Xue-feng Wang, R.F. Hu, Weiyan Shang and Fuzhou Zhao
The dent is one of typical surface defects on the surfaces of the machine elements and it is not in fact inerratic. This work aims to investigate the effect of a single dent with…
Abstract
Purpose
The dent is one of typical surface defects on the surfaces of the machine elements and it is not in fact inerratic. This work aims to investigate the effect of a single dent with a marginal bump on the film shape in elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) point contacts.
Design/methodology/approach
The experimental investigations of a single dent with marginal bump were carried out using multi-beam interferometry in EHL point contacts. In the meantime, its numerical simulation was also finished using multi-level method and multilevel multi-integration method. The effects of the entrainment velocity and the applied load as well as the slide-roll ratio on the film were chiefly discussed. Meanwhile, the comparison of films between smooth and dented surfaces was conducted under simple sliding conditions.
Findings
Under pure sliding conditions, the minimum film thickness presents itself near the marginal bump at lower entrainment velocity. The inlet dimple before the marginal bump is subjected to the operating conditions. Under pure rolling conditions, the shape of the dent is almost unchanged when it is passing through the contact region at lower entrainment velocity. The dent depth hardly depends on the applied load under static conditions. However, larger load enhances the inlet dimple and the elastic deformation of the dent with the marginal bump under pure sliding conditions.
Originality/value
This work is helpful to understanding the effect of the marginal bump before the single dent on point contact EHL films.
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THE question of the advisability of exercising a censorship over literature has been much before the public of late, and probably many librarians have realised how closely the…
Abstract
THE question of the advisability of exercising a censorship over literature has been much before the public of late, and probably many librarians have realised how closely the disputed question affects their own profession.
THREE hundred years ago, on January 28th, 1613, the death occurred of Sir Thomas Bodley, whose name is immortalized in the library that he restored and which bears his name…
Abstract
THREE hundred years ago, on January 28th, 1613, the death occurred of Sir Thomas Bodley, whose name is immortalized in the library that he restored and which bears his name. Oxford's famous library, though originally founded by Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, owes its establishment to Thomas Bodley, who was born at Exeter in 1545.
Farizah Sulong, Michael M. Dent, Norhayati Mohd Alwi and Maliah Sulaiman
Integrated Case Study, Advanced Management Accounting, Environmental Management Accounting (EMA), Human Resource Management.
Abstract
Subject area
Integrated Case Study, Advanced Management Accounting, Environmental Management Accounting (EMA), Human Resource Management.
Study level/applicability
This case is designed for undergraduate students in accounting, business or human resource management programmes.
Case overview
The case is about Irfan, a former Production Manager in Omicron, a small and medium-sized enterprise in Selangor, Malaysia, manufacturing automotive metal parts. Irfan is truly enthusiastic for environmental and cost-reduction tools and wishes to pursue it further to his best possible. The case presents Irfan facing the dilemma of how to align his passion for these tools to his future career choice. He is faced with three options – to remain in Omicron, to accept a job offer in another company or to establish his own consultancy firm. The case highlights the heavy involvement of Irfan in the implementation of a new environmental tool, Material Flow Cost Accounting (MFCA) in Omicron, and all the tasks, activities, benefits and challenges encountered. Being at the ground with the implementation and outputs achieved, Irfan is excited about MFCA and wants to continue with it, due to the rich and valuable experience gained from its implementation and its potential for future savings. However, he does not seem to observe a similar excitement among the higher management. The case details an example of the implementation of MFCA for one of Omicron’s products and other relevant information that could serve as a guidance to any future implementation either in Omicron, the new company or even his own company. The case also provides details about Omicron and how Irfan regard Omicron as his second family to hint a strong pulling factor for Irfan to remain in Omicron, hence providing the extra weight on the dilemma he faces.
Expected learning outcomes
In the process of assessing a career choice dilemma for a middle-level manager, students are expected to analyse the three career options available to this middle manager, whose dilemma also relates to his passion of pursuing environment-related and cost-reduction tools. Where the environment is concerned, some parties need extra persuasion to pursue it and this also triggers the middle-manager’s dilemma. This case is intended to provide a tool to enable students to review and discuss matters, such as overcoming obstacles of pursuing environmental-related initiatives and progressing a mid-life career that provides self-fulfilment financially, emotionally and mentally. Among the theories and concepts referred include diffusion of innovations theory, EMA concepts and Hofstede’s cultural dimensions.
