Wanyi Chen, Kang He and Lanfang Wang
In addition to leading a new tide of global financial technology, blockchain delivers advantages in terms of risk control compared to traditional financial systems. By exploring…
Abstract
Purpose
In addition to leading a new tide of global financial technology, blockchain delivers advantages in terms of risk control compared to traditional financial systems. By exploring the relationship between blockchain technology and macroeconomic uncertainty, this study aims to identify the hedge risk attribute of blockchain technology.
Design/methodology/approach
From a data set comprising 6,323 Chinese firms with A-shares listed on the Shenzhen and Shanghai Stock Exchanges in 2015–2018, the authors obtain the use of blockchain technology by listed companies on the basis of annual reports, news reports, search engines and prospectuses. These documents are then subjected to text analyses based on computer technology. Cross-sectional and propensity score matching analyses are used to ensure robustness.
Findings
The empirical results show that with an increase in macroeconomic uncertainty, blockchain technology can potentially enable companies to reduce their systemic risks and enhance their investment efficiency.
Originality/value
This study expands the literature on the application of blockchain technology, offers references for enterprises to address future risks based on specific macroeconomically uncertain environments and provides guidelines for governments to maintain financial market stability.
Details
Keywords
Wanyi Chen, Qingchuan Hou, Gary Tian and Lanfang Wang
This study examines whether recruitment of local managers helps foreign venture capital (VC) firms mitigate the liability of foreignness measured by cultural differences and…
Abstract
Purpose
This study examines whether recruitment of local managers helps foreign venture capital (VC) firms mitigate the liability of foreignness measured by cultural differences and improves their performance in relationship-based emerging markets such as China.
Design/methodology/approach
From a data set comprising 1,939 Chinese portfolio companies with first-round investments by 282 foreign lead VC firms during 2000–2015, the study tracks the outcome of each investment until the end of 2018 and collects the background information of partners of lead VC firms. A survival analysis using the Cox hazard model is conducted.
Findings
Cultural differences of the foreign VC's home country, when compared to China, positively influence the success of VC firms. Recruitment of local managers reinforces this positive influence. The influence of local manager recruitment is more pronounced for VC firms with politically connected local managers, during politically uncertain periods, in industries supported by the government, in provinces with high government intervention and in VC firms with decentralized decision rights given to local managers.
Originality/value
This research complements the international business literature on the advantages of hiring local managers and identifies the channels through which local managers help foreign VC firms obtain relationship-based resources. The findings also have practical implications for those foreign investors who intend to enter into relationship-based emerging markets.
Details
Keywords
This paper aims to examine how the law may play a role in mediation by paying special attention to how the law is excluded from and included in the process of court mediation in…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine how the law may play a role in mediation by paying special attention to how the law is excluded from and included in the process of court mediation in China.
Design/methodology/approach
Hundred model court mediation cases selected by the Supreme People’s Court of China were analysed and reviewed.
Findings
The law is relevant in Chinese-style court mediation in four ways: first, judge-mediators are intended to use mediation to avoid resolving legal difficulties or challenges; second, judge-mediators consult the law to anticipate the losing party and the potential negative effects that might result from the adjudication; third, judge-mediators refer to the law to propose a mediation scheme or plan to guide the parties to settle; and fourth, judge-mediators would use the law as a bargaining chip in various ways to induce the parties to settle.
Research limitations/implications
Standards should be set out for the use of law in the mediation process to standardise judge-mediators’ actions, to ensure that the law is not used coercively to push settlement, which would undermine the parties’ self-determination in mediation.
Originality/value
This paper provides an original understanding of how law affects the process, the outcomes and, ultimately, the nature of settlements that parties achieve through court mediation in China. This study contributes to the literature that argues that ethical norms and legal standards should be set to direct those legal evaluations.
Details
Keywords
In order to find a way to create the artistic conception of modern landscape space, the spatial analysis of Daguanyuan is carried out from the perspective of literature in order…
Abstract
In order to find a way to create the artistic conception of modern landscape space, the spatial analysis of Daguanyuan is carried out from the perspective of literature in order to find out the method of creating the artistic conception of modern landscape space. Adopting the method of general to special, from theory to practice, the argument with special significance is analyzed from the most common phenomena, and this argument is applied to the method of practical cases. The results show that Daguanyuan space in literature needs the audience's ability to understand words, the perception of space in film and television needs the audience's strong memory and imaginative thinking, while the perception of Daguanyuan space in garden art needs only basic discrimination ability. After analyzing the effect of Daguanyuan space construction from the literary perspective, it is believed that the writing techniques of starting point - development - climax - ending, wanting to carry forward first and restraining first, and reserving foreshadows in literature can be used for reference in modern landscape design.
