Shuhua Liu, Joanna Carlsson and Sirpa Nummila
Mothers, especially working mothers, take an active role in many activities. They manage the family’s daily lives. They take care of children. They work or study. And they also…
Abstract
Mothers, especially working mothers, take an active role in many activities. They manage the family’s daily lives. They take care of children. They work or study. And they also strive to take care of themselves. Working mothers are normally overloaded with all kinds of tasks ‐ almost on a daily basis, year after year. Although there are many many kinds of useful information and services available over the Internet that could be a big help to mothers, working mothers or mothers with children around them at home are often so occupied that they cannot afford the luxury of sitting in front of a computer to access those services. So, what kind of services could help to make their lives a bit easier? Readily accessible mobile services over the wireless network seem to be exactly what they need. But what mobile e‐services do working mothers need? What is the specific added value offered by such services? These form the issues that we will address in this paper.
Details
Keywords
The economic life of large investments necessitates constant dynamic managerial actions. To be able to act in an optimal way in the dynamic management of large investments…
Abstract
The economic life of large investments necessitates constant dynamic managerial actions. To be able to act in an optimal way in the dynamic management of large investments managers need to have constant access to information about the real time situation of the investment, as well as access to up‐to‐date information about changes in the business environment. Looks at how emerging soft computing technologies will help to provide a better support in such a context and then to frame a support system that will make an integrated application of the technologies. Introduces traditional and advanced methods for capital budgeting and investment decision making, then presents a process view of the real option framework based investment management, and develops a holistic framework for an agent‐facilitated capital budgeting system using a fuzzy real option approach. Discusses how intelligent agents can be applied to collect decision information, and to facilitate the integration of foresight information into capital budgeting process, and how the agents can be constructed. Finally, elaborates on the managerial implications of the proposed decision support technology.
Details
Keywords
As the business environment increases in its scope, dynamics and complexity, the task of grasping its changes becomes increasingly demanding. The increased availability of…
Abstract
As the business environment increases in its scope, dynamics and complexity, the task of grasping its changes becomes increasingly demanding. The increased availability of electronic data threatens to exceed the human capacity to cope with and assimilate them. This research aims to provide a support tool that would be able to contribute to a more systematic, intensive, extensive and faster scanning process than the human process alone. This paper serves to build the foundations of such a support system by giving a detailed examination of both the domain and the technology. It is presented in two parts. The first part analyzes the concept of strategic scanning and presents a comprehensive review of its context. It helps us to understand the complicated, interrelated phenomena and reveals useful observations that are relevant to the construction of the system. A scanning‐based strategic management framework is formulated, which guides the system design. The second part will introduce the fundamentals of software agent approach, examine its relevance in offering the needed support, and describe an agent system that is currently under development.
Details
Keywords
Executive information systems, or strategic management support systems for senior managers, have traditionally addressed how to satisfy some predefined information needs of…
Abstract
Executive information systems, or strategic management support systems for senior managers, have traditionally addressed how to satisfy some predefined information needs of managers and how to help them in analyzing or solving predefined problems. They are usually not flexible enough to capture messages and signals from the business world that indicate impending opportunities or problems. In this paper we introduce a software agent approach into scanning support systems. We made a review of software agent fundamentals to understand what an agent is; what it can do and cannot do; what are the components of an agent; and how an agent can be constructed. We then examined its relevance in offering active scanning support to managers. An agent‐based support system is proposed. Useful software agents needed to constitute the system are identified. Tasks of the agent components are analyzed.
