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The article addresses the optimization of safety stock service levels for parts in a repair kit. The work was undertaken to assist a public transit entity that stores thousands of parts used to repair equipment acquired over many decades. Demand is intermittent, procurement lead times are long, and the total inventory investment is significant.

Demand exists for repair kits, and a repair cannot start until all required parts are available. The cost model includes holding cost to carry the part being modeled as well as shortage cost that consists of the holding cost to carry all other repair kit parts for the duration of the part’s lead time. The model combines deterministic and stochastic approaches by assuming a fixed ordering cycle with Poisson demand.

The results show that optimal service levels vary as a function of repair demand rate, part lead time, and cost of the part as a percentage of the total part cost for the repair kit. Optimal service levels are higher for inexpensive parts and lower for expensive parts, although the precise levels are impacted by repair demand and part lead time.

The proposed model can impact society by improving the operational performance and efficiency of public transit systems, by ensuring that home repair technicians will be prepared for repair tasks, and by reducing the environmental impact of electronic waste consistent with the right-to-repair movement.

The optimization model is unique because (1) it quantifies shortage cost as the cost of unnecessary holding other parts in the repair kit during the shortage time, and (2) it determines a unique service level for each part in a repair kit bases on its lead time, its unit cost, and the total cost of all parts in the repair kit. Results will be counter-intuitive for many inventory managers who would assume that more critical parts should have higher service levels.

By investigating the thermal-mechanical interaction between the through silicon via (TSV) and the Cu pad, this study aimed to determine the effect of electroplating defects on the upper surface protrusion and internal stress distribution of the TSV at various temperatures and to provide guidelines for the positioning of TSVs and the optimization of the electroplating process.

A simplified model that consisted of a TSV (100 µm in diameter and 300 µm in height), a covering Cu pad (2 µm thick) and an internal drop-like electroplating defect (which had various dimensions and locations) was developed. The surface overall deformation and stress distribution of these models under various thermal conditions were analyzed and compared.

The Cu pad could barely suppress the upper surface protrusion of the TSV if the temperature was below 250 ?. Interfacial delamination started at the collar of the TSV at about 250 ? and became increasingly pronounced at higher temperatures. The electroplating defect constantly experienced the highest level of strain and stress during the temperature increase, despite its geometry or location. But as its radius expanded or its distance to the upper surface increased, the overall deformation of the upper surface and the stress concentration at the collar of the TSV showed a downward trend.

Previous studies have not examined the influence of the electroplating void on the thermal behavior of the TSV. However, with the proposed methodology, the strain and stress distribution of the TSV under different conditions in terms of temperature, dimension and location of the electroplating void were thoroughly investigated, which might be beneficial to the positioning of TSVs and the optimization of the electroplating process.

This paper investigates the influence of political connections on sustainability disclosure in the context of China's Regulation 18.

The study employs a quasi-experimental approach, utilizing difference-in-difference (DiD) analysis, dynamic DiD and propensity score matching to analyze the effects of politically connected independent directors on sustainability disclosure following the implementation of Regulation 18.

Companies with politically connected independent directors show an improvement in sustainability disclosures after Regulation 18. This effect is stronger for firms facing high political pressure or lacking alternative political power. Additionally, the increase in value from sustainability disclosures compensates for the loss of politically connected independent directors, indicating a positive value impact of sustainability disclosures.

This study provides novel insights into the corporate disclosure policy in China by investigating the impact of politically connected directors on sustainability disclosure. Additionally, it sheds light on the limitations of political power and its substitution effects within companies.

Because of the slow market growth of and intense competition among coffee shops, increasing brand preference and patronage intention is crucial in the coffee shop industry. Although place attachment theory (PAT) and social identity theory (SIT) stipulate that place attachment and social identity are key constructs of revisit intention, no studies have yet integrated the dimensions of SIT into PAT to predict place preference (PP) and repatronage intention (RI). In this study, the authors aimed to develop a theoretical model grounded in PAT and SIT to predict PP and RI.

