Search results

1 – 10 of over 3000
Article
Publication date: 12 June 2019

Xuhui Li, Yanqiu Wu, Xiaoguang Wang, Tieyun Qian and Liang Hong

The purpose of this paper is to explore a semantics representation framework for narrative images, conforming to the image-interpretation process.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore a semantics representation framework for narrative images, conforming to the image-interpretation process.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper explores the essential features of semantics evolution in the process of narrative images interpretation. It proposes a novel semantics representation framework, ESImage (evolution semantics of image) for narrative images. ESImage adopts a hierarchical architecture to progressively organize the semantic information in images, enabling the evolutionary interpretation under the support of a graph-based semantics data model. Also, the study shows the feasibility of this framework by addressing the issues of typical semantics representation with the scenario of the Dunhuang fresco.

Findings

The process of image interpretation mainly concerns three issues: bottom-up description, the multi-faceted semantics representation and the top-down semantics complementation. ESImage can provide a comprehensive solution for narrative image semantics representation by addressing the major issues based on the semantics evolution mechanisms of the graph-based semantics data model.

Research limitations/implications

ESImage needs to be combined with machine learning to meet the requirements of automatic annotation and semantics interpretation of large-scale image resources.

Originality/value

This paper sorts out the characteristics of the gradual interpretation of narrative images and has discussed the major issues in its semantics representation. Also, it proposes the semantic framework ESImage which deploys a flexible and sound mechanism to represent the semantic information of narrative images.

Details

The Electronic Library , vol. 37 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-0473

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 October 2018

Steven H. Yale, Hong Liang, John R. Schmelzer, Sara Poplau, Lauren Nicole Bell, Hale Z. Toklu, Roger L. Brown, Eric Williams and Mark Linzer

The Healthy Work Place (HWP) study investigated methods to improve clinicians’ dissatisfaction and burnout. The purpose of this paper is to identify factors that influenced study…

Abstract

Purpose

The Healthy Work Place (HWP) study investigated methods to improve clinicians’ dissatisfaction and burnout. The purpose of this paper is to identify factors that influenced study enrollment and completion and assess effects of initial clinic site enrollment rates on clinician outcomes, including satisfaction, burnout, stress and intent to leave practice.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 144 primary care clinicians (general internists, family physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants) at 14 primary care clinics were analyzed.

Findings

In total, 72 clinicians enrolled in the study and completed the first survey (50 percent enrollment rate). Of these, 10 did not complete the second survey (86 percent completion rate). Gender, type, burnout, stress and intervention did not significantly affect survey completion. Hence, widespread agreement about most moral/ethical issues (72 percent vs 22 percent; p=0.0060) and general agreement on treatment methods (81 percent vs 50 percent; p=0.0490) were reported by providers that completed both surveys as opposed to just the initial survey. Providers with high initial clinic site enrollment rates (=50 percent providers) obtained better outcomes, including improvements in or no worsening of satisfaction (odds ratio (OR)=19.16; p=0.0217) and burnout (OR=6.24; p=0.0418).

Social implications

More providers experiencing workplace agreement completed the initial and final surveys, and providers at sites with higher initial enrollment rates obtained better outcomes including a higher rate of improvement or no worsening of job satisfaction and burnout.

Originality/value

There is limited research on clinicians’ workplace and other factors that influence their participation in survey-based studies. The findings help us to understand how these factors may affect quality of data collecting and outcome. Thus, the study provides us insight for improvement of quality in primary care.

Details

International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, vol. 31 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0952-6862

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 February 2020

Liang Hong, Wenjun Hou, Zonghui Wu and Huijie Han

The purpose of this paper is to propose a knowledge extraction framework to extract knowledge, including entities and relationships between them, from unstructured texts in…

1072

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose a knowledge extraction framework to extract knowledge, including entities and relationships between them, from unstructured texts in digital humanities (DH).

