Xue Deng, Xiaolei He and Cuirong Huang
This paper proposes a fuzzy random multi-objective portfolio model with different entropy measures and designs a hybrid algorithm to solve the proposed model.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper proposes a fuzzy random multi-objective portfolio model with different entropy measures and designs a hybrid algorithm to solve the proposed model.
Design/methodology/approach
Because random uncertainty and fuzzy uncertainty are often combined in a real-world setting, the security returns are considered as fuzzy random numbers. In the model, the authors also consider the effects of different entropy measures, including Yager's entropy, Shannon's entropy and min-max entropy. During the process of solving the model, the authors use a ranking method to convert the expected return into a crisp number. To find the optimal solution efficiently, a fuzzy programming technique based on artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm is also proposed.
Findings
(1) The return of optimal portfolio increases while the level of investor risk aversion increases. (2) The difference of the investment weights of the optimal portfolio obtained with Yager's entropy are much smaller than that of the min–max entropy. (3) The performance of the ABC algorithm on solving the proposed model is superior than other intelligent algorithms such as the genetic algorithm, differential evolution and particle swarm optimization.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors' knowledge, no effect has been made to consider a fuzzy random portfolio model with different entropy measures. Thus, the novelty of the research is constructing a fuzzy random multi-objective portfolio model with different entropy measures and designing a hybrid fuzzy programming-ABC algorithm to solve the proposed model.
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Xiaolei Zhang, Katalien Bollen and Martin Euwema
The purpose of this paper is to explore the relations between peacemaking at work and peacemaking at home. Peacemaking is defined as voluntarily helping behavior in interpersonal…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the relations between peacemaking at work and peacemaking at home. Peacemaking is defined as voluntarily helping behavior in interpersonal conflict, by a person who has no formal authority over the conflicting parties, acts impartial and works with either one or more parties to solve the conflict constructively (Zhang et al., 2018).
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 639 participants engaged in a survey to measure their peacemaking behavior at work and at home. First, the peacemaking scale is validated using factor analysis. To test the hypotheses regression analysis is conducted.
Findings
Results show that peacemaking at work and at home are positively-related. Further, compared to peacemaking at work, people tend to be more often engaged in peacemaking at home; are more focused on settling the issues, provide more emotional support and use more humor, however, are less multi-partial.
Research limitations/implications
Although based on self-reports, the results regarding the positive relation between peacemaking at work and at home may be enlightening in human resource management such as personnel selection.
Originality/value
The study provides the first theory-based instrument to measure peacemaking as informal helping behavior in interpersonal conflict, at work and at home. Five components are measured, namely, peacemaking in general, multi-partiality, settlement-oriented, emotion-oriented and humorous peacemaking behaviors.
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Xiaolei Zhang, Katalien Bollen, Kaiping Peng and Martin C. Euwema
This study aims to investigate the relationship between personality, gender and interpersonal peacemaking. Peacemaking is considered as voluntary behavior of team members to help…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the relationship between personality, gender and interpersonal peacemaking. Peacemaking is considered as voluntary behavior of team members to help conflicting peers in an impartial way, to find an amicable solution. This study tests the relation between the Big Five personality dimensions, gender and five different components of interpersonal peacemaking (general involvement in peacemaking, multipartiality, focus of finding solutions, emotional support and the use of humor).
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 503 participants filled out a survey assessing their personality and peacemaking behavior at work. To test the hypotheses, this study conducted structural equation modeling in AMOS 22.0.
Findings
In line with expectations, openness, extraversion and agreeableness related positively to most peacemaking components, while conscientiousness and neuroticism related negatively to the use of humor and peacemakers’ multipartiality, respectively; comparing men and women, women engage more often in peacemaking in general and in emotional support, and use less humor than men. Results also showed that these gender differences are partially mediated by agreeableness being higher for women.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first studies exploring the relationship between personality (Big Five), gender and different aspects of interpersonal peacemaking. Peacemaking is an important, however understudied, behavior in teams and part of OCB. The promotion of peacemaking contributes to team effectiveness.
