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1 – 10 of 13You-De Dai, You-Yu Dai, Kuan-Yang Chen and Hui-Chun Wu
This research examines the relationships among transformational/transactional leadership styles (TFLs/TSLs), organizational justice, trust, organizational commitment, and…
Abstract
Purpose
This research examines the relationships among transformational/transactional leadership styles (TFLs/TSLs), organizational justice, trust, organizational commitment, and organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) in the context of international tourist hotels in Taipei. The purpose of this paper is to establish a comprehensive model of TFLs/TSLs in human resource management and to figure out which is the better leadership style in regards to the hospitality industry.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 700 questionnaires were distributed to the staff of eight international hotels, yielding 358 valid responses.
Findings
TFLs/TSLs affect procedural and distributive justice significantly and positively. Managers using TFLs can induce trust of employees. TFLs positively affect organizational commitment through distributive justice and trust, while TSLs induce organizational commitment through distributive justice. Distributive justice has directly positive impact on trust. Distributive justice-organizational commitment is a positive link. Interestingly, TSLs influence organizational commitment negatively and significantly. As expected, trust can lead to organizational commitment and both trust and organizational commitment have positive impact on OCBs.
Originality/value
The results could be used as the basis for improving human resources management in such a collectivistic culture as Chinese society.
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Western researchers have concluded that generational groups of workers have different work characteristics and prefer different leadership styles. This paper investigates whether…
Abstract
Purpose
Western researchers have concluded that generational groups of workers have different work characteristics and prefer different leadership styles. This paper investigates whether Western research applies equally to generational groups in Taiwan's workplaces, specifically in the higher education sector and manufacturing industry.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 20 higher education institutions and 148 manufacturing SMEs in machinery manufacturing in Taipei were identified. After operational definitions for constructs were defined, a questionnaire was developed and administered. After data had been processed through editing, coding and tabulation, a statistical technique was selected where research expectation tests could be conducted. In order to test construct validity, factor analysis was also performed. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted to test for any significant differences between the variables under investigation.
Findings
The research shows that generational groups in manufacturing industry have different work characteristics and require different leadership styles, while there were no differences in work characteristics and preferred leadership style for generational groups in the education sector.
Originality/value
The results of this research provide some direction for leaders and researchers. Leaders should recognise the different work characteristics between generational groups and apply leadership styles that will positively contribute to employee motivation.
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Hui‐Chun Chu, Gwo‐Jen Hwang, Shu‐Xian Huang and Ting‐Ting Wu
The purpose of this paper is to present an innovative approach that is proposed for developing e‐libraries with metadata to meet the need of training observation and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present an innovative approach that is proposed for developing e‐libraries with metadata to meet the need of training observation and classification skills in a mobile learning environment.
Design/methodology/approach
A knowledge engineering approach is proposed to assist teachers in defining metadata of e‐libraries to meet the need of training observation and classification skills. Based on the innovative approach, an e‐library of butterfly and ecology has been developed. Moreover, an experiment was conducted from March‐April 2007 on the science course “Butterfly and Ecology” at an elementary school in Taiwan. There were two teachers and 35 students participated in the experiment.
Findings
Experimental results showed that the e‐library developed with the innovative approach is able to effectively support the training of observation and classification skills for elementary school students.
Research limitations/implications
Currently, the innovative approach has only been applied to the training of observation and classification knowledge. Further studies will be needed to assist teachers in defining metadata of e‐libraries for other educational objectives, such as “analysis” (the ability to separate material or concepts into component parts so that its organizational structure may be understood), “synthesis” (the ability to put parts together to form a new whole) and “evaluation” (the ability to judge the value of material for a given purpose).
Originality/value
With the innovative approach, personalized supports can be provided as a guide for students' learning. Moreover, students are allowed to face the real objects with technology‐rich supports during the learning process.
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The variational principle views a complex problem in an energy way, it gives good physical understanding of an iteration method, and the variational-based numerical methods always…
Abstract
Purpose
The variational principle views a complex problem in an energy way, it gives good physical understanding of an iteration method, and the variational-based numerical methods always have a conservation scheme with a fast convergent rate. The purpose of this paper is to establish a variational principle for a fractal nano/microelectromechanical (N/MEMS) system.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper begins with an approximate variational principle in literature for the studied problem, and a genuine variational principle is obtained by the semi-inverse method.
Findings
The semi-inverse method is a good mathematical tool to the search for a genuine fractal variational formulation for the N/MEMS system.
Research limitations/implications
The established variational principle can be used for both analytical and numerical analyses of the N/MEMS systems, and it can be extended to some more complex cases.
Practical implications
The variational principle can be used for variational-based finite element methods and energy-based analytical methods.
Originality/value
The new and genuine variational principle is obtained. This paper discovers the missing piece of the puzzle for the establishment of a variational principle from governing equations for a complex problem by the semi-inverse method. The new variational theory opens a new direction in fractal MEMS systems.
