Wai Ming To, Hon Kit Hung and Wai Leung Chung
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the energy, economic and environmental performance of commercial water heating systems in Hong Kong special administrative region (SAR)…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the energy, economic and environmental performance of commercial water heating systems in Hong Kong special administrative region (SAR), China.
Design/methodology/approach
The research team contacted 50 facilities managers in Hong Kong, and 16 of them agreed to participate in this territorial-wide survey. The overall efficiency of different water heating systems was determined through measurements of inlet water temperatures, outlet steam/water properties, the amount of steam/water produced and the amount of energy consumed. The cost effectiveness and the amount of greenhouse gases produced per megajoule (MJ) output were also determined.
Findings
Results show that electric water heating systems had the highest mean overall efficiency, followed by gas- and oil-fired systems. However, the difference between the mean overall efficiency of the three types of water heating systems was not statistically significant, as the systems had been inspected and maintained regularly. Oil-fired systems were found to be the most cost-effective when taking fuel prices into consideration. Environmental analysis showed that gas-fired systems produced the least amount of greenhouse gases per MJ output.
Originality/value
Water heating is one of the major uses of energy in buildings. Hence, the efficiency of a water heating system can have a significant effect on the overall performance of a building. This paper not only provides insight on the energy performance but it also evaluates the economic and environmental performance of water heating systems.
Details
Keywords
Wai Ming To and Vincent W.S. Leung
Restaurant dining is an important part of people's live, and the restaurant industry is one of the largest industries in the hospitality sector. Thus, this study explores the…
Abstract
Purpose
Restaurant dining is an important part of people's live, and the restaurant industry is one of the largest industries in the hospitality sector. Thus, this study explores the effects of restaurant diningscape on customer satisfaction and word of mouth.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on a literature review on restaurant servicescape and special functions of dining spaces, diningscape was conceptualized as a multidimensional construct. Data were collected from 378 restaurant patrons using snowball sampling in Macao, China. The validity and reliability of constructs were assessed using confirmatory factor analysis. Structural equation modeling was used to validate the proposed hypotheses between constructs.
Findings
Results showed that diningscape has a second-order factor structure consisting of five dimensions, namely food and drinks, service quality, servicescape, social functions and soundscape. Diningscape positively influences customer satisfaction and word of mouth.
Practical implications
Social function is the dominant factor of diningscape while female customers are more sensitive towards food and drinks, service quality, servicescape and soundscape. Thus, restaurants should not overcrowd their premises. Additionally, restaurants must strive to provide a wide variety of food and drinks, show service intimacy and be decorated specially with appropriate sonic environment as female customers can have a big influence on where to dine.
Originality/value
The study reveals that diningscape is multidimensional and shall be characterized in a holistic manner. Additionally, it helps restaurant managers to focus on the more important features, such as social functions, and food and drinks that customers value most.
Details
Keywords
Ron Chi-Wai Kwok, Alvin Chung Man Leung, Stanley Sai-chuen Hui and Clara Choi-Ki Wong
Due to lack of motivation, individuals often fail to perform regular exercise. In view of this, we developed a virtual trainer system (VTS) to encourage users to perform simple…
Abstract
Purpose
Due to lack of motivation, individuals often fail to perform regular exercise. In view of this, we developed a virtual trainer system (VTS) to encourage users to perform simple exercise routines regularly.
Design/methodology/approach
A design science approach is adopted to develop a VTS to motivate users to exercise. Study findings are based on a field experiment with 91 participants recruited from a university in Hong Kong.
Findings
Outcome-oriented reminders foster stronger perceived risks of health and perceived value of exercises, whereas virtual trainer attractiveness has insignificant effect. Perceived value of exercises is positively related to exercise participation, which has a positive relationship with work productivity.
Research limitations/implications
The findings answer question of how to motivate people to continue exercising.
Practical implications
Findings provide insights for fitness companies to design online exercise training for users.
Social implications
VTS can promote regular exercise and healthy life.
Originality/value
This research shows that interactive virtual agents can motivate users to exercise regularly. It contributes to the burgeoning research on the use of IT artifacts for improving exercise participation and provides practical insights into VTS designs.
