Boyang Qu, Peng Zhang, Jianmin Luo, Shie Yang and Yongsheng Chen
The purpose of this paper is to investigate a light-trapping structure based on Ag nanograting for amorphous silicon (a-Si) thin-film solar cell. Silver nanopillar arrays on…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate a light-trapping structure based on Ag nanograting for amorphous silicon (a-Si) thin-film solar cell. Silver nanopillar arrays on indium tin oxide layer of the a-Si thin-film solar cells were designed.
Design/methodology/approach
The effects of the geometrical parameters such as nanopillar radius (R) and array period (P) were investigated by using the finite element simulation.
Findings
The optimization results show that the absorption of the solar cell with Ag nanopillar structure and anti-reflection film is enhanced up to 29.5 per cent under AM1.5 illumination in the 300- to 800-nm wavelength range compared with the reference cell. Furthermore, physical mechanisms of absorption enhancement at different wavelength range are discussed according to the electrical field amplitude distributions in the solar cells.
Research limitations/implications
The research is still in progress. Further studies mainly focus on the performance of solar cells with different nanograting materials.
Practical implications
This study provides a feasible method for light-trapping structure based on Ag nanograting for a-Si thin-film solar cell.
Originality/value
This study is promising for the design of a-Si thin-film solar cells with enhanced performance.
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Wei Li, Hewen Ming and Jianmin Song
Although the published studies have noted that ambidextrous marketing capabilities (AMCs) could improve firm performance, they seem to ignore the differences between mature…
Abstract
Purpose
Although the published studies have noted that ambidextrous marketing capabilities (AMCs) could improve firm performance, they seem to ignore the differences between mature corporations and new ventures (NVs). Generally, it is impossible for NVs to simultaneously possess two types of marketing capabilities such as marketing exploitation and marketing exploration. They have to make a trade-off between the present market and the future market. This paper seeks to investigate the causal relationship between AMCs (exploitation-dominated AMCs and exploration-dominated AMCs) and entrepreneurial performance in the context of NVs. Furthermore, this paper attempts to explore the internal interaction of entrepreneurial orientation and the external interaction of competitive intensity.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper develops a theoretical framework according to configuration theory and investigates the causal relationship between AMCs (exploration-dominated AMCs and exploitation-dominated AMCs) and entrepreneurial performance as well as the moderating roles played by entrepreneurial orientation and competitive intensity based on the survey data collected from 257 Chinese NVs.
Findings
The results show that both the exploration-dominated AMCs and the exploitation-dominated AMCs have significant positive effects on entrepreneurial performance. However, the moderating roles played by entrepreneurial orientation and competitive intensity in the causal relationships are different and complicated. Specifically, entrepreneurial orientation negatively moderates the relationship between exploitation-dominated AMCs and entrepreneurial performance and positively moderates the relationship between exploration-dominated AMCs and entrepreneurial performance; competitive intensity positively moderates the relationship between exploitation-dominated AMCs and entrepreneurial performance and negatively moderates the relationship between exploration-dominated AMCs and entrepreneurial performance.
Originality/value
This paper plays a pioneering role in enriching the theoretical connotation of AMCs, improving the theoretical framework of AMCs and expanding the theoretical application of AMCs by analyzing and confirming the causal relationships between AMCs and entrepreneurial performance in the context of NVs, which is different from the previous studies. In addition, this paper also makes a valuable contribution to management practices, such as leading NVs, to match different types of AMCs with internal and external conditions for improving entrepreneurial performance.
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Qinghua Xia, Yi Xie, Shuchuan Hu and Jianmin Song
Under extensive pressure from normal market competition, frequent technological change and extreme exogenous shock, firms are facing severe challenge nowadays. How to withstand…
Abstract
Purpose
Under extensive pressure from normal market competition, frequent technological change and extreme exogenous shock, firms are facing severe challenge nowadays. How to withstand discontinuous crises and respond to normal risks through improving resilience (RE) is an important question worth researching. Thus, drawing on the strategic entrepreneurship theory, the purpose of this study is exploring the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and RE, and combining digitization to discuss the role of digital business capability (DBC), digital business model innovation (DBMI) and environmental hostility (EH).
Design/methodology/approach
Based on survey data from 203 Chinese firms, using the methods of linear regression and bootstrap to test our hypothesis. Furthermore, fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (FsQCA) is used to identify previously unknown combinations which lead to strong/weak RE in digital context.
