Using the case of social reading via WeChat in China, this paper aims to explore adolescents’ social reading motivation and behaviour. It also examines how the specific dimensions…
Abstract
Purpose
Using the case of social reading via WeChat in China, this paper aims to explore adolescents’ social reading motivation and behaviour. It also examines how the specific dimensions of reading motivation contribute to the different aspects of social reading behaviour.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used survey approach, which gathered 1,039 valid responses from a cluster sampling in 14 middle and high schools in Shanghai, China.
Findings
The results indicated that social reading motivation was a multidimensional construct, which included the dimensions of social interaction, self-development, peer recognition, information acquisition, personal interests and time killing. The research also found that different motivational dimensions exerted different influences on adolescents’ social reading activities. Specifically, the motivations of time killing and self-development are significant predictors of both the reading act and socializing act. However, information acquisition and personal interests were significant predictors only of the reading act, while social interaction and peer recognition significantly predicted the socializing act.
Research limitations/implications
The findings would be valuable for those who develop reading programs or administer adolescents’ reading practice. This study can help them understand the complexity of adolescents’ social reading motivation and distinguish between its different dimensions.
Originality/value
The study provides important insights into the nature of adolescents’ social reading motivation and how it relates to their social reading behaviour. It not only confirmed the multidimensionality of social reading motivation as a construct but also expanded the exploration of reading motivation and behaviour to the social media arena.
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Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze different behaviors between long-term options’ implied volatilities and realized volatilities.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper uses a widely adopted short interest rate model that describes a stochastic process of the short interest rate to capture interest rate risk. Price a long-term option by a system of two stochastic processes to capture both underlying asset and interest rate volatilities. Model capital charges according to the Basel III regulatory specified approach. S&P 500 index and relevant data are used to illustrate how the proposed model works. Coup with the low interest rate scenario by first choosing an optimal time segment obtained by a multiple change-point detection method, and then using the data from the chosen time segment to estimate the CIR model parameters, and finally obtaining the final option price by incorporating the capital charge costs.
Findings
Monotonic increase in long-term option implied volatility can be explained mainly by interest rate risk, and the level of implied volatility can be explained by various valuation adjustments, particularly risk capital costs, which differ from existing published literatures that typically explained the differences in behaviors of long-term implied volatilities by the volatility of volatility or risk premium. The empirical results well explain long-term volatility behaviors.
Research limitations/implications
The authors only consider the market risk capital in this paper for demonstration purpose. Dealers may price the long-term options with the credit risk. It appears that other than the market risks such as underlying asset volatility and interest rate volatility, the market risk capital is a main nonmarket risk factor that significantly affects the long-term option prices.
Practical implications
Analysis helps readers and/or users of long-term options to understand why long-term option implied equity volatilities are much higher than observed. The framework offered in the paper provides some guidance if one would like to check if a long-term option is priced reasonable.
Originality/value
It is the first time to analyze mathematically long-term options’ volatility behavior in comparison with historically observed volatility.
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Longhui Liao, Yuehua Ye, Nana Wei, Hong Li and Cheng Fan
Problems such as information asymmetry and a lack of trust among construction practitioners damage the quality and progress of construction projects. The decentralization…
Abstract
Purpose
Problems such as information asymmetry and a lack of trust among construction practitioners damage the quality and progress of construction projects. The decentralization, transparency, traceability and temper-proof nature of blockchain technology (BCT) can provide solutions and facilitate multiparty cooperation. However, BCT acceptance in the construction industry is relatively low, and there are few pilot projects adopting BCT. Most relevant literature focuses on BCT acceptance at the industry and organizational levels, but the impact of non-managerial practitioners executing BCT or the traditional approach in day-to-day work tends to be disregarded. This study aims to establish a theoretical model of BCT acceptance, identify key influencing factors and paths of behavioral intention to adopt BCT and promote strategies to enhance BCT adoption.
Design/methodology/approach
A new BCT acceptance model for construction practitioners was proposed. A survey was performed with 203 construction practitioners in Shenzhen, China and post-survey interviews were conducted with four BCT experts for validation. Covariance-based structural equation modeling was used to examine the influence paths and moderating effect analysis was performed to check practitioners’ differential perceptions.
