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Article
Publication date: 9 September 2020

Mark Williams, Ying Zhou and Min Zou

This study aims to address the question of why organizations do not uniformly apply pay for performance (PFP) throughout the organization, focusing on the wider occupational…

552

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to address the question of why organizations do not uniformly apply pay for performance (PFP) throughout the organization, focusing on the wider occupational structure in which they and the jobs they create are embedded. The authors propose a model of “occupational differentiation” whereby the probability of a job within a given organization having PFP increases with the levels of monitoring difficulty and requisite human asset specificity characterizing the occupation to which a job belongs, being highest in occupations characterized by high levels of both (generally managerial and professional occupations).

Design/methodology/approach

Using the Workplace Employment Relations Survey (a nationally representative matched employer–employee dataset for Britain), this paper investigates this question for all 350 occupations delineated by the UK's Office for National Statistics using regression methods that adjust for other confounding factors such as demographic factors and workplace fixed effects.

Findings

The authors find organizations “occupationally differentiate” the use of PFP in ways consistent with the model, i.e. PFP is most likely to be found in occupations characterized by both high monitoring difficulty and high requisite human asset specificity (mainly managerial and professional occupations) and least likely in occupations scoring low in both. The finding holds across PFP types (individual, group, organizational), whether organizations are large or small, and hold across most industrial sectors.

Research limitations/implications

The main implication of this study is that organizations appear to be taking into consideration whether the wider profession to which a job belongs when implementing PFP, irrespective of their own human resource management strategies and organizational context. There are a few limitations to this study, with the main one being that this model is mainly confined to empirical support is only found in the private sector. The public sector appears to be beyond the reach of the model, where PFP implementation is generally rarer. A second limitation is that the dataset is from 2011 and only covers a single country.

Practical implications

Given organizations appear to be implementing PFP based on occupation, this may lead to equity concerns, as different groups are being treated differently within organizations based upon their occupational group.

Social implications

As PFP jobs tend to pay more than non-PFP jobs and PFP prevalence has been growing, by being more likely to implement it for generally high-paid groups (generally higher managerial and professional occupations), PFP may contribute to wider pay differentials within and between organizations.

Originality/value

By introducing the occupational-level of analysis and the differential nature of tasks across occupational groups, the model offers a new midrange, sociological perspective to understanding intra-organizational dynamics in PFP use and potentially human resource practices more broadly.

Details

International Journal of Manpower, vol. 42 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-7720

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 18 June 2019

Han-Cheng Dan, Zhuo-Min Zou, Jia-Qi Chen and An-Ping Peng

The soil water retention curve (SWRC) and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity (UHC) are crucial indices to assess hydraulic properties of porous media that primarily depend on the…

261

Abstract

Purpose

The soil water retention curve (SWRC) and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity (UHC) are crucial indices to assess hydraulic properties of porous media that primarily depend on the particle and pore size distributions. This study aims to present a method based on the discrete element model (DEM) and the typical Arya and Paris model (AP model) to numerically predict SWRC and UHC.

Design/methodology/approach

First, the DEM (PFC3D software) is used to construct the pore and particle size distributions in porous media. The number of particles is calculated according to the AP model, which can be applied to evaluate the relationship between the suction head and the moisture of porous media. Subsequently, combining critical path analysis (CPA) and fractal theory, the air entry value is applied to calculate the critical pore radius (CPR) and the critical volume fraction (CVF) for evaluating the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity.

Findings

This method is validated against the experimental results of 11 soils from the clay loam to the sand, and then the scaling parameter in the AP model and critical volume fraction value for many types of soils are presented for reference; subsequently, the gradation effect on hydraulic property of soils is analyzed. Furthermore, the calculation for unbound graded aggregate (UGA) material as a special case and a theoretical extension are provided.

Originality/value

The presented study provides an important insight into the relationship between the heterogeneous particle and hydraulic properties by the DEM and sheds light on the directions for future study of a method to investigate the hydraulic properties of porous media.

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Book part
Publication date: 24 April 2019

Min Zou and Delin Kong

Is co-supervision (i.e., two or more supervisors) a blessing or a torture? While co-supervision enables doctoral students to embrace a greater breadth of expertise, studying under…

Abstract

Is co-supervision (i.e., two or more supervisors) a blessing or a torture? While co-supervision enables doctoral students to embrace a greater breadth of expertise, studying under the supervision of two or more supervisors can also be frustrating, especially when they have different requirements and expectations. Co-supervision is sometimes like living on the edge of two “systems” of theories and paradigms. It is important for doctoral students to be academically, emotionally, and interpersonally prepared to maximize the value of co-supervision, which often requires special management skills and techniques. Based on the experiences and stories of doctoral students from Hong Kong, this chapter will provide practical tips to navigate co-supervision.

