Enhua Hu, Maolong Zhang, Hongmei Shan, Long Zhang and Yaqing Yue
The purpose of this paper is to offer empirical evidence on whether and how the work experiences of employees in China influence their union-related attitudes and behaviours.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to offer empirical evidence on whether and how the work experiences of employees in China influence their union-related attitudes and behaviours.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors developed a mediated moderation model to examine how job satisfaction and labour relations climate interactively affect union participation and whether union commitment mediates the interactive effects. A total of 585 employees from enterprises in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi and Fujian province of China were surveyed to verify the model.
Findings
Job satisfaction was negatively related to union participation and union commitment. Labour relations climate moderated the relationship between job satisfaction and union participation; the relationship was negative and stronger when employees perceived an adverse, rather than a favourable, labour relations climate. Further, the interactive effect of job satisfaction and labour relations climate on union participation was partly mediated by union commitment.
Originality/value
By empirically examining employees’ attitudes and behaviours towards unions in the Chinese context, this study confirms that unions could provide employees with alternative work resources to cope with job dissatisfaction, even in a country where unions play a “transmission belt” role between employees and employers. This study adds value to the existing base of knowledge on union practice and labour relations construction, both inside and outside of China.
Details
Keywords
Mingyan Han, Maolong Zhang, Enhua Hu and Hongmei Shan
This study aims to examine how Chinese rural-urban migrant workers' socio-economic status was associated with their decent work.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine how Chinese rural-urban migrant workers' socio-economic status was associated with their decent work.
Design/methodology/approach
Grounded in the psychology of working theory (PWT), this study tested the path from rural-urban migrant workers' socio-economic status to decent work via work volition, with this path moderated by environmental uncertainty and trade union support. 470 rural-urban migrant workers from four manufacturing enterprises were investigated.
Findings
Results indicated that rural-urban migrant workers' socio-economic status was positively associated with rural-urban migrant workers' decent work through work volition. In addition, environmental uncertainty weakened the impact of socio-economic status on work volition while trade union support strengthened the relationship between socio-economic status and work volition.
Originality/value
The study contributes to the growing research on the PWT by testing its utility among rural-urban migrant workers in the Chinese context. The study also identifies the crucial effects of environmental uncertainty and trade union support, which are distinctive characters of contemporary China, in the formation process of rural-urban migrant workers' decent work. A detailed explanation of the results and implications is discussed in the end.
Details
Keywords
Chaoran Hu, Yi Zhou and Maolong Chen
The role of intermediate urban centers (IUCs) (like towns/small cities/rural counties) between large cities and villages in leading urbanization has been increasingly highlighted…
Abstract
Purpose
The role of intermediate urban centers (IUCs) (like towns/small cities/rural counties) between large cities and villages in leading urbanization has been increasingly highlighted. This article conceptually and empirically examines what types of industrial agglomeration (specialized or diversified agglomeration) of rural county in China would provide a more inclusive and efficient local labor market for rural workers to be inclusively urbanized.
Design/methodology/approach
We employ a three-stage labor supply model to theoretically generalize the decisions of rural workers to migrate to large city, to undertake nonfarm jobs in rural counties and the length of nonfarm jobs. Then, combining three national-level datasets of China (National Economic Census (NEC), China Household Income Project (CHIP) and the China county statistical yearbook), we explore how the type of industrial agglomeration in a rural county affects the labor supply decision of rural workers.
Findings
We show that rural workers in rural counties with higher level of industrial specialization are more likely to: (1) work locally than migrating to large cities; (2) find nonfarm jobs by themselves instead of relying on social networks (3) find a more stable and formal nonfarm job. These effects are significant when rural counties specialize in industries that they have local comparative advantages compared to large cities. This work provides insights into achieving inclusive urbanization by developing industry specialization in rural counties in China, which may also be useful for other developing countries.
Originality/value
First, the conceptual framework of this paper extends the basic model of rural-urban migration longstanding in the literature, to a multi-choice and three-stage labor supply model. Second, we empirically quantify the industrial structure of rural counties using unique dataset, which has been emphasized in the development economics literature but neglected due to data limitations. Third, this paper expands our understanding of the role of rural counties in inclusive urbanization and contributes to the future development of the county-led urbanization policies.
Details
Keywords
Obaid Ur Rehman, Shiyou Yang and Shafi Ullah Khan
The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential of standard quantum-based particle swarm optimization (QPSO) methods for solving electromagnetic inverse problems.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential of standard quantum-based particle swarm optimization (QPSO) methods for solving electromagnetic inverse problems.
Design/methodology/approach
A modified QPSO algorithm is designed.
Findings
The modified QPSO algorithm is an efficient and robust global optimizer for optimizing electromagnetic inverse problems. More specially, the experimental results as reported on different case studies demonstrate that the proposed method can find better final optimal solution at an early stage of the iterating process (uses less iterations) as compared to other tested optimal algorithms.
Originality/value
The modifications include the design of a new position updating formula, the introduction of a new mutation strategy and a dynamic control parameter to intensify the convergence speed of the algorithm.
Details
Keywords
Obaid Ur Rehman, Shiyou Yang and Shafiullah Khan
The aim of this paper is to explore the potential of standard quantum particle swarm optimization algorithms to solve single objective electromagnetic optimization problems.
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to explore the potential of standard quantum particle swarm optimization algorithms to solve single objective electromagnetic optimization problems.
Design/methodology/approach
A modified quantum particle swarm optimization (MQPSO) algorithm is designed.
Findings
The MQPSO algorithm is an efficient and robust global optimizer for optimizing electromagnetic design problems. The numerical results as reported have demonstrated that the proposed approach can find better final optimal solution at an initial stage of the iterating process as compared to other tested stochastic methods. It also demonstrates that the proposed method can produce better outcomes by using almost the same computation cost (number of iterations). Thus, the merits or advantages of the proposed MQPSO method in terms of both solution quality (objective function values) and convergence speed (number of iterations) are validated.
Originality/value
The improvements include the design of a new position updating formula, the introduction of a new selection method (tournament selection strategy) and the proposal of an updating parameter rule.