Multi-channel business operations are standard practice in most business contexts today. The popularity of multi-channel adoption among developing countries is growing fast. In…
Abstract
Purpose
Multi-channel business operations are standard practice in most business contexts today. The popularity of multi-channel adoption among developing countries is growing fast. In Bangladesh, the retailers who adopted multi-channel retailing have been getting a very good response from the consumers. This study aims to understand the factors that influence manufacturers’ decisions to adopt multiple channels in Bangladesh. The authors applied an extended technology acceptance model with three variables: business innovation, business competition and consumer satisfaction.
Design/methodology/approach
Partial least squares-structural equation modeling was applied to test the data collected from 157 companies and relevant hypotheses.
Findings
The study findings show that Bangladeshi manufacturers are positive about, and expect benefits from, applying the new channel. The study also revealed that customer satisfaction considerably affects multi-channel adoption in Bangladesh. Similarly, business innovation and business competition play a significant role in introducing multiple business channels.
Research limitations/implications
This research was conducted in Bangladesh, and data are collected from Dhaka and Chittagong that may limit the generalizability of findings.
Practical implications
The research goal was to understand a manufacturer’s perception to adopt multi-channel in business. The proposed research model was able to address the major factors that drive a manufacturer to introduce multiple business channels, especially in Bangladesh.
Originality/value
Many research and case studies have been done the past couple of decades, but most of them are consumer oriented. Little research has been done to investigate a manufacturer’s point of view adapting innovation in business. Though some research articles are available online, most of them from developed countries. So, the study’s goal was to study developing countries scenario; thus, the authors choose Bangladesh.
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The purpose of this paper to examine how Chinese consumers’ perceived functional and symbolic values of lifestyle fashion stores (i.e. merchandise quality, price, convenience…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper to examine how Chinese consumers’ perceived functional and symbolic values of lifestyle fashion stores (i.e. merchandise quality, price, convenience, emotional value, aesthetic value and social value) affect their shopping behaviors (i.e. repurchase intention (RI), impulse buying (IB) and time spent (TS)).
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 223 eligible responses were collected via an online questionnaire survey. The psychometric properties of the proposed CPV-shopping behavior research model were examined, and the multiple regression method was applied to test the hypotheses.
Findings
The findings show that Chinese consumers’ RIs toward and TS in lifestyle fashion stores are determined by their perceived merchandise quality value, price value, emotional value and aesthetic value of lifestyle fashion stores. In contrast, Chinese consumers’ perceived price value and emotional value trigger their IB in the lifestyle fashion stores. The perceived values show satisfactory explanatory power for the variances of Chinese consumers’ shopping behaviors (R2=55, 50 and 49 percent for RI, IB and TS, respectively).
Originality/value
A better understanding of the Chinese consumers’ shopping behaviors toward emerging lifestyle fashion stores may assist retailers in targeting China as the soon-to-be largest consumer market.
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Yana Du, Jiangyu Li and Qi Xu
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the relationships between person–job fit and job satisfaction, the mediating role of career self-management and the moderating role of job…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the relationships between person–job fit and job satisfaction, the mediating role of career self-management and the moderating role of job demands.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, 947 employees were surveyed using questionnaires, and hypothesis testing was conducted using structural equation modeling in Mplus.
Findings
Person–job fit was found to be positively related to career self-management, and career self-management plays a mediating role in the positive relationship between person–job fit and job satisfaction. Statistical analysis also confirmed that job demands moderate both the relationship between person–job fit and career self-management, as well as the relationship between person–job fit and job satisfaction via career self-management.
Research limitations/implications
The results of a single study offer limited generalizability and should thus be applied with caution. More cross-industry and cross-company studies should be conducted to verify the applicability of the findings to other industries, cultures and geographical contexts.
Practical implications
Managers should try to enhance employees' person–job fit and help or encourage them to engage in career self-management to increase job satisfaction. Additionally, managers should be aware of the negative influence of job demands and try to keep them at low levels.
Originality/value
This study extends and enriches the understanding of the positive influence of person–job fit on work outcomes, explores the mechanism of person–job fit on job satisfaction from a new perspective, namely career self-management, and explores the boundary condition (i.e. job demands) of the relationship between person–job fit and career self-management in the Chinese context.
