Hean Tat Keh, Wenbo Ji, Xia Wang, Joseph A. Sy-Changco and Ramendra Singh
The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of volume and valence of online movie ratings on consumers’ risk perceptions and purchase intentions, as well as the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of volume and valence of online movie ratings on consumers’ risk perceptions and purchase intentions, as well as the moderating impact of cultural values, in four emerging Asian markets.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a survey questionnaire, data was collected from 204 respondents for Study 1 and 376 respondents for Study 2 in four emerging markets (China, India, Chinese Macau, and the Philippines). The analysis was conducted using analysis of variance.
Findings
Results indicate that moviegoers express higher risk perceptions and lower purchase intentions when the volume of online ratings is smaller and when the valence (average rating) is lower. These effects are enhanced for more conservative consumers, but are not influenced by consumers’ self-transcendence. Indian consumers were found to be more conservative than the other Asian consumers in the study.
Research limitations/implications
Taken together, the findings make significant contributions to the literature on services marketing, online ratings, cultural values, risk perceptions, and emerging markets. In contrast to correlational studies, the experimental design controls for potential confounding factors and provides evidence of causality between online ratings and consumer responses. In addition, by using cultural values, the authors avoid the problems associated with using national culture scores to characterize individuals or sub-groups within countries.
Practical implications
The study suggests that despite the geographical proximity of these emerging markets, key discernible differences exist due to the moderating impact of cultural values on consumer responses. When targeting consumers in relatively conservative markets (e.g. India), a large volume of positive online ratings may lower consumers’ risk perceptions and increase their purchase intentions.
Originality/value
This study is one of the pioneering studies examining the impacts of volume and valence of online movie ratings on consumers’ risk perceptions and purchase intentions in emerging Asian markets.
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Yang Ji, Erhua Zhou and Wenbo Guo
Anchored in the role of a social arbiter, the purpose of this study is to examine whether and how media coverage has an impact on CEO overconfidence and further explore how media…
Abstract
Purpose
Anchored in the role of a social arbiter, the purpose of this study is to examine whether and how media coverage has an impact on CEO overconfidence and further explore how media ownership and Confucianism affect the relationship in the Chinese context.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a sample of 1,492 Chinese listed companies from 2010 to 2015, the study adopts random effects models to empirically analyze the effect of media coverage on CEO overconfidence and the roles of media ownership and Confucianism.
Findings
The paper finds that media coverage is significantly and positively associated with CEO overconfidence, and the positive relationship between media coverage and CEO overconfidence becomes stronger for state-controlled media. What is more, the influence of media coverage on CEO overconfidence is attenuated for those firms located in stronger Confucianism atmosphere. A further analysis reveals that different tenors of media coverage yield asymmetric effects.
Originality/value
The paper provides a new and solid support for the argument that media praise stimulates CEO overconfidence and increases the knowledge about under what conditions CEO overconfidence varies, broadly speaking which fosters the development of upper echelons theory (UET). Meanwhile, the results extend the literature on media effect and information processing. The findings are also beneficial to improve corporate decisions and government regulation on Chinese media systems.
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Yudan Dou, Xiaolong Xue, Yuna Wang, Weirui Xue and Wenbo Huangfu
This study aims to evaluate enterprise technology innovation capability in prefabricated construction (PC) from an input-output perspective, using six integrated enterprises in…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to evaluate enterprise technology innovation capability in prefabricated construction (PC) from an input-output perspective, using six integrated enterprises in China as cases.
Design/methodology/approach
An evaluation system for enterprise technology innovation capability in PC was constructed, including total input, technology output (TO) and project output. All the evaluation indexes were quantified, and the subject and object indexes weights were determined using the fuzzy cognitive map and information entropy, respectively. The final scores and ranks were evaluated through gray relational analysis (GRA) based on the combined weights.
Findings
It was found that enterprise technology innovation capability in PC was low in China, with its unbalanced development in different dimensions and the poorest performance in TO, currently.
Originality/value
This research has developed an evaluation system for technology innovation capability in PC at the enterprise level and scientifically quantified all the indexes, which is a breakthrough over existing studies. The GRA model based on the combined weights proposed in this study can be applied to other comparable fields and regions, with its easy operation.
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Shoufeng Ji, Yaoting Xue and Guosong Zhu
The Physical Internet (PI) application in a supply chain is explored by automakers to achieve a digital supply chain to challenge timely delivery while maintaining high customised…
Abstract
Purpose
The Physical Internet (PI) application in a supply chain is explored by automakers to achieve a digital supply chain to challenge timely delivery while maintaining high customised production at the lowest operating cost.
Design/methodology/approach
A bi-objective mixed integer model is formulated, where production is performed in multistage manufacturing systems (MMS) and then delivered in a two-level distribution system. Next, a hybrid iterative method algorithm is developed to solve the practical-scale problem within an admissible time. Finally, PI's benefits on production and supply chain operation are discussed through extensive computational experiments in different supply chain configurations.
