Search results

The purpose of this study is to predict the thermal protective performance (TPP) of flame-retardant fabric more economically using machine learning and analyze the factors affecting the TPP using model visualization.

A total of 13 machine learning models were trained by collecting 414 datasets of typical flame-retardant fabric from current literature. The optimal performance model was used for feature importance ranking and correlation variable analysis through model visualization.

Five models with better performance were screened, all of which showed R2 greater than 0.96 and root mean squared error less than 3.0. Heat map results revealed that the TPP of fabrics differed significantly under different types of thermal exposure. The effect of fabric weight was more apparent in the flame or low thermal radiation environment. The increase in fabric weight, fabric thickness, air gap width and relative humidity of the air gap improved the TPP of the fabric.

The findings suggested that the visual analysis method of machine learning can intuitively understand the change trend and range of second-degree burn time under the influence of multiple variables. The established models can be used to predict the TPP of fabrics, providing a reference for researchers to carry out relevant research.

The findings of this study contribute directional insights for optimizing the structure of thermal protective clothing, and introduce innovative perspectives and methodologies for advancing heat transfer modeling in thermal protective clothing.

This study aims to present the Chinese entrepreneurial environment and explore Chinese tertiary students’ online-startup motivation on live streaming platforms. Based on the COM-B behaviour changing theory, this paper discovers various influencing factors from environmental opportunity and personal capability aspects. It analyses their effects under the cooperative system established among official departments, industries and universities. Meanwhile, considering social and cultural control, it also refers to the uncertainty-avoidance dimension from the Hofstede cultural theory and re-evaluates its influence on Chinese tertiary students’ online-startup motivation.

The authors analyse 474 responses from online questionnaires through partial least squares path modelling and variance-based structural equation modelling. The paper claims that environmental opportunity and personal capability factors positively affect students’ online-startup motivation, but uncertainty-avoidance thinking plays a negative role. The study also measures the importance-performance map analysis to explore additional findings and discuss managerial implications.

Both platform support and official department support positively impact Chinese tertiary students’ online-startup motivation and entrepreneurial skills learned from universities are beneficial for them to build online-startup confidence. Meanwhile, influenced by the cooperative system implemented among official departments, industries and universities, official department support positively affects platform support and entrepreneurial skills. Conversely, influenced by Chinese traditional Confucian culture, uncertainty-avoidance thinking negatively affects tertiary students’ online-startup motivation.

This paper demonstrates the analysis of Chinese tertiary students’ online-startup motivation drawing on the COM-B behaviour changing and Hofstede cultural theories. Specifically, this study divides influencing factors into three specific aspects as follows: environmental opportunity, personal capability and social and cultural control. Unlike existing research applying traditional research models, the combination of the COM-B behaviour changing theory and the Hofstede cultural theory could be conducive to making the research model reflect influencing factors and present their different relationships.

This study aims to test the effects of enterprise risk management (ERM) on firms’ outcomes and the moderating role of knowledge management (KM) on ERM–firms’ outcomes relationship.

Data were collected via a questionnaire survey among public listed companies on the principal stock exchange market in Malaysia. A total of 124 questionnaires were received by mail questionnaire. The results were examined through structural equation modelling and partial least squares.

The outcomes specified that ERM has a positive and noteworthy influence on firms’ outcomes, and KM has a moderating influence on the correlation among ERM and firms’ outcomes.

The qualities, procedures and laws of the Malaysian corporations chosen as the sample firms, as well as their regulations, may not be representative of all other countries. Moreover, this study considered only one variable as a moderator, while there are many variables that different studies can consider as moderator or mediators.

The results of this research imply that employees’ awareness and knowledge of events, opportunities and risk, along with their engagement in the institute’s strategy, are critical for risk management and controlling. For the managers, the results of this research can be helpful to their businesses by identifying the effective KM capability that may enhance their positive outcomes. Managers and organizations can use KM as an instrument to increase ERM effect on firms’ outcomes.

KM and ERM are both significant intangible resources that are hard to imitate and are uniquely specified programs, which are important contributors to firm success in the long run. Moreover, the contingency theory of ERM was proved through the results of this study as it was identified in the public companies, that implementation of ERM as a strategic management practice, by organizations along with an effective KM may enhance the achievement of objectives and outcomes.

This study helps to measure ERM comprehensively and how intangible assets such as KM can affect the comprehensive risk management process and its effectiveness.

The COVID-19 pandemic severely affected business and entrepreneurship activities worldwide. This study aims to investigate the factors influencing entrepreneurship development in an emerging economy’s small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The researchers applied a quantitative approach to this study, which used cross-sectional data as the basis of its findings. The researchers used a questionnaire to obtain responses from general managers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) manufacturing industries.

Using structural equation modeling, the findings of the study suggest that, on the one hand, the fear of the COVID-19 pandemic and perceptions about its arrival had a negative impact on entrepreneurship development. On the other hand, stress and anxiety had no significant effect on entrepreneurship development.

This study’s findings guide policymakers, KSA’s government agents and industry owners to adopt preventive measures to limit fear, stress and anxiety associated with the expected complications of the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings also offer better solutions to controlling severe disturbances to the economic and social entrepreneurship of vulnerable startup companies, various SMEs and large-scale companies.

This study’s results reveal the severe complications of the COVID-19 pandemic and its remarkably devastating impact on entrepreneurship development.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the friction and wear mechanisms in lubricated sliding conditions of additively manufactured SS316L parts. The different viscous oils 5W30, 15W40, 20W50 and SAE140 are used. These investigations provide a theoretical basis for the high performance of printed and postheattreated SS316L.

Tribological tests were carried out on selective laser melting-made SS316L printed specimens and heat-treated specimens. The parameters in 15 min of test duration are 20 N of load, 200 rpm, 8 mm of pin diameter, 25 mm length, 80 mm of track diameter and EN31 counter disc body. This work presented the phenomena of lubrication regimes and their characterization, as identified by the Stribeck curve, and these regimes affect the tribological properties of additively manufactured SS316L under the influence of industrial viscous lubricants. The results are observed using Scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and wear tests.

The observations indicate that additively manufactured SS316L shows a reduced coefficient of friction (COF) and specific wear rate (SWR). This is credited to the utilization of different viscous lubricants.

This exclusive research demonstrates how various viscous lubricants affect the COF and SWR of printed and post-heat-treated SS316L parts. Lambda (λ), lubricant film thickness (h₀), surface roughness and wear mechanisms are studied and reported.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-04-2024-0110/