Arthur Yan Huang, Tyler Fisher, Huiling Ding and Zhishan Guo
This paper aims to examine transferable skills and viable career transition pathways for hospitality and tourism workers. Future career prospects are discussed, along with the…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine transferable skills and viable career transition pathways for hospitality and tourism workers. Future career prospects are discussed, along with the importance of reskilling for low-wage hospitality workers.
Design/methodology/approach
A network analysis is conducted to model skill relationships between the hospitality industry and other industries such as health-care and information technology. Multiple data are used in the analysis, including data from the US Department of Labor Occupational Information Network (O*NET), wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and job computerization data (Frey and Osborne, 2017).
Findings
Although hospitality workers have lower than average skills scores when compared to workers from other career clusters included in the analysis, they possess essential soft skills that are valuable in other industries. Therefore, improving hospitality workers’ existing soft skills may help them enhance their cross-sector mobility, which may allow them to obtain jobs with a lower likelihood of computerization.
Practical implications
The findings shed light on workforce development theories and practice in the hospitality industry by quantitatively analyzing cross-sector skill correlations. Sharpening transferable soft skills will be essential to enhancing hospitality workers’ career development opportunities.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that specifically examines the skill taxonomy for the hospitality industry and identifies its connection with other in-demand career clusters.
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Zhishan Yan, Haiqing Hu, Zhaoqun Wang, Zhikang Liang and Weiwei Kong
This paper aims to explore the effect of different government subsidy decisions and the differences between the consequences of these decisions when supply chain members engage in…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the effect of different government subsidy decisions and the differences between the consequences of these decisions when supply chain members engage in cooperative green innovation through cost-sharing arrangements.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper investigates the optimal decisions for green supply chains under two types of subsidies, including subsidies for green innovation research and development (R&D) costs and subsidies for consumers, by integrating game theory with numerical simulation.
Findings
The optimal R&D cost-sharing ratio is found to be 2/3 for manufacturers and 1/3 for retailers. Under any subsidy policy, the supply chain can achieve maximum total profit. When the supply chain adopts the optimal R&D cost-sharing ratio, subsidies for green innovation R&D costs prove to be the most effective in increasing the supply chain’s profit. However, from the perspective of total social welfare, the analysis reveals that government subsidies to consumers are more beneficial for promoting overall social welfare.
Originality/value
Previous studies on green supply chain decisions have primarily focused on either government subsidies or corporate cost sharing in isolation. In contrast, this study combines both government subsidies and cost sharing within a unified framework for a more comprehensive analysis. Additionally, this paper examines the impact of government subsidies on supply chain cost-sharing decisions and their effect on overall social welfare while considering the presence of cost sharing and using the combination of theoretical modeling and simulation analysis.
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Gongwen Tang, Tingting Ren, Yi Wang, Zhishan Yan, Linrong Ma, Xiangyu Hou and Xin Huang
The purpose of this paper is to study the effect of the nano tube fillers on the corrosion protection properties of the self-curing epoxy (SEP) coatings.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study the effect of the nano tube fillers on the corrosion protection properties of the self-curing epoxy (SEP) coatings.
Design/methodology/approach
The self-curing epoxy (SEP) resin was synthesized via a reaction between diisopropoxy-bis ethylacetoacetato titanate and the epoxy resin. Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) was surface modified by grafting (3-glycidoxypropyl) trimethoxysilane to obtain modified HNTs (mHNTs). The HNTs and mHNTs are used as nano tube fillers for the SEP coating. The thermal stability of the coatings was assessed via thermo-gravimetric analysis. The field-emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was conducted to analyze the surfaces and cross sections of the coatings. The anticorrosive efficiencies of the coatings were investigated by electrochemical measurements and a neutral salt spray test.
Findings
The results demonstrated that the additions of HNTs and mHNTs have little effect on the thermal degradation temperature of the SEP coating. However, the addition of the nanotubes reduced the corrosion resistance of the SEP coating.
Originality/value
The SEP coating itself showed excellent corrosion resistance without any reinforcement particles and is hence promising for application in the heavy-duty anticorrosion field of heat exchangers.
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Alan Richardson and Caroline Galloway
This research seeks to investigate the potential of using para‐aramid fibre fabric and yarn as an external reinforcement to existing structures. The purpose of this paper is to…
Abstract
Purpose
This research seeks to investigate the potential of using para‐aramid fibre fabric and yarn as an external reinforcement to existing structures. The purpose of this paper is to improve existing structural performance or to return the original design performance, during refurbishment. The research aims to investigate the potential for enhanced flexural strength and toughness in concrete beams, which may be required for change of use of buildings, where loadings may be subject to change. Buildings in earthquake zones may also benefit from additional toughness provided with external fabric/yarn reinforcement as a means of providing additional time for escape, for the occupants.
Design/methodology/approach
The test compared four types of concrete beams with different reinforcement material compositions and each set consisted of three beams. The beams were: plain reinforced concrete without any external form of reinforcement (RC), plain unreinforced beams with a para aramid sheet (KF), plain unreinforced beams with para aramid strips of yarn attached longitudinally (KY) and plain reinforced concrete beams with sheet fabric (RCKF). All of the para‐aramid material (fabric and yarn) was externally bonded to the samples, using a two part epoxy resin adhesive applied to a prepared surface. To determine the flexural strength and toughness a three point loading test was used to provide load and deflection data on the 12 (500 mm×100 mm×100 mm) concrete beams.
Findings
An increase in flexural strength and toughness was observed when para‐aramid was used in conjunction with steel reinforcement bar (re‐bar). The para‐aramid fabric and yarn produced similar results to the plain reinforced concrete beam in terms of flexural strength but not toughness.
Originality/value
An advantage of using para‐aramid as an external reinforcement, would be to utilise the large deflection the beam sustains under loading, whilst the fabric/yarn holds the beam together across the rupture plane. Although the testing did not prove that para‐aramid would be a viable alternative to steel re‐bar it did show that the material has the potential as an additional reinforcement that may be particularly useful where concrete structures are subject to large deformations or in need of repair.
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Yan Ning, Minjie Feng, Jin Feng and Xiao Liu
Drawing upon the ambivalence literature, the purpose of this paper is to explore clients’ ambivalence caused by the co-existence of trust and distrust and to investigate how…
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing upon the ambivalence literature, the purpose of this paper is to explore clients’ ambivalence caused by the co-existence of trust and distrust and to investigate how clients respond to the ambivalence.
Design/methodology/approach
Qualitative research strategies using multiple data sources were adopted. Face-to-face interviews were the major method for gathering data. Additional data sources included archival cases, official reports, regulations and rules and survey reports.
Findings
The results identified that clients’ ambivalence occurs in the face of the co-existence of trust and distrust. Clients might trust contractors on certain aspects and distrust of others or when they realize that trust and/or distrust have mixed merits and demerits. As a response strategy to the ambivalence, clients may choose to oscillate between trust and distrust in accordance with contractors’ quality and cost performance.
Research limitations/implications
One limitation is that dwelling fit-out projects are generally small in size. Parties in small size projects might have different mindsets than large projects. Thus, it is worthwhile to extend the framework to the context of large projects.
Practical implications
Managers or clients should be aware of the double-edged sword nature of trust and distrust. To deal with the ambivalence resulting from co-existence of trust and distrust, a proper balance of trust and distrust might be effective.
Originality/value
This study contributes an ambivalence approach to the trust research in project management.