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As the complexity and uncertainty of megaprojects make it difficult for traditional management models to address the difficulties, this paper aims to design a performance incentive contract through IT applications, thereby promoting the formation of an information-based governance mechanism for megaprojects and facilitating the transformation and upgrading of the construction management model of megaprojects to informatisation.

This paper introduced IT applications into the performance assessment and used the proportion of IT applications replacing traditional manual management as a variable. It analysed different replacement ratios to obtain the optimal solution for the change of contractors behaviours and promote the optimal performance incentive for the informatisation in megaprojects.

The results show that under the condition of the optimal replacement ratio, achieving the optimal state of a mutual win-win situation is possible for the benefit of both sides. The counter-intuitive finding is that the greater the replacement ratio is not, the better, but those other constraints are also taken into account.

This study enriched the research of the performance configuration incentive from a practical perspective. It extended the research framework of IT incentive mechanisms in the governance of megaprojects from a management theory perspective. It clarified the role of IT applications in incentive mechanisms and the design process of optimal incentive contracts under different performance incentive states. The incentives made the contractors work harder to meet the owner's requirements, and it could improve the efficiency of megaprojects, thus better achieving megaproject objectives.

This paper aims to investigate the sealing characteristic of the rubber X-ring combined seal used in high-pressure hydrogen service and clarify the effect of swelling due to dissolved hydrogen on the sealing behavior.

A finite element analysis method with a user subroutine is proposed to investigate the sealing characteristic of rubber X-ring seals in conjunction with the swelling effect.

The swelling has a noticeable impact on the sealing behavior. The higher peak contact stress suggests that the X-ring seal may be superior to the O-ring seal, while the calculated increase in Mises stress suggests the X-ring exhibits a higher propensity to mechanical damage under low pressure conditions.

This paper describes a method with a user subroutine developed within ABAQUS to simulate the sealing performance coupled hydrogen swelling. The suitability of X-ring seals is evaluated. This work provides insight into the swelling effect on sealing behavior of an X-ring, which is of great value for the design and application of rubber seals used in hydrogen service.

This study aims to combine two fraud-related streams of the literature on guanxi and overconfidence into an integrated framework, which is the fraud triangle, to interpret the mechanism of fraud commission and detection.

A bivariate probit model with Partial Observability (POBi Probit) is applied. Moreover, the POBi Probit model is adjusted to the Chinese context. The China-specific POBi Probit model is constructed using data of Chinese A-share listed companies from 2008 to 2014, with a total of 15,109 firm-year observations.

Overconfidence induces fraud commission and worsens fraud detection; overconfidence mediates the relationship between fraud and guanxi; the “white side” of guanxi comes from alumni networks, while the “dark side” is derived from relatives-based networks; overconfidence induces fraud commission in accounting and disclosure and benefits the detection of disclosure frauds. Guanxi suppresses fraud commission in management and disclosure, however, it worsens fraud detection given fraud in management and disclosure; overconfidence induces fraud commission in both state-owned enterprises (SOE) and non-SOEs, and benefits fraud detection in SOEs. Guanxi suppresses fraud commission and worsens fraud detection in SOEs and city-owned firms.

There are two drawbacks of the partial observable bivariate probit (POBi-Probit) method that must be mentioned here. On one hand, the ex ante variable selection is one of the most difficult parts of applying the POBi-Probit model and different variables are included in different studies. On the other hand, the POBi-Probit model might not converge if too many variables are included. Thus, many widely accepted factors can be included in the model. Thus, this study initially sets the POBi-Probit model based mainly on Khanna et al. (2015) and then adjusts the model for the Chinese context (e. g. considering government ownership) according to Yiu et al. (2018) and Zhang (2018) and the local study of Meng et al. (2019). Considering the observability of fraud, on one hand, the observability of fraud commission is a widely accepted limitation, especially when accounting opacity comes across with regulatory efficiency (Yiu et al. (2018). On the other hand, the observability of relationships is another obstacle to this study. Future studies can go further by revealing the presently unobservable relationships using Big Data technology.

This paper theoretically and practically contributes to the literature on both corporate fraud and corporate governance. Theoretically, by introducing integrated principal-agent resource-reliance theory (IPRT) and upper echelon theory (UET), this paper broadens the framework of fraud triangle theory (FTT) and testifies the availability of the broaden FTT in the transitional and emerging-market context of China. Practically, this paper provides evidence that guanxi and overconfidence are two of the factors affecting corporate fraud. Thus, this paper provides a governance approach opposing corporate fraud in China, which may help the other emerging economies in transition.

This study explores how paternalistic leadership (PL) influences Chinese expatriates' work engagement in a cross-cultural context, and examines how expatriates' cross-cultural adaptability sets a boundary condition for this relationship.

Data were collected from two-wave surveys of 82 supervisors and 318 Chinese expatriate teachers from 57 Confucius Institutes in 18 countries. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized relationships.

Benevolent and moral leadership as job resources are negatively related to work–family conflict (WFC), whereas the job demand of authoritarian leadership positively relates to WFC. Further, WFC mediates the effect of PL styles on Chinese expatriates' work engagement. Cross-cultural adaptability moderates the negative relationship between WFC and work engagement, and the indirect effect of PL styles on work engagement through WFC.

