Qian Jia, Ying Wang and Li Fengting
The purpose of this paper is to provide a case study of the establishment and development of a minor program in Sustainable Development in Tongji University, China, and how it…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide a case study of the establishment and development of a minor program in Sustainable Development in Tongji University, China, and how it contributes to embedding sustainable development into higher education system as an alternative platform for researchers and students to involve in a transdisciplinary teaching and learning process.
Design/methodology/approach
This case reviews the institutional setting and the different studying models and requirements for postgraduates and undergraduates. Postgraduate students have to take four core courses, select one module with four themed courses (4 + 4 fixed) and complete a transdisciplinary essay, and undergraduates can choose any three courses in all modules apart from the four core courses (4 + 3 open), with a transdisciplinary group project.
Findings
The development of the minor program reveals the popularity and decline of different modules, because of the popularity of the schools and institutes behind them, the university legacy and the media influence. The program design spurs transdisciplinary thinking on sustainable development but brings about challenges including time conflict with students’ major study. In conclusion, this program explores alternative education practices in embedding sustainable development in education system, contributing to and reflect on Education for Sustainable Development and the education reform in China.
Originality/value
The case presents a unique way of implementing Education for Sustainable Development in higher education system, in which minor education stands between formal and informal curriculum to tackle the barriers in undertaking sustainable development initiatives in curricula, through nurturing the culture and providing organizational support.
Details
Keywords
Abstract
Purpose
This study examines how community norms, such as religious atmosphere and economic pressures, affect corporate philanthropic giving. Grounded in upper echelon theory, the authors further focus on how the women on board of directors (BODs) play an important role in the relationship between community norms and corporate philanthropic giving.
Design/methodology/approach
This study utilizes a two-stage Heckman selection model to control the sample-selection bias. The final sample includes 8,566 observations for the first stage and 5,575 observations for the second stage. Then, by using a sample of Chinese listed firms in 2010–2014, this study establishes a strong and robust support for the hypotheses.
Findings
This study finds that religious atmosphere is significantly and positively associated with corporate philanthropic giving, whereas the relationship between economic pressure and corporate philanthropy is negative. Furthermore, women on BODs not only strengthen the relationship between religious atmosphere and corporate philanthropic giving but also strengthen the relationship between economic pressure and corporate philanthropic giving.
Originality/value
First, the authors contribute to community literature by developing a subdivided perspective. The authors provide the first attempt to empirically investigate the hidden association between the two perspectives of community (religious atmosphere and economic pressure) and corporate philanthropic giving. Second, the authors contribute to the literature on corporate philanthropy by expanding the antecedents of corporate philanthropic giving to communities where firms are headquartered. Third, by capturing the multiple identities of women, the authors enrich the study of the influence of minority groups on corporate decision-making. The authors find that gender diversity on BODs strengthen the influence of community norms on corporate philanthropic giving.
Details
Keywords
Ouyang Wu, Yuan Xiaoyang and Jia Qian
– The purpose of this paper is to analyze the problems of tilting-pad thrust bearing static instability and lubrication performance under static bistability.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the problems of tilting-pad thrust bearing static instability and lubrication performance under static bistability.
Design/methodology/approach
The static equilibrium state of tilting-pad thrust bearing is analyzed, and key parameters are extracted from the general lubrication model. Then, a distribution area of bearing static equilibrium points is achieved by solving the model. The area is divided into three sub-areas which represent monostabillity, bistability and instability, and an unstable boundary of the area is discovered. By these findings, a reversible lubrication failure phenomenon is explained. A calculation method is proposed to obtain bearing lubrication performance under the bistability.
Findings
The variation of working conditions can lead to migration of unstable boundary and static instability. After resuming the working conditions, unstable boundary will resume in situ, and the bearing will operate steadily again. Moreover, there is a big difference between the two groups of lubrication performance solutions under the bistability.
Practical implications
The static stability acceptance test of tilting-pad thrust bearing should be implemented under start–stop, accidental excitation and other conditions before service to prevent such lubrication failure phenomenon. Moreover, fulcrum position of the bearing pad should be kept away from the bistable area.
Originality/value
This paper has preliminarily revealed a static instability mechanism of tilting-pad thrust bearing, analyzed bistability lubrication performance and proposed some suggestions to improve the bearing stability.
Details
Keywords
Yongliang Jin, Jian Li, Bingxue Cheng, Dan Jia, Jiesong Tu, Shengpeng Zhan, Lian Liu and Haitao Duan
This paper aims to investigate the thermal oxidation behavior of trimethylolpropane trioleate (TMPTO) base oil when exposed to Fe surfaces.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the thermal oxidation behavior of trimethylolpropane trioleate (TMPTO) base oil when exposed to Fe surfaces.
Design/methodology/approach
Samples of TMPTO bulk oil were placed in Fe vessels and heated in an oven to accelerate the oxidation at different time intervals, while others were placed in glass vessels and used as experimental controls. Subsequently, the physicochemical properties of the oxidized TMPTOs, including the kinematic viscosity and acid value, were measured and a structural analysis was conducted using the Raman and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) techniques.
Findings
The results demonstrate that the TMPTO bulk oil exhibited an exponential increase in the kinematic viscosity along with the increasing acid value over the oxidation time. The Fe surface significantly increased the kinematic viscosity of TMPTO, while only mildly impacting its acid value compared with the experimental controls. The structural analysis results of the TMPTO suggest that the C = C and = C-H bonds were the vulnerable sites. Furthermore, the results suggest that the Fe surface evidently accelerates the chemical reactions of the C = C and the = C-H bonds, and less alcohols and more carbonyl products were identified in the oil samples that were heated in the Fe vessels.
