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This paper aims to measure Chinese regional thermal industries’ evolution.

This paper uses data envelopment analysis (DEA) and global Malmquist–Luenberger productivity (GMLP) index.

The results reveal that the development of Chinese thermal power industry varies significantly in different regions, and it is highly correlated with the level of local economic development. Although the change of technical efficiency and scale efficiency had different impacts on different regions from year to year, the overall GMLP index change shows a close relationship with the contemporaneous frontier shift.

The results indicate that the Chinese Government should make efforts to promote its policy implementations and regulations in thermal industries so that the contemporaneous frontier will shift toward the global technology frontier with more desirable outputs and less undesirable outputs.

As an application, this study uses DEA and GMLP index to measure the productivity of Chinese thermal industries in 30 Chinese provinces from 2006 to 2013. The results have the meaningful policy implications for decision makers in charge of Chinese thermal industries.

Drawing on research on organisation-based self-esteem (OBSE) and self-consistency theory, this study aims to investigate whether, how and when leader aggressive humour (LAH) impacts hospitality employees’ proactive customer service performance (PCSP).

A total of 294 supervisor–employee dyads from eight hotels in China participated in the survey. The data were analysed by hierarchical multiple regression and PROCESS macro in SPSS.

LAH undermines hospitality employees’ PCSP by threatening their OBSE, and this effect is significant only for highly entitled employees.

Organisations could improve leaders’ awareness of the dark side of aggressive humour, especially for those who supervise highly entitled employees. Organisations could also cultivate positive leader–member relationships to improve employees’ OBSE and provide training for highly entitled employees to cope with leaders’ LAH.

This study contributes to the LAH literature by examining its influence on hospitality employees’ PCSP and identifying the mechanism and boundary conditions underlying this effect.

The high-quality development of the real estate industry is crucial to the transformation of China's economy. However, few studies apply the productivity to explore the development path of the real estate industry in China. To fill this gap, this study mainly investigates the total factor productivity (TFP) of the real estate industry of 30 sample provinces in mainland China from 2007 to 2016.

The Malmquist index is applied to estimate the productivity (i.e. TFP) of the real estate industry, based on the data envelopment analysis (DEA). Then, the truncated tobit regression analysis explores the external influencing factors on the TFP of the real estate industry.

Through empirical analysis, it is found that the high-quality development of the real estate industry depends on the technological innovation by the real estate enterprises and the targeted policies by the provincial government. Moreover, the development of the real estate industry has a positive correlation with the growth of China's economy but a negative correlation with the development of other industries.

TFP mainly reveals the development status of the provincial real estate industry and identifies the driving force for exploring the high-quality development mode of the real estate sector. Furthermore, the fluctuation rule of TFP can be applied to predict the development trend of the real estate industry in the future.

As an application, this study measures the TFP of the Chinese real estate industry in different provinces and periods. The results have meaningful policy implications for policymakers regulating the real estate industry.

Drawing upon the ambivalence literature, the purpose of this paper is to explore clients’ ambivalence caused by the co-existence of trust and distrust and to investigate how clients respond to the ambivalence.

Qualitative research strategies using multiple data sources were adopted. Face-to-face interviews were the major method for gathering data. Additional data sources included archival cases, official reports, regulations and rules and survey reports.

The results identified that clients’ ambivalence occurs in the face of the co-existence of trust and distrust. Clients might trust contractors on certain aspects and distrust of others or when they realize that trust and/or distrust have mixed merits and demerits. As a response strategy to the ambivalence, clients may choose to oscillate between trust and distrust in accordance with contractors’ quality and cost performance.

One limitation is that dwelling fit-out projects are generally small in size. Parties in small size projects might have different mindsets than large projects. Thus, it is worthwhile to extend the framework to the context of large projects.

Managers or clients should be aware of the double-edged sword nature of trust and distrust. To deal with the ambivalence resulting from co-existence of trust and distrust, a proper balance of trust and distrust might be effective.

This study contributes an ambivalence approach to the trust research in project management.

