Li Zhang, Linshan Ding, Saif Ullah, Tao Hu, Yangyang Xu, Li Chen and Muhammad Hanif
The principle of the medial axis calculation is complicated and difficult to implement. Moreover, the accuracy is not high. Then, as the generated path has an endpoint at the…
Abstract
Purpose
The principle of the medial axis calculation is complicated and difficult to implement. Moreover, the accuracy is not high. Then, as the generated path has an endpoint at the boundary of the polygon, burrs may appear on the surface of the molded piece. This paper aims to improve the warpage deformation of SLM molded parts and the surface quality of molded parts, an improved mid-axis path generation algorithm is proposed.
Design/methodology/approach
First, the center point is calculated by the seed point growth method based on the distance transform, and the obtained medial axis has high precision and is suitable for simple polygons and complex polygons. Then, based on the extracted medial axis, a preliminary path is generated, the path is trimmed with MATLAB to remove the redundant path. Finally, a scan along the contour of the polygon is performed to improve the surface quality of the molded part.
Findings
The algorithm reduces the internal stress generated during the molding process by continuously changing the scanning direction of the path along the boundary curve of the scanning area, thereby reducing the amount of warpage of the molded part. The result of extraction has a higher precision and wider scope of application than other methods to extract central axis, such as the Voronoi diagram-based method. The path is trimmed to remove redundant paths and the polygon boundaries are scanned to further improve the surface quality of the molded part. The results show that warpage deformation of the proposed algorithm is significantly smaller than the other two methods, thus the forming precision is higher.
Originality/value
An improved medial axis path generation algorithm is proposed in this paper. The proposed method is applied to improve warpage deformation occurring in the SLM process. Seed point growth of distance transformation is used to extracted central axis. The result of extraction has a higher precision and wider scope of application than other methods to extract central axis, such as the Voronoi diagram-based method.
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Xiao Tan, Yangyang Jiang, Abby Jingzi Zhou, Steven Shijin Zhou and Daoyou Wu
Drawing on social information processing theory and work-as-calling theory, this study explores the impact of mentoring within the Chinese context – which encompasses the roles of…
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing on social information processing theory and work-as-calling theory, this study explores the impact of mentoring within the Chinese context – which encompasses the roles of both mentors and senior mentees – on the calling and turnover intention of junior mentees in the hospitality industry.
Design/methodology/approach
Survey questionnaires were administered to collect 222 valid responses from frontline hotel employees in China. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was adopted to test the hypotheses. We further conducted several post hoc interviews to gain a deeper understanding of the relationships examined.
Findings
Chinese mentoring positively affects mentees’ perceiving and living a calling, which in turn reduces their turnover intention. Junior mentees’ liking of their senior mentees further amplifies the negative effect of living a calling on their turnover intention.
Originality/value
This study enriches the literature on calling by exploring the antecedents of perceiving a calling and the boundary conditions that enhance the effect of living a calling on turnover intention. Additionally, our study highlights the unique aspect of Chinese mentorship as resembling a family-like relationship, a characteristic shaped by the pervasive influence of Confucianism in China, which enriches the existing literature on mentorship studies.
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This paper aims to discuss the effects of COVID-19 on hotel marketing and management practices and outlines a three-pronged research agenda to stimulate knowledge development in…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to discuss the effects of COVID-19 on hotel marketing and management practices and outlines a three-pronged research agenda to stimulate knowledge development in the hotel sector.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is based on an overview of the relevant literature on hotel marketing and management and the hotel guest behavior. The authors also investigated hospitality service trends to propose a research agenda.
Findings
This paper presents a research agenda from three dimensions – artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, hygiene and cleanliness and health and health care. First, different types of AI (mechanical, thinking and feeling) might open up distinct research streams at the intersection of health crises and hotel management, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, this paper recommends that researchers move beyond typical perspectives on the antecedents and outcomes of hotel hygiene and cleanliness to delve into guests’ perceptions of the cleanliness of specific hotel surfaces. Furthermore, a more in-depth analysis is warranted about the evolving relationship between hotels and the health-care sector.
Practical implications
The recommended research areas are intended to advance the knowledge base to help hotels recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The suggested research streams are expected to provide actionable insights to promote the development and sustainability of the hotel sector.
Originality/value
This paper appears to be a frontier study, critically examining possible effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on hotel marketing and management practices and how hoteliers may respond to such challenges to recover after this pandemic.
