Ndwiga Duncan Kariuki, Xiong-Ying Wu, Chang-Chun Gao and Xue-Mei Ding
Clothing quality, performance, safety and health have become important considerations for consumer welfare. Properties of these aspects are encompassed on standards which…
Abstract
Purpose
Clothing quality, performance, safety and health have become important considerations for consumer welfare. Properties of these aspects are encompassed on standards which regulates clothing products reaching consumers. The purpose of this paper is to categorize these aspects in a common platform by suggesting minimum requirements expected on readymade garments from which clothing standards compliance assessment is performed.
Design/methodology/approach
With the aid of standard compliance assessment model, scored Standard Compliance Rate (SCR) values of the discussed properties of clothing standardization are synthesized from a standard compliance matrix, and the compliance of any clothing standards are assessed and assigned a “Standard Compliance Index/Level (SCI/SCL)” ranging from non compliance to full compliance at six levels.
Findings
In reference to the standard compliance assessment model, 12 children and infant clothing standards, three from Kenya and nine from China, and eight protective clothing standards from Kenya, China, Britain and USA, two from each country, were assessed and the compliance level of each standard evaluated and results presented. The results of the study reveal the importance of every aspect of clothing standardization properties to fulfil the requirements of standard compliance assessment whereby, though they meet their role in developing Standard Compliance Index (SCI), they may have different impact depending with the context applied and the scope of every standard.
Research limitations/implications
The selection of standardization parameters and characteristics, and the criteria for scoring some of the Standard Compliance Rating was subjective and may require mutual agreements between relevant bodies. Furthermore, this method can only be applied on clothing standards and not other textile testing standards.
Practical implications
The proposed method can be applied when evaluating and comparing specific clothing standards between bodies or countries. Clothing SCI would be of primary importance as a guide on required clothing quality specifications to designers, manufacturers, standard regulators and consumer welfare bodies.
Originality/value
This research reports the development of an original framework to assess compliance level of any clothing standard using standardization parameters and characteristics considered when determining the quality of a garment. It establishes a theoretical framework of clothing standards compliance assessment, which has not been reported in the literature to date.
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Shuaitong Liang, Xue Mei Ding, Xiong Ying Wu, Fan Wu and Tesfaye Mulu Asmamaw
Smooth appearance of fabrics after ironing with steam, soleplate, ironing speed and their interactions cannot be studied using household ironing machines such as hang steamer and…
Abstract
Purpose
Smooth appearance of fabrics after ironing with steam, soleplate, ironing speed and their interactions cannot be studied using household ironing machines such as hang steamer and flatiron. The purpose of this paper is to present the design and verification of a simple, low-cost test platform based on the fabric materials hang-ironing factors includes temperature, humidity, ironing speed (time).
Design/methodology/approach
This platform achieves adjustable and stable steam flow rate, enabling any ironing speed and any temperature of soleplate below 200°C. Moreover, the whole ironing process is automatically after experiment level set ahead for better observation to the ironing process.
Findings
Regression results of the apparatus are stable, statistical significant which is verified by the statistics under design of experiment.
Originality/value
It is useful in other aspects such as nozzle test and improvement, new products evaluation and smooth appearance level experiment and test for new ironing product and its research. It is also useful in other aspects such as nozzle test and improvement, new products evaluation and smooth appearance level experiment and test for new ironing product and its research.
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Taozhi Zhuang, Haojie Ji, Ying Wang, Hongjuan Wu and Meiling Zeng
Globally, co-production is of great significance in promoting neighborhood regeneration. However, in the Chinese context, characterized by a governance system with strong…
Abstract
Purpose
Globally, co-production is of great significance in promoting neighborhood regeneration. However, in the Chinese context, characterized by a governance system with strong government discourse power and a tradition of passive public participation, co-production has faced significant challenges. To address issues, this paper aims to deeply understand the co-production behaviors and strategy choices of local governments and residents in the co-produced neighborhood regeneration.
