Jiehong Zhou, Fei Han, Xiaoyu Han and Zhen Yan
The paper proposes a research method to verify the perception bias of consumers on the freshness preservation effects of vacuum packaging (VP) and modified atmosphere packaging…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper proposes a research method to verify the perception bias of consumers on the freshness preservation effects of vacuum packaging (VP) and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) chilled pork packages, the influence of “sensory experience” on correcting consumers' perception bias of packaging performance and willingness-to-pay (WTP) enhancement channels.
Design/methodology/approach
Using data from 458 and 188 participants who completed the contingent valuation method (CVM) and auction experiment, respectively, the study aimed to uncover consumers' packing quality perception bias and WTP, and investigated the societal factors that contribute to variations in WTP.
Findings
The CVM experiment revealed that although consumers' high perception bias rate toward MAP to maintain freshness, as compared to lab test results, came along with low WTP premium to cost rate with sensory experience in the auction experiment, the proportion of consumers with quality perception bias decreased from 49.85% to 34.46%, while the WTP premium to cost rate for MAP increased largely by 36.7%. Perceptive embedding has a positive effect on chilled pork packaging WTP, while normative embedding decreases WTP.
Originality/value
The findings emphasize the need of public policies to promote positive consumption attitudes, while whittling the negative consumption norms, to increase the WTP for packaged child pork and promote the chilled pork market formation.
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Zhen Yan, Zuraina Dato Mansor and Wei Chong Choo
This study aims to analyze the impact of family incivility (FI) on in-role performance (IRP) and proactive customer service performance (PCSP) via the mediating effect of…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to analyze the impact of family incivility (FI) on in-role performance (IRP) and proactive customer service performance (PCSP) via the mediating effect of emotional exhaustion (EE) and the moderating roles of emotional intelligence (EI) and mindfulness.
Design/methodology/approach
Hypotheses were verified using multisource and multiwave data collected from 337 valid hotel employee–supervisor dyads in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Data were analyzed using SPSS 24.0, AMOS 24.0 and PROCESS (version 3.4).
Findings
FI intensified frontline employees’ (FLEs) EE, which subsequently impeded their IRP and PCSP. EI and mindfulness moderated the direct influence of FI on EE, IRP and PCSP and moderated the indirect influence of FI on the two aforementioned outcomes through EE.
Practical implications
Managers should observe FLEs’ indicators of FI and deter its emergence by implementing care programs for FLEs suffering from FI. In addition, human resource managers should preferentially recruit employees with high EI through related tests. Hotels can invite reputable psychologists to provide psychotherapy interventions for FLEs, such as mindfulness-based psychological lectures and therapy.
Originality/value
The hospitality literature lacks an understanding of the underlying process through which FI affects FLEs’ job outcomes. This study incorporates EE as a mediator of the FI’s impact on IRP and PCSP, and to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to assess whether EI and mindfulness moderate the direct impact of FI on IRP and PCSP and the indirect impact of FI on two aforementioned outcomes via EE.
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Zhen Yan, Dong Jiang, Xiaoming Gao, Can Zhang, Ming Hu, Dapeng Feng, Jiayi Sun, Lijun Weng and Chao Wang
This paper aims to study the tribological behavior of the WS2/oil-impregnated porous polyimide (PPI) solid/liquid composite system, in which both PFPE (perfluoropolyether) and…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to study the tribological behavior of the WS2/oil-impregnated porous polyimide (PPI) solid/liquid composite system, in which both PFPE (perfluoropolyether) and SiCH (silahydrocarbons) oils with different hydrocarbon chains were used, respectively. Lubricating mechanism of the composite system was also explored.
Design/methodology/approach
The tribological behaviors of the WS2 films against the PPI cylindrical pins before and after immersing oil were evaluated under different loads by a reciprocating-type ball-on-disc tribometer.
Findings
The composite system exhibited the low and stable friction coefficient after the running-in stage, and the lubricant oil played a positive effect. It was found that the WS2/PFPE composite system exhibited more excellent lubricating property, although sole SiCH far exceeds PFPE in lubrication. The abnormal phenomenon mainly resulted from the influence of the oil amount. XRD results on the wear track surfaces indicated that PFPE and SiCH oils with different hydrocarbon chains were likely to preferentially adsorb to the edge plane and basal plane of the WS2 crystals, respectively.