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed cooperative crowdsourcing framework (CCF) uses both human–computer cooperation and crowdsourcing to achieve high-quality and scalable knowledge extraction. CCF integrates active learning with a novel category-based crowdsourcing mechanism to facilitate domain experts labeling and verifying extracted knowledge.

Findings

The case study shows that CCF can effectively and efficiently extract knowledge from multi-sourced heterogeneous data in the field of Tang poetry. Specifically, CCF achieves higher accuracy of knowledge extraction than the state-of-the-art methods, the contribution of feedbacks to the training model can be maximized by the active learning mechanism and the proposed category-based crowdsourcing mechanism can scale up the effective human–computer collaboration by considering the specialization of workers in different categories of tasks.

Research limitations/implications

This research proposes CCF to enable high-quality and scalable knowledge extraction in the field of Tang poetry. CCF can be generalized to other fields of DH by introducing domain knowledge and experts.

Practical implications

The extracted knowledge is machine-understandable and can support the research of Tang poetry and knowledge-driven intelligent applications in DH.

Originality/value

CCF is the first human-in-the-loop knowledge extraction framework that integrates active learning and crowdsourcing mechanisms; he human–computer cooperation method uses the feedback of domain experts through the active learning mechanism; the category-based crowdsourcing mechanism considers the matching of categories of DH data and especially of domain experts.

Details

Aslib Journal of Information Management, vol. 72 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-3806

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 October 2018

Hong-liang Sun, Eugene Ch’ng and Simon See

The purpose of this paper is to investigate political influential spreaders in Twitter at the juncture before and after the Malaysian General Election in 2013 (MGE2013) for the…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate political influential spreaders in Twitter at the juncture before and after the Malaysian General Election in 2013 (MGE2013) for the purpose of understanding if the political sphere within Twitter reflects the intentions, popularity and influence of political figures in the year in which Malaysia has its first “social media election.”

Design/methodology/approach

A Big Data approach was used for acquiring a series of longitudinal data sets during the election period. The work differs from existing methods focusing on the general statistics of the number of followers, supporters, sentiment analysis, etc. A retweeting network has been extracted from tweets and retweets and has been mapped to a novel information flow and propagation network we developed. The authors conducted quantitative studies using k-shell decomposition, which enables the construction of a quantitative Twitter political propagation sphere where members posited at the core areas are more influential than those in the outer circles and periphery.

Findings

The authors conducted a comparative study of the influential members of Twitter political propagation sphere on the election day and the day after. The authors found that representatives of political parties which are located at the center of the propagation network are winners of the presidential election. This may indicate that influential power within Twitter is positively related to the final election results, at least in MGE2013. Furthermore, a number of non-politicians located at the center of the propagation network also significantly influenced the election.

Research limitations/implications

This research is based on a large electoral campaign in a specific election period, and within a predefined nation. While the result is significant and meaningful, more case studies are needed for generalized application for identifying potential winning candidates in future social-media fueled political elections.

Practical implications

The authors presented a simple yet effective model for identifying influential spreaders in the Twitter political sphere. The application of the authors’ approach yielded the conclusion that online “coreness” score has significant influence to the final offline electoral results. This presents great opportunities for applying the novel methodology in the upcoming Malaysian General Election in 2018. The discovery presented here can be used for understanding how different players of political parties engage themselves in the election game in Twitter. The approach can also be adopted as a factor of influence for offline electoral activities. The conception of a quantitative approach in electoral results greatly influenced by social media means that comparative studies could be made in future elections.

Originality/value

Existing works related to general elections of various nations have either bypassed or ignored the subtle links between online and offline influential propagations. The modeling of influence from social media using a longitudinal and multilayered approach is also rarely studied. This simple yet effective method provides a new perspective of practice for understanding how different players behave and mutually shape each other over time in the election game.