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Yang Yang, Jia Xu, Jonathan P. Allen and Xiaohua Yang
This study examines the impact of formal and informal institutional distances on the foreign ownership strategies of emerging market firms (EMFs).
Abstract
Purpose
This study examines the impact of formal and informal institutional distances on the foreign ownership strategies of emerging market firms (EMFs).
Design/methodology/approach
This is an empirical study relying on two sets of data collected over two time periods, 2006–2008 and 2017–2019, for publicly-listed Chinese companies.
Findings
Greater formal institutional distances in the host and home countries make EMFs less likely to use joint ventures (JVs), while greater informal distances make EMFs more likely to use the JVs. When both formal and informal institutional distances are high, the use of JVs is more likely. These results are affected by the goal of the foreign direct investment (FDI) project, with strategic asset-seeking (SAS) FDI projects favoring the use of wholly owned subsidiaries (WOSs).
Research limitations/implications
This study relies on cross-sectional data from publicly-listed Chinese companies, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.
Practical implications
EMFs investing in advanced countries should carefully assess the tradeoffs between transactional cost efficiency and legitimacy in making their foreign ownership decisions. If the goal is to access strategic assets, EMFs should consider WOSs to ensure the transfer of strategic assets and create value for the parent company.
Originality/value
The findings show that formal and informal distances between institutions have different impacts on foreign ownership strategies, providing empirical evidence for the need to balance conflicting cost-efficiency and legitimacy considerations when businesses make such strategic decisions. The authors show how this balance depends on the goal of the FDI project.
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Payal S. Kapoor, M.S. Balaji and Yangyang Jiang
This study aims to examine the effectiveness of sustainability communication on social media. More specifically, the effects of message appeal (sensual vs guilt) and message…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the effectiveness of sustainability communication on social media. More specifically, the effects of message appeal (sensual vs guilt) and message source (hotel vs social media influencer [SMI]) on perceived environmental corporate social responsibility and the intention to stay at the eco-friendly hotel were examined.
Design/methodology/approach
Three studies using the experimental design were carried out. Study 1 examined the relationship between message appeal (sensual vs guilt), perceived environmental social corporate responsibility and the intention to stay at the eco-friendly hotel when the hotel posts sustainability messages on social media. Study 2 replicated Study 1 findings when the SMI posts sustainability messages. Study 3 examined the moderating role of message source (hotel vs influencer) in the effects of message appeal (sensual vs guilt) on behavioral intentions.
Findings
Sustainability messages with the sensual (vs guilt) appeal are more persuasive when the eco-friendly hotel (vs SMI) posts it on social media. Furthermore, the traveler’s perception of the hotel’s environmental corporate social responsibility mediates this relationship.
Research limitations/implications
This study extends the literature on sustainability communication by demonstrating the role of message source and message appeal in influencing the traveler’s perceptions and intentions toward eco-friendly hotels.
Practical implications
According to the study findings, eco-friendly hotels can motivate travelers to make pro-sustainable choices by accurately matching the message appeal with the message source in the sustainability communication on social media.
Originality/value
This study is one of the earliest studies that examine the congruency effect of message appeal and message source for sustainability communication on social media in the hospitality realm. The findings offer novel insights for eco-friendly hotels to develop effective sustainability communication on social media.
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Yubo Guo, Yangyang Su, Chuan Chen and Igor Martek
The Public–Private Partnership (PPP) modality plays an important role in the procurement of global infrastructure projects. Regarding PPP's complex transaction structure, pricing…
Abstract
Purpose
The Public–Private Partnership (PPP) modality plays an important role in the procurement of global infrastructure projects. Regarding PPP's complex transaction structure, pricing of a PPP project is critical to both parties where the government pursues a high value for money (VFM) and the investor strives to maximize its financial gains. Despite the straightforward win–win principle, a formidable compromise is often the case to end up with a fairly acceptable price, subject to many determinants such as the risk profile, expected return, technological innovation and capacities of both parties. Among them, this study chooses to examine the “managing flexibility” (MF) capacity of investors in pricing of a PPP project, in light of the widely recognized importance of a real-option perspective toward the long term, complex and uncertain PPP arrangement. This study addresses two major questions: (1) how is MF in PPP projects to be valued and (2) how are PPP projects to be priced when considering a project's MF value.
Design/methodology/approach
A binomial tree model is used to evaluate the MF value in PPP projects. Based on the developed MF pricing model, net present value (NPV) and adjusted VFM value are then calculated. Finally, a multi-objective decision-making method (MODM) was adopted to determine the optimal level of returns based on invested capital (ROIC), return on operation maintenance (ROOM) and concession period.
