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1 – 10 of 995Mian Yan, Alex Pak Ki Kwok, Alan Hoi Shou Chan, Yu Sheng Zhuang, Kang Wen and Kai Chao Zhang
E-commerce live streaming is a new influencer advertising method that allows influencers to interact directly with consumers on e-commerce platforms. Although evidence suggests…
Abstract
Purpose
E-commerce live streaming is a new influencer advertising method that allows influencers to interact directly with consumers on e-commerce platforms. Although evidence suggests that influencer live-streaming advertisements (ads) on social media can increase consumers’ buying impulses, little research examined how this similar but new advertising method on e-commerce platforms may influence consumers’ urge to buy impulsively. This study explores the role of influencer credibility, celebrity effect, perceived entertainment, trust and perceived usefulness on consumers’ attitudes toward influencer ads and their urge to buy impulsively.
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire containing seven constructs was developed and distributed to participants using a convenient sample and snowball sampling approach. The constructs were measured based on validated measurement items from the literature and adjusted according to this study’s focus. A total of 236 valid responses were obtained from the survey and used for data analysis. A partial least squares structural equation modeling approach was employed for parameter estimation and model testing.
Findings
The empirical results show that all constructs influenced consumers’ urge to buy impulsively via attitude toward influencer ads. The proposed research model explains 61.7% of the variance in attitude toward influencer ads and 19.4% of the urge to buy impulsively.
Originality/value
This is an early study investigating the relationship between influencer advertising and impulse buying. The results provide valuable insights into improving the design of influencer ads and marketing strategies.
Highlights
I-eIB model tests the mechanism of influencer ads on consumers’ buying impulse.
Consumers’ attitude towards influencer ads affects their urge to buy impulsively.
Influencer credibility affects consumer attitude via celebrity effect as a mediator.
Trust affects consumer attitude via perceived usefulness as a mediator.
Entertaining ads help develop favorable consumer attitude.
I-eIB model tests the mechanism of influencer ads on consumers’ buying impulse.
Consumers’ attitude towards influencer ads affects their urge to buy impulsively.
Influencer credibility affects consumer attitude via celebrity effect as a mediator.
Trust affects consumer attitude via perceived usefulness as a mediator.
Entertaining ads help develop favorable consumer attitude.
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Yue Ai, Bo Pan, Yili Fu and Shuguo Wang
Robot-assisted system for minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has been attracting more and more attentions. Compared with a traditional MIS, the robot-assisted system for MIS is able…
Abstract
Purpose
Robot-assisted system for minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has been attracting more and more attentions. Compared with a traditional MIS, the robot-assisted system for MIS is able to overcome or reduce defects, such as poor hand-eye coordination, heavy labour intensity and limited motion of the instrument. The purpose of this paper is to design a novel robotic system for MIS applications.
Design/methodology/approach
A robotic system with three separate slave arms for MIS has been designed. In the proposed robot, a new mechanism was designed as the remote centre motion (RCM) mechanism to restrain the movement of instrument or laparoscope around the incision. Moreover, an improved instrument without coupling motion between wrist and grippers was developed to enhance its manipulability. A control system architecture was also developed, and an intuitive control method was applied to realize hand-eye coordination of the operator.
Findings
For the RCM mechanism, the workspace was analyzed and the positioning accuracy of the remote centre point was tested. The results show that the RCM mechanism can be applied to MIS. Furthermore, the master-slave trajectory tracking experiments reveal that slave robots are able to follow the movement of the master manipulators well. Finally, the feasibility of the robot-assisted system for MIS is proved by performing animal experiments successfully.
Originality/value
This paper offers a novel robotic system for MIS. It can accomplish the anticipated results.
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The purpose of this paper is to devise a simple but practical model to assist decision makers in evaluating the tariff stability of concession schemes.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to devise a simple but practical model to assist decision makers in evaluating the tariff stability of concession schemes.
Design/methodology/approach
To develop such a model necessitates the identification of parameters that could contribute to an increase or decline in investment return. With that a Monte‐Carlo‐based simulation model is devised to determine the probability that the tariff regime remains unchanged even when the identified risks do occur at the operational stage. Sensitivity analysis is performed to identify the most influential factors to investment return and tariff stability.
