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1 – 10 of 155
Article
Publication date: 29 August 2008

Ke Geng and Gillian Dobbie

Engines have been built that execute queries against XML data. The aim of this paper is to describe a novel technique that can be used to improve the speed of execution of the…

Abstract

Purpose

Engines have been built that execute queries against XML data. The aim of this paper is to describe a novel technique that can be used to improve the speed of execution of the queries based on semantics of the data in the XML document.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper formally introduces algorithms for optimizing XML queries, implement the algorithms, and through experimentation demonstrate the improvement in speed.

Findings

Three possible semantic query optimizations based on the values of elements were introduced and these demonstrate that two of the three optimizations improve query performance but the third does not. It is hypothesized why this is the case.

Research limitations/implications

A limitation is obviously the query engine and how it works. Future work includes, executing the experiments on a different engine and comparing results, building a system to automatically generate the characteristics that are necessary to do the optimization, describing the best way to represent and maintain the characteristics once they are found, compare the results of optimizations based on content with optimizations based on structure.

Practical implications

The optimizations could be incorporated into new query engines.

Originality/value

Novel algorithms for query optimization have been developed and proven to work. They are of value to people who are building database systems for XML data.

Details

International Journal of Web Information Systems, vol. 4 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1744-0084

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 September 2007

Ke Geng and Gillian Dobbie

XML semantic query optimization (XSQO) is an important area in eXtensible Markup Language (XML) query processing. However, the experiments evaluating semantic optimization methods…

Abstract

Purpose

XML semantic query optimization (XSQO) is an important area in eXtensible Markup Language (XML) query processing. However, the experiments evaluating semantic optimization methods often suffer because of the lack of suitable data sets. To evaluate XSQO methods it is necessary to be able to build datasets with specific characteristics. In particular, it is necessary to be able to set: selectivity of embedded elements, selectivity of values of elements, depth, fan‐out and size. The aim of this paper is to describe the requirements of such a generator, and the challenges of building the generator.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper considers that there is currently no generator that gives this flexibility, so the paper discusses the design and building of such a generator.

Findings

The main characteristic of the generator is that it is possible to adapt existing XML documents, including XML benchmarks, for experiments that evaluate XSQO methods. With the generator, users are able to modify not only the structure of XML documents but also content quickly and directly.

Originality/value

The paper provides information of value to information technology professionals.

Details

International Journal of Web Information Systems, vol. 3 no. 1/2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1744-0084

Keywords

Content available
Article
Publication date: 28 September 2007

Ismail Khalil Ibrahim

434

Abstract

Details

International Journal of Web Information Systems, vol. 3 no. 1/2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1744-0084

Article
Publication date: 30 July 2018

Lei Li, Daqing He, Chengzhi Zhang, Li Geng and Ke Zhang

Academic social (question and answer) Q&A sites are now utilised by millions of scholars and researchers for seeking and sharing discipline-specific information. However, little…

1768

Abstract

Purpose

Academic social (question and answer) Q&A sites are now utilised by millions of scholars and researchers for seeking and sharing discipline-specific information. However, little is known about the factors that can affect their votes on the quality of an answer, nor how the discipline might influence these factors. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

Using 1,021 answers collected over three disciplines (library and information services, history of art, and astrophysics) in ResearchGate, statistical analysis is performed to identify the characteristics of high-quality academic answers, and comparisons were made across the three disciplines. In particular, two major categories of characteristics of the answer provider and answer content were extracted and examined.

Findings

The results reveal that high-quality answers on academic social Q&A sites tend to possess two characteristics: first, they are provided by scholars with higher academic reputations (e.g. more followers, etc.); and second, they provide objective information (e.g. longer answer with fewer subjective opinions). However, the impact of these factors varies across disciplines, e.g., objectivity is more favourable in physics than in other disciplines.

Originality/value

The study is envisioned to help academic Q&A sites to select and recommend high-quality answers across different disciplines, especially in a cold-start scenario where the answer has not received enough judgements from peers.

Details

Aslib Journal of Information Management, vol. 70 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-3806

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 January 2020

Zhixia Zang, Ke Tan, Xue Yang, Chengjue Wang and Geng Li

This study aims to investigate the factors and mechanism which influence the doctor’s social and economic benefits from the perspective of social capital.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the factors and mechanism which influence the doctor’s social and economic benefits from the perspective of social capital.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper mainly investigates the factors and mechanism influencing the doctor's social and economic benefits from the perspective of social capital and then constructs a doctor's social capital model and discusses the effects of doctor's social capital on their economic and social benefits; what is more, this paper also considers the moderating effect of patients’ group behavior.

