Pollaphat Nitithamyong and Zijin Tan
The use of external project management consulting firms (PMCs) in construction projects has not been widely accepted by practitioners in Malaysia because of several failed…
Abstract
Purpose
The use of external project management consulting firms (PMCs) in construction projects has not been widely accepted by practitioners in Malaysia because of several failed experiences in public projects. This study aims to investigate the important roles of PMCs, the key factors contributing to their effective performance, and the appropriate measurement criteria for assessing performance.
Design/methodology/approach
A list of potential PMC success factors and performance measurement criteria was initially obtained from a literature review and verified by a panel of selected experts. Opinions from the experts regarding the important roles of PMCs were also analysed. An industry‐wide survey questionnaire was then developed to collect data from industry practitioners who had recent hands‐on experience working with PMCs in construction projects. Finally, the PMC success model was formulated based on the responses of the industry‐wide survey.
Findings
Significant roles of PMCs were determined, as well as 12 underlying PMC success factors and five important criteria for assessing PMC performance. Practical applications of the PMC success model devised from the identified success factors and measurement criteria were also highlighted.
Originality/value
The findings of this study can help industry practitioners who are working or planning to work in projects implementing the PMC concept in Malaysia to gain an enhanced understanding of how to apply the concept effectively, leading to increased benefits of appointing PMCs and promoting the utilisation of the PMC concept in the Malaysian construction industry.
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The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is endeavor of paramount importance that is likely to redefine socio-economic relations in countries and regions concerned. The debate on BRI’s…
Abstract
The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is endeavor of paramount importance that is likely to redefine socio-economic relations in countries and regions concerned. The debate on BRI’s relevance, scope, and potential has only begun, and it remains uncertain how exactly it will unfold. In this context, questions pertinent to regulatory frameworks in the context of which BRI initiatives are implemented belong to the most complex and the most interesting ones. Due to BRI’s novelty and open-endedness, all matters pertaining to its implementation are of exploratory nature; especially the legal aspects of its implementation. This aim of this chapter is to provide insightful answers to legal questions regarding BRI and dispute resolution via the examination of the current legal status of BRI, as well as explore how trust and cultural awareness can contribute to the avoidance of business-related disputes.
Shuguang Zhao and Xuan Wu
“Fostered idols” refer to entertainment idols and young stars-in-the-making who begin their careers as amateurs. Today, the fostered idol model has become increasingly popular in…
Abstract
Purpose
“Fostered idols” refer to entertainment idols and young stars-in-the-making who begin their careers as amateurs. Today, the fostered idol model has become increasingly popular in China, and fans demonstrate incredible consumption power. Despite the booming market, little is known about this phenomenon. Therefore, this study aims to explore fans’ motivations and consumption practices from the consumer’s perspective within the framework of self-determination theory.
Design/methodology/approach
In all 20 in-depth interviews with fostered idol fans were conducted through online phone calls. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and subsequently analysed using a grounded approach.
Findings
The results indicate that fans’ consumption practices are motivated both intrinsically and extrinsically. Intrinsic motivation includes sensory pleasure while extrinsic motivations are composed of a sense of being needed and a sense of success. Extrinsic motivations play a dominant role and reflect the needs of relatedness and competence. Additionally, consumption practices are found to be consistent with motivations.
Research limitations/implications
The results show the crucial role of psychological satisfaction experienced by fans in the consumption of the fostered idol and highlight the importance of a relatedness- and competence-supportive environment to secure fans’ persistent consumption and loyalty.
Originality/value
This study focuses on fans of fostered idols that has not been explored in existing studies and offers valuable insights regarding the similarities and differences between fan consumption in China and other Asian countries. The results will inform marketing practitioners for the development of effective strategies and business decisions.
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Changwei Pang, Qiong Wang and Songqiang Wu
The purpose of this paper is to examine the underlying mediating mechanism and contextual conditions in the relationship between dynamic capabilities and novelty-centered business…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the underlying mediating mechanism and contextual conditions in the relationship between dynamic capabilities and novelty-centered business model design (NCBMD).
Design/methodology/approach
Using data from 146 firms in China and the process conditional modeling, the authors acquire evidence supporting the hypothesized moderated mediation.
Findings
The authors find that interfunctional coordination plays a crucial mediator role in the relationship between dynamic capabilities and NCBMD. Environmental dynamism positively moderates the mediating effect of interfunctional coordination on the relationship of dynamic capabilities and NCBMD.
Research limitations/implications
First, the research setting focuses on a specific intermediary mechanism of dynamic capabilities on NCBMD. Second, dynamic capabilities are considered as an integrative construct in the study. Future research could further examine the effect mechanism of dynamic capabilities' sub-dimensions, which might provide more theoretical findings. Third, the impact of public policies, an important source of environmental dynamism, on NCBMD needs a fine-grained analysis. Fourth, the sample data restricts the popularity of the conclusion.
Practical implications
First, firms should be aware of the irreplaceable role of dynamic capabilities in the process of designing a novel business model. Second, firms promoting the design of business models should pay more attention to interfunctional coordination. Third, the significant moderating mediation effect reveals that the importance of interfunctional coordination for the relationship between dynamic capabilities and NCBMD under a highly dynamic environment.
