Rogério Lopes, Francisco Barros, Francisco Q. de Melo, Nuno V. Ramos, Rafael Cunha, Ricardo Maia, Rui Rodrigues, M.P.L. Parente and P.M.G. Moreira
The vehicle´s body front pillar should absorb most of the striker kinetic energy, while only a fraction of that is absorbed by the door structure. This study aims to discuss the…
Abstract
Purpose
The vehicle´s body front pillar should absorb most of the striker kinetic energy, while only a fraction of that is absorbed by the door structure. This study aims to discuss the aforementioned issue. In this test the striker is a virtual entity. Six uniaxial strain gauges are installed throughout the door. Additionally, contactless 3D digital image correlation (DIC) allows to assess the major door panel’s continuous deformation and strain fields.
Design/methodology/approach
A coach is a large and heavy long-distance passenger transport vehicle. Their structural certification, classifies coaches as M3 Class III vehicles. New coach structures’ designs need analyses of each sub-system for critical pre-validation of the entire structure, aiming driver and passenger carrier safety. Also, a thorough examination due to increased travel speed is needed.
Findings
Experimental pseudo-dynamic (PSD) results were compared and validated using finite element method (FEM) with two pieces of distinct FEM software (Abaqus® and PamCrash®). The time dependent solution was carried out by explicit techniques. Results by FEM and PSD test showed good agreement, evidencing the reliability of the tools selected. Results by PamCrash® were closer to the experimental data.
Practical implications
R-29 is truck-only regulation, however can be adapted to coaches in case of a frontal collision. The present work focuses on the impact behavior of the passenger front door subsystem.
Originality/value
As a first validation the entire structure, the behavior of a vehicle door, under in-plane impacts was studied. The corresponding deformation energy absorbed by the frontal passenger coach door under virtual impacts of a swinging striker was assessed using a PSD approach.
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Patricia Rocha and Rui Calejo Rodrigues
The purpose of this paper is to review the status of knowledge on the subject of building maintenance from an integrated perspective that incorporates the building lifecycle, that…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to review the status of knowledge on the subject of building maintenance from an integrated perspective that incorporates the building lifecycle, that is, from the design stage to the end of life. This work considered the main aspects to be taken into account in determining and implementing maintenance strategies, which requires a cross-sectional view of the entire construction process. At the same time, this approach contributes to the organisation of building management.
Design/methodology/approach
Bibliometric review has been carried out to identify relevant subjects and topics about scientific production on building maintenance by analysing the contents of about 745 publications, over the last 15 years, between 2000 and 2016 (first quarter). The survey results were gradually organised into a database grouped into seven main themes which were found to be more discussed and others six emergent themes with topics on building maintenance research.
Findings
This research enabled a synthesis of the focal points in the literature on building maintenance, as well as debates among researchers and institutions in the field. The result is a view to the future regarding what issues merit further research and what content requires greater depth of understanding, allowing us to envision research directions that encompass topics and sub-topics for future development. To this end, this bibliometric study draws on knowledge developed over the last 15 years, using research studies published in refereed journals indexed in ISI/SCOPUS as its data source.
Originality/value
The novelty of this topic, and the aspect in which it differs from existing studies, is that the researchers analysed a single sub-topic: that is, content regarding maintenance. Thus, this bibliometric literature review allows us to achieve a comprehensive and integrated view of key issues developed in the field of building maintenance. The results show which topics have been more thoroughly developed and which still exhibit gaps and weaknesses. This review allows us to envision well thought out guidelines for future development that have the potential to be relevant to progress in building maintenance research. It also contributes to our understanding of the state of the art in this field of knowledge.
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Gaston Fornes and Alan Butt-Philip
This paper aims to analyse the characteristics of Chinese multinational corporations in other emerging economies using evidence from Latin America (LA) vis-à-vis the features…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to analyse the characteristics of Chinese multinational corporations in other emerging economies using evidence from Latin America (LA) vis-à-vis the features found in previous studies of Chinese companies operating in developed countries.
Design
It does this by studying the fit of theoretical frameworks recently developed for Chinese firms, the support from the government and the strength of their capabilities in relation to those of local competitors. The analysis is based on case studies with data collected from a theoretical sample of Chinese companies operating in LA.