Findings

The results show that the doctor's social capital has a positive and significant effect on doctor's economic benefits, while it has a negative and significant effect on doctors' social benefits. Patients’ group behavior plays an important moderating role; in particular, the number of online patients of doctors can effectively strengthen follow-up patients’ positive perception of the doctor capital, while the number of offline patients has a negative effect on doctors’ economic benefits, but it can reduce its negative impact on doctors’ social benefits by establishing trust between patient and physician.

Originality/value

This paper enriches the relevant research of social capital theory in the medical field and broadens the research about online health care. For platforms, they should give more attention to doctors and their income issues, which is of great significance for their healthy and sustainable development.

Details

Nankai Business Review International, vol. 11 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-8749

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 December 2020

Wike Agustin Prima Dania, Ke Xing and Yousef Amer

This paper aims to evaluate the collaboration quality performance of sugar company Z and its stakeholders (farmers and distributors) by considering the sustainability aspects…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to evaluate the collaboration quality performance of sugar company Z and its stakeholders (farmers and distributors) by considering the sustainability aspects. This assessment shall be able to integrate qualitative and quantitative factors in the model, which is critical in sugar supply chains involving multi-stakeholders.

Design/methodology/approach

Integration of quality function deployment (QFD), the fuzzy analytical network process (FANP) and the data envelopment analysis (DEA) is administered to assess the efficiency score of each stakeholder involved. The evaluation encompasses collaboration behaviour factors since the input of collaboration activities will result in sustainability aspects such as revenue, green house gas (GHG) emissions and social impact. The analysis has been conducted in two scenarios, those are the basic scenario by utilising original data and the extended scenario by using projection data.

Findings

The result clarifies that the most influential behaviour factor in the collaboration activities is commitment (0.116), while the least important behaviour factors are power (0.008) and adaptation (0.008). Furthermore, by using the extended scenario, the overall efficiency for each benchmarking is higher compared to the condition before the improvement (basic scenario).

Research limitations/implications

The result of this study is only relevant to the particular sugar supply chain and involving limited sustainability variables. Therefore, in a further study, more variables such as technical and financial aspects could be explored further in the assessment process.

Practical implications

The result of this study is available for each stakeholder and can be fundamental for the constant improvement in sustainable supply chain (SSC) practices. It shows that an improvement of one stakeholder will positively impact the entire system.

Social implications

Smallholders and sugarcane farmers will recognise the significance of collaboration behaviour. Thus, they can enhance their mutual benefits by using the existing resources.

Originality/value

This paper arranges for a practical contribution by implementing advanced assessment methods in the sugar supply chain by taking into account the economic, environmental and social aspects. This comprehensive assessment process in the sugar supply chain is the novelty of this paper.

Details

International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, vol. 71 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-0401

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 August 2014

Shaobing Tang, Jiafang Lu and Philip Hallinger

Like other nations in Asia, mainland China has undergone continuous reforms in its economic, political and social institutions over the past two decades. These changes are also…

1285

Abstract

Purpose

Like other nations in Asia, mainland China has undergone continuous reforms in its economic, political and social institutions over the past two decades. These changes are also reflected in its education system, which has been both the target of government reforms and an agent for social change. In this context, China's Ministry of Education has cast school principals as key actors in leading and managing change in schools at the local level throughout the country. The purpose of this paper is to explore how Chinese school leaders successfully respond to the implementation of educational reform.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper the authors explore how school leaders in one city in South China perceive their roles and actions in fostering successful change. The study employed extensive literature review with qualitative interviews of five school principals who had demonstrated success at leading change in their schools.

Findings

The findings of both the literature review and interview study unexpectedly found more similarities than differences between how leaders contribute to successful change in China as compared with the Western literature.

Research limitations/implications

The research findings are limited by two main features. First, the sources analyzed in the literature review were of highly varying quality. Moreover, relatively few employed replicable analytical methods capable of generalization. These limitations of the literature mean that the results of the review can only be interpreted as suggestive rather than conclusive. Second, the interview study was framed as an effort to further explore the trends of the literature review. Although the findings from the small-scale interview study were consistent with the broader Chinese literature, the research design suffers form the same limitations as the general literature. Therefore, these findings must also be treated as emergent rather than explanatory.

Practical implications

The paper identifies directions for future research and discusses implications for school leaders in implementing educational change in China.

Originality/value

The originality of this study lies in its attempt to synthesize a previously inaccessible literature on change leadership in Chinese schools. Despite China's rising role as a global leader, the literature in educational leadership and management remains sparse and largely unknown to Western scholars. Therefore, the study's limitations are balanced by the need to provide better descriptions of current practices employed by leaders as they attempt to improve China's schools.