Design/methodology/approach
An evolutionary game approach was utilized as the research method to analyze the interest interactions between the two parties, the differences and similarities in strategy choices and the influencing factors in government and resident-initiated project types, respectively. Chongqing was selected as the case area for empirical analysis, with data derived from project materials and in-depth interviews.
Findings
This study revealed dynamic interactions between local governments and residents, significant differences between the two project types regarding co-production levels, the positive role of residents' perceived loss and the effect of marginal benefits on critical influencing factors.
Originality/value
Drawing upon co-production theory, this paper elucidates how different levels of co-production are implemented and highlights the differences between the two types of neighborhood regeneration projects within governance systems characterized by strong state discourse power and a lack of public participation tradition. It addresses current issues and provides critical references for government policymakers and urban planners to make informed decisions and promote co-produced neighborhood rehabilitation projects.
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Jie Lv, Ying Xiong and Yingjie Zheng
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of the nature of firm heterogeneity and factors of the host country on the choice of entry modes in greenfield investments…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of the nature of firm heterogeneity and factors of the host country on the choice of entry modes in greenfield investments and cross-border mergers and acquisitions.
Design/methodology/approach
An empirical analysis was conducted of 450 outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) cases of Chinese-listed companies from 2001 to 2015. A regression analysis was conducted to determine the influence of the heterogeneous nature of enterprises and host country factors on the choice of entry mode.
Findings
First, the nature of a firm’s heterogeneity differs in terms of their mobile or immobile capabilities, which may affect entry strategies. Second, although Chinese multinational companies do not have a strong ownership advantage when compared with multinational companies in developed countries, they have certain marketing capabilities, such as innovations, aimed at customer needs that make it possible to implement their internationalization strategy. Third, factors such as cultural distance and investment risk of the host country significantly influence the choice of OFDI entry modes.
Originality/value
The authors discuss the mobility of a firm’s resource heterogeneity in determining Chinese firms’ entry mode choices and emphasize that Chinese marketing-intensive firms seek complementary resources from the firms of the host countries to achieve competitive advantages. The authors further divide heterogeneous enterprise resources into research and development resources and marketing resources according to the degree of international mobility and examine what kind of firm heterogeneity could help in the selection of different entry modes.
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Ying Kei Tse, Shiyun Wang, Xiaohong Liu and Chun Ho Wu
Blockchain has been considered as a disruptive technology and every industry stands to benefit from it. According to Deloitte, increasing number of managers claim that their firms…
Abstract
Purpose
Blockchain has been considered as a disruptive technology and every industry stands to benefit from it. According to Deloitte, increasing number of managers claim that their firms will suffer loss in competitive advantage if they do not adopt blockchain. Despite this motivation, insufficient knowledge on how can blockchain add value inhibits the commitment to its adoption. To better understand the possible influence of blockchain, two dimensions (exploitation and exploration) of blockchain initiatives are distinguished. This research aims to examine the impact of ambidextrous blockchain initiatives on firms' operational efficiency, as well as the moderating role of unabsorbed slack and environmental munificence.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, secondary panel data were collected from multiple sources to test the proposed hypotheses. Content analysis was adopted to operationalise ambidextrous blockchain initiatives from firms' official announcements.
Findings
The authors find that firms' ambidexterity in blockchain initiatives have significantly positive impact on operational efficiency. Furthermore, when firms have lower unabsorbed slack or in more munificent environments, they may benefit from managing a balance between exploration and exploitation.
Originality/value
This research offers some insightful theoretical and managerial implications of ambidextrous blockchain initiatives. The findings of this study contribute to blockchain literature by providing theory-driven empirical research.
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The theoretical findings serve as a foundation for further research into understanding sulfide-based solid-state electrolytes, ultimately advancing the progress of all-solid-state…
Abstract
Purpose
The theoretical findings serve as a foundation for further research into understanding sulfide-based solid-state electrolytes, ultimately advancing the progress of all-solid-state batteries.
Design/methodology/approach
The electronic properties of Li7P3S11 are thoroughly explored through first-principles calculations.
