Xintong Li, Yisheng Liu, S. Wilkinson and Tingting Liu
Sustainable houses remain at a low rate among the housing stock in New Zealand. Government, industry and the public are wanting to deliver homes that are energy and water…
Abstract
Purpose
Sustainable houses remain at a low rate among the housing stock in New Zealand. Government, industry and the public are wanting to deliver homes that are energy and water efficient, healthy and adaptive to the climate. The purpose of this paper is to find out the driving forces influencing the uptake of sustainable housing in New Zealand.
Design/methodology/approach
Comparative case studies of Hobsonville Point, Wynyard Quarter and Long Bay were adopted as the primary research method. Semi-structured interviews and an online survey were both conducted for data collection to increase the validity of the research.
Findings
Central and local governments were the most effective driving forces for encouraging sustainable housing. Corporate brand and leadership were critical drivers for public-owned companies, whereas private-owned companies were mainly driven by local governments’ policies and strategies. Social awareness and client demand were increasing to influence the sustainable housing, but there was still room for improvement.
Research limitations/implications
The developers can learn from the sustainable development frameworks to set the sustainability goals. Policymakers can draw lessons from the public sectors’ experiences to carry out new policies and inspire the private sectors to follow. Besides, the basic framework could help the further study to use a larger sample size and more rigorous statistical analysis to explore the synergies among the identified drivers.
Originality/value
This paper provides the useful information on how to promote the uptake of sustainable housing in New Zealand.
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Shiyu Wan, Yisheng Liu, Grace Ding, Goran Runeson and Michael Er
This article aims to establish a dynamic Energy Performance Contract (EPC) risk allocation model for commercial buildings based on the theory of Incomplete Contract. The purpose…
Abstract
Purpose
This article aims to establish a dynamic Energy Performance Contract (EPC) risk allocation model for commercial buildings based on the theory of Incomplete Contract. The purpose is to fill the policy vacuum and allow stakeholders to manage risks in energy conservation management by EPCs to better adapt to climate change in the building sector.
Design/methodology/approach
The article chooses a qualitative research approach to depict the whole risk allocation picture of EPC projects and establish a dynamic EPC risk allocation model for commercial buildings in China. It starts with a comprehensive literature review on risks of EPCs. By modifying the theory of Incomplete Contract and adopting the so-called bow-tie model, a theoretical EPC risk allocation model is developed and verified by interview results. By discussing its application in the commercial building sector in China, an operational EPC three-stage risk allocation model is developed.
Findings
This study points out the contract incompleteness of the risk allocation for EPC projects and offered an operational method to guide practice. The reasonable risk allocation between building owners and Energy Service Companies can realize their bilateral targets on commercial building energy-saving benefits, which makes EPC more attractive for energy conservation.
Originality/value
Existing research focused mainly on static risk allocation. Less research was directed to the phased and dynamic risk allocation. This study developed a theoretical three-stage EPC risk allocation model, which provided the theoretical support for dynamic EPC risk allocation of EPC projects. By addressing the contract incompleteness of the risk allocation, an operational method is developed. This is a new approach to allocate risks for EPC projects in a dynamic and staged way.
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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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Qiyuan Chen, Zebing Wei, Xiao Wang, Lingxi Li and Yisheng Lv
The purpose of this paper aims to model interaction relationship of traffic agents for motion prediction, which is critical for autonomous driving. It is obvious that traffic…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper aims to model interaction relationship of traffic agents for motion prediction, which is critical for autonomous driving. It is obvious that traffic agents’ trajectories are influenced by physical lane rules and agents’ social interactions.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, the authors propose the social relation and physical lane aggregator for multimodal motion prediction, where the social relations of agents are mainly captured with graph convolutional networks and self-attention mechanism and then fused with the physical lane via the self-attention mechanism.
Findings
The proposed methods are evaluated on the Waymo Open Motion Dataset, and the results show the effectiveness of the proposed two feature aggregation modules for trajectory prediction.
Originality/value
This paper proposes a new design method to extract traffic interactions, and the attention mechanism is used in each part of the model to extract and fuse different relational features, which is different from other methods and improves the accuracy of the LSTM-based trajectory prediction method.
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Zhou Baiqing, Wang Xiaowei, Li Qin and Peng Yisheng
Corrosion of carbon steel and copper is a troublesome problem in low hardness cooling water systems. A new kind of water stabiliser containing hydroxy phosphonocarboxylic acid…
Abstract
Corrosion of carbon steel and copper is a troublesome problem in low hardness cooling water systems. A new kind of water stabiliser containing hydroxy phosphonocarboxylic acid, zinc salts and molybdate has been developed. Its performance has been proved by means of weight loss tests and a static state scale‐inhibiting test method. The mechanism was also studied using polarisation tests, scanning electron microscope examination and XPS analysis. The test results showed that the corrosion rate of carbon steel and copper could be reduced to 0.0136 and 0.0010 mm/a, respectively. A compact film containing P, Mo and Zn was formed on the surface of carbon steel, by means of which the steel was protected.
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Based on the role theory, this study examines whether workplace age discrimination indirectly relates to older workers' bridge employment intentions through work meaningfulness.
Abstract
Purpose
Based on the role theory, this study examines whether workplace age discrimination indirectly relates to older workers' bridge employment intentions through work meaningfulness.