Originality/value
The results demonstrate that the Fe surfaces affected the oxidation behavior of the TMPTO base oil, and an interaction mechanism between the Fe and the TMPTO is developed.
Details
Keywords
Financial communication refers to the strategies and practices employed by companies to share financial information and engage with investors, stakeholders and the broader…
Abstract
Financial communication refers to the strategies and practices employed by companies to share financial information and engage with investors, stakeholders and the broader financial community. At its core lies investor relations management (IRM), focused on achieving effective two-way communication between the company and these groups for fair valuation of securities. Key financial communication activities include investor meetings, earnings calls, roadshows, annual reports, market analysis and crisis communication. Moreover. stakeholder theory emphasizes identifying and managing relationships with all individuals and entities that can affect or be affected by the company's operations. Stakeholders include shareholders, employees, creditors, suppliers, communities, regulators etc., classified as primary (essential) or secondary (indirectly involved). Proactive stakeholder engagement is crucial for achieving corporate objectives. Additionally, investor relations (IR) specifically deal with managing interactions with shareholders, creditors and potential investors through information dissemination, utilizing finance, marketing and communication techniques. Implementation channels include regulated disclosures, shareholder meetings, media engagement and forums. Other covered aspects include crisis communication strategies, corporate reputation management, internal communication practices, transparency and disclosure guidelines and legal/ethical considerations surrounding corporate communication. Overall, robust financial communication capabilities are vital for corporate success, reputation building and sustainable growth in today's competitive landscape.
Details
Keywords
Charl de Villiers, Pei-Chi Kelly Hsiao, Stefano Zambon and Elisabetta Magnaghi
This paper aims to develop a conceptual framework for extended external reporting (EER) influences (EERI), including sustainability, non-financial, integrated and value reporting…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to develop a conceptual framework for extended external reporting (EER) influences (EERI), including sustainability, non-financial, integrated and value reporting. Using the Environmental Legitimacy, Accountability, and Proactivity (ELAP) framework as the base, we modify its proposed concepts and linkages using relevant conceptual models, prior reviews and findings of recent studies on EER. This paper presents contributions of the special issue on “non-financial and integrated reporting, governance and value creation” and avenues for future research.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing on relevant conceptual models, prior reviews and recent EER studies, we reframed the ELAP framework into a framework that theorises the factors that affects, or are affected by, EER.
Findings
The EERI framework poses relationships between and within proactivity, external verification, accountability and legitimacy. It also consolidates possible determinants and consequences of EER. The papers published in this special issue contribute further insights on factors that influence reporting practices, processes and suggestions for capturing and communicating value creation information, and the value of integrated reports and assurance to capital providers.
Originality/value
Along with the insights provided by papers in this special issue, the conceptual framework can be used to theorise influences of EER and guide future research.
Details
Keywords
Mingyu Nie, Zhi Liu, Xiaomei Li, Qiang Wu, Bo Tang, Xiaoyan Xiao, Yulin Sun, Jun Chang and Chengyun Zheng
This paper aims to effectively achieve endmembers and relative abundances simultaneously in hyperspectral image unmixing yield. Hyperspectral unmixing, which is an important step…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to effectively achieve endmembers and relative abundances simultaneously in hyperspectral image unmixing yield. Hyperspectral unmixing, which is an important step before image classification and recognition, is a challenging issue because of the limited resolution of image sensors and the complex diversity of nature. Unmixing can be performed using different methods, such as blind source separation and semi-supervised spectral unmixing. However, these methods have disadvantages such as inaccurate results or the need for the spectral library to be known a priori.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper proposes a novel method for hyperspectral unmixing called fuzzy c-means unmixing, which achieves endmembers and relative abundance through repeated iteration analysis at the same time.
Findings
Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can effectively implement hyperspectral unmixing with high accuracy.
Originality/value
The proposed method present an effective framework for the challenging field of hyperspectral image unmixing.
Details
Keywords
Mateus Panizzon, Gabriel Vidor and Maria Emília Camargo
Continuous understanding of the best practices associated with new product development is a constant research opportunity to advance knowledge in the field, as far as changes in…
Abstract
Purpose
Continuous understanding of the best practices associated with new product development is a constant research opportunity to advance knowledge in the field, as far as changes in the business environment and the increasing turbulence level in different market segments create and reposition the importance of practices over time.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on a systematic review, the study aimed to analyze the 100 most relevant articles published in international journals on new product development (NDP), identifying new patterns on the best practices for new product development and the types of relationship involved in NPD.
Findings
Among the several practices observed in the literature, the analysis point to a larger group of studies that converge on the identification of a positive and significant relationship in integration – simultaneously – between supplier, company, customers and strategic alliances and the performance of NPD.
Research limitations/implications
These results support integration as a cross-cutting and structural best practice for NPD, as long as it is constituted as a capacity, mainly applied in highly turbulent environments. This approach supported the proposition of a new framework.
Practical implications
Organizations will be able to implement the proposed framework to NPD strategy in order to prioritize resources in best practices, aiming to increase the performance of new product development.
Social implications
The adoption of integration and co-creation practices for the development of new products expands the possibilities of economic and social development, based on the involvement of the actors in this network.
Originality/value
This model had not yet been proposed in the literature, filling a gap in the agenda for future studies.