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1 – 10 of 125Jiaqi Liu, Haitao Wen, Rong Wen, Wenjue Zhang, Yun Cui and Heng Wang
To contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, this study aims to explore how to encourage innovative green behaviors among college students and the mechanisms…
Abstract
Purpose
To contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, this study aims to explore how to encourage innovative green behaviors among college students and the mechanisms behind the formation of green innovation behavior. Specifically, this study examines the influences of schools, mentors and college students themselves.
Design/methodology/approach
A multilevel, multisource study involving 261 students from 51 groups generally supported this study’s predictions.
Findings
Proenvironmental and responsible mentors significantly predicted innovative green behavior among college students. In addition, creative motivation mediated the logical chain among green intellectual capital, emotional intelligence and green innovation behavior.
Practical implications
The study findings offer new insights into the conditions required for college students to engage in green innovation. In addition, they provide practical implications for cultivating green innovation among college students.
Originality/value
The authors proposed and tested a multilevel theory based on the ability–motivation–opportunity framework. In this model, proenvironmental and responsible mentors, green intellectual capital and emotional intelligence triggered innovative green behavior among college students through creative motivation.
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Ming Xu, Qiang Xu, Sheng Wei, Xufei Gu and Furong Liu
The increasing focus of consumers on health and environmental sustainability continues to drive the demand for organic food. Despite the recognized importance of health and…
Abstract
Purpose
The increasing focus of consumers on health and environmental sustainability continues to drive the demand for organic food. Despite the recognized importance of health and environmental concerns, the differential impact of these factors on organic food purchasing decisions is evident, indicating the presence of moderating variables. This investigation attempts to delineate these contingencies within the realms of socio-environmental and individual factors, paying particular attention to subjective norms, uncertainty, and egoistic values.
Design/methodology/approach
Using the convenience sampling method, the primary data sample was collected by a professional market research consulting firm and included 1876 usable respondents from China. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was utilized to verify the model and test the relationships between the constructs.
Findings
The results indicated that the path from environmental concern to organic food purchase intention was significantly influenced by subjective norms and uncertainty, both of which enhance this relationship. In contrast, egoistic values appeared to dampen this effect. Uncertainty also emerged as a key factor in the link between health concerns and organic food purchase intention, albeit with an opposite impact, weakening the relationship.
Practical implications
This study provides useful insights for academics and marketers to understand the complex phenomenon of organic consumer behavior. This result indicates that marketers can target reference groups to develop organic food marketing strategies.
Originality/value
Few studies have proposed and validated a model with these moderating factors collectively to study the purchase intention of organic food consumers in China.
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Wei Li, Tianran Ni, Yi Zhang, Daan Wang and Salvador Parrado
This study aims to examine the effects of vocational training programs for people with disabilities on their income.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the effects of vocational training programs for people with disabilities on their income.
Design/methodology/approach
It conducted a multinomial regression analysis of 10,469 survey responses from 31 provincial administrative areas in mainland China.
Findings
It finds the following antecedents all influence the trainees’ self-reported income, including their perception of the quality of the program, the training subject, the degree of consistency between their current job and this subject, their employment sector, their motivation and access to training resources and the geographical location of the program.
Research limitations/implications
The findings are not representative of people with disabilities across mainland China because the respondents were not randomly sampled.
Practical implications
The findings suggest that to increase the income of people with disabilities, the training can be designed according to the needs of employers by teaching subjects relevant to the needs of the labor market, reaching out to motivated trainees and enhancing the quality of training. Training institutions, employers and governments are recommended to work together to integrate class-based learning with workplace-based learning and practices. More training resources can be devoted to the self-employed people with disabilities or those who operate in the informal sector and are in less-developed areas.
Social implications
The improvement of employment opportunities and income of people with disabilities supports the safeguarding of their social economic rights and the building of an inclusive society.
Originality/value
Few studies have empirically explored and explained the effects of vocational training programs on people with disabilities’ income. This article fills this gap by assessing the performance of China's vocational training programs funded by the Federation of Disabled Persons at all levels.
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Jie Ma, Zhiyuan Hao and Mo Hu
The density peak clustering algorithm (DP) is proposed to identify cluster centers by two parameters, i.e. ρ value (local density) and δ value (the distance between a point and…
Abstract
Purpose
The density peak clustering algorithm (DP) is proposed to identify cluster centers by two parameters, i.e. ρ value (local density) and δ value (the distance between a point and another point with a higher ρ value). According to the center-identifying principle of the DP, the potential cluster centers should have a higher ρ value and a higher δ value than other points. However, this principle may limit the DP from identifying some categories with multi-centers or the centers in lower-density regions. In addition, the improper assignment strategy of the DP could cause a wrong assignment result for the non-center points. This paper aims to address the aforementioned issues and improve the clustering performance of the DP.
