Abstract
Purpose
This study examines how and when group cohesion influences employee voice.
Design/methodology/approach
The sample comprises 215 employees from 41 workgroups in China. Multilevel path analyses were used to test the hypotheses.
Findings
The results show that group cohesion is positively related to employee voice. Group psychological safety mediates the positive relationship between group cohesion and employee voice. Further, high cohesion strength enhances the association of group cohesion with employee voice as well as the mediating effect of group cohesion on voice behavior through group psychological safety.
Research limitations/implications
This study employs a cross-sectional design and does not establish causal relationships among the variables examined. This study offers research implications because it adds to our knowledge on the situational antecedents of voice behavior.
Practical implications
The findings suggest that group cohesion plays an important role in influencing employee voice. To encourage employees to speak up, managers should pay attention to group cohesion in terms of both cohesion level and strength.
Originality/value
This study is the first to examine the mechanism and condition of the effect of group cohesion on employee voice, thus extending knowledge on the situational factors influencing voice behavior.
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Eugene Cheng-Xi Aw, Lai-Ying Leong, Jun-Jie Hew, Nripendra P. Rana, Teck Ming Tan and Teck-Weng Jee
Under the pressure of dynamic business environments, firms in the banking and finance industry are gradually embracing Fintech, such as robo-advisors, as part of their digital…
Abstract
Purpose
Under the pressure of dynamic business environments, firms in the banking and finance industry are gradually embracing Fintech, such as robo-advisors, as part of their digital transformation process. While robo-advisory services are expected to witness lucrative growth, challenges persist in the current landscape where most consumers are unready to adopt and even resist the new service. The study aims to investigate resistance to robo-advisors through the privacy and justice perspective. The human-like attributes are modeled as the antecedents to perceived justice, followed by the subsequent outcomes of privacy concerns, perceived intrusiveness and resistance.
Design/methodology/approach
An online survey was conducted to gather consumer responses about their perceptions of robo-advisors. Two hundred valid questionnaires were collected and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM).
Findings
The results revealed that (1) perceived anthropomorphism and perceived autonomy are the positive determinants of perceived justice, (2) perceived justice negatively impacts privacy concerns and perceived intrusiveness and (3) privacy concerns and perceived intrusiveness positively influence resistance to robo-advisors.
Originality/value
The present study contributes to robo-advisory service research by applying a privacy and justice perspective to explain consumer resistance to robo-advisors, thereby complementing past studies that focused on the technology acceptance paradigm. The study also offers practical implications for mitigating resistance to robo-advisors.
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Jie Ying Chua, Ryan Foo, Kim Hock Tan and Kum Fai Yuen
This study aims to study the resilience of the maritime industry by analyzing the impacts of COVID-19 on the maritime industry, in particular, on the shipping management aspect…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to study the resilience of the maritime industry by analyzing the impacts of COVID-19 on the maritime industry, in particular, on the shipping management aspect and offshore sector, investigate the effectiveness of current solutions and recommend future solutions for the industry to reduce or mitigate the negative impacts.
Design/methodology/approach
In order to better appreciate resilience in the maritime industry, the study conducted secondary research and semi-structured online interviews to (1) identify the impacts of COVID-19 on the shipping management and offshore sector, (2) analyze the effectiveness of current solutions and (3) provide some strategies to enhance the effectiveness of the current measures.
Findings
he results are congruent with existing literature which indicate that the pandemic has negatively affected the global economy, changed the global trade network and contributed to the sharp decline in demand for oil. In response to the pandemic, governments have implemented safety and health-related measures such as lockdown, safe-distancing and travel restrictions. Often, measures differ from countries to countries and these non-standardized and changing regulations further increase the challenges faced by the industry. From the shipping management perspective, the industry experienced issues such as crew changing, trade contraction and the expiration of shipping certificates, which supported and validated current research. Meanwhile, the offshore industry is challenged by the increasing market volatility and uncertainty, increasing need to source for alternative fuels and the declining oil exploration activities. Current strategies adopted by shipping management companies include crew change management, capacity management and the extension of ship certificates, whereas offshore industry chose to collaborate with oil majors.
Research limitations/implications
By identifying the impacts and challenges and studying the effectiveness of solutions adopted by the maritime industry, this paper allows maritime industry stakeholders and policymakers to develop strategies to mitigate the effects of the global health crisis and strengthen the resilience of the industry. However, as the pandemic continues to develop and evolve, strategies need to be reviewed continuously in response to the changing situations.
