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The purpose of this paper is to examine how Chinese consumer attitude mediates factors that influence their purchase intention toward low-displacement vehicles.

This study utilizes online survey data in China, multiple regression and recursive regression models.

Consumers’ environmental concern, perceived effectiveness belief and functional value positively affect their attitude toward such products. Consumer attitude positively affects purchase intention. Consumer attitude fully mediates the influence of environmental concern, and partly mediates the effect of perceived effectiveness belief, and functional value on purchase intention. Consumers’ awareness of government policy is not associated with attitude or purchase intention.

This is a first empirical study to systematically examine Chinese consumer attitude's mediation effect on factors influencing their purchase intent toward low-displacement vehicles in China.

Smog seriously affects the ecological environment and poses a threat to public health. Therefore, smog control has become a key task in China, which requires reliable prediction.

This paper establishes a novel time-lag GM(1,N) model based on interval grey number sequences. Firstly, calculating kernel and degree of greyness of the interval grey number sequence respectively. Then, establishing the time-lag GM(1,N) model of kernel and degree of greyness sequences respectively to obtain their values after determining the time-lag parameters of two models. Finally, the upper and lower bounds of interval grey number sequences are obtained by restoring the values of kernel and degree of greyness.

In order to verify the validity and practicability of the model, the monthly concentrations of PM2.5, SO2 and NO2 in Beijing during August 2017 to September 2018 are selected to establish the time-lag GM(1,3) model for kernel and degree of greyness sequences respectively. Compared with three existing models, the proposed model in this paper has better simulation accuracy. Therefore, the novel model is applied to forecast monthly PM2.5 concentration for October to December 2018 in Beijing and provides a reference basis for the government to formulate smog control policies.

The proposed model can simulate and forecast system characteristic data with the time-lag effect more accurately, which shows that the time-lag GM(1,N) model proposed in this paper is practical and effective.

Based on interval grey number sequences, the traditional GM(1,N) model neglects the time-lag effect of driving terms, hence this paper introduces the time-lag parameters into driving terms of the traditional GM(1,N) model and proposes a novel time-lag GM(1,N) model.

Aiming at the traditional multivariate grey forecasting model only considers the modelling of real numbers; therefore, the purpose of this paper is to construct an MGM(1, m) model based on the interval grey number sequences according to the grey modelling theory.

First, the multivariable grey number sequences are transformed into the kernel and grey radius sequences which are two feature sequences of interval grey number sequences. Then the MGM(1, m) model for kernel sequences and grey radius sequences are established, respectively. Finally, the simulation and prediction of the upper and lower bounds of the interval grey number sequences are realized by the reductive calculation of the predicted values of the kernel and grey radius.

The model is applied to the prediction of visibility and relative humidity, the identification factors of the haze. The results show that the model has high accuracy on the simulation and prediction of multivariable grey number sequences, which is reasonable and practical.

The main contribution of this paper is to propose a method to simulate and forecast the multivariable grey number sequence that is to establish the prediction models for the whitening sequences of multivariable grey number sequences which are kernel and grey radius sequences and extend the possibility boundary of kernel by grey radius. The model can reflect the development trend of multivariable grey number sequence accurately. When the grey information is continuously complemented, the multivariable grey number prediction model is transformed into the traditional MGM(1, m) model. Therefore, the MGM(1, m) model based on interval grey number sequence is the generalisation and expansion of the traditional MGM(1, m) model.

Through three case studies, the authors aim to examine how Confucian humanistic philosophy can be applied to leadership practices and show how it is possible to practice humanistic leadership in the Chinese context.

The authors use case studies of three exemplary humanistic leaders and the companies they lead to describe their leadership practices and influence on others and their companies.

The authors identify three common elements that connect their observations to an emerging scholarly conceptualization of humanistic leadership and develop a framework of Confucian humanistic leadership consisting of five attributes. The cases the authors studied suggest that the five attributes should be understood as being mutually reinforcing and acting in concert, rather than each acting independently of the others. The authors found that there is inherent consistency and connection between the core values of Confucianism and humanistic leadership.

The research contributes to the leadership literature, specifically the emerging literature on humanistic leadership, by introducing a framework for Confucian humanistic leadership. While much of the extant literature on humanistic leadership has been conceptual, the study shows how it is possible to practice humanistic leadership in the Chinese context by drawing on the foundation provided by Confucian humanistic philosophy. The findings also contribute to humanistic leadership research by providing important insights into specific capabilities that can help put the principles of humanistic leadership into practice, but that have not been considered to date.

The purpose of this study is to prepare a polydopamine (PDA)–palygorskite (Pal) hybrid-reinforced epoxy coating with high adhesion strength on wet concrete surface.

One synthetic step was adopted to prepare novel PDA–Pal hybrid epoxy coating. The process and product were analyzed and confirmed by FIRT, thermogravimetric analysis and scanning electron microscopy. The mass fraction of PDA–Pal hybrid affecting the adhesion strength of epoxy coating was analyzed and confirmed by pull-off test.

PDA–Pal hybrid mass fractions of 0, 1, 3 and 5 were added to the coatings. For a 5 Wt.% PDA–Pal hybrid content, the adhesive strengths on the saturated or underwater concrete surfaces increased to 4.0 and 2.5 MPa, respectively. In addition, the tensile mechanical property of the epoxy coating improved significantly after PDA–Pal addition.