Design/methodology/approach
First, to identify as many potential cluster centers as possible, the authors construct a point-domain by introducing the pinhole imaging strategy to extend the searching range of the potential cluster centers. Second, they design different novel calculation methods for calculating the domain distance, point-domain density and domain similarity. Third, they adopt domain similarity to achieve the domain merging process and optimize the final clustering results.
Findings
The experimental results on analyzing 12 synthetic data sets and 12 real-world data sets show that two-stage density peak clustering based on multi-strategy optimization (TMsDP) outperforms the DP and other state-of-the-art algorithms.
Originality/value
The authors propose a novel DP-based clustering method, i.e. TMsDP, and transform the relationship between points into that between domains to ultimately further optimize the clustering performance of the DP.
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Yixi Zhang, Bee Lan Oo and Benson Teck-Heng Lim
Contractors of different scales, operating in different construction industries of varying institutional and economic settings, have different considerations when making bid or…
Abstract
Purpose
Contractors of different scales, operating in different construction industries of varying institutional and economic settings, have different considerations when making bid or no-bid and mark-up decisions. Focusing on the large and medium-sized contractors in the Jilin province, China, the purpose of this study is to examine important factors affecting their decision to bid (d2b) and mark-up decisions and investigate differences between large and medium-sized contractors in evaluating the importance of the various factors affecting their d2b and mark-up decisions.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used a survey design for timely data collection from a large population. Contractors’ bidding attitudes was collected using an online survey questionnaire with a list of 40 key factors. Statistical analytical methods were applied for comparing the two groups of contractors.
Findings
The results of this study indicate that factors related to client conditions are most critical for both large and medium-sized contractors in their d2b and mark-up decisions. The results also show statistically significant differences between the two groups of contractors on a subset of factors affecting their d2b and mark-up decisions. The large contractors have placed more emphasis on projects' potential financial and strategic benefits. Another notable finding is that both groups of contractors have placed great emphasise on “government legislations” in their d2b and mark-up decisions.
Research limitations/implications
These findings should be interpreted in consideration of several limitations. Firstly, the sample size is relatively small, and the focus was on a single province in the China construction industry. Next, this study only explores differences between large and medium-sized contractors in evaluating the importance of the various factors affecting their d2b and mark-up decisions.
Practical implications
Contractors could refer list of critical factors in competing for jobs in Jilin province or other provinces of similar institutional and economic settings. Construction clients, on the other hand, should consider the list of critical factors in the formulation of their competitive tendering procedures, thus enhancing the efficiency in their procurement of construction services.
Originality/value
Research on contractors’ bidding decision-making in the context of Chinese construction industry remains scarce; the research findings have implications for the industry stakeholders.
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Juan Zhang, Xiaolong Zou and Anmol Muhkia
International climate politics are gradually changing in terms of new and ground-breaking policies and decision-making spearheaded by national governments. The growing global…
Abstract
Purpose
International climate politics are gradually changing in terms of new and ground-breaking policies and decision-making spearheaded by national governments. The growing global demand to combat climate change reflects the current challenges the world is facing. India’s negotiations at United Nations Conference on Climate Change are based on “equity,” “historical responsibility” and the “polluter pays” agenda, until a shift in the voluntary reduction of carbon emissions takes place. The purpose of this study is to understand why India, a “deal breaker”, is seen as a “deal maker” in climate governance?
Design/methodology/approach
For a state like India, domestic preferences are equally important in introducing climate policies alongside its concerns over poverty reduction and economic development, which also stand with its sustainable development goals. This paper explains India’s decision-making using a two-level approach focusing on “domestic preferences.” This rationale is based on India’s historical background as well as new upcoming challenges.
Findings
This paper shows that India has both the domestic needs and long-term benefits of combating climate change to cut carbon emissions, which gives the responsibility primarily to domestic audiences and international societies.
Originality/value
This paper uses an international political lens to critically analyze India’s climate positions and politics from both domestic and international levels, demonstrating the importance of considering both short- and long-term goals. The outcome benefits not only the policymakers in India but also stakeholders in the Asia-Pacific and beyond.
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Songsong Cheng, Qunpeng Fan and Abd Alwahed Dagestani
In the digital era, the competitiveness of an enterprise is highly dependent on the success of its digital transformation. The effectiveness of such transformation, in turn…
Abstract
Purpose
In the digital era, the competitiveness of an enterprise is highly dependent on the success of its digital transformation. The effectiveness of such transformation, in turn, relies heavily on the organization's strategic vision and resource fitness. Accordingly, the authors aim to explore the impact of strategic vision on digitalization (SVD) on the digital transformation of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), drawing on the perspective of resource orchestration theory.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on first-hand interview data from 347 Chinese SMEs, the research model was tested empirically by both Structural Equation Modeling and Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA).
