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This paper deconstructs the boundary-spanning technology innovation (BSTI) of manufacturing enterprises based on dual-meta and dual-degree perspective. We aim to explore the impact of differentiated internal reconfigurations on networking capabilities and, thus, different BSTIs and then reveal the optimal transformation paths of different BSTIs.

We use fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to conduct an empirical study on 128 manufacturing enterprises in China to reveal the heterogeneous combinatorial path of internal reconfigurations on BSTI through the networking capability, and the case analysis in specific technology fields of Haier, Gree, Midea and TBEA is used to verify our results. The transfer entropy (TE) method is used to reveal the best transformation paths of different BSTIs.

The results show that the manufacturing enterprises follow the “I,” “T,” “⊥” and “|” reconfiguration logic to effectively realize multiple boundaries breakthrough (MBB), tick boundaries breakthrough (TBB), multiple boundaries reproducing (MBR) and tick boundaries reproducing (TBR) BSTI, respectively. The BSTI has two adjacent transformations named “dual-meta transformations” and “dual-degree transformations.” Nonadjacent transformations follow the “clockwise” transformation law. In “quality transformation,” “degree” transforms first and then “meta” follows, while in “feature transformation,” “meta” transforms first and then degree follows.

Firstly, the scientific classification of BSTI is carried out to guide enterprises to carry out accurate BSTI. Secondly, the “internal reconfiguration-networking capability-BSTI” paths of manufacturing enterprises are explored. Finally, the different laws of different BSTIs’ transformations are revealed.

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), inherently vulnerable entities, prompting a pivotal question of how to enhance SMEs’ organizational resilience (OR) to withstand discontinuous crises. Although digital innovation (DI) is widely acknowledged as a critical antecedent to OR, limited studies have analyzed the configurational effects of DI on OR, particularly stage-based analysis.

Underpinned by the dynamic capabilities view, this study introduces a multi-stage dynamic capabilities framework for OR. Employing Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), digital product innovation (DPI), digital services innovation (DSI) and digital process innovation (DCI) are further deconstructed into six dimensions. Furthermore, we utilized fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to explore the configuration effects of six DI on OR at different stages, using data from 94 Chinese SMEs.

First, OR improvement hinges not on a singular DI but on the interactions among various DIs. Second, multiple equivalent configurations emerge at different stages. Before the crisis, absorptive capability primarily advanced through iterative DPI and predictive DSI. During the crisis, response capability is principally augmented by the iterative DPI, distributed DCI, and integrated DCI. After the crisis, recovery capability is predominantly fortified by the iterative DPI, expanded DPI and experiential DSI. Third, iterative DPI consistently assumes a supportive role in fortifying OR.

This study contributes to the extant literature on DI and OR, offering practical guidance for SMEs to systematically enhance OR by configuring DI across distinct stages.

This study aims to investigate the role of multidimensional social capital and consumer subjective well-being in online brand communities (OBCs). The aim was to provide practical guidance to global brand marketers for cultivating and strengthening OBC operations, optimizing consumer-brand-community relationships and creating value in the digital age.

A total of 576 valid questionnaires were collected through an online survey, and the model was tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling.

In OBCs, the cognitive dimension of social capital (i.e. shared language and shared vision) strongly affects the relational dimension of social capital (i.e. social trust and reciprocity). Both these dimensions also positively influence consumer community subjective well-being, which, in turn, enhances consumer brand subjective well-being. Thus, community subjective well-being has a mediating role in the aforementioned relationship, and brand community is an antecedent to brand subjective well-being.

Future studies should investigate other dimensions of social capital and well-being, as well as moderator variables, social environments and types of culture.

This study constructed a conceptual framework that focused on the effect of multidimensional social capital in OBCs to elucidate antecedents of brand subjective well-being from the perspectives of social networks and relationships. Moreover, it examined how brands strategically expand their clientele base with regard to target customers.

This study aims to investigate the impact of supply chain concentration (SCC) on corporate research and development (R&D) investment and determine the moderating roles of industry concentration and financing constraints on the relationship between SCC and R&D investment.

