Yuchuan Du, Han Wang, Qian Gao, Ning Pan, Cong Zhao and Chenglong Liu
Resilience concepts in integrated urban transport refer to the performance of dealing with external shock and the ability to continue to provide transportation services of all…
Abstract
Purpose
Resilience concepts in integrated urban transport refer to the performance of dealing with external shock and the ability to continue to provide transportation services of all modes. A robust transportation resilience is a goal in pursuing transportation sustainability. Under this specified context, while before the perturbations, robustness refers to the degree of the system’s capability of functioning according to its design specifications on integrated modes and routes, redundancy is the degree of duplication of traffic routes and alternative modes to maintain persistency of service in case of perturbations. While after the perturbations, resourcefulness refers to the capacity to identify operational problems in the system, prioritize interventions and mobilize necessary material/ human resources to recover all the routes and modes, rapidity is the speed of complete recovery of all modes and traffic routes in the urban area. These “4R” are the most critical components of urban integrated resilience.
Design/methodology/approach
The trends of transportation resilience's connotation, metrics and strategies are summarized from the literature. A framework is introduced on both qualitative characteristics and quantitative metrics of transportation resilience. Using both model-based and mode-free methodologies that measure resilience in attributes, topology and system performance provides a benchmark for evaluating the mechanism of resilience changes during the perturbation. Correspondingly, different pre-perturbation and post-perturbation strategies for enhancing resilience under multi-mode scenarios are reviewed and summarized.
Findings
Cyber-physic transportation system (CPS) is a more targeted solution to resilience issues in transportation. A well-designed CPS can be applied to improve transport resilience facing different perturbations. The CPS ensures the independence and integrity of every child element within each functional zone while reacting rapidly.
Originality/value
This paper provides a more comprehensive understanding of transportation resilience in terms of integrated urban transport. The fundamental characteristics and strategies for resilience are summarized and elaborated. As little research has shed light on the resilience concepts in integrated urban transport, the findings from this paper point out the development trend of a resilient transportation system for digital and data-driven management.
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Jun Hu, Wenbin Long, Xianzhong Song and Taijie Tang
Due to environmental externalities, micro-enterprises with profit-seeking features do not develop sufficient motivation for environmental governance. In a fiscally decentralized…
Abstract
Purpose
Due to environmental externalities, micro-enterprises with profit-seeking features do not develop sufficient motivation for environmental governance. In a fiscally decentralized system, local environmental protection authorities perform environmental supervision, and the intensity of the regulations that they implement has an important influence on corporate environmental governance. Based on the promotion tournament framework, this paper aims to discuss the driving mechanism of corporate environmental governance using turnover of environmental protection department directors (EPDDs) as an indicator.
Design/methodology/approach
Using samples of A-share companies listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen exchanges from 2007 to 2014, this paper examines the impact of EPDD turnover on corporate environmental governance and its underlying mechanism.
Findings
The results show that corporate environmental governance exhibits a political periodicity that changes with the turnover of the EPDD, and the periodicity remains after controlling for the influence of changes in provincial party secretary and governor. Internal mechanisms analysis indicates that, without financial independence, local environmental protection departments rely on increasing sewage charges, not environmental protection subsidies, to promote corporate environmental governance. Further, considering heterogeneity among officials, it finds that the younger a new EPDD is, the more pronounced the periodicity of corporate environmental governance. However, there is no significant difference between in-system and out-system turnover.
Originality/value
In general, this paper describes the mechanisms of corporate environmental governance from the perspective of political economics, and the results have implications for the potential improvement of the government’s environmental supervision functions and the development of ecological civilization in China.
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Xianchuan Shi, Liang Gao, Lei Qian, Mingya Cheng and Kyle Jiang
The purpose of this paper is to develop a coiling robot in the production of coated elevator compensation chains to replace the manual coiling operations and improve the quality…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop a coiling robot in the production of coated elevator compensation chains to replace the manual coiling operations and improve the quality of compensation chains.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper introduces both mechanical and servo control system designs of the coiling robot. The structure of two friction wheels stabilizes the conveying speed of compensation chain, so the chain speed matches with the car speed. A centering mechanism pushes the chain to its original position. Seven servo motors are integrated into the system, and they are controlled by a servo control system based on programmable logic controller, positioning controller, analog output block and touch screen.
