Linhan Zhang and Qingliang Tang
Water management is an emerging practice. This paper aims to propose a theoretical model of a corporate water management system (WMS) and empirically explores whether superior…
Abstract
Purpose
Water management is an emerging practice. This paper aims to propose a theoretical model of a corporate water management system (WMS) and empirically explores whether superior water management improves water use performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Our model of WMS consists of 10 structural elements. We draw on self-discipline theory to predict the results and use archival data from the Carbon Disclosure Project to measure and evaluate the overall quality and effectiveness of the water management of our sample companies.
Findings
Companies motivated to adopt self-discipline tend to proactively implement high-quality WMSs. However, further analyses suggest that water management without regulatory sanctions appears insufficient for reducing water usage, at least in the short term. Overall, this study reveals a clear and growing tendency for businesses to manage water risks and a corresponding momentum toward more rigid control of water consumption.
Research limitations/implications
Corporate participation in the Carbon Disclosure Project survey is voluntary. Thus, the data in this paper are subject to self-selection bias, and what the companies claim concerning their behavior may not reflect the reality of their business practices. In addition, the inferences drawn here are based on data from only large firms. Future researchers could investigate whether and how corporate WMS continued to develop or decline in recent years, and how such practices integrate with other aspects of management (including carbon and energy).
Practical implications
This paper responds to water scarcity by exploring how the development of corporate WMS is driven by self-discipline motivation. This study sets out an agenda for the future of water accounting and management which can be used to guide research and stimulate extension in practice. Governments and non-governmental organizations may utilize the results to guide and bind corporations to achieve sustainability.
Social implications
The efficient use of freshwater is essential for sustainability, but limited studies have addressed the issue. The current paper explores this important issue, and our findings suggest regulatory institution is necessary to effectively enhance water usage.
Originality/value
This paper represents an early attempt to model corporate water management practices. A WMS should facilitate resilience in water management, measurement of water performance, and comparability among firms. This study contributes to the conceptualization and empirical assessment of self-discipline in motivated water management and enhances the validity and applicability of the theory of self-disciplining in sustainability research.
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Ming Yuan, Xuetong Wang, Ziyao Zhang, Han Lin and Mingchuan Yu
The deviant behavior (DB) of construction workers has always been a troubling event in project management. Although scholars continue to search for the main causes of this…
Abstract
Purpose
The deviant behavior (DB) of construction workers has always been a troubling event in project management. Although scholars continue to search for the main causes of this behavior to curb it at the source, the authors know less about the role and contribution of the team. This study aims to uncover the mechanisms and conditions under which collective moral judgment focus on self (CMJS) effectively enhances DB.
Design/methodology/approach
Adopting Chinese construction enterprises as samples, a hierarchical linear model (HLM) is used to test the results of the hypothesis. Moderated mediating effects are used to analyze the potential mechanisms and boundary conditions of DB.
Findings
The results of the HLM analysis show that CMJS could directly and significantly induce DB, and moral disengagement (MD) plays a mediator role in this association. In addition, the positive relationship between MD and DB is stronger when performance-avoidance goal orientation (PaGO) or overqualification (Overq) is higher.
Research limitations/implications
The conditions and mechanisms that influence DB are not unique. Future study could examine the explanatory and weighting mechanisms of DB from other perspectives or to construct a framework and summarize the factors that may influence DB.
Practical implications
This study provides a rich theoretical basis for the prevention and correction of construction workers' DB in Chinese construction firms from the perspective of CMJS. In addition, objective moral judgments contribute to guiding employees' moral cognitive processes and positive work.
Originality/value
This study extends existing research on DB and advances the practical outcomes of construction project governance. It not only illustrates that CMJS has a direct impact on DB but also clarifies the mechanisms and conditions that predispose to the generation of DB, filling the research gap on construction workers' DB from cross-level mechanisms and also enriching the theoretical system for preventing this behavior.
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Jinyun Duan, Dilin Yao, Yue Xu and Linhan Yu
Although domestic research on Chinese management is emerging, a suitable domestic theory is still needed to support and explain Chinese management practice. Given that, this paper…
Abstract
Purpose
Although domestic research on Chinese management is emerging, a suitable domestic theory is still needed to support and explain Chinese management practice. Given that, this paper aims to extract ideas of cultivation from Confucianism and propose a theoretical framework of self-cultivation with a purpose to provide new explanations for domestic (nondomestic as well) management practice.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing from pre-Qin cultivation discourse and management practice, this paper develops a theoretical framework of self-cultivation and discusses its implications.
Findings
This paper argues that self-cultivation emphasizes self-consciousness, initiative and selflessness. It also includes self-reflection, self-discipline, self-study and self-improvement, as well as self-dedication, all of which reflect the ideal realm of “self-cultivation.” This “realm” refers to the process of pursuing an ideal personality and high moral standards.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to the literature by identifying various potential applications of self-cultivation theory to domestic research on organizational behavior in China.
