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1 – 10 of 41Florian Wiedmann and Yunlu Wang
China’s capital Beijing is a special case of fast urbanization and monocentric development, resulting in major efforts to implement polycentric structures. The purpose of this…
Abstract
Purpose
China’s capital Beijing is a special case of fast urbanization and monocentric development, resulting in major efforts to implement polycentric structures. The purpose of this paper is thus centered on understanding the phenomenon of an established edge city and the level of integration regarding all daily activities of its residents.
Design/methodology/approach
Since the end of the 20th century, Chinese cities have been witnessing rapid urban growth and expansion. One of the major planning challenges has been the implementation of polycentric urban structures to enforce integrated urbanism and thus less dependency on commuting to few main commercial and business centers. The methodological approach includes various mapping efforts and field studies to investigate the currently produced urban landscape and highlight the rather challenging reality of edge cities being produced in a very short period of time.
Findings
This paper explores one of Beijing’s biggest edge cities, known as the Yizhuang Development Area, which was created by an investment initiative of the municipal government. The city has been developed with a strong focus on functional planning aspects rather than a dynamic diversification of walkable districts with emerging identities.
Originality/value
This investigation attempts to add some new insights into the contemporary urbanism in Chinese edge cities and the general problem of missing urban design initiatives to enhance the overall urban quality of diversity and social interaction.
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Guolong Li, Mangmang Gao, Jingjing Yang, Yunlu Wang and Xueming Cao
This study aims to propose a vertical coupling dynamic analysis method of vehicle–track–substructure based on forced vibration and use this method to analyze the influence on the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to propose a vertical coupling dynamic analysis method of vehicle–track–substructure based on forced vibration and use this method to analyze the influence on the dynamic response of track and vehicle caused by local fastener failure.
Design/methodology/approach
The track and substructure are decomposed into the rail subsystem and substructure subsystem, in which the rail subsystem is composed of two layers of nodes corresponding to the upper rail and the lower fastener. The rail is treated as a continuous beam with elastic discrete point supports, and spring-damping elements are used to simulate the constraints between rail and fastener. Forced displacement and forced velocity are used to deal with the effect of the substructure on the rail system, while the external load is used to deal with the reverse effect. The fastener failure is simulated with the methods that cancel the forced vibration transmission, namely take no account of the substructure–rail interaction at that position.
Findings
The dynamic characteristics of the infrastructure with local diseases can be accurately calculated by using the proposed method. Local fastener failure will slightly affect the vibration of substructure and carbody, but it will significantly intensify the vibration response between wheel and rail. The maximum vertical displacement and the maximum vertical vibration acceleration of rail is 2.94 times and 2.97 times the normal value, respectively, under the train speed of 350 km·h−1. At the same time, the maximum wheel–rail force and wheel load reduction rate increase by 22.0 and 50.2%, respectively, from the normal value.
Originality/value
This method can better reveal the local vibration conditions of the rail and easily simulate the influence of various defects on the dynamic response of the coupling system.
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Jingwei Zhang, Yunlu Zhang, Wei Li, Sreekar Karnati, Frank Liou and Joseph W. Newkirk
This paper aims to manufacture Ti6Al4V/TiC functionally graded material (FGM) by direct laser deposition (DLD) using Ti6Al4V and TiC powder. The objective is to investigate the…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to manufacture Ti6Al4V/TiC functionally graded material (FGM) by direct laser deposition (DLD) using Ti6Al4V and TiC powder. The objective is to investigate the effect of process parameters and TiC composition on microstructure, Vickers hardness and mechanical properties.
Design/methodology/approach
Powder blends with three different volume percentages of Ti6Al4V and TiC were used as feed material for DLD process. Five experiments with different values of laser power and scan speed were conducted to investigate the effect on microstructure and Vickers hardness for different compositions of feed material. Mini-tensile tests were performed to evaluate the mechanical properties of the FGM samples. Digital image correlation (DIC) was applied to estimate Young’s modulus and ultimate tensile stress (UTS) of heterogeneous material.
Findings
This paper indicates that primary carbide, eutectic carbide and un-melted carbide phases are formed in the FGM deposit. As the energy density was increased, the primary and secondary dendrite arm spacing was found to increase. As TiC composition was increased, Young’s modulus increased and UTS decreased. The dendritic morphology of primary TiC growth was expected to cause low resistance for crack propagation, causing lower UTS values. Tensile specimens cut in vertical orientation were observed to possess higher values of Young’s modulus in comparison with specimens cut horizontally at low carbon content.
Originality/value
Current work presents unique and original contributions from the study of miniature FGM tensile specimens using DIC method. It investigates the effect of specimen orientation and TiC content on Young’s modulus and UTS. The relationship between energy density and dendritic arm spacing was evaluated. The relationship between laser power and scan speed with microstructure and Vickers hardness was investigated.
