Jie Yang, Hongming Xie, Jifu Wang and Yingnan Yang
This study aims to examine the impact of supplier relationship quality on curtailing opportunism and promoting cooperation between the exchange partners. It also investigates the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the impact of supplier relationship quality on curtailing opportunism and promoting cooperation between the exchange partners. It also investigates the contingent impact of contract specificity on the relationships and assesses performance implications of relationship quality for both buyer and its major supplier in the exchange.
Design/methodology/approach
Confirmatory factor analysis and path analysis were performed based on data collected from manufacturers in a survey. The hypotheses were tested using path analysis.
Findings
The findings of this study indicate a pivotal role of supplier relationship quality in suppressing opportunism and enhancing cooperation between exchange parties, which lead to dyadic performance. Furthermore, the effect of supplier relationship quality is strengthened by contract specificity.
Originality/value
This study adds value to the existing streams of studies in several ways. First, informed by the nexus of relational capital theory and transaction cost economics, the authors emphasize the pivotal role of relationship quality in curtailing opportunism and fostering cooperation and the moderating effect of contract specificity on the above linkages. Second, this study provides empirical evidence of the mechanism of the effect of contract specificity on opportunism and cooperation.
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Jie Yang, Hongming Xie, Guangsheng Yu, Mingyu Liu and Yingnan Yang
This study examines the operational and relational governances as antecedents of cooperation commitment in buyer–supplier exchanges. It also assesses the impact of cooperation…
Abstract
Purpose
This study examines the operational and relational governances as antecedents of cooperation commitment in buyer–supplier exchanges. It also assesses the impact of cooperation commitment on operational performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Path analysis was performed on the data collected from manufacturers.
Findings
The results of this study show that both operational and relational governances exert impact on cooperation commitment, which, in turn, is associated with operational performance improvement.
Originality/value
First, this is the first study employing the reciprocity theory to theorize the conceptual framework of the governance antecedents of cooperation commitment and operations excellence effect. Second, the study highlights how the research framework can enrich the reciprocity theory in exploring the mechanisms of the operational and relational governances of buyer–supplier exchanges and their impact on the commitment to the cooperation. Third, this study extends the reciprocity theory to examine in detail how cooperation commitment exerts impact on the operational performance.
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Ying Nan Yang and Mohan M. Kumaraswamy
This paper aims to present approaches towards improving some specific infrastructure maintenance principles, strategies, models and practices, based on a recent study of bridge…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to present approaches towards improving some specific infrastructure maintenance principles, strategies, models and practices, based on a recent study of bridge management systems in Hong Kong. A specific goal is to develop better informed and more systematic approaches to condition assessment, deterioration forecasting, and maintenance decision making over the life‐cycle of the built asset.
Design/methodology/approach
Improved performance prediction and decision‐making approaches are developed and presented based on a research exercise to formulate a maintenance management framework for concrete bridge elements in Hong Kong. This includes for example, the presentation of decision‐making approaches for optimizing inspection intervals on bridge expansion joints.
Findings
The findings show that judicious integration is needed in incorporating valuable elements of, and lessons learned from, previous practice with proposed new strategies/ principles, models and practices for specific scenarios.
Practical implications
Based on the findings, practitioners' understandings can be deepened as regards the barriers to improving condition assessment, deterioration forecasting, and maintenance decision making over the life‐cycle of the built asset. Furthermore, the results also provide useful information for developing strategies and practices to improve currently used infrastructure management systems.
Originality/value
Major obstacles are overcome in developing better informed and more systematic approaches as above, and in extending current knowledge on condition assessment, performance prediction and decision‐making models by utilizing more pertinent data and addressing some barriers in practical implementation.
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Yingnan Shi and Chao Ma
This study aims to enhance the effectiveness of knowledge markets and overall knowledge management (KM) practices within organisations. By addressing the challenge of internal…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to enhance the effectiveness of knowledge markets and overall knowledge management (KM) practices within organisations. By addressing the challenge of internal knowledge stickiness, it seeks to demonstrate how machine learning and AI approaches, specifically a text-based AI method for personality assessment and regression trees for behavioural analysis, can automate and personalise knowledge market incentivisation mechanisms.