Originality/value
First, the authors reveal how a firm's dynamic capabilities can promote NCBMD. By focusing on the influence of dynamic capabilities on NCBMD, the authors elucidate the source of value creation from the perspective of organizational capability. Second, the analysis of mediating effect delineates the bridging mechanism of dynamic capabilities and NCBMD. These findings emphasize the important role of interfunctional coordination in designing a novel business model. Third, given the context of this research, the results present implications for the role of a dynamic environment. For the methodology of theoretical research, the different findings indicate that scholars could further refine the manipulation of moderators, which contributes to elucidate new conclusions ignored in the past studies. Accordingly, this research extends both theoretical research and methodology.
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Lishengsa Yue, Mohamed Abdel-Aty and Zijin Wang
This study aims to evaluate the influence of connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) merging algorithms on the driver behavior of human-driven vehicles on the mainline.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to evaluate the influence of connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) merging algorithms on the driver behavior of human-driven vehicles on the mainline.
Design/methodology/approach
Previous studies designed their merging algorithms mostly based on either the simulation or the restricted field testing, which lacks consideration of realistic driving behaviors in the merging scenario. This study developed a multi-driver simulator system to embed realistic driving behavior in the validation of merging algorithms.
Findings
Four types of CAV merging algorithms were evaluated regarding their influences on driving safety and driving comfort of the mainline vehicle platoon. The results revealed significant variation of the algorithm influences. Specifically, the results show that the reference-trajectory-based merging algorithm may outperform the social-psychology-based merging algorithm which only considers the ramp vehicles.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first time to evaluate a CAV control algorithm considering realistic driver interactions rather than by the simulation. To achieve the research purpose, a novel multi-driver driving simulator was developed, which enables multi-drivers to simultaneously interact with each other during a virtual driving test. The results are expected to have practical implications for further improvement of the CAV merging algorithm.
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Ling-Yun He and Hongzhen Zhang
Inspired by the comparison of charity donations among candidates in rural elections, the authors linked the non-profit motives of charity to corporate pollution emissions. And on…
Abstract
Purpose
Inspired by the comparison of charity donations among candidates in rural elections, the authors linked the non-profit motives of charity to corporate pollution emissions. And on this basis, the authors aim to provide theoretical and empirical explanations for the relationship between corporate philanthropy and pollution. The authors find that the desire to pursue more pollution emissions stimulates the firm's philanthropy, which is similar to the public welfare donations in rural elections.
Design/methodology/approach
Firstly, the authors construct a game-theoretical framework consisting of an entrepreneur and a bureaucrat to study the environmental cost of corporate philanthropy through the impact on pollution emission by the firm. Secondly, the authors used various empirical methods, including hybrid OLS, IV-2SLS, PSM, etc., to empirically test the impact of a firm's philanthropy on corporate pollution emissions. Finally, the authors use the output and abatement input as intermediary variables and apply the intermediary effect model to test the impact mechanism between corporate philanthropy and corporate pollution emissions.
Findings
Theoretical model finds that the firm invests more in philanthropy discharges more emissions when the theoretical model is in political equilibrium. Besides, empirical results show that corporate philanthropy will lead to more pollution emissions by reducing abatement input and increasing production. Finally, the heterogeneity test finds that compared with state-owned enterprises, the intention of non-state-owned enterprises' philanthropy for more pollution emission is more obvious. Moreover, the improvement of regional environmental regulation can significantly inhibit the realization of corporate philanthropy's poor motive.
Practical implications
The results have obvious policy implications for China's future policy-making. Firstly, regulatory agencies should pay close attention to the charitable behaviors of firms with serious negative environmental externalities, and prevent them from replacing more pollution emissions with philanthropy. Besides, due to weak environmental supervision in rural areas, rural polluting enterprises will be more inclined to make charitable donations to the village collective to obtain more emission rights. Therefore, the government should strengthen environmental supervision in rural areas to prevent enterprises from wanton pollution.
Originality/value
By constructing a game-theoretical framework consisting of an entrepreneur and a bureaucrat, the authors expound on corporate philanthropy's pollution motivation and decision-making mechanism for the first time in theory. Besides, this paper finds that the desire to pursue more pollution emissions also stimulates the firm's philanthropy. This paper expands the literature on corporate charitable donation motivations.
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Yina Li, Fei Ye, Jing Dai, Xiande Zhao and Chwen Sheu
Despite touting the value of green practices, many firms struggle to respond appropriately to the diverse environmental issues. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the…
Abstract
Purpose
Despite touting the value of green practices, many firms struggle to respond appropriately to the diverse environmental issues. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the external and internal pressures interplay to influence top management championship, which, in turn, fosters the company’s green culture and the adoption of green practices. It thus helps to explain Chinese firms’ diversity with respect to the adoption of green practices.
Design/methodology/approach
A conceptual model is developed that summarizes the interplay of external and internal pressures, top management championship, green culture and the adoption of green practices. Data from 148 Chinese manufacturing firms were collected and a structural equation model was used for statistical analysis.