Findings
This investigation encompasses the intricate atom-dominated valence and conduction bands, spatial charge density distribution and the breakdown of atom and orbital contributions to van Hove singularities. Additionally, the compound’s wide and discrete energy spectra reflect the substantial variations in bond lengths and its highly anisotropic geometric structure. The complex and nonuniform chemical environment indicates the presence of intricate hopping integrals.
Originality/value
This study provides valuable insights into the critical multiorbital hybridizations occurring in the Li-S and P-S chemical bonds. To validate the theoretical predictions, experimental techniques can be employed. By combining theoretical predictions with experimental data, a comprehensive understanding of the geometric and electronic characteristics of Li7P3S11 can be achieved.
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Li Zhou, Ying Lu, Hu Yu, Lin Lu, Dianting Wu and Juanjuan Zhao
While the economic benefits of the exhibition industry for the hotel sector have been addressed, the impact of exhibitions on individual hotels is unknown, especially when…
Abstract
Purpose
While the economic benefits of the exhibition industry for the hotel sector have been addressed, the impact of exhibitions on individual hotels is unknown, especially when individual hotels’ star classification and locations are considered. This study aims to provide a better understanding of how room rates of different hotels change during different stages of the Canton Fair in China from a spatial-temporal perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
Room rates of 681 star-hotels within the city of Guangzhou before, during and after the Fair were extracted from websites. Through spatial interpolation and autocorrelation analysis and geographical detector (GeoDetector) technique, spatial and temporal patterns of hotel room rates and the interdependence between the convention center and the hotels with different star classification and locations were examined.
Findings
An inverse-U shape of room rate change was identified before, during and after the Fair, and the five-star hotels had the sharpest increase. Moreover, the distribution of hotel room rates followed the law of distance decay. The variation of hotel rates became larger when the distance to the convention center was larger. Spatial high-high clusters varied among hotels with different star classification.
Originality/value
This study contributed to the hotel literature by providing empirical evidence regarding how hotels with different star classification and locations were affected by events. This study also advanced the event literature by introducing GeoDetector. The findings of this study offered insights into the hotel location selection, pricing strategies and hotel collaboration with events.
研究目的
虽然展览业对酒店业的经济效益已经得到解决, 但展览对单个酒店的影响尚不清楚, 尤其是在考虑单个酒店的星级和位置时。本研究旨在从时空角度更好地了解中国广交会不同阶段不同酒店的房价变化情况。
研究方法
网站提取了广交会前、中、后广州市内681家星级酒店的房价。通过空间插值和自相关分析以及地理探测器(GeoDetector)技术, 研究了酒店房价的时空格局以及会议中心与不同星级和位置的酒店之间的相互依赖关系。
研究发现
会前、会中、会后房价变化呈倒U型, 其中五星级酒店涨幅最大。此外, 酒店房价的分布遵循距离衰减规律。到会展中心的距离越远, 酒店价格的变化就越大。不同星级酒店的空间高-高集群存在差异。
研究原创性
该研究通过提供关于不同星级和位置的酒店如何受到事件影响的经验证据, 为酒店文献做出了贡献。这项研究还通过引入 GeoDetector 推进了事件文献。研究结果为酒店选址、定价策略和酒店与活动的合作提供了见解。
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Ying Zhang, Puzhen Xiong, Shiyu Rong, Mark Frost and Wei Zhou
This study aims to investigate the mechanism of knowledge management within multinationals during the post COVID-19 era, with particular consideration given to the relationship…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the mechanism of knowledge management within multinationals during the post COVID-19 era, with particular consideration given to the relationship between the cultural intelligence of top managers and knowledge-oriented leadership using fear of COVID-19 as a moderating factor.
Design/methodology/approach
Derived from upper echelons’ theory and research on knowledge management success (KMS), a theoretical model and associated hypotheses have been developed and tested. Structural equation modeling was used with statistics collected from 288 top managers and executives of multinational corporations dominated by knowledge-intensive industries through a network investigation.