Complicated tubes extensively exist in the industrial equipment. The manufacturing precision of the tubes is difficult to be ensured with bending machine. Therefore, the tubes’ 3D geometric error should be fixed according to measurement results. However, there are no convenient methods to accomplish the measurement accurately and effectively. Thus, this paper aims to propose a new tube measurement method to achieve tube's automatic measurement. The accurate measurement results can be used to fix the geometric error of the tube to achieve stress-free assembly.

Tubes’ shape can be determined by control points. First, the point clouds of the centre line by multi-stereo-vision technology are reconstructed. Then, the point clouds to the spine of the tube are thinned by moving least-squares and segmented into lines and arcs. Finally, the control points are calculated and the model is reconstructed. The authors can get the tube’s geometric dimensions from the model.

The experiment results indicate that the multi-stereo-vision technology can solve the occlusion problem and measure the complicated tubes efficiently and accurately.

The paper proposed a tube measurement method. The repeatability measuring precision was 0.12 mm, and the absolute measuring precision was within 0.78 mm. The tube spectra assessed in this paper are in the range of angles between two adjacent line segments of 3-177° and the shortest length of the line segment is greater than 5 mm, confirming that the proposed algorithm can measure various complicated tubes effectively and accurately.

The purpose of this paper is to explore external, mediator and moderator factors that influence tourist intention to use GPS-based navigation apps from the perspective of spatiotemporal tourist behavior (STTB).

A total of 636 valid questionnaires were selected from tourists visiting Lijiang Ancient Town. The partial least squares-structural equation modeling with the SmartPLS approach was adopted to estimate and validate the model.

The results of this paper showed that wayfinding efficiency, sensation-seeking behavior and spatial ability (SA) influence tourists’ intention to use (IU) navigation apps. A mediator of perceived location accuracy between SA and IU has been found. A multigroup generation moderator is verified in the model.

This paper provides a better understanding of the relationship between tourist spatiotemporal behavior and navigation apps, presenting practical suggestions for app developers, destination managers and vacation planners.

While the effects of information technology on tourist behavior have become a topic of interest among tourism industry stakeholders, this paper examines the effects of STTB on the acceptance of navigation apps in reverse, which enriches the theoretical framework.

本文从时空旅游行为 (STTB) 的角度探讨了影响游客使用基于 GPS 的导航应用程序的外部、中介和调节因素。

本研究共从丽江古城旅游者中抽取了636份有效问卷。采用 SmartPLS 方法的偏最小二乘结构方程建模 (PLS-SEM) 来估计和验证模型。

研究结果表明, 寻路效率 (WE)、感觉寻求行为 (SSB) 和空间能力 (SA) 会影响游客的使用意向 (IU) 导航应用程序。研究还发现感知位置准确度 (PLA)是空间能力 (SA) 和使用意图 (IU) 之间的中介变量。世代在多组比较模型中作为调节变量。

本文提供了对旅游时空行为与导航应用程序之间关系的更好理解, 为应用程序开发人员、目的地管理者和度假规划者提供了实用建议。

虽然信息技术对游客行为的影响已成为旅游业利益相关者感兴趣的话题, 但本文研究了 STTB 对导航应用程序接受度的影响, 从而丰富了理论框架。

Geometric errors are common in metallic bent tubular parts. Thus, tubes should be inspected and fixed before welding with the joints first. After welding, the relative position of the joints is also necessary to be inspected to judge whether the tube can be assembled reliably. Therefore, the inspection plays an important role in the tube’s assembly. The purpose of this paper is to propose a multi-vision-based system designed to inspect the tube and the relative position of the joints.

For the tube inspection, the small cylinders are taken as the primitives to reconstruct the tube using the multi- vision-based system. Then, any geometric error in the tube can be inspected by comparing the reconstructed models and designed ones. For joints’ inspection, authors designed an adapter with marked points, by which the system can calculate the relative position of the joints.

The reconstruction idea can recognise the line and arc segments of a tube automatically and resolve the textureless deficiency of the tube’s surface. The joints’ inspection method is simple in operation, and any kinds of joints can be inspected by designing the structure of the adapters accordingly.

By experimental verification, the inspection precision of the proposed system was 0.17 mm; the inspection time was within 2 min. Thus, the system developed can inspect a tube effectively and automatically. Moreover, authors can determine how the springback of the arcs behaves, allowing in-process springback prediction and compensation, which can reduce geometric errors in the tubes given the present bending machine accuracy.

