Shuming Cai, Ngai Weng Chan, Hsiang‐te Kung and Pin‐Shuo Liu
This study examines the causes of flood disasters in Jianghan Plain, China and provides practical solutions to mitigate them. Results from this study indicate that both historical…
Abstract
This study examines the causes of flood disasters in Jianghan Plain, China and provides practical solutions to mitigate them. Results from this study indicate that both historical archives and more recent recorded data point to an increasing frequency in flood disasters since 1961. Furthermore, damage and losses from flood disasters have also increased significantly in the region. By analyzing the physical geographic factors and human activities, this study found that the main causative factors contributing to increasing flood disasters are landform/topography, climate elements, reduced drainage capacity of rivers in contrast to increased flood discharge, and human activities. Finally, the study examines various practical solutions to mitigate flood disasters in the Jianghan Plain.
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Lijing Zhao, Phillip M. Jolly, Shuming Zhao and Hao Zeng
The present study was conducted to investigate the relationship between team-level inclusive leadership perceptions, team thriving, and team proactivity as well as the moderating…
Abstract
Purpose
The present study was conducted to investigate the relationship between team-level inclusive leadership perceptions, team thriving, and team proactivity as well as the moderating effect of team power distance on these relationships.
Design/methodology/approach
A two-wave survey study of 365 manufacturing employees comprising 85 teams in an organization in Eastern China was used to test the hypotheses.
Findings
The findings indicate that inclusive leadership stimulates collective thriving, which then promotes team proactivity. In addition, team power distance negatively moderates the relationship between inclusive leadership and collective thriving, as well as the indirect effect of inclusive leadership on team proactivity via collective thriving.
Originality/value
This study is one of the first to investigate the effects of inclusive leadership at the team level, and answers recent calls to investigate the mechanisms linking leadership-related constructs to team-level proactivity. The authors also identify an important boundary condition to the effects of inclusive leadership in team power distance.
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Shuming Zhao, Cathy Sheehan, Helen De Cieri and Brian Cooper
The purpose of this paper is to address gaps in the knowledge about human resource (HR) professional involvement in strategic decision-making in China compared with that in…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to address gaps in the knowledge about human resource (HR) professional involvement in strategic decision-making in China compared with that in Australia.
Design/methodology/approach
First, the authors compare the strategic involvement of Chinese and Australian HR professionals. Second, based on the upper echelon theory, the authors compare the impact of chief executive officer (CEO) and top management team (TMT) between both countries on HR involvement in strategic decision-making. Data were collected from matched pairs of HR and TMT executives in China (n = 168) and in Australia (n = 102).
Findings
Results indicate a difference, despite of no statistical significance, in HR involvement in strategic decision-making between Chinese and Australian samples. TMT behavioural integration was positively related to HR involvement in strategic decision-making in a collectivistic culture (i.e. in China), but not in an individualistic culture (i.e. in Australia). However, CEO support for HRM was positively related to HR involvement in strategic decision-making in Australia, whereas it is not related in China.
Originality/value
The paper conducts a comparative study and practical, and research implications are discussed at the end.
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Anshu Sharma, Jyotsna Bhatnagar, Mahadeo Jaiswal and Mohan Thite
With the increasing prevalence of social media in everyday life, scholars have argued the need of exploring enterprise social media (ESM) for workplace outcomes. This study…
Abstract
Purpose
With the increasing prevalence of social media in everyday life, scholars have argued the need of exploring enterprise social media (ESM) for workplace outcomes. This study investigates the relationship between ESM use and organizational learning capability (OLC) by focusing on the mediating role of informal learning (INFL) and the moderating role of social capital (SC).
Design/methodology/approach
The paper developed and tested a mediated moderated model explaining the impact of ESM on OLC. The study used temporally separated data of 281 respondents collected in two waves from firms in India that use organizationally facilitated ESM platforms for internal workplace communication.
Findings
An analysis of temporally separated two-wave data indicates that INFL mediates the relationship between ESM use and OLC. Also, SC is found to moderate the effect of ESM use on INFL, and INFL mediated the moderation effect of SC on relationship between ESM use and OLC such that the relationship will be stronger when employees have a higher rather than lower level of SC.