Findings
The results of the project show that the coiling robot can both greatly reduce the number of workers and the intensity of the work and improve the quality of the chain. The chain lid by the robot is not only neat, but also uniform in its inner stress.
Research limitations/implications
When the output speed of the compensation chain from the rear friction wheel does not match the coiling speed, the coiling operation has to be halted. Then, the operator adjusts the chain speed and restarts the coiling operation.
Practical implications
The coiling robot is proven working. It has been adopted by a leading company manufacturing compensation chains.
Originality/value
This is the first coiling robot which is practically used in a production line of compensation chains. Its design, mechanism and control systems are of great reference values to people.
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Xin Pan, Xuanjin Chen and Lutao Ning
Firms’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) behaviour is embedded in the institutional context. Under this logic, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the institutional…
Abstract
Purpose
Firms’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) behaviour is embedded in the institutional context. Under this logic, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the institutional antecedents of CSR, especially how two sub-national institutions – regional institutional development and industry dynamism – and their interactions affect firms’ CSR.
Design/methodology/approach
The sample consists of 608 Chinese listed firms, with 2,694 observations made from 2009 to 2014. The data were collected from two sources. The CSR information was acquired from the CSR rating agency Rankins CSR Ratings, and the financial data from the China Stock Market and Accounting Research database. Panel ordinary least squares regression was used to test the hypotheses.
Findings
The empirical results indicate that firms located in advanced regional institutions and more dynamic industries are more likely to engage in CSR. Moreover, macro institution, termed as regional institutional development, positively moderates the relationship between micro institution in terms of industry dynamism and CSR.
Originality/value
Overlooking how the institutional environment influences CSR decisions limits understanding of firms’ CSR activities. This paper offers an institutional explanation of CSR and, in particular, investigates different levels of sub-national institutions and their interaction.
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Fuzhao Chen, Zhilei Chen, Qian Chen, Tianyang Gao, Mingyan Dai, Xiang Zhang and Lin Sun
The electromechanical brake system is leading the latest development trend in railway braking technology. The tolerance stack-up generated during the assembly and production…
Abstract
Purpose
The electromechanical brake system is leading the latest development trend in railway braking technology. The tolerance stack-up generated during the assembly and production process catalyzes the slight geometric dimensioning and tolerancing between the motor stator and rotor inside the electromechanical cylinder. The tolerance leads to imprecise brake control, so it is necessary to diagnose the fault of the motor in the fully assembled electromechanical brake system. This paper aims to present improved variational mode decomposition (VMD) algorithm, which endeavors to elucidate and push the boundaries of mechanical synchronicity problems within the realm of the electromechanical brake system.
Design/methodology/approach
The VMD algorithm plays a pivotal role in the preliminary phase, employing mode decomposition techniques to decompose the motor speed signals. Afterward, the error energy algorithm precision is utilized to extract abnormal features, leveraging the practical intrinsic mode functions, eliminating extraneous noise and enhancing the signal’s fidelity. This refined signal then becomes the basis for fault analysis. In the analytical step, the cepstrum is employed to calculate the formant and envelope of the reconstructed signal. By scrutinizing the formant and envelope, the fault point within the electromechanical brake system is precisely identified, contributing to a sophisticated and accurate fault diagnosis.
Findings
This paper innovatively uses the VMD algorithm for the modal decomposition of electromechanical brake (EMB) motor speed signals and combines it with the error energy algorithm to achieve abnormal feature extraction. The signal is reconstructed according to the effective intrinsic mode functions (IMFS) component of removing noise, and the formant and envelope are calculated by cepstrum to locate the fault point. Experiments show that the empirical mode decomposition (EMD) algorithm can effectively decompose the original speed signal. After feature extraction, signal enhancement and fault identification, the motor mechanical fault point can be accurately located. This fault diagnosis method is an effective fault diagnosis algorithm suitable for EMB systems.
Originality/value
By using this improved VMD algorithm, the electromechanical brake system can precisely identify the rotational anomaly of the motor. This method can offer an online diagnosis analysis function during operation and contribute to an automated factory inspection strategy while parts are assembled. Compared with the conventional motor diagnosis method, this improved VMD algorithm can eliminate the need for additional acceleration sensors and save hardware costs. Moreover, the accumulation of online detection functions helps improve the reliability of train electromechanical braking systems.