Details
Keywords
Shuifa Ke, Dan Qiao and Zhangchun Chen
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the influence of different factors on forestry production, with an aim to explore the degree of connection between forestry economic growth…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the influence of different factors on forestry production, with an aim to explore the degree of connection between forestry economic growth and influencing factors such as forestry investment, labor input, afforestation area, scientific and technologies progress, and the reform of property-rights regimes.
Design/methodology/approach
According to the data of China Forestry Statistical Yearbook from 1978 to 2017, this paper uses the grey correlation analysis to observe and analyze the factors influencing China’s forestry economics growth.
Findings
The results show that capital investment demonstrates the largest impact on the forestry output value, followed by property system, afforestation area, labor input and technologies progress. The correlation coefficients of the above factors are 0.874451654,0.85827468,0.835138412,0.832985604 and 0.825747493. This means that forestry capital investment plays a major role in contributing to forest economic growth; forest property system also plays a positive role in the growth of forestry economy.
Originality/value
This paper uses continuous data collected during 1978‒2017, which are quite extensive as compared to data used in the existing research, considering the influencing factors are comprehensive, especially the impact of property right system reform on forestry economic growth.
Details
Keywords
Dalian Yang, Yilun Liu, Songbai Li, Jie Tao, Chi Liu and Jiuhuo Yi
The aim of this paper is to solve the problem of low accuracy of traditional fatigue crack growth (FCG) prediction methods.
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to solve the problem of low accuracy of traditional fatigue crack growth (FCG) prediction methods.
Design/methodology/approach
The GMSVR model was proposed by combining the grey modeling (GM) and the support vector regression (SVR). Meanwhile, the GMSVR model parameter optimal selection method based on the artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm was presented. The FCG prediction of 7075 aluminum alloy under different conditions were taken as the study objects, and the performance of the genetic algorithm, the particle swarm optimization algorithm, the n-fold cross validation and the ABC algorithm were compared and analyzed.
Findings
The results show that the speed of the ABC algorithm is the fastest and the accuracy of the ABC algorithm is the highest too. The prediction performances of the GM (1, 1) model, the SVR model and the GMSVR model were compared, the results show that the GMSVR model has the best prediction ability, it can improve the FCG prediction accuracy of 7075 aluminum alloy greatly.
Originality/value
A new prediction model is proposed for FCG combined the non-equidistant grey model and the SVR model. Aiming at the problem of the model parameters are difficult to select, the GMSVR model parameter optimization method based on the ABC algorithm was presented. the results show that the GMSVR model has better prediction ability, which increase the FCG prediction accuracy of 7075 aluminum alloy greatly.
Details
Keywords
Zifan Zhou, Yufeng Duan, Junping Qiu and Li Yang
This article intends to explore how organizational learning affects innovation in public library services, and the role of public librarians in innovation in library services.
Abstract
Purpose
This article intends to explore how organizational learning affects innovation in public library services, and the role of public librarians in innovation in library services.
Design/methodology/approach
This study collected 375 valid questionnaires from 19 public libraries in Shanghai and Zhejiang based on organizational learning, organizational innovation and employee psychological empowerment theory. Additionally, SPSS and HLM are used to analyze the relationship among the three processes of organizational learning: knowledge acquisition, knowledge sharing and knowledge application, and public library service innovation.
Findings
Results show that organizational learning has a significant positive effect on the service innovation of public libraries. Knowledge acquisition and knowledge application in the process of organizational learning have a significant positive influence on the service innovation of public libraries, but the impact of knowledge sharing on service innovation is weak. Employee psychological empowerment has a negative regulating influence on knowledge sharing–public library service innovation, but no significant influence on knowledge application–public library service innovation and knowledge acquisition–public library service innovation.
Originality/value
This research explores the effectiveness of the theory of organizational learning in the field of public libraries and also confirms the role of librarians in the work of public libraries. Together, they promote the innovation of public libraries.
Details
Keywords
Fang Wang, Shiting Lin, Xiaoyu Liu, Chunyan Jiang and Jianing Li
The former residences of historical figures are typical landscape elements of historic districts, which are characterised by the styles of these residences and spiritual…
Abstract
Purpose
The former residences of historical figures are typical landscape elements of historic districts, which are characterised by the styles of these residences and spiritual historical figures cultures. The purpose of this paper is to determine how the former residences respond once the historical figures living there have passed.
