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1 – 10 of 566Kurukulasuriya Dinesh Udana Devindra Fernando and Nawalage Seneviratne Cooray
Introduction: In the context of Sri Lanka, this study compares how institutions and financial development (FD) affect economic growth (EG) and inclusive growth (IG).Purpose: The…
Abstract
Introduction: In the context of Sri Lanka, this study compares how institutions and financial development (FD) affect economic growth (EG) and inclusive growth (IG).
Purpose: The well-structured administration and judicial system at the provincial level have been established against the socioeconomic vulnerabilities in the country for an extended period. Still, the country as a whole and provincial level is experiencing huge income and social inequality, though there are required provisions for enhancing the well-being of the people.
Methodology: The study consists of data from the nine provinces from 2013 to 2019. The analysis used the Dynamic Spatial Durbin Model (D-SDM) to explore the spatial dependencies between the provinces. Two models were developed: the interaction of the financial service activities (FSA) and insurance, reinsurance, and pension (INPEN), representing the FD with the EG and IG with and without. The IG index was estimated by principal component analysis (PCA) using indicators of the four dimensions. The results indicated spatial dependency among FD’s interaction with EG when provincial tax (PROTAX) and provincial expenses (PROEXP) are the provincial institutions.
Findings: The IG model results showed the IG’s spatial dependency moderated by the FD and only the IG model between the provinces. PROEXP showed a significant positive spillover impact among provinces towards the IG.
Practical Implications: The finding inform economic policy making while identifying weaknesses in existing local governments. Attention must be given to how poverty can be reduced, enhancing the well-being of the people with the proper channelling of finance and government institutional mechanisms.
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Gang Wang, Mian Wang, ZiHan Wang, GuangTao Xu, MingHao Zhao and Lingxiao Li
The purpose of this paper is to assess the hydrogen embrittlement sensitivity of carbon gradient heterostructure materials and to verify the reliability of the scratch method.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to assess the hydrogen embrittlement sensitivity of carbon gradient heterostructure materials and to verify the reliability of the scratch method.
Design/methodology/approach
The surface-modified layer of 18CrNiMo7-6 alloy steel was delaminated to study its hydrogen embrittlement characteristics via hydrogen permeation, electrochemical hydrogen charging and scratch experiments.
Findings
The results showed that the diffusion coefficients of hydrogen in the surface and matrix layers are 3.28 × 10−7 and 16.67 × 10−7 cm2/s, respectively. The diffusible-hydrogen concentration of the material increases with increasing hydrogen-charging current density. For a given hydrogen-charging current density, the diffusible-hydrogen concentration gradually decreases with increasing depth in the surface-modified layer. Fracture toughness decreases with increasing diffusible-hydrogen concentration, so the susceptibility to hydrogen embrittlement decreases with increasing depth in the surface-modified layer.
Originality/value
The reliability of the scratch method in evaluating the fracture toughness of the surface-modified layer material is verified. An empirical formula is given for fracture toughness as a function of diffused-hydrogen concentration.
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Weihua Wang, Dong Yang and Yaqin Zheng
The purpose of this study is to understand the psychological mechanism that affects consumer trust by focusing on the formation and influence process of psychological contracts…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to understand the psychological mechanism that affects consumer trust by focusing on the formation and influence process of psychological contracts, and taking this opportunity, explore the influence paths of food quality, food safety and service quality on consumer trust in the online food market, and provide theoretical suggestions for building trust in food businesses' consumers.
Design/methodology/approach
This study is based on an empirical investigation and uses partial least square structural equation modeling for analysis. Survey data were collected online from 359 APP users of online food transaction platforms in China.
Findings
Food quality, food safety and service quality influence consumer trust through the mediating effects of relational and transactional psychological contracts. However, the differences between these influencing paths are obvious and shift with changes in the marketing channels.
Practical implications
This study contributes to the body of consumer trust research by exploring online food transactions as an emerging trend in China. Some optimization strategies for food quality, food safety and service quality are provided for enterprises involved in online food transactions.
Originality/value
This is a pioneering study revealing psychological contracts as a missing but significant mediator between consumer trust and its antecedents.
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The rapid development and high penetration of digitalization have triggered profound changes in the energy sector. The purpose of this study is to integrate the government digital…
Abstract
Purpose
The rapid development and high penetration of digitalization have triggered profound changes in the energy sector. The purpose of this study is to integrate the government digital transformation into the analysis framework and discuss its impact on urban energy efficiency and its realization mechanism.
Design/methodology/approach
Using the “Information Benefit Pilot City” (IBC) policy as a quasi-natural experiment, and drawing on data from 285 prefecture-level cities in China from 2008 to 2019, this paper discusses how digital government affects urban energy efficiency by using difference-in-differences (DID).