This new epoxy coating hybrid by PDA–Pal could be applied as a concrete protective layer near water or in wet or damp environments.

Introduction of PDA–Pal hybrid to prepare epoxy coating with high adhesion strength on wet concrete surface has not been systematically studied previously.

This study aims to analyze a novel phenomenon observed in recent years regarding the internationalization strategies of Chinese mobile internet e-commerce platform companies, which could extend traditional internationalization theories based on the experiences of companies from developed countries and traditional Chinese industries.

The traditional Uppsala model and imitation learning model of firm internationalization theory do not fully explain the motivations and behaviors behind new market entry in the internationalization practices of Chinese mobile internet companies. This study begins with the new internationalization practices of Pinduoduo, the fastest-growing mobile e-commerce platform in China, with the growth desperation theory as a perspective. By drawing on grounded theory methods, it explores the motivations and entry modes of internationalization within the broader context of recent Chinese mobile internet companies expanding abroad. This provides a theoretical explanation for traditional internationalization motivation and entry mode theories based on the new phenomenon of Chinese mobile internet platforms. Additionally, using Stata software and event study methodology, the financial performance and stock market performance of Pinduoduo’s new market entry behavior are analyzed.

It posits that when enterprises face pressures related to domestic market growth constraints, they tend to adopt strategic decisions for new market entry to alleviate growth pressures based on new growth opportunities and platforms. During the process of entering new markets, enterprises tend to adopt the “Copy from China” (CFC) model to efficiently replicate the successful experiences in the Chinese market. Market selection for new entries is determined based on psychological distance.

First, the case study provides valuable insights for other mobile internet platforms, but these insights may not be directly transferable to companies in traditional industries; second, directly replicating well-developed business operations and marketing models from the Chinese market to new global markets might face cultural adaptability issues. How could firms balance the general principles of the Chinese internet model with the unique contexts of different global markets will be a crucial focus for future research.

Pinduoduo’s new market entry strategy represents a microcosm of Chinese mobile internet e-commerce platform enterprises’ international expansion choices, reflecting a significant phenomenon and future trend in Chinese business practices. Against the backdrop of widespread growth bottlenecks in current Chinese mobile internet e-commerce platform companies, adopting the CFC model to explore overseas markets in the future presents an opportunity for companies to expand new growth platforms, offering insights for current business practices.

This paper attempts to construct a new theoretical explanation for internationalization with unique characteristics of the Chinese mobile internet industry, based on the integration of “internationalization theories – internationalization practice – comprehensive research methods.” The study enriches strategic literature on the factors influencing new market entry for Chinese mobile internet e-commerce platform companies by exploring how increased growth pressures affect their strategic decisions to enter new markets. Meanwhile, it reveals a new market-entry-mode, the CFC (Copy from China) model, which reflects current trends in the practices of Chinese mobile internet e-commerce platform companies, providing practical insights for the international expansion activities of mobile internet companies in other industries.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the possibility that design research involving a series of actions is an appropriate approach to memory place-making. It tries to explore how memory expressed in public space and how memory place becomes an agency system and re-organize fragments of memory in practice specifically.

Taking the memory project of Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge (NYRB) as an example of design research and re-establishing new cognitions of contemporary memory place-making through the elaboration and analysis of the design process of a series of teaching, exhibition and public participatory activities.

Design research is oriented towards multi-discipline campaigns of agency and actions and acts as thinking patterns and integration mechanisms, so that the memory place-making can be incorporated into the scope of planning and design. This paper suggests that contemporary memory place-making should pay more attention to the spiritual experience of individual participation and the identity relations behind these emotional memories. On one hand, social bonds are established between people and have involved more public participation. On the other hand, multiple resources are integrated through a series of practical activities and design research, and the memory place becomes a catalyst for individual memory, emotions and communication thus redefining memory place-making.

NYRB is a controversial mid-20th century national monument. In the social context of contemporary China, design research has helped to redefine and shape this national icon into a contemporary memory place where people can share memories of the bridge.

It is project-based in the sense of adding the dimension of memory to the practice of place-making through design research.

This paper aims to investigate the relationship between conflict handling styles (CHS) of business managers in their entrepreneurial intentions (EI). The business manager’s propensity to become entrepreneurs is a relatively unexplored area of research. The relationship between conflict handling style and entrepreneurial intention is under-researched, particularly in a developing country like Kosovo.

A self-report questionnaire containing measures of conflict handing style, entrepreneurial intention and demographics was delivered to business managers in Kosovo.

Forcing style has a positive and statistically significant relationship with entrepreneurial intention. Yielding, compromising, problem solving and avoiding have weak and insignificant effects on EI.

The relationship between conflict handling styles of managers and their entrepreneurial intention is investigated. No situational, organizational or environmental factor was considered influencing this relationship.

Conflict management is important in predicting the entrepreneurial intention of managers. Organizations should design human resource interventions aimed at effective team composition and employee retention to ensure performance.

This is the first study to investigate the relationship between conflict handling style and entrepreneurial intention using a manager sample. Furthermore, it is the first study of conflict handling styles and entrepreneurial intention of managers in Kosovo.