The study collected data from Chinese listed companies, used the fixed effects model to test the research hypotheses and further used the two-stage Heckman test and propensity score matching (PSM) to address potential endogeneity issues.

The result reveals a negative impact of SCC on corporate R&D investment. In addition, industry concentration mitigates the negative impact of SCC on corporate R&D investment, but financing constraints strengthen the negative impact.

This study introduces the concept of SCC and empirically tests its effect on R&D investment, further explaining the lack of corporate innovation. This study inspires companies to strengthen SC management and weigh the level of SCC with environmental factors.

This paper aims to clarify the friction properties of 304 steel surface modification. The surface modification includes laser texturing processing and nitriding treatment on 304 steel surface, and then the friction properties’ test was conducted on different friction directions and different upper test samples by using microfriction and wear testing machine.

The diameter and spacing of 100-, 150-, 200-, 300-μm pit array on the surface of 304 steel were calculated using a M-DPSS-50 semiconductor laser device. Then, the textured surface was nitriding-treated using a nitriding salt bath device. The chemical composition, surface morphology and surface microhardness of the composite-modified surface were measured by X-ray diffraction and by using an optical microscope and a microhardness tester. The tribological characteristics of the composite-modified surface were tested by MRTR microcomputer-controlled multifunctional friction and wear testing machine.

The result showed that a rule pit texture surface was obtained by the texture processing. The microhardness of nitriding treatment surface reached 574.27HV0.1, which significantly higher than 222.58HV0.1 of 304 steel. The composite-modified surface has excellent anti-friction and wear resistance properties when the upper specimen was GCr15 steel and ZrO2, respectively. The composite-modified surface has excellent anti-friction and anti-wear properties after long time friction under different angles. However, the friction coefficient and wear morphology of the friction pairs are not affected by the friction angle.

Because of the chosen research approach, the research results may lack generalizability. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test the proposed propositions further.

The paper conducted a systematic study of the tribological characteristics of 304 steel composite modification surface and provided a good basis for the extensive application of 304 steel.

The study provides a good basis for the extensive application of 304 steel.

This paper fulfils an identified need to study the extensive application of 304 steel.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the multiple paths of absorptive capacity’s (AC) effect on business performance (BP): direct effect and indirect effects through innovation and mass customization (MC).

The authors examined the role of innovation and MC capability on the relationship between AC and BP. Data from 278 Chinese firms in four manufacturing industries collected by questionnaire are used to empirically examine the proposed model by Structural equation modeling.

The results show that AC can directly enhance BP, and indirectly through innovation and MC capability. The study also finds that MC capability has a stronger mediating effect than innovation.

Prior studies have not yet built linkages between AC and BP with both innovation and MC’s effects. This study provides empirical evidence of the effects of AC on BP and three paths are discussed including AC’s direct effect and indirect effects through innovation and MC to firm’s BP. This study provides a new direction for executives to better understand the movement of knowledge along supply chain and in intra-organizational environment, and of the importance of innovation and MC capability since they are essential carriers for BP enhancement.

The operational carbon simulation in the building design stage is significant to life cycle carbon emissions. However, this process is challenging to reuse multi-source building information modeling (BIM) under different information availability. Thus, this study suggests an OpenBIM-based method for operational carbon simulation to integrate heterogeneous BIM models with different data accuracy, which can be applied across various stages of building design.

This study suggests a three-step method for operational carbon simulation using industry foundation classes (IFC). This method uses IfcSpace as the fundamental unit for limited data while using IfcDistributionElement for abundant data. Additionally, a case study proves the method's accuracy and efficiency by comparing it with existing tools.

Although the information availability is different, the simulation results of operational carbon are similar between schematic design and construction document design, with 1816.4 tCO2e/year and 1962.4 tCO2e/year, respectively. Furthermore, the case study shows a 16.9% carbon reduction through scheme optimization.

This study offers an approach that can directly utilize the multi-source heterogeneous BIM models to save time and reduce labor consumption. Using the space and the element as calculation units extends the simulation theory for evolving information accessibility across design stages.