Findings
The study results supported that the positive effect of SVD on digital transformation, and the mediating effect of resource orchestration (resource structuring, resource bundling and resource leveraging) accounts for the relationship between SVD and digital transformation. Further, the fsQCA showed that neither SVD nor resource orchestration alone constitutes a necessary condition for high digital transformation in SMEs, and that SVD and resource orchestration elements constitute three configuration paths that drive SMEs to achieve high-level digital transformation.
Originality/value
To the authors knowledge, this is the first study of its kind to theorize and empirically examine how SVD affects SMEs digital transformation. In addition, the authors have highlighted the importance of resource orchestration in forging a link between SVD and digital transformation. The research contributes to the resource orchestration theory and digitalization literature and provides guidelines on how SMEs can realize digital transformation.
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Xiu-e Zhang, Liu Yang, Xinyu Teng and Yijing Li
Based on the attention-based view (ABV), this study examines the mechanism of external pressure and internal managerial interpretation affecting the promotion of green…
Abstract
Purpose
Based on the attention-based view (ABV), this study examines the mechanism of external pressure and internal managerial interpretation affecting the promotion of green entrepreneurial orientation (GEO) of agricultural enterprises.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on data collected from 208 agricultural enterprises in China, the conceptual model was tested by using hierarchical regression.
Findings
The results show that managerial interpretation can affect the promotion of GEO. Command and control regulation, market-based regulation and green market pressure are important external pressures that affect the promotion of GEO. In addition, managerial interpretation mediates the relationship between command and control regulation and GEO, market-based regulation and GEO, as well as green market pressure and GEO.
Practical implications
This study proposes a key path for promoting the adoption and implementation of GEO by agricultural enterprises. The research results provide experience for emerging and developing countries to promote the GEO of agricultural enterprises, which is helpful to alleviate the environmental problems caused by the development of agricultural enterprises.
Originality/value
For the first time, this study introduced the ABV into the research of GEO. The research results enrich the theoretical perspective of GEO and expand the research field of the ABV. In addition, this study fills the research gap that existing research has not paid enough attention to the internal driving factors of GEO and opens the black box between the external pressure and GEO.
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Ningjun Xu, Miaomiao Sun, Zhangsong Shi and Jin Zhang
Firepower conflicts usually decay the firepower plan's enforceability, thus incurring high survival risks. Previous studies have shown little attention to avoiding firepower…
Abstract
Purpose
Firepower conflicts usually decay the firepower plan's enforceability, thus incurring high survival risks. Previous studies have shown little attention to avoiding firepower conflicts during the weapon target assignment process. This research proposes a new constrained optimization model named Firepower Conflict Free WTA (FCFWTA) and designs a Survival Evolution (SE) strategy for Artificial Fish Swarm Algorithm (AFSA) to solve the complex constrained WTA problem. In this way, commanders can get more reliable firepower assignment decision support.
Design/methodology/approach
A new constrained optimization model named Firepower Conflict Free WTA (FCFWTA) is constructed. FCFWTA unifies firepower decision variables for different kinds of weapons and takes the firing time point as a clue for firepower conflict checking. The objective function of FCFWTA is the weighted sum of the minimum threat value rest rate (RRTV), maximum hit efficiency (HE) and minimum latest interception time percentage (PLT). Since previous algorithms do not check and resolve intermediate results during optimization, an adapted strategy named Survival Evolution is designed. It enables making full use of the limited firepower without adjusting the coordination scenario in execution.
Findings
The proposed method offers significant advantages in two aspects. Firstly, it effectively enhances the optimization results of WTA in the absence of firepower conflicts. Evidence from Figure. 6 confirms that without the proposed method, there is a high likelihood of generating invalid outcomes. After implementing firepower conflict check and resolution, there is a substantial degradation in the objective function value. Secondly, the method excels at equitably distributing firepower among multiple targets while also enhancing the overall interception probability, irrespective of the varying complexities presented by different scenarios. This ability to maintain balance and efficiency is crucial for tackling defense-related issues.
Research limitations/implications
Specifically, SE is tailored for MWMT problem under time and space constraints. This approach diverges significantly from conventional MWMT research, which typically focuses solely on ammunition quantity or firing range. Consequently, the primary objective was to verify the efficacy of this method. Test results indicated that SE does not exhibit uniform performance across different algorithms; while it significantly enhances the efficacy with PSO and AFSA, its influence is considerably diminished when applied to GA. It might be attributed to the inherent randomness associated with crossover and mutation, which can increase the likelihood of firepower conflicts, coupled with SE's reorganization of the chromosome.
Originality/value
The work described was original research that has not been published previously, and not under consideration for publication elsewhere, in whole or in part.
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