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Article
Publication date: 7 December 2022

Qing-Wen Zhang, Pin-Chao Liao, Mingxuan Liang and Albert P.C. Chan

Quality failures in grid infrastructure construction would cause large-scale collapses in power supply and additional expenditures by reworks and repairs. Learning from quality…

Abstract

Purpose

Quality failures in grid infrastructure construction would cause large-scale collapses in power supply and additional expenditures by reworks and repairs. Learning from quality failures (LFQF) extracts experience from previous quality events and converts them into preventive measures to reduce or eliminate future construction quality issues. This study aims to investigate the influence factors of LFQF in the construction of grid infrastructure.

Design/methodology/approach

The related factors of LFQF, including quality management (QM) practices, quality rectification, and individual learning, were identified by reviewing literature about organizational learning and extracting experience from previous failures. A questionnaire survey was distributed to the grid companies in North, Northeast, Northwest, East, Central, and Southwest China. 381 valid responses collected and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the influence of these factors on LFQF.

Findings

The SEM results support that QM practices positively affect individual learning and LFQF. Quality rectification indirectly impacts LFQF via individual learning, while the results did not support the direct link between quality rectification and LFQF.

Practical implications

The findings strengthen practical insights into extracting experience from poor-quality issues and continuous improvement. The contributory factors of LFQF found in this study benefit the practitioners by taking effective measures to enhance organizational learning capability and improve the long-term construction quality performance in the grid infrastructure industry.

Originality/value

Existing research about the application of LFQF still stays at the explorative and conceptual stage. This study investigates the related factors of LFQF, including QM practices, quality rectification, and individual learning, extending the model development of learning from failures (LFF) in construction QM.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 31 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 24 June 2022

Lan Chu, Chao Guo, Qing Zhang, Qing Wang, Yiwen Ge, Mingyang Hao and Jungang Lv

This study aims to using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscope/energy dispersive Xray spectrometer to identify…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscope/energy dispersive Xray spectrometer to identify different automotive coatings for forensic purpose.

Design/methodology/approach

Two four-layered samples in a hit-and-run case were compared layer by layer with three different methods. FTIR spectroscopy was used to primarily identify the organic and inorganic compositions. Raman spectrum and scanning electron microscope/energy dispersive Xray spectrometer (SEM-EDS) were further used to complement the FTIR results.

Findings

Two weak and tiny peaks in one layer found between two samples by FTIR, Raman microscope and SEM-EDS verified the result of differences. The study used the three instruments in combination and found it’s effective in sensing coatings, especially in the inorganic additives.

Research limitations/implications

Using these three instruments in combination is more accurate than individually in multilayered coating analysis for forensic purpose.

Practical implications

The three different instruments all present unique information on the composition, and provided similar and mutually verifiable results on the two samples.

Originality/value

With this method, scientists could identify and discriminate important coating evidences with tiny but characteristic differences.

Details

Pigment & Resin Technology, vol. 53 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0369-9420

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 January 2024

Xiaolin Ge, Siyuan Liu, Qing Zhang, Haibo Yu, Xiaoyu Du, Shanghao Song and Yunsheng Shi

This study aims to investigate the predictive role of team personality composition in facilitating shared leadership through team member exchange (TMX), while also to examine the…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the predictive role of team personality composition in facilitating shared leadership through team member exchange (TMX), while also to examine the moderating effect of organizational culture.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a two-stage online survey and selected the customer service teams, claims teams and financial teams of 26 Chinese insurance companies as the research samples. The authors finally obtained validated questionnaires from 107 teams with 457 members. The hypothesized relationships were tested using SPSS 25.0 and Mplus.

Findings

The results indicate that both team relationship-oriented and task-oriented personality composition have significant positive effects on shared leadership with team-member exchange serving as a full mediator for both paths. As a boundary condition, organizational culture (i.e. including internal integration values and external adaptation values) has a moderating effect on the influence of TMX on shared leadership.

Originality/value

The study investigates the predictive role of team personality composition on shared leadership, which complements the empirical studies of shared leadership antecedents in the literature. Drawing on social exchange perspective, the authors find out that TMX serves as a mediator between team personality composition and shared leadership. The authors also identify the moderating effect of organizational culture on the emergence of shared leadership. The research emphasizes the contextual boundary condition in this process.

Details

Chinese Management Studies, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1750-614X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 March 2024

This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.

