Xiangyou Shen, Bing Pan, Tao Hu, Kaijun Chen, Lin Qiao and Jinyue Zhu
Online review bias research has predominantly focused on self-selection biases on the user’s side. By collecting online reviews from multiple platforms and examining their biases…
Abstract
Purpose
Online review bias research has predominantly focused on self-selection biases on the user’s side. By collecting online reviews from multiple platforms and examining their biases in the unique digital environment of “Chinanet,” this paper aims to shed new light on the multiple sources of biases embedded in online reviews and potential interactions among users, technical platforms and the broader social–cultural norms.
Design/methodology/approach
In the first study, online restaurant reviews were collected from Dianping.com, one of China's largest review platforms. Their distribution and underlying biases were examined via comparisons with offline reviews collected from on-site surveys. In the second study, user and platform ratings were collected from three additional major online review platforms – Koubei, Meituan and Ele.me – and compared for possible indications of biases in platform's review aggregation.
Findings
The results revealed a distinct exponential-curved distribution of Chinese users’ online reviews, suggesting a deviation from previous findings based on Western user data. The lack of online “moaning” on Chinese review platforms points to the social–cultural complexity of Chinese consumer behavior and online environment that goes beyond self-selection at the individual user level. The results also documented a prevalent usage of customized aggregation methods by review service providers in China, implicating an additional layer of biases introduced by technical platforms.
Originality/value
Using an online–offline design and multi-platform data sets, this paper elucidates online review biases among Chinese users, the world's largest and understudied (in terms of review biases) online user group. The results provide insights into the unique social–cultural cyber norm in China's digital environment and bring to light the multilayered nature of online review biases at the intersection of users, platforms and culture.
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Kaijun Cai, Weiming Zhang, Wenzhuo Chen and Hongfei Zhao
Based on virtual maintenance, this paper aims to propose a time prediction method of assembly and disassembly (A&D) actions of product maintenance process to enhance existing…
Abstract
Purpose
Based on virtual maintenance, this paper aims to propose a time prediction method of assembly and disassembly (A&D) actions of product maintenance process to enhance existing methods’ prediction accuracy, applicability and efficiency.
Design/methodology/approach
First, a framework of A&D time prediction model is constructed, which describes the time prediction process in detail. Then, basic maintenance motions which can comprise a whole A&D process are classified into five categories: body movement, working posture change, upper limb movement, operation and grasp/placement. A standard posture library is developed based on the classification. Next, according to motion characteristics, different time prediction methods for each motion category are proposed based on virtual maintenance simulation, modular arrangement of predetermined time standard theory and the statistics acquired from motion experiment. Finally, time correction based on the quantitative evaluation method of motion time influence factors is studied so that A&D time could be predicted with more accuracy.
Findings
Case study of time prediction of products’ various A&D processes is conducted by implementing the proposed method. The prediction process of diesel cooling fan disassemble time is presented in detail. Through comparison, the advantages and effectiveness of the method are demonstrated.
Originality/value
This paper proposes a more accurate, efficient and applicable product A&D time prediction method. It can help designers predict A&D time of a product maintenance accurately in early design phases without a physical prototype. It can also provide basis for the verification of maintainability, the balance of the design of product structure and system layout.
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Kaijun Yu and Gang Huang
Scientific advances and the emergence of a wide range of broadband services have resulted in the internet developing as a critical component of most peoples’ daily lives. The…
Abstract
Purpose
Scientific advances and the emergence of a wide range of broadband services have resulted in the internet developing as a critical component of most peoples’ daily lives. The rapid development of the global economy and improvements to the information network speed and reliability have driven a radical evolution of the concept of “library.” Modern information technologies have not only drastically altered the functionality and accessibility of libraries, but it is no longer a matter of the library community to use scientific and technological innovation ideas and techniques to promote its business. The sample of this study was distributed to the consumers of the Guangdong Intelligent Library for the questionnaire.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 520 questionnaires were distributed, returning 375 validresponses for an effective recovery rate of 72%.