Details

Industrial Management & Data Systems, vol. 119 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-5577

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 April 2019

Mehmet Ali Koseoglu

This study aims to address how the social structure of the hospitality management field has evolved from 1960 to 2016.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to address how the social structure of the hospitality management field has evolved from 1960 to 2016.

Design/methodology/approach

The informal social structure of the hospitality management literature was analyzed by collecting authorship data from seven hospitality management journals. Co-authorship analyses via network analysis were conducted.

Findings

According to the findings, throughout the history of hospitality management, international collaboration levels are relatively low. Based on social network analysis, the research community is only loosely connected, and the network of the community does not fit with the small-world network theory. Additional findings indicate that researchers in the hospitality management literature are ranked via degree centrality, closeness centrality and betweenness centrality. Cliques, which contain at least five researchers, and core researchers are identified.

Practical implications

This study helps both scholars and practitioners improve the informal structure of the field. Scholars must generate strong ties to strengthen cross-fertilization in the field; hence, they collaborate with authors who have strong positions in the field. Specifically, this provides a useful performance analysis. To the extent that institutions and individuals are rewarded for publications, this study demonstrates the performance and connectivity of several key researchers in the field. This finding could be interesting to (post)graduate students. Hospitality managers looking for advisors and consultants could benefit from the findings. Additionally, these are beneficial for journal editors, junior researchers and agencies/institutions.

Originality/value

As one of the first study in the field, this research examines the informal social structure of hospitality management literature in seven journals.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 32 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 November 2003

Fengru Li and Nader H. Shooshtari

Applying brand names to international markets remains a challenge to multinational corporations. Consumers’ sociolinguistic backgrounds shape their responses to brand names. This…

Abstract

Applying brand names to international markets remains a challenge to multinational corporations. Consumers’ sociolinguistic backgrounds shape their responses to brand names. This paper uses a sociolinguistic approach as a conceptual framework in understanding brand naming and translating in the Chinese market. The approach promotes that sociolinguistics a) recognizes linguistic competence, b) advances symbolic values imbedded in linguistic forms, and c) renders attached social valence to cultural scrutiny. Three brand‐naming cases in China are presented for discussion, which may benefit multinational corporations on brand decisions involving Chinese consumers.

Details

Multinational Business Review, vol. 11 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1525-383X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 March 2015

Xiabing Zheng, Christy M. K. Cheung, Matthew K.O. Lee and Liang Liang

The purpose of this paper is to explore the concept of user engagement in the context of online brand communities. A research model is proposed to explain how brand loyalty is…

22762

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the concept of user engagement in the context of online brand communities. A research model is proposed to explain how brand loyalty is developed through user engagement.

Design/methodology/approach

The research model was empirically tested with an online survey study of 185 current Facebook users.

Findings

Results revealed that user engagement influenced brand loyalty both directly and indirectly through online community commitment. Users tend to focus on the benefits (rather than the costs) derived from the usage when they engage in an online brand community.

Research limitations/implications

The selection of respondents is bound to the Hong Kong area, while Facebook members are globally distributed. In addition, this study involved a cross-sectional design instead of investigating the development of brand loyalty from a long-term perspective.

Practical implications

The results inform e-marketers the importance of user engagement behaviors for building brand loyalty through online communities. Strategies that encourage members to engage in online brand communities on social networking sites such as Facebook are also provided.

Originality/value

The concept of user engagement in online brand communities is still poorly understood, underscoring the need for theoretically based research of user engagement. This paper enriches the knowledge in the area of brand engagement by presenting a research model that introduces the concept of user engagement in social media research and empirically examines its role in building brand loyalty in online brand communities.

Details

Information Technology & People, vol. 28 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-3845

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 September 2013

Yelin Fu, K.K. Lai and Liang Liang

The purpose of this paper is twofold: to investigate performance of both manufacturer-owned channel and traditional retail channel when the manufacturer encroaches upon the…

1769

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is twofold: to investigate performance of both manufacturer-owned channel and traditional retail channel when the manufacturer encroaches upon the traditional channel in different forms (brick-and-mortar and online form) under different market structures (Stackelberg and Bertrand). To examine the effect of acceptance of the online channel and travel cost on profits of two channels.