Originality/value
In previous studies, liquid lubricants were directly dripped or spin-coated on the solid lubricant surface. Based on its potential advantage in application, the tribological behavior and mechanism of the solid lubricating film/oil-impregnated PPI composite system were investigated in this study.
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Zhen Yan Yu and Shan Cong
The few previous researches on the impact of calf compression garments (CG) on running performance while assessing physiological and perceptual factors. Therefore, this study…
Abstract
Purpose
The few previous researches on the impact of calf compression garments (CG) on running performance while assessing physiological and perceptual factors. Therefore, this study investigated how the clothing pressure of two types of Calf CG, CG1 and CG2, affects muscle fatigue and activation during running.
Design/methodology/approach
Five healthy amateur runners(three female and two male)were recruited for a 30-min running trial. They wear a Calf CG on their right leg (CG group), but not on their left leg(CON group). After obtaining the clothing pressure of Calf CG on the gastrocnemius lateral head (GL), gastrocnemius medial head (GM) and tibialis anterior(TA) of the right leg, surface electromyography (sEMG)of four muscles of GL, GM, TA and rectus femoris (RF) of the left and right legs were measured during running, and heart rate, cardiopulmonary rate, and human RPE were also measured. Blood bleed oxygen before and after the running trial were measured. The root mean square (RMS) of the characteristic values was selected as an index for the analysis of sEMG signals, and the data were analyzed using statistical and computational methods.
Findings
The results showed that the indexes of heart rate, blood oxygen, and RPE were significantly increased, indicating that the subjects had reached the fatigue level. The comparison of mean clothing pressure at GL, GM and TA locations reveals that the TA location consistently exhibits the highest pressure for both types of CG. When wearing CG1, the mean clothing pressure at the GL and GM test points is greater than that of CG2(CG1-GL = 0.2059 kPa > CG2-GL = 0.148 kPa; CG1-GM = 0.1633 kPa > CG2-GM = 0.127 kPa). This is attributed to the double-layered fabric on the sides of CG1, which precisely covers the GL and GM areas, thereby resulting in higher mean clothing pressure at these locations compared to CG2. Conversely, the mean clothing pressure at the TA location for CG1 is lower than that for CG2(CG1-TA = 0.3852 kPa < CG2-TA = 0.426 kPa). The pressure exerted by the CG1 on the lower limb test areas has both positive and negative effects, though neither are statistically significant. The pressure exerted by CG2 alleviates fatigue at the directly affected locations GL and GM, but exerts excessive pressure on TA, resulting in a negative effect. Additionally, CG2 pressure alleviates fatigue at the indirectly affected location RF on the same side. Based on the specific clothing pressure data, it is concluded that when the pressure at the GM location is 0.127 kPa, 30 min of running has a fatigue-relieving effect. However, the pressure should not be excessively high, at 0.1633 kPa it exhibits an insignificant adverse effect. At the TA location, a garment pressure mean between 0.3852 and 0.426 kPa does not alleviate fatigue after 30 min of running, and the negative effect becomes more pronounced as the pressure increases. The pressure exerted by the CG at GL, GM, TA and RF locations shows significant changes from the previous time period during the 15–18 min interval after running. Therefore, in the design of CG, attention should be paid to the changes in clothing pressure effects on muscles during this specific time period.
Originality/value
The few previous researches on the impact of calf compression garments (CG) on running performance while assessing physiological and perceptual factors. Therefore, this study investigated how the clothing pressure of two types of Calf CG, CG1 and CG2, affects muscle fatigue and activation during running.
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Xiaolong Lu, Xudong Sui, Xiao Zhang, Zhen Yan and Junying Hao
This study aims to investigate the effect of V doping on the microstructure, chemical stability, mechanical and vacuum tribological behavior of sputtered MoS2 coatings.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the effect of V doping on the microstructure, chemical stability, mechanical and vacuum tribological behavior of sputtered MoS2 coatings.
Design/methodology/approach
The MoS2-V coatings are fabricated via tuning V target current by magnetron sputtering technique. The structural characteristic and elemental content of the coatings are measured by field emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometer, electron probe X-ray micro-analyzer, Raman, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscope and energy dispersive spectrometer. The hardness of the deposited coatings are tested by a nanoindentation technique. The vacuum tribological properties of MoS2-V coatings are studied by a ball-on-disc tribometer.