Findings
The results show that these companies seem to be following a pattern similar to that described by Mathews’s (2006) Linkage–Leverage–Learning, that the support from the government does not seem to play an important role in their internationalisation process, that they appear to have developed a set of capabilities strong enough to compete in the host market (in particular how to combine their strengths with those of local partners) and that they are engaged in a positive cycle of development that helps them to overcome some of the challenges and barriers of operating in Latin American emerging markets by complementing/leveraging their strengths with those of local firms.
Originality/value
The findings indicate that Chinese companies are following patterns in their internationalisation to Latin American emerging markets that seems to be a combination of conventional theories (including previous studies on emerging markets-based firms) with idiosyncratic elements.
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Since China initiated its “go global” policy that promotes its overseas investment, China’s Outward Foreign Direct Investment (OFDI) has increased almost twenty times during the…
Abstract
Since China initiated its “go global” policy that promotes its overseas investment, China’s Outward Foreign Direct Investment (OFDI) has increased almost twenty times during the last 10 years, reaching $55.9 billion in 2008. The issue of internationalization of Chinese OFDI has attracted increasing attention of researchers from a business perspective. This article systematically reviews the previous studies on overseas investments by Chinese MNEs and discusses the characteristics of Chinese internationalization behavior at both firm level and country level. The internationalization of Chinese companies cannot be understood as a simple game of “catch up” with established MNEs, and more firm‐level empirical studies should be carried out on how these characteristics influence firms’ strategic decisions.
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Abstract
Purpose
This study examines the impact of outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) of Chinese multinational corporations (MNCs) and formal and informal institutional distances between the home and host countries on the innovation performance of parent company.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses panel data to conduct an empirical analysis on the data of 59 mature Chinese MNCs and their 872 overseas subsidiaries over the past 11 years and draws interesting results.
Findings
Results show that OFDI and formal and informal institutional distances between countries exert a significant positive impact on the innovation performance of the parent company and formal and informal institutional distances negatively moderate the impact between OFDI and the parent company's innovation performance.
Originality/value
Although international business research pays increasing attention to transnational differences in institutions and cultures, research on the relationship between technology spillover and distance is relatively limited. In addition, few studies consider the impact of FID and IFID on transnational reverse knowledge spillovers. This research fills these research gaps, and the conclusions have certain practical significance for multinational companies.
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Mahender Reddy Gavinolla, Agita Livina, Sampada Kumar Swain and Galina Bukovska
Purpose – Purpose of the research is to make a comprehensive study to elucidate the existing landscape of scientific production of disease outbreaks, pandemics and tourism…
Abstract
Purpose – Purpose of the research is to make a comprehensive study to elucidate the existing landscape of scientific production of disease outbreaks, pandemics and tourism research. In doing so, authors analyzed scientific production of pandemics and tourism-related studies such as year-wise publications, productive authors, institutes, funding sponsors, thematic areas of research and citation analysis.
Design/methodology/approach – Authors analyzed the research papers indexed in the online Scopus database over 50 years of time starting from 1971 to 2020 by using bibliometrics, and the data are visualized by using data visualization tools like VOSviewer and the Tableau.
Findings – The understanding of disease outbreaks and pandemics in tourism has increased over the years in terms of number of papers, citation, networks and collaborative themes of research.
Research limitations/implications – Data for the study were generated from Scopus online database and limited to English-written journal articles that were produced with search strategy of specific keywords associated with tourism, virus, pandemics and disease outbreak.
Practical implications – Findings of the research provide insights into academia and practitioners on the understanding of disease outbreaks, pandemics and tourism research, coherent development of the concept and understanding the research gap and focussed area of research.
Originality/value – As per authors' understanding, this paper would be one of the first attempts to provide greater understanding of disease outbreaks, pandemics and tourism as a research topic by examining the growth and evolution in an academic context through bibliometric analysis.
Paper type – Review paper.
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Globalization, increasing intensity of competition and access to capital markets have enabled emerging market firms to explore inorganic growth through merger and acquisitions…
Abstract
Purpose
Globalization, increasing intensity of competition and access to capital markets have enabled emerging market firms to explore inorganic growth through merger and acquisitions (M & A) over the past two decades. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role of firm-specific factors on M & A propensity in Chinese technology firms.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors analyze data on 152 firms from Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan over a period of 2001-2011 using logistic and count data regression.
Findings
The authors find that the factors that influence M & As in these firms differ from the established factors found in M & A in developed economies. Large, low-debt firms have higher acquisition propensity irrespective of their technological strength and they tend to be serial acquirer too.
Originality/value
The findings provide new insights into inorganic growth behavior of emerging market technology firms and indicate presence of both exploitative and exploratory motives.
