Jihong Zhou and Peerayuth Charoensukmongkol
This study aims to draw on the categorization theory to explore the mediating role of customer qualification skills in explaining how social media use in sales contributes to…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to draw on the categorization theory to explore the mediating role of customer qualification skills in explaining how social media use in sales contributes to salespeople’s adaptive selling behaviors to achieve high sales performance in export selling. The study also integrates network effect theory and social linguistics theory to identify the specific social media platform (Facebook versus non-Facebook) and the characteristics of salespeople in terms of English language proficiency, which play a facilitating role in promoting the effectiveness of social media use in export sales.
Design/methodology/approach
The sampling frame of the research is a list of Chinese export salespersons obtained on the FOB Business Forum website. Survey data were obtained from 873 Chinese export salespeople. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was performed to analyze the data.
Findings
Social media use in sales is associated positively with customer qualification skills and adaptive selling behaviors. Moreover, the results revealed a partial mediating effect of customer qualification skills on the positive impact of social media use in sales on adaptive selling behaviors. The moderating effect analysis found that the positive association between social media use in sales and customer qualification skills was stronger in export salespeople who used Facebook and had mastered a high level of English language proficiency.
Originality/value
This study provides new findings, based on data collected from salespeople in Mainland China, that support the effectiveness of social media use in an export sales context. Moreover, the study advances prior research by showing that the effectiveness of social media use still depends on the type of social media used and the English language proficiency of the salespeople.
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Jihong Guan, Jiaogen Zhou and Shuigeng Zhou
The rapidly emerging of Mobile Internet and the constantly increasing of wireless subscribers' number bring new opportunities and challenges to geographic information sharing and…
Abstract
The rapidly emerging of Mobile Internet and the constantly increasing of wireless subscribers' number bring new opportunities and challenges to geographic information sharing and accessing. Current Web GISs, which are accessed by using connection based approaches, are very inefficient in fulfilling the requirements of GIS applications under open, dynamic, heterogeneous and distributed computing environments such as (Mobile) Internet. In this paper, we propose a new system for accessing and sharing distributed geographic information by using mobile agent and GML technologies, in which mobile agents are used to overcome the limitations of traditional distributed computing paradigms in (mobile) Internet context and GML is adopted as the common format for spatial information wrapping and mediation, while SVG is used as a web‐map publishing format that can be processed and displayed in Web browser. A prototype is implemented, which demonstrates the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method.
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Developing waterway-waterway transfer is an important path for Shanghai's container logistics to innovate service models. Taicang Express Line, a typical case of service model…
Abstract
Developing waterway-waterway transfer is an important path for Shanghai's container logistics to innovate service models. Taicang Express Line, a typical case of service model innovation, plays an important role in elevating the standing of Shanghai Port as a container hub port and in developing China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone. From the three dominant transfer service models, the waterway-waterway transfer for container logistics of Taicang Express Line has the traits and experience in streamlining logistics processes, innovating logistics clearance models, saving logistics operating costs, offering port logistics cooperation experience for replications and promoting integration of regional port logistics resources. However, it also harbors issues in infrastructure construction, staffing, container resources allocation and transportation, transportation efficiency and policy innovation. In the future, efforts should be invested to strengthening the construction and staffing of port logistics infrastructure, optimizing the container resources allocation and transport of port logistics systems, improving the logistics transportation efficiency of Taicang Express Line, and pushing forward innovation of the synergistic policy mechanism for regional port logistics.
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Developing waterway-waterway transfer is an important path for Shanghai's container logistics to innovate service models. Taicang Express Line, a typical case of service model…
Abstract
Developing waterway-waterway transfer is an important path for Shanghai's container logistics to innovate service models. Taicang Express Line, a typical case of service model innovation, plays an important role in elevating the standing of Shanghai Port as a container hub port and in developing China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone. From the three dominant transfer service models, the waterway-waterway transfer for container logistics of Taicang Express Line has the traits and experience in streamlining logistics processes, innovating logistics clearance models, saving logistics operating costs, offering port logistics cooperation experience for replications and promoting integration of regional port logistics resources. However, it also harbors issues in infrastructure construction, staffing, container resources allocation and transportation, transportation efficiency and policy innovation. In the future, efforts should be invested to strengthening the construction and staffing of port logistics infrastructure, optimizing the container resources allocation and transport of port logistics systems, improving the logistics transportation efficiency of Taicang Express Line, and pushing forward innovation of the synergistic policy mechanism for regional port logistics.
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Ren Hong, Wang Runyuan and Du Yongjie
In the context of exploring and implementing China's new urbanization, green eco-city have become a transformation model for urban development. Sharpening green buildings in the…
Abstract
In the context of exploring and implementing China's new urbanization, green eco-city have become a transformation model for urban development. Sharpening green buildings in the construction industry can significantly influence and determine China's economic growth trends, as well as the growth and overall development of its national economy. However, current green eco-city still lack appropriate standards and scientific theoretical basis to determine the target star program of green buildings. To fully implement the green building standards, establish and improve a sound technical standard system for the construction of green building demonstration areas, this study considers the spatial layout of green buildings as the core, adopts a plot potential evaluation method for evaluating a few green building plots, and utilizes four factors in verifying plots with great star potential. The study also establishes a system to calculate the star proportion of green buildings and applies the system in calculating the green building ratio of GM New District. Results indicate that the system can quantitatively analyze a plot potential, calculate the star proportion of green buildings scientifically and rationally, and provide some references for the construction of eco-city and the preparation of special planning for green buildings. The system construction is conducive to provide technical support for the construction of green eco-city. The improved system can be applied in the green building demonstration areas in China, and will be a reference model of constructing green building demonstration areas in the country.