Findings
Three significant findings are obtained. First, PI can achieve a comparable or better service level, while the cost is always lower. Second, PI can improve the utilisation of production and transportation resources. Third, with a more complex supply chain and a higher production cost or truck fixed cost, PI's advantages over traditional supply chain become more vigorous, but the increase in orders will weaken it.
Practical implications
The auto enterprise should adopt a PI-enabled supply chain (PI-SC), especially with the increase of network complexity and specific cost factors.
Social implications
Importance should be attached to the PI-SC to make customers better involved in the supply chain.
Originality/value
First, the application of PI in the existing plant is described. Second, MMS production with multi-mode transportation is jointly scheduled. Third, the decision support of the PI-SC is provided for auto enterprises.
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Jiaxin Huang, Wenbo Li, Xiu Cheng and Ke Cui
This study aims to identify the key factors that influence household pro-environmental behaviors (HPEBs) and explore the differences caused by the same influencing factors between…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to identify the key factors that influence household pro-environmental behaviors (HPEBs) and explore the differences caused by the same influencing factors between household waste management behavior (HWM) and household energy-saving behavior (HES).
Design/methodology/approach
A meta-analysis was conducted on 90 articles about HPEBs published between 2009 and 2023 to find the key factors. HPEBs were further categorized into HWM and HES to investigate the difference influenced by the above factors on two behaviors. The correlation coefficient was used as the unified effect size, and the random-effect model was adopted to conduct both main effect and moderating effect tests.
Findings
The results showed that attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control all positively influenced intention and HPEBs, but their effects were stronger on intention than on HPEBs. Intention was found to be the strongest predictor of HPEBs. Subjective norms were found to have a more positive effect on HES compared to HWM, while habits had a more positive effect on HWM. Furthermore, household size was negatively correlated with HWM but positively correlated with HES.
Originality/value
The same variables have different influences on HWM and HES. These results can help develop targeted incentives to increase the adoption of HPEBs, ultimately reducing household energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions and contributing to the mitigation of global warming.
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Xin Zhao, Jie Li, Shunli Sun, Chongyang Han, Wenbo Zhu, Zhaokai He, Luxin Tang, Weibin Wu and Jiehao Li
Vehicle lightweight design has positive implications for reducing energy consumption and abating greenhouse gas emissions. The traditional trailer axle design mainly focuses on…
Abstract
Purpose
Vehicle lightweight design has positive implications for reducing energy consumption and abating greenhouse gas emissions. The traditional trailer axle design mainly focuses on the overall performance of the trailer axle. Only when the local performance does not meet the requirements will local performance optimization be done, such as local heat treatment to improve local strength. Such a design results in an uneven distribution of axle performance and excess performance in some local structures. The purpose of this study is to investigate the weight reduction on the premise of ensuring the structural dimensions of the outer surface of the axle remain unchanged and the reliability of the axle.
Design/methodology/approach
The axle is parameterized by computer aided design, and the optimized axle finite element model based on computer aided engineering is established and verified by taking the eight dimensions of the axle cavity structure which affect the performance as parameters. A genetic algorithm is used to optimize the axle cavity structure size and axle weight based on multiobjective optimization, and eight optimized size parameters of axle cavity structure are obtained.
Findings
The total weight of the optimized axle of TM1314 is reduced by 10.2 kg, and the weight reduction ratio reaches 10.7%. According to the optimized structural size of the axle, the specimen was trial-manufactured, and the bench tests of stiffness, strength and fatigue life were carried out according to the test requirements of the trailer axle standard (JT/T 475-2002). The test results show that the maximum deformation of the specimen is 2.46 mm, the strength safety factor of the specimen body and the steel plate spring seat are 6.71 and 6.86 and bear the alternating load more than 1.05 × 106 times, which meets the standard of the trailer axle and is better than the original design requirements of the trailer axle.
Originality/value
In this study, the multiobjective optimization model of the axle is established, the response surface is constructed by the Latin hypercube sampling design method and the optimal solution set is obtained by the multiobjective genetic algorithm. It has been verified by bench tests that it can achieve a weight reduction of 10.7% under the premise of the same structure and size of the outer surface of the axle. The lightweight method based on multiobjective optimization proposed in this paper can provide a reference for the lightweight design of other key vehicle components.
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Abstract
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Hui Situ, Carol Tilt and Pi-Shen Seet
In a state capitalist country such as China, an important influence on company reporting is the government, which can influence company decision-making. The nature and impact of…
Abstract
Purpose
In a state capitalist country such as China, an important influence on company reporting is the government, which can influence company decision-making. The nature and impact of how the Chinese government uses its symbolic power to promote corporate environmental reporting (CER) have been under-studied, and therefore, this paper aims to address this gap in the literature by investigating the various strategies the Chinese government uses to influence CER and how political ideology plays a key role.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses discourse analysis to examine the annual reports and corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports from seven Chinese companies between 2007 and 2011. And the data analysis presented is informed by Bourdieu's conceptualisation of symbolic power.