Design/methodology/approach
The research employs a novel approach by integrating machine learning methodologies to overcome the limitations of traditional statistical methods. A natural language processing (NLP)-based AI tool is used to assess employees’ personalities, and regression tree analysis is applied to predict and categorise behavioural patterns in knowledge-sharing contexts. This approach is designed to capture the complex interplay between individual personality traits and environmental factors, which traditional methods often fail to adequately address.
Findings
Cognitive style was confirmed as a key predictor of knowledge-sharing, with extrinsic motivators outweighing intrinsic ones in market-based platforms. These findings underscore the significance of diverse combinations of environmental and individual factors in promoting knowledge sharing, offering key insights that can inform the automatic design of personalised interventions for community managers of such platforms.
Originality/value
This research stands out as it is the first to empirically explore the interaction between the individual and the environment in shaping actual knowledge-sharing behaviours, using advanced methodologies. The increased automation in the process extends the practical contribution of this study, enabling a more efficient, automated assessment process, and thus making critical theoretical and practical advancements in understanding and enhancing knowledge-sharing behaviours.
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Jian Ding, Xiaotong Jiang, Yuchun Zou, Zhen Tang and Ziyang Zhen
A multivariable model reference adaptive control method is proposed to solve a distributed leader–follower formation control problem of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with…
Abstract
Purpose
A multivariable model reference adaptive control method is proposed to solve a distributed leader–follower formation control problem of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with uncertain parameters and unknown external disturbances for both leader and followers.
Design/methodology/approach
A case of uncertain stochastic external disturbances for UAVs is considered, and based on the distributed communication network of UAVs, a state-feedback adaptive controller is proposed to maintain the formation of UAVs consistently. Then, the stability and asymptotic tracking performance of the UAV formation control system are analyzed by the Lyapunov function.
Findings
The simulation results demonstrate that this formation control scheme can effectively solve the stochastic external disturbance problem of UAVs and ensure the stability of their formation.
Originality/value
The proposed multivariable model reference adaptive control method reduces the error of formation control system and improves the stability and control performance of UAV compared with fixed control.
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Xinyan Lv, Yisheng Liang, Jiang Zhong and Haifeng He
The silicone modifications of two-component epoxy resin coatings are commonly built on epoxy resins rather than on epoxy curing agents. The silicone-modified epoxy curing agent…
Abstract
Purpose
The silicone modifications of two-component epoxy resin coatings are commonly built on epoxy resins rather than on epoxy curing agents. The silicone-modified epoxy curing agent system is rarely reported yet. This study aims to prepare the polysiloxane (PS)-modified waterborne epoxy coatings based on aqueous curing agents technology.
Design/methodology/approach
Waterborne epoxy curing agents with different contents of terminal epoxy PS were synthesized by reacting with triethylenetetramine, followed by incorporating of epoxy resin (NPEL-128) and polyethylene glycol diglycidyl ether. The waterborne epoxy coatings were prepared with the above curing agents, and their performance was investigated through thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, mechanical characterization, gloss measurement, chemical resistance test and ultraviolet (UV) aging experiment.
Findings
The results showed that the epoxy coating prepared by silicon-modified curing agent has higher gloss, better chemical resistance and UV resistance than the coating from unmodified curing agent with terminal epoxy PS and commercially available waterborne epoxy curing agent (Aradur 3986), as well as the competitive mechanical properties and heat resistance. Reduced water absorption on fibrous paper was also obtained with the help of silicon-modified curing agent.
Originality/value
These findings will be valuable for resin researchers in addressing the modification issues about waterborne epoxy resin and curing agent.
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The profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the film industry has underscored the growing significance of online movies. However, there is limited research available on the…
Abstract
Purpose
The profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the film industry has underscored the growing significance of online movies. However, there is limited research available on the factors that influence the viewership of online films. Therefore, this study aims to use the signaling theory to investigate how signals of varying qualities affect online movie viewership, considering both signal transmission costs and prices.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses a sample of 1,071 online movies released on the iQiyi from July 2020 to July 2022. It uses OLS regression and instrumental variable method to examine the impact of various quality indicators on the viewership of online movies, as well as the moderating effect of price.
