Lian Yu Zheng, Kwai Sang Chin and Li Wei
Most process FMEA systems in the market simply fill out the worksheet/form, and can not effectively express, organize, and utilize process failure knowledge of production process…
Abstract
Most process FMEA systems in the market simply fill out the worksheet/form, and can not effectively express, organize, and utilize process failure knowledge of production process during process planning. This paper proposes a knowledge‐enriched representation model for enhancing process FMEA in process planning. This model can effectively represent the process FMEA knowledge other than specific process failure instances or data. Furthermore, in order to effectively utilize the previous process FMEA knowledge, an algorithm is proposed to calculate the similarity among process failure problems based on “concept distance”. A knowledge‐enriched process FMEA tool has been developed by adopting Web technique so as to provide cooperative process FMEA services for process planner on the Internet or Intranet.
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Caihua Yu, Tonghui Lian, Hongbao Geng and Sixin Li
This paper gathers tourism digital footprint from online travel platforms, choosing social network analysis method to learn the structure of destination networks and to probe into…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper gathers tourism digital footprint from online travel platforms, choosing social network analysis method to learn the structure of destination networks and to probe into the features of tourist flow network structure and flow characteristics in Guilin of China.
Design/methodology/approach
The digital footprint of tourists can be applied to study the behaviors and laws of digital footprint. This research contributes to improving the understanding of demand-driven network relationships among tourist attractions in a destination.
Findings
(1) Yulong River, Yangshuo West Street, Longji Terraced Fields, Silver Rock and Four Lakes are the divergent and agglomerative centers of tourist flow, which are the top tourist attractions for transiting tourists. (2) The core-periphery structure of the network is clearly stratified. More specifically, the core nodes in the network are prominent and the core area of the network has weak interaction with the peripheral area. (3) There are eight cohesive subgroups in the network structure, which contains certain differences in the radiation effects.
Originality/value
This research aims at exploring the spatial network structure characteristics of tourism flows in Guilin by analyzing the online footprints of tourists. It takes a good try to analyze the application of network footprint with the research of tourism flow characteristics, and also provides a theoretical reference for the design of tourist routes and the cooperative marketing among various attractions.
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Lian Zhang, Qingtao Wang, Qiyuan Zhang and Kevin Zheng Zhou
Although the prior literature has identified the relevance of dealer participation for multinational enterprises (MNEs), it is unclear whether such participation could also be an…
Abstract
Purpose
Although the prior literature has identified the relevance of dealer participation for multinational enterprises (MNEs), it is unclear whether such participation could also be an important means for local dealers to learn from MNEs. By adopting local firms’ viewpoint, our study draws on organizational learning theory to examine how local dealers benefit from their participation with foreign suppliers in Africa.
Design/methodology/approach
The empirical setting is a combinative dataset of secondary data and primary survey of 164 small- and medium-sized local dealers with nine subsidiaries of a Chinese motorcycle company in six countries of Sub-Saharan Africa.
Findings
This research shows that dealer participation is positively associated with dealer performance, and this positive effect is stronger when local dealers operate in regions with low government corruption and high government support. However, the positive relationship is weaker when local dealers use the local tongue extensively but becomes stronger when their foreign suppliers have a high dealer coverage.
Originality/value
By taking a local-participant perspective, our study extends the participation literature to show how firms from a resource-constrained region may benefit from their proactive participation with foreign counterparts. Additionally, we identify the boundary conditions of institutional factors and strategic choices of local dealers and foreign suppliers, providing a nuanced understanding of firm behaviors in complex and uncertain markets.
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Haiyang Hu, Yu Wang, Chenchen Lian and Peiyan Wang
In this paper, an attempt is made to obtain buckling loads, ultimate bearing capacity and other required structural characteristics of grid structure panels. The numerical method…
Abstract
Purpose
In this paper, an attempt is made to obtain buckling loads, ultimate bearing capacity and other required structural characteristics of grid structure panels. The numerical method for post-buckling behavior analysis of panels involving multiple invisible damages is also presented.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, two bidirectional stiffened composite panels are manufactured and tested. Multiple discrete invisible damages are introduced in different positions of the stringers, and the experimental and simulation investigation of buckling and post-buckling were carried out on the damaged stiffened panels.
Findings
The simulation load–displacement curves are compared with the experimental results, and it is found that the simulation model can well predict the occurrence of buckling and failure loads. The strain curve shows that the rate of strain change at the damaged site is greater than that at the undamaged site, which reflects that the debond is more likely occurred at the damaged site. The simulation verifies that the panel is usually crushed due to matrix compression and fiber–matrix shear.
