Search results

Nanotechnology has been able to bind to a wide range of functional textiles in recently. This paper aims to modify graphene oxide (GO) by grafting dimethyl phosphite and perfluorohexyl iodine. It was applied to cotton to obtain a flame-retardant, water-repellent and ultraviolet-resistant multifunctional fabric.

The GO-multi was synthesized by grafted dimethyl phosphite and perfluorohexyl chain and applied to cotton by the dipping-drying method. The surface chemistry of functionalized GO was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The thermal stability of the fabric was characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The combustion properties were evaluated using a microscale combustion calorimeter, match test and TGA. Hydrophobicity of film and fabric surface was characterized by static contact angle, and the UV resistance of the fabric was represented by the ultroviolet procetion factor (UPF) value.

Dimethyl phosphite and perfluorohexyl chains were grafted on the surface of GO successively. In the match test, the GO-multi/cotton kept the original outline of the fabric. According to the micro-scale combustion calorimetry (MCC) data, the value of PHRR and THR of GO-multi/cotton was about 45 per cent lower than that of untreated cotton fabric. It was found from the field-emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM) pictures that the residue of GO-multi/ cotton burned by the match method was more compact and the graphene lamellar structure remained more complete. The hydrophobic effect of GO-multi/cotton was improved compared to untreated cotton, but not better than the fabric treated by the perfluorohexyl chain-grafted GO. The UPF value of GO-multi/cotton reached 253, which indicated that the anti-ultraviolet performance of GO-multi was greatly improved after it was deposited on the cotton fabric.

Although the hydrophobic effect was much higher than that of untreated cotton fabric, its hydrophobic effect was not satisfied, which may be due to the fact that the content of F element content was low. So, it is still needed to explore the modifying method to increase the functional component amount on the GO nanosheet.

This modifying method can be used in any of multifunctional textile preparation process. The hydrophobic and flame-retardant cotton fabric revealed a sample for use in outdoor sports such as clothes and tents.

To meet the needs of multifunctional cotton fabrics, the modification of GO with dimethyl phosphite and perfluorohexyl iodine has not been reported. The modified fabric has flame-retardant, UV-resistant and hydrophobic properties.

One of the intensively developed in recent years new materials are hybrid textiles modified with carbon nanotubes (CNT). In this paper, CNTs was modified by grafting dimethyl phosphite and perfluorohexyl iodine. It was applied to the cotton to obtain the flame-retardant, water-repellent, ultraviolet-resistant and conductive multifunctional fabric.

The modified CNTs were loaded onto cotton fabric by impregnation and drying. The CNTs-multi was synthesized by grafted dimethyl phosphite and perfluorohexyl chain and applied to the cotton by dipping-drying method. The surface chemistry of functionalized CNTs was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The combustion properties were evaluated using a microscale combustion calorimeter, match test and TGA analysis. Surface hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity of fabric surface was characterized by static contact angle, and the UV resistance of the fabric was represented by the UPF value.

Dimethyl phosphite and perfluorohexyl chain were grafted on the surface of CNTs successively. The quantity of each component on the surface of CNTs was calculated according to XPS results. According to miniature combustion calorimeter data, both the value of maximum heat release rate (PHRR) and total heat release (THR) of CNTs -multi/cotton was about 65% lower than that of untreated cotton fabric. The residue after combustion of CNTs -multi/ cotton in the match test was more compact. The electrical conductivity of multi/ cotton is 225.6 kΩ/□, which is better than that of untreated cotton fabric. The UPF value of CNTs-multi/cotton reached 121, which was indicated that the anti-ultraviolet performance of CNTs-multi was greatly improved.

Modifying method to increase the functional component amuount on the CNTs surface still need to be explored, which could increase the hydrophobicity. How to further improve the functional effect and the general synthetic steps will be of great significance to the preparation of multifunctional modified cotton fabric.

This modifying method can be used in any of multifunctional textile preparation process. The UV-resistant and flame retardant cotton fabric was revealed as a sample for use in outdoor sports such as clothes and tents.

To meet the needs of multifunctional cotton fabric, the modification of CNTs with dimethyl phosphite and perfluorohexyl iodine has not been reported. The modified fabric has flame-retardant, UV-resistant conductive and conductive properties.

This study examines the impact of formal and informal institutional distances on the foreign ownership strategies of emerging market firms (EMFs).

This is an empirical study relying on two sets of data collected over two time periods, 2006–2008 and 2017–2019, for publicly-listed Chinese companies.

