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The purpose of this paper is to explain the “good-to-good” app switching phenomenon that has not been specifically addressed in the prior switching literature. Drawing on the consumer learning theory, this study explores how external social word of mouth (WOM) and internal satisfaction influence app users’ switching intention through social learning route and analogical learning route. This study also examines the moderating effect of app heterogeneity.

An online survey was used to collect data. Two categories of mobile apps with different levels of within-category heterogeneity were targeted in survey questions. A total of 525 valid survey responses were collected.

Social WOM about a competing app increases users’ switching intention through both social norm influence and social information influence, resulting in a direct effect on switching intention and an indirect effect through the perceived attractiveness of a competing app. Users’ satisfaction with an adopted app positively influences the perceived attractiveness of an unadopted competing app, offering evidence for analogical learning in user switching. Meanwhile, users’ satisfaction imposes a direct negative effect on switching intention. A higher level of within-category heterogeneity strengthens (weakens) the positive effect of social WOM (satisfaction) on users’ perceived attractiveness of a competing app.

This study complements the existing switching literature by disentangling the “good-to-good” switching phenomenon in the mobile app market from the consumer learning perspective. This study extends the understanding of cross-category user switching by considering different levels of product heterogeneity.

Duplex stainless steel is composed of equal amounts of austenite and ferrite, which has excellent corrosion resistance and strength. However, after the metal was welded, the ratio of austenite and ferrite in the joint is unbalanced, and secondary phase precipitates are produced, which is also an important cause of pitting corrosion in the joint.

This paper aims to study the mechanical and corrosion behavior of welded joints, by adjusting the welding parameters of laser hybrid welding, dual heat sources are used to weld 2205 duplex stainless steel. The two-phase content of different parts of the welded joint is measured to study the influence of the ratio of the two-phase on the mechanical and corrosion properties of the joint.

The ratio of austenite and ferrite in different welded joints has an obvious difference, and from top to bottom, the austenite content decreased gradually, and the ferrite content increased gradually. The harmful phases are precipitated in the middle and lower part of the joint. The strength of welded joints is slightly lower than that of base metal. At the same time, the fracture analysis shows that some ferrite phases are affected by the precipitate in the grain and produce quasi-cleavage fracture. The corrosion results show that the corrosion resistance of the welded joints is lower than that of the base metal, and the concentration of chloride ions affects the corrosion resistance.

In this paper, the authors use the influence of different welding processes on the two-phase ratio of the joint to further study the influence of the microstructure on the corrosion resistance and mechanical properties of the weld.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the factors that influence migrant workers' household registration transfer willingness at both individual and urban levels and to provide empirical evidence on adjusting the household registration system to accommodate economic development and migrant workers' imbalances.

This paper adopts a hierarchical nonlinear model and examines individual and urban influencing factors of migrant workers' household registration transfer willingness, based on the data from China Migrants Dynamic Survey (CMDS) and the Urban Statistical Yearbooks.

This paper shows that: (1) multi-factors, such as age, education, marital status, household demographics, industry and migrant workers' contract coverage, have significant effects on migrant workers' household registration transfer willingness; (2) The urban public service equalization indicators, such as regional economic, educational resources, medical care and ecological quality, have significant effects on migrant workers' willingness to transfer household registration; (3) The heterogeneity of migrant workers' willingness to transfer household registration is significant in central, eastern and western China.

The authors provide a fresh perspective on population migration research in China and other countries worldwide based on the pull–push migration theory, which incorporates both individual and macro (urban) factors, enabling a comprehensive examination of the factors influencing household registration transfer willingness. This hierarchical ideology and approach (hierarchical nonlinear model) could be extended to investigate the influencing factors of various other human intentions and behaviors.

Micro approaches (individual perspective) have dominated existing studies examining the factors influencing migrant workers' household registration transfer willingness. The authors combine individual and urban perspectives and adopt a more comprehensive hierarchical nonlinear model to extend the empirical evidence and provide theoretical explanations for the above issues.

As a crucial element of city planning, an adequately planned logistics center for agricultural products can improve the circulation efficiency of agricultural products, thereby contributing to a convenient lifestyle of urban residents. First, this study analyzed the functional zones of urban green logistics centers for agricultural products based on low-carbon idea. A method was also proposed to calculate the area of each functional zone. Moreover, this study proposed a layout planning innovation method of urban green logistics centers for agricultural products based on logistics motion line analysis and logistics intensity calculation. Lastly, this study analyzed the application processes of the layout planning methodology according to the topographical conditions of Huai’an logistics center project case in China. Results of the case study show that the construction innovation method proposed in this study is scientific, reasonable, and practical. The construction innovation method can be also used for the planning and designing of similar urban logistics centers.

Aluminum alloy is susceptible to chloride ion attack in sea water, resulting in pitting damage and hence serious security risks for the related applications. To improve the corrosion resistance of Al alloy, micro-arc oxidation (MAO) technology has been developed to produce a protective dense oxide layer on top of Al alloy. However, the mechanism of MAO-induced corrosion resistance is still not fully understood, particularly on local corrosion issue. This paper aims to focus on comprehensively studying the corrosion-resistance mechanism by a series of technologies.