Originality/value
In this paper, post-buckling tests and numerical simulations of bidirectional stiffened composite panels with impact damage were carried out. Two panels with four longitudinal stringers and two transverse stringers were manufactured and tested. The buckling and post-buckling characteristics of the grid structure are obtained, and the failure mechanism of the structure is explained. This is helpful for the design of wall panel structure.
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This study aims to contribute novel insights into understanding and mitigating the harmful consequences of abusive supervision (AS) by examining the association between AS…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to contribute novel insights into understanding and mitigating the harmful consequences of abusive supervision (AS) by examining the association between AS experiences, revenge, forgiveness, and the moderating role of emotional intelligence (EI). The key argument is that employees' EI can influence the AS experience through affective processes, countering supervisors' abusive behaviors.
Methodology
A between-person scenario-based experiment was conducted with 366 participants divided into AS and control groups. The study explored the association between AS experience and revenge/forgiveness, mediated by core affect (valence and activation). EI abilities were measured as a moderator. Data analysis examined the relationships and interactions among AS, revenge/forgiveness, EI, and affective experiences.
Findings
The study reveals significant findings indicating that AS experiences were positively associated with revenge and negatively associated with forgiveness. The mediation analysis confirmed the role of core affect in these relationships. EI emerged as a moderator, shaping the association between AS experiences and revenge/forgiveness. Importantly, participants with higher EI exhibited lower revenge intentions, demonstrating the potential of EI to mitigate the adverse effects of AS. Unexpectedly, individuals with high EI also expressed fewer forgiveness intentions.
Originality/Value
This study provides a comprehensive understanding of how employees can effectively counterbalance the impact of AS through higher levels of strategic EI. Examining core affect as a mediator offers novel insights into coping mechanisms in response to AS experiences and their consequences.
Limitations
The study acknowledges several limitations, as the scenarios may only partially capture the complexities of real-life AS situations. The focus on a specific context and the sample characteristics limit the generalizability of the findings. Future research should explore diverse organizational contexts and employ longitudinal designs.
Implications
The findings have practical implications for organizations as enhancing employees' EI skills through training programs interventions and integrating EI into organizational culture and leadership conduct.
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Ashkan Ayough, Mohammad Hosseinzadeh and Alireza Motameni
Line–cell conversion and rotation of operators between cells are common in lean production systems. Thus, the purpose of this study is to provide an integrated look at these two…
Abstract
Purpose
Line–cell conversion and rotation of operators between cells are common in lean production systems. Thus, the purpose of this study is to provide an integrated look at these two practices through integrating job rotation scheduling and line-cell conversion problems, as well as investigating the effect of rotation frequency on flow time of a Seru system.
Design/methodology/approach
First, a nonlinear integer programming model of job rotation scheduling problem and line–cell conversion problem (Seru-JRSP) was presented. Then, because Seru-JRSP is NP-hard, an efficient and effective invasive weed optimization (IWO) algorithm was developed. Exploration process of IWO was enhanced by enforcing two shake mechanisms.
Findings
Computations of various sample problems showed shorter flow time and less number of assigned operators in a Seru system scheduled through job rotation. Also, nonlinear behavior of flow time versus number of rotation periods was shown. It was demonstrated that, setting number of rotation frequency to one in line with the literature leads to inferior flow time. In addition, ability of developed algorithm to generate clusters of equivalent solutions in terms of flow time was shown.
Originality/value
In this research, integration of job rotation scheduling and line–cell conversion problems was introduced, considering lack of an integrated look at these two practices in the literature. In addition, a new improved IWO equipped with shake enforcement was introduced.
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Jia Liao, Yun Zhan and Kangbo Liu
This study investigates the impact of customer stability on the cost of debt and the moderating effect of environmental uncertainty on the above relationship.
Abstract
Purpose
This study investigates the impact of customer stability on the cost of debt and the moderating effect of environmental uncertainty on the above relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
An empirical analysis based on the ordinary least squares (OLS) regression model is conducted using China’s A-share listed companies on the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges from 2007 to 2021.
Findings
The results indicate that customer stability significantly inhibits the cost of debt, and the higher the environmental uncertainty, the more significant the inhibitory effect of customer stability on the cost of debt. The results of heterogeneity analyses indicate that the more intense the industry competition, the higher the customer concentration or the older the average customer age, the more significant the inhibiting effect of customer stability on the cost of debt.
Research limitations/implications
This study highlights the importance of customer relationship management and supply chain risk management, which have both theoretical and managerial implications. Despite its contributions, this study has limitations, such as China’s institutional context limits, which the generalisability of our results, and the sample size for this study is small because of limitations in measuring customer stability.