Greater formal institutional distances in the host and home countries make EMFs less likely to use joint ventures (JVs), while greater informal distances make EMFs more likely to use the JVs. When both formal and informal institutional distances are high, the use of JVs is more likely. These results are affected by the goal of the foreign direct investment (FDI) project, with strategic asset-seeking (SAS) FDI projects favoring the use of wholly owned subsidiaries (WOSs).

This study relies on cross-sectional data from publicly-listed Chinese companies, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.

EMFs investing in advanced countries should carefully assess the tradeoffs between transactional cost efficiency and legitimacy in making their foreign ownership decisions. If the goal is to access strategic assets, EMFs should consider WOSs to ensure the transfer of strategic assets and create value for the parent company.

The findings show that formal and informal distances between institutions have different impacts on foreign ownership strategies, providing empirical evidence for the need to balance conflicting cost-efficiency and legitimacy considerations when businesses make such strategic decisions. The authors show how this balance depends on the goal of the FDI project.

This paper aims to theoretically and empirically demonstrate the role played by business continuity management (BCM) to address risks such as trade conflicts and natural disasters. This paper also answers whether compliance with international standards such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 22301 is adequate.

A case study of Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei is conducted to examine how a robust end-to-end BCM system has been established in two decades and in what way it has helped Huawei to efficiently maintain growth under pressure, such as being added to the “Entity List” and the pandemic.

Huawei case contributes to BCM theory in its approach to establishing the BCM system and its well-established BCM model. Huawei establishes and continually improves its BCM system by applying the Plan (establish), Do (implement and operate), Check (monitor and review) and Act (maintain and improve) cycle. Characterized as 4Ps: BCM policy, BCM process, incident management plan and business continuity plan, Huawei BCM system is shaped into a loop with end-to-end BCM process, covering all steps along its value chain – from suppliers and partners to Huawei itself and then on to its customers – with key initiatives for all domains such as R&D, procurement, manufacturing, logistics and global technical services. In practice, implementing international standards such as ISO 22301 enables Huawei to develop business continuity but not enough. Optimizing the BCM system is an ongoing effort, and BCM maturity is ever present: continually improving Huawei’s own BCM system and benchmarking against best practices available worldwide.

Apart from the case study, other methods such as counter-factual analysis can be used to further test whether Huawei’s BCM system is cost-effective. Another direction for future study is whether suggested BCM maturity levels should be supplemented into ISO 22301. In the digital age, how to use digitalization to ensure business continuity is a current issue not just for practitioners such as Huawei but also for researchers worldwide.

In practice, implementing international standards such as ISO 22301 enables Huawei to develop business continuity but not enough. Optimizing the BCM system is an ongoing effort, and BCM maturity is ever present: continually improving Huawei’s own BCM system and benchmarking against best practices available worldwide.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first studies to focus on how an organization continually improves the suitability, adequacy and effectiveness of its BCM system, with special attention to standards compliance.

In accordance with the traditional ranking of “scholar, farmer, artisan and merchant” in China, entrepreneurs are characterized as having lower social status, and are driven by face consciousness to engage in conspicuous consumption. Education is not only a human capital investment but also a conspicuous consumption good. This study aims to investigate how entrepreneurial households manage their education expenditure differently from non-entrepreneurial households and what the underlying mechanism is.

Using Chinese Household Finance Survey 2011 data, this study empirically examines the education expenditure differentials between entrepreneurial and non-entrepreneurial households. Regression analyses on matched samples are carried out and the results are quite robust across different model specifications.

On the basis of the empirical analysis, this study finds that entrepreneurial households annually spend 19.30 per cent more on education than non-entrepreneurial households. The empirical results provide no evidence that education generates a greater increase in income for entrepreneurial households than for their non-entrepreneurial counterparts, which indicates that the education expenditure differentials do not result from different income returns to education. The findings show that education is a conspicuous good and the gap in education expenditure is partially attributable to different demands for the conspicuous consumption, which results from different face consciousness between the two kinds of households.

The results of this study reveal the significance and economic consequences of face consciousness for entrepreneurial households from the perspective of education.

This study examines the effects of an inclusive psychological climate on leader inclusion, workgroup inclusion, and employee outcomes (trust in organization and organizational identification). Leader inclusion and workgroup inclusion are explored as both direct and serial mediators in the psychological climate to outcome relationships.

Data from 336 employees in 55 teams were collected at two time points from an educational media company in China.

Results from multi-level modeling suggest that, for employees, the inclusive psychological climate to trust relationship has both direct and indirect effects, including a serially occurring indirect effect through leader inclusion and workgroup inclusion. For the inclusive psychological climate to organizational identification relationship, there were only indirect effects, including a serially occurring indirect effect through both leader inclusion and workgroup inclusion.