Findings
The results of the scenario indicate that the internal rate of return could be profoundly influenced by the risk factors which reaffirm the needs for a more comprehensive model for tariff stability evaluation.
Research limitations/implications
Through the simulation model, a tariff stability indicator is derived and when integrated with the results of sensitivity analysis this could generate a weighted indicator for alternative tariff regimes for use in decision support systems.
Practical implications
With the aid of simulation techniques, decision makers can predict the impact of a range of possible market conditions and/or levels of demand on the investment return and hence the stability of the tariff regime.
Originality/value
The model could be extended to other types of public‐private partnerships schemes upon suitable adjustment
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Hamed Golizadeh, M. Reza Hosseini, Igor Martek, David Edwards, Masoud Gheisari, Saeed Banihashemi and Jingxiao Zhang
Remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) systems have emerged as an established tool within the construction industry. Concurrent with this trend has been the rise in research on RPA…
Abstract
Purpose
Remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) systems have emerged as an established tool within the construction industry. Concurrent with this trend has been the rise in research on RPA, establishing this as a new field of study within the construction management domain. What is needed now is an assessment of the current state of research in this emerging discipline – its strengths and weaknesses – by which future research on RPA in construction may be guided. The purpose of this paper is to address this need.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 59 peer-reviewed journal articles covering RPAs within the construction domain were systematically reviewed using a mixed-methods approach, utilizing qualitative-scientometric analyses techniques.
Findings
The results reveal a field of study in its fledgling stage, with a limited number of experts operating somewhat in isolation, from a limited number of institutions. Key publication outlets are identified, with the main focus of research being in the technical areas of remote sensing, photogrammetry and image processing.
Practical implications
The study benefits researchers and industry practitioners alike. For researchers, the identified gaps reveal areas of high priority in future research. For construction companies, particularly small to medium-sized businesses, the study raises awareness of the latest developments and potential applicability of RPAs in the industry.
Originality/value
The study exposes what is missing from current research: a broader consideration of organizational adjustments needed to accommodate RPA usage, economic analyses and impediments to wider acceptance.
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Ahmed Ghorbel, Mohamed Fakhfekh, Ahmed Jeribi and Amine Lahiani
The paper analyzes downside and upside risk spillovers between stock markets of G7 countries and China before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Abstract
Purpose
The paper analyzes downside and upside risk spillovers between stock markets of G7 countries and China before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Design/methodology/approach
By using VAR-ADCC models and conditional value at risk (CoVaR) techniques, downside and upside risk spillovers between stock markets of G7 countries and China are analyzed before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Findings
The results suggested existence of a significant and asymmetrical two-way risk transmission between majority of pair markets, but the degree of asymmetry differs according to the use of the entire cumulative distributions or distribution tails. Downside and upside risk spillovers are significantly larger before the COVID-19 pandemic in all cases except between CAC 40/DAX and S&P/SSE pairs.
Originality/value
The paper used CoVaR and delta-CoVaR to investigate the downside and upside spillovers between stock markets of G7 countries and China before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Over the past decade, researchers have used unmanned aerial systems (UASs) in construction industry for various applications from site inspection to safety monitoring or building…
Abstract
Purpose
Over the past decade, researchers have used unmanned aerial systems (UASs) in construction industry for various applications from site inspection to safety monitoring or building maintenance. This paper aims to assort academic studies on construction UAS applications, summarize logics behind using UAS in each application and extend understanding of current state of UAS research in the construction setting.
Design/methodology/approach
This research follows a systematic literature assessment methodology to summarize the results of 54 research papers over the past ten years and outlines the research trends for applying UASs in construction.
