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Article
Publication date: 23 August 2013

Qunfeng Wang, Zhigeng Fang, Yuqiang Guo, Chaoqing Yuan, Hongqi Liu and Ruiting Xu

The purpose of this paper is to realize scientific reasoning and prediction in economic catastrophe, which occurs in the short‐term and leads to invalidation of most classical…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to realize scientific reasoning and prediction in economic catastrophe, which occurs in the short‐term and leads to invalidation of most classical prediction models through lacking basic sample data.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on functional theory, grey number algebra theory, Bayesian network theory and interval grey number theory, the authors established GFAM (1,1), which is grey function analysis model (1,1), to excavate and utilize the existing data sufficiently.

Findings

This paper proved least squares parameters theorem and prediction theorem and the process of GFAM (1,1). A case was established and demonstrated the utility and good prediction of this model.

Originality/value

This paper established GFAM (1,1), which overcomes the hysteretic defect of classical prediction model and provides a preferable solution in system prediction in economic catastrophe.

Details

Grey Systems: Theory and Application, vol. 3 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2043-9377

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 April 2020

Yuhang Zhang, Chang Liu, Tingting Xu, Yan Huang and Liangyan Tao

The technical level of aircraft failure analysis plays a special role in ensuring the safety of civil aviation flight. Using appropriate methods for functional failures analysis…

Abstract

Purpose

The technical level of aircraft failure analysis plays a special role in ensuring the safety of civil aviation flight. Using appropriate methods for functional failures analysis can provide a reliable reference for aircraft safety. The purpose of this paper is to provide a new and comprehensive measure based on conventional functional hazard analysis (FHA) and grey system theory to analysis and evaluate the class that each failure belongs to.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper integrates multiple methods including the FHA, the fixed weight cluster, the Delphi method and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). To begin with, use FHA method to sort out the corresponding failure states of a certain system from the perspective of function and determine the evaluation index. And then using group decision and AHP, determine the expert weight and index weight in the fixed weight cluster. The fixed weight cluster function is used to determine the grey class to which a certain functional failure belongs in the complex system.

Findings

In the past, the risk assessment of aircraft was mostly dominated by the subjective judgment of the experts, but it was not possible to give an objective observation score for each failure state. This paper addresses the problem efficiently as well as the feature of “little data, poor information.” The risk degree of each failure state can ultimately be replaced by a quantitative value.

Research limitations/implications

This paper uses the idea of clustering in grey system theory to evaluate the risk of landing gear system. In the expert evaluation stage, different experts evaluated the impact degree of the aircraft's failure caused by its functions, so the final risk classification is subjective to some extent.

Practical implications

This study analyzed the different conditions of the landing gear, including the front wheel steering, front wheel damping, front wheel steering system, brake system fault information and so on. It can effectively divide the different failure states and their effects, which is helpful to improve the safety of aircraft landing gear system and provide some useful methods and ideas for studying the safety of aircraft systems.

Social implications

Based on the FHA analysis process and the grey system theory, this paper determines various potential risks and their consequences of various functions according to the hierarchy, so as to carry out further detailed analysis on the risks that may occur under various functional conditions and take certain measures to prevent them. It is helpful to improve the risk management and control ability of aircraft in the actual flight process and to guarantee the safety of people's lives and property.

Originality/value

This paper is a pioneer in integrating the FHA method and the grey system theory, which exactly can be used to address the problem with the character of “little data, poor information.” The model established in this paper for the defects of FHA can effectively improve the accuracy of FHA, which is of great significance for the study of safety. In this paper, a case about landing gear system is given to illustrate the effectiveness of the model.

Details

Grey Systems: Theory and Application, vol. 10 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2043-9377

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 January 2020

Yuhang Zhang, Yan Huang, Tingting Xu, Chang Liu and Liangyan Tao

The classification of aircraft failures has been a significant part of functional hazard analysis (FHA). Aiming at the shortcomings of the traditional FHA method in the evaluation…

Abstract

Purpose

The classification of aircraft failures has been a significant part of functional hazard analysis (FHA). Aiming at the shortcomings of the traditional FHA method in the evaluation of aircraft risk, the purpose of this paper is to put forward a new approach by combining the gray comprehensive relation calculation method in the gray system theory with the traditional FHA in order to deal with the problem of “little data, poor information.”

Design/methodology/approach

This paper combines FHA, 1–9-scale method and gray relation analysis. At first, aircraft failure scenarios are chosen and data from experts are collected; then gray system theory is applied to find the relevance of such scenarios. Finally, the classification according to relevance is determined.