Findings
First, EO positively influenced DBC and RE. Second, DBMI promoted RE, DBC and DBMI served as sequential mediators that linked EO and RE. Third, EH positively moderated the effects of EO on RE. Further the study revealed that different configuration of DBMI and dimensions of EO and DBC can explain RE.
Originality/value
The study explains mechanism of RE from perspective of digitization. The conclusion is good for further consolidating strategic entrepreneurship theory, and providing a new frame for firms to build the ability of antifragile.
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Mengxi Yang, Wansi Chen, Qingyu Zhou, Baiyin Yang and Cheng Xu
China after 1949, especially since entering the 21st century, significant progress has been made in leadership research under Chinese context. However, so far there has been no…
Abstract
Purpose
China after 1949, especially since entering the 21st century, significant progress has been made in leadership research under Chinese context. However, so far there has been no systematic review and prospect of China's leadership research in the past 70 years. Therefore, with the help of scientific visualization software Citespace, this paper analyzes the research papers on leadership in the context of China from the top international journals of management science and applied psychology (1949–2018), supplemented and verified the previous research conclusions based on qualitative review, and quantitatively demonstrated the research evolution of leadership field.
Design Methodology Approach
Using a scientific visualization tool CiteSpace and 145 international leadership works, which were published in 64 top international journals and collected from the Web of Science database, and 852 domestic works which were published in 28 top domestic journals and collected from the CNKI database from 1949 to 2018, we draws keyword co-occurrence knowledge graph and keyword strategy map to visualize the landscape and evolution of leadership research and analyze the hot topics and research trends in the field of leadership.
Findings
The research found that: (1) Before 2002, there were only 7 articles published in 64 international top journal, mainly focusing on Western leadership theories such as transformational, cross-cultural comparison and the adaptability in Chinese context; (2) From 2003 to 2012, scholars had begun to introduce mainstream quantitative research paradigm in international academic community; (3) From 2013 to 2018, researches tended to be synchronized, with 461 and 99 papers published respectively. How emerging leaderships (such as ethical leadership) affect on various emerging outcome variables (such as creativity, voice behavior, unethical pro-organizational behavior etc.) is hot topic for future research.
Originality Value
Different from the previous qualitative reviews on organizational culture research, this paper, for the first time, uses bibliometric research methods to systematically analyze the evolution path of leadership research during the 70 years of China(1949–2018, and puts forward the future research prospects.
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Qilan Li, Zhiya Zuo, Yang Zhang and Xi Wang
Since the opening of China (aka, reform and opening-up), a great number of rural residents have migrated to large cities in the past 40 years. Such a one-way population inflow to…
Abstract
Purpose
Since the opening of China (aka, reform and opening-up), a great number of rural residents have migrated to large cities in the past 40 years. Such a one-way population inflow to urban areas introduces nontrivial social conflicts between urban natives and migrant workers. This study aims to investigate the most discussed topics about migrant workers on Sina Weibo along with the corresponding sentiment divergence.
Design/methodology/approach
An exploratory-descriptive-explanatory research methodology is employed. The study explores the main topics on migrant workers discussed in social media via manual annotation. Subsequently, guided LDA, a semi-supervised topic modeling approach, is applied to describe the overall topical landscape. Finally, the authors verify their theoretical predictions with respect to the sentiment divergence pattern for each topic, using regression analysis.
Findings
The study identifies three most discussed topics on migrant workers, namely wage default, employment support and urban/rural development. The regression analysis reveals different diffusion patterns contingent on the nature of each topic. In particular, this study finds a positive association between urban/rural development and the sentiment divergence, while wage default exhibits an opposite relationship with sentiment divergence.
Originality/value
The authors combine unique characteristics of social media with well-established theories of social identity and framing, which are applied more to off-line contexts, to study a unique phenomenon of migrant workers in China. From a practical perspective, the results provide implications for the governance of urbanization-related social conflicts.
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Le Yun, Jingyuan Wan, Ge Wang, Ju Bai and Bing Zhang
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the relationship between the demographic characteristics of top management teams (TMTs) (i.e. age, gender, administrative level, senior…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the relationship between the demographic characteristics of top management teams (TMTs) (i.e. age, gender, administrative level, senior management experience and educational background) and megaproject performance, with respect to schedule, cost, quality, safety and technological innovation. The results shed new light on the effectiveness of different types of TMT.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper collected secondary and objective data from 208 TMT members in 42 megaprojects and employed hierarchical regression analysis to test the research hypotheses.
