Pei Jia, Huosheng H. Hu, Tao Lu and Kui Yuan
This paper presents a novel hands‐free control system for intelligent wheelchairs (IWs) based on visual recognition of head gestures.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper presents a novel hands‐free control system for intelligent wheelchairs (IWs) based on visual recognition of head gestures.
Design/methodology/approach
A robust head gesture‐based interface (HGI), is designed for head gesture recognition of the RoboChair user. The recognised gestures are used to generate motion control commands to the low‐level DSP motion controller so that it can control the motion of the RoboChair according to the user's intention. Adaboost face detection algorithm and Camshift object tracking algorithm are combined in our system to achieve accurate face detection, tracking and gesture recognition in real time. It is intended to be used as a human‐friendly interface for elderly and disabled people to operate our intelligent wheelchair using their head gestures rather than their hands.
Findings
This is an extremely useful system for the users who have restricted limb movements caused by some diseases such as Parkinson's disease and quadriplegics.
Practical implications
In this paper, a novel integrated approach to real‐time face detection, tracking and gesture recognition is proposed, namely HGI.
Originality/value
It is an useful human‐robot interface for IWs.
Details
Keywords
Kui Du and Yuan-May Jaw
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how to manage the pace of international expansion through acquisitions based on a case study of a Chinese conglomerate, Wanda Group.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how to manage the pace of international expansion through acquisitions based on a case study of a Chinese conglomerate, Wanda Group.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is a qualitative study based on the analyses of the series of international acquisitions made by Wanda Group in the global cinema and film studio markets from 2012 through the middle 2017. Comprehensive qualitative data have been collected from public sources, including company press releases, media reports and interviews, for each and every major acquisition made by Wanda during this period. The collected materials are then analyzed to reveal the patterns of Wanda’s serial acquisitions.
Findings
When expanding globally through acquisitions, firms need to carefully pace their different types of acquisitions; managing the speed of post-acquisition integration can be critical; and managing public relations and communications in host countries is also important.
Research limitations/implications
The research is limited to one single case, so the generalizability of its findings needs further validation. The research contributes to cross-border acquisition studies by discussing the pacing of acquisitions and their affiliated activities.
Practical implications
The research offers an example of how firms pace their series of international acquisitions, whose lessons are potentially transferrable to other global acquirers.
Originality/value
The research takes a rarely used angle by studying serial acquisitions as a whole and focuses on the pacing of them. It is one of the very few in the acquisition literature to highlight the temporal patterns among serial acquisition moves.
Details
Keywords
Cheng-Kui Huang, Neil Chueh-An Lee and Wen-Chi Chen
Cryptocurrency, an important application of blockchain technology, has gradually circulated, and its use has become widespread. While cryptocurrency is growing rapidly, potential…
Abstract
Purpose
Cryptocurrency, an important application of blockchain technology, has gradually circulated, and its use has become widespread. While cryptocurrency is growing rapidly, potential risks are simultaneously emerging. Users thus may abandon their usage behavior of cryptocurrency, hindering the future development of cryptocurrency. While prior studies focus more on the intention to use cryptocurrency in the pre-adoption phase, less studies pay attention to discontinuance usage intention in the post-adoption phase. To fill this knowledge gap, this stfudy aims to explore factors that cause discontinuance usage intention regarding cryptocurrency.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the net valence framework theoretically grounded on the theory of reason action, a dilemmatic dual-factor model is proposed to figure out cryptocurrency users' discontinuance usage intention from the perceived risk and perceived benefit. This study identifies four potential risks and three potential benefits that affect perceived risk and benefit. The model with nine hypotheses were developed, and research data were collected by a survey method. A total of 343 valid responses were received, and PLS-SEM with SmartPLS was utilized to test the nine hypotheses, with seven hypotheses supported empirically.
Findings
Our findings demonstrate that financial, legal and operational risks are critical to increase users' perceived risk, and perceived usefulness and seamless transactions play important roles in enhancing users' perceived benefit. Moreover, while perceived risk can increase users' discontinuance usage intention to cryptocurrency, perceived benefit can mitigate such intention.