Findings

In the past, “little data, poor information” made it difficult for researchers to implement FHA. In this paper, the authors manage to deal with the problem of “poor information” and provide an approach to find the seriousness of aircraft failure.

Research limitations/implications

Due to the use of expert-evaluating methods, the classification of failures is still a little subjective and can be improved in this area. In the future, the method can be improved from the perspective of combining FMEA to analyze more complex indicators or using multisource heterogeneous solutions to solve fuzzy numbers, probabilities, gray numbers and indicators that cannot be assigned.

Practical implications

The paper uses FHA to divide the failure state and establishes a gray evaluation model of the aircraft failure state classification to verify the relevant method. Some aircraft safety design requirements are used to check the safety hazards of the aircraft during the design process, and to provide rational recommendations for the functional design of the aircraft.

Social implications

Improving the safety of aircraft is undoubtedly of great practical significance and has become a top priority in the development of the civil aviation industry. In this paper, the FHA method and the failure state of the aircraft are studied. The original FHA method is innovated by using the gray system theory applicable to the poor information state. Therefore, to some extent, this study has significance for improving the safety of civil aircraft flight, ensuring people’s travel safety and enhancing the society’s trust in civil aviation.

Originality/value

The main innovation of this paper is integrating the FHA method and the gray system theory. This study calculates the comprehensive relation degree of each failure under different flight stages, and uses FHA to divide the failure state, and finally establishes a gray evaluation model of the aircraft failure state classification to analyze the different conditions of the landing gear brake system, so that it improves the present situation, and the problem with the character of “little data, poor information” can be addressed better.

Details

Grey Systems: Theory and Application, vol. 11 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2043-9377

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 August 2012

Zhigeng Fang, Qunfeng Wang and Hengwu Wei

This paper attempts to select the leading industry concerning uncertain information and grey interval numbers.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper attempts to select the leading industry concerning uncertain information and grey interval numbers.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper combines grey system theory and the input‐output method, which describe uncertain information as interval numbers in the input‐output table. Additionally, in transforming the grey interval numbers to functions with time, the original input‐output table can be considered as a function of functions, in which functional analysis can be employed to determine important parameters. Neumann series is utilized to reverse the Leontief matrix having grey interval numbers. Based on the result, one can calculate the influence and induced coefficients of industries, which can help the decision maker to select the leading industry by comparing the overall effects of industries. A case in Wuxi city is conducted to show the feasibility of the above method.

Findings

The results of this paper show that selecting the leading industry is not only based on regional the input‐output table, but also depends on the algorithm dealing with and comparing uncertain values.

Practical implications

The method proposed in the paper can help people to choose the leading industry under uncertain information, which provides a novel approach for analyzing local economy development.

Originality/value

The paper is shows a functional analysis perspective and contributes to regional economy development by solving selecting the leading industry without exact input‐output tables.

Details

Kybernetes, vol. 41 no. 7/8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0368-492X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 August 2015

Jun Zhang, Mengfei Ran, Guodong Han and Guiping Yao

The purpose of this paper is to utilize the proposed function transformation to make the original data series meet the properties of smooth ratio being lessen and stepwise ratio…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to utilize the proposed function transformation to make the original data series meet the properties of smooth ratio being lessen and stepwise ratio deviation being reduced, so that to improve the accuracy of grey forecasting model.

Design/methodology/approach

According to the characteristics of anti-cotangent functional graph variation, the theory of functional transformation and grey system modeling, the authors proposed a grey model based on the transformation of Aarc cot x+B function.

Findings

The calculated result of practical example shows that the proposed method is both valid on improving fitting effectiveness and forecasting accuracy.

Practical implications

The proposed method in this paper can effectively improve the accuracy of forecasting of high-growth original data series (derivative of data series is not only greater than 1 but also increasing).

Originality/value

The paper succeeds in providing an effective function transformation to make the smooth ratio and stepwise ratio deviation reduced significantly.

Details

Grey Systems: Theory and Application, vol. 5 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2043-9377

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 February 2016

Sifeng Liu, Yingjie Yang, Naiming Xie and Jeffrey Forrest

The purpose of this paper is to summarize the progress in grey system research during 2000-2015, so as to present some important new concepts, models, methods and a new framework…

1808

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to summarize the progress in grey system research during 2000-2015, so as to present some important new concepts, models, methods and a new framework of grey system theory.