Design/methodology/approach
The history of human culture and progression of urban construction – which are submerged in societal transformation – is recorded for old Beijing city. Narrative space theory is used and methods such as a content analysis, map overlay and the Geographic Information System are employed to analyse the selected 300 former residences of historical figures in old Beijing city.
Findings
The results are as follows: the political setting played a key role in the evolution process, three political narrative areas in the inner city and one cultural narrative area in the outer city form the narrative spatial structure of the former residences of historical figures, “government construction” and “resident construction” are the main reasons for the loss and destruction of narrative spaces and ordinary life is an important channel for showcasing the history of former residences. The narrative spaces of these residences carry double histories, namely, the development of human history and of city construction.
Originality/value
Different from former studies that focus on the preservation of the single historical building, this study explores the integral logic of historic buildings in the whole city through narrative space theory to get a combination of culture and space.
Details
Keywords
Ting Wang, Jianlin Wu, Jibao Gu and Lingyu Hu
Firms often encounter complicated external relationships and conflicts in inbound and outbound open innovation (OI). Conflict management significantly affects innovation results…
Abstract
Purpose
Firms often encounter complicated external relationships and conflicts in inbound and outbound open innovation (OI). Conflict management significantly affects innovation results. Guided by resource dependence theory (RDT), this study aims to examine the moderating effects of conflict management styles in the relationship between OI and organizational performance (OP).
Design/methodology/approach
This study focuses on manufacturing and service firms in China, with the respondents composed of senior managers. Using hierarchical regression analysis, data from 270 firm samples are used to empirically test the hypotheses.
Findings
Inbound and outbound OI openness positively affects OP. Cooperative conflict management positively moderates the relationship between inbound OI openness and OP, whereas it negatively moderates the impact of outbound OI openness on OP. By contrast, competitive conflict management positively moderates the relationship between outbound OI openness on OP.
Research limitations/implications
Guided by RDT, this study explores the relationship between OI and OP and the moderating role of conflict management styles. However, it does not measure the level of resource dependence, which is among the future research directions for further validating the results of this study.
Originality/value
This study is among the first to investigate the impact of OI on OP in different conflict management styles. Findings suggest that choosing a suitable conflict management style may strengthen the positive effects of OI on OP.
Details
Keywords
Saba Sareminia and Vida Mohammadi Dehcheshmeh
Although E-learning has been in use for over two decades, running parallel to traditional learning systems, it has gained increased attention due to its vital role in universities…
Abstract
Purpose
Although E-learning has been in use for over two decades, running parallel to traditional learning systems, it has gained increased attention due to its vital role in universities in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The primary challenge within E-learning pertains to the maintenance of sustainable effectiveness and the assurance of stakeholders' satisfaction. This research focuses on an intelligence-driven solution to recommend the most effective approach to education policymakers by considering the unique characteristics of all components within the educational system (course type, student and teacher characteristics, and technological features) to achieve a sustainable E-learning system.
Design/methodology/approach
Through a systematic literature review and qualitative content analysis, a conceptual model of the critical components influencing E-learning quality and satisfaction has been developed. The proposed model comprises six main dimensions: usage, service quality, learning system quality, content quality, perceived usefulness, and individual characteristics. These dimensions are further divided into 15 components and 114 sub-components. A data mining process encompassing two scenarios has been designed to prioritize the components impacting E-learning success.
Findings
In the first scenario, data mining techniques identified the most influential components based on the features outlined in the conceptual model. According to the results, the components affecting E-learning quality enhancement in the studied case are “usage purpose, system loyalty, technical and supportive system quality, and student characteristics.” The second scenario examines the impact of individuals' personality types and learning styles on E-learning satisfaction across various aspects (Average System Satisfaction, Overall System Satisfaction, Efficiency and Effectiveness, Skill Enhancement, and Personal Enhancement). The findings reveal that, with an accuracy of over 70%, E-learning satisfaction for diplomat and guard learners is influenced by the alignment between “course learning style” and “student-suggested course learning style.” Conversely, for analyzer and researcher types, satisfaction levels are impacted by the “learning style compatible with their personality type.”
Originality/value
Implementing a dynamic model founded on data mining enables educational institutions to personalize the E-learning experience for each individual as much as possible. The study’s findings indicate that “achieving higher satisfaction levels in the E-learning process is not necessarily contingent upon providing a learning style congruent with learners' personality types.” Rather, perceived and suggested learning styles exert a more profound influence. Consequently, providing prescriptive principles for higher education institutions seeking to enhance E-learning quality is inadvisable. Instead, adopting a dynamic, knowledge-based process that furnishes recommendations to policymakers for each course—tailored to the specific course type, teaching records, current processes and technology, and student type—is highly recommended.