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The current paper aims to provide insights into the determinants associated with job satisfaction among police administrative (personnel) officers in Taiwan, especially both…
Abstract
Purpose
The current paper aims to provide insights into the determinants associated with job satisfaction among police administrative (personnel) officers in Taiwan, especially both internal organizational predictors and unique external predictors related to the Chinese cultural context.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were gathered from police administrative officers across major and medium-sized police agencies in Taiwan. Multiple regression models were employed to analyze the relationship between both internal factors to the organization (e.g. workplace fairness, supervisor support, self-efficacy) and external factors (related to traditional Chinese culture and its expectations) and job satisfaction.
Findings
The external factors of work-family life balance and financial benefits are strong predictors, emphasizing the cultural significance of family harmony and financial stability in Taiwanese society. This finding challenges the prevailing notion in the literature that the primary source of job satisfaction among police officers is derived from internal organizational factors. Collectively, the findings concluded the multi-faceted determinants of job satisfaction among administrative officers in Taiwan, intertwining both individual and internal organizational factors with broader external cultural influences.
Practical implications
This study investigated the job satisfaction among administrative officers who play a key role in a police department. The findings showed that external factors exert a significant impact on job satisfaction. This offers a new frontier to examine job satisfaction among not only administrative officers but also patrol officers in Taiwan and Asian countries. In addition, training courses can be developed and focus on work-family relations when officers are off duty.
Originality/value
While previous research has extensively explored job satisfaction among police officers in various roles and countries, by integrating internal organizational and external predictors, this study pioneers the focus on “police administrative officers” within Taiwanese police agencies.
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Yang Xuexia, Lao Jihong and Chen Hui
The removing of oil from waste silk is carried out widely by microbial fermentation. However, it is difficult to remove the oil completely. In this study, surfactants were used to…
Abstract
The removing of oil from waste silk is carried out widely by microbial fermentation. However, it is difficult to remove the oil completely. In this study, surfactants were used to enhance microbial oil removing. In seven of the surfactants that were tested, 0.1% of the anionic surfactants inhibited the growth of bacteria and 0.1% of the nonionic surfactants partially inhibited the growth of bacteria. When only the surfactant was used to remove oil, all of the tested surfactants helped remove oil from the waste silk and treatment that added 0.1% AEO-9 gave the lowest oil content.
When surfactants were combined with bacteria to remove oil, the oil content was further reduced and the lowest oil content was obtained by combining AEO-9 and bacteria. The optimum conditions for oil removing by combining AEO-9 with bacteria were pH8.0, temperature 40°C, 4% (v/v) inoculum size and 3 days incubation time. Compared with untreated silk, silk treated by combining surfactants with bacteria resulted in a decrease in oil content and improvement in appearance. Scanning electron micrographs showed that treated samples had a clean surface.
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Amirhossein Termebaf Shirazi, Zahra Zamani Miandashti and Seyed Alireza Momeni
Additive manufacturing offers the ability to produce complex, flexible structures from materials like thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) for energy-absorption applications. However…
Abstract
Purpose
Additive manufacturing offers the ability to produce complex, flexible structures from materials like thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) for energy-absorption applications. However, selecting optimal structural parameters to achieve desired mechanical responses remains a challenge. This study aims to investigate the influence of key structural characteristics on the energy absorption and dissipation behavior and the deformation process of 3D-printed flexible TPU line-oriented structures.
Design/methodology/approach
Samples with varying line orientations and infill densities were fabricated using material extrusion and subjected to quasi-static compression tests. The design of experiments methodology explored the significance of design variables and their interaction effects on energy absorption and dissipation.
Findings
The results revealed a statistically significant interaction between infill density and orientation, highlighting their combined influence; however, the effect was less pronounced compared to infill density alone. For low-density structures, changing the orientation from 0°/90° to 45°/−45° and increasing infill density enhanced energy absorption and dissipation, while high-density structures exhibited unique energy absorption behavior influenced by deformation patterns and heterogeneity levels. This study facilitates the prediction of mechanical responses and selection of suitable TPU line-oriented printed parts for energy absorbing applications.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the present work have investigated for the first time the energy-related responses of flexible line-oriented TPU structures highlighting the distinction between the low and high density structures.
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In order to improve the competitiveness of the “double first-class” university in China, it is essential to conduct a rational, scientific study of the current status of the staff…
Abstract
Purpose
In order to improve the competitiveness of the “double first-class” university in China, it is essential to conduct a rational, scientific study of the current status of the staff to ensure its long-term development.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the grey analytic hierarchy process (Grey–AHP), this paper evaluates the situation of faculty and staff, hereby, analyzes the initiative and enthusiasm of faculty and staff in the construction of “double first-class universities”
Findings
The index weights of the main factors are similar, which indicate the development of teaching staff in higher education depends mainly on the role of full-time teachers, doctors and master's guidance teachers and non-teaching staff.
Originality/value
While the other literature emphasized scientific output, this article enlightened the important role of faculty and staff in the construction of ‘first-class' universities, which contributes to the study of development of China's high education in a new perspective.