Zhifeng Shen, Xiangdong Wei, Ahsan Siraj, Shilpa Taneja, Linyan Fang and Zhihui Li
The aim of this study is to find the governance mechanism that matches the EPC project governance model as well as the performance criteria for measuring the quality governance of…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study is to find the governance mechanism that matches the EPC project governance model as well as the performance criteria for measuring the quality governance of EPC projects so as to improve the level of quality of EPC project delivery.
Design/methodology/approach
An in-depth questionnaire survey of 199 EPC engineering practitioners and quality control units was conducted and the survey data was analysed using SPSS 24.0 software.
Findings
The results show that administrative governance, industry governance and internal project governance have direct effects on the quality governance performance of EPC projects. Administrative governance has a positive impact on the quality governance performance of EPC projects through industry governance and project internal governance.
Research limitations/implications
This study enriches the research on engineering quality governance in the context of EPC projects, discusses how to improve the performance of EPC engineering quality governance and will provide certain reference and information for other EPC projects to establish an adapted engineering quality governance mechanism.
Originality/value
This paper exploratively proposes EPC administrative governance mode, industry governance mode and internal project governance mode and analyzes the logical relationship between them and EPC project quality governance performance and constructs a theoretical model influencing the improvement of EPC project quality governance performance.
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Xiangdong Gu, Louise T. Higgins, Lixiang Weng and Xiaoye Holt
The aim of this paper is to examine the evolution and development of the selection process and methods used by the Chinese government for appointing public officials.
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to examine the evolution and development of the selection process and methods used by the Chinese government for appointing public officials.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper adopts an approach combining literature and document reviews with discussion with field experts.
Findings
China has a long history of selecting the most able individuals for government officials. During the political turmoil of the twentieth century, this was abandoned for ideological reasons. Current selection criteria and process are increasingly based on solid psychology and management approaches.
Research limitations/implications
This paper is an overview of developments in Chinese government official selection approaches and process.
Practical implications
It may serve as a baseline for future research and practice on exploring sound and institutionalized selection methods and processes.
Originality/value
This is an initial attempt to explore senior Chinese officials' selection process.
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Yu Luo, Xiangdong Jiao, Zewei Fang, Shuxin Zhang, Xuan Wu, Dongyao Wang and Qin Chu
This paper aims to propose a diverless weld bead maintenance welding technology to prevent the leakage of subsea oil and gas pipeline and solve the key problems in the maintenance…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to propose a diverless weld bead maintenance welding technology to prevent the leakage of subsea oil and gas pipeline and solve the key problems in the maintenance of subsea pipeline.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the analysis of the cross-section of the fillet weld, the multi-layer and multi-pass welding path planning of the submarine pipeline sleeve fillet weld is studied, and thus a multi-layer and multi-pass welding path planning strategy is proposed. A welding seam filling method is designed, and the end position of the welding gun is planned, which provides a theoretical basis for the motion control of the maintenance system.
Findings
The trajectory planning and adjustment of multi-layer and multi-pass fillet welding and the motion stability control of the rotating mechanism are realized.
Research limitations/implications
It provides the basis for the prototype design of the submarine pipeline maintenance and welding robot system, and also lays the foundation for the in-depth research on the intelligent maintenance system of submarine pipeline.
Originality/value
The maintenance of diverless subsea pipeline is a new type of maintenance method, which can solve the problem of large amount of subsea maintenance work with high efficiency.
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This case discusses Qihoo 360's free business model, how it used this free model to overpower competitors, and how the model evolved over time. Qihoo 360 is a company that took…
Abstract
Synopsis
This case discusses Qihoo 360's free business model, how it used this free model to overpower competitors, and how the model evolved over time. Qihoo 360 is a company that took just six years to become a company listed on the New York Stock Exchange (with a market value of over US$ 2 billion). At Qihoo 360's Initial Public Offering (IPO) at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), Qihoo's founder Zhou Hongyi reflected on how Qihoo's free business model had brought its current success and speculates on its future challenges.
