Zhenqi Liu, Jie Wang, Jianhan Chen, Xiya Liu, Yibin Yin and Chaolei Ban
The purpose of this study is to explore the mechanism of branch pits and tunnels formation and increase the specific surface area and capacitance of anode Al foil for high voltage…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore the mechanism of branch pits and tunnels formation and increase the specific surface area and capacitance of anode Al foil for high voltage electrolytic capacitor by D.C. etching in acidic solution and neutral.
Design/methodology/approach
Al foil was first D.C. etched in HCl-H2SO4 mixed acidic solution to form main tunnels perpendicular to the Al surface, and then D.C. etched in neutral NaCl solution including 0.5 per cent C6H8O7 and Cu(NO3)2 with different concentration to form branch tunnels normal to Al surface. Between two etching, Cu nuclei were electroless deposited on the interior surface of main tunnels by natural occluded corrosion cell effect to form micro Cu-Al galvanic local cells. The effects of electroless deposited Cu nuclei on cross-section etching morphologies and electrochemical behavior of Al foil was investigated with SEM, polarization curve and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS).
Findings
The results show that sub branch tunnels can form along the main tunnels owing to the formation of Cu-Al micro-batteries, in which Cu is cathode and Al is anode. With increase in Cu(NO3)2 concentration, more Cu nuclei can be electroless deposited and serve as the favorable sites for branch tunnel initiation along the whole length of main tunnels, leading to enhancement in specific capacitance of anode Al foil.
Originality/value
Cu nuclei were electroless deposited on the interior surface of main tunnels by natural occluded corrosion cell effect to form micro Cu-Al galvanic local cells, which can serve as the favorable sites for branch tunnel initiation along the main tunnels to enhance specific capacitance of anode Al foil.
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Yin Pan and Tiejun Zhou
Due to the rapid urbanization in China, the living environment in urban areas improves considerably, while that in rural settlements does not improve remarkably, or even worsens…
Abstract
Due to the rapid urbanization in China, the living environment in urban areas improves considerably, while that in rural settlements does not improve remarkably, or even worsens. The purpose of the research is to propose an organizational approach to the improvement of the living environment in the poverty-stricken rural settlements and an architectural design pattern under a variety of requirements in the context of China’s rapid urbanization and socio-economic development in the redevelopment of rural settlements in Yongsheng Village, Lizhuang Town, Yibin City of Sichuan Province in Southwest China. In this redevelopment project, the architects, as the important third party, are not just architects in the traditional sense in that they are involved in the organizational process and architectural design throughout the whole project. The redevelopment project has been completed, and is aimed at providing a scientific redevelopment model and a design method for other rural residents by guiding them in the improvement of their living environment under a variety of restrictions.
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Mohsin Shafi, Lixi Yin, Yue Yuan and Zoya
This study aims to examine issues affecting the growth and survival of traditional handicraft enterprising community in Pakistan, and analyzes their strengths, weaknesses…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine issues affecting the growth and survival of traditional handicraft enterprising community in Pakistan, and analyzes their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, as well as develops strategic solutions to overcome the problems identified for their revival.
Design/methodology/approach
This exploratory study is based on a descriptive approach because it attempts to investigate the critical issues faced by traditional handicraft enterprising community. To operationalize the theoretical approach, this paper used a SWOT analysis of craft enterprising community. After thoroughly reviewing relevant literature, this study put forward strategic solutions for the revival of the traditional enterprising community. Moreover, secondary data on employment and gender wage gap were used to provide empirical evidence of the issues identified and emphasize the importance of strategic solutions.
Findings
This study found that traditional handicraft producers are facing many problems that hinder their survival and growth. This paper, therefore, makes some essential strategic recommendations on how to overcome these issues. The current research argues that Pakistan’s handicraft industry must be revived; else, centuries-old traditional culture and patrimonial knowledge will vanish. Moreover, there is a need to attract foreign investment to overcome resource limitations and improve the competitive capability of the enterprising community. Notably, government intervention is necessary for the revival of the traditional handicraft industry.
Originality/value
This study provides in-depth knowledge of issues faced by the Pakistani traditional handicraft enterprising community and suggests possible strategic solutions for the problems identified. Unlike previous studies, this research also discusses the essential characteristics of traditional handicrafts that differentiate them from identical mechanized products.