Findings
The applicability and functionality of the proposed model is investigated using a real project case. For a given return, extended NPV and adjusted VFM value were calculated and analyzed using sensitivity analysis. Factor influence is shown by the model to be dependent on factor impact on cash flow. Subsequently, a multi-objective decision-making (MODM) model was adopted to determine the optimal level of returns, where the solution approximates the real-world bidding price. Results confirm that the pricing model provides a reliable and practical PPP proposal pricing tool.
Originality/value
This study proposes an integrated framework for valuing MF in PPP projects and thus more accurately determine optimal pricing of PPP projects than revealed in extant research. The model offers a practical tool to aid in the valuation of PPP projects.
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Feifei Zhong, Guoping Liu, Zhenyu Lu, Lingyan Hu, Yangyang Han, Yusong Xiao and Xinrui Zhang
Robotic arms’ interactions with the external environment are growing more intricate, demanding higher control precision. This study aims to enhance control precision by…
Abstract
Purpose
Robotic arms’ interactions with the external environment are growing more intricate, demanding higher control precision. This study aims to enhance control precision by establishing a dynamic model through the identification of the dynamic parameters of a self-designed robotic arm.
Design/methodology/approach
This study proposes an improved particle swarm optimization (IPSO) method for parameter identification, which comprehensively improves particle initialization diversity, dynamic adjustment of inertia weight, dynamic adjustment of local and global learning factors and global search capabilities. To reduce the number of particles and improve identification accuracy, a step-by-step dynamic parameter identification method was also proposed. Simultaneously, to fully unleash the dynamic characteristics of a robotic arm, and satisfy boundary conditions, a combination of high-order differentiable natural exponential functions and traditional Fourier series is used to develop an excitation trajectory. Finally, an arbitrary verification trajectory was planned using the IPSO to verify the accuracy of the dynamical parameter identification.
Findings
Experiments conducted on a self-designed robotic arm validate the proposed parameter identification method. By comparing it with IPSO1, IPSO2, IPSOd and least-square algorithms using the criteria of torque error and root mean square for each joint, the superiority of the IPSO algorithm in parameter identification becomes evident. In this case, the dynamic parameter results of each link are significantly improved.
Originality/value
A new parameter identification model was proposed and validated. Based on the experimental results, the stability of the identification results was improved, providing more accurate parameter identification for further applications.
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Yi Wang, Jia Xu and Yangyang Jiang
The COVID-19 pandemic has substantially affected China’s tourism industry. Tourism small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with limited crisis response ability, might be…
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has substantially affected China’s tourism industry. Tourism small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with limited crisis response ability, might be difficult to recover after the pandemic. Regarding the impacts of the pandemic on rural tourism, income for rural attraction sites was almost zero; sightseeing, agri-tourism activities were ceased; and large amount of rural bed-and-breakfasts (B&Bs) faced business closure. However, through three cases, our study found that through either content innovation or process innovation, some B&Bs are able to recover speedily from the pandemic and develop sustainably. These innovations are important for their business strategy adjustment. Innovation creates more value for tourists and stakeholders by developing new service products or adjusting existing products. This chapter discusses the linkages between innovation and leadership. Through the investigation and analysis of three cases, the researchers found that the advantages of transformational leadership were reflected in the post-crisis management in different ways and effectively improved the innovation ability and sustainable development of post-crisis organizations. This study has enriched the literature on transformational leadership and post-crisis recovery of small tourism enterprises and has practical reference value for managers of small rural tourism companies.
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Sabina Alkire and Yangyang Shen
Most poverty research has explored monetary poverty. This chapter presents and analyzes the global multidimensional poverty index (MPI) estimations for China. Using China Family…
Abstract
Most poverty research has explored monetary poverty. This chapter presents and analyzes the global multidimensional poverty index (MPI) estimations for China. Using China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), we find China’s global MPI was 0.035 in 2010 and decreased significantly to 0.017 in 2014. The dimensional composition of MPI suggests that nutrition, education, safe drinking water, and cooking fuel contribute most to overall non-monetary poverty in China. Such analysis is also applied to subgroups, including geographic areas (rural/urban, east/central/west, provinces), as well as social characteristics such as gender of the household heads, age, education level, marital status, household size, migration status, ethnicity, and religion. We find the level and composition of poverty differs significantly across certain subgroups. We also find high levels of mismatch between monetary and multidimensional poverty at the household level, which highlights the importance of using both complementary measures to track progress in eradicating poverty.