Originality/value
Existing literature has not yet reached a consistent conclusion on how customer relationships affect the cost of debt, and such studies are mainly centered around perspectives such as customer concentration and the contagion effect of supply chains. This study constructs an indicator of customer stability using detailed information on the top five customers of China’s A-share listed companies and dynamically examines the impact of customer stability on the cost of debt, which expands the research on the influencing factors of the cost of debt, the economic consequences of customer stability and the theory of customer relationship management.
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Maggie M. Wang, Cherrie J.H. Zhu, Connie Zheng and Susan Mayson
The purpose of this paper is to explore suzhi requirements and expectations to double-shouldered academics as middle-level cadres (双肩挑处级干部) in a Chinese higher education institute…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore suzhi requirements and expectations to double-shouldered academics as middle-level cadres (双肩挑处级干部) in a Chinese higher education institute (HEI) as an initial step to examine the interplays between suzhi requirement and expectations and organizational operational mechanism in the Chinese context.
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopted an exploratory single-case approach for the study. In this study, 22 participants composed of middle-level cadres, other stakeholders at the university, college/department and business unit levels were interviewed.
Findings
Suzhi requirements for the cadres followed the Communist Party of China’s (CPC) guideline, the required de, neng, qin, ji and lian (德, 能, 勤, 绩, 廉) was abstract and vague. With the parallel systems, the CPC and administrative lines, there were discrepancies between the CPC required suzhi and those expected by the stakeholders. A social phenomenon, “official rank-oriented standard” (ORS, guan ben wei, 官本位), was found significantly intertwining with the self suzhi expectation of the cadres, unveiling a more complex dynamics than most research reported for the Chinese public sector organizations (PSOs).
Researchimplications
With the initial qualitative findings unveiling suzhi as an organizational construct, this study informs future empirical research in the indigenous suzhi phenomenon in organizational setting. The conceptualized results of our study offer new insight for future indigenous Chinese management research in all PSOs including state-owned enterprises (SOEs).
Originality/value
As an initial step, this study endeavored to explore suzhi as an organizational construct in a Chinese HEI. The paper contributes to the literature by unveiling the complexity of PSOs in the interplays of dual management systems and ORS coupled with dual-role suzhi requirements for the cadres.
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Fitore Jashari-Mani and Jusuf Zeqiri
Due to the worldwide internet usage and online presence of businesses, digital marketing is an integrated part of the overall marketing strategy. One of the main investments in…
Abstract
Purpose
Due to the worldwide internet usage and online presence of businesses, digital marketing is an integrated part of the overall marketing strategy. One of the main investments in this field is the investment on more creative content that engages more potential customers. Online brand communities (OBCs) are used by businesses as a tool to have higher rates of engagement. Many researchers have developed customer engagement (CE) models to better understand it, but the transition economies like the countries of the Balkan are somehow left aside. Due to this identified gap in the literature, this paper aims to provide a model explaining the drivers and outcomes of CE, specifically on OBCs.
Design/methodology/approach
The research is based on primary data collected with an online questionnaire. Sample consisted of 764 respondents from four Balkan countries (Kosovo, North Macedonia, Albania and Montenegro). Data were analyzed using SPSS Statistics and IBM AMOS 26. To test the research model and hypotheses, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used.
Findings
First, the study found a positive impact of entertainment and customer satisfaction, and celebrities’ endorsement in CE. Furthermore, the results revealed a positive impact of CE on customer purchase intention and customer loyalty.
Practical implications
The research findings aim to help businesses of Balkan countries to better understand the importance and operation of CE in OBC.
Originality/value
This paper enriches the existing digital marketing literature of transition economies with a model of online CE.
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Elena G. Popkova, Elena V. Popova and Bruno S. Sergi
This chapter elaborates on the role of clusters and innovational networks in Russia and interprets that the future growth of Russia’s economy depends on the development of…
Abstract
This chapter elaborates on the role of clusters and innovational networks in Russia and interprets that the future growth of Russia’s economy depends on the development of clusters and innovational networks. We substantiated that clusters and innovational networks possess considerable potential in the sphere of provision of sustainable growth of Russia’s economy. Today, this potential is not used due to unequal distribution of clusters and innovational networks on Russia’s vast territory and due to their being at the initial stage of development – despite their prolonged period of existence. However, even in the current conditions, clusters and innovational networks make a significant contribution to Russia’s GDP (15.58% in 2018). By 2024, by implementing our described optimal scenario of clusters and innovational networks development, it would be possible to expand Russia’s GDP by 15 times, which will allow increasing the country’s GDP by 2.5 times. This positive effect will be achieved due to the provision of balance and stability of economic growth, which will make it more sustainable. Clusters and innovational networks should become a basis for sustainable growth of Russia’s economy. We recommend a scenario of sustainable growth based on a more equal distribution of clusters and innovational networks across Russia and a quicker development of clusters and innovational networks via more extensive involvement of private businesses.