Design/methodology/approach

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

Findings

A study of teachers in Chinese schools examined the antecedents of career sustainability with a focus more on proactive behavior from employees than internal traits, or the company’s organizational goals. Their research showed that self-goal setting has a positive influence on career sustainability and also that career crafting mediates the relationship. The effect is stronger when perceived organizational clarity is high.

Originality/value

The briefing saves busy executives, strategists and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Details

Human Resource Management International Digest , vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0967-0734

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 August 2023

Syed Imran Zaman and Simonov Kusi-Sarpong

The purpose of this study is to find out what is the relationship between sustainability toward consumer behavior. Consumer behavior is the method of choosing, buying and using…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to find out what is the relationship between sustainability toward consumer behavior. Consumer behavior is the method of choosing, buying and using goods and services with an attachment to needs and wants. Now consumers are aware about sustainability, they make purchase decisions according to environmental safety, benefit to the society and increase economic growth.

Design/methodology/approach

This study validates the result through experts in textile industry by using the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory approach. This method has many benefits which provide decision makers and experts to understand the interdependence and influential relation between the criteria by hierarchical approach.

Findings

According to the results, green culture (F8) and green brand (F3) are the most influential (causal) factors and exert a substantial amount of influence over other factors for achieving organizational performance and sustainability. On the other hand, past experience (F14) and time pressure (F12) are the most influenced (effect) factors that are highly influenced by other factors.

Practical implications

The study conducted in Pakistan underscores the significance of maintaining a healthy and pristine environment for future generations. Both consumers and organizations play a vital role in this endeavor. It is imperative that they actively promote and support goods and services that advocate for sustainability.

Social implications

Mangers should use long-term strategies that meet the high product value to enhance the organization’s reputation, so it will have positive consumer perception. If managers make policies to implement natural resources in their raw material, so this policy avoids conflicts and maintains a balance in our society.

Originality/value

This research delves into the complexities and subtleties associated with the identification and examination of the interconnections between the success factors of sustainability and consumer behavior.

Details

Journal of Modelling in Management, vol. 19 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1746-5664

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 March 2024

Tamer K. Darwish, Osama Khassawneh, Muntaser Melhem and Satwinder Singh

This paper aims to explore the strategic and evolving role of human resource management (HRM) directors within the context of underdeveloped institutional arrangements. The study…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the strategic and evolving role of human resource management (HRM) directors within the context of underdeveloped institutional arrangements. The study focuses on India and conducts a comparative analysis of the roles of HRM directors in both multinational enterprises (MNEs) and domestic firms.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey-based data from the HRM directors of 252 enterprises were gathered for the comparative analysis, including both multinational and domestic enterprises.

Findings

HRM directors in MNEs lack the proficiency required to effectively fulfil their strategic role. In addition, there has been a notable shift in the responsibilities of HRM directors in MNEs, with increased emphasis on labour movements and trade union negotiations, as opposed to traditional human resource (HR) activities. This shift suggests that the role of HRM in MNEs operating in India has been influenced by local isomorphic forces, rather than following a “pendulum swing” between home and host country institutional pressures. The prevalence of informality in the Indian institutional arrangements may act as a strong counterforce to integrating the strategic agency of MNEs' home country HRM directors into the organizational structure. Despite facing resistance from the local institutional context, HRM directors in MNEs are responding with a pushback, prioritizing labour movements and trade union negotiations over core HRM activities.

Research limitations/implications

The study highlights the broader implications for theory and practice, shedding light on the challenges faced by HRM directors in navigating incoherent institutional arrangements. It emphasizes the need for a deeper understanding of local forces in shaping HRM practices within multinational settings.

Originality/value

We contribute to the comparative HRM literature by elaborating on power struggles that HRM directors face amid the dichotomies of formal power and authority that are encoded in the organizational structure versus culturally contingent power that can be accrued from engaging in informality. We also highlight their engagement in prolonged institutional mediation and change, which serves as a compensatory mechanism for the institutional shortfalls they encounter within the context of emerging markets.