Originality/value
This research analyses the impacts and solutions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which contributes to the development and formulation of strategies to strengthen the resilience of maritime transport.
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Weiwei Zhu, Jinglin Wu, Ting Fu, Junhua Wang, Jie Zhang and Qiangqiang Shangguan
Efficient traffic incident management is needed to alleviate the negative impact of traffic incidents. Accurate and reliable estimation of traffic incident duration is of great…
Abstract
Purpose
Efficient traffic incident management is needed to alleviate the negative impact of traffic incidents. Accurate and reliable estimation of traffic incident duration is of great importance for traffic incident management. Previous studies have proposed models for traffic incident duration prediction; however, most of these studies focus on the total duration and could not update prediction results in real-time. From a traveler’s perspective, the relevant factor is the residual duration of the impact of the traffic incident. Besides, few (if any) studies have used dynamic traffic flow parameters in the prediction models. This paper aims to propose a framework to fill these gaps.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper proposes a framework based on the multi-layer perception (MLP) and long short-term memory (LSTM) model. The proposed methodology integrates traffic incident-related factors and real-time traffic flow parameters to predict the residual traffic incident duration. To validate the effectiveness of the framework, traffic incident data and traffic flow data from Shanghai Zhonghuan Expressway are used for modeling training and testing.
Findings
Results show that the model with 30-min time window and taking both traffic volume and speed as inputs performed best. The area under the curve values exceed 0.85 and the prediction accuracies exceed 0.75. These indicators demonstrated that the model is appropriate for this study context. The model provides new insights into traffic incident duration prediction.
Research limitations/implications
The incident samples applied by this study might not be enough and the variables are not abundant. The number of injuries and casualties, more detailed description of the incident location and other variables are expected to be used to characterize the traffic incident comprehensively. The framework needs to be further validated through a sufficiently large number of variables and locations.
Practical implications
The framework can help reduce the impacts of incidents on the safety of efficiency of road traffic once implemented in intelligent transport system and traffic management systems in future practical applications.
Originality/value
This study uses two artificial neural network methods, MLP and LSTM, to establish a framework aiming at providing accurate and time-efficient information on traffic incident duration in the future for transportation operators and travelers. This study will contribute to the deployment of emergency management and urban traffic navigation planning.
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Xi Wang, Yiqing Liao, Chuyao Liu and Jie Zheng
By applying the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) model to virtual art exhibitions, this research aims to reveal insights into the factors impacting visitor satisfaction…
Abstract
Purpose
By applying the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) model to virtual art exhibitions, this research aims to reveal insights into the factors impacting visitor satisfaction and electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM). Furthermore, the investigation of exhibition promotion seeks to understand how external factors contribute to the overall visitor experience in virtual art exhibitions.
Design/methodology/approach
With advancements in virtual communication technology and the transformative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in recent years, there has been a notable surge in the popularity of virtual art exhibitions based on the Internet. This study uses the ACSI model to examine visitor satisfaction and e-WOM in virtual art exhibitions. Additionally, it explores the influence of exhibition promotion on the ACSI model.
Findings
Key findings revealed that 1) both promotion efforts and e-WOM exhibited significant relationships with the ACSI model, and 2) most of the relationships within the ACSI model were consistent with previous research outcomes.
Originality/value
This study extends the ACSI model’s application to virtual art exhibitions, enhancing its relevance. Additionally, it addresses the knowledge gap concerning the direct impact of promotion on audience expectations and its relationship with the ACSI model in virtual art exhibitions. Furthermore, the research explores the influence of customer satisfaction on electronic word-of-mouth in exhibitions, offering valuable insights for exhibition evaluation systems. The study serves as a guide, providing data and models for researchers investigating virtual art exhibitions.
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Xiaodong Zhang, Xiaohua Jie, Liuyan Zhang, Song Luo and Qiongbin Zheng
This paper aims to discuss that a WC/Co-Cr alloy coating was applied to the surface of H13 steel by laser cladding.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to discuss that a WC/Co-Cr alloy coating was applied to the surface of H13 steel by laser cladding.
Design/methodology/approach
The oxidation behavior of the WC/Co-Cr alloy coating at 600°C was investigated by comparing it with the performance of the steel substrate to better understand the thermal stability of H13 steel.
Findings
The results showed that the WC/Co-Cr alloy coating exhibited better high-temperature oxidation resistance and thermal stability than did uncoated H13 steel. The coated H13 steel had a lower mass gain rate and higher microhardness than did the substrate after different oxidation times.
