Kleopatra Konstantoulaki, Ioannis Rizomyliotis, Yifei Cao and Ioannis Christodoulou
This study aims to explore the effect of social media engagement on the determinants of behavioural intention. Specifically, the authors empirically research the three behavioural…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore the effect of social media engagement on the determinants of behavioural intention. Specifically, the authors empirically research the three behavioural intention determinants, namely, attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control (PBC), and confirm their effect on students' intention to enrol on a university online programme.
Design/methodology/approach
A conclusive research analysis is followed, and a moderation analysis is conducted to test the hypotheses of the model. Empirical evidence from 201 students in the UK higher education is used and a structural equation modelling approach is followed.
Findings
The findings suggest a significant effect of social media engagement on attitude, subjective norms and PBC. The latter three are confirmed as determinants of the intention to enrol on a university online programme. Mindfulness is found to positively moderate the effect of the three determinants on behavioural intention.
Originality/value
This study advances knowledge pertaining to the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) by highlighting the effect of social media engagement on the determinants of the intention to enrol on a university online programme. Additionally, the moderating role of mindfulness is also tested with regards to its effect on the relationship between behavioural intentions and its determinants.
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Yaxin Ma, Hong Zhang, Yifei Gao, Zhengxing Men, Ling He and Jianguo Cao
This paper aims to investigate the reason for natural gas leakage from transmission pipelines between Linyi and Shouguang in China during sealing tests, explore the failure…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the reason for natural gas leakage from transmission pipelines between Linyi and Shouguang in China during sealing tests, explore the failure mechanism and provide a reference for taking reasonable measures to prevent such accidents.
Design/methodology/approach
Failure analysis for the steel pipe has been addressed with different methods, such as microstructure analysis, inclusion analysis, corrosion product analysis, macro- and micro-morphology analyses and bacterially catalyzed experiments.
Findings
Several bulges were observed, especially at the bottom of the steel pipe sample, with the distribution and positioning not related to the weld. The inner surface of the steel pipe was severely corroded, and the oxide scale was flaking in many places. The greatest corrosion area was identified at the bottom of the steel pipe near the gas leakage point. Severe pitting and perforation corrosion in the pipeline were observed, and the main corrosion reaction products were Fe3O4, FeO and FeS. The grain orientation distribution near the crack (coarse grains <101> and fine grains <111> at the microcrack tip) indicates that fine grains may be beneficial in hindering crack propagation.
Originality/value
The principal mechanism for the corrosion failure is supposed to be due to the interaction of chloride ions with the sulfate-reducing microorganisms present and the stress corrosion cracking by chloride and sulfide formed by the sulfate-reducing microorganisms.
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Abstract
Purpose
Despite the increasing importance of boundary-spanning behaviors in construction projects, the research on how leader anger expressions impact employees’ boundary-spanning behaviors remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the impact of leader anger expressions on employees’ boundary-spanning behaviors in construction projects while exploring the mediating effect of work hope and the moderating effect of power distance orientation through the lens of social information processing theory.
Design/methodology/approach
The empirical data were collected from a questionnaire survey of 235 employees in construction projects, and the hypotheses were tested using the PROCESS program developed by Hayes.
Findings
This study demonstrated that leader anger expressions negatively affect employees’ work hope, and work hope mediates the relationship between leader anger expressions and employees’ boundary-spanning behaviors. Besides, the stronger the employees’ power distance orientation, the stronger the negative relationship between leader anger expressions and employees’ work hope, and the above mediating effect was also stronger.
Research limitations/implications
The use of cross-sectional data was unable to entirely infer a causal relationship between leader anger expressions and employees’ boundary-spanning behaviors. Additionally, the reliance on self-reported data inevitably introduced some common method bias.
Originality/value
Applying social information processing theory, this paper enriches the discourse on factors influencing employees’ boundary-spanning behaviors in construction projects. It also offers valuable insights for leaders in construction projects to manage their teams effectively.
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Lin-Lin Xie, Guixin Lin and Yifei Luo
This study aims to construct a “contractual–relational–governmental” 3D governance framework for new infrastructure projects (NIPs) within China’s distinct institutional context…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to construct a “contractual–relational–governmental” 3D governance framework for new infrastructure projects (NIPs) within China’s distinct institutional context. The primary objective is to explore the impact of multiple governance mechanisms on the NIP performance, thus identifying the key governance mechanisms and proposing targeted performance improvement strategies.
Design/methodology/approach
The research design follows a sequential mixed methodology of integrating qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis. Firstly, project governance and performance indicators were collected from relevant literature and expert interviews. Secondly, a questionnaire was developed, and data were collected through on-site and online means. Finally, the partial least square structural equation model (PLS-SEM) was utilized to examine and analyze the relationships between governance mechanisms and NIP performance.
