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The purpose of this paper is to discuss the legal barriers to termination of an insurance arrangement where there is suspicion of money laundering when paying insurance premiums.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the legal barriers to termination of an insurance arrangement where there is suspicion of money laundering when paying insurance premiums.
Design/methodology/approach
Trials in court between insurance firm and outlaw biker gangs regarding insurance of their clubhouses.
Findings
Protection of insured seems more important than prevention of money laundering.
Research limitations/implications
This is a case study that cannot be generalized.
Practical implications
Anti money laundering is difficult when competing with other considerations.
Social implications
Accusations of money laundering is not sufficient to terminate an insurance contract. Rather, solid evidence is needed.
Originality/value
This is a real case of failing anti-money laundering efforts.
Details
Keywords
Kaycea Campbell, Anupam Das, Leanora Brown and Adian McFarlane
It has been suggested that homicides in Jamaica are partly driven by conflicts among criminals over funds coming from international lottery scams; most of these funds are…
Abstract
Purpose
It has been suggested that homicides in Jamaica are partly driven by conflicts among criminals over funds coming from international lottery scams; most of these funds are channeled into the country via remittances. This study aims to determine the empirical relationship between remittances and homicides in Jamaica over the period 1985–2019.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors apply an error correction modelling framework while accounting for indicators of changes in socioeconomic conditions.
Findings
There are two. First, the authors find from impulse response analysis of the long-run dynamics that an increase in remittances is associated with an increase in homicides, and vice versa. Second, the authors find that there is bidirectional Granger causality between remittances and homicides in the short run.
Social implications
Two important implications are that policies should be strengthened to channel remittances to productive and legal investment opportunities and that greater efforts may be needed to stem the flow of funds coming from international lottery scamming and other illegal activities.
Originality/value
This is the first study that examines the dynamic relationship between remittances and homicides in Jamaica from a robust statistical perspective.
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Keywords
Gang Yu, Zhiqiang Li, Ruochen Zeng, Yucong Jin, Min Hu and Vijayan Sugumaran
Accurate prediction of the structural condition of urban critical infrastructure is crucial for predictive maintenance. However, the existing prediction methods lack precision due…
Abstract
Purpose
Accurate prediction of the structural condition of urban critical infrastructure is crucial for predictive maintenance. However, the existing prediction methods lack precision due to limitations in utilizing heterogeneous sensing data and domain knowledge as well as insufficient generalizability resulting from limited data samples. This paper integrates implicit and qualitative expert knowledge into quantifiable values in tunnel condition assessment and proposes a tunnel structure prediction algorithm that augments a state-of-the-art attention-based long short-term memory (LSTM) model with expert rating knowledge to achieve robust prediction results to reasonably allocate maintenance resources.
Design/methodology/approach
Through formalizing domain experts' knowledge into quantitative tunnel condition index (TCI) with analytic hierarchy process (AHP), a fusion approach using sequence smoothing and sliding time window techniques is applied to the TCI and time-series sensing data. By incorporating both sensing data and expert ratings, an attention-based LSTM model is developed to improve prediction accuracy and reduce the uncertainty of structural influencing factors.
Findings
The empirical experiment in Dalian Road Tunnel in Shanghai, China showcases the effectiveness of the proposed method, which can comprehensively evaluate the tunnel structure condition and significantly improve prediction performance.
Originality/value
This study proposes a novel structure condition prediction algorithm that augments a state-of-the-art attention-based LSTM model with expert rating knowledge for robust prediction of structure condition of complex projects.
Details
Keywords
Luwei Zhao, Qing’e Wang, Bon-Gang Hwang and Alice Yan Chang-Richards
The purpose of this study is to develop a new hybrid method that combines interpretative structural modeling (ISM) and matrix cross-impact multiplication applied to classification…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to develop a new hybrid method that combines interpretative structural modeling (ISM) and matrix cross-impact multiplication applied to classification (MICMAC) to investigate the influencing factors of sustainable infrastructure vulnerability (SIV).
Design/methodology/approach
(1) Literature review and case study were used to identify the possible influencing factors; (2) a semi-structured interview was conducted to identify representative factors and the interrelationships among influencing factors; (3) ISM was adopted to identify the hierarchical structure of factors; (4) MICMAC was used to analyze the driving power (DRP) and dependence power (DEP) of each factor and (5) Semi-structured interview was used to propose strategies for overcoming SIV.
Findings
Results indicate that (1) 18 representative factors related to SIV were identified; (2) the relationship between these factors was divided into a five-layer hierarchical structure. The 18 representative factors were divided into driving factors, dependent factors, linkage factors and independent factors and (3) 12 strategies were presented to address the negative effects of these factors.