A total of 648 coffee shop customers participated in an online survey, and their data were analyzed through structural equation modeling.

The results indicated that cognitive and affective place identity (PI) directly affected place dependence (PD) but did not directly affect PP. Cognitive PI also indirectly affected PD through affective PI. PD exerted a positive and significant effect on PP and thus affected RI.

These findings provide insights into the importance of cognitive and affective PI in shaping PD, PP and RI. From a place attachment perspective, the theoretical model enables coffee shop managers to cultivate strong PP to increase customer RI.

How to improve continuance commitment for platform workers is still unclear to platforms' managers and academic scholars. This study develops a configurational framework based on the push-pull theory and proposes that continuance commitment for platform workers does not depend on a single condition but on interactions between push and pull factors.

The data from the sample of 431 full-time and 184 part-time platform workers in China were analyzed using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (FsQCA).

The results found that combining family motivation with the two kinds of pull factors (worker's reputation and algorithmic transparency) can achieve high continuance commitment for full-time platform workers; combining job alternatives with the two kinds of pull factors (worker's reputation and job autonomy) can promote high continuance commitment for part-time platform workers. Particularly, workers' reputations were found to be a core condition reinforcing continuance commitment for both part-time and full-time platform workers.

The findings suggest that platforms should avoid the “one size fits all” strategy. Emphasizing the importance of family and improving worker's reputation and algorithmic transparency are smart retention strategies for full-time platform workers, whereas for part-time platform workers it is equally important to reinforce continuance commitment by enhancing workers' reputations and doing their best to maintain and enhance their job autonomy.

This study expands the analytical context of commitment research and provides new insights for understanding the complex causality between antecedent conditions and continuance commitment for platform workers.

The marketisation of higher education fosters the notion of students as consumers, highlighting the shifting dynamics of student–teacher relationships. This paper aims to contribute to ongoing discussions about students as consumers and their involvement in pedagogical practices. We explore students’ experiences in short-term study abroad (SA) programmes that involve collaborative learning, examining how a consumerism-oriented approach affects students’ perceptions of their pedagogical identities and student–teacher pedagogical relationships.

A qualitative exploratory study was conducted to capture students’ rich and subjective perceptions and experiences. The data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with 15 Chinese undergraduate students who participated in a short-term SA programme at a UK university. Following data translation and transcription, a thematic analysis approach facilitated our exploration.

Chinese students engage in SA programmes as a strategic investment in personal growth and transformation, with their consumer-oriented identity fostering a mutually beneficial relationship with educators and group members. This consumer mindset appears to enhance active student engagement and, to some extent, create reciprocal student–teacher interactions through power sharing and collaborative involvement.

This study presents empirical data exploring the impact of consumer identity on the dynamics of student–teacher relationships in the SA context. It provides recommendations for implementing pedagogical approaches designed to mediate the influence of consumerism on student engagement, particularly in shaping collaborative student–teacher relationships. This study offers insights for future research on the effects of consumerism in higher education within cross-cultural contexts.

This study established and examined a moderated mediation model connecting family motivation with proactive career behavior (PCB). Drawing on social cognitive career theory model of career self-management and person-environment fit theory, the authors posit that the influence of family motivation on PCB is mediated by career goal setting (CGS) and moderated by career support climate (CSC).

Using multilevel modeling techniques, data were collected from 98 leaders and 416 employees at two-time points.

Results show that family motivation has a positive direct and indirect effect on PCB through CGS. Additionally, CSC strengthens the positive effect of family motivation on PCB through CGS.

For employees, proactive career management and the establishment of clear career goals are vital for fulfilling family responsibilities. Simultaneously, for managers and organizations, creating a supportive work environment is crucial to encourage employees in career management.

While existing research highlights the detrimental effect of fulfilling family caregiving responsibilities on employees' career development, the comprehension of this relationship remains limited. Taking a family motivation perspective, this study explores the mechanisms through which family motivation stimulates employees to engage in PCB, with a specific focus on the moderating influence of CSC. The findings offer fresh insights into the role of family motivation in career development, contributing significantly to the broader literature on the intersection of family and careers.

