During the decade of the 1980s, the design and implementation ofeconomic reforms had divided the Chinese leadership into two factions:conservative proponents of moderation and…
Abstract
During the decade of the 1980s, the design and implementation of economic reforms had divided the Chinese leadership into two factions: conservative proponents of moderation and “circumscribed” economic reform, and liberal proponents of comprehensive and rapid economic and social reform. Seeks to identify the economic‐theoretic core of leftist and rightist positions. The leftist position described is centred on the works of Chen Yun, Sun Yefang, and Zue Muqiao and explicitly excludes the idealistic and revolutionary political theories of Maoism, focuses instead on the more pragmatic goals of rational central economic planning. The rightist position became identified with Zhao Ziyang and his vision of mixed market socialism which, in the minds of his opponents, came dangerously close to capitalism. As the Chinese economy faltered toward the end of the decade, the conflict between leftist hard‐line conservatives and rightist liberals heightened, leading to the pro‐democracy movement of 1989 and its aftermath.
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A lack of visibility into the manufacturer’s production cost information impedes a retailer’s ability to maximize her own profits, especially when market demand is uncertain. The…
Abstract
Purpose
A lack of visibility into the manufacturer’s production cost information impedes a retailer’s ability to maximize her own profits, especially when market demand is uncertain. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the use of an option contract within a one-period two-echelon supply chain in the presence of asymmetric cost information.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the principal-agent model, the retailer, acting as a Stackelberg leader, offers a menu of option contracts to mitigate the risk of uncertain demand and reveal asymmetric production cost information. The optimal contract in asymmetric and symmetric information scenarios is derived. Finally, the impact of production costs on the optimal contracts and the actors’ profits is explored by numerical experiments.
Findings
By comparing the optimal equilibrium solutions in two scenarios, the authors show that asymmetric cost information has a large impact on the optimal option contract and profits. In addition, information rent is affected by the type differential. The results prove that the level of information asymmetry plays a vital role in option contracts and profits.
Originality/value
Different from the existing literature on private demand information, this paper considers a supply chain with asymmetric cost information in the context of option contracts. Interestingly, not only the production cost but also the probability of a low production cost can affect the option strike price. In addition, from the perspective of the manufacturer, a high cost does not always bring a high information rent. These findings can provide some guidance to decision-makers.
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Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of online service quality on swift guanxi that influences customer repurchase intention and the moderating role of gender in the relationship between online service quality and swift guanxi.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on survey data obtained from 274 college students, structural equation modeling was used to test the research hypotheses.
Findings
The results show that the dimensions of online service quality (i.e. perceived control, convenience and customer service) are positively related to buyer-seller swift guanxi, which influences repurchase intention. Additionally, men are driven mainly by perceived control and service convenience when establishing swift guanxi, whereas women care more about customer service.
Originality/value
Online service quality is the key factor underlying customer repurchase intention. In addition, gender differences exist in many aspects of online shopping including information processing, perceived service, and perceived risk. This is one of the first empirical studies that empirically examine the effects of three dimensions of online service quality on swift guanxi and take gender differences into consideration. Based on the conceptual and empirical evidence, this study provides the practical and theoretical implications of these findings.
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Haiyan Zhou, Hanwen Chen and Zhirong Cheng
In this paper, we investigate whether internal control and whether corporate life cycle would affect firm performance in the emerging markets of China.
Abstract
Purpose
In this paper, we investigate whether internal control and whether corporate life cycle would affect firm performance in the emerging markets of China.
Methodology/approach
We use Chen, Dong, Han, and Zhou’s (2013) internal control index on the effectiveness of internal control and Dickinson’s (2011) definition on firm life cycle. We use multivariate regression analysis.
Findings
We find that the internal control improves corporate performance. When dividing firm life cycle into five stages: introduction, growth, mature, shake-out and decline, we find that the impacts of internal control on firm performance vary with different stages. The positive impact of internal control on firm performance is more significant in maturity and shake-out stages than other stages.
