Jia Chen Tu, Xiao Ming Qian and Pei Huang Lou
The paper aims to propose general design rules and route plan for automated guided vehicle system (AGVS). The AGVS is applied to automated meter verification areas through a case…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims to propose general design rules and route plan for automated guided vehicle system (AGVS). The AGVS is applied to automated meter verification areas through a case study of meter verification shop floor to verify the feasibility.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper gives an appropriate route design for AGVS and proposes an optimized strategy for designed routes and a control system to manage traffic conflict.
Findings
This case study indicates that the application of AGVS can highly improve the efficiency of manufacturing and production. Besides, a reasonable transportation plan is beneficial in making the system run smoothly and in cutting conveying time.
Practical implications
The application of AGVS integrates a variety of advanced technologies (i.e. information technology, artificial intelligence, etc.) into the electricity meter verification system, which brings great economic and social benefits via enhancing the verification efficiency and reducing the total labor costs.
Originality/value
The application proposed in the paper solves the problem that the verification almost relies on workers, labor intensity is high and work efficiency is hard to improve. Furthermore, the general rules and strategies of AGVS transportation can be applied not only to the automated electricity meter verification but also in other industrial areas.
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Li Juan Yang, Pei Huang Lou and Xiao Ming Qian
The main purpose of this paper is to develop a method to recognize the initial welding position for large-diameter pipeline automatically, and introduce the image processing based…
Abstract
Purpose
The main purpose of this paper is to develop a method to recognize the initial welding position for large-diameter pipeline automatically, and introduce the image processing based on pulse-coupled neural network (PCNN) which is adopted by the proposed method.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, a passive vision sensor is designed to capture weld seam images in real time. The proposed method contains two steps. The first step is to detect the rough position of the weld seam, and the second step is to recognize one of the solder joints from the local image and extract its centroid, which is regarded as the initial welding position. In each step, image segmentation and removal of small false regions based on PCNN are adopted to obtain the object regions; then, the traditional image processing theory is used for the subsequent processing.
Findings
The experimental results show the feasibility and real time of the proposed method. Based on vision sensing technology and PCNN, it is able to achieve the autonomous recognition of initial welding position in large-diameter pipeline welding.
Practical implications
The proposed method can greatly shorten the time of positioning the initial welding position and satisfy the automatic welding for large-diameter pipeline.
Originality/value
In the proposed method, the image pre-processing is based on PCNN, which is more robust and flexible in the complex welding environment. After that, traditional image processing theory is adopted for the subsequent processing, of which the processing speed is faster.
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Yun Lou, Xuanhui Liu, Pei Chen, Kejun Zhang and Lingyun Sun
The purpose of this study is to explore how gender influences peer assessment in team-building activities in China.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore how gender influences peer assessment in team-building activities in China.
Design/methodology/approach
A nine-player Werewolf game was adopted to conduct the experiment. Nine abilities were defined to evaluate players’ performances. Before the game, players filled out a self-assessment questionnaire (five-point Likert scale). After the game, players evaluated other game members’ performances using the same questionnaire. Data were analyzed using linear regression.
Findings
The results showed that gender bias clearly existed in team-building activities, with men more likely to receive better peer assessment than women. In addition, when women presented themselves as actively as men did, they received less favorable evaluations than men, whereas their failures were more likely to be exaggerated.
Practical implications
This study may help build harmonious teams for gender equality, and we give practical suggestions respectively from the perspective of female employees, their managers, and their companies.
Originality/value
Given the importance of team-building activities in teamwork, fair evaluations of team-building performances are essential. However, gender influences on peer assessment in team-building activities in China remain unclear. This study adds new and important knowledge to research on gender bias in teams.
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Rajasshrie Pillai, Brijesh Sivathanu, Bhimaraya Metri and Neeraj Kaushik
The purpose of this paper is to investigate students' adoption intention (ADI) and actual usage (ATU) of artificial intelligence (AI)-based teacher bots (T-bots) for learning…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate students' adoption intention (ADI) and actual usage (ATU) of artificial intelligence (AI)-based teacher bots (T-bots) for learning using technology adoption model (TAM) and context-specific variables.
Design/methodology/approach
A mixed-method design is used wherein the quantitative and qualitative approaches were used to explore the adoption of T-bots for learning. Overall, 45 principals/directors/deans/professors were interviewed and NVivo 8.0 was used for interview data analysis. Overall, 1,380 students of higher education institutes were surveyed, and the collected data was analyzed using the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) technique.
Findings
The T-bot's ADI’s antecedents found were perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, personalization, interactivity, perceived trust, anthropomorphism and perceived intelligence. The ADI influences the ATU of T-bots, and its relationship is negatively moderated by stickiness to learn from human teachers in the classroom. It comprehends the insights of senior authorities of the higher education institutions in India toward the adoption of T-bots.