Findings
Performance expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions and perceived behavioral control significantly and positively influence behavioral intention to accept BCT, while impacts from effort performance and risk are negative. Overcoming obstacles related to the effort required for BCT adoption and effective risk management will be essential to unlocking BCT’s transformative potential. Then, the moderating effects of respondents’ gender, degree and BCT knowledge as well as the project type involved were analyzed. Continued adoption of BCT in the construction industry has the potential to revolutionize project management, transparency and trust among stakeholders.
Research limitations/implications
The findings of this research can help practitioners and government agencies understand crucial influencing factors and pathways of BCT acceptance. Targeted measures, such as increasing practitioners’ benefits and sense of BCT usefulness, conducting pilot projects and increasing publicity, were proposed for project leadership teams to enhance BCT adoption. This may lead to increased efficiency, reduced disputes and more streamlined and secure construction processes, ultimately enhancing the industry’s overall performance.
Originality/value
Few studies have explored BCT acceptance from the perspective of non-managerial construction practitioners. The BCT acceptance model proposed in this study is a novel adaptation of previous technology acceptance models, with new factors (risk and perceived behavioral control) and moderating variables (degree, BCT knowledge and project type) added for better understanding of non-managerial practitioners’ perceptions and differences.
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Jin Zhang, Yanyan Wang and Yuehua Zhao
The statistical method plays an extremely important role in quantitative research studies in library and information science (LIS). The purpose of this paper is to investigate the…
Abstract
Purpose
The statistical method plays an extremely important role in quantitative research studies in library and information science (LIS). The purpose of this paper is to investigate the status of statistical methods used in the field, their application areas and the temporal change patterns during a recent 15-year period.
Design/methodology/approach
The research papers in six major scholarly journals from 1999 to 2013 in LIS were examined. Factors including statistical methods, application areas and time period were analyzed using quantitative research methods including content analysis and temporal analysis methods.
Findings
The research studies using statistical methods in LIS have increased steadily. Statistical methods were more frequently used to solve problems in the information retrieval area than in other areas, and inferential statistical methods were used more often than predictive statistical methods and other statistical methods. Anomaly analysis on statistical method uses was conducted and four types of anomaly were specified.
Originality/value
The findings of this study can help educators, graduates and researchers in the field of LIS better understand the patterns and trends of the applications of statistical methods in this field, depict an overall picture of quantitative research studies in LIS from the perspective of statistical methods and discover the change patterns of statistical method applications in LIS between 1999 and 2013.
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Wenwen An, Yuehua Xu and Jianqi Zhang
Previous studies have produced inconsistent findings regarding the effects of resource constraints on corporate illegal behavior. This study aims to explore how entrepreneurial…
Abstract
Purpose
Previous studies have produced inconsistent findings regarding the effects of resource constraints on corporate illegal behavior. This study aims to explore how entrepreneurial firms can overcome the difficulties generated by resource constraints.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing on insights from general strain theory and focusing on listed entrepreneurial firms, this study proposes that failure to obtain enough resources through listing generates strain in the managers of listed entrepreneurial firms, driving them to resort to corporate financial fraud as a solution. Nevertheless, such relationships between resource constraints and the likelihood of corporate financial fraud can be weakened by innovation capability, because innovation capability can generate more confidence in their managers and relieve their strains, thereby dissuading them from engaging in corporate financial fraud.
Findings
According to our empirical results, both financial and human resource constraints are positively related to the likelihood of corporate financial fraud in listed entrepreneurial firms, but such effects can be mitigated by innovation capability.
Practical implications
This study provides practical implications for both regulators and managers by indicating that although entrepreneurial firms with resource constraints are more likely to commit financial fraud, innovation capability could be a strategic approach to enhance managers’ confidence and relieve the strain.
Originality/value
Our study contributes to the literature by enriching our understanding of the consequences of resource constraints in entrepreneurial firms and highlighting the strategic importance of innovation capability in mitigating such effects.
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Ningyuan Song, Kejun Chen, Jiaer Peng, Yuehua Zhao and Jiaqing Wang
This study aimed to uncover the characteristics of both misinformation and refutations as well as the associations between different aspects of misinformation and corresponding…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aimed to uncover the characteristics of both misinformation and refutations as well as the associations between different aspects of misinformation and corresponding ways of rebutting it.
