Yunhui Huang, Zhijie Lin and Lu Yang
Previous research about online recommendation systems has focused largely on their impact on customers' purchase decisions regarding the products being recommended, but it has…
Abstract
Purpose
Previous research about online recommendation systems has focused largely on their impact on customers' purchase decisions regarding the products being recommended, but it has mostly ignored how they may affect focal product evaluation. This research aimed to examine the influence of recommendation type (i.e. substitute-based vs complement-based) on focal product evaluation dependent on the brand image (i.e. warm vs competent).
Design/methodology/approach
Four laboratory experiments were conducted. Study 1 adopted an implicit association task. Studies 2 and 3 used a 2 (image: warmth vs competence) × 2 (product display: complements vs substitutes) between-subjects experimental design. Study 4 used a 2 (decision stage) × 2 (image) × 2 (product display) × continuous (need for cognition) between-subjects design.
Findings
Study 1 demonstrated a general “complementation (competition)—warmth (competence)” association. Studies 2 and 3 found that when a focal product had a warm (competent) image, complement-based (substitute-based) recommendations led customers to evaluate it more favorably than substitute-based (complement-based) recommendations. Study 3 further demonstrated that processing fluency mediates the above effect. Study 4 showed that this effect relies on heuristic processing and disappears for those who are in the screening stage or have a high need for cognition.
Originality/value
Theoretically, this research extends the understanding of the stereotype content model of focal product brand image, the feelings-as-information process, and moderating roles of processing stage and need for cognition in e-commerce contexts. Practically, the findings provide online retailers a guideline for customizing their recommendation systems.
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Haoyao Chen, Hailin Huang, Ye Qin, Yanjie Li and Yunhui Liu
Multi-robot laser-based simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) in large-scale environments is an essential but challenging issue in mobile robotics, especially in situations…
Abstract
Purpose
Multi-robot laser-based simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) in large-scale environments is an essential but challenging issue in mobile robotics, especially in situations wherein no prior knowledge is available between robots. Moreover, the cumulative errors of every individual robot exert a serious negative effect on loop detection and map fusion. To address these problems, this paper aims to propose an efficient approach that combines laser and vision measurements.
Design/methodology/approach
A multi-robot visual laser-SLAM is developed to realize robust and efficient SLAM in large-scale environments; both vision and laser loop detections are integrated to detect robust loops. A method based on oriented brief (ORB) feature detection and bag of words (BoW) is developed, to ensure the robustness and computational effectiveness of the multi-robot SLAM system. A robust and efficient graph fusion algorithm is proposed to merge pose graphs from different robots.
Findings
The proposed method can detect loops more quickly and accurately than the laser-only SLAM, and it can fuse the submaps of each single robot to promote the efficiency, accuracy and robustness of the system.
Originality/value
Compared with the state of art of multi-robot SLAM approaches, the paper proposed a novel and more sophisticated approach. The vision-based and laser-based loops are integrated to realize a robust loop detection. The ORB features and BoW technologies are further utilized to gain real-time performance. Finally, random sample consensus and least-square methodologies are used to remove the outlier loops among robots.
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Yunhui Yang, Libin Zhao, Dexuan Qi, Meijuan Shan and Jianyu Zhang
This paper aims to present a multiscale fuzzy optimization (FO) method to optimize both the density distribution and macrotopology of a uniform octet-truss lattice structure.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to present a multiscale fuzzy optimization (FO) method to optimize both the density distribution and macrotopology of a uniform octet-truss lattice structure.
Design/methodology/approach
The design formulae for the strut radii are presented based on the effective mechanical properties obtained from the representative volume element. The proposed basic lattice material is applied in a normalization process to determine the material model with penalization. The solid isotropic material with penalization (SIMP) method is extended to solve the minimum compliance problem using the optimality criteria. The evolutionary deletion process is proposed to delete elements corresponding to thin-strut unit cells and to obtain the optimal macrotopology.
Findings
Both numerical cases indicate that the FO results significantly improved in structural performance compared with the results of the conventional SIMP. The deleting threshold controls the macrotopology of the graded-density lattice structures with negligible effects on the mechanical properties.
Originality/value
This paper presents one of the first multiscale optimization methods to optimize both the relative density and macrotopology of uniform octet-truss lattices. The material model and corresponding optimality criteria of octet-truss lattices are proposed and implemented in the optimization.
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Keywords
This study investigates the effect of authentic leadership on service employees’ emotional labour strategies, surface acting and deep acting, from a human energy perspective.
Abstract
Purpose
This study investigates the effect of authentic leadership on service employees’ emotional labour strategies, surface acting and deep acting, from a human energy perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
A three-wave survey was conducted in a hotel chain in China, and 347 valid responses were obtained. Mplus software was used for structural equation modelling and bootstrapping analysis.
