Xiang Li, Chengtao Wang, Wenguang Zhang and Yuanchao Li
The purpose of this paper is to verify the feasibility and evaluate the compressive properties of Ti6Al4V implants with controlled porosity via electron beam melting process. This…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to verify the feasibility and evaluate the compressive properties of Ti6Al4V implants with controlled porosity via electron beam melting process. This process might be a promising method to fabricate orthopedic implants with suitable pore architecture and matched mechanical properties.
Design/methodology/approach
Ti6Al4V implants with controlled porosity are produced using an electron beam melting machine. A scanning electron microscope is utilized to examine the macro‐pore structures of the Ti6Al4V implants. The compressive test is performed to investigate the mechanical properties of the porous implants.
Findings
The fabricated samples show a fully interconnected open‐pore network. The compressive yield strength of the Ti6Al4V implants with the porosity of around 51 percent is higher than that of human cortical bone. The Young's modulus of the implants is similar to that of cortical bone.
Research limitations/implications
The surface of samples produced by electron beam melting process is covered with loosely spherical metal particles. Polishing and ultrasonic cleaning have to be used to remove the loose remnants.
Originality/value
This paper presents the potential application in the fabrication of orthopedic or dental implants using electron beam melting process.
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Xuanwei Cao, Yipeng Liu and Chunhui Cao
The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of institutional entrepreneurship in opportunity formation and opportunity exploitation in developing emerging strategic new…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of institutional entrepreneurship in opportunity formation and opportunity exploitation in developing emerging strategic new industries.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper reviews the focal literature focussing on institutional entrepreneurs’ role in opportunity formation with special attention to opportunities for institutional entrepreneurs in emerging economy. A multi-method approach consisting of historical case studies and event sequencing is applied to track the historical development of the solar energy industry in two case contexts and to investigate the role of institutional entrepreneurs in this process.
Findings
Investigation of two cases illustrates that different types of institutional entrepreneur, as represented by individual entrepreneurs and local government, in the context of massive institutional change – such as the Grand Western Development Program and the Thousand Talents Program in China – have varied effects on triggering and inducing institutional change and innovation to explore and exploit opportunities in emerging new industries.
Practical implications
The significance of local context for the nature and scope of institutional entrepreneurship in emerging economy is worthy of further research. The top-down process of institutional innovation dominated by local government might cause myopic outcome and distortion of market opportunities. Indigenous individual entrepreneurs with well-accumulated political capital and strong perceived responsibility could be the main actors to introduce incremental institutional change by combining bottom-up and top-down processes and promoting sustained new industry development through creating and seizing institutional opportunities and market opportunities.
Originality/value
This paper illustrates the close relationship between institutional environment and opportunity formation in emerging economies, contributes to the understanding of contextualizing institutional entrepreneurs in different regional contexts and discloses the problems involved in local government acting as an institutional entrepreneur.
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The impact of allegations of covert Chinese interference.
Details
DOI: 10.1108/OXAN-DB249592
ISSN: 2633-304X
Keywords
Geographic
Topical
Marketing, entrepreneurship, operations management, and transportation/logistics.
Abstract
Subject area
Marketing, entrepreneurship, operations management, and transportation/logistics.
Study level/applicability
The case is suitable for junior, senior undergraduate and first-year graduate business classes. It can be used entirely in business classes in marketing, entrepreneurship, operations management, and transportation/logistics, and parts of it can be used for discussions in classes related to emerging economies/markets, environmental management, sustainability, and technology management.
Case overview
The case builds on the expansion plan considered by a young software company, called Hangzhou Omnipay located in the city of Hangzhou, China. Mr Chao, Vice President (VP) of Omnipay, is the main character of the case. He was aware of the current car-sharing industry leader – Zipcar headquartered in Boston and also identified multiple stakeholders in the city for decision making. By collaborating with a global student project team, Mr Chao collected a great deal of information and data. This teaching case provides students and educators ample opportunities to examine, from a multitude of aspects, the viability of a car-sharing service in Hangzhou.
Expected learning outcomes
The central goal is to help students gain a comprehensive understanding of the role of car-sharing service in a country's development in sustainability, socio-economy, environmental commitment, and new urban life style, as well as in a technological company's active pursuit of business expansion opportunity. In addition, students will not only understand the social, cultural, technological and strategic perspectives of car-sharing service implementation, but also develop and enhance analytic skills needed to conduct fundamental cost analysis, determine a base-line pricing scheme, and service location network design.
