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1 – 10 of 20Building upon uses and gratifications (UG) theory and social exchange theory, the current study establishes a theoretical model to examine the underlying relationship between…
Abstract
Purpose
Building upon uses and gratifications (UG) theory and social exchange theory, the current study establishes a theoretical model to examine the underlying relationship between customer motivations, active participation and electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM) and purchase intentions on WeChat.
Design/methodology/approach
The data were gathered in a web-based survey of 301 WeChat users in mainland China. To empirically verify the proposed hypotheses, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) were employed using online data.
Findings
Path analysis outcomes demonstrate that functional, hedonic and social motivations positively affect WeChat users' active participation. In addition, active participation significantly influences e-WOM intention while showing no correlation with purchase intention.
Research limitations/implications
Theoretically, this article can enrich the extant system of relevant theories and offer a fresh perspective for further research on the generation of consumers' e-WOM intention and purchase intention in the WeChat context. Practically, the research outcomes provide insight for companies on how to motivate customers to participate in online activities, which subsequently improve WeChat users' willingness in conducting e-WOM communication and making purchase decisions.
Originality/value
Although mobile social media could serve as an influential marketing vehicle for individuals' engagement in social and commercial activities in today's mobile-matured environment, the substantial impact of active engagement on the relationship between customer motivation and purchase intention remains insufficiently explored. The outcomes not only contribute to the current body of knowledge, but also offer several managerial guidance for companies that pay attention to mobile social media marketing in a contemporary mobile media-saturated society.
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Chunyan Lu, Aarren Minneyfield, Min Jia, Jun Lu, Yan Zheng, Jingying Huo, Ningyi Wang, Yihua Wu and Jennifer Brantley
The purpose of this paper is to explore more agile and effective learning processes that help identify potentially high-performing staff during workplace training.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore more agile and effective learning processes that help identify potentially high-performing staff during workplace training.
Design/methodology/approach
To test the efficacy of the learning-oriented assessment (LOA) process in workplace training, a pharmaceutical sales organization implemented an online training over three months that was modeled with the LOA process. During work hours, employees within the organization took two tests (one before and after training) as well as participated in training with essential work-related content, where they were given problem sets and scenarios to complete that would vary based on their responses. Their assessment scores, formative learning behaviors and quarterly revenue were recorded to determine the effects of the training.
Findings
The outcome of this study supported the theory that the LOA model would facilitate the acquisition and application of knowledge differentially between employees of the organization, and this knowledge would serve to improve the performance of the employees to the extent that it increased revenue.
Research limitations/implications
This study was a field experiment that did not allow for the control of possible confounds. However, the real-world real people outcomes provide novel insights on best practices in workplace training.
Practical implications
The findings of this study showed the short-term effectiveness of the LOA process in professional knowledge acquisition and application in relevant skills that increase organizational revenue.
Originality/value
This study provides an applied understanding on the applicability of the LOA process in workplace learning and training which has not been previously investigated.
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Mengxing Li, YanLi Zhang, Ying Jing, Zhen Wang and Dexin Xie
The purpose of this paper is to improve the modeling accuracy of the magnetostrictive hysteretic characteristics by introducing hysteresis energy instead of pinning energy in the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to improve the modeling accuracy of the magnetostrictive hysteretic characteristics by introducing hysteresis energy instead of pinning energy in the assembled domain structure model (ADSM).
Design/methodology/approach
First, the magnetostrictive characteristics and the domain movement process in an electrical steel sheet are measured and observed. The reasons for the influence of stress on magnetostriction are discussed on the mesoscopic level. Second, the ADSM model using the hysteresis energy is investigated to estimate the influence of external stress. Finally, the simulation results of the modified ADSM model are compared with the experimental data under the same calculation conditions.
Findings
The results show that the improved model not only explains the cause of hysteresis clearly from the perspective of the magnetic moment but also improves the modeling ability of magnetostrictive hysteretic.
Originality/value
The magnetostriction in electrical steel lags behind the external magnetic field, and it is significant for reducing core vibration to estimate the magnetostrictive hysteretic property accurately. This paper proposes an effective approach to model the hysteretic characterization of magnetostriction.
