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1 – 10 of 61To survey the approaches to design optimization based on possibility theory and evidence theory comparatively, as well as their prominent characteristics mainly for epistemic…
Abstract
Purpose
To survey the approaches to design optimization based on possibility theory and evidence theory comparatively, as well as their prominent characteristics mainly for epistemic uncertainty.
Design/methodology/approach
Owing to uncertainties encountered in engineering design problems and limitations of the conventional probabilistic approach in handling the impreciseness of data or knowledge, the possibility‐based design optimization (PBDO), evidence‐based design optimization (EBDO) and their integrated approaches are investigated from the viewpoints of computational development and performance improvement. After that, this paper discusses the fusion technologies and an example of integrated approach in reliability to reveal the qualitative value and efficiency.
Findings
It is recognized that more conservative results are obtained with both PBDO and EBDO, which may be appropriate for design against catastrophic failure compared with the probability‐based design. Furthermore, the EBDO design may be less conservative compared with the PBDO design.
Research limitations/implications
How to perfect already‐existing integration approaches in a more generally analytical framework is still an active domain of research.
Practical implications
The paper is a holistic reference for design engineers and industry managers.
Originality/value
The paper is focused on decomposition strategies and fusion technologies, especially addressing epistemic uncertainty for large‐scale and complex systems when statistical data are scarce or incomplete.
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To analyze the challenges encountered in the expansion and renovation of an academic medical library sited in an old teaching hospital administered by a government body, and the…
Abstract
Purpose
To analyze the challenges encountered in the expansion and renovation of an academic medical library sited in an old teaching hospital administered by a government body, and the lessons learned for improving the future planning of renovation projects of medical libraries.
Design/methodology/approach
The experience of the Li Ping Medical Library of The Chinese University of Hong Kong is used as a case study to illustrate the challenges encountered in various stages from planning to implementation.
Findings
The challenges included funding constraints, space limitations, abbreviated planning time, stakeholder agreements, structural problems of an old building with dated infrastructure and construction restrictions of a hospital environment. Seven tips to improve future planning of renovation are provided.
Originality/value
While many of the challenges are typical in any renovations project, they are only discussed piecemeal in the literature. This article deals with this topic extensively and will interest other medical librarians planning renovations in future.
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Thomas Li‐Ping Tang, Roberto Luna‐Arocas and Toto Sutarso
This study examined a mediating model of income and pay satisfaction with a direct path (income → pay satisfaction) and an indirect path with two mediators (income → the love of…
Abstract
This study examined a mediating model of income and pay satisfaction with a direct path (income → pay satisfaction) and an indirect path with two mediators (income → the love of money → pay equity comparison → pay satisfaction). Results of the whole sample showed that the indirect path was significant and the direct path was insignificant. When the indirect path was eliminated, income contributed positively to pay satisfaction. We then tested the model across two moderators: culture (the United States versus Spain) and gender. This study provides the following theoretical and empirical contributions: the direct relationship between income and pay satisfaction depends on the indirect path and the extent to which (1) income enhances the love of money and (2) the love of money is applied to evaluate pay equity comparison satisfaction. If both conditions exist, income leads to pay dissatisfaction. If the second condition does not exist, income does not lead to pay dissatisfaction. Pay satisfaction depends on (1) one’s love of money and (2) how one compares. The role of the love of money in pay satisfaction is “not”universal across cultures and gender.
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The purpose of this paper is to make objective descriptions on various money‐laundering techniques and to put forward countermeasures in order to combat money laundering more…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to make objective descriptions on various money‐laundering techniques and to put forward countermeasures in order to combat money laundering more effectively and efficiently.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper based on 20 simplified money‐laundering cases, describes various money‐laundering techniques, analyses the reasons why these methods prevail, and points out the future efforts to be made in the fight against money laundering.
Findings
As usual, the ways of money laundering include cash smuggling, making use of banks or insurance company, or making use of shell‐company or front‐company. Nowadays, criminals also turn to real estate, lottery, international trade, offshore company to launder money. Sometimes lawyers, accountants are exploited by money launderers. With the wide use of electronic money and internet, criminals prefer to launder money through non‐face to face transactions. The fight against money laundering is the fight between justice and evil. It is of great importance to pierce the secret veil of money laundering so that we can combat money laundering more effectively and efficiently.
Originality/value
This paper prevents a comprehensive description of, and comments on, various money‐laundering techniques and future efforts to be made in the fight against money laundering, which would be beneficial to policy makers, enforcement authorities, and judicial professionals.
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Ping Li, Zhipeng Chang and Wenhe Chen
To maintain the bottom line of food import risk in China, this paper proposes a novel risk state evaluation model based on bottom-line thinking after analyzing the decision-making…
Abstract
Purpose
To maintain the bottom line of food import risk in China, this paper proposes a novel risk state evaluation model based on bottom-line thinking after analyzing the decision-making ideas embedded in the bottom-line thinking method.
Design/methodology/approach
First, the order relation analysis method (G1 method) and Laplacian score (LS) are applied to calculate the constant weights of indexes. Then, the worst-case scenario of food import risk can be estimated to strive for the best result, so the penalty state variable weight function is introduced to obtain variable weights of indexes. Finally, the study measures the risk state of China's food import from the overall situation using the set pair analysis (SPA) method and identifies the key factors affecting food import risk.