Findings
Contractual, relational and governmental governance all have a certain role in promoting the NIP performance. Specifically, contract stringency, trust and governmental decision are the core elements of contractual, relational and governmental governance, respectively, while commitment does not significantly affect NIP performance. Generally, relational and governmental governance exert a more substantial influence compared to contractual governance, with governmental decision and trust being the most effective.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to the field by introducing PLS-SEM as a measurement tool for exploring the impact of multiple governance mechanisms on governance performance in NIPs. The results offer valuable insights for project managers, enabling them to concentrate on core factors while refining and optimizing governance mechanisms and strategies.
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Yifei Tong, Ruiwen Zhao, Wei Ye and Dongbo Li
Crane plays a very important role in national economy with greatly reduced labor intensity, improved production efficiency and promoted social development as an indispensable…
Abstract
Purpose
Crane plays a very important role in national economy with greatly reduced labor intensity, improved production efficiency and promoted social development as an indispensable auxiliary tool and process equipment. Therefore, its energy consumption becomes an unavoidable topic and in fact, energy consumption of crane is very huge. It has been proved to be the most cost-effective way for reducing energy consumption to establish and implement new energy efficiency standard. Thus, it is necessary to analyze and evaluate the energy efficiency for overhead crane so as to propose a new energy efficiency standard. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, four kinds of energy consumption sources of overhead crane is considered, based on which, an energy efficiency grading model for overhead crane based on BP neural network is proposed. Second, DS evidential theory is analyzed and based on it, an energy efficiency evaluation model based on BP neural network and DS evidential theory is proposed. The evaluation procedure is discussed in detail. Then, a case is demonstrated how the evaluation is carried out.
Findings
If overhead cranes with different energy consumptions need to be graded according to energy efficiency, the criterions to establish the energy efficiency labels for overhead cranes is proposed in this paper.
Practical implications
The research results can provide energy efficiency standard proposal of overhead crane for relative departments to monitor the design, manufacturing and use of overhead crane.
Originality/value
An energy efficiency grading model for overhead crane based on BP neural network is proposed. An energy efficiency evaluation model based on BP neural network and DS evidential theory is proposed.
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Purpose – The net increase in China's urban population in the last 50 years equals the current total population of the European Union. The scale and speed of urbanization in China…
Abstract
Purpose – The net increase in China's urban population in the last 50 years equals the current total population of the European Union. The scale and speed of urbanization in China requires a sustainable solution to unprecedented energy demands and elevated carbon emissions. As low-carbon development emerges in urban China, it offers a unique vantage point to examine some fundamental theoretical questions of the environmental state. How do structural socioeconomic changes affect the environmental state? Does the rise of the environmental state offer a basis for regulatory reform on a broader scale?
Methodology/approach – Case study of five low-carbon cities in China provides the empirical evidence for the analysis. The five cities represent a continuum in their levels of postindustrialization. I compare low-carbon development strategies in postindustrial cities with those strategies in industrial cities. Evidence is collected primarily by way of interviews with planning bureau officials, urban design professionals, involved NGOs, academics, and private sector individuals familiar with the matter.
Findings – First, in cities where the level of postindustrialization is high, state resources support innovative low-carbon development strategies that attempt to achieve emission reductions in a variety of sectors. In industrial cities, however, the environmental state's regulative power is limited to one or two (sub)sectors. Second, and more importantly, a new pattern of governance is emerging in postindustrial cities. Low-carbon development in postindustrial cities is a much less centralized process, having local levels of governments as key players of low-carbon policy making. When the environmental state intersects with the postindustrial city, it gives birth to a new urbanism that has profound implications for political structuring in China.
Research limitations – The analysis in this chapter is based on evidence from a purposefully selected set of Chinese cities, which may render the results biased. Future studies should aim for a more systematic analysis of cities in order to establish more generalizable conclusions. In addition, given the increasing availability of quantitative data at the city level in China, future studies should also seek to incorporate quantitative analyses to better substantiate existing knowledge derived from qualitative sources of evidence.
Originality/value of chapter – First, this chapter challenges the Western bias in the existing literature on the environmental state. The role of the civil society is far from salient in the Chinese context, and yet the environmental state demonstrates a robust level of activity despite the weak civil society. It therefore seems that a general theory of the environmental state can be built from existing literature, but needs to be sensitive to non-Western social conditions that might falsify parts of the theoretical claims. Second, the environmental state literature can be consolidated and further developed when examined in conjunction with other literatures in the modernity tradition. I have demonstrated the connection between the environmental state and the postindustrial city. More studies are needed to examine other facets of the environmental state, as it intersects with a multitude of (post)modern conditions.
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Xiao Meng, Chengjun Dai, Yifei Zhao and Yuan Zhou
This study aims to investigate the mechanism of the misinformation spread based on the elaboration likelihood model and the effects of four factors – emotion, topic, authority and…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the mechanism of the misinformation spread based on the elaboration likelihood model and the effects of four factors – emotion, topic, authority and richness – on the depth, breadth and structural virality of misinformation spread.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors collected 2,514 misinformation microblogs and 142,006 reposts from Weibo, used deep learning methods to identify the emotions and topics of misinformation and extracted the structural characteristics of the spreading network using the network analysis method.