Design/methodology/approach

The Hotelling model is employed to depict consumers ' channel choice behavior, where the consumer surplus captures travel cost, spatial distance and consumer heterogeneity in acceptance of the online channel. A game-theoretical framework is developed to determine the optimal encroachment form and market structure for both manufacturer-owned and traditional retail channels.

Findings

This paper finds that, in either form of encroachment, Stackelberg market structure always outperforms Bertrand market structure, and channel choice significantly relies on parameters, i.e. consumer acceptance of the online channel and travel cost. Moreover, a Pareto zone is proposed in which both channels consider the strategy that the manufacturer opens bricks-and-mortar channel under Stackelberg market structure as the optimal strategy.

Originality/value

The present work fills a theoretical and practical gap for a structured analysis of the channel performance when the manufacturer encroaches upon the incumbent retail channel in different forms and under different market structure.

Details

Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, vol. 25 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-5855

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 August 2015

Huifang Li, Yulin Fang, Youwei Wang, Kai H. Lim and Liang Liang

In the competitive e-marketplace today, sellers are using an increasing number of signals to entice customers to make online purchases. However, how differential these signals are…

2426

Abstract

Purpose

In the competitive e-marketplace today, sellers are using an increasing number of signals to entice customers to make online purchases. However, how differential these signals are in terms of their capacity to improve sales performance has not yet been investigated. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on signaling theory and grounded in the context of China’s largest e-marketplace, Taobao, this study investigated the different effects of five commonly used signals on the sales performance of e-marketplace sellers.

Findings

The authors find that warranty has the highest effect on sales performance, followed by overall rating, mean detailed seller rating, percent of positives, and web site quality.

Originality/value

First, this study builds on signaling theory and contributes to the e-marketplace literature by providing new insights into how specific signals differentially affect sales performance in the e-marketplace (with evidence from a large-scale empirical analysis). Second, the study extends the applicability of signaling theory to the e-marketplace domain by incorporating distinctive features of the e-marketplace into the original signaling theory. Finally, the findings lend practical support to e-marketplace sellers’ investment decisions on signals and provide guidelines for deployment of such signals.

Details

Information Technology & People, vol. 28 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-3845

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 April 2013

Samuel Kai Wah Chu, Felix Siu, Michael Liang, Catherine M. Capio and Wendy W.Y. Wu

This study aims to examine users’ experiences and perceptions associated with the use of two wiki variants in the context of collaborative learning and knowledge management in…

1346

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine users’ experiences and perceptions associated with the use of two wiki variants in the context of collaborative learning and knowledge management in higher education.

Design/methodology/approach

Participants included two groups of postgraduate students from a university in Hong Kong who used MediaWiki (n=21) and TWiki (n=16) in completing course requirements. Using a multiple case study approach and a mixed methods research design, data logs on the wiki platforms were downloaded and the contents were analysed. Students’ perceptions were examined through a survey.

Findings

The findings indicate that both wikis were regarded as suitable tools for group projects, and that they improved group collaboration and work quality. Both wikis were also viewed as enabling tools for knowledge construction and sharing.

Research limitations/implications

This study provides insights that may inform the decisions of educators who are considering the use of wikis in their courses as a platform to enhance collaborative learning and knowledge management.

Originality/value

Previous research has shown that wikis can be effectively used in education. However there are a number of wiki variants and it may be difficult to identify which variant would be the best choice. There is a dearth of research comparing the effectiveness of different types of wikis. This study compares two wiki variants on a number of outcomes which may provide some insights to teachers who are in the process of selecting an appropriate wiki for teaching and learning.

Details

Online Information Review, vol. 37 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1468-4527

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 3000