Details

Employee Relations: The International Journal, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0142-5455

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 March 2024

Péter Kristóf and Chander Nagpal

Exponential organizations (ExOs) are purpose-driven companies that leverage exponential technologies and exponential business practices to grow and scale rapidly, transform…

21

Abstract

Purpose

Exponential organizations (ExOs) are purpose-driven companies that leverage exponential technologies and exponential business practices to grow and scale rapidly, transform industries and create massive value and impact. In contrast, non-ExOs follow a linear approach to business and organizational strategy design and execution. This study aims to validate the hypothesis, based on financial metrics, that ExOs outperform their competitors and linear counterparts. Furthermore, it also brings a new understanding of the gap raised in the past eight years about how ExOs can achieve significantly better performance, measured with financial metrics.

Design/methodology/approach

For measuring how exponential an organization is, this study elaborated a completely new assessment tool called Exponential Quotient (ExQ). This study applied ExQ to the 100 largest US headquartered companies as ranked by Fortune magazine in 2014. Calculating the ExQ enabled this study to rank these Fortune 100 companies and identify the most and the least exponential firms. This study tracked these companies as to how they performed on different financial metrics over the eight years of 2014–2021 and analyzed the results.

Findings

Through the analysis, this study revealed that the top 10 ExOs have significantly outperformed their bottom 10 non-exponential peers, delivering 40x higher shareholder returns, 2.6x better revenue growth, 6.8x higher profitability and 11.7x better asset turnover. Furthermore, this study could identify commonalities and similarities between the two groups. This means that ExOs can thrive even in tough times and that accelerating technologies unlock abundance and allow every organization to become a disruptive innovator and stay ahead of the competition. These are novel results in the research focusing on the gap between exponential and traditional organizations.

Research limitations/implications

Using the ExQ diagnostics tool, every organization can see how flexible, scalable and agile they are, which is the starting point for an exponential transformation program. Although this approach has already found its way into practice and is applied globally by thousands of organizations (startups, scaleups and incumbents), so far, the academic establishment is in its nascent phase. With this research, the authors wanted to extend this field of science. On the other hand, because of its novelty, no appropriate previous studies existed to compare the results.

Practical implications

The possible implications showed that there is a plannable way for significantly increasing an organization’s ExQ and advance it from a linear toward an exponential organizational model.

Originality/value

The results validated the robustness of the ExO framework and philosophy and shed light on the importance of exponential transformation – a proven method to increase an organization’s ExQ. This framework is not a “how to be successful” guide. Instead, it uncovered some of the previously unknown and universal mechanisms of scalability – which, in turbulent times, make companies successful (based on financial metrics). To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study was among the first kind of in-depth analyses to validate the whole ExO model.

Details

International Journal of Organizational Analysis, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1934-8835

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 February 2024

Qing Wang, Xiaoli Zhang, Jiafu Su and Na Zhang

Platform-based enterprises, as micro-entities in the platform economy, have the potential to effectively promote the low-carbon development of both supply and demand sides in the…

Abstract

Purpose

Platform-based enterprises, as micro-entities in the platform economy, have the potential to effectively promote the low-carbon development of both supply and demand sides in the supply chain. Therefore, this paper aims to provide a multi-criteria decision-making method in a probabilistic hesitant fuzzy environment to assist platform-type companies in selecting cooperative suppliers for carbon reduction in green supply chains.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper combines the advantages of probabilistic hesitant fuzzy sets (PHFS) to address uncertainty issues and proposes an improved multi-criteria decision-making method called PHFS-DNMEREC-MABAC for aiding platform-based enterprises in selecting carbon emission reduction collaboration suppliers in green supply chains. Within this decision-making method, we enhance the standardization process of both the DNMEREC and MABAC methods by directly standardizing probabilistic hesitant fuzzy elements. Additionally, a probability splitting algorithm is introduced to handle probabilistic hesitant fuzzy elements of varying lengths, mitigating information bias that traditional approaches tend to introduce when adding values based on risk preferences.

Findings

In this paper, we apply the proposed method to a case study involving the selection of carbon emission reduction collaboration suppliers for Tmall Mart and compare it with the latest existing decision-making methods. The results demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method and the effectiveness of the introduced probability splitting algorithm in avoiding information bias.

Originality/value

Firstly, this paper proposes a new multi-criteria decision making method for aiding platform-based enterprises in selecting carbon emission reduction collaboration suppliers in green supply chains. Secondly, in this method, we provided a new standard method to process probability hesitant fuzzy decision making information. Finally, the probability splitting algorithm was introduced to avoid information bias in the process of dealing with inconsistent lengths of probabilistic hesitant fuzzy elements.