Supplementary materials
Teaching notes are available, please contact your librarian for access.
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The purpose of this paper is to explore the extent to which Chinese classical virtues act as a restraint on consumerist hedonic values and the associated priority on profit…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the extent to which Chinese classical virtues act as a restraint on consumerist hedonic values and the associated priority on profit maximisation by managers.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is based on a literature review and adopts a reflective approach to the topic.
Findings
The paper considers how Chinese classical virtues are related to contemporary relational or indigenous values and how a social tension is created between these values and the hedonic values now present in Chinese urban society. Implications for management and management education are reviewed in the light of this tension.
Practical implications
The social unrest created by the privatisation of SOEs can be mitigated by the promotion of management education sensitised to the cultural norms and expectations of the Chinese people in relation to the role and responsibilities of managers. The Junzi (gentleman‐leader) archetype and the virtues of ren‐yi‐li are offered as exemplary features of a management seeking to balance social responsibility with profitability.
Originality/value
The paper highlights the social turbulence created by the advent of market economics in China and the concomitant rise of consumerism and the privatisation of state‐owned enterprises.
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Yuanchao Zhu, Canjun Yang, Qianxiao Wei, Xin Wu and Wei Yang
This paper aims to propose an intuitive shared control strategy to control a humanoid manipulator that can fully combine the advantages of humans and machines to produce a…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to propose an intuitive shared control strategy to control a humanoid manipulator that can fully combine the advantages of humans and machines to produce a stronger intelligent form.
Design/methodology/approach
The working space of an operator’s arm and that of a manipulator are matched, and a genetic algorithm that limits the position of the manipulator’s elbow joint is used to find the optimal solution. Then, the mapping of the operator’s action to that of manipulators is realized. The controls of the human and robot are integrated. First, the current action of the operator is input. Second, the target object is predicted according to the maximum entropy hypothesis. Third, the joint angle of the manipulator is interpolated based on time. Finally, the confidence and weight of the current moment are calculated.
Findings
The modified weight adjustment method is the optimal way to adjust the weight during the task. In terms of time and accuracy, the experimental results of single target obstacle avoidance grabbing and multi-target predictive grabbing show that the shared control mode can provide full play to the advantages of humans and robots to accomplish the target task faster and more accurately than the control merely by a human or robot on its own.
Originality/value
A flexible and highly anthropomorphic human–robot action mapping method is proposed, which provides operator decisions in the shared control process. The shared control between human and the robot is realized, and it enhances the rapidity and intelligence, paving a new way for a novel human–robot collaboration.
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Xin Wu, Canjun Yang, Yuanchao Zhu, Weitao Wu and Qianxiao Wei
This paper aims to present a natural human–robot teleoperation system, which capitalizes on the latest advancements of monocular human pose estimation to simplify scenario…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to present a natural human–robot teleoperation system, which capitalizes on the latest advancements of monocular human pose estimation to simplify scenario requirements on heterogeneous robot arm teleoperation.
Design/methodology/approach
Several optimizations in the joint extraction process are carried on to better balance the performance of the pose estimation network. To bridge the gap between human joint pose in Cartesian space and heterogeneous robot joint angle pose in Radian space, a routinized mapping procedure is proposed.
Findings
The effectiveness of the developed methods on joint extraction is verified via qualitative and quantitative experiments. The teleoperation experiments on different robots validate the feasibility of the system controlling.
Originality/value
The proposed system provides an intuitive and efficient human–robot teleoperation method with low-cost devices. It also enhances the controllability and flexibility of robot arms by releasing human operator from motion constraints, paving a new way for effective robot teleoperation.
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The purpose of this paper is to describe how China’s approach to a nuclear North Korea has changed and find key variables that explain the changes.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe how China’s approach to a nuclear North Korea has changed and find key variables that explain the changes.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper adopts the traditional qualitative method, referring to different types of reliable and authoritative Chinese and English scholars, books and articles.
Findings
Although China has accumulated distrust of North Korea and reprimanded the regime for its nuclear program, it has never ignored the strategic value or balance – especially vis-à-vis the USA – the neighboring country provides for it. And for that matter, it has been keen to prevent North Korea from bypassing it and getting closer to the USA. With this strategic calculation in mind, China has mostly made gestures in implementing the UN sanctions against North Korea, though not always.
Originality/value
This paper proves that China’s strategic calculation has been a constant key variable that explains its approach toward a nuclear North Korea since the inception of the issue in the early 1990s.