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Zhihong Jin, Xiaohan Wang, Jiaqing Sun and Qi Xu
Energy groups are cargo owners with large amounts of energy sources (such as coal) to transport. To achieve a satisfactory tradeoff between the reliability requirements of the sea…
Abstract
Purpose
Energy groups are cargo owners with large amounts of energy sources (such as coal) to transport. To achieve a satisfactory tradeoff between the reliability requirements of the sea transportation process and the need to control the investment cost, they usually set up a self-owned fleet supplemented by a chartered fleet. This paper aims to investigate the best fleet structure and to evaluate the investment scheme under volatile circumstances in the shipping market.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors construct a mathematical model to determine the ratio of the self-owned fleet to the total fleet to minimize fleet operating costs. The volatility of both freight rates and oil prices is taken into consideration. The CPLEX solver is used to empirically analyze real data from an energy group in China, and the ship investment plan is evaluated considering the technical and economic feasibility.
Findings
If the ratio of the self-owned fleet to the total fleet is increased to the optimal of 90.40%, the total operating cost is reduced by 33.98%. Thus, the energy group should increase its capacity with a Panamax vessel of approximately 82,000 DWT. Purchasing a 5-year-old secondhand ship and building a new ship both have good investment return indicators.
Originality/value
For cargo owners engaging in transporting bulk cargo domestically in China, the suggested fleet ratio can provide a reference with a universal application scale, given the boundary economic conditions (including the volatility of freight rates and oil prices in the shipping market) in the paper.
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Chenghui Xu, Sen Leng, Deen Li and Yajun Yu
This paper aims to focus on the accurate analysis of the fractional heat transfer in a two-dimensional (2D) rectangular monolayer tissue with three different kinds of lateral…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to focus on the accurate analysis of the fractional heat transfer in a two-dimensional (2D) rectangular monolayer tissue with three different kinds of lateral boundary conditions and the quantitative evaluation of the degree of thermal damage and burn depth.
Design/methodology/approach
A symplectic method is used to analytically solve the fractional heat transfer dual equation in the frequency domain (s-domain). Explicit expressions of the dual vector can be constructed by superposing the symplectic eigensolutions. The solution procedure is rigorously rational without any trial functions. And the accurate predictions of temperature and heat flux in the time domain (t-domain) are derived through numerical inverse Laplace transform.
Findings
Comparison study shows that the maximum relative error is less than 0.16%, which verifies the accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed method. The results indicate that the model and heat source parameters have a significant effect on temperature and thermal damage. The pulse duration (Δt) of the laser heat source can effectively control the time to reach the peak temperature and the peak slope of the thermal damage curve. The burn depth is closely correlated with exposure temperature and duration. And there exists the delayed effect of fractional order on burn depth.
Originality/value
A symplectic approach is presented for the thermal analysis of 2D fractional heat transfer. A unified time-fractional heat transfer model is proposed to describe the anomalous thermal behavior of biological tissue. New findings might provide guidance for temperature prediction and thermal damage assessment of biological tissues during hyperthermia.
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Trung Quang Khuc, Viet Thanh Nguyen and Sy Tien Do
The purpose of this study is to identify the key barriers to the adoption of blockchain technology (BCT) in the construction industry. This investigation seeks to understand the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to identify the key barriers to the adoption of blockchain technology (BCT) in the construction industry. This investigation seeks to understand the challenges that hinder the implementation of blockchain in this sector.
Design/methodology/approach
The study begins with a comprehensive review of relevant literature to identify the main barriers to blockchain adoption in construction. It then uses an integrated approach using total interpretive structural modeling (TISM) and Matrice d'Impacts Croisés Multiplication Appliquée à un Classement to investigate the interrelationships among these barriers. In addition, the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method is used to establish cause-and-effect relationships between the identified barriers.
Findings
The study’s integrated TISM and DEMATEL methodology reveals several crucial barriers to blockchain adoption in the construction industry, including regulatory uncertainty, data privacy and security concerns, limited knowledge and expertise and dependence on blockchain operators. It also identifies scalability issues, uncertain benefits and lack of collaboration as dependent barriers, influenced by other identified barriers.
Originality/value
This study contributes original value by applying an integrated methodological approach to understand the complex interrelationships and dependencies among barriers to blockchain adoption in the construction industry. The findings provide decision-makers with insights to prioritize and effectively manage the key driving barriers, enhancing the understanding and strategic planning for blockchain implementation in this sector.
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Zhihong Gao and Susan O’Sullivan-Gavin
Given the unique cultural-political context of China, this paper aims to investigate two research questions: What has been the development trajectory of policy-making on consumer…
Abstract
Purpose
Given the unique cultural-political context of China, this paper aims to investigate two research questions: What has been the development trajectory of policy-making on consumer privacy protection in China, and what factors have shaped its development over the years?
Design/methodology/approach
This paper adopts a historical approach and examines the development of Chinese consumer privacy policy during four periods: 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and 2010-present.
