Jinnan Wu, Lin Liu and Lihua Huang
Although perceived risk and usefulness have been identified as two major factors that influence consumer acceptance of an innovative mobile payment (m-payment), relatively few…
Abstract
Purpose
Although perceived risk and usefulness have been identified as two major factors that influence consumer acceptance of an innovative mobile payment (m-payment), relatively few researchers have explored the impact of affective factors on perceived risk and usefulness, and the relationship between perceived risk and usefulness. Also, it is unclear whether there is a difference in the acceptance intention among users across different diffusion stages of this innovation. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of positive emotion in consumer acceptance of WeChat payment across time.
Design/methodology/approach
This study proposed and validated a framework integrating the consumer response system model and the affect heuristic. A total of 484 valid responses were collected through two online surveys at two diffusion stages of WeChat payment technology. The structural equation modeling and multigroup analysis were used to test the hypotheses.
Findings
The results show that users’ acceptance intention is relatively related to perceived risk, perceived usefulness, and positive emotion. Positive emotion has a strong negative impact on perceived risk and a positive impact on perceived usefulness. Also, perceived usefulness strongly decreases users’ perception of risk. Multigroup analyses find that both positive emotion and perceived risk have significant positive and negative impacts on acceptance intention at the stage of market introduction rather than market growth. Rather, the influence of positive usefulness on acceptance intention is significantly higher at the stage of market growth than at market introduction.
Originality/value
This study indicates that exploring the role of positive emotion and the moderating effect of diffusion stages in m-payment acceptance provides a more comprehensive understanding of how to achieve a greater acceptance rate of an innovative m-payment.
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Lin Xiao, Jian Mou and Lihua Huang
Despite the various benefits of social networking services (SNSs), users have begun to experience fatigue in recent years, as evidenced by a decline in active user numbers. This…
Abstract
Purpose
Despite the various benefits of social networking services (SNSs), users have begun to experience fatigue in recent years, as evidenced by a decline in active user numbers. This relatively new phenomenon has only recently received significant managerial and academic attention. The antecedents of SNS fatigue are still unclear in the literature. The purpose of this paper is to identify the key factors causing SNS fatigue, based on a socio-technical approach.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors empirically tested this research model with 424 SNS users via an online survey. Structural equation modeling with partial least squares was used to analyze the data.
Findings
The results showed that the social factors of social comparison, social interaction overload, social surveillance and social information overload, and the technical factor of system complexity are significantly related to SNS fatigue.
Practical implications
This research benefits SNS providers by allowing them to better understand how to effectively design social networking platforms to retain and attract more users. It also benefits users by providing guidance on how to actively manage their own behavior to avoid potential negative outcomes induced by SNS usage.
Originality/value
This study focuses on the “dark side” of SNS from the perspective of fatigue, extending existing research on technostress. It also extends the applicability of the socio-technical approach to the phenomenon of SNS fatigue. Moreover, it enriches SNS fatigue research by addressing the importance of both social and technical factors in causing SNS fatigue.
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Lin Xiao, Ting Pan, Jian Mou and Lihua Huang
The purpose of this paper is to build a comprehensive structural model to demonstrate the interrelationships of factors influencing social networking service (SNS) fatigue and to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to build a comprehensive structural model to demonstrate the interrelationships of factors influencing social networking service (SNS) fatigue and to identify the varying degrees of influence.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 14 factors influencing SNS fatigue are identified through an extensive literature review. Interpretive structural modeling (ISM) and Matrice d'Impacts Croisés Multiplication Appliqué à un Classement (MICMAC) analysis are employed to build a hierarchical model and classify these factors into four clusters.
Findings
The results revealed that ubiquitous connectivity and immediacy of feedback are key factors contributing to SNS fatigue through their strong influence on other factors. Privacy concern, impression management concern and work–life conflict lead directly to SNS fatigue. In contrast, system feature overload and system pace of change are relatively insignificant in generating SNS fatigue.
Originality/value
This study represents an initial step toward comprehensively understanding the interrelationships among the factors leading to SNS fatigue and reveals how determinants of SNS fatigue are hierarchically organized, thus extending existing research on SNS fatigue. It also provides logical consistency in the ISM-based model for SNS fatigue by grouping identified factors into dependent and independent categories. Moreover, it extends the applicability of the integration of the ISM and MICMAC approaches to the phenomenon of SNS fatigue.
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Cailing Feng, Xiaoyu Huang and Lihua Zhang
Based on dual organizational theory, the purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between transformational leadership and innovative behavior in groups. The authors…
Abstract
Purpose
Based on dual organizational theory, the purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between transformational leadership and innovative behavior in groups. The authors proposed that group innovative behavior was influenced by transformational leadership as a group-level construct which was moderated by dual organizational change that represent organization-level resources. Furthermore, the authors identified two organizational change-related situational variables-radical change and incremental change and examined their effects on group innovative behavior.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors collected data from full-time employees working in groups in 43 companies, located in five cities in China including Beijing, Yantai, Chengdu, Xi’an, and Chengde. These enterprises were from a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, financing, information technology, and geological exploration. The authors chose a middle- or senior-level manager from each company to act as chief survey respondent, who were asked to contact managers and employees from a list they had provided and invite them to participate in a web-based survey (via an e-mailed link) or a paper-and-pencil survey. A total of 192 managers and 756 direct subordinates from 112 groups completed the survey.