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Yongmu Jiang, Lu Yang and Zhang Xiaolei
With the development of social productive forces and the advancement of agricultural practices since the founding of New China, the connotation of agricultural modernization with…
Abstract
Purpose
With the development of social productive forces and the advancement of agricultural practices since the founding of New China, the connotation of agricultural modernization with Chinese characteristics has undergone a process from formation to continuous expansion and deepening.
Design/methodology/approach
Its evolution can be roughly divided into four stages: the exploration stage, the formation stage, the establishment stage and the deepening stage. The historical evolution of the connotation of agricultural modernization with Chinese characteristics demonstrates four typical characteristics, namely increasingly scientific logical premise, continuously diversified orientations, increasingly improved core contents and progressively maturing strategies of development.
Findings
The achievements of agricultural modernization have laid a solid foundation for China's industrial modernization and the rapid development of the national economy. Meanwhile, the authors have identified through practical exploration a path of agricultural modernization with Chinese characteristics. In recent years, academic research on the connotation of agricultural modernization with Chinese characteristics has gradually heated up, and relevant achievements have emerged constantly.
Originality/value
The Communist Party of China (hereinafter “CPC”) has placed considerable emphasis on agricultural issues and has been committed to promoting agricultural modernization since the founding of New China. Through long-term persistence and unremitting efforts, China has made remarkable achievements in agricultural development: significantly improved agricultural production conditions and agricultural output capacity, constantly optimized agricultural structure and steadily increased the income of farmers.
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Dongjun Lv, Xiaolei Zhang, Guocheng Gao, Jing Tang, Zilong Zhang, Yihui Liu, Ran Wang and LeiFang Liu
The purpose of this study was the preparation of a poly(styrene-co-maleic anhydride)-g-polyetheramine (SMA-g-PEA) hyperdispersant that reduces the viscosity of the system and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was the preparation of a poly(styrene-co-maleic anhydride)-g-polyetheramine (SMA-g-PEA) hyperdispersant that reduces the viscosity of the system and improves the colouring intensities of pigments.
Design/methodology/approach
PEA of specific quality was dissolved in propylene glycol methyl ether. SMA was then added according to the required mass ratio. The solution was refluxed for 10 h under a stream of protective N2. The prepared hyperdispersant was then characterised by Fourier-transform infrared, UV–visible and 1H NMR spectroscopies, gel-permeation chromatography and thermogravimetry.
Findings
PEA was successfully grafted onto the SMA polymer and the synthesised product was found to be thermally stable. The copolymer with a 6:1 mass ratio is the best dispersant and was used to disperse carbon black, phthalocyanine blue and permanent violet in water-based systems, which helps to improve the application performance of each pigment by reducing the viscosity of the system and improving the colouring intensity of the pigment. The water dispersion is stable and does not exhibit an increase in viscosity after seven days of oven aging at 50°C.
Originality/value
SMA-g-PEA water-based hyperdispersants were successfully synthesised. The prepared hyperdispersants help to improve the application performance of each studied pigment by reducing the viscosity of the system and improving the colouring intensity of the pigment.
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Binbin Su, Wei Huang and Xiaolei Wang
This paper aims to experimentally investigate the elastic deformation behavior of surface texture in soft contacts under lubricated condition.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to experimentally investigate the elastic deformation behavior of surface texture in soft contacts under lubricated condition.
Design/methodology/approach
Dimples with two typical distribution patterns are fabricated on the contacting surface by Quasi-LIGA technique. In situ observation on the elastic deformation of contacting surface is performed through optical interferometry. Comparisons of the elastic deformation around the dimples in different distribution patterns are conducted.
Findings
The results show that the effect of dimple distribution patterns on elastic deformation becomes increasingly serious with the growth of applied load. Dimples in square distribution present a stronger interaction with each other and lead to a more alleviative deformation under heavier load condition. The action range of dimple, especially in square distribution, is seriously compressed by surrounding dimples.
Originality/value
Square distribution is preferentially suggested for surface texture with respect to minimum elastic deformation in soft contacts under elastohydrodynamic lubrication condition.