Findings
Perceptual ease of use has a positive and direct impact on perceptual usefulness. Perceptual ease of use has a positive and direct impact on attitude. Perceptual usefulness has a positive and direct impact on attitude. Perceptual usefulness has a positive direct impact on behavioral intentions. Attitude has a positive and direct impact on behavioral intentions. Subjective norms have a positive and direct impact on behavioral intentions. Perceptual behavioral control has a positive and direct impact on behavioral intentions. Perceptual behavioral control has a positive and direct impact on behavior. Behavioral intentions have a positive and direct impact on behavior.
Originality/value
Based on the survey results and analysis, recommendations are made to help smart libraries integrate artificial intelligence methods to provide highly attractive service offerings in an extremely competitive environment.
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Kaijun Yang, Tingting Duan, Jiaojiao Feng and Arunodaya Raj Mishra
The “Internet of Things (IoT)” is a platform for involving smart devices via the Internet at a worldwide scale. It supports the “supply chain (SC)” and “information and…
Abstract
Purpose
The “Internet of Things (IoT)” is a platform for involving smart devices via the Internet at a worldwide scale. It supports the “supply chain (SC)” and “information and communication technology (ICT)” infrastructure to be well integrated into an organization and externally with customers and suppliers. The “sustainable supply chain (SSC)” is currently unavoidable if a company seeks to satisfy the aggressive change in its customers' requirements. Numerous studies have confirmed that manufacturing firms have to accelerate the shift of their focus toward sustainability and the implementation of novel technologies, such as IoT, to accomplish their organizational goals most effectively. Although the literature consists of many theoretical approaches to IoT and numerous studies that have extremely concentrated upon the IoT technology and its potential applications, it lacks research with a focus on the challenges that arise when applying IoT to the “sustainable supply chain management (SSCM)”.
Design/methodology/approach
The present study proposes an integrated framework using the “Criteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation (CRITIC)” and “VlseKriterijumska optimizcija I kaompromisno resenje in Serbian (VIKOR)” models and employs to evaluate the IoT challenges to implement the SSCM. For estimating the criteria weights, the CRITIC tool is utilized. The organization's prioritization is obtained by the VIKOR procedure, which delivers simple mathematical procedures with precise and consistent outcomes.
Findings
To exhibit the practicality of the introduced model, a case study is taken to evaluate the IoT challenges to implement the SSCM within the “q-Rung Orthopair Fuzzy Sets (q-ROFSs)” environment. Moreover, the authors exhibit a sensitivity investigation over given parameter values, examining the stability of developed approach. Finally, the authors draw attention to a comparison between developed q-ROF-CRITIC-VIKOR decision-making approach with an existing q-ROF-TOPSIS method to show its superiority and potency.
Originality/value
The outcome of the study lies in observing the top benefits of individual businesses, and their entire SSCs can be found by implementing IoT. This paper investigates the most important challenges that individual firms and entire SSCs might while applying IoT. It provides a deep insight regarding the effects of IoT upon SSCM and the issues every firm need to contemplate when it is to apply IoT solutions.
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Naimatullah Shah and Bahadur Ali Soomro
Nowadays, entrepreneurship is regarded as an indispensable means for economic development. In this regard, promoting entrepreneurship is a necessity for every economy. The purpose…
Abstract
Purpose
Nowadays, entrepreneurship is regarded as an indispensable means for economic development. In this regard, promoting entrepreneurship is a necessity for every economy. The purpose of this paper is to identify factors that may influence students’ entrepreneurial intentions.
Design/methodology/approach
The conceptual framework underlying this study is the theory of planned behavior, and the study proposes a descriptive methodology in which cross-sectional data are randomly collected from the different public sector universities of Pakistan. A survey questionnaire was used as a means for data collection. The respondents were bachelor’s as well as master’s degree students who are pursuing degrees in entrepreneurship or education. After cleaning the data, 385 usable answers were analyzed. The response rate was 60 percent. Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 21.0 was used for data analysis.