Findings
Results found that transformational leadership was positively related to group innovative behavior, and this relationship was moderated by radical change, but not incremental change; radical change and incremental change were also positively related to group innovative behavior.
Research limitations/implications
This study adopts a cross-sectional study design, which is insufficient for deriving causal inferences. Future research may adopt a longitudinal study design to investigate causal impacts. Besides, some unmeasured variables could be related to transformational leadership and innovative behavior.
Practical implications
The paper includes implications for adopting appropriate leadership style to motivate innovative behavior, promoting dual organizational change to boost innovative behavior, and generating greater innovative behavior for transformational leaders in times of radical change.
Originality/value
This cross-level study contributes to the relationship between transformational leadership and group innovative behavior in the context of dual organizational change.
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Xiaoyu Huang, Lihua Zhang, Cailing Feng and Craig Richard Seal
The current study aims to investigate the temporal mechanisms in HRM systems by focusing on how HRM systems evolve over time and how such changes affect organizational innovation.
Abstract
Purpose
The current study aims to investigate the temporal mechanisms in HRM systems by focusing on how HRM systems evolve over time and how such changes affect organizational innovation.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper draws on organizational entrainment theory to examine how pace of change in employee involvement programs (EIPs) influences innovation via data from an eight-year longitudinal survey collected by Statistics Canada. The final sample includes 15,679 workplace–year observations.
Findings
This research shows that the effects of HRM programs on performance are more than just the mean effect – the pace of change by which changes are implemented in HRM programs matters in the long run. The optimal level of change pace occurs when the EIPs are changing at a pace that entrains (or synchronizes) with organizational rhythm of strategic changes. Results suggest that change pace in EIPs has an inverted-U-shaped relationship with both pace and quality of innovation. The curvilinear effect is more pronounced for organizations with relatively lower mean level of EIPs.
Research limitations/implications
First, this study captures only key measures of the EIPs and may not be generalizable to other dimensions of the HR systems. Second, the results of this paper should be interpreted at the HR program level or bundles of HR practices – the findings may not be generalizable to lower levels of analysis. Third, as a result of annual measurement, this study cannot capture short-lived minor dynamic HR misfits where workplaces quickly adjust to regain alignment. Fourth, to attain meaningful and consistent measures of strategic HR change, this study only includes surviving workplaces with at least five years of observations.
Practical implications
This paper provides insights to managers and business leaders on how to implement strategic changes in HRM systems effectively to attain sustained innovation outcomes in the long run. To achieve an optimal level of innovation, organizations need to consider not only what and how many EIPs should be used but also how to strategically change EIPs to meet dynamic internal and external changes.
Originality/value
The current research introduces organizational entrainment theory to explain and empirically test the conflicting predictions of the universalist and contingency perspectives on the effects of strategic changes in HRM.
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Lihua Cai, Shuo Dong, Xi Huang, Haifeng Fang and Jianguo She
Flexible mechanical gripper has better safety and adaptability than a rigid mechanical hand. At present, there are few soft grippers for small objects on a millimeter scale…
Abstract
Purpose
Flexible mechanical gripper has better safety and adaptability than a rigid mechanical hand. At present, there are few soft grippers for small objects on a millimeter scale. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to design a soft pneumatic gripper for grasping millimeter-scale small and fragile objects such as jewelry and electronic components.
Design/methodology/approach
By simulating the clamping action of the bird’s mouth and combining the high flexibility of the soft material, the bird’s beak soft pneumatic gripper is designed. First, the internal cavity of the gripping end of the gripper is determined by bending deformation calculation, and the brief manufacturing process of the gripper is outlined. Then, the single finger of the soft gripper is modeled mechanically, and the relationship between air pressure and bending deformation of the single finger is obtained. Finally, the experimental platform of the soft mechanical gripper is built, and the gripping performance of silicone rubber material is tested by comparison test, bending deformation test, stability test, adaptability test and gripping accuracy test.
Findings
The designed gripper has the advantages of simple structure, convenient operation, easy grasping of different small objects of millimeter-scale and good adaptability. It can grasp the precise dispensing needle with a minimum diameter of 0.19 mm, and its accuracy meets daily use.
Originality/value
A new type of soft pneumatic, the mechanical gripper is proposed and manufactured. According to the shape of the bird’s beak and the calculation of bending performance, a hollow finger gripper with better bending performance is designed. Various test results show that the gripper has a significant clamping effect on millimeter small objects, which supplements the research field of millimeter small object gripper.
