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Abstract

Details

Energy Economics
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78756-780-1

Book part
Publication date: 10 December 2015

Dekar Urumsah

The concept and practice of e-services has become essential in business transactions. Yet there are still many organizations that have not developed e-services optimally. This is…

Abstract

The concept and practice of e-services has become essential in business transactions. Yet there are still many organizations that have not developed e-services optimally. This is especially relevant in the context of Indonesian Airline companies. Therefore, many airline customers in Indonesia are still in doubt about it, or even do not use it. To fill this gap, this study attempts to develop a model for e-services adoption and empirically examines the factors influencing the airlines customers in Indonesia in using e-services offered by the Indonesian airline companies. Taking six Indonesian airline companies as a case example, the study investigated the antecedents of e-services usage of Indonesian airlines. This study further examined the impacts of motivation on customers in using e-services in the Indonesian context. Another important aim of this study was to investigate how ages, experiences and geographical areas moderate effects of e-services usage.

The study adopts a positivist research paradigm with a two-phase sequential mixed method design involving qualitative and quantitative approaches. An initial research model was first developed based on an extensive literature review, by combining acceptance and use of information technology theories, expectancy theory and the inter-organizational system motivation models. A qualitative field study via semi-structured interviews was then conducted to explore the present state among 15 respondents. The results of the interviews were analysed using content analysis yielding the final model of e-services usage. Eighteen antecedent factors hypotheses and three moderating factors hypotheses and 52-item questionnaire were developed. A focus group discussion of five respondents and a pilot study of 59 respondents resulted in final version of the questionnaire.

In the second phase, the main survey was conducted nationally to collect the research data among Indonesian airline customers who had already used Indonesian airline e-services. A total of 819 valid questionnaires were obtained. The data was then analysed using a partial least square (PLS) based structural equation modelling (SEM) technique to produce the contributions of links in the e-services model (22% of all the variances in e-services usage, 37.8% in intention to use, 46.6% in motivation, 39.2% in outcome expectancy, and 37.7% in effort expectancy). Meanwhile, path coefficients and t-values demonstrated various different influences of antecedent factors towards e-services usage. Additionally, a multi-group analysis based on PLS is employed with mixed results. In the final findings, 14 hypotheses were supported and 7 hypotheses were not supported.

The major findings of this study have confirmed that motivation has the strongest contribution in e-services usage. In addition, motivation affects e-services usage both directly and indirectly through intention-to-use. This study provides contributions to the existing knowledge of e-services models, and practical applications of IT usage. Most importantly, an understanding of antecedents of e-services adoption will provide guidelines for stakeholders in developing better e-services and strategies in order to promote and encourage more customers to use e-services. Finally, the accomplishment of this study can be expanded through possible adaptations in other industries and other geographical contexts.

Details

E-services Adoption: Processes by Firms in Developing Nations
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78560-709-7

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 3 December 2020

Yaxing Ren, Saqib Jamshed Rind and Lin Jiang

A standalone microgrid (MG) is able to use local renewable resources and reduce the loss in long distance transmission. But the single-phase device in a standalone MG can cause…

1957

Abstract

Purpose

A standalone microgrid (MG) is able to use local renewable resources and reduce the loss in long distance transmission. But the single-phase device in a standalone MG can cause the voltage unbalance condition and additional power loss that reduces the cycle life of battery. This paper proposes an energy management strategy for the battery/supercapacitor (SC) hybrid energy storage system (HESS) to improve the transient performance of bus voltage under unbalanced load condition in a standalone AC microgrid (MG).

Design/methodology/approach

The SC has high power density and much more cycling times than battery and thus to be controlled to absorb the transient and unbalanced active power as well as the reactive power under unbalanced condition. Under the proposed energy management design, the battery only needs to generate balanced power to balance the steady state power demand. The energy management strategy for battery/SC HESS in a standalone AC MG is validated in simulation study using PSCAD/EMTDC.

