Dawit Bahta, Jiang Yun, Md Rashidul Islam and Muhammad Ashfaq
The purpose of this paper is to examine corporate social responsibility (CSR) and its effect on small and medium enterprises’ (SMEs) innovation capability and financial…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine corporate social responsibility (CSR) and its effect on small and medium enterprises’ (SMEs) innovation capability and financial performance from the perspective of a developing country. It also aims to explore the role of innovation capability as a mediating factor in the linkage between CSR and SMEs’ financial performance.
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire was distributed among managers/owners of the sampled companies. Using a data set of 402 Eritrean firms and partial least squares structural equation modeling, direct and mediating effects were tested.
Findings
The result reveals that CSR has a positive and significant effect on the financial performance and innovation capability of SEMs. Besides, innovation capability has a positive and significant effect on the business performance of SMEs. The result also supports a partial mediation effect of innovation capability on the association between CSR and firm performance.
Practical implications
The findings from this research could enhance the awareness of the entrepreneurs, researchers and policymakers on CSR-SMEs’ relationship and help understand the importance of CSR as a crucial driver mechanism for companies to become more innovative and competitive.
Originality/value
By empirically examining the relationship between CSR, innovation capability and performance in SMEs, this study contributes to the ongoing scholarly discussion on the linkage between CSR and financial performance. Also, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, no other study investigated the mediating role of innovation capability on the link between CSR activities and firms’ financial performance in SMEs from a developing country perspective, making substantial contributions to research in terms of theory, practice and policy.
Details
Keywords
Jin‐jiang Wang, Jiang‐yun Zeng, Xutao Mo, Ren Li, Peng Wang, Wen‐yao Liu and Ming Liu
The brake connector of an automobile is one important part in the brake system. How to measure the matching surface quality is a problem, because the matching surface is a cone…
Abstract
Purpose
The brake connector of an automobile is one important part in the brake system. How to measure the matching surface quality is a problem, because the matching surface is a cone surface and has a deep aperture structure.
Design/methodology/approach
A new measurement system is presented which could assure illumination and image with a special beam splitter. The worker could observe the matching surface by better image.
Findings
More objective evaluation is given with image processing method.
Research limitations/implications
Now, this measurement system is used by Toyota (Tianjin) company and satisfied result is obtained.
Originality/value
This paper is an original work and focuses on an important issue in automobile production.
Details
Keywords
Hui Zhang, Jinwen Tan, Chenyang Zhao, Zhicong Liang, Li Liu, Hang Zhong and Shaosheng Fan
This paper aims to solve the problem between detection efficiency and performance in grasp commodities rapidly. A fast detection and grasping method based on improved faster R-CNN…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to solve the problem between detection efficiency and performance in grasp commodities rapidly. A fast detection and grasping method based on improved faster R-CNN is purposed and applied to the mobile manipulator to grab commodities on the shelf.
Design/methodology/approach
To reduce the time cost of algorithm, a new structure of neural network based on faster R CNN is designed. To select the anchor box reasonably according to the data set, the data set-adaptive algorithm for choosing anchor box is presented; multiple models of ten types of daily objects are trained for the validation of the improved faster R-CNN. The proposed algorithm is deployed to the self-developed mobile manipulator, and three experiments are designed to evaluate the proposed method.
Findings
The result indicates that the proposed method is successfully performed on the mobile manipulator; it not only accomplishes the detection effectively but also grasps the objects on the shelf successfully.
Originality/value
The proposed method can improve the efficiency of faster R-CNN, maintain excellent performance, meet the requirement of real-time detection, and the self-developed mobile manipulator can accomplish the task of grasping objects.
Details
Keywords
The purpose of this paper is to compare the sensing characteristics of uniform fiber Bragg grating (FBG) and tilted fiber Bragg grating (TFBG) by presenting a detailed research…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to compare the sensing characteristics of uniform fiber Bragg grating (FBG) and tilted fiber Bragg grating (TFBG) by presenting a detailed research review. Temperature, axial strain, bending, vibration and refractive index measurands of FBG and TFBG sensor are presented and some significant differences are found.
Design/methodology/approach
Theoretical analysis and practical application in engineering are investigated and compared from other authors' research papers and self analysis. Spectra behavior of both FBG and TFBG are discussed.
Findings
There are found to be significant differences in temperature, axial strain, bending, vibration and refractive index sensing characteristics of FBG and TFBG.
Originality/value
The paper's analysis is comprehensive and clear and provides readers with the sensing characteristics of FBG and TFBG in detail.
