Zhigang Chen, Ying Zhang and Li Zhou
Finance is crucial to boosting agricultural development in developing countries. This paper aims to investigate the effects of rural formal and informal financial access on…
Abstract
Purpose
Finance is crucial to boosting agricultural development in developing countries. This paper aims to investigate the effects of rural formal and informal financial access on agricultural technical efficiency (TE) in China.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the survey data of demonstrative family farms in Langxi county, Anhui province and Wuhan city, Hubei province in central China in 2017, this research assesses agricultural TE by using a three-stage DEA model. It adopts the tobit model to evaluate the effects of formal and informal financial access on TE, and to explore the heterogeneous effects by types, management states and scales. It uses the OLS regression and PSM method to check the robustness, and applies the IV-Tobit method to solve the endogeneity. The authors apply the mediation effect model to explore the channels through which financial access impacts TE.
Findings
Family farms' average TE reaches 13.9%, which shows much room for improvement under the given technical conditions and constant inputs. The research confirms the advantage of formal financial access in raising TE relative to informal financial access. The heterogeneous analysis documents more prominent effects of formal financial access on enhancing TE of aquaculture, hybrid, demonstration and large farms. The mediating effect model reveals that the enhancing TE effect of formal financial access derives from improved machinery investment and family labor division rather than land circulation.
Originality/value
The research clarifies finance into formal and informal finance. The results have considerable policy implications for rural financial policies in China.
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Bo Ling, Zhigang Chen and Yongcheng Lu
The purpose of this paper is to propose a GIS‐based regional competitiveness evaluating software system. With a regional competitiveness evaluating software system, researchers…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to propose a GIS‐based regional competitiveness evaluating software system. With a regional competitiveness evaluating software system, researchers can compare their studies with each other, so that more generally accepted concepts, models, and evaluating methodologies can be obtained. Furthermore, such a system can facilitate researchers to conduct studies more efficiently and effectively, so that a deep insight into regional competitiveness can be achieved.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the system theory, a thorough investigation into the nature of a region and its competitiveness are conducted, so that the software designing demands are identified and a client/server and browser/server architecture is proposed for the system. In addition, the Delphi method is employed to improve the performance of the software system, while a primary experimental study is conducted to verify its effectiveness.
Findings
Developing such a software system, the GIS and database techniques should be harnessed, while Delphi method should be employed to improve system performance.
Research limitations/implications
Identifying evaluating index set and obtaining corresponding data are the main limitations of the system working.
Practical implications
The ideology of designing a regional competitiveness evaluating software system is proposed.
Originality/value
An efficient and generic methodology of evaluating regional competitiveness is devised.
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Abdul Rehman, Mohammad Hassan Shirani Bidabadi, Liang Yang, Zheng Yu, Chen Hao, Chi Zhang and Zhigang Yang
This study aims to optimise the effect of pre-oxidation on hot corrosion behaviour of Tribaloy T-900 at 900 °C in mixed Na2SO4 and K2SO4.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to optimise the effect of pre-oxidation on hot corrosion behaviour of Tribaloy T-900 at 900 °C in mixed Na2SO4 and K2SO4.
Design/methodology/approach
Prior to hot corrosion experiment, pre-oxidation treatments were carried in ambient air at 900 °C for 1, 5 and 10 h, respectively. The hot corrosion experiments were performed in a box type furnace at 900 °C. Both surfaces of specimens were brushed with saturated salt solution of 75 wt.% Na2SO4 + 25 wt.% K2SO4. After brushing, the salt-coated specimens were placed in electric stove to ensure drying of salt. After drying, presence of 3 mg/cm2 salt on specimen’s surface was ensured through weighting.
Findings
The 1-h pre-oxidation treatment prior to hot corrosion showed superior hot corrosion resistance against molten salt attack. An optimum pre-oxidation time of 1 h helped timely formation of protective Cr2O3 layer and inhibited the formation of less stable and porous surface oxides of Ni and Mo during hot corrosion.
Originality/value
Pre-oxidation effect on hot corrosion behaviour of refractory metal (such as Mo in investigated alloy) containing alloy has never been reported previously. Refractory metals oxide (e.g. MoO3) could transform the corrosion phenomena to catastrophic failure through acidic fluxing.