Findings

The results show that the energy management strategy of HESS maintains the bus voltage and eliminates the unbalance condition under single-phase load. In addition, with the SC to absorb the reactive power and unbalanced active power, the unnecessary power loss in battery is reduced with shown less accumulate depth of discharge and higher average efficiency.

Originality/value

With this technology, the service life of the HESS can be extended and the total cost can be reduced.

Details

Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing and Special Equipment, vol. 1 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2633-6596

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 June 2020

Changli Feng, Ruize Ma and Lin Jiang

With the rise of service economy, many companies are attempting to gain a competitive advantage through service innovation. However, the existing research has not drawn consistent…

2718

Abstract

Purpose

With the rise of service economy, many companies are attempting to gain a competitive advantage through service innovation. However, the existing research has not drawn consistent conclusions about the relationship between service innovation and firm performance. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to provide a quantitative review on the service innovation-performance relationship based on research findings reported in the extant literature.

Design/methodology/approach

Studies from 46 peer-reviewed articles were sampled and analyzed. A meta-analytic approach was adopted to conduct a quantitative review on the relationship between service innovation and firm performance, and the effects of any potential moderators were further explored.

Findings

The results found that service innovation has a significant positive impact on firm performance. Additionally, the relationship between service innovation and firm performance is influenced by measurement moderators (economic region and performance measurement), and contextual moderators (firm type, innovation type, customer factors and attitudes toward risk).

Originality/value

The meta-analysis has been used to explore the relationship between service innovation and firm performance, and the findings have contributed to the literature on service innovation, as well as providing future research directions.

Details

Journal of Service Management, vol. 32 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-5818

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 January 2021

Changli Feng, Lin Jiang, Ruize Ma and Chao Bai

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the available literature on the relationship between servitization strategy and firm performance, which identifies the main streams and…

1648

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the available literature on the relationship between servitization strategy and firm performance, which identifies the main streams and theoretical foundations of research and provides guidelines for future research in this area.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper discusses the relationship between servitization strategy and manufacturing firm performance by gathering and analyzing existing research published between 1988 and 2019 through bibliometric analysis and content analysis, and then unpacking the processes and impacts servitization has on firm performance.

Findings

This paper analyzes the evolution of the concept and servitization strategy of manufacturing organizations, and the relationship between servitization strategy and manufacturing company performance. Then, the authors establish an integrated theoretical framework aimed at conveying the factors and providing a practical reference.

Practical implications

The paper establishes an integrated theoretical framework on servitization and firm performance. The results of the systematic analysis of the literature can be used to inform managers about implementing servitization. Managers need to measure the benefits of servitization from two aspects: financial performance and non-financial performance. And managers need to consider some internal and external influencing factors to achieve a strategic–environmental–organizational fit that will bring better benefits to the firm.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to the existing research in three different ways. First, the study perfects the gap of research on the range of all of the factors within the relationship between servitization strategy and manufacturing company performance. Second, the study demonstrates a clear indication of how existing studies’ differences influence the research outcomes. Third, this paper proposes research problems and future research directions.

Details

Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, vol. 36 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0885-8624

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 September 2022

Wanjun Yin and Lin-na Jiang

The purpose of this paper through the redundant monitoring unit reflecting the real-time temperature change of the array, an adaptive refresh circuit based on temperature is…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper through the redundant monitoring unit reflecting the real-time temperature change of the array, an adaptive refresh circuit based on temperature is designed.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper proposed a circuit design for temperature-adaptive refresh with a fixed refresh frequency of traditional memory, high refresh power consumption at low temperature and low refresh frequency at high temperature.

Findings

Adding a metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) redundancy monitoring unit consistent with the storage unit to the storage bank can monitor the temperature change of the storage bank in real time, so that temperature-based memory adaptive refresh can be implemented.

Originality/value

According to the characteristics that the data holding time of dynamic random access memory storage unit decreases with the increase of temperature, a MOS redundant monitoring unit which is consistent with the storage unit is added to the storage array with the 2T storage unit as the core.