Details

International Journal of Educational Management, vol. 28 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-354X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 February 2019

Wike Agustin Prima Dania, Ke Xing and Yousef Amer

The purpose of this paper is to propose an instrument to evaluate the collaboration quality of sustainable supply chains by considering collaboration behaviour and sustainability…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose an instrument to evaluate the collaboration quality of sustainable supply chains by considering collaboration behaviour and sustainability factors.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed model integrates Quality Function Deployment (QFD), Fuzzy Analytical Network Process (FANP) and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to assess the efficiency score of each stakeholder involved. A case of a sugar company in Indonesia was analysed as the illustration of the application of the model.

Findings

The integrated QFD-FANP-DEA method enables to incorporate collaboration behaviour and sustainability factors in a single assessment model. The results of the case study showed the benchmarking results associated with the performance variance of stakeholders and the number of samples.

Research limitations/implications

Future research could consider other DEA approaches, extend the research by simulating a different number of scenarios and evaluating the improvement/deterioration, and expand the scope of collaboration.

Practical implications

Each stakeholder will be able to obtain the collaboration assessment results, and the improvements suggested by the model.

Social implications

Smallholders and farmers will be able to increase their benefits by using the existing resources.

Originality/value

This paper provides a methodological contribution by introducing new collaboration quality assessment methods that can accommodate any variance in multi-stakeholders, involve qualitative and quantitative measurements, and benefit all stakeholders.

Details

Benchmarking: An International Journal, vol. 26 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-5771

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 5 October 2018

Nima Gerami Seresht, Rodolfo Lourenzutti, Ahmad Salah and Aminah Robinson Fayek

Due to the increasing size and complexity of construction projects, construction engineering and management involves the coordination of many complex and dynamic processes and…

Abstract

Due to the increasing size and complexity of construction projects, construction engineering and management involves the coordination of many complex and dynamic processes and relies on the analysis of uncertain, imprecise and incomplete information, including subjective and linguistically expressed information. Various modelling and computing techniques have been used by construction researchers and applied to practical construction problems in order to overcome these challenges, including fuzzy hybrid techniques. Fuzzy hybrid techniques combine the human-like reasoning capabilities of fuzzy logic with the capabilities of other techniques, such as optimization, machine learning, multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) and simulation, to capitalise on their strengths and overcome their limitations. Based on a review of construction literature, this chapter identifies the most common types of fuzzy hybrid techniques applied to construction problems and reviews selected papers in each category of fuzzy hybrid technique to illustrate their capabilities for addressing construction challenges. Finally, this chapter discusses areas for future development of fuzzy hybrid techniques that will increase their capabilities for solving construction-related problems. The contributions of this chapter are threefold: (1) the limitations of some standard techniques for solving construction problems are discussed, as are the ways that fuzzy methods have been hybridized with these techniques in order to address their limitations; (2) a review of existing applications of fuzzy hybrid techniques in construction is provided in order to illustrate the capabilities of these techniques for solving a variety of construction problems and (3) potential improvements in each category of fuzzy hybrid technique in construction are provided, as areas for future research.

Details

Fuzzy Hybrid Computing in Construction Engineering and Management
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78743-868-2

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 23 May 2024

Hui Ma, Shenglan Chen, Xiaoling Liu and Pengcheng Wang

To enrich the research on the economic consequences of enterprise digital development from the perspective of capacity utilization.

Abstract

Purpose

To enrich the research on the economic consequences of enterprise digital development from the perspective of capacity utilization.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a sample of listed firms from 2010 to 2020, this paper exploits text analysis of annual reports to construct a proxy for enterprise digital development.

Findings

Results show that enterprise digital development not only improves their own capacity utilization but also generates a positive spillover effect on the capacity utilization of peer firms and firms in the supply chain. Next, based on the incomplete information about market demand and potential competitors when making capacity-building decisions, the mechanism tests show that improving the accuracy of market forecasts and reducing investment surges are potential channels behind the baseline results. Cross-sectional tests show the baseline result is more pronounced when industries are highly homogeneous and when firms have access to less information.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the research related to the economic consequences of digital development. With the development of the digital economy, the real effects of enterprise digital development have also triggered extensive interest and exploration. Existing studies mainly examine the impact on physical operations, such as specialization division of labor, innovation activities, business performance or total factor productivity (Huang, Yu, & Zhang, 2019; Yuan, Xiao, Geng, & Sheng, 2021; Wang, Kuang, & Shao, 2017; Li, Liu, & Shao, 2021; Zhao, Wang, & Li, 2021). These studies measure the economic benefits from the perspective of the supply (output) side but neglect the importance of the supply system to adapt to the actual market demand. In contrast, this paper focuses on capacity utilization, aimed at estimating the net economic effect of digital development by considering the supply-demand fit scenario. Thus, our findings enrich the relevant studies on the potential consequences of digital development.

Details

China Accounting and Finance Review, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1029-807X

Keywords

1 – 10 of 155