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Hui-Chun Chang, Yung-Kai Lin, Chia-Hua Liang, Hsin-Wei Huang, Yung-Hao Lin, Yung-Hsiang Lin, Wei-Chun Hu and Chi Fu Chiang
Population aging was a global trend, and the most obvious thing after aging was the change in skin appearance. Therefore, the active ingredients that delay skin aging were…
Abstract
Purpose
Population aging was a global trend, and the most obvious thing after aging was the change in skin appearance. Therefore, the active ingredients that delay skin aging were particularly noticed. Past studies had pointed out that Chinese herbal extracts can improve skin elasticity, reduce wrinkles and melanin precipitation. The purpose of this paper is to explore whether combining hydrolyzed collagen with Chinese herbal extracts can improve skin conditions and achieve anti-inflammatory effects.
Design/methodology/approach
Fifty subjects were randomly divided into collagen or placebo groups, and one bottle of collagen or placebo drink was used every day for four weeks, after which skin and inflammatory factors were tested.
Findings
In comparison with the baseline results, the skin parameters were improving after four-week intervention. In addition, the IL-6, IL-8, TNF-a were significantly decreased and tissue inhibitor matrix metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP-1) was increased after four-week hydrolyzed collagen intervention.
Originality/value
This study showed that hydrolyzed collagen combined with Chinese herbal extracts can improve the condition of the skin, and can also reduce inflammatory associated factors, thereby achieving anti-aging effects.
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Every student knows Newton’s iteration method from a textbook, which is widely used in numerical simulation, what few may know is that its ancient Chinese partner, Ying Buzu Shu…
Abstract
Purpose
Every student knows Newton’s iteration method from a textbook, which is widely used in numerical simulation, what few may know is that its ancient Chinese partner, Ying Buzu Shu, in about second century BC has much advantages over Newton’s method. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the ancient Chinese algorithm and its modifications for numerical simulation.
Design/methodology/approach
An example is given to show that the ancient Chinese algorithm is insensitive to initial guess, while a fast convergence rate is predicted.
Findings
Two new algorithms, which are suitable for numerical simulation, are introduced by absorbing the advantages of the Newton iteration method and the ancient Chinese algorithm.
Research limitations/implications
This paper focuses on a single algebraic equation; however, it is easy to extend the theory to algebraic systems.
Practical implications
The Newton iteration method can be updated in numerical simulation.
Originality/value
The ancient Chinese algorithm is elucidated to have modern applications in various numerical methods.
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Analytical methods are widely used in heat and fluid flow; the purpose of this paper is to couple Taylor series method and Bubbfil algorithm to solve nonlinear differential…
Abstract
Purpose
Analytical methods are widely used in heat and fluid flow; the purpose of this paper is to couple Taylor series method and Bubbfil algorithm to solve nonlinear differential equations.
Design/methodology/approach
A series solution is obtained with some unknown constants, which can be determined by incorporating boundary conditions, and the constants are calculated by the Bubbfil algorithm.
Findings
This paper gives an analytical approach to a nonlinear equation arising in porous catalyst using Taylor series and Bubbfil algorithm, and a high accuracy can be achieved.
Research limitations/implications
The coupled method of Taylor series and Bubbfil algorithm is a powerful method for nonlinear differential equations.
Practical implications
The proposed technology can be used in various numerical methods.
Originality/value
A new analytical method is proposed based on Taylor series and Bubbfil algorithm, which is a development of Newton’s iteration method and an ancient Chinese algorithm. The solution process is simple and easy to follow.
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Abbas J. Ali, Monle Lee, Yi‐Ching Hsieh and Krish Krishnan
Individualism collectivism measures, along with decision styles, are examined in Taiwan. About 600 questionnaires were distributed directly to employees with managerial positions…
Abstract
Individualism collectivism measures, along with decision styles, are examined in Taiwan. About 600 questionnaires were distributed directly to employees with managerial positions in private, public, and mixed enter prises in the capital, Taipei. In general, Taiwanese were found to be more collectivist than individualistic. Participants displayed a strong preference for consultative and participative styles and determined that these two styles were the most effective in practice. Further more, participants indicated that their immediate supervisors were mostly consultative and autocratic.
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Hui‐Chun Chu, Gwo‐Jen Hwang and Judy C.R. Tseng
This paper aims to propose an innovative approach to assist teachers in using electronic libraries to develop learning activities for context‐aware ubiquitous learning, in which…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to propose an innovative approach to assist teachers in using electronic libraries to develop learning activities for context‐aware ubiquitous learning, in which the learning system can detect students' behaviors and guide them to learn in the real world with personalized support from the digital world.
Design/methodology/approach
An electronic library with context‐awareness metadata for supporting learning activities conducted in real‐world environments is presented. Furthermore, a systematic procedure for guiding teachers in employing the electronic library to develop learning activities is proposed based on an innovative approach.
Findings
From a practical application conducted on an elementary school, it is found that, with this innovative approach, electronic libraries not only have the potential in supporting traditional in‐class or online learning activities, but also can assist teachers and digital content workers in developing high quality learning activities and related digital learning materials to support outdoor learning.
Research limitations/implications
The findings of this paper imply that, to promote the utilization rate of electronic libraries for more specified purposes, more features of the application domains need to be considered while designing the database schemas of the electronic libraries.
Practical implications
From the feedback of teachers and digital content workers, it is found electronic libraries have high potential for supporting outdoor learning activities for “Science” and “Social science” courses with proper database schema design and the provision of user guidance.
Originality/value
An electronic library for supporting context‐aware ubiquitous‐learning is presented and an innovative approach for guiding teachers to design learning activities is proposed.
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