Findings
The results show that digital governance significantly improves energy efficiency, and this conclusion remains reliable even after a series of robustness tests, endogeneity processing and sensitivity analysis. Heterogeneity results show that resource-based, eastern, high economic development level and high urbanization rate city digital government construction are more conducive to improving energy efficiency. The mediating effect shows that the influence mechanism of digital government on energy efficiency mainly includes reducing carbon emission, promoting green technology innovation and attracting talents.
Originality/value
(1) From the perspective of government digital transformation, this study supplements the way to improve energy efficiency and also expands the social dividend of government governance transformation. (2) Through quasi-experimental analysis of IBC policy, this paper solves the problem of difficulty in quantifying the government's digital transformation indicators. (3) The impact heterogeneity and realization mechanism are further discussed and the specific ways of digital government's impact on energy efficiency are revealed.
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Hui Zhao, Shunzhen Ren, Zhengbo Zhong, Zhipeng Li and Tianhui Ren
This study aims to reveal the tribological mechanism of synergistic effect between MoDTC and P-containing additives in aluminum-based grease.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to reveal the tribological mechanism of synergistic effect between MoDTC and P-containing additives in aluminum-based grease.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors prepared a molybdenum dialkyl dithiocarbamate (MoDTC) and revealed the tribological mechanism of synergistic effect between MoDTC and P-containing additives in aluminum-based grease by combining with ZDDP and P-containing and S-free additives.
Findings
The MoDTC the authors prepared has good friction-reducing and anti-wear properties in aluminum-based grease and has an obvious synergistic effect with ZDDP. MoDTC and ZDDP have a significant synergistic effect on the tribological properties in aluminum-based grease, mainly because of the formation of phosphates and metaphosphates as well as more MoS2 in the friction film. P element plays a facilitating role in the chemical conversion of MoDTC to MoS2.
Originality/value
The experiments of MoDTC with tributyl phosphate and trimethylphenyl phosphate confirm that the P element plays a facilitating role in the chemical conversion of MoDTC into MoS2.
Peer review
The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-12-2023-0410
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Zhenbao Wang, Zhen Yang, Mengyu Liu, Ziqin Meng, Xuecheng Sun, Huang Yong, Xun Sun and Xiang Lv
Microribbon with meander type based on giant magnetoimpedance (GMI) effect has become a research hot spot due to their higher sensitivity and spatial resolution. The purpose of…
Abstract
Purpose
Microribbon with meander type based on giant magnetoimpedance (GMI) effect has become a research hot spot due to their higher sensitivity and spatial resolution. The purpose of this paper is to further optimize the line spacing to improve the performance of meanders for sensor application.
Design/methodology/approach
The model of GMI effect of microribbon with meander type is established. The effect of line spacing (Ls) on GMI behavior in meanders is analyzed systematically.
Findings
Comparison of theory and experiment indicates that decreasing the line spacing increases the negative mutual inductance and a consequent increase in the GMI effect. The maximum value of the GMI ratio increases from 69% to 91.8% (simulation results) and 16.9% to 51.4% (experimental results) when the line spacing is reduced from 400 to 50 µm. The contribution of line spacing versus line width to the GMI ratio of microribbon with meander type was contrasted. This behavior of the GMI ratio is dominated by the overall negative contribution of the mutual inductance.
Originality/value
This paper explores the effect of line spacing on the GMI ratio of meander type by comparing the simulation results with the experimental results. The superior line spacing is found in the identical sensing area. The findings will contribute to the design of high-performance micropatterned ribbon with meander-type GMI sensors and the establishment of a ribbon-based magnetic-sensitive biosensing system.
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By using a wide range of macro and micro factors, this paper aims to provide a new assessment of the recent literature on inbound tourism demand models.
Abstract
Purpose
By using a wide range of macro and micro factors, this paper aims to provide a new assessment of the recent literature on inbound tourism demand models.
Design/methodology/approach
This study examines the determinants and spatial effects of inbound tourism using Hausman–Taylor and spatial econometric models.
Findings
Several important factors were identified, including local economic growth, openness to the outside world, regional size, geographic distance, foreign direct investment, level of innovation and average annual temperature. In addition, the study found strong cross-city competition effects on tourism resource endowment and hotel infrastructure.
Originality/value
Inbound tourism is a crucial link in achieving high-quality economic development. However, previous studies have mainly focused on the analysis of single influencing factors, ignoring the spatial spillover effects of factors.