Supplementary materials
Teaching Notes are available for educators only.
Subject code
CSS 1: Accounting and Finance.
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Boon-Liat Cheng, Tat-Huei Cham, Zijie Gao, Mohd Fairuz bin Abd Rahim, Teck Chai Lau and Michael M. Dent
The surge in pharmaceutical and health supplement usage among consumers aims to enhance personal well-being. This growing opportunity for pharmaceutical brands has resulted in…
Abstract
Purpose
The surge in pharmaceutical and health supplement usage among consumers aims to enhance personal well-being. This growing opportunity for pharmaceutical brands has resulted in increased market share and intensified industry competition. Using the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), this study aims to identify the factors influencing Malaysians’ choices regarding pharmaceutical and health supplements. In addition, the variable of past behaviour was incorporated to account for consumer decisions based on prior experiences.
Design/methodology/approach
Using purposive sampling, 300 questionnaires were gathered and analysed via Statistical Package for the Social Sciences and structural equation modelling technique via Analysis of Moment Structures software to validate the reliability of each variables and the postulated relationships within the research framework.
Findings
Results revealed a pronounced impact of past behaviour on the intention to consume pharmaceutical and health supplements. The mediating role of perceived behavioural control in bridging past behaviour and consumption intention was also ascertained. Notably, the findings support the inclusion of past behaviour in the TPB as a pivotal determinant of intention.
Originality/value
The insights gleaned underscore the escalating trend of pharmaceutical consumption in Malaysia, providing strategies to enhance and maintain the competitive edge and market position of pharmaceutical brands.
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Cheng Boon Liat, S.R. Nikhashemi and Michael M. Dent
Having Middle Eastern tourism industry as the context, this study aims to examine the impact of the four main dimensions within service innovation (i.e. product, process…
Abstract
Purpose
Having Middle Eastern tourism industry as the context, this study aims to examine the impact of the four main dimensions within service innovation (i.e. product, process, organizational and marketing innovations) on tourist satisfaction; subsequently, towards the development of destination loyalty. Realized that religiosity prevails as an important social force that shapes individual behaviours, this study, hence, placed further assessment upon its moderating role, specifically in the relationships between tourist satisfaction and destination loyalty.
Design/methodology/approach
With adopting the approach of self-structured questionnaire, 214 usable responses had been collected for this study. Obtained data was then analyzed by conducting exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and multiple linear regression analysis through the usage of structural equation modelling.
Findings
Analysis of obtained data has revealed all the investigated dimensions within service innovation as active predictors to tourist satisfaction, with the exception of product innovation, while having marketing innovation being of highest significance. In turn, tourist satisfaction is found to greatly influence the formation of destination loyalty. Findings then provide notable indication on religiosity as a moderating factor to the proposed relationships within the investigated framework, between service innovation and tourist satisfaction, as well as tourist satisfaction and destination loyalty.
Originality/value
This study, thus, revealed the level of religiosity, particularly from the standpoint of Islamic perspectives, in playing a critical role towards predicting capability of service innovation on tourist satisfaction, and further, destination loyalty. Contributions hereby lie on theoretical and pragmatic insights concerning aspects of service and Islamic marketing within today’s tourism front.
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This paper analyses the current and potential impact of Southeast Asia’s regionalism on the European Union. It begins by giving an overview of the different manifestations that…
Abstract
This paper analyses the current and potential impact of Southeast Asia’s regionalism on the European Union. It begins by giving an overview of the different manifestations that this regionalism takes (ASEAN and AFTA, sub‐regional economic zones, APEC) and comments on the overlapping linkages between them. The EU’s stake in Southeast Asia is then discussed in the context of broadening the EU’s interregional relations with East Asia. A detailed evaluation of the opportunities and threats that regionalist developments in Southeast Asia pose to the EU is presented thereafter. It is argued that the balance of effects will vary less for “insider” EU firms, which have established operations within ASEAN, and more for “outsider” EU firms. The potential benefits the former anticipate from Southeast Asian regionalism are considerable.