Findings
Results show that misinformation has a smaller spread size and breadth than true news but has a similar spread depth and structural virality. The differential influence of emotions on the structural characteristics of misinformation propagation was found: sadness can promote the breadth of misinformation spread, anger can promote depth and disgust can promote depth and structural virality. In addition, the international topic, the number of followers, images and videos can significantly and positively influence the misinformation's spread size, depth, breadth and structural virality.
Originality/value
The influencing factors of the structural characteristics of misinformation propagation are clarified, which is helpful for the detection and management of misinformation.
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Yifei Mu, Zimin Jin, Yuxiu Yan and Jianwei Tao
In order to study whether far-infrared fabrics can be used as a garment for breast cancer patients, or as an adjuvant rehabilitation underwear for breast cancer patients after…
Abstract
Purpose
In order to study whether far-infrared fabrics can be used as a garment for breast cancer patients, or as an adjuvant rehabilitation underwear for breast cancer patients after postoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapy, to eliminate tissue edema. To explore the effect of different far-infrared fabrics on the proliferation and invasion of breast cancer cells as a basic in vitro study.
Design/methodology/approach
Six kinds of fabrics of the same specification with different far-infrared nanoparticles were selected. MCF7 and Bcap37 breast cancer cells were used to study the effect of far-infrared fabrics on cell proliferation and invasion. Six kinds of far-infrared fabrics were used to culture breast cancer cells and explore their effects on breast cancer cell growth and the difference between different far-infrared fabrics.
Findings
It is found that the far-infrared emissivity of six kinds of fabrics are different, among which tea carbon fabric is the highest, followed by volcanic fabric, graphene fabric and biomass graphene fabric are the lowest. The results show that the far-infrared fabrics can significantly inhibit the proliferation and invasion of breast cancer cells, the higher the far-infrared emissivity is, and the longer the time of far-infrared radiation, the more significant the inhibition effect is.
Originality/value
Far-infrared fabrics can inhibit proliferation and invasion of breast cancer cells in vitro. Therefore, far-infrared fabrics can be used for adjuvant rehabilitation of breast cancer patients. This conclusion provides a basis for the application of far-infrared functional fabrics in the medical field. This conclusion provides a basis for the application of far-infrared functional fabrics in medical field.
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Albert Wee Kwan Tan, Zhao Yifei, Dali Zhang and Olli-Pekka Hilmola
The purpose of this paper is to identify global trends in the third-party logistics (3PL) industry, and with that to find out where the opportunities and challenges lie, what the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify global trends in the third-party logistics (3PL) industry, and with that to find out where the opportunities and challenges lie, what the critical success factors are, and how companies can position themselves well in China. As there is currently very limited knowledge about the 3PL industry in China, this study also intends to shed light in this area.
Design/methodology/approach
The study is conducted through focus group interviews with senior executives of leading 3PL companies in China followed by a survey with 70 logistics companies.
Findings
The key strengths of the logistics industry in China include numerous factors such as good connectivity and new infrastructure, while its main weaknesses are a shortage of qualified staff and slow adoption of technologies. There are a number of concerns and issues raised, such as lack of qualified staff, oversupply of warehousing space in China, competition from the influx of foreign 3PL companies to China, and regulations on free trade zones, seaports and airports, all of which may have policy implications.
Research limitations/implications
As most of the logistics companies in the study are located and dominating in the Eastern and Southern China, it may be useful to conduct similar study in the new emerging western and central regions of China for comparison.
Practical implications
Managers and investors will appreciate the challenges and opportunities in logistics services in China and have a better insight into Chinese logistics development.
Originality/value
While China has been viewed as a cost effective place for manufacturing, the logistical costs in China are still very high as compared to other developed countries. This research will highlight the key reasons for the high logistical cost in China.
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Parveen Kumar, Pankaj Kumar and Vaibhav Aggarwal
This study aims to examine the determinants of adoption intention toward the rooftop solar photovoltaic (RSPV) systems among residents of peri-urban villages of Gurugram, Haryana…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the determinants of adoption intention toward the rooftop solar photovoltaic (RSPV) systems among residents of peri-urban villages of Gurugram, Haryana, India. This study also analyzes the impact of the adoption of RSPV systems on carbon neutrality from a behavioral perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
Data was collected using a self-administrated structured questionnaire from 208 male villagers (195 usable) of 22 villages using the purposive sampling technique.
Findings
Results revealed that relative advantage, followed by simplicity, trialability, observability and compatibility, positively and significantly impact villagers’ attitude toward adopting RSPV systems in their homes. Perceived severity and perceived vulnerability significantly influence the perceived behavioral control of villagers toward adopting the RSPV systems. The results show villagers’ attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control are the essential predictors of their adoption intention of the RSPV systems. Most notably, carbon neutrality was significantly affected by villagers’ adoption intention of RSPV systems as the renewable energy source in their homes.
Originality/value
The findings of this study provide that innovation attributes are important factors in shaping the adoption intentions of customers toward RSPV systems. This study is also the extent of previous studies measuring customers’ perception of adopting renewable energy in developed and emerging countries worldwide.