As quality becomes increasingly prioritized in supply chain management, understanding how supply chain quality risk management (SCQRM) practices impact quality performance (QP) is essential. This study investigates the effects of two SCQRM practices – risk prevention (RP) and proactive product recall (PPR) – on QP, with a particular focus on the mediating role of supply chain quality integration (SCQI).

A structured survey was administered to gather data from 400 Chinese manufacturing firms. Structural equation modeling was employed to evaluate the proposed relationships among SCQRM practices (RP and PPR), SCQI and QP.

The findings reveal that both RP and PPR significantly and positively influence QP. Specifically, in the structural model, RP exerts a positive effect on SCQI, while PPR also positively impacts SCQI. Additionally, SCQI serves as a mediator between RP and QP, as well as between PPR and QP.

This study contributes to the supply chain management literature by elucidating the beneficial effects of RP and PPR on QP and identifying SCQI as a key mediating factor in these relationships. Leveraging information processing theory (IPT), the study provides new theoretical insights into the mechanisms through which SCQRM enhances QP via SCQI.

In recent years, with the increasingly serious urban water environmental pollution, the government has exerted considerable effort to promote the comprehensive improvement of the water environment and conducted numerous urban water environment treatment public–private partnership (PPP) projects (UWETP-PPP). The sustainability assessment of UWETP-PPP has important theoretical and practical significance for the public and private sectors to systematically evaluate the sustainability of projects and promote the sustainable development of projects. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to advance a method to evaluate the sustainability of UWETP-PPP.

The paper adopted fuzzy logic method to evaluate the sustainability of UWETP-PPP. First, this paper constructed the sustainability assessment indicator system of UWETP-PPP. Second, this paper determined the appropriate linguistic scale for assessing the performance ratings and importance weights of UWETP-PPP sustainability indicators and collected experts’ evaluations of the project through questionnaires. Then, the linguistic variables were approximated as fuzzy numbers through the concept of fuzzy theory. Finally, the sustainability of the project was determined and the weak sustainability aspects of the project were identified by calculation.

The feasibility of this method was verified by a specific case. And, the results of the case study showed that the UWETP-PPP in Xuchang City, China, was sustainable, and the indicators of weak sustainability of the project were identified, namely, internal return ratio (IRR), sustainable cash flow, provision of employment opportunities, energy efficiency, comprehensive use of water resources, use of innovation materials, renewal of project facilities, adoption of advanced engineering technology, use of construction waste and waste recycling and reuse. This paper also proposed corresponding suggestions for further improving the sustainability of the UWETP-PPP in Xuchang City, China.

This paper makes two contributions: first, the fuzzy logic method is applied to provide new ideas for a sustainability assessment of UWETP-PPP, and the assessment results facilitate ways to monitor and estimate the degree of sustainability. Second, the identified indicators of weak sustainability provide useful references for the public and private sectors regarding implementing appropriate measures to improve the sustainability level of UWETP-PPP.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the friction and sealing characteristics of narrow end face seal ring with spiral grooves for wet clutch by experiment.

The shallow spiral grooves are machined in the end face of narrow seal ring by laser, and all of other parameters of specimens are the same with the actual production. The investigation of friction and sealing characteristics are carried out by comparing the experiment results of end face seal ring with spiral grooves with the conventional seal ring without spiral grooves through friction coefficient test, volume leakage rate test and pv value test.

Comparing with conventional seal ring without spiral grooves, seal ring with spiral grooves experiences boundary lubrication, mixed lubrication and fluid film lubrication with the increase of rotation speed, whereas the conventional seal ring only experiences mixed lubrication. Besides this, the volume leakage rate is slightly larger, but the pv value is much larger than that of conventional seal ring.

Effect of spiral grooves on the friction and sealing characteristics of narrow end face seal ring for wet clutch is investigated. The improved lubrication performance can be achieved by shallow spiral grooves even if the distance of radius difference used to machine grooves is very small.