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Doug Guthrie, Zhixing Xiao and Junmin Wang
In the spring of 1995, the Electronics Bureau of Shanghai [Shanghai Dianziju] changed its name to “Shanghai Electronics State-Owned Asset Management Company” [Shanghai dianzi…
Abstract
In the spring of 1995, the Electronics Bureau of Shanghai [Shanghai Dianziju] changed its name to “Shanghai Electronics State-Owned Asset Management Company” [Shanghai dianzi guoyou zichan jingying gongsi]. As one official in the former Bureau explained, it had changed its name and its function: It was no longer set up to “govern” or “manage” [guan] Shanghai's electronics sector; instead it was now an asset management company whose function was to manage the assets of the firms that it owned.1 At the time, the transformation seemed purely cosmetic. Calling itself an asset management company instead of a government bureau was one thing, but actually acting like an asset management company was quite another. Would firms under this former Bureau be any more productive as a result of the change? Would the work-life experiences of the people actually working in these firms change at all as a result?
Jingying Xu, Zimin Jin, Jing Jin, Lei Lei and Jianwei Tao
People have always been invaded by mosquitoes, and the development of new anti-mosquito fabrics has attracted much attention. The purpose of this paper is to study the effect of…
Abstract
Purpose
People have always been invaded by mosquitoes, and the development of new anti-mosquito fabrics has attracted much attention. The purpose of this paper is to study the effect of knitting process on the performance of anti-mosquito seamless fabrics and provide a basis for obtaining anti-mosquito seamless knitted fabrics with excellent comprehensive performance.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper uses bamboo–polyester mosquito repellent yarn containing wormwood extract as the face of seamless knitted fabric. The test factors include ordinary material in the face yarn, ground yarn material, seamless knitted structure and arrangement ratio of ordinary yarn and anti-mosquito yarn in face yarn. According to the quasi-level additional orthogonal test, 12 knitting plans are determined, and the mosquito repellent test and durability test are performed on the fabric.
Findings
The experimental results show that the optimal fabric for anti-mosquito performance is 12#, and the average repellent rate after washing 15 times is 58.57%. The corresponding process is that the face yarn is fully anti-mosquito yarn, the fabric is a single-sided mesh structure and the ground yarn is made of 4.4tex moisture-absorbing nylon/2.2tex spandex wrapped yarn.
Research limitations/implications
In this paper, there is still a lack of diversity in the selection of yarn materials and fabrics. In the follow-up research, the authors will use more fabrics and yarn materials for combination and experimentation and simulate and predict the mosquito resistance rate of knitted fabrics with different materials and structures.
Practical implications
The development of anti-mosquito seamless knitted fabrics with good comprehensive performance and the use of environmentally friendly wormwood repellents not only conform to the current people's healthy and environmentally friendly life philosophy, but also promote the development of the functional seamless knitted fabric market.
Social implications
In addition, seamless knitted fabrics have a huge market prospect, and many of their fabrics are used for sports underwear and outdoor wear. Therefore, the research and development of functional knitted fabrics will attract consumers to buy. While improving the wearing comfort, it can increase profits for the company.
Originality/value
The mosquito-proof functional seamless knitted fabric developed in this research has a high mosquito-proof rate after 15 times and can be used as underwear fabric or outdoor sports fabric.
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Mengjiao Chen, Jinjuan Ren and Jingying Zhao
This paper aims to investigate the impact of corporate culture on stock price crash risk and explore the underlying mechanisms.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the impact of corporate culture on stock price crash risk and explore the underlying mechanisms.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper uses a novel firm-level culture measure of Li et al. (2020), which evaluates corporate culture from the perspectives of integrity, teamwork, innovation, respect and quality. Using a sample of 4,017 US firms from 2001 to 2018, this paper uses panel data regressions to explore the impact of corporate culture on stock price crash risk.
Findings
This paper finds that among five cultural dimensions, integrity reduces crash risk and quality increases crash risk. The mitigating effect of integrity culture on crash risk is concentrated among firms with a strong incentive or ability to hoard bad news. The exacerbating effect of quality culture on crash risk is concentrated among firms with low managerial flexibility.
Social implications
This paper helps investors and regulators to understand the determinants of stock price crash risk, which facilitates investors’ wealth management and stabilizes social welfare.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that uses time-varying firm-level measure of corporate culture to investigate its impact on stock price crash risk, contributing to the literature on the determinants of crash risk. Besides, this is the first study that explores the possible mechanism of managerial flexibility in influencing stock price crash risk.
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Ruling Hong, Minlu Zhan and Fuxi Wang
This study explores configurations that promote the development of collective economies in China's rural villages and reveals the multiple development pathways that otherwise…
Abstract
Purpose
This study explores configurations that promote the development of collective economies in China's rural villages and reveals the multiple development pathways that otherwise remain relatively unexamined in the literature.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors obtained first-hand representative case data from 20 villages in 12 counties in 5 provinces in East, West and Central China via fieldwork and applied fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to conduct a configurational comparative study of the development of village collective economies.