Details

Circuit World, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0305-6120

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 August 2016

Bingyou Jiang, Zegong Liu, Shulei Shi, Feng Cai, Jian Liu, Mingyun Tang and Baiquan Lin

The purpose of this paper is to understand a flameproof distance necessary to avoid the flame harms to underground personnel which may have great significance to the safety of…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand a flameproof distance necessary to avoid the flame harms to underground personnel which may have great significance to the safety of underground personnel and the disaster relief of gas explosions in coal mines.

Design/methodology/approach

Through a roadway with a length of 100 m and a cross-section area of 80 mm×80 mm, the flame propagation of premixed methane-air deflagrations were simulated by using AutoReaGas software for various fuel concentrations (7, 8, 9.5, 11, and 14 percent), fuel volumes (0.0128, 0.0384, 0.064, and 0.0896 m3), initial temperatures (248, 268, 288, 308, and 328 K), and initial pressures (20, 60, 101.3, 150, and 200 kPa).

Findings

The maximum combustion rate for each point follows a changing trend of increasing and decreasing with the distance increasing from the ignition source, and it increases with the fuel volume increasing or the initial pressure increasing, and decreases with the initial temperature increasing. However, increasing the initial temperature increases the flame arrival time for each point. The flameproof distance follows a changing trend of increasing and decreasing with the fuel concentration increasing, and it linearly increases with the fuel volume increasing or the initial temperature increasing. However, the flameproof distances are all 17 m for various initial pressures.

Originality/value

Increasing initial temperature increases flame arrival time for each test point. Flameproof distance increases and then decreases with fuel concentration increasing. Increasing fuel volume or initial temperature linearly increases flameproof distance. Initial pressure has little impact on the flameproof distance.

Details

International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, vol. 26 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0961-5539

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 28 September 2015

Md Shah Azam

Information and communications technology (ICT) offers enormous opportunities for individuals, businesses and society. The application of ICT is equally important to economic and…

Abstract

Information and communications technology (ICT) offers enormous opportunities for individuals, businesses and society. The application of ICT is equally important to economic and non-economic activities. Researchers have increasingly focused on the adoption and use of ICT by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as the economic development of a country is largely dependent on them. Following the success of ICT utilisation in SMEs in developed countries, many developing countries are looking to utilise the potential of the technology to develop SMEs. Past studies have shown that the contribution of ICT to the performance of SMEs is not clear and certain. Thus, it is crucial to determine the effectiveness of ICT in generating firm performance since this has implications for SMEs’ expenditure on the technology. This research examines the diffusion of ICT among SMEs with respect to the typical stages from innovation adoption to post-adoption, by analysing the actual usage of ICT and value creation. The mediating effects of integration and utilisation on SME performance are also studied. Grounded in the innovation diffusion literature, institutional theory and resource-based theory, this study has developed a comprehensive integrated research model focused on the research objectives. Following a positivist research paradigm, this study employs a mixed-method research approach. A preliminary conceptual framework is developed through an extensive literature review and is refined by results from an in-depth field study. During the field study, a total of 11 SME owners or decision-makers were interviewed. The recorded interviews were transcribed and analysed using NVivo 10 to refine the model to develop the research hypotheses. The final research model is composed of 30 first-order and five higher-order constructs which involve both reflective and formative measures. Partial least squares-based structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) is employed to test the theoretical model with a cross-sectional data set of 282 SMEs in Bangladesh. Survey data were collected using a structured questionnaire issued to SMEs selected by applying a stratified random sampling technique. The structural equation modelling utilises a two-step procedure of data analysis. Prior to estimating the structural model, the measurement model is examined for construct validity of the study variables (i.e. convergent and discriminant validity).