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Junan Ji, Zhigang Zhao, Shi Zhang and Tianyuan Chen
This paper aims to propose an energetic model parameter calculation method for predicting the materials’ symmetrical static hysteresis loop and asymmetrical minor loop to improve…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to propose an energetic model parameter calculation method for predicting the materials’ symmetrical static hysteresis loop and asymmetrical minor loop to improve the accuracy of electromagnetic analysis of equipment.
Design/methodology/approach
For predicting the symmetrical static hysteresis loop, this paper deduces the functional relationship between magnetic flux density and energetic model parameters based on the materials’ magnetization mechanism. It realizes the efficient and accurate symmetrical static hysteresis loop prediction under different magnetizations. For predicting the asymmetrical minor loop, a new algorithm is proposed that updates the energetic model parameters of the asymmetrical minor loop to consider the return-point memory effect.
Findings
The comparison of simulation and experimental results verifies that the proposed parameters calculation method has high accuracy and strong universality.
Originality/value
The proposed parameter calculation method improves the existing parameter calculation method’s problem of relying on too much experimental data and inaccuracy. Consequently, the presented work facilitates the application of the finite element electromagnetic field analysis method coupling the hysteresis model.
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Lingyun Huang, Jiankun Liu and Zhigang Huang
The operational framework of external financing in the correlation between the gender of entrepreneurs and firm performance remains to be resolved. This study aims to investigate…
Abstract
Purpose
The operational framework of external financing in the correlation between the gender of entrepreneurs and firm performance remains to be resolved. This study aims to investigate the mediating effect of external financing on gender-based disparities in private firm performance and to explore its heterogeneity within the Chinese context.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on national data from the 10th to 13th Chinese Private Enterprise Survey, this study used a bootstrap-based mediation effect model to analyze the role of external financing as a mediator in the relationship between entrepreneur gender and firm performance.
Findings
This study found that external financing is a constructive mediator between entrepreneur gender and firm performance. Heterogeneity analysis revealed that external financing plays a complementary mediation role in the impact of entrepreneur gender on performance in West China. In the tertiary industry, external financing acts as the sole mediator for the impact of gender on firm performance. Notably, this mediating effect is present in non-startups but not in startups.
Practical implications
The findings suggest that external financing can improve the firm performance of female entrepreneurs. Governments and policymakers should strengthen financial support for female entrepreneurs in West China, tertiary industry and non-startup enterprises.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to the literature on gender and corporate governance by shedding light on the mediating role of external financing in the relationship between the gender of business owners and firm performance.
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Drawing on power approach-inhibition theory, this study develops a conditional indirect effect model to explore how team vertical leader position and expert power indirectly…
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing on power approach-inhibition theory, this study develops a conditional indirect effect model to explore how team vertical leader position and expert power indirectly impact members’ shared leadership through vertical leader’s empowering behaviors.
Design/methodology/approach
Multi-source data was collected using a field survey research design. The final sample includes 944 employees in 164 teams from 14 companies in China.
Findings
This study found that the interaction of team vertical leader position power and expert power was positively related to their empowering behaviors, which in turn were positively associated with shared leadership. Moreover, our post hoc-analysis revealed the moderating effect of team power distance orientation on the relationship between vertical leader empowering behaviors and shared leadership.
Originality/value
This study sheds light on shared leadership literature by examining vertical leader position and expert power as antecedents. We also offer new directions for exploring how power functions by discussing leadership through the lens of power approach-inhibition theory.
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Feng Huang and Zhigang Yu
Ecological small towns can attract a large number of rural surplus labors and ease the population pressure, how to carry out the planning and construction ecological town becomes…
Abstract
Ecological small towns can attract a large number of rural surplus labors and ease the population pressure, how to carry out the planning and construction ecological town becomes a hotspot of research. Based on this, planning and construction of ecological small towns absorbing surplus rural labor based on fuzzy evaluation method were proposed. First of all, planning and construction of small towns under the concept of ecology were elaborated; and then the planning and construction strategies of small towns integrating ecological concepts were put forward, including the utilization of water resources, ecological the landscape and transportation planning; at the same time, a project for ecological small town in Hebei Province was taken as an example for the planning and design; in addition, the planning objectives and layout planning were analyzed and evaluated by fuzzy evaluation method, and the results confirmed the success of planning and design.