Findings
This study finds the following: authentic leadership predicts service employees’ emotional labour strategies; job insecurity mediates the influence of authentic leadership on surface acting but not on deep acting; relational energy mediates both surface and deep acting; and relational energy has more negative (positive) indirect effects than job insecurity.
Practical implications
The findings provide hospitality managers with insights into how to improve service employees’ capacity for emotional regulation. Hospitality managers should show more authenticity, pay attention to subordinates’ energy level and select and recruit candidates with positive energy traits. Hospitality organisations should encourage, select and train managers to behave as authentic leaders.
Originality/value
This study links authentic leadership with service employees’ emotional management in the hospitality industry. Moreover, it demonstrates the energising function of authentic leadership and introduces the new perspective of human energy to emotional labour research.
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Keywords
Xiaojun Wu, Peng Li, Jinghui Zhou and Yunhui Liu
Scattered parts are laid randomly during the manufacturing process and have difficulty to recognize and manipulate. This study aims to complete the grasp of the scattered parts by…
Abstract
Purpose
Scattered parts are laid randomly during the manufacturing process and have difficulty to recognize and manipulate. This study aims to complete the grasp of the scattered parts by a manipulator with a camera and learning method.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, a cascaded convolutional neural network (CNN) method for robotic grasping based on monocular vision and small data set of scattered parts is proposed. This method can be divided into three steps: object detection, monocular depth estimation and keypoint estimation. In the first stage, an object detection network is improved to effectively locate the candidate parts. Then, it contains a neural network structure and corresponding training method to learn and reason high-resolution input images to obtain depth estimation. The keypoint estimation in the third step is expressed as a cumulative form of multi-scale prediction from a network to use an red green blue depth (RGBD) map that is acquired from the object detection and depth map estimation. Finally, a grasping strategy is studied to achieve successful and continuous grasping. In the experiments, different workpieces are used to validate the proposed method. The best grasping success rate is more than 80%.
Findings
By using the CNN-based method to extract the key points of the scattered parts and calculating the possibility of grasp, the successful rate is increased.
Practical implications
This method and robotic systems can be used in picking and placing of most industrial automatic manufacturing or assembly processes.
Originality/value
Unlike standard parts, scattered parts are randomly laid and have difficulty recognizing and grasping for the robot. This study uses a cascaded CNN network to extract the keypoints of the scattered parts, which are also labeled with the possibility of successful grasping. Experiments are conducted to demonstrate the grasping of those scattered parts.
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Xiaojun Wu, Bo Liu, Peng Li and Yunhui Liu
Existing calibration methods mainly focus on the camera laser-plane calibration of a single laser-line length, which is not convenient and cannot guarantee the consistency of the…
Abstract
Purpose
Existing calibration methods mainly focus on the camera laser-plane calibration of a single laser-line length, which is not convenient and cannot guarantee the consistency of the results when several three-dimensional (3D) scanners are involved. Thus, this study aims to provide a unified step for different laser-line length calibration requirements for laser profile measurement (LPM) systems.
Design/methodology/approach
3D LPM is the process of converting physical objects into 3D digital models, wherein camera laser-plane calibration is critical for ensuring system precision. However, conventional calibration methods for 3D LPM typically use a calibration target to calibrate the system for a single laser-line length, which needs multiple calibration patterns and makes the procedure complicated. In this paper, a unified calibration method was proposed to automatically calibrate the camera laser-plane parameters for the LPM systems with different laser-line lengths. The authors designed an elaborate planar calibration target with different-sized rings that mounted on a motorized linear platform to calculate the laser-plane parameters of the LPM systems. Then, the camera coordinates of the control points are obtained using the intersection line between the laser line and the planar target. With a new proposed error correction model, the errors caused by hardware assembly can be corrected. To validate the proposed method, three LPM devices with different laser-line lengths are used to verify the proposed system. Experimental results show that the proposed method can calibrate the LPM systems with different laser-line lengths conveniently with standard steps.
Findings
The repeatability and accuracy of the proposed calibration prototypes were evaluated with high-precision workpieces. The experiments have shown that the proposed method is highly adaptive and can automatically calibrate the LPM system with different laser-line lengths with high accuracy.
Research limitations/implications
In the repeatability experiments, there were errors in the measured heights of the test workpieces, and this is because the laser emitter had the best working distance and laser-line length.
Practical implications
By using this proposed method and device, the calibration of the 3D scanning laser device can be done in an automatic way.
Social implications
The calibration efficiency of a laser camera device is increased.
Originality/value
The authors proposed a unified calibration method for LPM systems with different laser-line lengths that consist of a motorized linear joint and a calibration target with elaborately designed ring patterns; the authors realized the automatic parameter calibration.