Findings
Introducing V into the MoS2 coatings results in a more compact microstructure. The hardness of the coatings increases with the doping of V. The MoS2-V coating deposited at a current of 0.2 A obtains the lowest friction coefficient (0.043) under vacuum. As the amount of V doping increases, the wear rate of the coating decreases first and then increases, among which the coating deposited at a current of 0.5 A has the lowest wear rate of 2.2 × 10–6 mm3/N·m.
Originality/value
This work elucidates the role of V doping on the lubrication mechanism of MoS2 coatings in a vacuum environment, and the MoS2-V coating is expected to be applied as a solid lubricant in space environment.
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Zhen Cao, Jianbin Hu, Zhong Chen, Maoxing Xu and Xia Zhou
Wireless sensor networks, due to their potentially wide application perspectives, may proliferate in future. Two major stumbling blocks are the dynamic variance of the network…
Abstract
Purpose
Wireless sensor networks, due to their potentially wide application perspectives, may proliferate in future. Two major stumbling blocks are the dynamic variance of the network caused by both the capacity constraint of sensor nodes and uncertainties of wireless links, and secure routing in the special security sensitive environment. Therefore, adaptable and defendable routing mechanism is in urgent need for the deployment of sensor networks. This paper aims to propose a feedback‐based secure routing protocol (FBSR).
Design/methodology/approach
Feedback from the neighboring nodes serves as the dynamic information of the current network, with which sensor nodes make forwarding decisions in a secure and energy aware manner. Feedback message is included in the MAC layer acknowledgement frame to avoid network congestion, and it is authenticated with the proposed Keyed One Way Hash Chain (Keyed‐OWHC) to avoid feedback fabrication. FBSR's resilience to node compromise is enhanced by statistic efforts accomplished by the base station.
Findings
Both mathematical analysis and simulation results show that FBSR is not only reliable but also energy efficient.
Originality/value
The paper introduces a novel routing scheme for wireless sensor networks.
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Xiaojie Xu and Yun Zhang
For policymakers and participants of financial markets, predictions of trading volumes of financial indices are important issues. This study aims to address such a prediction…
Abstract
Purpose
For policymakers and participants of financial markets, predictions of trading volumes of financial indices are important issues. This study aims to address such a prediction problem based on the CSI300 nearby futures by using high-frequency data recorded each minute from the launch date of the futures to roughly two years after constituent stocks of the futures all becoming shortable, a time period witnessing significantly increased trading activities.
Design/methodology/approach
In order to answer questions as follows, this study adopts the neural network for modeling the irregular trading volume series of the CSI300 nearby futures: are the research able to utilize the lags of the trading volume series to make predictions; if this is the case, how far can the predictions go and how accurate can the predictions be; can this research use predictive information from trading volumes of the CSI300 spot and first distant futures for improving prediction accuracy and what is the corresponding magnitude; how sophisticated is the model; and how robust are its predictions?
Findings
The results of this study show that a simple neural network model could be constructed with 10 hidden neurons to robustly predict the trading volume of the CSI300 nearby futures using 1–20 min ahead trading volume data. The model leads to the root mean square error of about 955 contracts. Utilizing additional predictive information from trading volumes of the CSI300 spot and first distant futures could further benefit prediction accuracy and the magnitude of improvements is about 1–2%. This benefit is particularly significant when the trading volume of the CSI300 nearby futures is close to be zero. Another benefit, at the cost of the model becoming slightly more sophisticated with more hidden neurons, is that predictions could be generated through 1–30 min ahead trading volume data.
Originality/value
The results of this study could be used for multiple purposes, including designing financial index trading systems and platforms, monitoring systematic financial risks and building financial index price forecasting.