Research limitations/implications
The study theoretically contributes and extends the literature on ESM and learning in organizations. The study provides important practical implications to support and institutionalize learning at work. The results of the study provide evidence that ESM are not just networking tools but a platform for learning. Findings of the study suggest that ESM can be one such tool to promote and capture employee INFL. The results also show that SC plays a critical role in predicting the extent to which employees learn informally using ESM, thereby building OLC. This result suggests that organizations should make conscious and concerted efforts to build employee SC. The above findings also have interesting implications for learning and development (L&D) and information technology (IT) managers who wish to implement technology for collaborative purposes.
Originality/value
Addressing the underlying processes that explain how ESM positively influence OLC was highlighted as a critical research gap that needs attention. The paper is novel in its approach as it provides empirical evidence for the relationship between ESM and its impact on employee outcomes, an area pertinent in today's digital economy, however, received sparse attention by management scholars so far. It also provides empirical grounds toward a meaningful shift in the social media discourse – transition from being traditionally viewed primarily as “a networking platform” to “a learning platform.”
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This paper seeks to discuss the genealogical sources for Chinese immigrants as well as the settlement of Chinese in the USA and the historical evolution of Chinese names, their…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper seeks to discuss the genealogical sources for Chinese immigrants as well as the settlement of Chinese in the USA and the historical evolution of Chinese names, their origins, arrangement and development. It aims to cover the origins of various classes of Chinese surnames, followed by the content description of a traditional genealogical book for jiapu.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper researches the various ways that a Chinese person can find out about their ancestry.
Findings
The paper reveals the roles of libraries, including serving the needs of patrons interested in genealogical research, preserving and interpreting information through oral and family history projects and collaborating with other libraries through interlibrary loan, document delivery, library consortia, collection management and international resource‐sharing.
Research limitations/implications
The study provides information on where and how to locate the genealogical resources for researching the genealogy of a Chinese family.
Originality/value
The paper analyzes the value of genealogical research as a documentary source for population history, life expectancy in a clan, marriages and family connections, as well as lineage organizations and inter‐lineage relations.
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The purpose of this paper is to study the triple helix (TH) of Chinese university‐industry‐government relationships.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study the triple helix (TH) of Chinese university‐industry‐government relationships.
Design/methodology/approach
Following an evolution path of TH in China, the relations among the actors for innovation have been analyzed and then it is realized that it is not university‐government‐academe relations, but “university‐industry‐government relations”.
Findings
The paper points out some limitations and flaws of university‐industry‐academy and brings forward the evolutionary path to TH of university‐industry‐government collaboration and development to cope with these practical and theoretical problems.
Originality/value
The author asserts that university‐industry‐government should be affirmed, not university‐industry‐academy in China for truth, which can dialogue with international academic circles.
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Jingxiao Zhang, You Ouyang, Hui Li, Pablo Ballesteros-Pérez and Martin Skitmore
Cultural differences between employees of different nationalities are hindering the development of some transnational joint ventures. Describing and modelling the positive (or…
Abstract
Purpose
Cultural differences between employees of different nationalities are hindering the development of some transnational joint ventures. Describing and modelling the positive (or negative) factors that cause joint venture employees to accept (or reject) joint management business practices is of great value to all corporations operating abroad with locally sourced employees.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses a Sino-Japan construction joint venture project as a representative case study. First, structural equation modelling is used to identify the factors influencing Chinese employees' acceptance of joint venture management practices. Then, a system dynamics model is adopted to simulate the time-dependent effects of the incentives.
Findings
The study results (1) indicate which incentives strongly affect employee acceptance of joint venture management practices; (2) identify inefficient management practices in cross-cultural joint ventures; and (3) provide evidence that the employees' perceptions of clear purpose, good working relationships and helpful mechanisms positively and directly also support their acceptance of joint management practices.
Originality/value
–A dynamic simulation method is used to analyse the influence of various incentive factors on employee acceptance of joint management. This provides unprecedented information regarding how these factors interact with each other, hence how their effectiveness varies (both positively and negatively) over time. Further findings also provide new ideas for joint venture managers to adopt more effective management methods.