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The purpose of this paper is to distinguish different types of guanxi from a historic perspective and to investigate the effects of different types of guanxi on trust between alliance partners through an empirical study.

The paper first reviews the role of guanxi in Chinese history and identifies two types of guanxi. Next, it reports an empirical study that tests the effects of these two types of guanxi on interorganizational trust through a survey among automobile parts suppliers in China.

First, this paper identifies two types of guanxi: role‐based hierarchical guanxi endorsed by Confucianism and soil‐rooted egocentric guanxi derived from daily practices of Chinese people. The ever changing social environment in Chinese history supports a spiral development model of guanxi evolution. Each of the two types of guanxi takes a dominant position in different periods of time. Second, a subsequent empirical study demonstrates that, in today's Chinese business environment, role‐based guanxi makes a more significant impact on interorganizational trust than soil‐rooted guanxi. Moreover, these two types of guanxi produce a positive synergistic effect and facilitate each other in boosting interorganizational trust.

This is the first paper that identifies and empirically tests the effects of role‐based hierarchical guanxi and soil‐rooted egocentric guanxi. More broadly, the paper highlights the importance of studying guanxi from a historic perspective. It demonstrates how a historical analysis may further the understanding of guanxi and its effect on interorganizational trust in today's business context.

Under this heading are published regularly abstracts of all Reports and Memoranda of the Aeronautical Research Council, Reports and Technical Memoranda of the United States National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics and publications of other similar Research Bodies as issued

This study aims to develop the governing differential equation and to analyze the free vibration of a rotating non-uniform beam having a flexible root and setting angle for variations in operating conditions and structural design parameters.

Hamiltonian principle is used to derive the flapwise bending motion of the structure, and the governing differential equations are solved numerically by using differential quadrature with satisfactory accuracy and computation time.

The results obtained by using the differential quadrature method (DQM) are compared to results of previous studies in the open literature to show the power of the used method. Important results affecting the dynamics characteristics of a rotating beam are tabulated and illustrated in concerned figures to show the effect of investigated design parameters and operating conditions.

The principal novelty of this paper arises from the application of the DQM to a rotating non-uniform beam with flexible root and deriving new governing differential equation including various parameters such as rotary inertia, setting angle, taper ratios, root flexibility, hub radius and rotational speed. Also, the application of the used numerical method is expressed clearly step by step with the algorithm scheme.

This study aims to interrogate and expand on the flexible citizenship framework by illuminating students' emergent identities and imagined future mobilities in China's expanding international school sector.

In-depth semistructured interviews were conducted with international school students and their parents in Shenzhen, covering their motivations for overseas higher education, experience with international schooling, self-perceived identities and imagined futures.

The participants aspired to overseas higher education for both symbolic capital attainment and embodied cultural cultivation to thrive in a globalised world. They expressed confidence that international schooling experiences prepared students for mobility to Western higher education and cultivated globally-oriented identities while not undermining their Chinese roots. They imagined their futures in terms of considerable flexibility, with a rising China viewed as an attractive and feasible option for career development.

This research provides an enriched understanding of a new generation of globally mobile Chinese students. The participants held distinctively different outlooks, aspirations and attitudes than depicted in the flexible citizenship framework, which emphasised a one-dimensional and instrumentalist portrayal of Chinese international students. This study discusses cross-generational changes in the desire for overseas education and a global-national outlook among young people in the context of significant social transformations in urban China.

The originality of this study is in expanding the flexible citizenship framework with reference to the emergent identities and pathways of students in the international schooling sector in China.

The paper aims to develop a cownose ray-inspired robotic fish which can be propelled by oscillating and chordwise twisting pectoral fins.

The bionic pectoral fin which can simultaneously realize the combination of oscillating motion and chordwise twisting motion is designed based on analyzing the movement of cownose ray’s pectoral fins. The structural design and control system construction of the robotic fish are presented. Finally, a series of swimming experiments are carried out to verify the effectiveness of the design for the bionic pectoral fin.

