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The purpose of this paper is to identify the drivers of manufacturing transformation and upgrading and examine their influencing paths and effects. The study also dynamically evaluates and compares the achievements of the manufacturing transformation and upgrading of various economies.

This paper establishes the mechanism model of manufacturing transformation and upgrading based on the partial least squares approach to structural equation modeling. With the help of a mechanism model, the study carries out empirical analysis using panel data from the G20 for 2005–2015.

Innovation, measured by innovation input and innovation output, has the largest positive effect on manufacturing transformation and upgrading. Economic development has a negative direct effect, as well as positive indirect effects. Its total effect is positive but small. Economic openness has no significantly direct effect, but has significantly positive indirect effects. Its total effect is significantly positive, but is the smallest among drivers. Developed economies have relatively higher but decreasing achievements, whereas emerging economies have lower but increasing achievements and maintain the catch-up trend toward developed economies.

Few macro empirical studies examine the drivers and achievements of manufacturing transformation and upgrading. A need has arisen for evidence-based research and policies to guide governments in their efforts to promote manufacturing transformation and upgrading. This may be the first macro-level study to empirically analyze the drivers of manufacturing transformation and upgrading, and their influencing paths as well as achievements.

This paper aims to examine the user’s willingness of golfers toward the use of GPS navigation based on the technology readiness and acceptance models.

This study developed the research structure based on the theory of the technology acceptance and readiness model to address the relationship between technology readiness, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, user’s attitude and behavioral intention. A purposive sampling questionnaire was used in this study to investigate golf participants in Central Taiwan. In all, 245 copies of the questionnaire were issued. About 240 copies were returned and after removing the invalid copies, there were 230 valid questionnaires for a valid response rate of 95.8 per cent.

The research results indicated that technology readiness has a significant influence on perceived usefulness, technology readiness has a significant influence on perceived ease of use, perceived ease of use has a significant influence on perceived usefulness, perceived usefulness has no significant influence on user’s attitude, perceived ease of use has a significant influence on user’s attitude, user’s attitude has no significant influence on behavioral intention and perceived usefulness has a significant influence on behavioral intention.

The technology acceptance model has been widely used to examine user's acceptance and willingness toward computer technology or an information product. This study, hence, is based on this model to investigate the user's willingness of golfers toward golf GPS and shall serve as a reference for future golf sports promotion and device R&D.

The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the impact of equity market valuation and government intervention on the research and development (R&D) investments of listed companies in China and their relationship.

Using a manually collected R&D database in the period 2007–2015, this paper constructs a sample of 6,595 firm–year observations and applies the methods of pooled OLS regressions to examine the effects of market valuation and government intervention on corporate R&D expenditures.

This paper finds that market valuation enhances corporate R&D investments, but there is no evidence that government intervention may significantly affect the R&D investments. Government intervention also decreases the sensitivity of corporate R&D investment to stock price, which implies that government intervention weakens the promotion of market mechanism to corporate R&D investment. Furthermore, these effects are stronger in the non-state-owned firms and the non-regulated industries.

This study suggests that the functional borders of markets and government should be reasonably defined and markets play a decisive role in resource allocation to improve corporate innovation and national innovation.

This paper provides a micro view of the relationship between market and government at the stage of transitional economy in China as well as directions for further research on the relationship between stock prices and corporate investments.

This paper aims to investigate the microstructure, hardness and tribological properties of hypoeutectic (Al-7Si) matrix reinforced with fixed quantities of 3 Wt.% graphite (Gr) and x Wt.% SiCp (x = 3, 6 and 9) hybrid composites.

The composites were fabricated by stir cast technique. The microstructure, hardness and tribological measurements were carried out on the base alloy and composites. The tribological investigation was carried out on pin-on-disc wear testing machine under dry sliding condition.

The wear rate decreases with the increase of SiCp into A356-3Gr composites. The composite containing A356-9SiCp-3Gr had better hardness and good wear resistance compared to the base alloy. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and electro dispersive spectrometry (EDS) images were used to study the reinforcement distribution and worn-out surface of the specimens.

The present paper brings out a clear picture of the various events that take place under the worn-out surfaces leading to the generation of mechanical mixed layer.