Organizations should consider WFC an important intervening mechanism linking PL and Chinese expatriates' work engagement. Cross-cultural organizations can mitigate the negative impact of WFC on work engagement by enhancing expatriates' cross-cultural adaptability.

This study is the first to examine the PL–work engagement relationship via a work–family interface, which contributes to integrating leadership and work–family outcomes. It enriches research on the JD-R model by showing that job resources and job demands affect employee outcomes through the mediation of stressors. Furthermore, this study identifies a new personal resource by examining cross-cultural adaptability's moderating role.

In this study, numerical simulations are performed to compare the adiabatic film cooling effectiveness and reveal the difference of film cooling mechanisms of two models with the same geometries and cross-section areas of film holes’ exits at three typical blowing ratios (M = 0.5, 1 and 1.5). The two models are an elliptical model and a cylindrical model with 90° compound angle, respectively.

Three different cases are considered in this work and the baseline is the model with a cylindrical film hole. The same boundary conditions and a validated turbulence model (realizable k-ε) are adopted for all cases.

The results show that both the elliptical and cylindrical models with 90° compound angle can enhance the film cooling effectiveness compared with the baseline. However, the elliptical model performs well at lower blowing ratios and in the near region at each blowing ratio because of the wider width of the film hole’s exit. The cylindrical model with 90° compound angle provides better film cooling effectiveness in the further downstream area of the film hole at higher blowing ratio because of the less lift-off and better coolant coverage in the larger x/D region along the mainstream direction.

Overall, it can be concluded that although the elliptical and cylindrical models with 90° compound angle have identical hole exits, the different inlet direction and cross-sectional geometry affect the flow structures when the coolant enters, moves through and exits the hole and finally different film cooling results appear.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the optoelectronic properties of the multichannel ZnO UV photodetectors.

ZnO nanowires were assembled by dielectrophoresis for the UV photodetectors. Different ZnO channels were adjusted by different alternating current voltages and investigated for UV optoelectronic properties.

The number of the ZnO channels increases with the enhancing alternating current voltage. Optimum performance of the UV photodetectors is obtained with more channels.

Dielectrophoresis is a promising method for controllable assembly of multichannel ZnO photodetectors. ZnO photodetectors with more channels demonstrate a good response to 380-nm UV light, which shows great potential application in UV photodetector.

This paper aims to explore the psychological mechanism in the relationship between paternalistic leadership (PL) and employee well-being (EWB) in cross-cultural nonprofit organizations. It also aims to further promote the integration of research on PL and self-concept by examining the relationship between PL and collective self-concept (CSC).

Data were collected on 72 supervisors and 233 expatriate Chinese teachers from 42 Confucius Institutes and 15 Confucius classrooms in Canada and the USA.

PL has a significant effect on EWB. Benevolent and moral leadership are positively related to CSC, while authoritarian leadership is negatively related to CSC. CSC mediates the relationship between PL and EWB. Furthermore, employees’ cross-cultural adaptability positively moderates the relationship between CSC and EWB; the indirect effect between PL and EWB via CSC is stronger for employees with stronger cross-cultural adaptability.

This is the first study that has examined the psychological mechanism under which PL affects EWB in cross-cultural nonprofit organizations. It contributes to the integration of research on PL and CSC by examining its relationship for the first time. It provides important implications for improving the well-being of expatriate employees in cross-cultural organizations.

As an exploratory study on rural and urban consumers in an emerging market like China, this paper presents empirical evidence about the impacts of economic development on consumer lifestyles. Chinese rural and urban consumers were found to be statistically different in terms of their attitudes toward the whole marketing mix: product price, brand names, promotions and distribution. Possibly as a result of these disparate attitudes, rural and urban consumers were found to use different products to reflect the improvement of their living standards. All of these previous differences might be due to the fact that rural and urban Chinese consumers have different needs, as indicated by the words they chose to describe their ideal image. These lifestyle differences reveal huge marketing potentials for MNCs and other foreign investors, who will ultimately move into China's relatively untapped rural regions for marketing opportunities.

This paper aims to study both the mechanical properties and the corrosion behavior of the synthesized in situ (TiC-TiB₂) particulates/AZ91 magnesium matrix composite and compare the results with that of the conventional AZ91D alloy.

Scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to study the surface morphology and crystalline structure. Mechanical compression tests were used to investigate the mechanical performance according to ASTM E9-89a. The corrosion behavior of the synthesized magnesium alloy was examined using both electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiodynamic polarization techniques in dilute Harrison solutions.

The microstructure of the Mg composite showed a uniform distribution of reinforcing phases. Also, the reinforcing phases were formed without residual intermediate phases. The addition of titanium and boron carbides not only enhanced the mechanical properties of the matrix but also improve its corrosion behavior.

This is the first time that magnesium matrix composite has been to synthesized with TiC and TiB₂ particulates starting from starting from Ti and B carbides powder without adding aluminium using practical and low-cost technique (in situ reactive infiltration technique). This paper studies the corrosion behavior of synthesized Mg matrix in dilute Harrison solution and compares the results with that of conventional AZ91D.