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Marian van Bakel and Charles M. Vance
The social context of expatriation is crucial for expatriate success, including for building local host country national (HCN) social network support that can facilitate effective…
Abstract
Purpose
The social context of expatriation is crucial for expatriate success, including for building local host country national (HCN) social network support that can facilitate effective adjustment through information exchange. However, expatriates have particular difficulties in breaking out of the expatriate bubble and building social ties with HCNs in certain countries, especially in Scandinavia. This paper focuses on the case of Denmark and explains why many expatriates find it difficult to make social connections with Danes.
Design/methodology/approach
This study involves a meta-ethnography of literature on Danish culture, as well as semistructured interviews with a total of 16 expatriates in Denmark.
Findings
Three main cultural elements are identified as crucial for explaining the difficulty expatriates face in connecting with Danes, namely homogeneity, the value placed on equality and the public–private divide. The homogeneity and inward-looking mentality make it more difficult for outsiders to break into the social circle. Outsiders have to earn the trust that is difficult to obtain, reflecting Denmark's high score on GLOBE's institutional collectivism.
Practical implications
In light of the challenges that many expatriates face in creating a new social network abroad, organizations can support them in several ways. The authors discuss context-specific strategies for making new social connections in Denmark, which may be usefully applied in other countries.
Originality/value
This study focuses on the context of expatriate social network formation and shows that cultural differences in socializing affect the ease with which expatriates can make connections with HCNs, who can have a positive impact on expatriate adjustment and performance success.
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Dilek Gulistan Yunlu and Rachel Clapp-Smith
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the concept of cultural psychological capital, its impact on motivational cultural intelligence (CQ), the influence of motivational…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the concept of cultural psychological capital, its impact on motivational cultural intelligence (CQ), the influence of motivational cultural intelligence on metacognitive awareness, and the moderating role of perspective taking on the relationship between motivational cultural intelligence and metacognition.
Design/methodology/approach
Collected data from international management program alumni to test the hypotheses.
Findings
The results show that cultural psychological capital has a positive relationship with motivational cultural intelligence, which in turn relates to metacognitive awareness, and perspective taking does not moderate the relationship between motivational cultural intelligence and metacognition.
Research limitations/implications
The data were collected from a single source. The study supports broaden-and-build theory (Fredrickson, 2001) by demonstrating that cultural psychological capital has an important association with motivational cultural intelligence.
Practical implications
Cultural psychological capital can be improved. Therefore, organizations that desire to increase the motivation of employees may consider improving the cultural psychological capital of employees. Learning is an important outcome of motivational cultural intelligence, and it is an asset for today's organizations.
Originality/value
The study takes a positive perspective for cross-cultural experiences and identifies cultural psychological capital as an important resource for expatriates. Metacognitive awareness, as an outcome, provides support that cross-cultural experience results in higher learning for individuals who are motivated.
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Gretchen Vogelgesang Lester, Meghna Virick and Rachel Clapp-Smith
One of the biggest challenges facing global organizations is the ability of leadership and International Human Resource Management (IHRM) professionals to capture the positive…
Abstract
One of the biggest challenges facing global organizations is the ability of leadership and International Human Resource Management (IHRM) professionals to capture the positive outcomes of a diverse workforce while fostering inclusion amongst its workers. New theory based upon optimal distinctiveness theory has challenged researchers to approach inclusion in a holistic manner, transcending political boundaries and cultural meanings of diversity to instead promote the uniqueness of individuals within-group belongingness. This chapter proposes a theoretical model that suggests leader capabilities such as global mindset can foster inclusiveness while reaping the benefits of unique backgrounds and diverse ideas. Two important individual-level outcomes of inclusiveness are presented: creativity and psychological safety. Also discussed are implications for strategic IHRM through recruitment, selection, talent management, and performance management activities.
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Dilek G. Yunlu, Hong Ren, Katherine Mohler Fodchuk and Margaret Shaffer
The purpose of this paper is to propose a model that examines the influences of expatriate community relationship building behaviors on community embeddedness and community…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to propose a model that examines the influences of expatriate community relationship building behaviors on community embeddedness and community embeddedness on expatriate retention cognitions. The authors further investigate the moderating role of organizational identification.
Design/methodology/approach
Survey data from 127 expatriates in the USA were collected and analyzed. The authors used multiple (moderator) hierarchical regression analyses to test the hypotheses. In addition, simple slopes analyses were conducted to further understand the interaction effects.
Findings
The results demonstrate that community relationship building behaviors positively influence expatriate community embeddedness, and the latter is associated with stronger retention cognitions. In addition, the paper finds that, for individuals who have lower levels of organizational identification, community embeddedness is particularly important.