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J.H. Huang, J.Y. Pei, Y.Y. Qian and Y.H. Jiang
In this paper, a formula for life prediction of SMT solder joints under thermal cycling has been established on a damage model. The major failure mechanisms such as fatigue, creep…
Abstract
In this paper, a formula for life prediction of SMT solder joints under thermal cycling has been established on a damage model. The major failure mechanisms such as fatigue, creep and atmospheric oxidation have been considered in the formula. The experimental verification shows that the life formula established in this paper coincides with the experimental results.
Man Zhang, Qian Gao, Jane V. Wheeler and Jungsook Kwon
This paper aims to investigate the role of Sun Tzu’s significant strategies on the relationship between the institutional environment and international performance of Chinese born…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the role of Sun Tzu’s significant strategies on the relationship between the institutional environment and international performance of Chinese born global firms, a type of small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) characterized by the company’s limited resources and its early efforts to internationalize.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology is based on a multi-case analysis of interviews conducted with four chosen born global firms, coupled with public database and Web site searches. Through the use of qualitative methods, propositions were developed.
Findings
This paper provides insights regarding how the institutional environment, both formal and informal, has a strong positive relationship with born global firm’s international performance. Moreover, Sun Tzu’s significant strategies play a critical role in the internationalization process of born global firms in emerging markets.
Originality/value
Although existing studies discuss the application of Eastern philosophical strategies adopted by firms in emerging markets, to the best of our knowledge, this is one of the earliest studies which evaluates the moderation effect of Sun Tzu’s significant strategies on the relationship between institutional environment and business performance. The paper contributes to scholarly discourse on the influencing factors of born global firm’s internationalization process. It also has practical relevance to international entrepreneurs and SMEs from emerging markets.
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Rahsidi Sabri Muda, Ainul Bahiah Mohd Khidzir and Mohamad Faiq Md Amin
Dams are constructed for many purposes such as for power generation, irrigation, water supply and flood control. However, dams can also impose risks to the public, and the…
Abstract
Dams are constructed for many purposes such as for power generation, irrigation, water supply and flood control. However, dams can also impose risks to the public, and the situation could be disastrous if dam failure occurred. The study area, Bertam Valley, is located downstream of hydroelectric dam known as Sultan Abu Bakar Dam, Cameron Highlands. The key objectives of the study are to determine the potential risk area at downstream and to assess the flooding impact on damage to buildings and infrastructures due to dam break event. ArcGIS application and output from two-dimensional flood modelling have been used as an integrated approach to analyse the impact due to dam break flood, by creating flood severity grid analysis. The result obtained shows that the estimated inundated area is about 0.28 km2, and almost 197 buildings are potentially affected. Results from this study show that in the event of dam break, the huge volume of impounding water will pound to the downstream areas, threatening the populations, and environment along its path. The finding is useful to assist the local authorities and emergency responders in formulating an emergency procedure to save the people during an emergency.
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Jhunru Zhang, Hadrian Geri Djajadikerta and Terri Trireksani
Corporate sustainability in China has become a subject of increasing international concern. Corporate sustainability disclosure (CSD) is considered a useful tool to facilitate the…
Abstract
Purpose
Corporate sustainability in China has become a subject of increasing international concern. Corporate sustainability disclosure (CSD) is considered a useful tool to facilitate the empowerment and acknowledgement of stakeholders in the quest for sustainability. However, the degree of cultural and political influences for being sustainably orientated can be significantly different between countries. This study aims to examine the perception of financial analysts, as CSD report users, in China about the level of importance of various indicators of corporate sustainability described in the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Sustainability Reporting Guidelines.
Design/methodology/approach
A set of questionnaires was developed based on GRI G4 guidelines to measure the perception of financial analysts in China on the level of importance of each sustainability indicator described in the GRI G4. A five-point Likert scale was used to measure the report users’ perceptions of each of the indicators.
Findings
The findings of this study increase our understanding of how Chinese CSD report users perceive corporate sustainability differently from the GRI guidelines. The main results show that the environmental aspect of sustainability was seen to be important in China, followed by the social and economic aspects. Indicator-wise, “water”, “effluents and waste”, “emissions”, “compliance” and “energy” were perceived as vital in the environmental category, while “customer health and safety”, “customer privacy” and “compliance” were considered significant in the social category.
Originality/value
This study addresses the need for differing corporate sustainability guidelines for different nations and cultures, specifically within the Chinese context. It also contributes to the corporate sustainability literature by adding to our understanding of how financial analysts in China, as CSD report users, perceive aspects of sustainability.