The purpose of this study is to scrutinize the influence of individual learning styles on the effectiveness of augmented reality (AR)-based learning in structural engineering. There has been a lack of research examining the correlation between learning efficiency and learning style, particularly in the context of quantitatively assessing the efficacy of AR in structural engineering education.

Using Kolb’s experiential learning theory (ELT), a model that emphasizes learning through experience, students from the construction management department are assigned four learning styles (converging, assimilating, diverging and accommodating). Performance data were gathered, appraised, and compared through the three dimensions from the Knowledge, Attitude and Practices (KAP) survey model across four categories of Kolb’s learning styles in both text-graph (TG)-based and AR-based learning settings.

The findings indicate that AR-based materials positively impact structural engineering education by enhancing overall learning performance more than TG-based materials. It is also found that the learning style has a profound influence on learning effectiveness, with AR technology markedly improving the information retrieval processes, particularly for converging and assimilating learners, then diverging learners, with a less significant impact on accommodating learners.

These results corroborate prior research analyzing learners' outcomes with hypermedia and informational learning systems. It was found that learners with an “abstract” approach (convergers and assimilators) outperform those with a “concrete” approach (divergers and accommodators). This research emphasizes the importance of considering learning styles before integrating technologies into civil engineering education, thereby assisting software developers and educational institutions in creating more effective teaching materials tailored to specific learning styles.

Despite the burgeoning popularity of virtual gifting in live streaming, research lacks an in-depth understanding of the drivers behind this behavior. Using para-social relationship (PSR), this study aims to capture viewers’ lively social feelings toward the streamer as the key factor leading to the purchase behavior of virtual gifts. It also aims to establish a theoretical link between PSR and viewers’ holistic experience in live streaming as captured by cognitive absorption and aims to investigates the role of technological features (i.e. viewer–streamer and viewer–viewer interactivity, streamer-level and viewer-level deep profiling and design aesthetics) in shaping viewers’ experience.

Based on 433 survey responses, this study employs a combination of structural equation modeling and neural networks to offer valuable insights into the relationships between the technological environment, viewer experience and viewer behavior.

Our results highlight the salience of PSR in promoting the purchase of virtual gifts through cognitive absorption and the importance of the technological environment in eliciting the viewer experience. This study sheds light on the development of PSR in a technological environment and its relationship with cognitive absorption.

By applying PSR to conceptualize viewers’ perceived connection with the streamer, this study extends the research on purchase behavior in the non-shopping context by providing an enlightened understanding of virtual gift purchase behavior in live streaming. Moreover, by theoretically linking PSR with cognitive absorption, virtual gift purchase and technological features of live streaming, it enriches the theory of PSR and bridges the gap between the design practice of supporting the IT infrastructure of live streaming and research.

This study integrates the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and value-belief-norm (VBN) theory to investigate tourists' intention and behaviour to visit green hotels in Malaysia.

A total of 160 valid questionnaire responses were collected via an online survey. The partial least square–structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) technique was utilised to assess the study framework and the hypothesised relationship.

The study's results confirmed that tourists' intention to stay at a green hotel is directly influenced by their subjective norms and perceived behavioural control. Besides, the study confirms the insignificant relationship between green trust, personal norms and tourists' stay intention. On the other hand, perceived morals, responsibility, willingness to pay more and perceived consumer effectiveness were significant in explaining the customer's subjective norms, personal norms and perceived behaviour control.

The hotel industry may benefit from this empirical outcome to devise effective marketing strategies for retaining their customers, particularly in rejuvenating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the industry.

This study provides valuable practical implications for green hotel operators to develop effective strategies to attract tourists to green hotel visits.

This study is the first to integrate the extended TPB and VBN theory to understand tourist intention to visit a green hotel. Notably, the extended TPB and VBN theory was practical and helpful in predicting tourist intention to visit a green hotel.