Originality/value
This study contributes nascent knowledge to the literature by examining factors that influence discontinuous usage intention in regard to cryptocurrencies, to firms that have issued or attempted to issue cryptocurrencies and to the potential users of cryptocurrencies by adjusting the mode of operation and investment strategies and reducing user costs, achieving a win-win situation for firms and users.
Details
Keywords
The purpose of this paper is to provide a historical review of China’s anti-corruption efforts, from the ancient period of Chinese slavery societies to the late 1970s before China…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide a historical review of China’s anti-corruption efforts, from the ancient period of Chinese slavery societies to the late 1970s before China launched its profound economic reform, under the current status of the harsh crusade against corruption that the Chinese new leadership initiated.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is mainly based on a great deal of historical literature and empirical findings, with relevant comparative analysis on policies and regulations between various periods of China.
Findings
The phenomenon of corruption has existed in Chinese history for thousands of years, throughout Chinese slavery societies, feudal societies, republic period and the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Anti-corruption laws formed an important part of ancient Chinese legal system, and each dynasty has made continuous and commendable progress on fighting such misconduct. Innumerable initiatives have also been taken by the ruling party Chinese Communist Party (CCP) since the founding of the PRC. The PRC government created various specially designed government organizations and a series of updated regulations for preventing economic crimes. They have realized that periodic movements against corruption would no longer be helpful, and the paramount issue nowadays is indeed how bold the leaders are in striking out those unhealthy tendencies.
Originality/value
This paper fills in the blanks in the Western world with a comprehensive description of, and comments on, the historical efforts on China’s corruption and economic crime prevention. It also, in various ways, provides meaningful information that links to China’s current furious war against corruption.
Details
Keywords
This paper is a study of the current trends and conditions of electronic resources for Chinese studies, based on a recent survey on the Internet of 29 Chinese libraries in North…
Abstract
This paper is a study of the current trends and conditions of electronic resources for Chinese studies, based on a recent survey on the Internet of 29 Chinese libraries in North America and eight Chinese libraries in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. The survey discussed current electronic resources for Chinese studies, with a union list of major Chinese language databases currently used in libraries in Asia and the US. Current views on the use and development of electronic resources for Chinese studies were summarised.
Qiongwei Ye and Baojun Ma
Internet + and Electronic Business in China is a comprehensive resource that provides insight and analysis into E-commerce in China and how it has revolutionized and continues to…
Abstract
Internet + and Electronic Business in China is a comprehensive resource that provides insight and analysis into E-commerce in China and how it has revolutionized and continues to revolutionize business and society. Split into four distinct sections, the book first lays out the theoretical foundations and fundamental concepts of E-Business before moving on to look at internet+ innovation models and their applications in different industries such as agriculture, finance and commerce. The book then provides a comprehensive analysis of E-business platforms and their applications in China before finishing with four comprehensive case studies of major E-business projects, providing readers with successful examples of implementing E-Business entrepreneurship projects.
Internet + and Electronic Business in China is a comprehensive resource that provides insights and analysis into how E-commerce has revolutionized and continues to revolutionize business and society in China.
Chunlin Yuan, Yajing Yin, Zeran Zhang, Shuman Wang and Hakil Moon
This study aims to develop a chain-mediated model to examine how streamer and product characteristics influence consumer behavior inertia (CBI) based on an extended…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to develop a chain-mediated model to examine how streamer and product characteristics influence consumer behavior inertia (CBI) based on an extended cognitive-affective-conative (CAC) perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used an online survey concerning the livestreaming activities of 250 experienced shoppers to measure the proposed model.
Findings
Streamer (product) attractiveness mediates the relationship between streamer (product) characteristics and shopping experience memory. Streamer (product) attractiveness and shopping experience memory have a chain mediating effect between the streamer (product) characteristics and CBI.