Findings
The findings revealed that age has a significant influence on schedule performance; gender has a significant influence on safety performance; senior management experience has a significant influence on cost performance; and educational background has a significant influence on both schedule and technological innovation performance. However, this study did not find evidence of a significant relationship between the administrative level and megaproject performance.
Research limitations/implications
This paper mainly focused on China’s megaprojects, most of which are globally influential (e.g. Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge and Shanghai Expo), however this sampling approach still limits the generalizability of research findings to other contexts.
Originality/value
The results of this paper contribute to a better understanding of how management team capabilities translate into better project achievements. This paper also provides implications on the criteria for selecting top megaproject managers to optimize the composition of the TMT and realize better performance.
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Syed Asif Raza and Abdul Hameed
The findings of this study have lightened the focal research areas in maintenance planning and scheduling. These also served as effective guidelines for future studies in this…
Abstract
Purpose
The findings of this study have lightened the focal research areas in maintenance planning and scheduling. These also served as effective guidelines for future studies in this area. This research, therefore, contributes in fulfilling the gap by carrying out an SLR of contemporary research studies in the area of models for maintenance planning and scheduling. At present, SLR rooted in BA has not been carried focusing on a survey over models for maintenance planning and scheduling. SLR uses advanced scientific methodologies from BA tools to unveil thematic structures.
Design/methodology/approach
We have systematically reviewed over 1,021 peer-reviewed journal articles. Advanced contemporary tools from Bibliometric Analysis (BA) are used to perform a Systematic Literature Review (SLR). First, exploratory analysis is presented, highlighting the influential authors, sources and region amongst other key indices. Second, the large bibliographical data is visualized using co-citation network analyses, and research clusters (themes) are identified. The co-citation network is extended into a dynamic co-citation network and unveils the evolution of the research clusters. Last, cluster-based content analysis and historiographical analysis is carried out to predict the prospect of future research studies.
Findings
BA tools first outlined an exploratory analysis that noted influential authors, production countries, top-cited papers and frequent keywords. Later, the bibliometric data of over 1,021 documents is visualized using co-citation network analyses. Later, a dynamic co-citation analysis identified the evolution of research clusters over time. A historiographical direct citation analysis also unveils potential research directions. We have clearly observed that there are two main streams of maintenance planning and scheduling applications. The first has focused on joint maintenance and operations on machines. The second focused on integrated production and maintenance models in an echelon setting for unrealizable production facilities.
Originality/value
There are many literature review-based research studies that have contributed to maintenance scheduling research surveys. However, most studies have adopted traditional approaches, which often fall short in handling large bibliometric data and therefore suffer from selection biases from the authors. As a result, in this area, the existing reviews could be non-comprehensive. This study bridges the research gap by conducting an SLR of maintenance models, which to the best of our knowledge, has not been carried out before this study.
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N'Banan Ouattara, Xueping Xiong, Abdelrahman Ali, Dessalegn Anshiso Sedebo, Trazié Bertrand Athanase Youan Bi and Zié Ballo
This study examines the impact of agricultural credit on rice farmers' technical efficiency (TE) in Côte d'Ivoire by considering the heterogeneity among credit sources.
Abstract
Purpose
This study examines the impact of agricultural credit on rice farmers' technical efficiency (TE) in Côte d'Ivoire by considering the heterogeneity among credit sources.
Design/methodology/approach
A multistage sampling technique was used to collect data from 588 randomly sampled rice farmers in seven rice areas of the country. The authors use the endogenous stochastic frontier production (ESFP) model to account for the endogeneity of access to agricultural credit.
Findings
On the one hand, agricultural credit has a significant and positive impact on rice farmers' TE. Rice farmers receiving agricultural credit have an average of 5% increase in their TE, confirming the positive impact of agricultural credit on TE. On the other hand, the study provides evidence that the impact of credit on rice production efficiency differs depending on the source of credit. Borrowing from agricultural cooperatives and paddy rice buyers/processors positively and significantly influences the TE, while borrowing from microfinance institutions (MFIs) negatively and significantly influences the TE. Moreover, borrowing from relatives/friends does not significantly influence TE.
Research limitations/implications
Future research can further explore the contribution of agricultural credit by including several agricultural productions and using panel data.
Originality/value
The study provides evidence that the impact of agricultural credit on agricultural production efficiency depends on the source of credit. This study contributes to the literature on the impact of agricultural credit and enlightens policymakers in the design of agricultural credit models in developing countries, particularly Côte d'Ivoire.