Findings
The results of Pearson’s correlation and multiple regression analysis showed that attitudes toward behavior and subjective norms have a positive and significant relationship with entrepreneurial intention. On the other hand, perceived behavioral control has no significant relationship with entrepreneurial intention.
Originality/value
Such a study may provide useful insights into the state of entrepreneurship education for policy makers and planners in universities as well as in government, regarding the younger generation, particularly, to reduce the burden of graduate unemployment.
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Yifei Tong, Zhaohui Tang, Kaijun Zhou and Ying dong
The increase in demand variability created by manufacturing enterprises presents new challenges for increasing resource usage and sharing flexibility. For this reason, it is of…
Abstract
Purpose
The increase in demand variability created by manufacturing enterprises presents new challenges for increasing resource usage and sharing flexibility. For this reason, it is of great importance to research manufacturing grids and their service modes. The purpose of this paper is to establish a systematic strategy and a system tool for manufacturing grid systems.
Design/methodology/approach
A manufacturing service oriented manufacturing grid (MSoMG) system is presented with open grid service architecture as the system architecture and GT3.9 as a development tool. A framework is proposed to support MSoMG by providing advisory tools and methods for uncertain information analysis and processing, multi-objective decision making of manufacturing grid service execution, manufacturing grid service performance prediction based on knowledge template, and flexible manufacturing grid service scheduling and solution. The methodology of the adopted rough set is discussed in detail. Finally, the design support strategies for MSoMG are investigated to guide the coordination of manufacturing activities.
Findings
Many conventional methods and models become very limited for manufacturing grid service with uncertain information. The processing of uncertain information and reasonable application flow can help to improve the completion rate and reliability of manufacturing grid services.
Practical implications
This research provides a solid foundation for manufacturing gird operations and can promote the use of a manufacturing grid mode.
Originality/value
A MSoMG system is presented. The manufacturing grid service with uncertain information is considered as well as design support strategies.
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Bahadur Ali Soomro, Ghulam Rasool Lakhan, Shahnawaz Mangi and Naimatullah Shah
This paper tries to examine the entrepreneurial intention of business students of public sector universities of Pakistan through the entrepreneurial event model (EEM).
Abstract
Purpose
This paper tries to examine the entrepreneurial intention of business students of public sector universities of Pakistan through the entrepreneurial event model (EEM).
Design/methodology/approach
The study is a quantitative study and is based on cross-sectional data. The data is collected through a survey questionnaire. The random sample technique is used for data collection. The respondents are the business students of different public sector universities of Pakistan. In total 310 valid samples are utilized for final analysis.
Findings
By employing to SEM through Analysis of Moment Structure (AMOS) version 26.0, the overall findings show a positive and significant impact of perceived feasibility (PF), perceived desirability (PD) and self-efficacy on entrepreneurial intention (EI).
Practical implications
The outcomes of the study may be helpful for policymakers to formulate the policies regarding the promotion of entrepreneurship and self-employment for reducing the burden of unemployment. Possibly, it may prove as an appliance for prosperity and income generation through boosting entrepreneurship. Moreover, it may contribute to the literature of entrepreneurship, mainly for Pakistan and the developing world.
Originality/value
The study would support in achieving economic development by diverting individuals' intention for entrepreneurship.
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Bahadur Ali Soomro, Maqsood Memon and Naimatullah Shah
The present study predicts attitude towards entrepreneurship among the students of Thailand through the entrepreneurial attitude orientation (EAO) model.
Abstract
Purpose
The present study predicts attitude towards entrepreneurship among the students of Thailand through the entrepreneurial attitude orientation (EAO) model.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative approach is used, based on cross-sectional data from public sector universities of Thailand. The respondents are bachelor's and master's students who are acquiring entrepreneurship education. A random sampling technique was used to approach students to participate in the survey. A total of 392 useable questionnaires were returned, providing data for analysis.
Findings
Using structural equation modeling, the results show a positive and significant impact of achievement, personal control and innovation on attitudes towards entrepreneurship. Self-esteem, however, has a non-significant impact on attitudes towards entrepreneurship.
