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This study proposes a novel method utilising a speech-word pair bipartite network to examine the correlation structure between members of parliament (MPs) in the context of the UK- China relationship.

We construct MP-word pair bipartite networks based on the co-occurrence relationship between MPs and words in their speech content. These networks are then mapped into monopartite MPs correlation networks. Additionally, the study calculates correlation network indicators and identifies MP communities and factions to determine the characteristics of MPs and their interrelation in the UK-China relationship. This includes insights into the distribution of key MPs, their correlation structure and the evolution and development trends of MP factions.

Analysis of the parliamentary speeches on China-related affairs in the British Parliament from 2011 to 2020 reveals that the distribution and interrelationship of MPs engaged in UK-China affairs are centralised and discrete, with a few core MPs playing an integral role in the UK-China relationship. Among them, MPs such as Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, David Cameron, Lord Hunt of Chesterton and Lord Howell of Guildford formed factions with significant differences; however, the continuity of their evolution exhibits unstableness. The core MP factions, such as those led by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon and David Cameron, have achieved a level of maturity and exert significant influence.

The research has several limitations that warrant acknowledgement. First, we mapped the MP-word pair bipartite network into the MP correlation network for analysis without directly analysing the structure of MPs based on the bipartite network. In future studies, we aim to explore various types of analysis based on the proposed bipartite networks to provide more comprehensive and accurate references for studying UK-China relations. In addition, we seek to incorporate semantic-level analyses, such as sentiment analysis of MPs, into the MP-word -pair bipartite networks for in-depth analysis. Second, the interpretations of MP structures in the UK-China relationship in this study are limited. Consequently, expertise in UK-China relations should be incorporated to enhance the study and provide more practical recommendations.

Firstly, the findings can contribute to an objective understanding of the characteristics and connotations of UK-China relations, thereby informing adjustments of focus accordingly. The identification of the main factions in the UK-China relationship emphasises the imperative for governments to pay greater attention to these MPs’ speeches and social relationships. Secondly, examining the evolution and development of MP factions aids in identifying a country’s diplomatic focus during different periods. This can assist governments in responding promptly to relevant issues and contribute to the formulation of effective foreign policies.

First, this study expands the research methodology of parliamentary debates analysis in previous studies. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to study the UK-China relationship through the MP-word-pair bipartite network. This outcome inspires future researchers to apply various knowledge networks in the LIS field to elucidate deeper characteristics and connotations of UK-China relations. Second, this study provides a novel perspective for UK-China relationship analysis, which deepens the research object from keywords to MPs. This finding may offer important implications for researchers to further study the role of MPs in the UK-China relationship.

This study proposes a novel scheme for analysing the correlation structure between MPs based on bipartite networks. This approach offers insights into the development and evolving dynamics of MPs.

This study aims to investigate the relationship between project management competency, job motivation and performance in people engaged in electronic commerce (e-commerce). A questionnaire was developed for e-commerce workers in various professional aspects including business strategy planning, content management and design, sales services, marketing business sales, host settings, analysis and management. A total of 299 valid questionnaires were retrieved. Multiple regression analysis was applied to the testing and analysis on important competences for project management and the factors influencing job performance.

In this study, the related indexes are measured mainly through appropriate questionnaire design and the questionnaires were mainly distributed among employees and managers of the e-commerce enterprises. Tables 5–1 provide the personal profiles of the e-commerce personnel. A total of 350 questionnaires were distributed and 320 questionnaires were returned. After the 320 questionnaires were sorted and categorized, 21 incompletely-filled and invalid questionnaires were excluded, for a total of 299 valid questionnaires that were returned. Based on the quantitative data obtained from the returned valid questionnaires, files were created and statistical analyzes were conducted by the computerized statistical software statistical product and service solutions 21. According to the research question and nature of this study, the present study mainly adopted statistical methods, including descriptive statistical analysis, reliability analysis, Pearson’s correlation analysis and regression analysis.

The results suggested that the project management competency of those engaged in e-commerce had a positive influence on their work performance. The capabilities in the management of integration, scope and procurement were significantly important factors identified in this study. In addition, the internal and external motivations of those engaged in e-commerce had a positive influence on work performance, and thus, facilitated their influence on the project management competency. The results and statistical analysis could be a reference in e-commerce-related business management and serve as the basis for evaluation of the training of project management competencies for those engaged in e-commerce and further improvements of human capitals and corporate competitive advantages.

This study used literature on project management competence and job performance as a foundation; previous studies argue that project management competence has a positive correlation with job performance. Empirical results reveal that among the e-commerce personnel, most dimensions of project management competence are significantly correlated with job performance. This study reveals that stakeholder management competence, the newly introduced 10th dimension of project management competence, is also significantly correlated with job performance. Therefore, study results reveal that project management competence has a significant positive correlation with job performance. In this study, the two constructs of internal motivation and external motivation in job motivation are introduced for use as disturbing factors. Empirical results reveal that internal motivation and external motivation have a significant positive disturbing effect with respect to the influence of cost management competence and human resource management competence on job performance. Hackman and Oldham (1975) contend that the jobs calling for a variety of skills can boost the job motivation of employees. Study results reveal that job motivation is of great importance to the influence of project management competence on job performance and can be used as the basis for improving job performance.