Details
Keywords
The inclusion of esports as an official event in the Hangzhou Asian Games is an important step towards the institutionalisation of esports. The significance of this event marks…
Abstract
The inclusion of esports as an official event in the Hangzhou Asian Games is an important step towards the institutionalisation of esports. The significance of this event marks that Asia once again takes a lead in the global esportisation. This chapter investigates a series of history events in the inclusion process of esports into the comprehensive Games in Asia using process sociology and actor network theory (ANT). This study will analyse the type characteristics of esports events in Hangzhou Asian Games, whilst examining how key stakeholders' interact and balance in the network composed of international sports organisations, host of the event, emerging esports organisations and esports game companies. The chapter also examines the functions of global game industrial economic geography, local cultural politics, esports geopolitics and Olympic values in esports sportization, aiming to reveal the implications of esports inclusion in the Asian Games on the debate of whether esports meets the criteria to be classified as a ‘sport’ and its enlightenment of digital strategy to the inclusion esports in the Olympics.
Details
Keywords
Abstract
Details
Keywords
Wang Jin‐Jiang, Wang Zheng, Mo Xu‐Tao, Wang Peng, Liu Ming, Ren Li, Zhu Yue, Zhang Fang and Liu Wen‐Yao
Film is an important recording medium in industry. How to ensure film quality is a problem, because the film is produced in a dark room. Aims to focus on this.
Abstract
Purpose
Film is an important recording medium in industry. How to ensure film quality is a problem, because the film is produced in a dark room. Aims to focus on this.
Design/methodology/approach
An inspection system based on machine vision is presented which could assure illumination and imaging at 940 nm which is safe for film.
Findings
An objective evaluation is given using an image processing method and satisfactory results are obtained. Now, the inspection system is used by the biggest film company in China.
Originality/value
This work focuses on an important issue in film production.
Details
Keywords
Xiaofeng Su, Shuping Zhang and Yifan Feng
The development of regional public brands for agricultural products necessitates compelling narratives that resonate deeply with consumers. Given the distinctiveness of…
Abstract
Purpose
The development of regional public brands for agricultural products necessitates compelling narratives that resonate deeply with consumers. Given the distinctiveness of agricultural products, consumers prioritize the inherent connection to roots and heritage when making purchasing decisions. Therefore, crafting brand narratives must emphasize this root appeal, namely, consumers’ information appeal preference, to positively influence consumers’ brand perceptions and underscore the value of regional public brands. This study investigates this phenomenon through the lens of cue utilization theory.
Design/methodology/approach
Four experiments were conducted for this purpose. Study 1 examined the stimulus materials for brand story type (typical vs atypical). The purpose of study 2 was to verify whether the experimental material could be used to categorize participants' information appeal preferences (geographic vs cultural). Study 3 employed a between-subjects design with a 2 (brand story: typical vs atypical) × 2 (consumers’ information appeal preferences: cultural vs geographic) factorial design. Study 4 used a between-subjects design of 2 (brand story: typical and atypical) × 2 (consumers’ information appeal preferences: cultural vs geographic) × 2 (culturally derived power perception: individual and social).
Findings
The findings indicated that the type of brand story and consumers’ information appeal preferences interact with consumers’ brand attitudes toward regional public brands for agricultural products. In addition, a sense of place was found to mediate the interaction between the type of brand story and consumers’ information appeal preferences. Furthermore, culturally derived power perceptions moderated this mechanism.
Originality/value
This study offers valuable insights into marketing regional public brands for agricultural products by categorizing their brand stories into typical and non-typical narratives.
Details
Keywords
Natalia García-Fernández, Manuel Aenlle, Adrián Álvarez-Vázquez, Miguel Muniz-Calvente and Pelayo Fernández
The purpose of this study is to review the existing fatigue and vibration-based structural health monitoring techniques and highlight the advantages of combining both approaches.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to review the existing fatigue and vibration-based structural health monitoring techniques and highlight the advantages of combining both approaches.
Design/methodology/approach
Fatigue monitoring requires a fatigue model of the material, the stresses at specific points of the structure, a cycle counting technique and a fatigue damage criterion. Firstly, this paper reviews existing structural health monitoring (SHM) techniques, addresses their principal classifications and presents the main characteristics of each technique, with a particular emphasis on modal-based methodologies. Automated modal analysis, damage detection and localisation techniques are also reviewed. Fatigue monitoring is an SHM technique which evaluate the structural fatigue damage in real time. Stress estimation techniques and damage accumulation models based on the S-N field and the Miner rule are also reviewed in this paper.
Findings
A vast amount of research has been carried out in the field of SHM. The literature about fatigue calculation, fatigue testing, fatigue modelling and remaining fatigue life is also extensive. However, the number of publications related to monitor the fatigue process is scarce. A methodology to perform real-time structural fatigue monitoring, in both time and frequency domains, is presented.
Originality/value
Fatigue monitoring can be combined (applied simultaneously) with other vibration-based SHM techniques, which might significantly increase the reliability of the monitoring techniques.