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Jiandong Lu, Xiaolei Wang, Liguo Fei, Guo Chen and Yuqiang Feng
During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, ubiquitous social media has become a primary channel for information dissemination, social interactions and recreational…
Abstract
Purpose
During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, ubiquitous social media has become a primary channel for information dissemination, social interactions and recreational activities. However, it remains unclear how social media usage influences nonpharmaceutical preventive behavior of individuals in response to the pandemic. This paper aims to explore the impacts of social media on COVID-19 preventive behaviors based on the theoretical lens of empowerment.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, survey data has been collected from 739 social media users in China to conduct structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis.
Findings
The results indicate that social media empowers individuals in terms of knowledge seeking, knowledge sharing, socializing and entertainment to promote preventive behaviors at the individual level by increasing each person's perception of collective efficacy and social cohesion. Meanwhile, social cohesion negatively impacts the relationship between collective efficacy and individual preventive behavior.
Originality/value
This study provides insights regarding the role of social media in crisis response and examines the role of collective beliefs in the influencing mechanism of social media. The results presented herein can be used to guide government agencies seeking to control the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The purpose of this paper is to present a novel method for integrating of chaotic exploration and thinning‐based topological mapping to deal with the “traverse targets and return”…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a novel method for integrating of chaotic exploration and thinning‐based topological mapping to deal with the “traverse targets and return” problem applied for robot navigation in unknown environments. This new strategy can guarantee the robot stronger ability of exploring unknown environments, as well as recording and selecting optimal trajectory to return.
Design/methodology/approach
The chaotic dynamic evolution of controlled multi‐scroll system is linked to the multi‐sensory perception and reactive behaviors of a mobile robot. The thinning‐based topological map (TTM), as the contextual layer of the cognitive system, is adopted to achieve the environmental recording in the process of robot exploration and navigation. Once the robot arrives at the terminal target via avoiding all the obstacles, the TTM has been built in real time. Based on the records in the topological map, a short and smooth point‐to‐point path is generated to achieve the exit from target and to move back to the starting point.
Findings
The simulation results confirmed that the proposed solution is suitable to resolve the robot's tasks of obstacle avoidance, target retrieving, and return, also has better performance than traditional strategies.
Originality/value
The presented novel method focuses integration of chaotic exploration and TTM self‐construction. The chaotic perception and control technique permits the robot to explore most of the environmental information within the smallest explored area. The introduced topological map, generated by applying a thinning algorithm, guarantees a short and smooth returning trajectory for the robot.
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Britta Boyd, Susanne Royer, Rong Pei and Xiaolei Zhang
Knowledge often is the fundament for strategic competitive advantage. Thus, it is highly relevant to understand better how knowledge is transferred from one generation to the next…
Abstract
Purpose
Knowledge often is the fundament for strategic competitive advantage. Thus, it is highly relevant to understand better how knowledge is transferred from one generation to the next in family businesses. The purpose of this paper is to link the competitive advantage realisation in family businesses to the success of transferring strategically valuable knowledge in different business environments to the next generation.
Design/methodology/approach
Building on the contingency model of family business succession (Royer et al., 2008) knowledge transfer in family businesses from different cultures is investigated in this paper. From a resource-oriented and transaction cost inspired perspective two family businesses with a similar industry background from China and Europe are compared regarding knowledge transfer in the context of family firm succession taking into account the respective transaction atmosphere.
Findings
Different successions for two long-lived family firms are illustrated in a systematic fashion: based on the theoretical elements suggested both cases are described to get insights into the usefulness of the theoretical reasoning developed. On the basis of these, the cases are compared with each other and conclusions for both cases are drawn. Implications for theory and practice as well as avenues for future research are sketched.
Originality/value
The focus of the current study is to gain more insight into long-lived family businesses by comparing two cases over a period of more than 200 years with regard to strategically relevant resources as well as the underlying transaction atmospheres. Implications for family firms depending on the resource types and transaction atmosphere are discussed.