The purpose of this paper is to establish the index system of leading industries in Kashgar urban agglomeration, and use the multi-attribute weighted intelligent grey target decision-making evaluation model to measure the comprehensive effect, so as to select the leading industries of Kashgar urban agglomeration.

First, 18 industries in Kashgar urban agglomerations are taken as objectives, and four indexes, namely, demand income elasticity index, growth rate index, labor productivity growth rate index and contribution rate of output value, are selected to construct an evaluation system for leading industry selection in Kashgar urban agglomerations. Then, grey incidence degree method is used to determine the decision-making power of each decision-making objective. Finally, multi-attribute weighted intelligent grey target decision-making evaluation model is used to measure the comprehensive effect of the objective system of leading industries in Kashgar urban agglomerations.

It can be seen that the multi-attribute weighted intelligent grey target decision-making evaluation model is more convenient to be used in selecting regional leading industries, and the results are accurate and feasible. Based on the calculation results and the actual economic development requirements of Kashgar urban agglomeration, the leading industries of Kashgar urban agglomeration can be determined as: wood processing, furniture, paper making and printing; wholesale and retail; construction; equipment manufacturing; transportation, storage and postal services.

First, it is a new method in selecting regional leading industry by using the multi-attribute weighted intelligent grey target decision-making evaluation model. Second, since there is relatively little research on Kashgar urban agglomeration, especially on leading industries in Kashgar urban agglomeration. The research in this paper can not only enrich the research on selecting leading industries in urban agglomeration but also provide scientific reference for relevant government agencies to formulate economic development plans.

The study examines how human resource management practices (HRMPs) – including ability practice, motivation practice and opportunity practice – affect employee well-being (EWB) – including life well-being, job well-being and psychological well-being – in the Chinese cultural context.

A sample of 529 employees from various industries in China participated in the survey for this study. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.

The findings indicate that HRMPs have a significant positive effect on EWB. Specifically, practices based on ability, motivation and opportunity have a significant positive effect on job well-being, life well-being and psychological well-being, respectively. Integrity leadership moderates the impact of HRMPs on EWB. Organizational justice has a partial mediating effect on the relationship between HRMPs and EWB. Integrity leadership moderates the mediation effect of organizational justice in the relationship between HRMPs and EWB.

Human resource policies and practices need to create a fair organizational atmosphere, and managers implementing them must have integrity leadership. When selecting and promoting managers, organizations should pay attention to not only a candidate's ability but also his or her integrity.

This study uncovers how the important roles of organizational justice and integrity leadership act on the relationship between HRMPs and EWB, thus advancing our understanding of how HRMPs can effectively increase EWB.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a DC-port voltage balance strategy realizing it by logic combination modulation (LCM). This voltage balance strategy is brief and high efficient, which can be used in many power electronic devices adopting the cascaded H-bridge rectifier (CHBR) such as power electronic transformer (PET).

The CHBR is typically as a core component in the power electronic devices to implement the voltage or current conversion. The modulation method presented here is aiming to solve the voltage imbalance problem occurred in the CHBR with more stable work station and higher reliability in ordinary operating conditions. In particular, by changing the switch states smoothly and quickly, the DC-port voltage can be controlled as the ideal value even one of the modules in CHBR is facing the load-removed problem.

By using the voltage balance strategy of LCM, the problem of voltage imbalance occurring in three-phase cascaded rectifiers has been solved properly. With the lower modulation depth, the efficiency of the strategy is shown to be better and stronger. The strategy can work reliably and quickly no matter facing the problem as load-removed change or the ordinary operating conditions.

The limitation of the proposed DC-port voltage balance strategy is calculated and proved, in a three-module CHBR, the LCM could balance the DC-port voltage while one module facing the load-removed situation under 0.83 modulation depth.

This paper provides a useful and particular voltage balance strategy which can be used in the topology of three-phase cascaded rectifier. The value of the strategy is that a brief and reliable voltage balance method in the power electronic devices can be achieved. What is more, facing the problem, such as load-removed, in outport, the strategy can response quickly with no switch jump and switch frequency rising.