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Zhigang Cai, Pengzhu Zhang and Xiao Han
The paper is to explore crowdfunding success determinants from the reward menu design aspect, distinguishing from extant studies focusing on characteristics of project creators or…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper is to explore crowdfunding success determinants from the reward menu design aspect, distinguishing from extant studies focusing on characteristics of project creators or crowdfunding projects and funding dynamics. Both the number of reward options and price differentiation of rewards are considered.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors use the quadratic model to identify a curvilinear relationship between the number of reward options and crowdfunding success, by running regressions on data collected from one of the most influential reward-based crowdfunding platforms in China. In addition, they explore the moderating effect of price differentiation on the curvilinear relationship.
Findings
The authors find an inverted U-shape relationship between the number of reward options and the optimal number of options is around 10. In addition, they find that the curvilinear relationship is moderated by reward price differentiation.
Practical implications
This paper has managerial implications for crowdfunding project creators and platform managers. To achieve better crowdfunding outcomes, a proper number of reward options with diversified reward prices should be provided.
Originality/value
The paper contributes to the literatures in antecedents of crowdfunding success from reward menu design aspect based on theories in investment and purchasing decision making. It is different from existing studies focusing on the characteristics of project creators and crowdfunding projects or funding dynamics. It also parallels retirement contribution plan design studies by exploring the reward menu design in the crowdfunding context.
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Rangayya, Virupakshappa and Nagabhushan Patil
One of the challenging issues in computer vision and pattern recognition is face image recognition. Several studies based on face recognition were introduced in the past decades…
Abstract
Purpose
One of the challenging issues in computer vision and pattern recognition is face image recognition. Several studies based on face recognition were introduced in the past decades, but it has few classification issues in terms of poor performances. Hence, the authors proposed a novel model for face recognition.
Design/methodology/approach
The proposed method consists of four major sections such as data acquisition, segmentation, feature extraction and recognition. Initially, the images are transferred into grayscale images, and they pose issues that are eliminated by resizing the input images. The contrast limited adaptive histogram equalization (CLAHE) utilizes the image preprocessing step, thereby eliminating unwanted noise and improving the image contrast level. Second, the active contour and level set-based segmentation (ALS) with neural network (NN) or ALS with NN algorithm is used for facial image segmentation. Next, the four major kinds of feature descriptors are dominant color structure descriptors, scale-invariant feature transform descriptors, improved center-symmetric local binary patterns (ICSLBP) and histograms of gradients (HOG) are based on clour and texture features. Finally, the support vector machine (SVM) with modified random forest (MRF) model for facial image recognition.
Findings
Experimentally, the proposed method performance is evaluated using different kinds of evaluation criterions such as accuracy, similarity index, dice similarity coefficient, precision, recall and F-score results. However, the proposed method offers superior recognition performances than other state-of-art methods. Further face recognition was analyzed with the metrics such as accuracy, precision, recall and F-score and attained 99.2, 96, 98 and 96%, respectively.
Originality/value
The good facial recognition method is proposed in this research work to overcome threat to privacy, violation of rights and provide better security of data.
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Women from many cultures have historically been closely tied to the land and the environment through their role as subsistence farmers. But as the more developed nations have…
Abstract
Women from many cultures have historically been closely tied to the land and the environment through their role as subsistence farmers. But as the more developed nations have shifted to commercial agriculture and improved technology, farming has become a male-dominated industry. China’s shift from traditional family-operated farms to government-controlled collectives required a system of incentives to encourage agricultural labor to remain and prevent mass exodus to the cities. Hukou was created in the 1950s as a system of governmental registration for restricting the internal migration of labor within China, identifying citizens’ residency by place of birth. Residents of rural or urban locations are classified agricultural or nonagricultural labor, respectively. But as China’s industrialization has grown and technology has reduced the need for human agricultural labor, the need and desire for urban employment has intensified. For women, relocating has changed marriage practices, influenced child rearing, and altered their right to land tenure in their home region. This paper examines the role of gender in the changing use of hukou in the development of China, focusing on the impact of women’s patterns of migration on land tenure. Although hukou policies are still changing and there is a lack of data on the most recent changes, initial studies show that there are few who wish to give up their rural hukou in order to obtain urban hukou. Changes over the past decade indicate that rural woman are not only taking on more of the agricultural workload as men are drawn to urban employment, but also that they are less likely to care about environmental degradation in China.