Details
Keywords
Haiqing Hu and Tian Wu
Strengthening the combination of technology and finance can significantly promote the development of economy and society. Urbanization is a crucial standard to measure the…
Abstract
Strengthening the combination of technology and finance can significantly promote the development of economy and society. Urbanization is a crucial standard to measure the economic and social development of a country and region, and urban regional planning based on science and technology finance has always been the focus of both domestic and foreign research institutions. Thus, this paper takes Mianyang, the first city of science and technology, as the object of research, and from the angle of the development process of Mianyang, investigates the three stages of the construction and development of this science and technology city. This study analyzes the characteristics of regional planning of Mianyang City and sums up the idea of relying on the old city to build another new district, which boosts the development of science and technology as well as the economy. From two specific angles (i.e., urban spatial function region planning and urban and rural planning), this paper thoroughly studies a multiscale planning scheme of Mianyang’s urban area in recent years by researching the local policy, system, finance, and society. Empirical measurement proves that reasonable planning and construction of the science and technology city Mianyang can accelerate the development process of the western region, effectively promoting the economic development of the surrounding areas of Sichuan and remarkably improving the overall quality of the regional economy of both Chongqing and Sichuan Provinces.
Details
Keywords
Shengnan Han, Ville Harkke, Par Landor Ruggero and Rossi de Mio
The advent of the 3G world of mobile commerce has suffered from the wait‐and‐see mode over the last years. Existing barriers pose a challenge to all actors in the mobile commerce…
Abstract
The advent of the 3G world of mobile commerce has suffered from the wait‐and‐see mode over the last years. Existing barriers pose a challenge to all actors in the mobile commerce industry (MCI). Learning from the future and discovering a route to a desired future are keys to successful mobile commerce business. In this paper we argue that it is very important that all actors in the MCI use an industry foresight approach in order to discover a successful route to future markets. We present a framework for creating industry foresights and for understanding the future of mobile commerce. We focus on the mobile commerce industry as a whole and introduce two broad variables; (1) adoption and diffusion of mobile commerce products and services; and (2) the macro‐economic development trend. Based on these variables we build four foresight scenarios: Rapid‐Up, Rapid‐Down, Slow‐Down and Slow‐Up. On the basis of these four different scenarios we suggest some features of promising mobile commerce products and services. We are using information‐gathering agents in order to collect information for our analysis. The foresight framework will help all actors understand the future for m‐commerce.
Bingjun Li, Shuhua Zhang, Wenyan Li and Yifan Zhang
Grey modeling technique is an important element of grey system theory, and academic articles applied to agricultural science research have been published since 1985, proving the…
Abstract
Purpose
Grey modeling technique is an important element of grey system theory, and academic articles applied to agricultural science research have been published since 1985, proving the broad applicability and effectiveness of the technique from different aspects and providing a new means to solve agricultural science problems. The analysis of the connotation and trend of the application of grey modeling technique in agricultural science research contributes to the enrichment of grey technique and the development of agricultural science in multiple dimensions.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the relevant literature selected from China National Knowledge Infrastructure, the Web of Science, SpiScholar and other databases in the past 37 years (1985–2021), this paper firstly applied the bibliometric method to quantitatively visualize and systematically analyze the trend of publication, productive author, productive institution, and highly cited literature. Then, the literature is combed by the application of different grey modeling techniques in agricultural science research, and the literature research progress is systematically analyzed.
Findings
The results show that grey model technology has broad prospects in the field of agricultural science research. Agricultural universities and research institutes are the main research forces in the application of grey model technology in agricultural science research, and have certain inheritance. The application of grey model technology in agricultural science research has wide applicability and precise practicability.
Originality/value
By analyzing and summarizing the application trend of grey model technology in agricultural science research, the research hotspot, research frontier and valuable research directions of grey model technology in agricultural science research can be more clearly grasped.
Details
Keywords
Hongquan Chen, Shuhua Zhang, Bingjia Shao, Wei Gao and Yujin Xu
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of buyer-seller interpersonal interactions on the purchase intention of buyers, incorporating swift guanxi as a mediator.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of buyer-seller interpersonal interactions on the purchase intention of buyers, incorporating swift guanxi as a mediator.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on survey data obtained from 336 Taobao Live users, PLS techniques were used to test hypotheses.
