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1 – 10 of 242Junhai Ma, Jie Fan, Meihong Zhu and Jiecai Chen
Food quality and safety issues have always been imperative topics discussed by people. The anti-tampering of blockchain technology and the transparency of information make it…
Abstract
Purpose
Food quality and safety issues have always been imperative topics discussed by people. The anti-tampering of blockchain technology and the transparency of information make it possible to improve food traceability and safety quality. How to effectively apply blockchain traceability technology to food safety has great research significance for improving food safety and consumer quality trust.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper aims to analyze the differences in product quality levels and market participants’ profits before and after the use of blockchain-driven traceability technology in the food agricultural product supply chain (SC) in the dynamic game frameworks of supplier-led and retailer-led modes, respectively, and explores the willingness, social welfare and consumer surplus of each member of the agricultural product SC to participate in the blockchain. Besides, We investigate the SC performance improvement with the mechanism of central centralized decision-making and revenue-sharing contract, compared to the SC performance in dynamic games.
Findings
The results are obtained as follow: The adoption of blockchain traceability technology can help improve the quality of food agricultural products, consumer surplus and social welfare, but the application and popularization of technology is hindered by traceability technology installment costs. Compared with the supplier leadership model, retailer-led food quality level, customer surplus and social welfare are higher.
Research limitations/implications
How to effectively apply blockchain traceability technology to food safety has great research significance for improving food safety and consumer quality trust.
Practical implications
Food quality and safety issues have always been hot topics discussed by people. The anti-tampering of blockchain technology and the transparency of information make it possible to improve food traceability and safety quality.
Social implications
The research results enrich the theories related to food safety and quality, and provide a valuable reference for food enterprises involved in the decision-making exploration of blockchain technology.
Originality/value
Based on the characteristics of blockchain technology, the demand function is adjusted and the product loss risk of channel members is transferred through a Stackelberg game SC composed of agricultural products suppliers and retailers.
Highlights:
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We introduce two features of blockchain: quality trust and product information tracking.
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The willingness of each member of the supply chain to use blockchain for product traceability was explored.
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The overall traceability effect of the retailer-led blockchain is better than that of the manufacturer-led blockchain.
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The cost of blockchain technology is a barrier to its adoption.
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Blockchain brings higher consumer surplus and social welfare.
We introduce two features of blockchain: quality trust and product information tracking.
The willingness of each member of the supply chain to use blockchain for product traceability was explored.
The overall traceability effect of the retailer-led blockchain is better than that of the manufacturer-led blockchain.
The cost of blockchain technology is a barrier to its adoption.
Blockchain brings higher consumer surplus and social welfare.
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Zijian Wang, Ximing Xiao, Shiwei Fu and Qinggong Shi
This study aims to uncover the mechanisms behind the marginalization of county-level public libraries.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to uncover the mechanisms behind the marginalization of county-level public libraries.
Design/methodology/approach
The research surveyed 25 counties in central China, including Hubei, Chongqing, Hunan, and Guizhou provinces. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with library directors and deputy directors, focusing on main and branch library construction, cultural inclusivity, library assessment, and digital services.
Findings
Contributing factors to library marginalization were identified as economic pressure, institutional domain, longstanding issues, organizational entity, and societal misconceptions. Building on this, the study introduces the HBAC model to explain county-level public library marginalization. Considering the actual social context of these libraries, the article proposes a “3 + 1” approach to mitigate their marginalization.
Originality/value
The research methodology, analysis process, theoretical model, and recommendations provided could shed light on academic research and practical exploration in the field of public libraries globally.
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Aris Nur Hermawan, Ilyas Masudin, Fien Zulfikarijah, Dian Palupi Restuputri and S. Sarifah Radiah Shariff
The study aims to determine the impact of sustainable manufacturing on environmental performance through government regulation and eco-innovation in Indonesian small and…
Abstract
Purpose
The study aims to determine the impact of sustainable manufacturing on environmental performance through government regulation and eco-innovation in Indonesian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Findings
The results indicate sustainable manufacturing plays a significant role in SMEs' environmental performance and regulations, and eco-innovation can moderate it. It also reveals that government regulation has a positive and significant effect on environmental performance. Moreover, eco-innovation has a positive and significant effect on environmental performance.