The estimates show cognitive evaluation as an important antecedent for expectation which is shaped primarily by the entrepreneurs’ beliefs (perception) and also influenced by the owners’ innovativeness and culture. Culture further influences expectation. The study finds that facilitating condition, environmental pressure and country readiness are important antecedents of expectation and ICT use. The results also reveal that integration and the degree of ICT utilisation significantly affect SMEs’ performance. Surprisingly, the findings do not reveal any significant impact of ICT usage on performance which apparently suggests the possibility of the ICT productivity paradox. However, the analysis finally proves the non-existence of the paradox by demonstrating the mediating role of ICT integration and degree of utilisation explain the influence of information technology (IT) usage on firm performance which is consistent with the resource-based theory. The results suggest that the use of ICT can enhance SMEs’ performance if the technology is integrated and properly utilised. SME owners or managers, interested stakeholders and policy makers may follow the study’s outcomes and focus on ICT integration and degree of utilisation with a view to attaining superior organisational performance.

This study urges concerned business enterprises and government to look at the environmental and cultural factors with a view to achieving ICT usage success in terms of enhanced firm performance. In particular, improving organisational practices and procedures by eliminating the traditional power distance inside organisations and implementing necessary rules and regulations are important actions for managing environmental and cultural uncertainties. The application of a Bengali user interface may help to ensure the productivity of ICT use by SMEs in Bangladesh. Establishing a favourable national technology infrastructure and legal environment may contribute positively to improving the overall situation. This study also suggests some changes and modifications in the country’s existing policies and strategies. The government and policy makers should undertake mass promotional programs to disseminate information about the various uses of computers and their contribution in developing better organisational performance. Organising specialised training programs for SME capacity building may succeed in attaining the motivation for SMEs to use ICT. Ensuring easy access to the technology by providing loans, grants and subsidies is important. Various stakeholders, partners and related organisations should come forward to support government policies and priorities in order to ensure the productive use of ICT among SMEs which finally will help to foster Bangladesh’s economic development.

Details

E-Services Adoption: Processes by Firms in Developing Nations
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78560-325-9

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 December 2018

Sampath Kumar V.S. and N.P. Pai

The purpose of this paper is to study the effect of injection and suction on velocity profile, skin friction and pressure distribution of a Casson fluid flow between two parallel…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the effect of injection and suction on velocity profile, skin friction and pressure distribution of a Casson fluid flow between two parallel infinite rectangular plates approaching or receding from each other with suction or injection at the porous plates.

Design/methodology/approach

The governing Navier–Stokes equations are reduced to the fourth-order non-linear ordinary differential equation through the similarity transformations. The approximated analytic solution based on the Homotopy perturbation method is given and also compared with the classical finite difference method.

Findings

From this study, the authors observed that the skin friction is less in non-Newtonian fluids compared to Newtonian fluids. The use of non-Newtonian fluids reduces the pressure in all the cases compared to Newtonian and hence load-carrying capacity will be more. As γ value increases velocity, skin friction and pressure decreases. When γ is fixed, it is observed that skin friction and pressure is minimum for A=0.5 and maximum when A=−0.5. The result of this study also shows that the effect of suction on the velocity profiles, pressure and skin friction is opposite to the effect of injection.

Originality/value

The present work analyzes the characteristic of non-Newtonian fluid having practical and industrial applications.

Details

Multidiscipline Modeling in Materials and Structures, vol. 15 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1573-6105

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 October 2016

Qingliang Tang, Huifa Chen and Zhijun Lin

The purpose of this study is to measure the financial reporting quality of 38 main countries (regions) in the world from 2000 to 2014.

4395

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to measure the financial reporting quality of 38 main countries (regions) in the world from 2000 to 2014.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses six accounting and auditing indicators to construct a comprehensive index for the measurement of country-level financial reporting quality. To test the validity of the methodology, the index to test institutional impacts on national financial reporting quality is used.

Findings

It was found that the results are consistent with the predictions and previous studies. The evidence suggests that the quality measure in this paper is innovative and appropriate and can provide a useful tool for researchers who are concerned with financial reporting quality at the country level.

Originality/value

The study is the first in the literature to use both accounting and auditing data to construct financial reporting quality indicators. The study should help international investors assess investment risks in foreign financial markets so as to make an informed decision. In addition, the diversity of financial reporting practices documented in the paper should prompt market regulators, accounting standard setters and professional accounting bodies to reinforce the efforts on international convergence of accounting and financial reporting standards and practices.

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