Research limitations/implications
Our findings would have implications for the regulators and policy makers with regards to the importance of internal control in corporate governance and the effectiveness of implementing standards and guidelines on internal control in public firms.
Practical implications
In addition, our findings on the various roles of internal control at different stages of firm life cycle would help managers and board of directors find more focus in risk management and board monitoring, respectively.
Originality/value
Although the prior literature have examined the link between internal control, information quality and cost of equity capital (Ashbaugh-Skaife, Collins, Kinney, & LaFond, 2009; Ogneva, Subramanyam, & Raghunandan, 2007), our study would be the first attempt to investigate the link between internal control and firm performance during different stages of firm life cycles.
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Yuqi Zhang, Xue Chen and Chunping Tan
This paper aims to understand how quantum leaders influence employee work behavior through effective tasks.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to understand how quantum leaders influence employee work behavior through effective tasks.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, 516 questionnaires were collected using the interval data method to explore the triggering mechanisms and paths of emerging quantum leadership on constructive deviance.
Findings
The findings indicate that quantum leadership promotes constructive deviance through facilitating recovery experience (affective path), job crafting (task path) and the chained mediation path between the two. Additionally, the moderating effect of openness to experience strengthens the pathways between quantum leadership and recovery experience, and between quantum leadership and job crafting.
Research limitations/implications
This study focuses closely on the mechanism of leadership behavior on employees, neglecting the psychological state and behavior of the leader as a key resource element in the work environment. Quantum leadership emphasizes value-bound characteristics, so the role played by quantum leaders may vary in different cultures and values.
Practical implications
First, this study calls for the organizational management focusing on the advantages of quantum leadership thinking and its positive effects in practice. Second, the mediating mechanisms of recovery experience and job crafting provide insights into how quantum leadership can be used to enhance constructive deviance. Third, this study elucidates how individual responses to organizational environment and leadership style vary in management practices. Our study helps managers better understand how individual characteristics, such as openness to experience, influence managerial behavior.
Social implications
This study enriches the qualitative research on emerging “quantum” perspectives of leadership, expands the mechanism of employee constructive deviance and highlights the need for organizations to take measures that encourage constructive deviance by their employees, as this can lead to high-quality and long-term growth.
Originality/value
Based on conservation of resources theory, authors revealed the mechanisms by which quantum leadership influences employees’ constructive deviance, confirming the mediating role of recovery experience and job crafting as well as the moderating role of openness to employee experience. We explored the moderating mechanisms of the individual trait of openness to experience in the quantum leadership-to-job crafting and the recovery experience-to-job crafting.
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Xue Chen, Zhaohua Zhang and Yutong Yang
The purpose of this paper is to explore the distribution of local thermal sensitivity of human body heating and the local preferred heating temperature, and the influence of this…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the distribution of local thermal sensitivity of human body heating and the local preferred heating temperature, and the influence of this sensitive division on thermal response when heating human body in cold environment.
Design/methodology/approach
Eight subjects were invited to use carbon fiber heating patches in an environment of 5 and RH 50%, and eight body parts were selected to explore the heating sensitivity. By measuring the skin temperature and evaluating the subjective thermal sensation and thermal comfort, the thermal sensitivity of local body segments and the influence of single-zone and double-zone heating on human thermal response were explored.
Findings
The sensitivity of local heating on overall thermal sensation (OTS) was foot > back > chest > abdomen > waist > elbow > hand > knee. Both single-zone and double-zone heating can improve the OTS, but double-zone heating can reach thermal neutrality and thermal comfort. In order to prevent the high temperature of heating patches from damaging human body, the local skin temperature should be monitored in the design of local heating clothing, and 39.6 should be taken as the upper limit of local skin temperature.
Originality/value
The results provide a theoretical basis for the selection of heating position in local electric heating clothing (EHC) and the design of intelligent temperature adjustment heating clothing, improve the performance of local EHC and reduce energy consumption.