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Zheng Liu, Na Huang, Chunjia Han, Mu Yang, Yuanjun Zhao, Wenzhuo Sun, Varsha Arya, Brij B. Gupta and Lihua Shi
The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of carbon reduction efforts and preservation efforts on system benefits in the cold chain industry of fresh products.
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of carbon reduction efforts and preservation efforts on system benefits in the cold chain industry of fresh products.
Design/methodology/approach
This study develops an optimal decision game model for the fresh products in the cold chain, incorporating the retailer's preservation effort and the supplier's carbon emission reduction effort. It quantifies the relationship between carbon emission reduction effort, preservation effort and system profit. The model considers parameters like carbon trading price, consumer low-carbon preference and consumer freshness preference, reflecting real-world conditions and market trends. Numerical simulations are conducted by varying these parameters to observe their impact on system profit.
Findings
Under the carbon cap-and-trade policy, the profit of the fresh cold chain system is higher than that of the fresh cold chain system without carbon constraints, and the profit of the supplier under decentralized decision-making is increased by nine times in the simulation results. The increase in carbon trading prices can effectively improve the freshness level of fresh products cold chain, carbon emission reduction level and system profit.
Originality/value
This study comprehensively considers the factors of freshness and carbon emission reduction, provides the optimal low-carbon production decision-making reference for the fresh food cold chain and promotes the sustainable development of the fresh food cold chain.
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Teng Shao, Hong Jin and Lihua Zhao
According to the survey and measurement on rural housing in the Northeast severe cold regions of China, this paper analyzed the existing situation and problems of current rural…
Abstract
According to the survey and measurement on rural housing in the Northeast severe cold regions of China, this paper analyzed the existing situation and problems of current rural housing in terms of integral development, functional layout, envelop structure, interior thermal environment, heating system and energy utilization etc.. Based on the climatic features of severe cold regions, as well as rural financial and technical conditions, living and production mode, residential construction characteristics and existing resource status etc., the feasible approaches of achieving building energy saving has been proposed, thus acting as a guidance for new rural housing design in severe cold regions.
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Lihua Li, Maria Estela Varua, Adam M. Komarek, Sriram Shankar and William D. Bellotti
The purpose of this paper is to explore the endogenous relationship between production specialisation and market commercialisation with an empirical study of farmers in Northwest…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the endogenous relationship between production specialisation and market commercialisation with an empirical study of farmers in Northwest China.
Design/methodology/approach
The three-stage least squares were used to address simultaneity and over-identification problems in comparison with two-stage least squares (2SLS). The Durbin-Wu-Hausman test was employed to identify the endogeneity of the commercialisation and specialisation variables. The validity, relevance, and strength of the instruments were tested using the Stock-Yogo weak instrument diagnostics test.
Findings
A two-way interrelationship between specialisation and commercialisation were confirmed, and suggest that farmers’ decisions on farm commercialisation and production specialisation are actually separate and interacting.
Social implications
By demonstrating that a virtuous cycle exists between agricultural commercialisation and on-farm specialisation, policies can be formulated to complement these two effects that may help increase small holders’ income. Farmers’ market participation can be indirectly improved by combining market improvement and risk management tools to encourage production specialisation.
Originality/value
The insights of this study cast further light onto the farm market participation theory by emphasising that higher asset endowments enable small farmers to specialise in production with comparative advantage.
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Zhirui Zhao, Lina Hao, Guanghong Tao, Hongjun Liu and Lihua Shen
This study discusses the tracking trajectory issue of the exoskeleton under the bounded disturbance and designs an useful tracking trajectory control method to solve it. By using…
Abstract
Purpose
This study discusses the tracking trajectory issue of the exoskeleton under the bounded disturbance and designs an useful tracking trajectory control method to solve it. By using the proposed control method, the tracking error can be successfully convergence to the assigned boundary. Meanwhile, the chattering effect caused by the actuators is already reduced, and the tracking performance of the pneumatic artificial muscles (PAMs) elbow exoskeleton is improved effectively.
Design/methodology/approach
A prescribed performance sliding mode control method was developed in this study to fulfill the joint position tracking trajectory task on the elbow exoskeleton driven by two PAMs. In terms of the control structure, a dynamic model was built by conforming to the adaptive law to compensate for the time variety and uncertainty exhibited by the system. Subsequently, a super-twisting algorithm-based second-order sliding mode control method was subjected to the exoskeleton under the boundedness of external disturbance. Moreover, the prescribed performance control method exhibits a smooth prescribed function with an error transformation function to ensure the tracking error can be finally convergent to the pre-designed requirement.
Findings
From the theoretical perspective, the stability of the control method was verified through Lyapunov synthesis. On that basis, the tracking performance of the proposed control method was confirmed through the simulation and the manikin model experiment.
Originality/value
As revealed by the results of this study, the proposed control method sufficiently applies to the PAMs elbow exoskeleton for tracking trajectory, which means it has potential application in the actual robot-assisted passive rehabilitation tasks.