Details
Keywords
The purpose of this paper is to assess critically the political challenges facing Hong Kong’s “one country, two systems” policy following the Umbrella Movement and to evaluate the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to assess critically the political challenges facing Hong Kong’s “one country, two systems” policy following the Umbrella Movement and to evaluate the territory’s democratic and autonomous future.
Design/methodology/approach
A critical, contextual, and analytical approach has been adopted to evaluate the problems and prospects for post-Umbrella Movement Hong Kong.
Findings
The contradictions embedded in the “one country, two systems” policy have become apparent since the Umbrella Movement arose and Hong Kong’s political and democratic future is as problematic as its prospects are uncertain, though the possibility of some rapprochement between Hong Kong and Beijing should not be ruled out completely.
Research limitations/implications
The critical evaluation offered by this paper is no scientific prediction. Social scientific analysis of this kind is suggestive rather than definitive. The informed discussion offered by this paper will help readers to better understand the strengths and weaknesses inherent in Beijing’s “one country, two systems” policy and the tortuous process of democratization in Hong Kong. The conclusion drawn in the paper points to a possible way out of the political impasse that is facing post-Umbrella Movement Hong Kong.
Originality/value
This paper is a pioneering study of the most important political conflict between Beijing and Hong Kong since 1997, the conclusion of which may have important political and policy implications for both China and Hong Kong.
Details
Keywords
Chun‐Fei Hsu, Shuen‐Liang Wang, Ming‐Chia Li and Chih‐Min Lin
The DC‐DC converters which convert one level of electrical voltage to the desired level are widely used in many electrical peripherals. During the past two decade, many different…
Abstract
Purpose
The DC‐DC converters which convert one level of electrical voltage to the desired level are widely used in many electrical peripherals. During the past two decade, many different control laws have been developed. The proportional‐integral (PI) control and sliding‐mode control have been carried out for the DC‐DC converters since they are simple to implement and easy to design. However, its performance using PI control and sliding‐mode control is obviously quite limited. The purpose of this paper is to a self‐tuning nonlinear function control (STNFC) propose for the DC‐DC converters. The adaptation laws of the proposed STNFC system are derived in the sense of Lyapunov function, thus not only the controller parameters can be online tuned itself, but also the system's stability can be guaranteed.
Design/methodology/approach
In general, the accurate mathematical models of the DC‐DC converters are difficult to derive. This paper proposes a model‐free STNFC design method. Since the proposed STNFC uses a simple fuzzy system with three fuzzy rules base to implement the control law, the computational loading of the fuzzy inference mechanism is slight. So the proposed STNFC system is suitable for the real‐time practical applications. The controller parameters of the proposed STNFC system can online tune in the Lyapunov sense, thus the stability of closed‐loop system can be guaranteed.
Findings
The proposed STNFC system is applied to a DC‐DC converter based on a field‐programmable gate array chip. The experimental results are provided to demonstrate the proposed STNFC system can cope with the input voltage and load resistance variations to ensure the stability while providing fast transient response.
Originality/value
The proposed STNFC approach is interesting for the design of an intelligent control scheme. The main contributions of this paper are: the successful development of STNFC system without heavy computational loading. The parameter‐learning algorithm is design based on the Lyapunov stability theorem to guarantee the system stability; the successful applications of the STNFC system to control the forward DC‐DC converter. And, the proposed STNFC methodology can be easily extended to other DC‐DC converters.
Details
Keywords
Lok Sang Ho and Gary Wai Chung Wong
The purpose of this paper is threefold: to study if Hong Kong’s fiscal revenue is closely related to land rent; to assess if a fiscal regime relying on taxing land rent is good…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is threefold: to study if Hong Kong’s fiscal revenue is closely related to land rent; to assess if a fiscal regime relying on taxing land rent is good for the economy; and to explore if Hong Kong adopts a high land price policy.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, first, theoretical and conceptual exploration into the Henry George Theorem is made to investigate if a single tax regime is conceptually feasible. Second, time series econometric study investigates into the determinants of Hong Kong’s fiscal revenue and Hong Kong’s public expenditures. Granger causality tests are conducted to study the direction of causality.
Findings
Hong Kong does not have a high land price policy; it uses a multipronged approach to tax land rent, which cannot be precisely identified; its low tax regime is good for the economy and contributes to a virtuous circle: taxing land rent, low taxes, vigorous economy, higher land rent and low taxes.