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In September, 2013 following a police tip, a government accounts clerk was found with huge sums of cash amounting to US$300,000 in his car, and a week later, Malawi’s Budget…
Abstract
Purpose
In September, 2013 following a police tip, a government accounts clerk was found with huge sums of cash amounting to US$300,000 in his car, and a week later, Malawi’s Budget Director (Treasury Official) was fatally shot outside his home. These two incidents unravelled what would later be famously known as the “Cashgate Scandal” that leading to revelations of fraud amounting to US$32 million, an amount representing almost 1 per cent of Malawi’s annual GDP in merely six months. As a result, donors withdrew their annual 40 per cent budgetary support. A lot of people (almost 70) in both public and private sector found with both cash in local or foreign currency were arrested. An independent audit report by Baker Tilly, a British accountancy firm, revealed that the fraud and theft was with such sophistication that cheques were issued to private companies for services that had not been rendered to government. Those cheques were cashed, and money was distributed among several people. Those arrested were charged with offences ranging from corruption, abuse of office, theft, theft by public servant, tax evasion and money laundering. This paper aims to analyse the cashgate scandal. It explores the first conviction of these cashgate case series which also happens to be the first ever conviction on money laundering offence in Malawi. It further explores the law likely to apply to the cashgate scandal case series, the opportunities that have been lost and likely stifling implications on the future of the fight against corruption and money laundering offences in Malawi. All law enforcement actors such as the prosecution, defence and the courts have that duty to clarify and implement the common interests of Malawians, namely, the prescriptive purposes of the law in accordance with the expectations of an approximate process that guarantees attainment of human good, i.e. justice.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper presents the desk research of various journal articles and reports on money laundering in general and Malawi. Further, an analysis of the first money laundering conviction is presented.
Findings
Malawi is still struggling with enforcement of money laundering offences.
Research limitations/implications
There was no quantitative research involved. Further, being the first case for litigation and conviction, not much has come up on Malawi’s money laundering practice. Actually, this is likely to be the first article on money laundering and analysis of the cashgate heist.
Social implications
The paper serves as a learning process for future prosecutions.
Originality/value
The paper offers a new and novel approach to the fight against money laundering offences and organized criminality in Malawi. Before the Treza Senzani Judgment, Money Laundering Law in Malawi had never been tested before the Courts. Through an exegesis of the Malawi law as regards these offences, the paper adds value to the research and fight against money laundering. It further offers insights into legal interpretation and policy formulation that would enable law enforcement agencies in Malawi to succeed in the fight against such criminality.
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Fei Fan, Kara Chan, Yan Wang, Yupeng Li and Michael Prieler
Online influencers are increasingly used by brands around the globe to establish brand communication. This study aims to investigate the characteristics of social media content in…
Abstract
Purpose
Online influencers are increasingly used by brands around the globe to establish brand communication. This study aims to investigate the characteristics of social media content in terms of presentation style and brand communication among online influencers in China. The authors identified how characteristics of social media posts influence young consumers’ engagement with the posts.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors analyzed 1,779 posts from the Sina Weibo accounts of ten top-ranked online influencers by combining traditional content analysis with Web data crawling of audience engagement with social media posts.
Findings
Online influencers in China more frequently used photos than videos to communicate with their social media audience. Altogether 8% and 6% of posts carried information about promotion and event, respectively. Posts with promotional incentives as well as event information were more likely to engage audiences. Altogether 22% of the sampled social media posts mentioned brands. Posts with brand information, however, were less likely to engage audiences. Furthermore, having long text is more effective than photos/images in generating likes from social media audiences.
Originality/value
Combining content analysis of social media posts and engagement analytics obtained via Web data crawling, this study is, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, one of the first empirical studies to analyze influencer marketing and young consumers’ reactions to social media in China.
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This paper aims to explore product pricing and green promotion effort policies and further analyzes the influences of financing interest rate, green promotion effort and…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore product pricing and green promotion effort policies and further analyzes the influences of financing interest rate, green promotion effort and free-riding behavior on the optimal strategies.
Design/methodology/approach
Research will be conducted with the aid of Stackelberg game research method, considering that the manufacturer has financial constraints and financing from e-commerce platform, and consumers have dual preferences, based on the two models of no green promotion effort for physical store and green promotion effort for physical store to explore dual-channel green supply chain strategies.
Findings
This research puts forward the following findings, in the two models: the rise in financing interest rate leads to an increase in wholesale and selling prices of dual channels and a decrease in demand of dual channels. The green promotion effort has a positive impact on wholesale prices, selling prices and demand of dual channels. The rise of free-riding rate makes offline wholesale and selling prices fall, whereas online wholesale and selling prices rise.
Originality/value
This research results can provide reference for the decision-making in the context of supply chain financing and free-riding.