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The purpose of this paper is to investigate how to determine optimal investing stopping time in a stochastic environment, such as with stochastic returns, stochastic interest rate…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how to determine optimal investing stopping time in a stochastic environment, such as with stochastic returns, stochastic interest rate and stochastic expected growth rate.
Design/methodology/approach
Transformation method was used for solving optimal stopping problem by providing a way to transform path‐dependent problem into a path‐independent one. Based on option pricing theory, optimal investing stopping time was thought of as an optimal executed timing problem of American‐style option.
Findings
First, the authors transform a path‐dependent stop timing problem to a path‐independent one with transformation under very general conditions, to directly use the existing conclusion of optimal stopping time literature. Second, when dynamics of capital growth is homogeneous, the authors changed the two dimensional optimal stop timing problem into a single dimension problem based on the assumption of zero exercise costs. Third, the authors investigated the comparative dynamics about asset selling boundary on asset value, state variable and return predictability. With constant discount rate and growth rate, the optimal selling timing depends on the simple comparison between capital cost and growth rate.
Originality/value
The paper's contributions to analysis method may be as follows. The authors demonstrate how to transform a path‐dependent stopping problem into a path‐independent one under general conditions. The transform method in this article can be applied to other path‐dependent optimal stopping problems. In particular, a Riccati ordinary differential equation for the transformation is set up. In most examples commonly met in finance, the equation can be solved explicitly.
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Mohsin Shafi, Yongzhong Yang, Zoya, Liu Junrong, Imran Ur Rahman and Hina Fatima
Though certain characteristics of micro-firms affect the likelihood of their participation in external relationships, how cooperation in craft enterprises differs from low and…
Abstract
Purpose
Though certain characteristics of micro-firms affect the likelihood of their participation in external relationships, how cooperation in craft enterprises differs from low and high-tech enterprises has not been investigated yet. Therefore, this study aims to fill the above gap in the literature.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopts a descriptive approach by extensively reviewing relevant literature to explore the unique characteristics and nature of micro-firm's co-operative behavior. The theoretical approach of this research is grounded in resource-based view and dynamic capabilities theories.
Findings
This study finds that handicraft micro-firms possess special and unique characteristics that differentiate them from low- and high-tech firms. Further, handicraft micro-firms' co-operative behavior also differs from other firms in terms of cooperation motives, breadth, depth and factors that inhibit or promote cooperation. Additionally, in small handicraft firms, the co-operation is more informal, personal and through social networks, whereas in the corporate sector, it is more formal, direct and through supply chains. This study also argues that contrary to handicraft and low-tech firms, high-tech firms are more likely to cooperate with external partners and invest heavily in R&D for new product development (often radical in nature).
Originality/value
This study enriches our understanding of handicraft micro-firms' special and unique characteristics that differentiate them from low- and high-tech micro-firms. This research also provides in-depth knowledge to understand the handicraft micro-firms’ co-operative behavior and how it differs from low- and high-tech firms.
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Bingjun Li, Shuhua Zhang, Wenyan Li and Yifan Zhang
Grey modeling technique is an important element of grey system theory, and academic articles applied to agricultural science research have been published since 1985, proving the…
Abstract
Purpose
Grey modeling technique is an important element of grey system theory, and academic articles applied to agricultural science research have been published since 1985, proving the broad applicability and effectiveness of the technique from different aspects and providing a new means to solve agricultural science problems. The analysis of the connotation and trend of the application of grey modeling technique in agricultural science research contributes to the enrichment of grey technique and the development of agricultural science in multiple dimensions.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the relevant literature selected from China National Knowledge Infrastructure, the Web of Science, SpiScholar and other databases in the past 37 years (1985–2021), this paper firstly applied the bibliometric method to quantitatively visualize and systematically analyze the trend of publication, productive author, productive institution, and highly cited literature. Then, the literature is combed by the application of different grey modeling techniques in agricultural science research, and the literature research progress is systematically analyzed.
Findings
The results show that grey model technology has broad prospects in the field of agricultural science research. Agricultural universities and research institutes are the main research forces in the application of grey model technology in agricultural science research, and have certain inheritance. The application of grey model technology in agricultural science research has wide applicability and precise practicability.