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Nguyen-Hau Le, My-Quyen Thi Mai and Kieu-Giang Le
The work-from-home scheme (WFH) is increasingly being adopted in service firms. However, the blurred border between employees’ work and life can create work–life conflict (WLC…
Abstract
Purpose
The work-from-home scheme (WFH) is increasingly being adopted in service firms. However, the blurred border between employees’ work and life can create work–life conflict (WLC) that negatively affects their well-being. Therefore, identifying factors that help employees overcome WLC and nurture their well-being is imperative. From a transformative service research (TSR) and personal psychology perspective, this study aims to explore the roles of service employee state of mindfulness and resilience in reducing WLC, alleviating its negative effects and ultimately nurturing their happiness.
Design/methodology/approach
A structural model was proposed. Data were collected from 339 WFH employees in various knowledge-based services such as professional services, information, education and training, financial consulting and marketing. Direct, indirect, mediating and moderating effects were estimated using the CB-SEM method.
Findings
Mindfulness is the overarching capability that helps reduce WLC and raise resilience. It nurtures WFH employee happiness not only directly but also via the mediation of resilience and WLC. Resilience, on the other hand, mediates the effect of mindfulness on happiness and moderates the negative impact of WLC on happiness.
Practical implications
Firms are recommended to organize mindfulness and resilience training programs, and encourage organizational- and job-related facilitators. WFH employees should actively participate in such programs and add them to their to-do-list practices.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is among the first empirical studies of employee mindfulness and resilience in the WFH context. It contributes to the TSR research stream and enriches the concepts of mindfulness and resilience by elucidating different mechanisms in which each of these personal qualities operates to help employees nurture happiness in this specific working condition.
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Xiaoping Lin, Xiaoyan Li, Jiming Yao, Xianghong Li and Jianlin Xu
To develop electrode materials for supercapacitor with superior electrochemical performance and simple preparation process, the purpose of this study is to prepare flexible…
Abstract
Purpose
To develop electrode materials for supercapacitor with superior electrochemical performance and simple preparation process, the purpose of this study is to prepare flexible CC/NiS/a-NiS electrodes with self-supporting structure by loading hydrothermally synthesized a-NiS particles along with nano-NiS on carbon cloth by electroplating method.
Design/methodology/approach
The effects of current densities, temperatures and pH values on the loading amount and uniformity of the active substances during the plating process were investigated on the basis of optimization of surface morphology, crystalline structure and electrochemical evaluation as the cyclic voltammetry curves, constant current charge–discharge curves and AC impedance.
Findings
The a-NiS particles on CC/NiS/a-NiS were mostly covered by the plated nano-NiS, which behaved as a bulge and provided a larger specific surface area. The CC/NiS/a-NiS electrode prepared with the optimized parameter exhibited a specific capacitance of 115.13 F/g at a current density of 1 A/g and a Coulomb efficiency of 84% at 5 A/g, which is superior to that of CC/NiS electrode prepared by electroplating at a current density of 10 mA/cm2, a temperature of 55°C and a pH of 4, demonstrating its fast charge response of the electrode and potential application in wearable electronics.
Originality/value
This study provides an integrated solution for the development of specifically structured NiS-based electrode for supercapacitor with simple process, low cost and high electrochemical charge/discharge performance, and the simple and easy-to-use method is also applicable to other electrochemically active composites.
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Rufeng Wang, Siqi Wang and Guoqu Deng
The expansion of bike-sharing enterprises has led to a series of social problems, and due to the high breakage rate and high recycling cost of bike sharing, enterprises are…
Abstract
Purpose
The expansion of bike-sharing enterprises has led to a series of social problems, and due to the high breakage rate and high recycling cost of bike sharing, enterprises are reluctant to maintain them. Therefore, government regulation does play a leading role in maintaining bike sharing. This study’s purpose is to investigate how the government should regulate the bike-sharing enterprises that maintain bicycles.
Design/methodology/approach
Firstly, the authors assume that there is only one bike-sharing enterprise and establish a game model that the government regulates the enterprise. Furthermore, the authors extend the model to the case that there are two competing enterprises in the market. Finally, through numerical analysis, the influence of various factors on the government strategy and revenue is analyzed.
Findings
The authors find that the regulatory probability of two enterprises are regulated by the government is larger than that of one enterprise. When two bike-sharing enterprises compete without government regulation, both will choose the non-self-discipline strategy, thus falling into the Prisoner's Dilemma. If the government regulates them, then both enterprises will choose the self-discipline strategy. Finally, through numerical analysis, it is found that the self-discipline behavior of bike-sharing enterprises is related to the government regulatory probability, the cost of self-discipline, the probability of being reported and the penalties. Interestingly, the cost of government regulation will not affect the regulation probability of government.
Practical implications
This research provides a theoretical reference for the government to make the regulation strategies of bike sharing and achieve the sustainable development of bike sharing.
Originality/value
This research provides a theoretical reference for the government to make the regulation strategies of bike sharing and achieve the sustainable development of bike sharing.
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