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Xinning Tang, Yong Dai, Yunhui Ma and Bingyin Ren
This study aims to solve the problem of the existing metal foreign object (MFO) detecting systems, which are not sensitive to the small size MFO in wireless charging region of…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to solve the problem of the existing metal foreign object (MFO) detecting systems, which are not sensitive to the small size MFO in wireless charging region of electric vehicle (EV) because of the extremely complex signal noise in the process of wireless charging of EV.
Design/methodology/approach
A method for MFO detection based on the principle that MFOs can cause mistuned resonance of detection coil resonant circuit is proposed. The general scheme of detecting system is proposed. The design method for detection coils which is effective to small MFOs detection in large-area region of wireless charging of EV is presented. The design of time-sharing driving circuit and amplifying circuit of high frequency exciting signal for detection coils is introduced. The design scheme of signal processing circuit (including filter and rectifier) of detection coil terminal voltage is also proposed.
Findings
The influence of exciting frequency of detection coils on detecting sensitivity and the anti-noise feature of system are analyzed according to the experiment results.
Originality/value
The experiment of MFO detection indicates that the proposed method can effectively detect the coin-sized small MFO in the process of wireless charging of EV.
Details
Keywords
Mian Du, Siyan Chen and Huan Shao
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between corporate governance mechanism and firm value of the listed companies in China. Does the better corporate…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between corporate governance mechanism and firm value of the listed companies in China. Does the better corporate governance lead to the higher firm value? Or does the higher firm value make it easy to choose a better governance mechanism? Or they affect each other? In other words, this paper tries to answer whether the corporate governance mechanism is only decided by institutional arrangement, or by market choice according to firm value or performance or by the interaction of institutional arrangement and market choice? It tries to answer whether institutional arrangement maximizes the firm value, or an invisible hand pushes them to arrive at its maximum.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper establishes an analytic framework of simultaneous equations based on causality, which includes five endogenous variables: ownership of larger shareholders, managerial ownership, director compensation, debt financing and firm value. It adopts 1,644 data samples from 274 Chinese listed companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchange during 2007- 2012 after the non-tradable shares reform. Ordinary least squares (OLS) estimation of single equation, 2SLS and 3SLS estimation of simultaneous equations are respectively done to show the differences of these three kinds of estimations.
Findings
The empirical results show that differences exist among OLS, 2SLS and 3SLS estimation. Finally, 3SLS estimation should be adopted because the OLS and 2SLS estimation are biased. There are endogenous relationships between corporate governance mechanism and firm value. Through the 3SLS estimation, it is found that first, ownership concentration and firm value affect each other positively. Second, managerial ownership and firm value affect each other positively; third, director compensation and firm value affect each other negatively, while director compensation and firm performance affect each other positively. Finally, debt financing level and firm value are negatively related to each other.
Practical implications
It means that ownership of large shareholders, managerial ownership, director compensation and debt financing in the Chinese listed companies are found to have a root in the interaction between institutional arrangement and market choice. It is also found that adverse selection occurs when creditors loan to the listed companies. Managerial compensation is positively related to accounting profit, but it is negatively related to firm value because managers increase profit due by earning management. This could only increase the accounting profits and obtain huge cash compensation, but not increase firm value and even harm the interests of shareholders.
Originality/value
This paper not only shows the difference between OLS and 2SLS estimation but also compares the estimation of 2SLS and 3SLS in terms of empirical methods. It gives answers to the following questions: whether the relationship is one-way causality or bilateral causality between ownership concentration, managerial ownership, director compensation and firm value; whether governance mechanism affects firm value by institutional arrangement, or market drives both of them to strike a balance by an invisible hand. In other words, does it make them arrive at equilibrium through the competitive selection process when shareholders, directors, managers and creditors attempt to maximize themselves of their interests?
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Tingting Liu, Yehui Li, Xing Li and Lanfen Wu
High-tech enterprises, as the national innovation powerhouses, have garnered considerable interest, particularly regarding their technological innovation capabilities…
Abstract
Purpose
High-tech enterprises, as the national innovation powerhouses, have garnered considerable interest, particularly regarding their technological innovation capabilities. Nevertheless, prevalent research tends to spotlight the impact of individual factors on innovative behavior, with only a fraction adopting a comprehensive viewpoint, scrutinizing the causal amalgamations of precursor conditions influencing the overall innovation proficiency of high-tech enterprises.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper employs a hybrid approach integrating necessary condition analysis (NCA) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to examine the combinatorial effects of antecedent factors on high-tech enterprises' innovation output. Our analysis draws upon data from 46 listed Chinese high-tech enterprises. To promote technological innovation within high-tech enterprises, we introduce a novel perspective that emphasizes technological innovation networks, grounded in a network agents-structure-environment framework. These antecedents are government subsidy, tax benefits, customer concentration, purchase concentration rate, market-oriented index and innovation environment.
Findings
The findings delineate four configurational pathways leading to high innovative output and three pathways resulting in low production.
Originality/value
This study thereby enriches the body of knowledge around technological innovation and provides actionable policy recommendations.