Practical implications
The findings of this study indicate that SMEs can embrace sustainable manufacturing practices and achieve their long-term sustainability goals by adhering to regulations, collaborating with stakeholders and implementing eco-friendly innovations.
Originality/value
This research uncovers ground-breaking perspectives on the evolution of scientific knowledge about the impact of eco-innovation, regulatory measures and sustainable manufacturing practices on the environmental performance of SMEs.
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Wanfeng Zhu, Petia Venkova Sice, Wenchun Zhang, Krystyna Krajewska and Zhangyang Zhao
The purpose of this paper is to bring into the public domain converging ways of thinking about reality and human systems, exploring parallels between the theory of Physical Vacuum…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to bring into the public domain converging ways of thinking about reality and human systems, exploring parallels between the theory of Physical Vacuum and the concept of Qi in Medical Qigong science.
Design/methodology/approach
The approach adopted in this paper includes: review of the relevant literature; dialogues between the first two authors over an eight-month period; review of the findings and discussion of interpretations by all.
Findings
There is evidence for the existence of an ideal information field. This field is a real space-time torsion structure. Qi is a torsion field. It spreads with superluminal velocity and connects the whole Universe. Any entity is in a constant dynamic connection with everything else in the Universe.
Research limitations/implications
This paper offers limited discussion of the wider area of scientific discoveries.
Social implications
The findings may impact future interdisciplinary research, health/well-being practices and public policy.
Originality/value
There is no known to us publication interpreting the parallels between the theory of the Physical Vacuum and the concept of Qi.
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Qing Liu, Chengjun Wang, Chenchen Shang and Jiabao Li
The purpose of this study is to reduce the residual stress in welded workpieces, optimize the vibratory stress relief treatment process through the use of a vibration generator…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to reduce the residual stress in welded workpieces, optimize the vibratory stress relief treatment process through the use of a vibration generator and enhance the durability and longevity of the workpiece by developing a vibratory stress relief robot that incorporates a multi-manipulator system.
Design/methodology/approach
The multi-manipulator combination work is designed so that each manipulator is deployed according to the requirements of vibration stress relief work. Each manipulator works independently and coordinates with others to achieve multi-dimensional vibratory stress relief of the workpiece. A two-degree-of-freedom mobile platform is designed to enable the transverse and longitudinal movement of the manipulator, expanding the working space of the robot. A small electromagnetic superharmonic vibration generator is designed to produce directional vibrations in any orientation. This design addresses the technical challenge of traditional vibration generators being bulky and unable to achieve directional vibrations.
Findings
The residual stress relief experiment demonstrates that the residual stress of the workpiece is reduced by approximately 73% through three-degree-of-freedom vibration. The multi-dimensional vibration effectively enhances the relief effect of residual stress, which is beneficial for improving the strength and service life of the workpiece.
Originality/value
A new multi-manipulator robot is proposed to alleviate the residual stress generated by workpiece welding by integrating vibratory stress relief with robotics. It is beneficial to reduce material and energy consumption while enhancing the strength and service life of the workpiece.
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Mandeep Singh, Khushdeep Goyal and Deepak Bhandari
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effect of titanium oxide (TiO2) and yttrium oxide (Y2O3) nanoparticles-reinforced pure aluminium (Al) on the mechanical properties of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effect of titanium oxide (TiO2) and yttrium oxide (Y2O3) nanoparticles-reinforced pure aluminium (Al) on the mechanical properties of hybrid aluminium matrix nanocomposites (HAMNCs).
Design/methodology/approach
The HAMNCs were fabricated via a vacuum die-assisted stir casting route by a two-step feeding method. The varying weight percentages of TiO2 and Y2O3 nanoparticles were added as 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10 Wt.%.