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Mehmet Ali Köseoglu, Yasin Sehitoglu, Gary Ross and John A. Parnell
This paper aims to illustrate how business ethics research is progressing in the tourism and hospitality (T/H) industries and suggest a research agenda.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to illustrate how business ethics research is progressing in the tourism and hospitality (T/H) industries and suggest a research agenda.
Design/methodology/approach
This study applies bibliometric analysis to articles related to business ethics topics in the T/H fields published between 1995 and 2014 in six, nine and five leading hospitality-, tourism- and business ethics-oriented journals, respectively.
Findings
This study provides a broad view on business ethics research in the T/H fields based on leading authors, institutions, themes and methods used over the past two decades.
Research limitations/implications
This study assesses the progress of business ethics research in the hospitality and tourism fields. Only articles published in select, prominent Social Sciences Citation Index journals were analyzed.
Practical implications
This analysis focuses on published articles related to business ethics in the T/H fields. As such, it facilitates researchers, academic scholars and professionals in contributing to the field more effectively and advancing scientific progress in the literature. It aids practitioners by evaluating the extent to which scholars have investigated key issues in the field.
Originality/value
This study is the first to utilize bibliometric analysis to assess business ethics research focusing on T/H activities published in leading tourism, hospitality and business ethics journals.
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Gaston Fornes, Guillermo Cardoza and Song Xu
The purpose of this paper is to study the national and international expansion of small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) in Anhui, China. The paper focuses on the interaction of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study the national and international expansion of small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) in Anhui, China. The paper focuses on the interaction of SMEs with the Government, assessed through the development of specific industries as well as ownership and funding by the State, and the origins of the relative weakness of Chinese SMEs' competitive position.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from 154 SMEs and analysed using multivariate regressions; the models used the firms' export intensity at the regional, national, and international level as dependent variables. In total seven models were run: the first analysing the industry where SMEs operate, the second and third studying state funding and ownership, and the last four analysing a set of barriers hindering firms' expansion as independent variables.
Findings
The results show that: SMEs operating in labour‐intensive industries have better access to international markets; ownership and/or funding by the state do not play an important role in regional, national and international expansion; and there are 11 barriers related to weak management skills and knowledge hindering the expansion of Anhui's SMEs. The findings are then analysed vis‐à‐vis recent works on Chinese firms and conclusions are drawn.
Originality/value
The paper contributes to the increasing body of literature on the expansion of Chinese SMEs by providing an empirical analysis in a region different from the increasingly studied coastal areas.
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Joana Andrade, Hugo Gomes, Rui Gonçalves and Andreia Castro-Rodrigues
Remand prisoners (RPs) are known to be in a more vulnerable situation than those already convicted. Beyond the difficulties to adapt to the prison, RP also tend to experience…
Abstract
Purpose
Remand prisoners (RPs) are known to be in a more vulnerable situation than those already convicted. Beyond the difficulties to adapt to the prison, RP also tend to experience tough circumstances due to the uncertainty of their future. This study aims to further test the psychometric properties of the Suicide Concerns for Offenders in the Prison Environment (SCOPE-2) in a sample of RP.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors have carried out a confirmatory factor analysis to test the psychometric qualities of the SCOPE-2. The authors tested the originally proposed two-factor structure composed of two subscales: optimism and protective self-worth. Also, the authors examined internal consistency through Cronbach’s alphas. Convergent validity was tested by correlational analyses between SCOPE-2 subscales and the Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised and Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) total scores. Finally, the authors have tested known-groups validity by carrying out discriminant analysis by testing the SCOPE-2 subscales’ ability to predict belonging to a group with previous suicide attempts.
Findings
The confirmatory factor analysis showed an acceptable model fit, even though the subscale “Protective self-worth” presented a less acceptable fit. The correlation analysis supported the convergent validity of the SCOPE-2. Both the “Optimism” and “Protective self-worth” subscales showed a positive correlation with the total scores of BSI. Finally, the Portuguese version of SCOPE-2 also showed known groups validity. Concretely, the “Optimism” scores revealed an acceptable predictive accuracy.
Practical implications
This study embraces important contributions to the practice as it was the first study to validate a measure to assess vulnerability for suicide and self-harm in male and female RP.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this was the first study to validate an instrument to assess vulnerability for suicide and self-harm in both male and female pretrial detainees. Knowing their particular case, as well as the lack of responses for these individuals, it is particularly important to access suicide concerns that could precede suicide attempts.