Research limitations/implications
This study is based on cross-sectional and self-report data, which limits the ability to draw definitive conclusions about causality. Thus, more multi-source and longitudinal data from different expatriate populations would increase the validity and the generalizability of findings. The theory and empirical evidence indicate the importance of community embeddedness, particularly when organizational identification is low, for expatriates’ retention cognitions.
Practical implications
This study examines the important role of community relationship building behaviors on community embeddedness, and the role of community embeddedness in expatriates’ intention to stay.
Originality/value
This paper integrates the unique view of personal resources associated with different social contexts (i.e. community and organizational contexts) in expatriate studies.
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Victoria Choi Yue Woo, Richard J. Boland and David L. Cooperrider
As they say, “Change is the only constant.” Thriving and surviving during a period of extraordinary collision of technological advances, globalization, and climate change can be…
Abstract
As they say, “Change is the only constant.” Thriving and surviving during a period of extraordinary collision of technological advances, globalization, and climate change can be daunting. At any given point in one’s life, a transition can be interpreted in terms of the magnitude of change (how big or small) and the individual’s ontological experience of change (whether it disrupts an equilibrium or adapts an emergent way of life). These four quadrants represent different ways to live in a highly dynamic and complex world. We share the resulting four-quadrant framework from a quantitative and a mixed methods study to examine responses to various ways we respond to transitions. Contingent upon these two dimensions, one can use a four-quadrant framework to mobilize resources to design a response and hypothesize a desired outcome. Individuals may find themselves at various junctions of these quadrants over a lifespan. These four quadrants provide “requisite variety” to navigate individual ontology as they move into and out of fluid spaces we often call instability during a time of transition. In this chapter, we identified social, cognitive, psychological, and behavioral factors that contribute to thriving transition experiences, embracing dynamic stability. Two new constructs were developed, the first measures the receptivity to change, Transformation Quotient (TQ) and second measures the range of responses to transitions from surviving to thriving, Thriving Transitional Experiences (TTE). We hope our work will pave the way for Thriving to become a “normal” outcome of experiencing change by transforming the lexicon and expectation of engaging with transitions.
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Lena Maria Fischer and Marc Schwarzkopf
In the context of international assignments, repatriates are confronted with social, organisational and cultural challenges. However, the impact of community and social support on…
Abstract
Purpose
In the context of international assignments, repatriates are confronted with social, organisational and cultural challenges. However, the impact of community and social support on the reintegration process has gone unnoticed. The purpose of this paper is to identify the influencing factors on the reintegration process of expatriates who were sent to Asia, especially considering social support and the role of the community. In the context of the community, this paper discusses which factors influence the reintegration process after repatriates return to Germany.
Design/methodology/approach
In order to research reintegration problems as well as social support and the role of the community, seven semi-structured interviews were conducted with repatriates from Germany.
Findings
The central results of the study show that there are variables in different areas that influence the reintegration process of repatriates sent to Asia, which have both reintegration-promoting and reintegration-inhibiting effects. Furthermore, it was found that a lack of support from social networks in the home country has negative effect on the reintegration process causing repatriates to stay in known repatriate communities.
Originality/value
The results of the study demonstrate that social networks and communities in the home country represent crucial challenges in the reintegration process. Furthermore, it demonstrates the need for future exploratory research into this area to gain further insights into this topic.
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Said Elbanna, Linda Hsieh, John Child, Rose Narooz, Svetla Marinova, Pushyarag Puthusserry, Joanna Karmowska, Terence Tsai and Yunlu Zhang
Drawing on an organizational learning perspective, this paper examines the effect of levels of foreign market involvement (intensity and geographic spread) on internationalization…
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing on an organizational learning perspective, this paper examines the effect of levels of foreign market involvement (intensity and geographic spread) on internationalization outcomes recognizing that the moderating influence of entry-mode learning potential is not well documented in the literature on small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Design/methodology/approach
The sample includes 180 SMEs evenly selected from three industries: biotechnology, software and clothing (60 firms in each industry). The sampled firms employ less than 250 employees and are equally distributed between three developed economies and three emerging economies. All were engaged in foreign business.
Findings
The authors find that there is a direct relationship between levels of foreign market involvement and internationalization outcomes. Entry-mode learning potential moderates the relationship between intensity of foreign market involvement and internationalization outcomes but not the relationship between geographic spread and internationalization outcomes.
Practical implications
This study reveals several new insights that help explain the pathway through which foreign market involvement activities are translated into internationalization outcomes.
Originality/value
The authors conclude that the positive relationship between intensity of foreign market involvement and internationalization outcomes is strengthened when SMEs also use an entry mode with a higher learning potential than exporting only.
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