Originality/value
The findings illustrate the factors influencing SIV and their hierarchical structures, which can benefit the stakeholders and practitioners of an infrastructure project by encouraging them to take effective countermeasures to deal with related SIVs.
Details
Keywords
Yong Liu, Chang-Xue Lin and Gang Zhao
The paper attempts to discuss the optimal pricing decisions under the decentralized and centralized decision and analyze the influence of online reviews and in-sale service on…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper attempts to discuss the optimal pricing decisions under the decentralized and centralized decision and analyze the influence of online reviews and in-sale service on dual-channel supply chain. Finally, the authors design a two-part tariff coordination mechanism.
Design/methodology/approach
To deal with this pricing conflict problems of dual-channel supply chain consisting of dominant manufacturer and a retailer, considering the fact that online reviews and in-sale service are important factors on consumers’ purchase decisions, the authors establish some basic models and exploit them to discuss the optimal pricing decisions under the decentralized and centralized decision and analyze the influence of online reviews and in-sale service on dual-channel supply chain. Finally, the authors design a profit-sharing coordination mechanism.
Findings
The results show that the optimal online direct selling price is positively correlated with product perceived quality obtained from online reviews and negatively correlated with the in-sale service. The traditional retail price is positively correlated with the in-sale service and weakly correlated with online reviews. For the manufacturer and retailer, whether decentralized decision or coordination contract, their profits increase with the increase of the in-sale service in a certain range and quality perceived from spontaneous online reviews. Online reviews and in-sale service are important factors on consumers’ purchase decisions. Positive in-sale services and online reviews can provide consumers with a better shopping experience, thereby promoting their enthusiasm for shopping and improving their quality of life. The two-part tariff coordination mechanism improves the profits of the manufacturer and the traditional retailer, respectively, through the transfer fee.
Originality/value
The proposed approach can well analyze the channel conflicts and pricing problems between retailers and manufacturers with respect to product offline price and online price. The analysis and results can inform decision-making for manufacturers and retailers.
Details
Keywords
Min Luo, Bon-Gang Hwang, Xianbo Zhao and Xiaopeng Deng
This study aims to clarify the psychological mechanism of international contractors' fraud by linking performance pressure to fraudulent intention through the displacement of…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to clarify the psychological mechanism of international contractors' fraud by linking performance pressure to fraudulent intention through the displacement of responsibility and addressing the moderating role of moral intensity.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on moral disengagement theory, performance pressure was hypothesized to be positively associated with fraudulent intention by mediating the displacement of responsibility. Drawing on the issue-contingent theory, moral intensity was hypothesized to inhibit the relationship between performance pressure and displacement of responsibility in three aspects: magnitude of consequences (MC), probability of effect (PE) and social consensus (SC). The scenario-based questionnaire was conducted to collect information from contractors spread across 50 countries. The partial least squares structural equation modeling was employed to assess the proposed model.
Findings
The results demonstrated that performance pressure was positively associated with the fraudulent intention, and displacement of responsibility exerted a positive partial mediating impact between performance pressure and fraudulent intention. Regarding moral intensity in the moderating analysis, the negative moderating role of MC and PE was significant, while that of SC was insignificant.
Practical implications
This study provides international construction practitioners with a deep understanding of the formation mechanism of fraud at the psychological level.
Originality/value
It clarifies the psychological mechanism from performance pressure to fraudulent intention by integrating a mediation impact from the displacement of responsibility and a moderation effect from MC and PE. It contributes to the sparse research on how situational factors shape individuals' fraudulent intentions in the international context. It provides a fresh perspective on fraud by constructing a formation model from moral psychological theories.
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Keywords
Sumaira Nazeer, Muhammad Saleem Sumbal, Gang Liu, Hina Munir and Eric Tsui
The purpose of this paper is to embark on evaluating the role of Chat Generative-Trained Transformer (ChatGPT) in personal knowledge management (PKM) practices of individual…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to embark on evaluating the role of Chat Generative-Trained Transformer (ChatGPT) in personal knowledge management (PKM) practices of individual knowledge workers across varied disciplines.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology involves four steps, i.e. literature search, screening and selection of relevant data, data analysis and data synthesis related to KM, PKM and generative artificial intelligence (AI) with a focus on ChatGPT. The findings are then synthesized to develop a viewpoint on the challenges and opportunities brought by ChatGPT for individual knowledge workers in enhancing their PKM capability.
Findings
This work highlights the prevailing challenges and opportunities experienced by knowledge workers while leveraging PKM through implying ChatGPT. It also encapsulates how some management theories back the cruciality of generative AI (specifically ChatGPT) for PKM.
Research limitations/implications
This study identifies the challenges and opportunities. from existing studies and does not imply empirical data/result. The authors believe that findings can be adjusted to diverse domains regarding knowledge workers’ PKM endeavors. This paper draws some conclusions and calls for further empirical research.