Details

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

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 January 2023

Fenglian Wang, Qing Su and Zongming Zhang

This study is aimed at making an inspection of the effects of collaborative innovation network characteristics on firm innovation performance, and the intermediary roles of…

Abstract

Purpose

This study is aimed at making an inspection of the effects of collaborative innovation network characteristics on firm innovation performance, and the intermediary roles of knowledge transfer efficiency is taken into account.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used a convenient sampling method to obtain population and samples. Using data obtained by publishing online and paper questionnaires, and using on-site interviews in Anhui Province in the Yangtze River Delta region of China, descriptive analysis, regression analysis and correlation analysis are utilized to study the direct influence of collaborative innovation network characteristics on knowledge transfer efficiency as well as firm innovation performance, and the intermediary roles of knowledge transfer efficiency on firm innovation performance, respectively. In this study, 3,000 questionnaires were distributed to the employees of enterprises engaged in research and development (R&D) activities, of which 2,560 were valid. With the help of SPSS24.0 software, the reliability and validity of the questionnaire was analyzed.

Findings

The results are indicative of that network centrality and relationship strength positively affect knowledge transfer efficiency and firm innovation performance. Nevertheless, network scale has no significant correlation with knowledge transfer efficiency and enterprise innovation performance. In addition, knowledge transfer efficiency is an intermediary between collaborative innovation network characteristics and enterprise innovation performance, and positively affects enterprise innovation performance, which demonstrated that managers should take advantage of collaborative innovation network characteristics to elevate knowledge transfer efficiency because well-realized transferals of knowledge can help accelerate the coordination of resources in knowledge, and finally bring about the advancement of firm's innovation abilities and performance.

Research limitations/implications

There are few previous studies that fully examined the relationships among collaborative innovation network characteristics, knowledge transfer efficiency and firm innovation performance. This paper developed previous researches on the relationships between collaborative innovation network characteristics, knowledge transfer efficiency and firm innovation performance. The mediation of knowledge transfer efficiency on the relationship between collaborative innovation network characteristics and firm innovation performance is analyzed. Further, studies on collaborative innovation network characteristics using data obtained from employees engaged in R&D activities are very limited in the literature. On account of that, the findings in this study may make sense to the innovation ability of innovative enterprise and expand the literature in the field of enterprise strategic management and knowledge management.

Practical implications

This analysis shows that collaborative innovation network characteristics have both positive and negative effects on firm innovation performance. Therefore, business managers should pay attention to their position in the collaborative innovation network and maintain the relationship strength with other innovation subjects. Special consideration should be given to the knowledge transfer of innovative enterprises, so as to improve firm innovation performance practically.

Originality/value

The study may provide additional understandings for researchers, government managers, universities and enterprises with regard to strategic management from the visual angle of innovation ecosystems. It is instrumental in the exploration of the mechanisms enabling firm innovation performance.

Article
Publication date: 22 December 2023

Huifeng Xi, Xiangbo Shu, Manjie Chen, Huanliang Zhang, Shi-qing Huang and Heng Xiao

The primary objective of this study is characterizing the anisotropic mechanical properties of corrugated cardboard and simultaneously simulating its drop cushioning dynamic…

Abstract

Purpose

The primary objective of this study is characterizing the anisotropic mechanical properties of corrugated cardboard and simultaneously simulating its drop cushioning dynamic effects under various drop conditions.

Design/methodology/approach

Static and dynamic tests were conducted on corrugated cardboard to obtain adequate experimental data in different directions. An effective anisotropic constitutive model is introduced by developing the honeycomb materials model in ANSYS LS-Dyna, and an effective approach is established toward effectively determining the material parameters from the test data obtained. The model is validated by comparing simulation results with experimental data from five drop conditions, including bottom drop, front drop, side drop, 30° side drop and edge drop. Additionally, simulations are conducted to study the cushioning performance of the packaging by dropping the corrugated cardboard at different heights.

Findings

The study establishes a fast and effective approach to simulating the drop cushioning performance of corrugated cardboard under various drop conditions, which demonstrates good agreement with experimental data.

Originality/value

This approach is of value for packaging protection and provides guidance for stacking of packaging during transportation.

Details

Multidiscipline Modeling in Materials and Structures, vol. 20 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1573-6105

Keywords

1 – 10 of 62