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Yazhen Sun, Kun Lin, Jinchang Wang, Fengbin Zhu, Longyan Wang and Linhan Lu
Predicting surface settlement at mountain tunnel entrances during construction is increasingly crucial for risk analysis, as the accuracy of these predictions directly impacts…
Abstract
Purpose
Predicting surface settlement at mountain tunnel entrances during construction is increasingly crucial for risk analysis, as the accuracy of these predictions directly impacts collapse risk assessments and personnel safety.
Design/methodology/approach
This study introduces a novel approach using a particle swarm optimization (PSO)-optimized long short-term memory (LSTM) neural network for surface settlement prediction. The PSO algorithm optimizes key hyperparameters of the LSTM model, including the number of hidden layer neurons, the learning rate and L2 regularization, while the Adam optimizer refines LSTM iterations. Dropout is used in combination with adaptive L2 regularization parameters to avoid overfitting situations, and sensitivity analysis of the remaining variables ensures the identification of the optimal solution.
Findings
The model, based on monitoring data from the Aketepu No. 1 Tunnel’s left tunnel, establishes evaluation criteria incorporating error margins and root mean square error (RMSE). By examining the range of maximum (minimum) settlement rates for the cumulative settlement values, the study determined that the section is exposed to an average risk of collapse with slow deformation, which is consistent with actual observations.
Originality/value
This suggests that construction can proceed normally, with appropriate monitoring to mitigate the risk of collapse. The PSO-LSTM forecast model presents a promising approach for predicting collapse risks at mountain tunnel entrances.
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Ziyao Zhang, Guodong Ni, Han Lin, Zongbo Li and Zhipeng Zhou
This paper aims to investigate the relationships between empowering leadership, basic psychological needs satisfaction, work-related well-being, and project citizenship behavior.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the relationships between empowering leadership, basic psychological needs satisfaction, work-related well-being, and project citizenship behavior.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing upon the self-determination theory (SDT), a conceptual model was developed and then empirically tested using a cross-sectional survey of 435 project members in Chinese construction projects.
Findings
The results fully support the research hypotheses proposed in the study, illustrating the positive impacts of empowering leadership on work-related well-being and project citizenship behavior, the mediating role of basic psychological needs satisfaction, and the positive association between work-related well-being and project citizenship behavior.
Practical implications
This research determines the utility of empowering leadership in the context of construction projects, especially in enhancing individual outcomes (i.e. work-related well-being and project citizenship behavior). Therefore, construction project managers can apply empowering leadership to meet the basic psychological needs of subordinates to increase project members' work-related well-being and project citizenship behavior.
Originality/value
To our knowledge, the present study first explores the micro-level impacts of empowering leadership in the construction context. Additionally, this study enriches the understanding of the mediating mechanism between empowering leadership and individual outcomes from a self-determination perspective.
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Linhua Sang, Mingchuan Yu, Han Lin, Zixin Zhang and Ruoyu Jin
Embracing big data has been at the forefront of research for project management. Although there is a consensus that the adoption of big data has significantly positive impact on…
Abstract
Purpose
Embracing big data has been at the forefront of research for project management. Although there is a consensus that the adoption of big data has significantly positive impact on project performance, far less is known about how this innovative information technology becomes an effective driver of construction project quality improvement. This study aims to better understand the mechanism and conditions under which big data can effectively improve project quality performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Adopting Chinese construction enterprises as samples, the theoretical framework proposed in this paper is verified by the empirical results of the two-level hierarchical linear model. The moderated mediation analysis is also conducted to test the hypotheses. Finally, the empirical findings are validated by a comparative case study.
Findings
The results show that big data facilitates the development of technology capability, which further produces remarkable quality performance. That is, a project team's technology capability acts as a mediator in the relationship between organizational adaptability of big data and predictive analytics and project quality performance. It is also observed that two types of project team interdependence (goal and task interdependence) positively moderate the mediation effect.
Research limitations/implications
The questionnaire study from China only represents the relationship within a short time interval in the current context. Future studies should apply longitudinal designs to properly test the causality and use multiple data sources to ensure the validity and robustness of the conclusions.
Practical implications
The value of big data in terms of quality improvement could not be determined in a vacuum; it also depends on the internal capability development and elaborate design of project governance.
Originality/value
This study provides an extension of the existing big data studies and fuels the ongoing debate on its actual outcomes in project management. It not only clarifies the direct effect of big data on project quality improvement but also identifies the mechanism and conditions under which the adoption of big data can play an effective role.
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Yuming Zhai, Kaibo Yang, Lu Chen, Han Lin, Mingchuan Yu and Ruoyu Jin
Digital technologies, such as big data and artificial intelligence, significantly impact entrepreneurial activities worldwide. However, research on entrepreneurial activities…
Abstract
Purpose
Digital technologies, such as big data and artificial intelligence, significantly impact entrepreneurial activities worldwide. However, research on entrepreneurial activities enabled by digital technologies is fragmented, divergent and delayed. This study aims to provide a structured review of digital entrepreneurship (DE) to identify status, hotspots, knowledge structure, dynamic trends and future developments in this field.
Design/methodology/approach
The bibliometric analysis was applied to offer a technological review on DE. In total 704 publications and their 34,083 references from Web of Science were retrieved as the sample set. Basic characteristics of publications, including the most influential documents, authors, journals and countries, were obtained. Then, co-citation and co-occurrence analyses were conducted to sketch the contours of the structure and evolution of DE.