Findings
Chinese policy-making on consumer privacy protection has made steady advancement in the past few decades due to factors such as technological development, elite advocacy and emulation of other markets; however, the effects of these factors are conditioned by local forces.
Originality/value
To date, most studies of consumer privacy issues have focused on Western countries, especially the European Union and the USA. A better understanding of how consumer privacy policy has developed in China provides important lessons on the promotion of consumer privacy protection in other developing countries.
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Jianing Wang, Jieshi Chen, Zhiyuan Zhang, Peilei Zhang, Zhishui Yu and Shuye Zhang
The purpose of this article is the effect of doping minor Ni on the microstructure evolution of a Sn-xNi (x = 0, 0.05 and 0.1 wt.%)/Ni (Poly-crystal/Single-crystal abbreviated as…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this article is the effect of doping minor Ni on the microstructure evolution of a Sn-xNi (x = 0, 0.05 and 0.1 wt.%)/Ni (Poly-crystal/Single-crystal abbreviated as PC Ni/SC Ni) solder joint during reflow and aging treatment. Results showed that the intermetallic compounds (IMCs) of the interfacial layer of Sn-xNi/PC Ni joints were Ni3Sn4 phase, while the IMCs of Sn-xNi/SC Ni joints were NiSn4 phase. After the reflow process and thermal aging of different joints, the growth behavior of interfacial layer was different due to the different mechanism of element diffusion of the two substrates. The PC Ni substrate mainly provided Ni atoms through grain boundary diffusion. The Ni3Sn4 phase of the Sn0.05Ni/PC Ni joint was finer, and the diffusion flux of Sn and Ni elements increased, so the Ni3Sn4 layer of this joint was the thickest. The SC Ni substrate mainly provided Ni atoms through the lattice diffusion. The Sn0.1Ni/SC Ni joint increases the number of Ni atoms at the interface due to the doping of 0.1Ni (wt.%) elements, so the joint had the thickest NiSn4 layer.
Design/methodology/approach
The effects of doping minor Ni on the microstructure evolution of an Sn-xNi (x = 0, 0.05 and 0.1 Wt.%)/Ni (Poly-crystal/Single-crystal abbreviated as PC Ni/SC Ni) solder joint during reflow and aging treatment was investigated in this study.
Findings
Results showed that the intermetallic compounds (IMCs) of the interfacial layer of Sn-xNi/PC Ni joints were Ni3Sn4 phase, while the IMCs of Sn-xNi/SC Ni joints were NiSn4 phase. After the reflow process and thermal aging of different joints, the growth behavior of the interfacial layer was different due to the different mechanisms of element diffusion of the two substrates.
Originality/value
In this study, the effect of doping Ni on the growth and formation mechanism of IMCs of the Sn-xNi/Ni (single-crystal) solder joints (x = 0, 0.05 and 0.1 Wt.%) was investigated.
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This paper builds homogenous series of the rate of surplus value (RSV) for the Chinese economy over the extended period 1956–2014 with a Marxian approach. It finds that the high…
Abstract
This paper builds homogenous series of the rate of surplus value (RSV) for the Chinese economy over the extended period 1956–2014 with a Marxian approach. It finds that the high profitability that stimulated capital accumulation in the decade before the 2008 crisis had relied on the continuous growth in the RSV. Given that the global crisis and changes in the domestic economy undermine all the conditions maintaining the accumulation model (an expanding external market, a relatively large reserve army of labor, and a low debt-income ratio), the RSV has failed to increase and profitability declined since 2008. Thus, this paper interprets the so-called new normal of the Chinese economy as a stage of declining profitability that results mainly from the stagnant RSV and the rising value composition of capital.
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Abdul Wahab, Amer Rasheed, Rab Nawaz and Nazma Javaid
The purpose of this paper is to undertake an unsteady flow problem of an anomalous Maxwell fluid. The flow takes place between two side walls over a plate perpendicular to them…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to undertake an unsteady flow problem of an anomalous Maxwell fluid. The flow takes place between two side walls over a plate perpendicular to them and is driven by a sudden pressure force with constant gradient.
Design/methodology/approach
A finite element method is invoked and is blended with a finite difference method for left Caputo fractional time derivatives in order to study the anomalous dynamics of the fluid.
Findings
A numerical scheme for the constitutive equations of the prescribed flow in order to approximate the velocity field is designed. The graphical results to draw different physical conclusions on the flow problem are also presented.
Originality/value
A rigorous mathematical exposition of the numerical scheme is provided and the results are valid for large values of the parameters.