Findings
The risk states of food supply in eight countries are in the state of average potential and partial back potential as a whole. The results indicate that China's food import risks are at medium and upper-medium risk levels in most years, fluctuating slightly from 2010 to 2020. In addition, some factors are diagnosed as the primary control objects for holding the bottom line of food import risk in China, including food output level, food export capacity, bilateral relationship and political risk.
Originality/value
This paper proposes a novel risk state evaluation model following bottom-line thinking for food import risk in China. Besides, SPA is first applied to the risk evaluation of food import, expanding the application field of the SPA method.
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Ping Li, Younghoon Chang, Shan Wang and Siew Fan Wong
The purpose of this paper is to explore the factors affecting the intention of social networking sites (SNS) users to comply with government policy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the factors affecting the intention of social networking sites (SNS) users to comply with government policy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the theory of appraisal and coping, the research model is tested using survey data collected from 326 SNS users. Structural equation modeling is used to test the research model.
Findings
The results show that social support has a positive effect on outbreak self-efficacy but has no significant effect on perceived avoidability. Government information transparency positively affects outbreak self-efficacy and perceived avoidability. Outbreak self-efficacy and perceived avoidability have a strong positive impact on policy compliance intention through problem-focused coping.
Practical implications
The results suggest that both government and policymakers could deliver reliable pandemic information to the citizens via social media.
Originality/value
This study brings novel insights into citizen coping behavior, showing that policy compliance intention is driven by the ability to cope with problems. Moreover, this study enhances the theoretical understanding of the role of social support, outbreak self-efficacy and problem-focused coping.
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Ping Li, Siew Fan Wong, Shan Wang and Younghoon Chang
This study aims to study the mechanisms and conditions of users' intention to continue to use online health platforms from an information technology (IT) affordance perspective.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to study the mechanisms and conditions of users' intention to continue to use online health platforms from an information technology (IT) affordance perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
b This research proposes that a critical affordance effect on an online health platform, users' intention to continue the use of the platform, is affected by five platform affordances via two actualized affordances (i.e. perceived benefits (PBs) and online engagement (OE)). Perceived health threat moderates the effect generated by affordance actualization. A dataset involving 409 users from the “Ping An Health” platform was collected through an online survey and analyzed to validate the research hypotheses.
Findings
The data analysis results confirm that the proposed online health platform affordances affect users' PBs and OE, which influence users' intentions to continue using the platform. Perceived threats (perceived vulnerability (PVU) and perceived severity (PSE)) moderate the relationship between PBs and continuance intention (CI) and between OE and CI.
Practical implications
The research provides important recommendations for online health platform designers to develop IT affordances that can support users' needs for healthcare services.
Originality/value
Limited studies investigated why users continue participating in online diagnosis and treatment. This study provides a new perspective to expand the affordance framework by combining technology features and user health behavior. The study also emphasizes the importance of perceived threats in IT use.
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Clark Shi-Ming Tang, Thomas Li-Ping Tang and Xiao-Yan Li
This study aims to develop a Chinese core self-evaluations scale (CCSES) (Study 1) and examines the relationship between CCSES and self-reported job performance among…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to develop a Chinese core self-evaluations scale (CCSES) (Study 1) and examines the relationship between CCSES and self-reported job performance among entrepreneurs in private small and medium enterprises in People's Republic of China (Study 2).
Design/methodology/approach
In Study 1, the paper incorporated two indigenous Chinese constructs, team-based self-esteem and personal integrity, into the existing literature of CSE and developed a new CCSES using a sample of 300 Chinese entrepreneurs in Hangzhou, China. In Study 2, the paper validated the CCSES in a separate sample of 306 entrepreneurs and investigated the relationships between CCSES and self-reported job performance.
Findings
The paper identified four sub-constructs in the 13-item CCSES: personal self-esteem, team-based self-esteem, personal integrity, and self-competence. Results from exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses showed good psychometric properties and high reliability in Study 1. In Study 2, the paper found a good fit between the measurement model and the data, and a significant relationship between CCSES and the overall measure of job performance and its three components. Males had significantly higher Chinese core self-evaluations (CCSE) scores than females. There were no differences in CCSE scores across age and educational background.
Originality/value
Borrowing the CSE construct in the Western literature, the paper includes two indigenous Chinese constructs, team-based self-esteem and personal integrity, provides a new perspective of the CSE construct for entrepreneurs, and investigates its relationship with job performance in China.
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Thomas Li‐Ping Tang, David Shin‐Hsiung Tang and Cindy Shin‐Yi Tang
This research employs institutional characteristics and market‐related factors to predict undergraduate students' tuition at 190 private colleges and universities in the USA…
Abstract
This research employs institutional characteristics and market‐related factors to predict undergraduate students' tuition at 190 private colleges and universities in the USA. Results showed that the strongest correlations among variables for college tuition were reputation ranking and SAT scores. Results of a hierarchical multiple regression revealed that the type of institution, academic reputation ranking, the annual expenditures, geographic region, the existence of professional schools, the size of the faculty and the undergraduate student body, and university presidents' pay and benefits are all significant predictors of college tuition. After controlling all other variables, the unique contribution made by reputation ranking is still a significant predictor of college tuition. Research institutions charged their students more than liberal arts colleges, which, in turn, charged more than doctoral granting I institutions. Implications for parents and students, private colleges and universities, human resource management, and the Matthew effect are discussed.
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