Originality/value
The WC/Co-Cr alloy coating was composed of e-Co, CW3, Co6W6C, Cr23C6 and Cr7C3; this mixture offered good thermal stability and better high-temperature oxidation resistance.
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Pipelines are seriously corroded due to the close distance between pipelines and high voltage transmission lines. The purpose of this paper is to study the influence of…
Abstract
Purpose
Pipelines are seriously corroded due to the close distance between pipelines and high voltage transmission lines. The purpose of this paper is to study the influence of alternating current (AC) on corrosion behavior of X80 pipeline steel in coastal soil solution.
Design/methodology/approach
The corrosion behavior of X80 steel under different AC densities in coastal soil solution was investigated by electrochemical measurements and image processing technology. Furthermore, a quantitative description model of AC corrosion through fractal dimension of corrosion image was established.
Findings
The results show that under low AC density the X80 steel is mainly uniform corrosion, and once AC density reaches 150 A/m2, the corrosion morphology gradually turns to pitting corrosion with irregular circle. For another aspect, the fractal dimension of corrosion images shows that the two/three-dimensional fractal dimension increase with the increase of AC density, presenting a linear and an exponential relationship respectively. In addition, the variation of the three-dimensional fractal dimension is the same as that of average corrosion rate. The threshold of the increasing trend of fractal dimension as well as corrosion type is 150 A/m2.
Originality/value
The investigation provides a quantitative method to describe AC corrosion morphology through fractal dimension. Furthermore, the method is of benefit to process corrosion images automatically.
Details
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Yu Zhang, Wang Zhang and Jie Wang
In the context of the digital age, this study aims to investigate the impact of citizens' digital participation on the scientific and democratic decision-making processes of the…
Abstract
Purpose
In the context of the digital age, this study aims to investigate the impact of citizens' digital participation on the scientific and democratic decision-making processes of the government. Specifically, the authors focus on the factors influencing citizens' digital participation, with a particular emphasis on their digital skills.
Design/methodology/approach
Exploring the influence of citizens' digital skills on their digital participation is of great practical significance for eliminating the digital divide and for promoting a life characterized by enriched digital interactions with the public. This study selected the social consciousness survey database of Chinese netizens in 2017, used ordered Probit and OLS models, and comprehensively used the instrumental variable method (IV), causal stepwise regression method and bootstrap method to empirically verify and construct a mechanism model of the influence of digital skills on citizens' digital participation.
Findings
The empirical findings indicate a noteworthy positive association between citizens' proficiency in digital skills and their active engagement in digital activities. This relationship is positively mediated by factors such as political interest and attention to social issues, underscoring their role in encouraging greater digital participation. Conversely, national identity exhibits a counteractive influence on this mechanism, potentially discouraging digital engagement. Notably, the impact of digital skill mastery on digital participation is more pronounced among non-elderly individuals and those residing in metropolitan areas, highlighting the significance of demographic characteristics in this context.
Originality/value
These research results can help the government and other organizations make better decisions and facilitate improvement of citizens' digital participation by promoting their mastery of digital skills.
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To examine the nature of Chinese business negotiating style in Sino‐Western business negotiations in business‐to‐business markets involving large industrial projects from a social…
Abstract
Purpose
To examine the nature of Chinese business negotiating style in Sino‐Western business negotiations in business‐to‐business markets involving large industrial projects from a social cultural point of view.
Design/methodology/approach
A conceptual approach developed from personal interviews.
Findings
This study reveals that the Chinese negotiator does not possess an absolute negotiating style but rather embraces a mixture of different roles together: “Maoist bureaucrat in learning”, “Confucian gentleman”, and “Sun Tzu‐like strategist”. The Chinese negotiating strategy is essentially a combination of cooperation and competition (termed as the “coop‐comp” negotiation strategy in this study). Trust is the ultimate indicator of Chinese negotiating propensities and role choices.
Research limitations/implications
The focus of this study is on Chinese negotiating style shown in large B2B negotiations with Chinese SOEs.
Originality/value
Differing from most other studies on Chinese negotiating style which tend to depict the Chinese negotiator as either sincere or deceptive, this study points out that there exists an intrinsic paradox in Chinese negotiating style which reflects the Yin Yang thinking. The Chinese negotiator has a cultural capacity to negotiate both sincerely and deceptively and he/she changes coping strategies according to situation and context, all depending on the level of trust between negotiating partners.