Findings
DE has attracted increasing attention in the past three decades, especially after 2013. There are dozens of countries, hundreds of journals and more than 1,000 authors that have contributed to this field. Based on keyword co-occurrence clustering and co-citation clustering, the authors proposed a 3E (empower, evolution and ecosystem) framework of DE to facilitate an interdisciplinary dialogue for evidence-based policymaking and practice. In the future, researchers need to pay more attention to theoretical research and study DE from a holistic and dynamic perspective with consideration to the negative impact of digital technology on entrepreneurial activities.
Originality/value
This study draws an outline of the global advance on DE research. It presents an opportunity to comprehensively understand the contemporary achievements, the march of knowledge and the logical venation underlying academic developments as well as foundations for policymaking.
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Hanyang Ma, Zheming Liu, Saixing Zeng, Han Lin and Vivian W.Y. Tam
Since megaproject social responsibility (MSR) has received increasing attention in megaproject management and plays critical roles in megaproject practices, the purpose of this…
Abstract
Purpose
Since megaproject social responsibility (MSR) has received increasing attention in megaproject management and plays critical roles in megaproject practices, the purpose of this paper is to explore how MSR facilitates an improved sustainability of the construction industry.
Design/methodology/approach
By integrating multiple theoretical perspectives of transaction cost theory, institutionalism and attention- and resource-based views, and by using survey data of Chinese megaprojects and construction enterprises, this paper offers a theoretical elaboration of and an empirical investigation into the impacts that MSR’s four dimensions exert on industrial improvement in economic sustainability and social responsibility.
Findings
The study’s empirical results indicate that MSR has positive impacts on improving the sustainability of the construction industry, and that such positive impacts are weakened by the interactions of primary stakeholders in the megaprojects but are strengthened by the interactions of secondary stakeholders.
Practical implications
This paper suggests that managers and policymakers make efforts to governmental guidance, media monitoring and public participation in megaprojects, so as to limit the potential unethical behaviors in megaproject management and enhance the sociopolitical legitimacy that are essential for the sustainability of the construction industry.
Originality/value
By analyzing the industrial outcomes of MSR, this paper extends studies on the topic beyond the current literature’s focus on the antecedents of MSR, and it enriches the research on MSR stakeholders by elaborating on the contingent roles of the various stakeholders in megaproject management.
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Lin Han Shao, Tatiana Bouzdine-Chameeva and Renaud Lunardo
This study aims to investigate the interacting effect of two forms of psychic distance (business and cultural) on export relationship management. Specifically, this research…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the interacting effect of two forms of psychic distance (business and cultural) on export relationship management. Specifically, this research examines the moderating role of cultural distance in the effect of business distance on different dimensions of relationship management and financial export performance.
Design/methodology/approach
This research builds on a sample of 174 French export executives who were asked to rate their views of their relationship with their Chinese business counterpart in the wine trade, and their related performance.
Findings
A first finding lies in the strong positive effects of relationship management, relationship investment and communication quality on financial export performance. A second and important finding relates to the different effects of the business and cultural dimensions of psychic distance, while the former positively affects relationship management, the latter negatively moderates the effect of business distance on relationship management.
Research limitations/implications
One limitation pertains to the focus on France and China as the only countries involved in the current research. Future research could investigate whether the results replicate in different countries. Further studies would also be needed to enrich the relationship management dimensions and test whether the effects observed here replicate in relation to other dimensions.
Practical implications
For export managers, this research offers a better understanding of business and cultural distance, and their effects on relationship structuring. Specifically, the results indicate that cultural distance matters more than business distance, meaning that business distance can help relationship management only when cultural distance is low. In addition, the results indicate that wine producers might gain from communicating openly with their business counterparts, for instance, by clearly explaining the business objectives, or through continuous interactions and temporal and financial investments.
Originality/value
The originality of this research lies in identifying the interaction effect of the business and cultural dimensions of psychic distance, with cultural distance revealed as a boundary condition for the effects of business distance on relationship management. The inclusion of marketing and financial aspects constitutes a further original aspect.
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M. Asjad, M.S. Kulkarni and O.P. Gandhi
Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) start providing support to their products, that helped them in beating the competition across the worldwide. The unavailability of spares…
Abstract
Purpose
Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) start providing support to their products, that helped them in beating the competition across the worldwide. The unavailability of spares and crews may also prolong the downtime of equipment, thereby affecting the systems’ performance. The spares and crews have as much effect on the systems’ performance as the design characteristics (i.e. reliability and maintainability). Thus, the OEMs required to extent the support to their products through maintenance, spares, crews, etc., so as to gain the customer satisfaction.
Design/methodology/approach
The mathematical model for spares, crews and support quality has been presented in this research work. The problem has been identified from the literature perspective for mechanical systems.
Findings
The model has been implemented on a real-life problem, in which the OEMs provide support to their make installed at compressed natural gas workstation in National Capital Region, India.
Originality/value
The research proposed in this work will be helpful to manufacturer, customer, academician, researcher, industrialist and any concerned person, to get the exhaustive benefits from the system.