Findings
After conducting a thorough analysis of this study, it can be deduced that the varying impacts on online movie viewership are attributed to disparities in signal transmission costs. Specifically, star influence and rating exhibit a positive effect on the viewership of online movies, whereas the number of raters has a detrimental impact. Furthermore, there exists an “inverted U-shaped” relationship between the number of reviews and online movie viewership. Additionally, within the consumer decision-making process, both price-cost and price-quality relationships coexist. This is evident as prices negatively affect online movie viewership but positively moderate the relationship between rating, number of reviews and online movie viewership.
Originality/value
The research findings of this study offer valuable insights for online film producers to effectively leverage quality signals and pricing, thereby capturing market attention and enhancing film profitability.
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Weihua Deng, Ming Yi and Yingying Lu
The helpfulness vote is a type of aggregate user representation that, by measuring the quality of an online review based on certain criteria, can allow readers to find helpful…
Abstract
Purpose
The helpfulness vote is a type of aggregate user representation that, by measuring the quality of an online review based on certain criteria, can allow readers to find helpful reviews more quickly. Although widely applied in practice, the effectiveness of the voting mechanism is unsatisfactory. This paper uses the heuristic–systematic model and the theory of dynamics of reviews to shed light on the effect of various information cues (product ratings, word count and product attributes in the textual content of reviews) on online reviews’ aggregative voting process. It proposes a conceptual model of seven empirically tested hypotheses.
Design/methodology/approach
A dataset of user-generated online hotel reviews (n = 6,099) was automatically extracted from Ctrip.com. In order to measure the variable of product attributes as a systematic cue, the paper uses Chinese word segmentation, a part-of-speech tag and word frequency statistics to analyze online textual content. To verify the seven hypotheses, SPSS 17.0 was used to perform multiple linear regression.
Findings
The results show that the aggregative process of helpfulness voting can be divided into two stages, initial and cumulative voting, depending on whether voting is affected by the previous votes. Heuristic (product ratings, word count) and systematic cues (product attributes in the textual content) respectively exert a greater impact on the two stages. Furthermore, the interaction of heuristic and systematic cues plays an important role in both stages, with a stronger impact on the cumulative voting stage and a weaker one on the initial stage.
Practical implications
This paper’s findings can be used to explore improvements to helpfulness voting by aligning it with an individual’s information process strategy, such as by providing more explicating heuristic cues, developing different methods of presenting relevant cues to promote the voting decision at different stages, and specifying the cognitive mechanisms when designing the functions and features of helpfulness voting.
Originality/value
This study explores the aggregative process of helpfulness votes, drawing on the study of the dynamics of online reviews for the first time. It also contributes to the understanding of the influence of various information cues on the process from an information process perspective.
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Xin Chen and Yingxi Liu
In Chinese libraries, short video platforms have emerged as a channel for new media marketing. Thus, this study aims to explore libraries’ communication influence on China’s…
Abstract
Purpose
In Chinese libraries, short video platforms have emerged as a channel for new media marketing. Thus, this study aims to explore libraries’ communication influence on China’s largest short video platform, that is, Douyin (the Chinese version of Tiktok), and to provide corresponding suggestions for improvement of libraries’ communication influence in the short video platform.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the Douyin Communication Index (DCI), this paper collects the top 200 library Douyin accounts of cultural reading in China and uses statistical and content analyses to evaluate the communication influence of library Douyin accounts.
Findings
Study findings show that libraries of various types and in various regions currently have an unbalanced development trend, with public libraries accounting for the vast majority and nearly half of the libraries located in China’s eastern region. Analysis of variance shows differences in the influence of Douyin communication among library types. Correlation analysis shows that indicators with a high correlation with DCI include the number of new works, likes, shares, and comments. In marketing content, the library’s high-impact short videos have characteristics of value, interest, and emotional touch.
Originality/value
This study uses a hybrid research method to explore Chinese libraries’ communication influence using the Douyin short video platform. Compared to other parts of the world, short videos in Chinese libraries have unique characteristics. They are rooted in China’s history and reality, showcasing the unique charm of Chinese library culture and serving as a unique reference for library marketing activities around the world.