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Currently, the issues of cross-channel integration (CCI) have become the attentive focus. However, little research based on institutional theory details the drivers of and obstacles to adopt CCI strategy. Combined with resource-based view (RBV) and institutional theory, this thesis studies the effect of institutional pressures on the manufactures' extent of CCI, through exploring the moderating effects of firm's technology competence and relationship governance capabilities on the relationship between institutional pressures and the extent of CCI.

The survey data of 249 valid research samples were obtained from Chinese manufacturing enterprises. Statistical software such as SPSS 22.0 and AMOS 18.0 was used to analyze the data and test the conceptual model and relevant research hypotheses from an empirical perspective.

The results of empirical study from 249 manufacturers indicate that the mimetic, coercive and normative pressures perceived by enterprises can significantly promote their extent of CCI; relationship governance capabilities attenuate the positive impact of mimetic pressures on the extent of CCI, but strengthen that of normative pressures on the extent of CCI; besides, technology competence can attenuate the positive effect of mimetic pressures on the extent of CCI, but enhance that of normative pressures on the extent of CCI.

Few studied the impact of the interaction of internal capabilities and external institutional pressures on CCI of enterprises. This study combines institutional theory and resource-based view to fill the theoretical gap in this regard.

Grounded in agency and clan theories, this study aims to examine how, when and why joint liability works as a control mechanism to reduce opportunism among tea supplier groups in China.

Survey data from 82 supplier groups (three respondents per group) were collected.

Joint liability is related positively to peer monitoring (as mediator) and negatively to opportunism, whereas the mediated relationship is moderated positively by group leaders’ perceived legitimate authority and negatively by reciprocity and shared norms.

Opportunism is operationalized as the use of illegal pesticides, the violation of manufacturer–supplier contractual agreements and joint liability, as suppliers’ liability of having the whole group’s seasonal production is rejected by the manufacturer if a single act of opportunism is detected in the group.

Our study demonstrates how and under what conditions the joint-liability mechanism is linked with the reduction of multi-suppliers’ opportunism. We pave the way for future applications of the control mechanism to fields related to inter-organizational governance. Most importantly, we apply Ouchi’s clan theory (1979, 1980) to conceptualize manufacturer–supplier and supplier–supplier relationships in China and provide first-hand evidence to validate its applicability and generalizability to the context. The study also offers insights on network influences in inter-organizational relationships (Gu et al., 2010; Wathne and Heide, 2004) and confirms the important roles of network factors in inter-organizational relationships. In particular, peer monitoring operates as a mediator and normative factors operate as facilitators (moderators) for the joint liability to work as a mechanism to control opportunism in this relationship context.

The purpose of this paper is to address the concern of some stainless steel users. To understand the effect of surface white spots on corrosion performance of stainless steel.

White spots appeared on some component surfaces made of 316 L stainless steel in some industrial applications. To address the concern about the pitting performance in the spot areas, the pitting corrosion potential and corrosion resistance were measured in the spot and non-spot areas by means of potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and the two different surface characteristics were analytically compared by using optical microscopy, laser confocal microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, energy dispersive spectroscopy and auger energy spectroscopy. The results indicated that the pitting performance of the 316 L stainless steel was not negatively influenced by the spots and the white spots simply resulted from the slightly different surface morphology in the spot areas.

The white spots are actually the slightly rougher surface areas with some carbon-containing species. They do not reduce the pitting resistance. Interestingly, the white spot areas even have slightly improved general corrosion resistance.

Not all surface contamination or roughening can adversely affect the corrosion resistance of stainless steel.

Stainless steel components with such surface white spots are still qualified products in terms of corrosion performance.

The surface spot of stainless steel was systematically investigated for the first time for its effect on corrosion resistance and the conclusion was new to the common knowledge.

This paper aims to provide a theoretical guide for preserving ancient books in China.

The paper reviews the history of the damage and preservation of ancient books in China, and analyzes the value attributes of ancient books: archaeological value, historical value and artistic value.