“I just finished my meeting with one supervisor and need to prepare for the other now!”

“I just finished my meeting with one supervisor and need to prepare for the other now!”

“I can learn different things from each supervisor. It is very helpful.”

“I can learn different things from each supervisor. It is very helpful.”

“I am quite confused! My supervisors have totally different stands on this issue.”

“I am quite confused! My supervisors have totally different stands on this issue.”

Does any of the comments ring a bell with you? If you studied or are studying for a doctoral degree in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, or Hong Kong, you are likely to find yourself in similar situations. With the development of distributed supervisory practice in higher education and the growing number of doctoral candidates, more and more doctoral students are likely to be supervised by two or more academics, that is, co-supervision.

Available. Content available
Book part
Publication date: 24 April 2019

Abstract

Details

Getting the Most Out of Your Doctorate
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78769-905-2

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Article
Publication date: 25 November 2024

Wei Lin, Cheng Wang, Qingyi Zou, Min Lei and Yulong Li

This paper aims to conduct work to obtain high-quality brazed joint of YAG ceramic and kovar alloy.

26

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to conduct work to obtain high-quality brazed joint of YAG ceramic and kovar alloy.

Design/methodology/approach

Wetting and spreading behavior of AgCuTi filler alloy on YAG ceramic and kovar alloy under vacuum (2∼3 × 10–4 Pa) and argon conditions was investigated and compared. Then, YAG ceramic was brazed to kovar alloy under a high vacuum of 2∼3 × 10–4 Pa; the influence of holding time on the interface structure of the joint was investigated.

Findings

The wettability of AgCuTi on YAG is poor in the argon atmosphere, the high oxygen content in the reaction layer hinders the formation of the TiY2O5 reaction layer, thereby impeding the wetting of AgCuTi on YAG; in the vacuum, a contact angle (?=16.6°) is obtained by wetting AgCuTi filler alloy on the YAG substrate; the microstructure of the YAG/AgCuTi/kovar brazed joint is characterized to be YAG/Y2O3/(Fe, Ni)Ti/Ag(s, s) + Cu(s, s)/Fe2Ti + Ni3Ti/Fe2Ti/kovar; at 870 °C for the holding time of 10 min, a (Fe, Ni) Ti layer of approximately 1.8 µm is formed on the YAG side.

Originality/value

Wetting and spreading behavior of the brazing filler alloy under different conditions and the influence of the holding time on the interface microstructure of the joint were studied to provide references for obtaining high-quality brazed joints.

Details

Soldering & Surface Mount Technology, vol. 37 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0954-0911

Keywords

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Book part
Publication date: 7 December 2023

Zen Tong Chunhua Zheng and Yali Zou

Abstract

Details

The Significance of Chinatown Development to a Multicultural America: An Exploration of the Houston Chinatowns
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80455-377-0

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Article
Publication date: 28 February 2020

Jalil Heidary Dahooie, Ieva Meidute-Kavaliauskiene, Amir Salar Vanaki, Askoldas Podviezko and Elham Beheshti Jazan Abadi

The present study is aimed to develop a firm export performance measurement model. Increased levels of globalization are forcing firms, especially SMEs (i.e. small and…

597

Abstract

Purpose

The present study is aimed to develop a firm export performance measurement model. Increased levels of globalization are forcing firms, especially SMEs (i.e. small and medium-sized enterprises) and entrepreneurial firms, to enter new markets and increase their exports. Consequently, export performance measurement has become a vital tool for achieving competitive advantages, and this type of measurement is considered an important topic of research in the field of international marketing. However, the literature lacks a comprehensive framework for measuring export performance, even though many criteria for gauging this performance's parameters have been discovered and applied.

Design/methodology/approach

A literature review was conducted, and the most important criteria for export performance measurement was identified using weights obtained by stepwise weight assessment ratio analysis method. Then, the export performance of five firms was evaluated using the additive ratio assessment method with interval-valued triangular fuzzy numbers.

Findings

The 15 most significant criteria were identified and categorized into three dimensions: economic, strategic, and other. The strategic dimension was identified as the most important, while the criteria “strategic goals achievement” and “return on investment” were found to be the most relevant.

Practical implications

A comprehensive framework including a definitive set of the most prominent, useful evaluation criteria was established which enables both scholars and practitioners to assess export performance.

Originality/value

The current study attempts to fill the gaps in the literature by presenting a comprehensive framework for export performance measurement.

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Article
Publication date: 14 May 2018

Lingling Li, Yanfang Yang, Ming-Lang Tseng, Ching-Hsin Wang and Ming K. Lim

The purpose of this paper is to deal with the economic requirements of power system loading dispatch and reduce the fuel cost of generation units. In order to optimize the…

251

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to deal with the economic requirements of power system loading dispatch and reduce the fuel cost of generation units. In order to optimize the scheduling of power load, an improved chicken swarm optimization (ICSO) is proposed to be adopted, for solving economic load dispatch (ELD) problem.