Originality/value
Theoretically, the study demonstrates the critical role of attractiveness and shopping experience memory in the formation of consumer inertia and complements current explanations of consumer continuance of buying through livestreaming. From a managerial standpoint, the findings provide guidelines for enterprises carrying out livestreaming business on how to improve inertia to realize a stable profit source.
Details
Keywords
Tsukasa Tanihara and Shinichi Yamaguchi
This study aims to reveal how the COVID-19 vaccine was accepted in the Japanese Twitter-sphere. This study explores how the topics related to the vaccine promotion project changed…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to reveal how the COVID-19 vaccine was accepted in the Japanese Twitter-sphere. This study explores how the topics related to the vaccine promotion project changed on Twitter and how the topics that were likely to spread changed during the vaccine promotion project.
Design/methodology/approach
The computational social science methodology was adopted. This study collected all tweets containing the word “vaccine” using the Twitter API from March to October 2021 and conducted the following analysis: analyzing frequent words and identifying topics likely to spread through the cosine similarity and Tobit model.
Findings
First, vaccine hesitancy–related words were frequently mentioned during the vaccine introduction and dissemination periods and had diffusing power only during the former period. Second, vaccine administration–related words were frequently mentioned and diffused through April to May and had diffusing power throughout the period. The background to these findings is that the sentiment of longing for vaccines outweighed that of hesitancy toward vaccines during this period.
Originality/value
This study finds that the timing of the rise in vaccine hesitation sentiment and the timing of the start of vaccine supply were misaligned. This is one of the reasons that Japan, which originally exhibited strong vaccine hesitancy, did not face vaccine hesitancy in the COVID-19 vaccine promotion project.
Details
Keywords
Kui Yin, Can Li, Oliver J. Sheldon and Jing Zhao
Drawing upon a dynamic managerial capabilities perspective, this study aims to unpack how and when chief experience officer (CEO) transformational leadership influences firm…
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing upon a dynamic managerial capabilities perspective, this study aims to unpack how and when chief experience officer (CEO) transformational leadership influences firm innovation. Specifically, a moderated mediation model linking CEO transformational leadership to firm innovation, which includes strategic flexibility as a mediator and top management team (TMT) knowledge diversity as a moderator, is theorized and empirically tested.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted a survey of 354 TMT members and 62 CEOs from 62 firms in China’s construction industry to explore these relationships. Path analysis using Mplus 7.4 was undertaken to test our proposed moderated mediation model.
Findings
The results revealed that strategic flexibility mediates the positive relationship between CEO transformational leadership and firm innovation. Additionally, TMT knowledge diversity positively moderates the relationship between CEO transformational leadership and strategic flexibility.
Research limitations/implications
Taken together, these findings help advance and deepen our understanding of the mechanisms through which CEO transformational leadership influences firm innovation and boundary conditions under which CEO transformational leadership influences strategic flexibility. At the same time, this study also contributes to the literature on strategic flexibility and the CEO-TMT interface by revealing the interactive effect of CEO transformational leadership and TMT knowledge diversity on strategic flexibility.
Originality/value
Although the positive influence of CEO transformational leadership on firm innovation has been widely recognized, the specific mechanisms underlying this effect have yet to be fully theorized. This study proposes and tests a nuanced theoretical framework linking CEO transformational leadership to firm innovation via a firm’s strategic flexibility. It also argues that TMT knowledge diversity enhances the indirect effect of CEO transformational leadership on firm innovation through strategic flexibility; that is, this indirect effect is significant when TMT diversity is high, but not when TMT diversity is low.
Details
Keywords
Suggests that misunderstandings frequently occur when trying to understand Chinese language and culture, and so gives the implied meaning of various Chinese expressions and…
Abstract
Suggests that misunderstandings frequently occur when trying to understand Chinese language and culture, and so gives the implied meaning of various Chinese expressions and sayings such as greetings, thanks, respect, age, congratulations and taboo subjects.