Findings
The Chinese government, through exercising the symbolic power, manages to build consensus, so that the Chinese government's political ideology becomes the habitus which is deeply embedded in the companies' perception of practices. In China, the government dominates the field and owns the economic capital. In order to accumulate symbolic capital, companies must adhere to political ideology, which helps them maintain and improve their social position and ultimately reward them with more economic capital. The findings show that the CER provided by Chinese companies is a symbolic product of this process.
Originality/value
The paper provides contributions around the themes of symbolic power wielded by the government that influence not only state-owned enterprises (SOEs) but also firms in the private sector. This paper also provides an important contribution to understanding, in the context of a strong ideologically based political system (such as China), how political ideology influences companies' decision-making in the field of CER.
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Chao Ye, Xiufang Wen, Jia-ling Lan, Zhi-qi Cai, Pi-hui Pi, Shou-ping Xu and Yu Qian
The purpose of this paper is to modify light hollow polymer microsphere (LHPM) with titanium dioxide nanoparticles (nano-TiO2) to improve its compatibility with latex and apply…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to modify light hollow polymer microsphere (LHPM) with titanium dioxide nanoparticles (nano-TiO2) to improve its compatibility with latex and apply the obtained nano-TiO2/LHPM composite particles in external wall thermal insulation coatings.
Design/methodology/approach
The nano-TiO2/LHPM composite particles were prepared via vigorous stirring. The morphology and chemical composition of the produced nano-TiO2/LHPM composite particles were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersion spectrum, thermo-gravimetric analyzer and Fourier transform infrared. The performance of this new composite coating was evaluated by checking its stability, density, radiation reflectivity, thermal conductivity and the resulting insulation temperature difference when forming coating film.
Findings
It was found that a 9:1 mass ratio of nano-TiO2/LHPM with total 10 weight per cent composite particles in the thermal insulation paint showed low density, good stability, low thermal conductivity (0.1687 W/m·K) and high insulation temperature difference (5.8°C).
Research limitations/implications
The LHPM can be modified by other nanoparticles to improve its insulation performance in thermal insulation coatings.
Practical implications
This work provides a simple, robust, but effective approach to produce new thermal insulation coatings with nano-TiO2/LHPM composite particles.
Originality/value
This method for surface modification of LHPMs is novel and the modified hollow polymer microspheres could be applied to external wall insulation coatings.
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Umer Sahil Maqsood, Shihao Wang and R.M. Ammar Zahid
In the context of an evolving digital-based global economy, this study aims to investige the impact of digital transformation (DT) on a firm’s internal control (IC) quality. It…
Abstract
Purpose
In the context of an evolving digital-based global economy, this study aims to investige the impact of digital transformation (DT) on a firm’s internal control (IC) quality. It also explores how the personal traits of (CEOs) – such as age, gender and educational background – intersect with DT to shape the IC quality in various types of state-owned enterprises (SOEs).
Design/methodology/approach
The study uses the data from China A-shares non-financial enterprises, listed on Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges between 2007 and 2020. Using the fixed effect regression method alongside various statistical techniques, such as propensity score matching, alternative analysis and instrumental variables analysis, yields robust findings. These methods effectively address issues related to functional form misspecification and potential biases from omitted explanatory variables.
Findings
The findings reveal a positive impact of DT on firm IC quality, and this impact is more pronounced in firms when the CEO is female, young and possesses a higher level of education. Notably, the study also distinguishes between central and local state-owned enterprises (SOEs), highlighting that DT has a greater influence on IC quality in central SOEs, where CEOs often have higher political ranks and closer to government monitoring. Overall, the findings are robust and consist to alternative variable and other statistical methods.
Research limitations/implications
Following are the significant implications for both academia and business. First, firms that effectively adopt DT to enhance IC not only gain a strategic advantage over competitors but also establish efficient risk management practices and a robust IC system. Second, better IC resulting from DT can enhance investor and stakeholder confidence. This is particularly important for publicly traded companies, where investors and analysts closely scrutinize the robustness of IC systems. Third, DT could result in cost savings over time, as automation and streamlined processes may reduce the need for manual efforts and resource-intensive tasks associated with IC.
Originality/value
The findings are contributed to the literature in multiple ways. It enhances our comprehension of the intricate DT-IC quality relationship, and provides valuable insights into the transformative impact of DT on organizational operations and risk management. It also introduces a novel perspective by investigating how CEOs personal traits intersect with DT to shape IC quality, contributing to upper echelons theory. Furthermore, it expands the discussions on firm ownership by considering the types of SOEs (central vs. local), in the DT-IC quality context.