Design/methodology/approach
Leveraging Hovland's persuasion theory as a research lens and taking data from two Chinese refutation platforms, we characterized the topics of COVID-19-related misinformation and refutations, misinformation communicator, persuasion strategies of misinformation, refutation communicators and refutation strategies based on content analysis. Then, logistic regressions were undertaken to examine how the characteristics of misinformation and refutation strategies interacted.
Findings
The investigation into the association between misinformation and refutations found that distinct refutation strategies are favored when debunking particular types of misinformation and by various kinds of refutation communicators. In addition, several patterns of persuasion strategies were identified.
Research limitations/implications
This study had theoretical and practical implications. It emphasized how misinformation and refutations interacted from the perspective of Hovland's persuasion theory, extending the scope of the existing literature and expanding the classical theory to a new research scenario. In addition, several patterns of persuasion strategies used in misinformation and refutation were detected, which may contribute to the refutation practice and help people become immune to misinformation.
Originality/value
This research is among the first to analyze the relationships between misinformation and refutation strategies. Second, we investigated the persuasion strategies of misinformation and refutations, contributing to the concerning literature. Third, elaborating on Hovland’s persuasion theory, this study proposed a comprehensive framework for analyzing the misinformation and refutations in China during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Yuehua Bao, Qiang Chen and Xingcan Xia
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the development and evolution of industrial innovation ecosystems of Around-Tongji Knowledge Economy Circle from the three levels mentioned…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the development and evolution of industrial innovation ecosystems of Around-Tongji Knowledge Economy Circle from the three levels mentioned above, focusing on knowledge-producing populations, core populations and service-supporting populations, and to further develop this research framework by combining with the latest developments.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the five-helix theory and economic census statistical data, this paper adopts geographic information system technology and examines the characteristics of the industrial innovation ecosystem and the synergistic evolution process in Around-Tongji knowledge economy circle.
Findings
The knowledge product populations lead the development of industries in Around-Tongji Knowledge Economy Circle. It contributes political capital output for the government. It innovates community cooperation and governance mode, and it improves the natural ecological environment. In the face of the changes and challenges in the development environment, the future development must be recognised from the height of the iterative development of the interaction mode between university knowledge production and economic and social development.
Originality/value
Based on the five-helix theory and economic census statistical data, this paper examines the characteristics of the industrial innovation ecosystem and the synergistic evolution process in Around-Tongji Knowledge Economy Circle. It further expands the research framework used to develop a synergistic evolution model, which reveals the interactive and synergistic relationship among the populations and the evolution characteristics of the entire industrial innovation ecosystem. This paper also provides useful perspectives for the study of the industrial innovation ecosystem.
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Rui Zhang, Gaoliang Tian, Zichen Tian and Liuchuang Li
This study aims to investigate whether mainland Chinese audit firms’ entry into the H-share market to provide audit services affects their mainland audit pricing.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate whether mainland Chinese audit firms’ entry into the H-share market to provide audit services affects their mainland audit pricing.
Design/methodology/approach
Using data on A-share listed companies in China from 2008 to 2018, a difference-in-differences model to test the research question is designed. Robustness tests are conducted to rule out alternative explanations and additional tests to shed light on the extent and inner workings of the main effect.
Findings
The entry of mainland audit firms into the H-share audit market leads to a significant decrease in mainland audit pricing. Moreover, this main effect is (i) growing with the importance of H-share audit services to mainland auditors, (ii) stronger for mainland auditors with lower industry specialisation and shorter tenures, (iii) partially mediated by audit efficiency and (iv) greater when mainland clients have higher bargaining power. Furthermore, mainland auditors’ entry into the H-share audit market does not result in significant deterioration in their mainland audit quality, and significantly increases their market share in the mainland audit market.
Originality/value
This study provides new empirical evidence of the relationship between audit firms’ development strategy for internationalisation and audit pricing, extends the literature on auditing issues in emerging markets and should be of potential interest to regulators and investors.
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Rong Kong, Yanling Peng, Nan Meng, Hong Fu, Li Zhou, Yuehua Zhang and Calum Greig Turvey
In this study, the authors examined demand-side credit in rural China with the aims of understanding attribute preferences and the willingness of farmers to pay for credit.