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Lino Costa and Rui Vilar
The purpose of this paper is to review the state of the art of laser powder deposition (LPD), a solid freeform fabrication technique capable of fabricating fully dense functional…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to review the state of the art of laser powder deposition (LPD), a solid freeform fabrication technique capable of fabricating fully dense functional items from a wide range of common engineering materials, such as aluminum alloys, steels, titanium alloys, nickel superalloys and refractory materials.
Design/methodology/approach
The main R&D efforts and the major issues related to LPD are revisited.
Findings
During recent years, a worldwide series of R&D efforts have been undertaken to develop and explore the capabilities of LPD and to tap into the possible cost and time savings and many potential applications that this technology offers.
Originality/value
These R&D efforts have produced a wealth of knowledge, the main points of which are highlighted herein.
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Seema Garg, Namrata Pancholi, Anamica Singh and Anchal Luthra
Metaverse is one of the technologies that has the most promise for the future. However, there is less discussion about teaching using the metaverse. It is possible that most of…
Abstract
Metaverse is one of the technologies that has the most promise for the future. However, there is less discussion about teaching using the metaverse. It is possible that most of the educators are ignorant of the metaverse’s features and its potential uses. The objective of this chapter is to define the metaverse precisely and discusses the various applications, characteristics, and challenges of metaverse in Education. This chapter explores the pioneering efforts in leveraging the metaverse for educational purposes, highlighting key examples and their impact on the learning experience. The possible applications of metaverse and research encounters in context to education are further reviewed and then explained and included the Artificial Intelligence (AI) functions in the world of metaverse along with learning based on metaverse. Researchers in the domains of educational technology and computer science shall advance an inclusive insight of the metaverse and its potential applications in education using various metaverse techniques like gamified learning, virtual learning, etc. Also, the metaverse role in education starting from the perception of AI has been covered.
The Metaverse, a dynamic convergence of real and digital spaces powered by Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR), presents a transformative frontier for businesses to…
Abstract
The Metaverse, a dynamic convergence of real and digital spaces powered by Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR), presents a transformative frontier for businesses to expand consumer engagement. It offers a three-dimensional web-powered realm where users can immerse themselves in real-life scenarios and simulations from the convenience of their own devices, fostering real-time interaction and uninterrupted business operations. Integrating technologies like VR, AR, Cloud, Blockchain, and IoT, the Metaverse has already made significant strides across industries, providing consumers with unique digital experiences. Businesses can leverage this to enhance their brand awareness, establish stronger customer connections, and provide immersive shopping experiences, making traditional advertising appear antiquated. Major global companies have already embraced this technology, and the Metaverse represents an innovative digital platform with limitless possibilities, rapidly evolving with enabling technologies. This chapter delves into the potential of the Metaverse to bolster brand development and its recent growth, exploring the practical applications for businesses in the near future.
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Mengran Liu, Ze ming Jian, Guojun Zhang, Nan Guo and Wendong Zhang
The purpose of this paper is to present a novel nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) packaging structure, which can solve the problems of the low sensitivity, narrow frequency band and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a novel nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) packaging structure, which can solve the problems of the low sensitivity, narrow frequency band and fluctuating frequency response curve of the MEMS bionic vector hydrophone.
Design/methodology/approach
A 0.05-mm-thick NBR sound-transparent cap was designed by theoretical analysis and simulation to reduce the signal attenuation caused by the packaging structure, and the frequency band of the hydrophone has been extended to 4 kHz. In this work, the vector hydrophone was fabricated by the MEMS technology and packaged with the NBR sound-transparent cap. The performance indicators were calibrated in the National Defence Underwater Acoustics Calibration Laboratory of China.
Findings
The results show that the sensitivity of NBR-packaged hydrophone reaches −170 dB (±2 dB), and the difference is less than 1 dB compared to bare chip. And the frequency band is 50 Hz-4 kHz. The hydrophone also has good directional pattern in the form of an 8-shape, and the pressure-resisting ability is more than 2 MPa.
Originality/value
The packaging structure significantly increases the sensitivity of the hydrophone and broadens the frequency band, providing a new method in the packaging design for MEMS hydrophone.