Findings
UASs are used in building inspection, damage assessment, site surveying, safety inspection, progress monitoring, building maintenance and other construction applications. Cost saving, time efficiency and improved accessibility are the primary reasons for choosing UAS in construction applications. Rotary-wing UASs are the most common types of UASs being used in construction. Cameras, LiDAR and Kinect are the most common onboard sensors integrated in construction UAS applications. The control styles used are manual, semi-autonomous and autonomous.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to classification of UAS applications in construction research and identification of UAS hardware and sensor types as well as their flying control systems in construction literature.
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Shumei Chen and Jia Xu
This paper aims to theoretically and empirically demonstrate the role played by business continuity management (BCM) to address risks such as trade conflicts and natural…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to theoretically and empirically demonstrate the role played by business continuity management (BCM) to address risks such as trade conflicts and natural disasters. This paper also answers whether compliance with international standards such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 22301 is adequate.
Design/methodology/approach
A case study of Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei is conducted to examine how a robust end-to-end BCM system has been established in two decades and in what way it has helped Huawei to efficiently maintain growth under pressure, such as being added to the “Entity List” and the pandemic.
Findings
Huawei case contributes to BCM theory in its approach to establishing the BCM system and its well-established BCM model. Huawei establishes and continually improves its BCM system by applying the Plan (establish), Do (implement and operate), Check (monitor and review) and Act (maintain and improve) cycle. Characterized as 4Ps: BCM policy, BCM process, incident management plan and business continuity plan, Huawei BCM system is shaped into a loop with end-to-end BCM process, covering all steps along its value chain – from suppliers and partners to Huawei itself and then on to its customers – with key initiatives for all domains such as R&D, procurement, manufacturing, logistics and global technical services. In practice, implementing international standards such as ISO 22301 enables Huawei to develop business continuity but not enough. Optimizing the BCM system is an ongoing effort, and BCM maturity is ever present: continually improving Huawei’s own BCM system and benchmarking against best practices available worldwide.
Research limitations/implications
Apart from the case study, other methods such as counter-factual analysis can be used to further test whether Huawei’s BCM system is cost-effective. Another direction for future study is whether suggested BCM maturity levels should be supplemented into ISO 22301. In the digital age, how to use digitalization to ensure business continuity is a current issue not just for practitioners such as Huawei but also for researchers worldwide.
Practical implications
In practice, implementing international standards such as ISO 22301 enables Huawei to develop business continuity but not enough. Optimizing the BCM system is an ongoing effort, and BCM maturity is ever present: continually improving Huawei’s own BCM system and benchmarking against best practices available worldwide.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first studies to focus on how an organization continually improves the suitability, adequacy and effectiveness of its BCM system, with special attention to standards compliance.
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Xiang Fang, Anthony Chun Yin Yuen, Eric Wai Ming Lee, Jiyuan Tu and Sherman Cheung
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the development process of the fire whirl in the fixed-frame facility and focus on the impacts of the fire whirl’s vortex core on the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the development process of the fire whirl in the fixed-frame facility and focus on the impacts of the fire whirl’s vortex core on the formation and flame structure of the fire whirl.
Design/methodology/approach
The complex turbulent reacting flame surface is captured by the large eddy simulation turbulence closure coupled with two sub-grid scale (SGS) kinetic schemes (i.e. the chemistry equilibrium and steady diffusion flamelet). Numerical predictions are validated thoroughly against the measurements by Lei et al. (2015) with excellent agreements. A double maximum tangential velocity refinement approach is proposed to quantify the vortex cores’ instantaneous location and region, addressing the missing definition in other studies.
Findings
The numerical results show that the transition process of the fire whirl is dominated by the vortex core movement, which is related to the centripetal force. The unsteadiness of the fully developed fire whirl was found depending on the instantaneous fluctuation of heat release rate. The steady diffusion flamelet scheme is essential to capture the instantaneous fluctuation. Furthermore, the axial velocity inside the vortex core is the key to determining the state of fire whirl.
Practical implications
Due to intensive interactions between buoyant fires and ambient rotating flow, the on-set and formation of fire whirl still remain largely elusive. This paper focused on the transition process of fire whirl between different development stages. This paper provides insights into the transition process from the inclined flame to the fire whirls based on the centripetal force.