Originality/value
This study uses a familiar methodology on a subject on a policy area that has not been studied before.
Details
Keywords
Yiu Chung Wong and Jason K.H. Chan
The purpose of this paper is to explore the emergence of civil disobedience (CD) movements in Hong Kong in the context of the notion of civil society (CS).
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the emergence of civil disobedience (CD) movements in Hong Kong in the context of the notion of civil society (CS).
Design/methodology/approach
The paper begins by rigorously defining the notion of CD, as well as the concept of CS and tracing its development in Hong Kong over the past several decades. By using a model of CS typology, which combines the variables of state control and a society’s quest for autonomy (SQA), the paper aims to outline the historical development of CD movements in Hong Kong. It also discusses the recent evolution of CS and its relationship with CD movements, particularly focusing on their development since Leung Chun-ying became the Chief Executive in 2012. Finally, by using five cases of CD witnessed in the past several decades, the relationship between the development of CS and the emergence of CD in Hong Kong has been outlined.
Findings
Four implications can be concluded: first, CD cannot emerge when the state and society are isolated. Second, the level of SC and the scale of CD are positively related. Third, as an historical trend, the development of SQA is generally in linear progress; SQA starts from a low level (e.g. interest-based and welfare-based aims) and moves upwards to campaign for higher goals of civil and political autonomy. If the lower level of SQA is not satisfied, it can lead to larger scale CD in future. Fourth, the CD movement would be largest in scale when the state-society relationship confrontational and when major cleavages can be found within CS itself.
Originality/value
This paper serves to enrich knowledge in the fields of politics and sociology.
Details
Keywords
Rahime Zaman Fashami, Manijeh Haghighinasab, Nader Seyyedamiri and Pari Ahadi
Since the launch of the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) in 2003, Hong Kong cinema is believed to have confronted drastic changes. Hong Kong…
Abstract
Purpose
Since the launch of the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) in 2003, Hong Kong cinema is believed to have confronted drastic changes. Hong Kong cinema is described to be dying, lacking creative space and losing local distinctiveness. A decade later, the rise of Hong Kong – China coproduction cinema under CEPA has been normalized and changed the once pessimism in the industry. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how Hong Kong cinema adjusted its production and creation in the first 10 years of CEPA.
Design/methodology/approach
Beginning with a review of the overall development, three paradigmatic cases are examined for reflecting upon what the major industrial and commercial concerns on the Hong Kong – China coproduction model are, and how such a coproduction model is not developed as smooth as what the Hong Kong filmmakers expected.
Findings
Collectively, this paper singles out the difficulties in operation and the limit of transnationality that occur in the Chinese context for the development of Hong Kong cinema under the Hong Kong – China coproduction model.
Originality/value
This is the author’s research in his five-year study of Hong Kong cinema and it contributes a lot to the field of cinema studies with relevant industrial and policy concern.
Details
Keywords
Sam Wai Kam Yu, Iris Po Yee Lo and Ruby Chui Man Chau
Purpose – This chapter aims to explore the strategies used by the Hong Kong government to respond to the adult worker model and the male-breadwinner model; and to explore the…
Abstract
Purpose – This chapter aims to explore the strategies used by the Hong Kong government to respond to the adult worker model and the male-breadwinner model; and to explore the views of women on the desirability of these strategies. The male-breadwinner model posits that men work full-time outside the home and women take on domestic work. The adult worker model suggests that women and men should be equally expected to participate in formal employment.
Design/methodology/approach – This chapter analyses the policy measures used by the Hong Kong government to support women in their participation in formal employment and the local work-based pension scheme (the Mandatory Provident Fund) as well as other policy measures that offer potential for enabling family care providers to accumulate resources for secure retirement. Additionally, it draws on semi-structured interviews with 30 Hong Kong young women to examine their views on the extent to which the government supports them to save pension incomes.
Findings – This study shows that the Hong Kong government uses a ‘weak action strategy’ to respond to the adult worker model and the male-breadwinner model, and that this strategy fails to meet women’s diverse preferences for their roles in the labour market and the family.
Originality/value – Based on a newly developed framework, this study examines the responses made by the government to both the male-breadwinner model and the adult worker model. It sheds new insights into possible ways of assisting women to achieve secure retirement .