Practical implications
The research provides distinctive insights for principals, directors and professors in higher education institutes to understand the factors affecting the students' behavioral intention and use of T-bots. The developers and designers of T-bots need to ensure that T-bots are more interactive, provide personalized information to students and ensure the anthropomorphic characteristics of T-bots. The education policymakers can also comprehend the factors of T-bot adoption for developing the policies related to T-bots and their implications in education.
Originality/value
T-bot is a new disruptive technology in the education sector, and this is the first step in exploring the adoption factors. The TAM model is extended with context-specific factors related to T-bot technology to offer a comprehensive explanatory power to the proposed model. The research outcome provides the unique antecedents of the adoption of T-bots.
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This paper aims to explore the relationship between human resource attributes and the operating performances of accounting firms by sampling data from the 2012-2013 Survey Report…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the relationship between human resource attributes and the operating performances of accounting firms by sampling data from the 2012-2013 Survey Report on Accounting Firms, as compiled by the Financial Supervisory Commission in Taiwan.
Design/methodology/approach
Multiple regression analysis is conducted to measure operating performances with various measurements, such as operating profits and business diversification. The independent variables include male to female ratio, percentage of senior executives, percentage of employees with higher education backgrounds, organizational vitality, human resource diversity, percentage of employees with certified public accountant (CPA) qualifications and human resource costs (HRCs). The control variables are the firm history, market shares and ownership structures since the inception of the firms.
Findings
The empirical results regarding the operating profits model suggest that the higher the male to female ratio, the percentage of employees with higher education backgrounds, organizational vitality, human resource diversity, percentage of employees with CPA qualifications and HRCs, the greater the operating profits. Meanwhile, the findings regarding the business diversification model indicate that the higher the male to female ratio, percentage of senior executives and human resource diversity, the greater the business diversification.
Originality/value
It is intended that the research findings can assist the management of accounting firms to understand the human resource attributes critical to operating performances, which will help to enhance the competitiveness of employees, mitigate the operating risks and improve the operating performances of the firms.
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Hongyu Ma, Yongmei Carol Zhang, Allan Butler, Pengyu Guo and David Bozward
China has a new rural revitalization strategy to stimulate rural transformation through modernizing rural areas and resolving their social contradictions. While social capital is…
Abstract
Purpose
China has a new rural revitalization strategy to stimulate rural transformation through modernizing rural areas and resolving their social contradictions. While social capital is recognized as an important element to rural revitalization and entrepreneurship, research into the role of psychological capital is less developed. Therefore, this paper assesses the impact of both social and psychological capital on entrepreneurial performance of Chinese new-generation rural migrant entrepreneurs (NGRMEs) who have returned to their homes to develop businesses as part of the rural revitalization revolution.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on a survey, data were collected from 525 NGRMEs in Shaanxi province. This paper uses factor analysis to determine variables for a multiple linear regression model to investigate the impacts of dimensions of both social capital and psychological capital on NGRMEs’ entrepreneurial performance.
Findings
Through the factor analysis, social capital of these entrepreneurs consists of five dimensions (reputation, participation, networks, trust and support), psychological capital has three dimensions (innovation and risk-taking, self-efficacy and entrepreneurial happiness) and entrepreneurial performance contains four dimensions (financial, customer, learning and growth, and internal business process). Furthermore, the multiple linear regression model empirically verifies that both social capital and psychological capital significantly influence and positively correlate with NGRMEs' entrepreneurial performance.
Originality/value
This study shows the importance of how a mixture of interrelated social and psychological dimensions influence entrepreneurial performance that may contribute to the success of the Chinese rural revitalization strategy. This has serious implications when attempting to improve the lives of over 100 million rural Chinese citizens.
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Bingjun Li, Shuhua Zhang, Wenyan Li and Yifan Zhang
Grey modeling technique is an important element of grey system theory, and academic articles applied to agricultural science research have been published since 1985, proving the…
Abstract
Purpose
Grey modeling technique is an important element of grey system theory, and academic articles applied to agricultural science research have been published since 1985, proving the broad applicability and effectiveness of the technique from different aspects and providing a new means to solve agricultural science problems. The analysis of the connotation and trend of the application of grey modeling technique in agricultural science research contributes to the enrichment of grey technique and the development of agricultural science in multiple dimensions.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the relevant literature selected from China National Knowledge Infrastructure, the Web of Science, SpiScholar and other databases in the past 37 years (1985–2021), this paper firstly applied the bibliometric method to quantitatively visualize and systematically analyze the trend of publication, productive author, productive institution, and highly cited literature. Then, the literature is combed by the application of different grey modeling techniques in agricultural science research, and the literature research progress is systematically analyzed.
Findings
The results show that grey model technology has broad prospects in the field of agricultural science research. Agricultural universities and research institutes are the main research forces in the application of grey model technology in agricultural science research, and have certain inheritance. The application of grey model technology in agricultural science research has wide applicability and precise practicability.
