although an important facet of modernist architecture in which function plays a prominent role, building flexibility is not entirely a new concept. Its relevance transcends generations, allowing space and structure to evolve through time. This paper investigates the relationship among main building structures, infill elements, and space by studying examples in ancient Chinese architecture. It reveals the role of building owners, users, and craftsmen from a survey of historical documentation. In studying these examples, it is concluded that craftsmen in ancient China were involved not only during the construction phase but throughout the period of use as well. Thus, in select cases, the relationship between craftsmen and owners or users had been preserved for generations. Finally, this paper suggests potential strategies for the building industry and technology in the move towards sustainable development.
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Gaoxin Cheng, Linsen Xu, Jiajun Xu, Jinfu Liu, Jia Shi, Shouqi Chen, Lei Liu, Xingcan Liang and Yang Liu
This paper aims to develop a robotic mirror therapy system for lower limb rehabilitation, which is applicable for different patients with individual movement disability levels.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to develop a robotic mirror therapy system for lower limb rehabilitation, which is applicable for different patients with individual movement disability levels.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper puts forward a novel system that includes a four-degree-of-freedom sitting/lying lower limb rehabilitation robot and a wireless motion data acquisition system based on mirror therapy principle. The magnetorheological (MR) actuators are designed and manufactured, whose characteristics are detected theoretically and experimentally. The passive training control strategy is proposed, and the trajectory tracking experiments verify its feasibility. Also, the active training controller that is adapt to the human motor ability is designed and evaluated by the comparison experiments.
Findings
The MR actuators produce continuously variable and compliant torque for robotic joints by adjusting excitation current. The reference limb joint position data collected by the wireless motion data acquisition system can be used as the motion trajectory of the robot to drive the affected limb. The passive training strategy based on proportional-integral control proves to have great trajectory tracking performance through experiments. In the active training mode, by comparing the real-time parameters adjustment in two phases, it is certified that the proposed fuzzy-based regulated impedance controller can adjust assistance torque according to the motor ability of the affected limb.
Originality/value
The system developed in this paper fulfills the needs of robot-assisted mirror therapy for hemiplegic patients.
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Ke Du, Fu Jia and Lujie Chen
Global business practices show that during periods of demand volatility, manufacturing firms often engage in asymmetric cost management (ACM), a behavior in which costs increase…
Abstract
Purpose
Global business practices show that during periods of demand volatility, manufacturing firms often engage in asymmetric cost management (ACM), a behavior in which costs increase faster than they decrease when demand decreases by the same amount. However, whether managing asymmetric costs will enhance or impede firm resilience remains an open question. We aim to investigate the impact of ACM on firm resilience and its boundary conditions.
Design/methodology/approach
Using unbalanced panel data of 2,273 Chinese manufacturing listed companies from 2002 to 2021, we conduct an empirical analysis using a double fixed effects model.
Findings
Our findings reveal that ACM has a negative effect on firm resilience. This suggests that in coping with external environmental fluctuations, ACM fails to fulfill its expected role effectively. Instead, it manifests as a severe agency problem affecting firm resilience. Further, we find that managerial myopia and digitalization diminish the negative effect, while customer instability exacerbates it.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the literature on the organizational resilience of manufacturing firms by providing an in-depth understanding of cost management and emphasizing the need to consider agency issues carefully when managing asymmetric costs.
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Ding Wang, Jianyao Jia, Shan Jiang, Tianyi Liu and Guofeng Ma
Despite the documented benefits of voice behavior for projects, little is known about antecedents of voice behavior in the project context, especially construction projects…
Abstract
Purpose
Despite the documented benefits of voice behavior for projects, little is known about antecedents of voice behavior in the project context, especially construction projects. Against this background, adopting a multi-team system perspective, this study attempts to investigate antecedents of team voice behavior from a contextual view.
Design/methodology/approach
This study identifies and examines six factors that influence team voice behavior. Specifically, project urgency, project temporality, and project complexity are identified from the project nature perspective. Satisfaction, trust, and commitment are generated from the relationship quality approach. Then, data from completed construction projects in China was collected to verify the effectiveness of these factors. Besides, the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique was used in this study.
Findings
All six factors are found to be significant predictors of promotive team voice behavior. For prohibitive team voice behavior, only project complexity and project commitment make significant effects. Further, the differential effects of these factors on two types of voice behavior are revealed.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the literature on voice behavior in the project context, especially construction projects consisting of multiple teams. Also, this research enriches our knowledge on antecedents of team voice behavior in construction projects and thus affords practical implications to foster voice behavior.
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Ammar Moohialdin, Fiona Lamari, Marc Miska and Bambang Trigunarsyah
Hot and humid climates (HHCs) are potential environmental hazards that directly affect construction workers' health and safety (HS) and negatively impact workers' productivity…
Abstract
Purpose
Hot and humid climates (HHCs) are potential environmental hazards that directly affect construction workers' health and safety (HS) and negatively impact workers' productivity. Extensive research efforts have addressed the effects of HHCs. However, these efforts have been inconsistent in their approach for selecting factors influencing workers in such conditions. There are also increasing concerns about the drop-off in research interest to follow through intrusive and non-real-time measurements. This review aims to identify the major research gaps in measurements applied in previous research with careful attention paid to the factors that influence the intrusiveness and selection of the applied data collection methods.
Design/methodology/approach
This research integrates a manual subjective discussion with a thematic analysis of Leximancer software and an elaborating chronological, geographical and methodological review that yielded 701 articles and 76 peer-reviewed most related articles.
Findings
The literature included the physiological parameters as influencing factors and useful indicators for HHC effects and identified site activity intensity as the most influencing work-related factor. In total, three main gaps were identified: (1) the role of substantial individual and work-related factors; (2) managerial interventions and the application of the right time against the right symptoms, sample size and measurement intervals and (3) applied methods of data collection; particularly, the intrusiveness of the utilised sensors.
Practical implications
The focus of researchers and practitioners should be in applying nonintrusive, innovative and real-time methods that can provide crew-level measurements. In particular, methods that can represent the actual effects of allocated tasks are aligned with real-time weather measurements, so proactive HHC-related preventions can be enforced on time.
Originality/value
This review contributes to the field of construction workers' safety in HHCs and enables researchers and practitioners to identify the most influential individual and work-related factors in HHCs. This review also proposes a framework for future research with suggestions to cover the highlighted research gaps and contributes to a critical research area in the construction industry.
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