Practical implications
This study may be helpful for university policymakers wishing to know more about students' entrepreneurial attitudes, as there is a strong need to divert more students towards entrepreneurship. This study may contribute to the entrepreneurship literature and the EAO scale, particularly in developing and Asian contexts.
Originality/value
This study offers evidence of the development of entrepreneurial attitudes among the students of Thailand, which ensures the further validation of the EAO scale in a developing country.
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Lifu Li, Kyeong Kang and Osama Sohaib
This study aims to present the Chinese entrepreneurial environment and explore Chinese tertiary students’ online-startup motivation on live streaming platforms. Based on the COM-B…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to present the Chinese entrepreneurial environment and explore Chinese tertiary students’ online-startup motivation on live streaming platforms. Based on the COM-B behaviour changing theory, this paper discovers various influencing factors from environmental opportunity and personal capability aspects. It analyses their effects under the cooperative system established among official departments, industries and universities. Meanwhile, considering social and cultural control, it also refers to the uncertainty-avoidance dimension from the Hofstede cultural theory and re-evaluates its influence on Chinese tertiary students’ online-startup motivation.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors analyse 474 responses from online questionnaires through partial least squares path modelling and variance-based structural equation modelling. The paper claims that environmental opportunity and personal capability factors positively affect students’ online-startup motivation, but uncertainty-avoidance thinking plays a negative role. The study also measures the importance-performance map analysis to explore additional findings and discuss managerial implications.
Findings
Both platform support and official department support positively impact Chinese tertiary students’ online-startup motivation and entrepreneurial skills learned from universities are beneficial for them to build online-startup confidence. Meanwhile, influenced by the cooperative system implemented among official departments, industries and universities, official department support positively affects platform support and entrepreneurial skills. Conversely, influenced by Chinese traditional Confucian culture, uncertainty-avoidance thinking negatively affects tertiary students’ online-startup motivation.
Originality/value
This paper demonstrates the analysis of Chinese tertiary students’ online-startup motivation drawing on the COM-B behaviour changing and Hofstede cultural theories. Specifically, this study divides influencing factors into three specific aspects as follows: environmental opportunity, personal capability and social and cultural control. Unlike existing research applying traditional research models, the combination of the COM-B behaviour changing theory and the Hofstede cultural theory could be conducive to making the research model reflect influencing factors and present their different relationships.
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The General Assembly recognized the critical contribution of entrepreneurship to sustainable development in its resolution 73/225 on entrepreneurship for sustainable development…
Abstract
Purpose
The General Assembly recognized the critical contribution of entrepreneurship to sustainable development in its resolution 73/225 on entrepreneurship for sustainable development by accelerating economic growth and innovation and addressing social and environmental challenges in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Hence, it is important to understand the variables influencing entrepreneurs’ aspirations for sustainable enterprises to promote sustainable entrepreneurial activity for sustainable development. Therefore, this study aims to analyse the enablers affecting the adoption of sustainable entrepreneurship practices by the entrepreneurs in India.
Design/methodology/approach
This study has been conducted in three steps. The first step includes the identification of enablers from the extensive review of the literature followed by the second step of finalization of enablers by experts’ opinion. Finally, in the third step, enablers are analysed using interpretive structural modelling (ISM).
Findings
After the extensive literature review and opinion of 100 millennial experts, 11 enablers are identified. In the third step, ISM is applied to develop a hierarchical model for the enablers affecting the adoption of sustainable entrepreneurial practice and to establish the contextual relationships among those enablers.
Research limitations/implications
This study can be used by practitioners and policymakers to further validate the driving enablers for developing sustainability-driven entrepreneurial intention and to increase the adoption of sustainable practices by entrepreneurs.
Originality/value
This study is based on the ISM providing significant insights related to enablers affecting the adoption of sustainable entrepreneurial practices. It provides valuable knowledge to entrepreneurial researchers and practitioners.