Design/methodology/approach
Study 1 used two-wave time-lagged survey data from one hundred and seventy nurses (≥45 years old) from the Midwestern United States. Study 2 used three-wave time-lagged survey data from one hundred and eighty-six employees from a wide range of occupations in the United States. The online survey contains various self-reports on workplace age discrimination, work meaningfulness, affective commitment, and bridge employment intentions.
Findings
Results in Study 1 found that workplace age discrimination was negatively and indirectly related to older nurses' bridge employment intentions through their experiences of work meaningfulness. Results in Study 2 further confirmed the mediating role of work meaningfulness in the relationship between age discrimination and bridge employment intentions, above and beyond the role of affective commitment.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the research by testing the indirect relationship between workplace age discrimination and older workers' bridge employment intentions through work meaningfulness, further raising our awareness of the importance of social and interpersonal experiences in older workers' preretirement jobs to their late-career development.
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Based on the theory of planned behavior, this study aims to examine antecedents of older workers' intentions to engage in postretirement work (PRW) and actual planning for PRW.
Abstract
Purpose
Based on the theory of planned behavior, this study aims to examine antecedents of older workers' intentions to engage in postretirement work (PRW) and actual planning for PRW.
Design/methodology/approach
A cross-sectional survey design was used. About 469 nurses (≥45 years old) from Midwestern United States completed an online survey containing various self-reports on attitude, perceived control, subjective norm, intentions to engage in PRW and actual planning for PRW.
Findings
Results found that attitude and subjective norm (but not perceived control) were positively related to older employees' intentions to engage in PRW. Perceived control was positively related to actual planning for PRW. PRW intentions mediated the effects of attitude and subjective norm on older workers' actual planning for PRW. Finally, perceived control enhanced the positive effect of PRW intentions on actual planning for PRW.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the research by testing the application of the theory of planned behavior to the literature on PRW, further increasing our knowledge of the roles of individuals' attitudinal and cognitive factors in predicting older employees' PRW intentions and actual planning for PRW.
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Wen Xing, Ping Yu Hsu, Yu-Wei Chang and Wen-Lung Shiau
The purpose of this paper is to investigate factors that influence the patients’ intentions to visit doctors face-to-face for consultations from the perspective of online…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate factors that influence the patients’ intentions to visit doctors face-to-face for consultations from the perspective of online doctor–patient interaction. Justice theory, SERVQUAL and the halo effect are integrated to develop a research model based on the performance-evaluation-outcome framework. The authors hypothesize that perceived justice and service quality are the significant factors in reflecting the performance of online doctor–patient interaction, which influences patient satisfaction evaluation and online and offline behavioral intentions.
Design/methodology/approach
The study conducted an online survey to collect data. Patients on a healthcare consulting website were invited to participate in the survey. The research model and hypotheses were tested with 254 collected data from patients and analyzed using the partial least squares method.
Findings
The results show that perceived justice and service quality have a positive effect on patient satisfaction, and satisfaction and the intention of online consultation have a positive effect on the intention of face-to-face consultation.
Practical implications
This study offers suggestions on how doctors interact with patients and build their brand image. The findings also offer effective insights into improving doctors’ online services to retain patients and even encourage patients to go to clinics.
Originality/value
Online health consultation is one of the most popular online health services and is growing quickly. After patients consult online doctors, they are able to visit their doctors in person for further diagnosis and treatment if they have the need. This study investigates how patients’ online interactive experience influences their offline behavioral intentions, which are different from most of the past literature on eHealth.
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This study aims to describe the general picture of the competition in multichannel expert services in duopoly market and discuss how the quality difference may affects the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to describe the general picture of the competition in multichannel expert services in duopoly market and discuss how the quality difference may affects the competition between service providers with different quality levels, where both providers offer face-to-face channel and one of providers offers online channel additionally and service quality that consumers have heterogeneous preferences for is vertically differentiated. These results can be used to determine which service providers should offer online expert services and understand the competition in multichannel expert services in duopoly.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper uses the stylized vertical differentiation model to investigate the role of quality in expert services market, assuming that two services providers offer the same services with different quality levels and one of them having additional online services. Taking into account the differences of services from products and the particularity of online service, this paper extends the vertical differentiation model to expert services market.
Findings
The quality difference is the key factor in the competition of expert services. Service prices and the profits of providers, independent of the quality levels, are positively related to the quality difference, whereas the demand of online services is in the opposite direction regardless of which provider offers online channel. It demonstrates that provider with low-quality level should open online channel from the point of view of social welfare if it is closely related to the expert services, even though any provider can make more profits by opening online channel.
Research limitations/implications
This extended vertical differentiation model, taking into account the importance of vertical differentiation in expert service, ignores the horizontal differentiation. More accurate strategies for multichannel expert services providers with what level of the quality a provider should offer is needed in future work. Moreover, this paper does not consider the different waiting costs of consumers in face-to-face channel and assumes that their problem will be solved eventually.
Originality/value
To the best of the author’s knowledge, no study has focused on the quality difference in multichannel expert services market or discussed how to offer online expert services in the duopoly market. This study extends the vertical differentiation model to the multichannel expert service market. Therefore, it fills this research gap and extends research to expert services market in the new network environment, aiming to help understand the competition in multichannel expert services.