This chapter combines quantitative studies of the connections between stressors and performance in accounting settings and identifies the mediators and moderators of stressors–performance relationships. Using meta-analyses and path analyses, this research compiles 72 studies to investigate the relationships of stressors with accountant and auditor performance. As hypothesized, bivariate meta-analyses results indicate that work-related stressors negatively affect performance, and burnout and stress are negatively related to performance, whereas motivation is positively related to performance. Moreover, a meta-analytical structural equation modeling indicates that role stressors have significant direct and indirect effects (through burnout and stress) on job performance. Accumulation of multiple samples through meta-analysis bolsters statistical power compared to single-sample studies and thus reveals the sign of residual direct effects of role stressors on job performance in accounting settings.

The anticorrosion coatings used in marine and atmospheric environment are subjected to many environmental factors. And the aging failure has been puzzling researchers. The purpose of this study is to find the correlation between the initial aging of epoxy coatings and the typical marine atmospheric environmental factors.

The epoxy coatings were subjected to a one-year exposure in three typical marine atmospheres. Meanwhile, principal component analysis, linear regression and Spearman and gray correlation analysis were applied to quantify the environmental characteristics and establish correlations with the coating aging.

The results indicate that the coating will undergo macroscopic fading and chalking upon exposure to the marine atmosphere, while microscopic examination reveals holes, cracks and partial peeling. The adhesion performance and electrochemical properties of the coating deteriorated with prolonged exposure, coating aging mainly occurs with the generation of O-H bonds and the breakage of molecular chains such as C-N and C-O-C. The coating was most deeply aged after exposure to the Xisha, followed by Zhoushan and finally Qingdao. Environmental factors affect the photooxidative aging and hydrolytic degradation processes of coatings and thus coating aging. To further demonstrate the correlation between environmental factors and coating aging, principal component analysis was used. The correlation model between environmental factors and coating aging was subsequently obtained. The correlation model between the rate of coating adhesion loss (E) and the comprehensive evaluation parameter of environmental factors (Z) is expressed as E = 0.142 + 0.028Z. Meanwhile, the Spearman correlation analysis and gray correlation method were used to investigate the impact of each environmental factor on coating aging. Solar irradiation, relative humidity and wetting time have the highest correlation with coating aging, which are all above 0.8 and have the greatest influence on coating aging; wind speed and temperature have the smallest correlation with coating aging, which are about 0.6 and have the least influence on coating aging.

This paper establishes a correlation between typical marine environmental factors and coating aging performance, which is crucial for predicting the service life of other coatings in diverse environments.

The implementation of the innovation-driven development strategy is of practical significance for improving the quality and efficiency of economic growth and accelerating the transformation of economic development mode. The purpose of this paper is to study the impact of innovation-driven strategies on marine industry agglomeration and industrial transformation.

In traditional grey correlation analysis, when the positive and negative areas cancel each other out during the integration process, the calculation result of the correlation degree is often inconsistent with the qualitative analysis. For this reason, from the perspective of curve similarity, this paper constructs two response curves through the relative change area of the two curves and the relative area change ratio of similar degree, thus constructing an improved grey relational model.

The authors find that the innovation investment has a better correlation with marine industrial agglomeration. It also found that Guangdong Province has the highest degree of correlation between innovation indicators and marine industrial agglomeration. Much beyond the authors’ expectation, in the areas where marine industrial agglomeration is high, the synergistic effect is not obvious by using the location entropy method.

The improved grey correlation analysis method can effectively overcome the phenomenon that the positive and negative areas cancel each other in the integration process of the original algorithm, and it can also effectively measure the negative correlation between variables. This paper explores the impact of innovation drive on the agglomeration of marine industries, which is of great significance to the sustainable development of marine economy.

The purpose of this paper is to empirically analyze the “market-neutral” characteristics of the market-neutral strategy hedge funds in Chinese A-share market.

The analyses in the paper are conducted to study the market-neutral characteristics by means of index analysis, correlation analysis, β-neutral analysis and the three-factor model analysis.

The results show that the performance advantage of the market-neutral strategy hedge funds is obvious. Most market-neutral strategy funds are exposed to market risks and the α strategy funds also have obvious style factor exposure; strictly speaking, all of the market-neutral strategies have not reached the “market-neutral” requirements. This paper also finds that Chinese trading restrictions on stock index futures in September 2015 have a significant impact on Chinese market-neutral strategy hedge funds.

The conclusion of this paper has a certain reference value for understanding the risk characteristics and possible problems of hedge funds in emerging markets, and also has important reference value for investors.

The purpose of this paper is to help China's science and technology (abbr. as S&T) managers and related policy makers to allocate S&T human resources, optimize organizational systems of laboratories, design and plan some grant projects, and manage other S&T‐related work in the field of nanoscience and nanotechnology, by measuring and mapping of technology‐fields correlation, with nanotechnology as an example.