The corrosion behavior of samples was studied by open circuit potential (OCP), potentiodynamic polarization (PDP), electrode impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and localized electrode impedance spectroscopy (LEIS) tests in NaCl solution.

The MAO-coated Al alloy shows a more positive corrosion potential and a higher corrosion current density compared to the untreated counterpart, indicating a significantly enhanced corrosion-resistance. The study of surface morphology and structure also suggest significantly enhanced corrosion-resistance due to the MAO treatment.

Based on the results, a new corrosion model was proposed to describe the influence of MAO treatment on the corrosion process and corrosion mechanism of Al alloy, providing insights on the design of the corrosion-resistance coating for metallic alloys in marine applications.

The purpose of this paper is to improve the corrosion resistance of the 6061-Al alloy as the battery pack material for electric vehicles, and the nano-SiC/MAO composite coating was prepared.

The corrosion resistance of coatings was evaluated by the global electrochemical test, and the local electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (LEIS) was used to study the local corrosion mechanism. The laser confocal microscope, scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffractometer (XRD) were used to characterise coatings.

Results showed that the impedance of nano-SiC/MAO coating was 1–2 times higher than MAO coating, and the main corrosion product was Al(OH)₃. LEIS results showed that the impedance of the nano-SiC/MAO coating was two times higher than the MAO coating. The defective SiC/Micro-arc oxidation coating still had high corrosion resistance compared to the MAO coating.

The physical model of the local corrosion mechanism for SiC/MAO composite coating in “cavity-fracture collapse” mode was proposed.

The importance of the agri-food supply chain in both food production and distribution has made the issue of its development a critical concern. Based on configuration theory and congruence theory, this research investigates the complex impact of supply chain concentration on financial growth in agri-food supply chains.

The cluster analysis and response surface methodology are employed to analyse the data collected from 207 Chinese agri-food companies from 2010 to 2022.

The results indicate that different combination patterns of supply chain concentration can lead to different levels of financial growth. We discover that congruent supplier and customer concentration is beneficial for companies’ financial growth. This impact is more pronounced when the company is in the agricultural production stage of agri-food supply chains. Post-hoc analysis indicates that there exists an inverted U-shaped relationship between the overall levels of supply chain concentration and financial growth.

Our research uncovers the complex interplay between supply chain base and financial outcomes, thereby revealing significant ramifications for agri-food supply chain managers to optimise their strategies for exceptional financial growth.

This study proposes a combined approach of cluster analysis and response surface analysis for analysing configuration issues in supply chain management.

Although an important facet of modernist architecture in which function plays a prominent role, building flexibility is not entirely a new concept. Its relevance transcends generations, allowing space and structure to evolve through time. This paper investigates the relationship among main building structures, infill elements, and space by studying examples in ancient Chinese architecture. It reveals the role of building owners, users, and craftsmen from a survey of historical documentation. In studying these examples, it is concluded that craftsmen in ancient China were involved not only during the construction phase but throughout the period of use as well. Thus, in select cases, the relationship between craftsmen and owners or users had been preserved for generations. Finally, this paper suggests potential strategies for the building industry and technology in the move towards sustainable development.

This study aims to examine the impact of the supplier's coercive and cognitive pressures on a manufacturer's green purchasing decision-making process and the resultant implications in terms of operational and environmental performances.

Path analysis is performed to test the hypothesized linkages.

This study finds that the supplier's coercive pressure, environmental focus and socio-cultural responsibility will lead a firm to more successful implementations of green purchasing, which, in turn, results in improved operational and environmental performances. The study findings reveal that the commercial values of green purchasing in addition to social and political obligations will promote the adoption of green purchasing in supply chain management practice.

This study helps business managers understand the impacts of the supplier's coercive and cognitive pressures on green purchasing and the manufacturer's resultant performances. In particular, coercive pressure is operationalized by the supplier's coercive pressure and environmental regulatory pressure, while cognitive pressure is reflected in the supplier's environmental focus and socio-cultural responsibility. This study contributes to the extant theories and enriches the literature on green purchasing.

This paper aims to study whether the adoption of an entry mode that fits the social trust level contributes to the improvement of foreign subsidiary performance.

The authors used the Probit model, linear regression, strategic fit approach and instrumental variable regression. The sample was made up of 11,095 observations of Chinese multinational enterprises' foreign subsidiaries in 54 countries from 2005 to 2020.

The results suggest that a host country with a high level of social trust results in fewer difficulties for enterprises in gaining legitimacy, thus foreign subsidiaries are more likely to select the wholly owned entry mode. The results also show that the effect is contingent on the formal institutions of host countries. The results of the mechanism test suggest that social trust influences subsidiaries' entry mode choice by reducing information asymmetry, costs and uncertainty risks. This study further finds that selecting a fit entry mode based on social trust level substantially increases foreign subsidiary performance and this effect is more significant when multinational enterprises (MNEs) are state-owned enterprises (SOEs).

The main limitation of this paper is its only focus on foreign subsidiaries of Chinese MNEs, which may limit the generalizability of research findings.

This paper responds to the call for conducting more research on informal institutions. Findings highlight the critical role of informal institutions in helping foreign subsidiaries in gaining legitimacy in host countries and the essentialness of selecting a fit entry mode based on the informal institutions of host countries for the development of foreign subsidiaries.