Findings
This paper identifies five factors in the current literature that affect the development of village collectives, based on an “entrepreneur–situation” analytical framework. Using the fsQCA method, this study further obtains two main configurations of conditions that culminate in the growth of rural collective economies in China. The first solution is the “top-down path”: When entrepreneurial leadership (EL), resource endowment (RE) and government assistance (GA) are present, a village collective economy will experience a high level of development, irrespective of policy support (PS) and villagers' participation (VP). The second solution is the “bottom-up path”: When EL, VP and PS are present and GA is not present, a village collective economy will experience a high level of development, irrespective of RE. In both situations, EL stands out as the core condition for the development of village collective economies, implying the need for the government to vigorously cultivate the entrepreneurial skills and aspirations of village cadres.
Originality/value
Taking a configurational perspective and using an fsQCA approach, this research constructs an “entrepreneur–situation” analytical framework to investigate the key combinations of factors and pathways involved in the high level of development of Chinese village collective economies.
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Shi yuan Wang, Yang Zhao and Liuying Wen
To enhance the detection efficiency of printed circuit board (PCB) soldered dot, this study aims to detect PCB soldered dot with image processing method.
Abstract
Purpose
To enhance the detection efficiency of printed circuit board (PCB) soldered dot, this study aims to detect PCB soldered dot with image processing method.
Design/methodology/approach
Through a series of image processing algorithms, threshold segmentation and feature extraction of the solder joint images were completed; then, sphericity was confirmed based on the area and perimeter, as well as the shape parameter and eccentricity ratio of the calculated region, paving the way for defect pattern recognition.
Findings
It proves that the method with high efficiency and precision can satisfy the requirements of PCB soldered dot detection.
Originality/value
This paper is original in presenting a method for PCB welding spot detection.
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Management is a “hot field” in China, yet little has been written in English about the history of management in China. Contrary to contemporary management literature, the paper…
Abstract
Purpose
Management is a “hot field” in China, yet little has been written in English about the history of management in China. Contrary to contemporary management literature, the paper aims to show that Chinese entrepreneurs and managers were exposed to modern management ideas from the early twentieth century. The paper is an initial exploration of the transfer of managerial knowledge to China, especially Scientific Management, during the interwar period.
Design/methodology/approach
Draws on Chinese journal articles and books from 1910‐1930s, supplemented with archive materials and secondary sources in Chinese and English.
Findings
Chinese industrialists, officials and academics were attracted to Taylor's ideas of scientific management during the 1920s and 1930s, which were experimented with on a wider scale than is commonly realized. The interest in “new” management extended beyond industrialists and industry officials to reportage in the popular press.
Research limitations/implications
Future research should consider first how new ideas about management and organization were implemented on the shopfloor in individual Chinese enterprises, and second examine the role of social networks constituted by native place, industry ties and professional association membership in the diffusion of managerial ideas among the Chinese business elite of the period.
Originality/value
The paper shows that the transfer to China of modern management as an ideas system was not a recent phenomenon, but part of a century‐long process of transfer and adaptation of western management theory and practice.
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Stacey J. Lee, Shuning Liu and Sejung Ham
Ethnographers and other qualitative social scientists have long reflected on the ways researcher identity – who we are – shapes how we see and understand what and whom we…
Abstract
Ethnographers and other qualitative social scientists have long reflected on the ways researcher identity – who we are – shapes how we see and understand what and whom we encounter in our research, and how research participants see and understand us. In “Insider–outsider–inbetweener? Researcher positioning, participative methods, and cross-cultural educational research,” Milligan (2016) takes up questions regarding researcher positionality in qualitative research in the field of comparative and international education. In particular, Milligan argues for the use of participative techniques to gain insider perspectives and to lessen unequal power relations between researcher and the researched in cross-cultural research. In this chapter, we will engage Milligan’s discussion of participative research by analyzing the similarities and differences in studying participants with relative social privilege versus studying those from marginalized communities. Specifically, we will reflect on two ethnographic studies that explored the global educational aspirations of middle and upper middle-class Asian students. Furthermore, we attempt to complicate the discussion of “cross-cultural” research by arguing that in the neoliberal global context, researchers and the researched may move back and forth across national and cultural boundaries. The chapter concludes by raising questions regarding the unique challenges of conducting cross-cultural studies that flow across national boundaries.
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