Findings
Results indicate that the levels of executives’ cultural intelligence and knowledge-oriented leadership contribute to KMS, while knowledge-oriented leadership acts as a mediator between them. In addition, the fear of COVID-19 of senior executives negatively affects both the direct and mediated influence of cultural intelligence on KMS.
Research limitations/implications
The current research uses an empirical approach to examine cross-border KMS. Further research is needed to develop more comprehensive measurement tools for KMS and more detailed research by further developing the subdimensions of cultural intelligence. In addition, this paper used cross-sectional research that limits the capability to establish causal relationships over time.
Originality/value
The research explores the “human side” of the key antecedents of KMS, fills the gap in research about the impact of cultural intelligence and knowledge-oriented leadership on the achievement of KMS, paves the way for emerging knowledge-oriented leadership from the initial phase to the mature phase and contributes to the literature on environmental uncertainty and crisis, using the COVID-19 as a representative context.
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Huihuang Zhao, Jianzhen Chen, Shibiao Xu, Ying Wang and Zhijun Qiao
The purpose of this paper is to develop a compressive sensing (CS) algorithm for noisy solder joint imagery compression and recovery. A fast gradient-based compressive sensing…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop a compressive sensing (CS) algorithm for noisy solder joint imagery compression and recovery. A fast gradient-based compressive sensing (FGbCS) approach is proposed based on the convex optimization. The proposed algorithm is able to improve performance in terms of peak signal noise ratio (PSNR) and computational cost.
Design/methodology/approach
Unlike traditional CS methods, the authors first transformed a noise solder joint image to a sparse signal by a discrete cosine transform (DCT), so that the reconstruction of noisy solder joint imagery is changed to a convex optimization problem. Then, a so-called gradient-based method is utilized for solving the problem. To improve the method efficiency, the authors assume the problem to be convex with the Lipschitz gradient through the replacement of an iteration parameter by the Lipschitz constant. Moreover, a FGbCS algorithm is proposed to recover the noisy solder joint imagery under different parameters.
Findings
Experiments reveal that the proposed algorithm can achieve better results on PNSR with fewer computational costs than classical algorithms like Orthogonal Matching Pursuit (OMP), Greedy Basis Pursuit (GBP), Subspace Pursuit (SP), Compressive Sampling Matching Pursuit (CoSaMP) and Iterative Re-weighted Least Squares (IRLS). Convergence of the proposed algorithm is with a faster rate O(k*k) instead of O(1/k).
Practical implications
This paper provides a novel methodology for the CS of noisy solder joint imagery, and the proposed algorithm can also be used in other imagery compression and recovery.
Originality/value
According to the CS theory, a sparse or compressible signal can be represented by a fewer number of bases than those required by the Nyquist theorem. The new development might provide some fundamental guidelines for noisy imagery compression and recovering.
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Hui Zhang, Ying Chen and Xiaohu Zhou
The purpose of this paper is to investigate ways to mitigate gender bias in entrepreneurial financing. The authors aim to unveil the role entrepreneurs’ gender played in formal…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate ways to mitigate gender bias in entrepreneurial financing. The authors aim to unveil the role entrepreneurs’ gender played in formal and informal financing under Chinese context, as well as the moderating role corporate social responsibility (CSR) played in such relationships.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper adopts ANOVA test and multiple regression method to empirically examine the relationship of entrepreneurs’ gender, formal financing, informal financing and CSR with second hand data from The Eleventh Private Enterprise Survey covering a sample of firms across China.
Findings
The results demonstrate that comparing to start-ups led by men, start-ups led by women are less likely to get either formal or informal financing. The results also suggest that CSR negatively moderates the impact entrepreneurs’ gender has on formal financing but not on informal financing.
Originality/value
By focusing on both formal and informal financing, the research of gender’s effects on firms’ financing has been extended. Also, by proving that CSR can help to mitigate gender bias in formal financing, contribution has also been made to the research field of gender financing. This paper contributes to the CSR literature by sorting out another benefit CSR has in new venture financing. Overall, findings of this study deepen the existing understanding of gender issues in the context of entrepreneurial financing.