The paper proposes a preservation framework for Chinese ancient books. This framework is composed of three layers. The foundation layer is to preserve the physical entity of ancient books so that the archaeological values are preserved. The middle layer is to preserve the intellectual content of ancient books so that the values for historical research are preserved. The top layer is mainly about preserving the productions process of the artistic format of ancient books, so that not only the static artistic formats are preserved, the techniques and procedures to produce the artistic format are preserved as well.

The paper presents a framework that connects the value attributes of ancient books and the strategies to preserve those values, systematizes them and presents them as a whole. The framework can be used to justify government policies and help identify pitfalls in the preservation strategies for ancient books.

This paper aims to develops an estimable hybrid model that combines the micro‐founded DSGE model with the flexibility of the atheoretical VAR model.

The model is estimated via the maximum likelihood technique based on quarterly data on real gross national product (GNP), consumption, investment and hours worked, for the South African economy, over the period of 1970:1 to 2000:4. Based on a recursive estimation using the Kalman filter algorithm, the out‐of‐sample forecasts from the hybrid model are then compared with the forecasts generated from the Classical and Bayesian variants of the VAR for the period 2001:1‐2005:4.

The results indicate that, in general, the estimated hybrid‐DSGE model outperforms the classical VAR, but not the Bayesian VARs in terms of out‐of‐sample forecasting performances.

The model lacks nominal shocks and needs to be extended into a small open economy framework.

The paper was able to show that, even though the DSGE model is outperformed by the BVAR, a microfounded theoretical DSGE model has a future in forecasting the South African economy.

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first attempt to use an estimable DSGE model to forecast the South African economy.

This study aims to provide a model to predict the service life of a thick organic coating.

A series of thin coating films are rapidly tested under the same exposure condition as the thick coating in its service condition by means of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction.

The validity of the model is successfully verified. The long-term protectiveness or service life of a thick organic coating can be rapidly predicted.

The prediction model does not require long-term experiments or any test that may alter the degradation mechanism of the thick coating.

This study aims to propose a simple experimental method to distinguish the galvanic corrosion, crevice corrosion and self-corrosion in metal/carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) joints.

The corrosion behaviors of four different galvanic couples, whose anodes were Zn-coated DP590 steel and Al 6022, and cathodes were two kinds of CFRP, were investigated in immersion and GMW14872 cyclic conditions.

The results showed that the galvanic corrosion caused by direct contact between CFRP and metals was more serious than that caused by the jointing bolts. The corrosion damage caused by crevice corrosion was severer than that caused by galvanic corrosion. Self-corrosion was also significant, particularly under the cyclic salt spray condition.

Cyclic salt spray test may more reliably simulate the galvanic corrosion of a joint in industrial service environments, and real corrosion damage may be underestimated by a galvanic current measurement.

A deeper understanding of different corrosion mechanisms involved in CFRP/metal joints under different service conditions in industry has been given.

The purpose of this study is to review whether organization identification has a role of mediation and whether emotional intelligence (EI) has a role of moderating in the relationship between organizational justice perception (OJP) and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB).

In order to achieve the aim of the research, the data obtained from 388 employees of six shipyards in Yalova-Altinova Shipyards by survey technique were analyzed. To test the research hypotheses, SPSS (v22) PROCESS macro (v3.4) plugin developed by Hayes (2019) and Model 4 and Model 5 were used via the Bootstrap 5,000 sampling technique.

This study found that OJP impacts organizational identification (OI) and OCB. In addition, the research findings indicate that OI positively impacts OCB. This research reveals that OI played a mediating role in the relationship between OJP and OCB. However, the authors do not find support for the hypothesis that direct effect of OJP on OCB differs depending on the level of EI level.

The major limitation of this study is its sample that included only employees in shipyards. The results of this study will hopefully offer important insights into understanding and directing the human resources in shipyards conducting activities of construction, manufacturing, maintenance on the ships available at the center of maritime transportations.

This study draws attention to the causal relationships between the perception of OJP, OCB, OI and EI, which affect the organizational attitudes and behaviors of employees.