Findings
Government policy that provides incentives to adopt green practices and overseas customers’ green demand has significant positive influences on top management championship, while resources pressure has a significant negative effect. Government command and control policy, domestic customers’ green demand and organizational inertia do not impact top management championship. Furthermore, top management championship is positively correlated to both green culture and green practices, and green culture contributes to implementing green practices.
Practical implications
The findings help us understand which external and internal factors inspire or force top management to adopt green practices, and how they do so. Moreover, managers must also be aware of the bridging role of green culture. The findings will be valuable to policy makers in forming and enforcing “stick” or “carrot” environmental policies.
Originality/value
Leveraging a multi-theoretic approach, the authors’ research builds on insights from the institutional theory, natural resource-based view (NRBV) and upper echelons perspective, so as to increase the authors’ understanding on how firms adopt green practices to respond to environmental sustainability pressures. The institutional theory and the NRBV are leveraged in this study to recognize that firms perceive not only external institutional pressure for environmental management but also the internal pressure from resource constraints and capability to change. Upper echelons perspective is integrated into this study to explain the leadership role that top management serves in the management of the organization’s response to dynamic changes in the institutional environment and cultivate green culture within organization.
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The purpose of this paper is to analyze the mechanism of the role of government subsidies on corporate environmental investment and explore how specific characteristics of firms…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the mechanism of the role of government subsidies on corporate environmental investment and explore how specific characteristics of firms affect corporate environmental responsibility.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper examines the relationship between government subsidies and corporate environmental investment and models with a sample of 78,854 industries. The authors measure the corporate environmental investment by the natural logarithm of the volume of waste gas treatment facilities.
Findings
The results show the positive effect of government subsidies on corporate environmental investment. In addition, state ownership positively regulates the relationship between government and corporations, but the relationship between them is negatively regulated by the slack resources.
Practical implications
When people are increasingly concerned about corporate social and environmental responsibility, clarifying the link between government subsidies and corporate environmental investments can help policymakers formulate policies and allocate limited resources.
Originality/value
This study uses the resource-based view as a theoretical framework to reveal the mechanism of action between government subsidies and corporate environmental responsibility, enriching the previous literature that explores the issue based on the legitimacy perspective.
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To examine “universal service” as a policy objective in post‐WTO accession Chinese telecommunications and analyze the challenges of the Chinese telecommunications system in…
Abstract
Purpose
To examine “universal service” as a policy objective in post‐WTO accession Chinese telecommunications and analyze the challenges of the Chinese telecommunications system in defining and promoting public service ethos in a country that is marked by staggering disparities.
Design/methodology/approach
A range of media, academic, industry, and policy discourses on “universal service” and a broader notion of “public service,” together with recent government efforts in promoting “universal service,” are examined and assessed to develop an analysis of the uneven nature of China's telecommunications development and reveal the dynamics of “universal service” policy formation, as well as the impetuses and impediments in developing any notion of public service telecommunications in China.
Findings
Public service issues in China need to be situated within a continuing process of uneven development which comprises dimensions other than residential telephone access. Although the ultimate policy goal appears to develop a nationally accessible telecommunications infrastructure as the basis of a unified national economy, this overall objective is beset by conflicts and contingent on the dynamics of elite and popular struggles over and beyond telecommunications development. Despite the spectacular expansion in telephone access, pragmatic concessions to dominant power groups, rather than a principled commitment to “universal service,” let alone efforts to define the social functions of telecommunications in more democratic ways, have shaped the development of China's telecommunications.
Originality/value
The development of China's telecommunications infrastructure offers lessons both as to the likelihood of successfully establishing an integrated national economy, and the role of public service in that context. However, the Chinese telecommunications policy field remains extremely fluid.
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Maryeh Nematizadeh, Alireza Amirteimoori, Sohrab Kordrostami and Leila Khoshandam
This study aims to address the lack of discrimination between fully efficient decision-making units in nonparametric efficiency analysis models by introducing a new ranking…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to address the lack of discrimination between fully efficient decision-making units in nonparametric efficiency analysis models by introducing a new ranking technique that incorporates contextual variables.
Design/methodology/approach
The proposed method combines Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Ordinary Least Squares (OLS). First, DEA evaluates the partial efficiency of each unit, considering all inputs and only one output. Next, OLS removes the influence of contextual variables on the partial efficiencies. Finally, a ranking criterion based on modified partial efficiencies is formulated. The method is applied to data from 100 Chinese banks, including state-owned, commercial and industrial institutions, for the year 2020.
Findings
The ranking results show that the top six positions are assigned to highly esteemed banks in China, demonstrating strong alignment with real-world performance. The method provides a comprehensive ranking of all units, including nonextreme efficient ones, without excluding any. It resolves infeasibility issues that arise during the ranking of efficient units and ensures uniqueness in efficiency scores, leading to a more reliable and robust ranking process. Contextual variables exerted a greater influence on the first partial efficiency compared to the second. Notably, Total Capital Adequacy (TCA) significantly impact bank efficiency.
Originality/value
This study introduces a novel ranking method that effectively integrates contextual variables into DEA-based efficiency analysis, addressing limitations of existing methods. The practical application to Chinese banks demonstrates its utility and relevance.