Originality/value
ChatGPT’s capability to accelerate organizational performance compelled scholars to focus in this domain. The linkage of ChatGPT to Knowledge Management is an under-explored area specifically the role of ChatGPT on PKM hasn't been given attention in the existing work. This is one of the earliest studies to explore this context.
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Keywords
Kangning Liu, Bon-Gang Hwang, Jianyao Jia, Qingpeng Man and Shoujian Zhang
Informal learning networks are critical to response to calls for practitioners to reskill and upskill in off-site construction projects. With the transition to the coronavirus…
Abstract
Purpose
Informal learning networks are critical to response to calls for practitioners to reskill and upskill in off-site construction projects. With the transition to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, social media-enabled online knowledge communities play an increasingly important role in acquiring and disseminating off-site construction knowledge. Proximity has been identified as a key factor in facilitating interactive learning, yet which type of proximity is effective in promoting online and offline knowledge exchange remains unclear. This study takes a relational view to explore the proximity-related antecedents of online and offline learning networks in off-site construction projects, while also examining the subtle differences in the networks' structural patterns.
Design/methodology/approach
Five types of proximity (physical, organizational, social, cognitive and personal) between projects members are conceptualized in the theoretical model. Drawing on social foci theory and homophily theory, the research hypotheses are proposed. To test these hypotheses, empirical case studies were conducted on two off-site construction projects during the COVID-19 pandemic. Valid relational data provided by 99 and 145 project members were collected using semi-structured interviews and sociometric questionnaires. Subsequently, multivariate exponential random graph models were developed.
Findings
The results show a discrepancy arise in the structural patterns between online and offline learning networks. Offline learning is found to be more strongly influenced by proximity factors than online learning. Specifically, physical, organizational and social proximity are found to be significant predictors of offline knowledge exchange. Cognitive proximity has a negative relationship with offline knowledge exchange but is positively related to online knowledge exchange. Regarding personal proximity, the study found that the homophily effect of hierarchical status merely emerges in offline learning networks. Online knowledge communities amplify the receiver effect of tenure. Furthermore, there appears to be a complementary relationship between online and offline learning networks.
Originality/value
Proximity offers a novel relational perspective for understanding the formation of knowledge exchange connections. This study enriches the literature on informal learning within project teams by revealing how different types of proximity shape learning networks across different channels in off-site construction projects.
Details
Keywords
Jianyao Jia, Ming Wu and Bon-Gang Hwang
Although previous research has recognized the pivotal role of mobile social media in knowledge sharing among project members, little is known about what factors affect knowledge…
Abstract
Purpose
Although previous research has recognized the pivotal role of mobile social media in knowledge sharing among project members, little is known about what factors affect knowledge sharing in mobile social media groups (MSMGs). Against this background, using normative social influence theory, this study attempts to explore factors influencing knowledge sharing in MSMGs.
Design/methodology/approach
Data from 205 Chinese construction project members are collected and used for analysis. Ordinary least squares regression by Stata 16 is used to test the proposed hypotheses.
Findings
Concerning role norms, gender difference in knowledge sharing behavior (KSB) is found, while it is not the case for knowledge quality (KQ). Work experience is found to positively affect KQ, but shows no influence on KSB. As for group norms, the inverted-U relationship between number of members and KSB is partially supported. In addition, organizational norms generally exhibit the greatest influence on both KSB and KQ among the three forms of norms.
Originality/value
This study deepens the understanding of knowledge sharing factors in mobile social media environments and affords practical implications for how to make full use of social media for knowledge management within construction project teams.
Details
Keywords
Muhammad Hassaan, Gang Li and Asif Yaseen
This paper aims to understand the facilitators and inhibitors that might influence customers' adoption of smart banking services (SBS) in Pakistan.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to understand the facilitators and inhibitors that might influence customers' adoption of smart banking services (SBS) in Pakistan.
Design/methodology/approach
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 33 bank customers in Multan and Lahore using a case study design. Cases were selected using a purposive sampling strategy with maximum variation. A thematic content analysis (TCA) was performed to analyze the qualitative data.
Findings
The findings of this study support the notion that SBS has become a sine qua non of 21st-century banking owing to performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, price value, facilitating conditions, habit and hedonic motivation. However, information privacy concerns and big brother effect impair customers' cognitive, personal and social experiences, creating an obstacle toward SBS adoption.
Research limitations/implications
Studying SBS adoption only in Pakistan represents the perspective of a developing country, which limits the generalizability of the findings.
Practical implications
Pakistani customers' demand for SBS can be linked to its performance. By upgrading technology, banks can improve the usefulness of these services.
Originality/value
The first scholarly inquiry explores the facilitators and inhibitors that could influence the adoption of SBS in Pakistan.
Details