These results suggest the value of an inclusive psychological climate for setting the stage for more localized inclusion experiences through the leader and the workgroup. These inclusionary work environments promote social exchange as shown by employer trust and social identification with the organization.

This study examines the combined and serial effects of an inclusive psychological climate, leader inclusion, and workgroup inclusion on outcomes that represent a deep connection with the organization (organizational trust and organizational identification).

This paper aims to determine whether application of graphene layers to cuprammonium filaments affords the latter with excellent mechanical properties and improves their electrical properties. At the same time, a circuit model was established to explore the conductive mechanism of the filament. The actual model is used to verify the correctness of the model.

The cuprammonium filaments were desizing, the graphene oxide layer-by-layer sizing and reduction integration process by a continuous sizing machine. The electrical properties of mono- and multifilaments in the static condition, as well as the dynamic–mechanical properties of multifilaments, were analysed, and the related conductive mechanism of the filaments was deduced.

Cuprammonium filaments coated with graphene layers showed good electrical conductivity, and their volume resistance decreased to 4.35 O·cm with increasing number of graphene coats. The X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis results showed that the graphene layer treatment changed the crystallinity of the copperammonia filaments and improved the thermal stability of the filaments. In the dynamic case, filament resistance was calculated using the equivalent resistance model, and the fitting difference observed was small. This result confirmed the high fit of this circuit model.

Up to the knowledge from literature review, there are no reports on theoretical research on the relation between the electro-mechanical property and structure of conductive filaments.

Labor conflict has become a serious problem in recent China. From the perspective of entrepreneur innovation, this paper aims to find an effective path to eliminate this conflict. On the basis of theoretical analyses and regression analyses, this paper finds that, with legal environment and other conditions identical, entrepreneur innovation will significantly facilitate elimination of labor conflicts.

Using theoretical analyses based on entrepreneurship theory, this paper puts forward a series of hypotheses about the effects of entrepreneur innovation on labor conflicts. With panel data during 2013-2015 from China Employer–Employee Survey, this paper examines the effects of entrepreneur innovation on labor conflicts. Using interaction term regressions, this paper examines heterogeneous effects of entrepreneur innovation on labor conflicts by ownership, market power and export behavior. With mediating effect model, this paper examine whether workers’ participation in corporation governance is an important channel in which entrepreneurial innovation can impact on labor conflicts.

First, using benchmark regressions and robustness checks, this paper finds that there exist significantly positive effects of entrepreneur innovation on workers’ job satisfaction, incentive, social security, job development and job stability, which will reduce potential risks of labor conflict effectively. Second, using interaction term regressions, this paper finds that there exist heterogeneous effects of entrepreneur innovation on labor conflicts by ownership, market power and export behaviors. The study finds that the effects of entrepreneur innovation are more concentrated in private firms, firms with stronger market power and non-exporters. Third, using a mediating effect model, the study finds that workers’ participation in corporation governance is an important channel in which entrepreneur innovation can have impacts on labor conflicts.

The paper enriches the existing research about how to eliminate labor conflicts in China. On the basis of China Employer–Employee Survey data, this paper finds the importance of entrepreneur innovation on Chinese transition, which not only has positive impacts on firm performance, but also has impacts on eliminating labor conflicts and establishing better labor relationship. Therefore, stimulating entrepreneur innovation is very important for solving conflicts during Chinese transition.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between leader psychological capital and employee work engagement. Drawing on conservation of resources theory, the authors hypothesize that leader psychological capital is associated with employee work engagement through employee psychological capital. The authors further hypothesize that team collectivism moderates the relationship between leader psychological capital and employee psychological capital.

Multi-source data came from 44 team leaders and 307 employees in Mainland China.

The results suggest a trickle-down relationship between leader psychological capital and employee psychological capital, which in turn is linked to employee engagement. In addition, the relationship between leader psychological capital and employee psychological capital is stronger (weaker) when team collectivism is lower (higher).

By paying attention to the psychological capital of both employees and their leaders, organizations can increase employee engagement which is an important work outcome.

Work engagement is important in the workplace because it is related to a variety of employee work and life outcomes. Prior research has examined the antecedents of work engagement, but little is known about the role of leader psychological capital, a positive psychological state, in shaping employee work engagement. This research applied a resource conservation process model of leader positivity on employee engagement that is mediated by employee psychological capital. This study contributes to a better understanding of the theoretical foundation of leader psychological capital.