Research methodology
The authors used both secondary data and field interviews when preparing this case. After reading through various company reports, competitor information, and financial filings, the authors interviewed five top manager team (TMT) members of Qihoo 360, three TMT members of its competitors, and two partners of venture capital investors who have invested in these companies in Beijing or Shenzhen during the last three years. The authors collected 347 media reports related to these companies in Chinese covering seven years of history. This long span of data collection improves the interpretation of the company and helps construct the storyline of the case.
Relevant courses and levels
This case is suitable for an MBA course or an advanced undergraduate course in strategic management or a technology-oriented entrepreneurship course, focussing on the topic of the free business model, business model innovation, disruptive innovation, and evolution of the business model during the entrepreneurial process.
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Qilan Li, Zhiya Zuo, Yang Zhang and Xi Wang
Since the opening of China (aka, reform and opening-up), a great number of rural residents have migrated to large cities in the past 40 years. Such a one-way population inflow to…
Abstract
Purpose
Since the opening of China (aka, reform and opening-up), a great number of rural residents have migrated to large cities in the past 40 years. Such a one-way population inflow to urban areas introduces nontrivial social conflicts between urban natives and migrant workers. This study aims to investigate the most discussed topics about migrant workers on Sina Weibo along with the corresponding sentiment divergence.
Design/methodology/approach
An exploratory-descriptive-explanatory research methodology is employed. The study explores the main topics on migrant workers discussed in social media via manual annotation. Subsequently, guided LDA, a semi-supervised topic modeling approach, is applied to describe the overall topical landscape. Finally, the authors verify their theoretical predictions with respect to the sentiment divergence pattern for each topic, using regression analysis.
Findings
The study identifies three most discussed topics on migrant workers, namely wage default, employment support and urban/rural development. The regression analysis reveals different diffusion patterns contingent on the nature of each topic. In particular, this study finds a positive association between urban/rural development and the sentiment divergence, while wage default exhibits an opposite relationship with sentiment divergence.
Originality/value
The authors combine unique characteristics of social media with well-established theories of social identity and framing, which are applied more to off-line contexts, to study a unique phenomenon of migrant workers in China. From a practical perspective, the results provide implications for the governance of urbanization-related social conflicts.
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Wei Zhang, Shang Hao, Dandan Zhao, Guiqin Bai, Xin Zuo and Jiming Yao
This study aims to evaluate the thermal performance of phase change materials (PCMs) microcapsules (MCs) attached using SiO2 microspheres and investigate the thermal regulation…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to evaluate the thermal performance of phase change materials (PCMs) microcapsules (MCs) attached using SiO2 microspheres and investigate the thermal regulation effect on the coated denim fabric.
Design/methodology/approach
The PCM microcapsule was prepared by in situ polymerization using a mixture of solid paraffin and butyl stearate as core material (CM) and methyl methacrylate as a monomer. The SiO2 microparticles were attached to the outer layer of the membrane to enhance the thermal performance of MCs. The morphology, chemical structure, latent heat storage and thermal resistance of MCs were characterized. PCM MCs were coated on the denim fabric and thermo-gravimetric analysis was conducted; thermal insulation and thermal infrared imaging performance of the coated fabrics were also investigated.
Findings
The diameters of SiO2 particles and PCMs MCs were 300-500 nm and 1 μm, respectively. SiO2 was wrapped on single-wall PCMs MCs with the mass ratio of 1:5. With the addition of SiO2, the phase transition temperature range of MCs increased from 34°C to 39°C, and the endothermic and exothermic latent heat decreased by 5.35 J/g and 10.07 J/g, respectively. The degradation rate of MCs was significantly slowed down at high temperature. The denim fabric coated with MCs revealed thermal regulation property. After absorbing heat, the MCs slowed down the rate of heat loss and extended the heat release time.
Research limitations/implications
The phase transition temperature of the composite CM was wide, and the latent heat storage was reduced. The addition of SiO2 particles can significantly slow down the rate of heat loss, but it further reduces the latent heat storage performance.
Practical implications
The method developed provided a simple and practical solution to improve the thermal regulation performance of fabrics.
Originality/value
The method of adjusting the phase transition temperature range of the composite CM is novel and many applications could be found in preparation of PCMs and thermal management.