Design/methodology/approach

The ICSO increased the self-foraging factor to the chicks whose activities were the highest. And the evolutionary operations of chicks capturing the rooster food were increased. Therefore, these helped the ICSO to jump out of the local extreme traps and obtain the global optimal solution. In this study, the generation capacity of the generation unit is regarded as a variable, and the fuel cost is regarded as the objective function. The particle swarm optimization (PSO), chicken swarm optimization (CSO), and ICSO were used to optimize the fuel cost of three different test systems.

Findings

The result showed that the convergence speed, global search ability, and total fuel cost of the ICSO were better than those of PSO and CSO under different test systems. The non-linearity of the input and output of the generating unit satisfied the equality constraints; the average ratio of the optimal solution obtained by PSO, CSO, and ICSO was 1:0.999994:0.999988. The result also presented the equality and inequality constraints; the average ratio of the optimal solution was 1:0.997200:0.996033. The third test system took the non-linearity of the input and output of the generating unit that satisfied both equality and inequality constraints; the average ratio was 1:0.995968:0.993564.

Practical implications

This study realizes the whole fuel cost minimization in which various types of intelligent algorithms have been applied to the field of load economic scheduling. With the continuous evolution of intelligent algorithms, they save a lot of fuel cost for the ELD problem.

Originality/value

The ICSO is applied to solve the ELD problem. The quality of the optimal solution and the convergence speed of ICSO are better than that of CSO and PSO. Compared with PSO and CSO, ICSO can dispatch the generator more reasonably, thus saving the fuel cost. This will help the power sector to achieve greater economic benefits. Hence, the ICSO has good performance and significant effectiveness in solving the ELD problem.

Details

Industrial Management & Data Systems, vol. 118 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-5577

Keywords

Available. Open Access. Open Access
Article
Publication date: 7 August 2018

Yun Zou and Xiaobo Qu

Freeway work zones have been traffic bottlenecks that lead to a series of problems, including long travel time, high-speed variation, driver’s dissatisfaction and traffic…

2008

Abstract

Purpose

Freeway work zones have been traffic bottlenecks that lead to a series of problems, including long travel time, high-speed variation, driver’s dissatisfaction and traffic congestion. This research aims to develop a collaborative component of connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) to alleviate negative effects caused by work zones.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed cooperative component is incorporated in a cellular automata model to examine how and to what scale CAVs can help in improving traffic operations.

Findings

Simulation results show that, with the proposed component and penetration of CAVs, the average performances (travel time, safety and emission) can all be improved and the stochasticity of performances will be minimized too.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first research that develops a cooperative mechanism of CAVs to improve work zone performance.

Details

Journal of Intelligent and Connected Vehicles, vol. 1 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2399-9802

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Article
Publication date: 11 December 2024

Fatemeh Irannejad, Elahe Fathi, Bahareh Ghalebi and Mohsen Shanbeh

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of process parameters of viscose air-jet yarns produced by the Autoairo yarn spinning machine on the physical and mechanical…

17

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of process parameters of viscose air-jet yarns produced by the Autoairo yarn spinning machine on the physical and mechanical properties of yarns and their influence on the properties of single jersey weft knitted fabrics.

Design/methodology/approach

The yarn count in this study was 19.68 tex and the gauge of single jersey weft knitting machine was 24. The process parameters were the spinning draft, delivery speed and nozzle air pressure. The yarn samples were evaluated based on yarn irregularity and imperfections, as well as hairiness and tensile properties. The pilling, bursting strength, drape coefficient, shrinkage, air permeability and dyeability of single jersey weft knitted samples were also evaluated. The Taguchi method was used to design of experiments. Moreover, the effect of independent variables on the physical properties of the yarn was tested statistically at a 95% level of confidence using analysis of variance method.

Findings

The properties of the yarns evaluated showed that spinning draft and delivery speed can be introduced as two effective parameters on different properties of yarns. Moreover, the pilling of weft-knitted fabrics was affected by yarn parameters i.e. spinning draft and delivery speed statistically at a 95% confidence level.

Originality/value

In this experimental study, the structural characteristics of air jet yarns produced by the Autoairo11(Saurer Group) machine and the physical and mechanical properties of weft-knitted fabrics were analyzed by the authors. The literature review did not reveal any experimental work that evaluates these process parameters of yarn spinning integrated and its effect on a wide range of properties of weft-knitted fabrics.

Details

Research Journal of Textile and Apparel, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1560-6074

Keywords

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