Methodologies such as co‐occurrence analysis, correlation analysis, multidimensional scaling (abbr. as MDS) analysis, dendrogram (tree‐like) analysis, etc. are employed to measure and map technology‐fields correlation.

It is found that the exact relevance degree of any two technology‐fields exists among the top 33 technology‐fields with high frequencies. There are three industrial clusters in Multidimentional Scaling View, that is, nanotechnology used in bio‐medical industry, nanotechnology used in new material industry and nanotechnology used in electronic industry. Hierarchy of any two technology‐fields can be found out in the dendrogram view of the top 33 technology‐fields.

This paper could be of great significance to China's S&T managers and related policy makers, especially in the area of nanotechnology, in selecting and managing generic technology and the findings in this paper can be applied in some other fields of science and technology management in China. Both technology‐fields correlation analysis and MDS and dendrogram view analysis could benefit China's policy makers in managing nanotechnology research and development activities.

The purpose of this paper is to establish correlations among the input variables of production within themselves and input variables of consumption within themselves and to forecast the production and consumption of the rice.

The production and consumption of rice crop is governed by diverse variables. In the present study five key input variables for production of rice based on literature review and the authenticated data available from agricultural sources have been selected. These variables are area sown, agricultural workers (AW), area irrigated, growth rate and yield per hectare. On similar basis four key input variables responsible for consumption of rice are considered, namely, price of rice, population, poverty ratio and per capita net national product (NNP).

Correlation analysis showed that priority wise production of rice depends upon yield per hectare, percentage irrigation, AW and area sown. The growth rate is found to be having insignificant correlation with other variables of production and hence was omitted from subsequent study. Correlation analysis also showed that priority wise consumption depends upon whole sale price per ton, population and the per capita NNP. The poverty ratio is found to be having insignificant correlation with other variables of consumption and hence was omitted from subsequent study. The outcomes of the correlation analysis are utilized for designing rule base for fuzzy inference system (FIS) to forecast the production and consumption of the rice. Subsequently Bayesian technique is used to forecast production and consumption and its results are compared with the results of fuzzy inference analysis.

There are many techniques used for forecasting purpose but FIS and Bayesian technique outperform others. In the present study, the authors therefore focussed on these two techniques. Bayesian technique takes into account the expert opinion at the current conditions whereas FIS uses previously designed rule base. Besides discussing the appropriateness of these two techniques for forecasting production and consumption of rice, their forecasting outcomes will help in logistical and operational planning of the resources at national level, farmers’ level and traders’ level.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between customer order lead time (COLT) and the price sensitivity of an electrical equipment manufacturer company. In consequence, it examines two research questions in terms of COLT, price and profitability level and to ensure the validity and practical justification of these research questions.

In this research the authors have used a case study approach where three business measures, namely COLT, price and the profitability level of a case company were investigated and analyzed critically. These measures were implemented through four different customer segments with two production lines of the case company. Data were collected from the company's order delivery database from the period 2006 to 2008. In addition, different experimental data were collected through interviewing and reviewing the results of the data analysis with the unit managers.

In this paper the authors have observed the correlation between the price, profit and COLT with all four customer segments in both the production lines of the case company. From the case data, the authors concluded that the customer did not pay more when the COLT is shorter than with the average time. It is also noticeable that the profit margin is higher for the case company to handle COLT with shorter lead time than the average order delivery lead time.

More case examples might be helpful to motivate the managers to accept the research outcomes.

The concept of the company's COLT in relation to the price and profitability level supports organizational managers in their decision‐making process in terms of productivity level and the company's growth. It will motivate the managers to make tradeoffs among various developmental measures.

This paper implemented a unique approach for measuring the significant level of price and profitability level over COLT. From the outcomes of this study, it is observed that the price correlated positively with the COLT and has a direct and significant impact on it. When the price is increased the COLT is also increased. It is also noticed that the products of the case company which offered shorter lead times were on average also more profitable, even though there were no significant differences in average pricing between the customer segments.

This study investigates the impacts of the Russia–Ukraine conflict on the cross-correlation between agricultural commodity prices and crude oil prices.

The authors used MultiFractal Detrended Fluctuation Cross-Correlation Analysis (MF-X-DFA) to explore the correlation behavior before and during conflict. The authors analyzed the price connections between future prices for crude oil and agricultural commodities. Data consists of daily futures price returns for agricultural commodities (Corn, Soybean and Wheat) and Crude Oil (Brent) traded on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange from Aug 3, 2020, to July 29, 2022.

The results suggest that cross-correlation behavior changed after the conflict. The multifractal behavior was observed in the cross correlations. The Russia–Ukraine conflict caused an increase in the series' fractal strength. The study findings showed that the correlations involving the wheat market were higher and anti-persistent behavior was observed.

The study was limited by the number of observations after the Russia–Ukraine conflict.

This study contributes to the literature that investigates the impact of the Russia–Ukraine conflict on the financial market. As this is a recent event, as far as we know, we did not find another study that investigated cross-correlation in agricultural commodities using multifractal analysis.