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Naser Valaei, Sajad Rezaei, Gregory Bressolles and Michael M. Dent
A total of 210 valid paper-and-pencil questionnaires were received from fast-moving consumer goods/small and medium-sized enterprises (FMCG-SMEs) to empirically test the proposed…
Abstract
Purpose
A total of 210 valid paper-and-pencil questionnaires were received from fast-moving consumer goods/small and medium-sized enterprises (FMCG-SMEs) to empirically test the proposed model. Structural equation modelling approach was performed to assess the model fit, measurement and structural models for exogenous and endogenous constructs, and test of nonlinearity.
Design/methodology/approach
In the hyper-competitive world, while the essence of strategy making is often focussed on environmental and market-based analysis or the structure of the market, the important role of resources and capabilities in determining firm performance and overall strategy formulation within SMEs begs attention. Grounded in the resource-based view (RBV) of the firm, organisational improvisation theory and componential theory of creativity, the purpose of this research is to look beyond the determinants of creativity, innovation and proposes a theoretical model investigating organisations formative performance in strategy formulation.
Findings
The results imply that intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, creativity-related processes and expertise as the firm's capabilities positively influence improvisational creativity, and creativity-related processes and expertise also positively impact on compositional creativity. Surprisingly, intrinsic and extrinsic motivations are not conducive to compositional creativity, and the relationships between extrinsic motivation and improvisational creativity as well as improvisational creativity and performance are nonlinear. Furthermore, both improvisational creativity and compositional creativity are found to be predictors of innovation in FMCG-SMEs.
Practical implications
Thus, organisations and specifically FMCG-SMEs can increase the level of improvisational creativity if they formulate strategies to motivate employees both intrinsically and extrinsically, and further, they can boost the level of compositional creativity in their companies through hiring and nurturing experts.
Originality/value
Less attention has been paid to motivation, creativity, innovation, performance and strategy linkages as the prominent source of competitive advantages among FMCG-SMEs, especially in developing countries. Theoretically, through introducing extrinsic motivation as the predictors of improvisational creativity and innovation, from strategic management perspectives, the empirical findings of this research illustrate that resources and capabilities (RBV) lead to improved competitive performance within the FMCG-SMEs. This study also provides empirical evidence for the nonlinear nature of the relationship between motivation and creativity.
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Tayyab Amjad, Michael M. Dent and Nur Naha Abu Mansor
The entrepreneurial marketing (EM) literature has grown rapidly during the last decade, yet much is left undiscovered. This paper aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis and text…
Abstract
Purpose
The entrepreneurial marketing (EM) literature has grown rapidly during the last decade, yet much is left undiscovered. This paper aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis and text mining of the EM domain to provide trends in previous EM research to address this issue. Future avenues for EM research are provided.
Design/methodology/approach
Using the Scopus database, a bibliometric analysis and text mining are conducted with EM articles published between 1976 and 2020.
Findings
The paper reports the most frequently published and cited authors and their co-author networks. Journals which contain these articles are included with country data, subject areas and use of author keywords related to the EM topic. Frequencies of keywords and newly-emerging keywords in every three-year period during the past 12 years are also examined. The findings suggest that future researchers should explore the subtopics of EM education, legitimation, entrepreneurial networking and social media/digital marketing within the EM domain.
Originality/value
Bibliometric analysis and text mining are relatively new methods with which to study the EM research domain, allowing for analysis of emerging trends over the past 12 years.
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Recent global events and developments have sharpened the focus on the transatlantic relationship and required the European Union and the USA to redefine the basis on which it can…
Abstract
Recent global events and developments have sharpened the focus on the transatlantic relationship and required the European Union and the USA to redefine the basis on which it can and should be sustained. Discusses how far the building of a more formalized transatlantic economic space (TES) is able to provide this now that the pretext for maintaining the intimate security relationship appears less tenable. Asks, ultimately, whether the TES is simply a means to fill the vacuum left by the old security relationship or whether it could prove integral to a grander design to develop a more extensive and robust alliance between the USA and a new Europe.