Design/methodology/approach

The new thinking, new models and new methods of grey system theory and their applications are presented in this paper. It includes algorithm rules of grey numbers based on the “kernel” and the degree of greyness of grey numbers, the concept of general grey numbers, the synthesis axiom of degree of greyness of grey numbers and their operations; the general form of buffer operators of grey sequence operators; the four basic models of grey model GM(1,1), such as even GM, original difference GM, even difference GM, discrete GM and the suitable sequence type of each basic model, and suitable range of most used grey forecasting models; the similarity degree of grey incidences, the closeness degree of grey incidences and the three-dimensional absolute degree of grey incidence of grey incidence analysis models; the grey cluster model based on center-point and end-point mixed triangular whitenization functions; the multi-attribute intelligent grey target decision model, the two stages decision model with grey synthetic measure of grey decision models; grey game models, grey input-output models of grey combined models; and the problems of robust stability for grey stochastic time-delay systems of neutral type, distributed-delay type and neutral distributed-delay type of grey control, etc. And the new framework of grey system theory is given as well.

Findings

The problems which remain for further studying are discussed at the end of each section. The reader could know the general picture of research and developing trend of grey system theory from this paper.

Practical implications

A lot of successful practical applications of the new models to solve various problems have been found in many different areas of natural science, social science and engineering, including spaceflight, civil aviation, information, metallurgy, machinery, petroleum, chemical industry, electrical power, electronics, light industries, energy resources, transportation, medicine, health, agriculture, forestry, geography, hydrology, seismology, meteorology, environment protection, architecture, behavioral science, management science, law, education, military science, etc. These practical applications have brought forward definite and noticeable social and economic benefits. It demonstrates a wide range of applicability of grey system theory, especially in the situation where the available information is incomplete and the collected data are inaccurate.

Originality/value

The reader is given a general picture of grey systems theory as a new model system and a new framework for studying problems where partial information is known; especially for uncertain systems with few data points and poor information. The problems remaining for further studying are identified at the end of each section.

Details

Grey Systems: Theory and Application, vol. 6 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2043-9377

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 September 2017

M.P. Jenarthanan, Venkata Sai Sunil Gujjalapudi and Venkatraman V.

The purpose of this paper is to originate a statistical model for delamination factor, surface roughness, machining force and also to determine and compare the effects of…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to originate a statistical model for delamination factor, surface roughness, machining force and also to determine and compare the effects of machining parameters (spindle speed, fiber orientation angle, helix angle and feed rate) on the output responses during end-milling of glass fiber reinforced polymers (GFRP) by using desirability functional analysis (DFA) and grey relational analysis (GRA).

Design/methodology/approach

Based on Taguchi’s L27 orthogonal array, milling experiments were carried on GFRP composite plates employing solid carbide end mills with different helix angles. The machining parameters were optimized by an approach based on DFA and GRA, which were useful tools for optimizing multi-response considerations, namely, machining force, surface roughness and delamination factor. A composite desirability index was obtained for multi-responses using individual desirability values from DFA. Based on this index and grey relational grade the optimum levels of parameters were identified and significant contribution of parameters was ascertained by analysis of variance.

Findings

Fiber orientation angle (66.75 percent) was the significant parameter preceded by feed rate (15.05 percent), helix angle (7.76 percent) and spindle speed (0.30 percent) for GFRP composite plates.

Originality/value

Multi-objective optimization in end-milling of GFRP composites using DFA and GRA has not been performed yet.

Details

Multidiscipline Modeling in Materials and Structures, vol. 13 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1573-6105

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 April 2018

Joachim Schopfel and Behrooz Rasuli

While distribution channels of theses and dissertations have changed significantly in the digital age, they are generally still considered grey literature. This paper aims to…

1266

Abstract

Purpose

While distribution channels of theses and dissertations have changed significantly in the digital age, they are generally still considered grey literature. This paper aims to argue the applicability of the concept of grey to electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs).

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is presented as a debate between two contradictory opinions on the application of the grey literature concept to ETDs.

Findings

The paper provides a definition of grey literature and then discusses its application to electronic dissertations and theses. In particular, it assesses the aspects of acquisition, quality, access and preservation. Some arguments highlight the “grey nature” of ETDs, such as the limited access via institutional and other repositories. Other arguments (e.g. the development of ETD infrastructures and the quality of ETDs) question this grey approach to ETDs. The paper concludes that “greyness” remains a challenge for ETDs, a problem waiting for solution on the way to open science through the application of the FAIR (findability, accessibility, interoperability reusability) principles.

Research limitations implications

Library and information science (LIS) professionals and scientists should be careful about using the concept of grey literature. The debate will help academic librarians and LIS researchers to better understand the nature of grey literature and its coverage, here in the field of ETDs.