Findings
Swift guanxi exists in buyer-seller interactions and matters, as it drives buyers' purchase intention in live stream shopping. Perceived expertise, perceived similarity and perceived likeability are found to be the three essential interpersonal interaction factors promoting the formation of swift guanxi. Perceived familiarity is also found to be significant but to a lesser extent. In addition, all these interpersonal interaction factors are found to significantly affect purchase intention through the mediation of swift guanxi.
Originality/value
Swift guanxi has been less explored in live stream shopping. This study takes the lead in empirically examining the mediating role of swift guanxi in the relationship between interpersonal interaction factors and purchase intention and offers a description of key buyer-seller interpersonal interaction factors (perceived expertise, perceived similarity and perceived likeability), thereby helping to extend the swift guanxi literature in social commerce.
Details
Keywords
The purpose of this study to provide a reference basis for effectively managing the risk of agrometeorological disasters in Henan Province, speeding up the establishment of a…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study to provide a reference basis for effectively managing the risk of agrometeorological disasters in Henan Province, speeding up the establishment of a scientific and reasonable system of agrometeorological disasters prevention and reduction and guaranteeing grain security.
Design/methodology/approach
Firstly, according to the statistical data of areas covered by natural disaster, areas affected by natural disaster, sown area of grain crops and output of grain crops from 1979 to 2018 in Henan Province, China. We have constructed an agrometeorological disaster risk assessment system for Henan province, China, which is composed of indicators such as rate covered by natural disaster, rate affected by natural disaster, disaster coefficient of variation and disaster vulnerability. The variation characteristics of agrometeorological disasters in Henan Province and their effects on agricultural production are analyzed. Secondly, the grey relational analysis method is used to analyze the relation degree between the main agrometeorological disaster factors and the output of grain crops of Henan Province. Based on the grey BP neural network, the rate covered by various natural disaster and the rate affected by various natural disaster are simulated and predicted.
Findings
The results show that: (1) the freeze injury in the study period has a greater contingency, the intensity of the disaster is also greater, followed by floods. Droughts, windstorm and hail are Henan Province normal disasters. (2) According to the degree of disaster vulnerability, the ability to resist agricultural disasters in Henan Province is weak. (3) During the study period, drought and flood are the key agrometeorological disasters affecting the grain output of Henan Province, China.
Practical implications
The systematic analysis and evaluation of agrometeorological disasters are conducive to the sustainable development of agriculture, and at the same time, it can provide appropriate and effective measures for the assessment and reduction of economic losses and risks.
Originality/value
By calculating and analyzing the rate covered by natural disaster, the rate affected by natural disaster, disaster coefficient of variation and disaster vulnerability of crops in Henan Province of China and using grey BP neural network simulation projections for the rate covered by various natural disaster and the rate affected by various natural disaster, the risk assessment system of agrometeorological disasters in Henan is constructed, which provides a scientific basis for systematic analysis and evaluation of agrometeorological disasters.
Details
Keywords
Shuhua Mao, Xianpeng Wang and Min Zhu
With the rapid development of e-commerce in China, the third-party payment system greatly improved the efficiency and volume of the entire trading market. The purpose of this…
Abstract
Purpose
With the rapid development of e-commerce in China, the third-party payment system greatly improved the efficiency and volume of the entire trading market. The purpose of this paper is to put forward a suitable prediction model to analyse its development trend.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors analyse internet third-party payments in China, taking into account online payment transaction values coupled with an ARMA model and the fractional grey model (FGM). First, the rolling FGM model is applied in order to characterise the trends of the transaction volume. The influence of the initial value change on the FGM model is analysed. The optimisation mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) model is constructed to determine the optimal translational values, the corresponding optimal accumulation order and optimal inverse accumulation order.
Findings
This paper uses China’s recent third-party online payment data to quantify its development trend. The authors find the coupling model suitable for the development trend of third-party online payment transaction. The results show that the model is suitable to quantify its development trend of China’s recent third-party online payment.
Originality/value
Considering the complex influence factors that lead to the third-party online payment volume data of time-varying grey feature, this paper combines the FGM with ARMA model to describe the development of third-party payment mode.