Originality/value
This paper presented and compared two SGS kinetic schemes to resolve the fire whirl development process and the unsteadiness of its vortical structures. The modelling framework addresses the shortcoming of previous numerical studies where RANS turbulence closure and simplified combustion kinetics was adopted. Numerical results also revealed the fire whirl transition process and its relationship to centripetal force.
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Wafaa Saleh, Ravindra Kumar and Añil Sharma
Driving cycle is an essential requirement to evaluate the exhaust emissions of various types of vehicles on the chassis dynamometer test. This study presents a real world…
Abstract
Driving cycle is an essential requirement to evaluate the exhaust emissions of various types of vehicles on the chassis dynamometer test. This study presents a real world comparison of the driving cycles of Edinburgh motorcycles in two world cities; Edinburgh in Scotland and Delhi in India. The two driving cycles (EMDC & DMDC) driving cycle (EMDC) that were was developed through the analysis of experimental data. This data was collected from trips on a number of routes in each city. In Edinburgh, five different routes between the home addresses in the surrounding areas and place of work at Edinburgh Napier University in Edinburgh were selected. In Delhi data were collected in East Delhi (Geeta Calony) to Central Delhi (Raisena Road). The data collected data was divided into two categories of urban and rural roads in the case of Edinburgh while it was only the urban route in Delhi.. Forty four trips were made on the five designated routes in both urban and rural areas and 12 trips were made in Delhi. The aims of the study were to assess the various parameters (i.e. motorcycle speed, cruise, accelerations and decelerations and percentage time spent in idling) and their statistical validity over total trip lengths for producing a real world EMDC in each of the two cities. The results show that EMDC in Edinburgh, the EMDC has a cycle length of 770 and 656 seconds for urban and rural trips, respectively, which was found more than ECE cycle length. Time spent in acceleration and deceleration modes were found to be significantly higher than any other driving cycle reported to date for motorcycles, reflecting a typical characteristic of the driving cycle in Edinburgh; this was presumably due to diverse driving conditions of motorcycles in the city. In Delhi on the other hand, the DMDC has a cycle length of 847.5 seconds for the urban trips, which higher than that of the EMDC length. The overall percentage time spent in acceleration in Delhi was higher than that of Edinburgh while the time spent in deceleration was lower in Delhi. The overall average speed in the case of Delhi was slightly higher than that of Edinburgh.
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Quoc-Duy Nguyen, Thi-Dung Vu, Thuy-Trang Nguyen, Thi-Kieu-Vi Phan, Hieu-Thao Pham and Phuong-Thao Nguyen
This study aims to investigate the effect of spray drying temperature and maltodextrin addition on the contents of phenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanins and antioxidant activities…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the effect of spray drying temperature and maltodextrin addition on the contents of phenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanins and antioxidant activities (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl [DPPH] radical scavenging activity, ferric reducing antioxidant power and reducing power) of karonda powder.
Design/methodology/approach
Over the past few decades, the demands for application of natural colorants in food production have been attracting the attention of academic research and food industry. Anthocyanins, a red pigment commonly found on plants, show high potentials in the preparation of spray-dried pigment powder. This study, therefore, was conducted using full factorial design with two factors, namely, inlet temperature (150°C and 160°C) and soluble solid concentration (10, 15 and 20°Brix) with maltodextrin as carrier to produce pigment powder from karonda, an anthocyanin-rich fruit which is native to southeast Asia.
Findings
Increasing soluble solid content from 10 to 15°Brix resulted in a 42%–57% reduction in phenolic, flavonoid and anthocyanin contents. However, when increasing the amount of maltodextrin from 15 to 20°Brix, a lower reduction (approximately 11%–19%) was observed. In samples with the same °Brix, there was no significant variation in antioxidant contents and activities, especially at high maltodextrin ratios. In addition, the reducing power of samples dried at higher temperature (160°C) was higher than that of samples dried at lower temperature. Karonda spray-dried powder showed a good positive correlation (p < 0.01) between antioxidant contents and DPPH• activity.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, in this study, for the first time, the effect of spray drying conditions on the quality of karonda powder was investigated.
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