Originality/value

Some definitions from the print age may not be applicable to the digital age. The contradictory character of the debate helps clarify the similitudes and differences of grey literature and ETDs and highlights the challenge of ETDs, in particular, their accessibility and findability.

Details

The Electronic Library, vol. 36 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-0473

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 April 2020

Rishabh Shrivastava and Preeti Mahajan

The purpose of this study is twofold. First, the study shall evaluate the extent of usage of grey literature and its different types of addiction research. The second purpose of…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is twofold. First, the study shall evaluate the extent of usage of grey literature and its different types of addiction research. The second purpose of the research is to analyze the extent of usage of reports such as research reports, survey reports, data reports, etc. As the reports are produced in general by various organizations and can be accessed by not only academicians but also the general public, they play an important role in the dissemination of research to the people. Therefore, the study endeavored to identify the major organizations that are involved in the publishing of research reports in the field of addiction.

Design/methodology/approach

Scopus database was used for the purpose of collecting the data. References in the reference lists of the articles published in 2018 in the journal Psychology of Addictive Behaviors of the American Psychological Association were collected. Scopus indexes the references of the papers in two different categories, namely, indexed in scopus/scopus references and reference lists. They were then categorized as grey literature and non-grey literature. Further, reports were searched manually so that their producers/authors can be found and categorized according to the organizations.

Findings

The study found that grey literature comprises a very small proportion of citations in addiction research (just approximately 5 per cent). This suggests that the improper indexing and bibliographic control of grey literature may be one of the reasons behind the low numbers. Reports comprised the largest proportion of the grey literature cited in addiction research, followed by software documentation, unpublished manuscripts, guidebooks, handbooks, manuals, websites, government publications, etc. The reports of the US Department of Health and Human Services comprised the maximum citations in the reports category because of the reports produced by organizations like Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) which comprised 17.59 per cent of the total reports. National Institute of Health (USA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and others. Other than the reports of the organizations of the USA, the reports published by the organizations of Canada, Australia, UK, New Zealand and one European Body were also cited by the articles of the journal.

Practical implications

The research focuses on the use of grey literature in addiction research. The findings of the study indicate very low citations to grey literature in addiction research. This reinforces the need for a separate worldwide information retrieval system for grey literature for researchers to conduct systematic reviews.

Originality/value

Very few studies have been conducted on the use of grey literature and hardly any research focuses on the use of grey literature in addiction research. The study goes one step further and identifies major organizations that are involved in the production of research reports in the field so that their reports can be properly indexed.

Details

Collection and Curation, vol. 40 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2514-9326

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 August 2015

Roger Bennett

The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that might contribute to the ease with which marketing executives in UK charities who have been promoted to senior general…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that might contribute to the ease with which marketing executives in UK charities who have been promoted to senior general management positions adjust to the occupancy of these roles.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 37 individuals with functional marketing backgrounds currently holding top general management positions in large fundraising charities were interviewed using a frame-worked occupational autobiographic narrative approach. The research was informed by aspects of newcomer adjustment theory, notably uncertainty reduction theory.

Findings

Social and personal considerations were much more important determinants of the ease of assimilation into top management positions in charities than were technical job-related matters. Role ambiguity constituted the main barrier to smooth adjustment. Mentoring, planned induction programmes, the nature of a person’s past work experience and the individual’s social status critically affected how readily a marketer fitted into a top management role. Disparate sets of factors influenced different elements of managerial newcomer adjustment (role clarity, self-efficacy, and social acceptance).

Research limitations/implications

As the participants in the study needed to satisfy certain narrowly defined criteria and to work in a single sector (large fundraising charities) the sample was necessarily small. It was not possible to explore the effects on operational performance of varying degrees of ease of newcomer adjustment.

Practical implications

Individuals promoted to top management posts in charities should try psychologically to break with the past and should not be afraid of projecting a strong functional professional identity to their new peers. These recommendations can be expected to apply to organisations in general which, like large charities, need senior management mentoring and induction programmes to assist recently promoted individuals from function-specific backgrounds; job descriptions for top management posts that are clear and embody realistic expectations; and “shadowing” and training activities for newly appointed senior managers with function-specific backgrounds.

Originality/value

The study is the first to apply newcomer adjustment theory to the assimilation of functional managers into more senior general management. It examines a broader range of potential variables affecting managerial newcomer adjustment than has previously been considered. Relevant issues are examined in the context of an important sector: fundraising charities.

Details

Career Development International, vol. 20 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1362-0436

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 8000