Originality/value
By analyzing and summarizing the application trend of grey model technology in agricultural science research, the research hotspot, research frontier and valuable research directions of grey model technology in agricultural science research can be more clearly grasped.
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Changli Zeng, Lu Zhang and Jiangtao Li
The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of top management’s environmental responsibility audit (ERA) implementation on firms’ investment for environmental protection in…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of top management’s environmental responsibility audit (ERA) implementation on firms’ investment for environmental protection in China.
Design/methodology/approach
The sample comprises firms publicly traded on A-Share in China from 2011 to 2017. The authors used the ordinary least squares regression model to test the relation between ERA implementation and corporate environmental investment.
Findings
Firms’ environmental investment increases significantly after the ERA implementation. Compared to state-owned enterprises (SOEs), non-state-owned enterprises (non-SOEs) are more likely to increase their environmental investment after ERA implementation. Moreover, such change is more likely for non-heavily polluting enterprises (non-HPEs) compared to heavily polluting enterprises (HPEs).
Practical implications
This paper provides an in-depth analysis of the positive influence of environmental enforcement on corporate behavior, which could serve as reference for regulators on the latest environmental accounting practice in China and other emerging economies.
Social implications
This paper shows that clear assignment of environmental responsibility and subsequent assessment of environmental performance are contributing factors to effective and efficient implementation of an environmental management system.
Originality/value
Contributing to accounting and environmental management literature, this paper explains how mandated environmental audit incentivizes firms to deal with environmental issues. Because there is no prior research concerning the mandatory implementation of environmental audit in China, this paper is of high-innovatory value by providing a better understanding of environmental auditing and providing an economic explanation for government intervention as an effective means of mitigating environmental degradation in emerging economies.
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Abstract
Purpose
Sharing and disseminating debunking information are critical to correcting rumours and controlling disease when dealing with public health crises. This study investigates the factors that influence social media users' debunking information sharing behaviour from the perspective of persuasion. The authors examined the effects of argument adequacy, emotional polarity, and debunker's identity on debunking information sharing behaviour and investigated the moderating effects of rumour content and target.
Design/methodology/approach
The model was tested using 150 COVID-19-related rumours and 2,349 original debunking posts on Sina Weibo.
Findings
First, debunking information that contains adequate arguments is more likely to be reposted only when the uncertainty of the rumour content is high. Second, using neutral sentiment as a reference, debunking information containing negative sentiment is shared more often regardless of whether the government is the rumour target, and information containing positive sentiment is more likely to be shared only when the rumour target is the government. Finally, debunking information published by government-type accounts is reposted more often and is enhanced when the rumour target is the government.
Originality/value
The study provides a systematic framework for analysing the behaviour of sharing debunking information among social media users. Specifically, it expands the understanding of the factors that influence debunking information sharing behaviour by examining the effects of persuasive cues on debunking information sharing behaviour and the heterogeneity of these effects across various rumour contexts.
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Zhi Li, Jiuchang Wei, Dora Vasileva Marinova and Jingjing Tian
This paper aims to explore the explanations of “information effect” and “agency effect” of corporate diversification with cross-industry knowledge under a crisis situation.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the explanations of “information effect” and “agency effect” of corporate diversification with cross-industry knowledge under a crisis situation.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on an event study of 203 public companies’ crises in China between 2008 and 2018, the authors verify the information and agency effects of corporate diversification under a crisis situation by, respectively, examining the effects of interactions of corporate unrelated diversification with corporate transparency and knowledge deficiency attribution on the stock market’s responses to the crises.
Findings
It is found that corporate unrelated diversification serves as a buffer in protecting firm value while attribution of knowledge deficiency can be a burden. The buffering effect is stronger when the corporate transparency is higher but weaker when the crisis is attributed to be caused by corporate tacit knowledge deficiency.
Practical implications
Unrelated diversified firms should strengthen information communication with stakeholders so as to break down the stakeholders’ cross-industry knowledge barriers, and thus protect their own value at the crisis’ onset. Also, they can further buffer the loss by reducing stakeholders’ perceptions of the corporate tacit knowledge deficiency revealed in the crisis.
Originality/value
This study is the first to illustrate that the information and agency effects of corporate diversification strategy can be partially explained under a crisis situation, which provides meaningful insights about how firms can conduct knowledge management in their daily operations to deal better with corporate crises.