Originality/value
By analyzing and summarizing the application trend of grey model technology in agricultural science research, the research hotspot, research frontier and valuable research directions of grey model technology in agricultural science research can be more clearly grasped.
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With the emergence of social media, online influencers have played a major role in brand marketing. This study aims to examine how Malaysian young adults perceive advertising…
Abstract
Purpose
With the emergence of social media, online influencers have played a major role in brand marketing. This study aims to examine how Malaysian young adults perceive advertising endorsements of celebrities and online influencers within the framework of parasocial relations and multiculturalism.
Design/methodology/approach
This study engaged 42 Malaysian young adults aged 18–24 in semistructured interviews. They were asked to share a television commercial with celebrity endorsement and explain why it was impressive. They were then asked explicitly to compare traditional celebrities and online influencers in terms of attractiveness, credibility and endorsement effects.
Findings
Advertising execution strategies and emotional attachment to advertising endorsers are the two main reasons for making an advertisement impressive. Interviewees demonstrate strong emotional attachments to celebrities who are national icons. Online influencers are perceived as more relatable, authentic and credible than traditional celebrities. Interviewees perceive that endorsements by traditional celebrities were more effective for luxurious brands and brands targeting older consumers. On the other hand, endorsements by online influencers were perceived to be more effective for low-involvement product categories and brands that target younger consumers.
Research limitations/implications
This study presents a summary of the parallel perceptions of online influencers and celebrities to explain how young consumers evaluate advertising with celebrity and social media influencer endorsement.
Practical implications
Malaysian young adults perceive endorsers as people who guide their experiences with ads. Adopting an endorser who is young, has a trendy image, and has a similar cultural background enhances the relatability of ads for young adults. National sports heroes can serve as nation-building agents through celebrity endorsement in advertising.
Originality/value
Few studies directly compare the endorsement effects of celebrities and online influencers in a multicultural setting. This study provides marketing and theoretical insights to unravel the influencing mechanism of parasocial relations and multiculturalism.
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Luca Zan and Qingmei Xue
Transformations taking place in China are of crucial importance in the development of the world economy. The international community is turning its attention to China's move…
Abstract
Purpose
Transformations taking place in China are of crucial importance in the development of the world economy. The international community is turning its attention to China's move towards a market economy and assessing the likely impact on the years ahead. This paper aims to plot the evolution of administrative reforms in China with particular reference to the state (and therefore public sector), because the modernization of the state is an issue that will persist into the future, and because the state itself was driving the country's transformation towards a market economy in a deliberate way.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper revisits the debate on administrative reforms at different levels, i.e. fiscal, budgeting, government organizations, and public sector units (PSUs). In addition to reconstructing the evolution of norms and procedures as part of deliberate strategies by the center, the paper also investigates how actual practices at the micro level have followed this process of reform, with reference to the administration of cultural heritage at the municipal level, based on a field research project.
Findings
A lack of understanding of the role played by actual accounting transformation seems to characterize the current debate on policies. Serious discrepancies can be found between expectations and actual changes; between macro and micro policies, and micro practices.
Originality/value
An holistic focus on various trend of reforms is taken, looking at debates that are usually separated, also linking them to actual changes in accounting practice.
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Lee Heng Wei, Tan Kian Lam and Lau Pei Mey
This study explores the influence of gender-specific reactions to social media advertisements on purchase intentions, addressing a gap in existing research. It examines how these…
Abstract
Purpose
This study explores the influence of gender-specific reactions to social media advertisements on purchase intentions, addressing a gap in existing research. It examines how these reactions affect the perceived value of ads and, consequently, the intention to purchase, with a particular focus on gender as a moderating factor. The primary aim is to analyse how gender moderates the relationship between consumers’ perceptions of the value of social media ads and their subsequent purchase intentions.
Design/methodology/approach
A non-probability convenience sampling method was employed to collect data from 423 social media users in Malaysia at shopping malls. Respondents interacted with advertisements on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok and completed a survey. Descriptive analysis was performed using SPSS 25. The study utilized structural equation modelling (SEM) to test the structural and measurement models. Multigroup analysis (MGA) was conducted using SMART-PLS 4.0.9.6 to assess moderation effects based on gender differences.
Findings
The findings reveal that advertisements emphasizing entertainment significantly influence female purchase intentions, whereas ads highlighting product or service values resonate more with males, challenging common stereotypes. Informative and creative ads show universal appeal across genders, underscoring the importance of diverse ad elements in shaping consumer behaviour.
Originality/value
This study advances the advertising value model by specifically identifying gender-based differences in how entertainment and perceived value in social media ads influence purchase intention. It uniquely reveals that females are more responsive to entertainment-focused and value-conscious ads. These findings provide targeted strategies for advertisers to design gender-sensitive campaigns, enhancing the model’s relevance in contemporary digital advertising contexts.