The experimental results show that the deformation of the bionic pectoral fin can be well close to that of the cownose ray’s. The bionic pectoral fin can produce effective angle of attack, and the thrust generated can propel robotic fish effectively. Furthermore, the tests of swimming performance in the water tank show that the robotic fish can achieve a maximum forward speed of 0.43 m/s (0.94 times of body length per second) and an excellent turning maneuverability with a small radius.

The oscillating and pitching motion can be obtained simultaneously by the active control of chordwise twisting motion of the bionic pectoral fin, which can better imitate the movement of cownose ray’s pectoral fin. The designed bionic pectoral fin can provide an experimental platform for further study of the effect of the spanwise and chordwise flexibility on propulsion performance.

The aim of the current study is proposing a novel framework to attain the optimum value of a flexible arm manipulator parameters for payload launching missions.

The proposed scheme is based on optimal control approach and combines direct and indirect search methods while considering the actuator capacity.

Three nonlinear parameter-optimization problems will be solved to illustrate how the proposed algorithm can be exploited. Employing variational based nonlinear optimal control within the suggested framework, the answer of these problems is highly intertwined to the solution of a set of differential equations with split boundary values. To solve the obtained boundary value problem (BVP), the related solver of MATLAB® software, bvp6c, will be employed. The achieved simulation results support the worth of the developed procedure.

For the first time, the optimal parameters of a flexible link robot for object launching are found in the current research. In addition, the actuator saturation limits are considered which enhances the applicability of the suggested method in the real world applications.

This paper gives a review of the finite element techniques (FE) applied in the analysis and design of machine elements; bolts and screws, belts and chains, springs and dampers, brakes, gears, bearings, gaskets and seals are handled. The range of applications of finite elements on these subjects is extremely wide and cannot be presented in a single paper; therefore the aim of this paper is to give FE researchers/users only an encyclopaedic view of the different possibilities that exist today in the various fields mentioned above. An Appendix included at the end of the paper presents a bibliography on finite element applications in the analysis/design of machine elements for 1977‐1997.

This paper aims to test purchasing power parity (PPP) hypothesis for Greece, Italy, Ireland, Portugal and Spain, which are known as the GIIPS countries.

The authors conduct a comprehensive analysis by using unit root approaches without and with structural breaks and non-linearity.

The PPP is valid for the GIIPS countries. Considering structural breaks in non-linear framework plays a crucial role.

There is no empirical study testing PPP hypothesis by focusing on the GIIPS countries. This study further takes into account for structural breaks and non-linearity in the real exchange rates of these countries.

This study aims to examine the hysteresis hypothesis in unemployment using monthly data from 13 countries in transition.

Stationarity in the unemployment rate of selected transition economies was analyzed using four different group unit root tests, namely, linear, structural breaks, non-linear and structural breaks and non-linear.

The empirical results show that the unemployment hysteresis hypothesis is valid for the majority of transition economies, including Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, the Kyrgyz Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovenia. However, the results strongly reject the null hypothesis of unemployment hysteresis for the Kazakhstan and the Slovak Republics.

This study revealed that, for countries in transition, advanced unit root tests exhibit greater validity when compared to standard tests

The study examines the benefits and potential challenges of the mentoring circle as an innovative approach to mentoring among four cisgendered women faculty situated at 4-year universities in various geographic locations in the United States.

Utilizing collaborative autoethnography, we ask: How can mentoring circles be beneficial for diverse early- and mid-career faculty women in higher education? Given our varying positionalities and the development of our sustained mentoring relationships, we drew on the concepts of intersectionality and sisterhood as a framework to understand our individual and collective experiences in the circle. Through a collaborative autoethnographic design, we examined data from four 3-h online video reflective discussions as well as relevant documents and communication, such as emails and texts.

The power dynamics within the circle, fluidity of its borders and how it provided us with a unique ability to read the world contributed to a sense of community and empowerment that were key factors to the circle's success. We created an inclusive space with a defined purpose where trust, authenticity, reciprocity and the expectation for vulnerability served as the solid foundation for relationships. We became sources of holistic support, sharing advice and resources to support our growth as teachers, scholars and community members within our field and beyond.

Our mentoring circle disrupts conventional mentoring structures and highlights the power of a sustainable circle among diverse women faculty rooted in adaptive, flexible and responsive relationships.