Abstract
Purpose
In this study, the authors examined demand-side credit in rural China with the aims of understanding attribute preferences and the willingness of farmers to pay for credit.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors implemented an in-the-field discrete choice experiment (DCE) using a D-optimal block (6 × 9 × 3) design applied to 420 farm households across five Chinese provinces (Shandong, Sichuan, Shaanxi, Jiangsu and Henan) in the summer and fall of 2018. The DCE included six attributes including the interest rate, term of loan, type of loan, type of repayment, type of institution and mobile banking services.
Findings
Conditional and mixed logit results indicated a downward sloping credit demand curve with variable elasticity across regions. Provincial willingness-to-pay (WTP) indicators suggested that farmers were willing to pay a premium for long-term ( 0.03–0.687%) and low collateral credit loans ( 0.79–2.93%). Also, four of five provinces indicated a preference for loan amortization rather than lump-sum payment. Interestingly, in comparison to the Agricultural Bank of China (ABC), only farmers in Shandong, Sichuan and Shaanxi indicated a preference for rural credit cooperatives (RCCs)/banks and the Postal Savings Bank of China (PSBC). Another quite surprising result was bank services, in our case, access to mobile banking did not appear to induce WTP for agricultural credit. While conditional and mixed logit regression coefficients were similar (and therefore robust), the authors found that there was substantial heterogeneity across attribute preferences on term of loan, type of loan and amortization. Preferences for type of lender and mobile banking were generally homogenous. This result alone suggested that lenders should consider offering a suite of credit products with different attributes in order to maximize the potential pool of borrowers. While there were some differences across provinces, farmers appeared to be indifferent to lenders, and it did not appear that offering banking services such as mobile banking had any bearing on credit decisions.
Research limitations/implications
This paper presents a first step in using in-the-field choice experiments to better understand rural finance in China. Although the sample size satisfies conventional levels of significance and rank conditions, the authors caution against attributing results to China as a whole. Different provinces have different institutional structures and agricultural growing conditions and economies and these effects may differentially affect WTP for credit. Although by all indications farmers were aware of credit, not all farmers, in fact a minority, actually borrowed from a financial institution. This is not unusual in China, but for these farmers, the DCE was posed as hypothetical. Likewise, the study’s design was based on a generic credit product typical of rural China, and the authors caution against making inferences about other products with different attributes and risk structures.
Social implications
This study is motivated by the rapidly changing dynamic in China's agricultural economy. With specific reference to new laws and regulations about the transfer of land use rights (LURs), China's agricultural economy is undergoing significant and rapid change which will require better understanding by policy makers, lenders and practitioners of the changing credit needs of farmers, including the new and emerging class of commercial farmers.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the authors believe that the result provided in this paper present the first use of in-the-field DCE and are the first to be reported in either the English or Chinese literature on rural credit product design.
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Yuehua Zhao, Linyi Zhang, Chenxi Zeng, Yidan Chen, Wenrui Lu and Ningyuan Song
This study aims to address the growing importance of online health information (OHI) and the associated uncertainty. Although previous research has explored factors influencing…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to address the growing importance of online health information (OHI) and the associated uncertainty. Although previous research has explored factors influencing the credibility of OHI, results have been inconsistent. Therefore, this study aims to identify the essential factors that influence the perceived credibility of OHI by conducting a meta-analysis of articles published from 2010 to 2022. The study also aims to examine the moderating effects of demographic characteristics, study design and the platforms where health information is located.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the Prominence-Interpretation Theory (PIT), a meta-analysis of 25 empirical studies was conducted to explore 12 factors related to information content and source, social interaction, individual and media affordance. Moderators such as age, education level, gender of participants, sample size, platforms and research design were also examined.
Findings
Results suggest that all factors, except social support, have significant effects on the credibility of OHI. Among them, argument quality had the strongest correlation with credibility and individual factors were also found to be relevant. Moderating effects indicate that social support was significantly moderated by age and education level. Different sample sizes may lead to variations in the role of social endorsement, while personal involvement was moderated by sample size, platform and study design.
Originality/value
This study enriches the application of PIT in the health domain and provides guidance for scholars to expand the scope of research on factors influencing OHI credibility.