Findings
Scanning electron microscope images showed the homogenous dispersion of nanoparticles in Al matrix. The tensile strength by 28.97%, yield strength by 50.60%, compression strength by 104.6% and micro-hardness by 50.90% were improved in HAMNC1 when compared to the base matrix. The highest values impact strength of 36.3 J was observed for HAMNC1. The elongation % was decreased by increasing the weight percentage of the nanoparticles. HAMNC1 improved the wear resistance by 23.68%, while increasing the coefficient of friction by 14.18%. Field emission scanning electron microscope analysis of the fractured surfaces of tensile samples revealed microcracks and the debonding of nanoparticles.
Originality/value
The combined effect of TiO2 and Y2O3 nanoparticles with pure Al on mechanical properties has been studied. The composites were fabricated with two-step feeding vacuum-assisted stir casting.
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Mengxi Yang, Jie Guo, Lei Zhu, Huijie Zhu, Xia Song, Hui Zhang and Tianxiang Xu
Objectively evaluating the fairness of the algorithm, exploring in specific scenarios combined with scenario characteristics and constructing the algorithm fairness evaluation…
Abstract
Purpose
Objectively evaluating the fairness of the algorithm, exploring in specific scenarios combined with scenario characteristics and constructing the algorithm fairness evaluation index system in specific scenarios.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper selects marketing scenarios, and in accordance with the idea of “theory construction-scene feature extraction-enterprise practice,” summarizes the definition and standard of fairness, combs the application link process of marketing algorithms and establishes the fairness evaluation index system of marketing equity allocation algorithms. Taking simulated marketing data as an example, the fairness performance of marketing algorithms in some feature areas is measured, and the effectiveness of the evaluation system proposed in this paper is verified.
Findings
The study reached the following conclusions: (1) Different fairness evaluation criteria have different emphases, and may produce different results. Therefore, different fairness definitions and standards should be selected in different fields according to the characteristics of the scene. (2) The fairness of the marketing equity distribution algorithm can be measured from three aspects: marketing coverage, marketing intensity and marketing frequency. Specifically, for the fairness of coverage, two standards of equal opportunity and different misjudgment rates are selected, and the standard of group fairness is selected for intensity and frequency. (3) For different characteristic fields, different degrees of fairness restrictions should be imposed, and the interpretation of their calculation results and the means of subsequent intervention should also be different according to the marketing objectives and industry characteristics.
Research limitations/implications
First of all, the fairness sensitivity of different feature fields is different, but this paper does not classify the importance of feature fields. In the future, we can build a classification table of sensitive attributes according to the importance of sensitive attributes to give different evaluation and protection priorities. Second, in this paper, only one set of marketing data simulation data is selected to measure the overall algorithm fairness, after which multiple sets of marketing campaigns can be measured and compared to reflect the long-term performance of marketing algorithm fairness. Third, this paper does not continue to explore interventions and measures to improve algorithmic fairness. Different feature fields should be subject to different degrees of fairness constraints, and therefore their subsequent interventions should be different, which needs to be continued to be explored in future research.
Practical implications
This paper combines the specific features of marketing scenarios and selects appropriate fairness evaluation criteria to build an index system for fairness evaluation of marketing algorithms, which provides a reference for assessing and managing the fairness of marketing algorithms.
Social implications
Algorithm governance and algorithmic fairness are very important issues in the era of artificial intelligence, and the construction of the algorithmic fairness evaluation index system in marketing scenarios in this paper lays a safe foundation for the application of AI algorithms and technologies in marketing scenarios, provides tools and means of algorithm governance and empowers the promotion of safe, efficient and orderly development of algorithms.
Originality/value
In this paper, firstly, the standards of fairness are comprehensively sorted out, and the difference between different standards and evaluation focuses is clarified, and secondly, focusing on the marketing scenario, combined with its characteristics, key fairness evaluation links are put forward, and different standards are innovatively selected to evaluate the fairness in the process of applying marketing algorithms and to build the corresponding index system, which forms the systematic fairness evaluation tool of marketing algorithms.
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This paper aims to analyze how smart city construction affects destination competitiveness and elucidates the potential mechanisms of digital economy. Also, the regional…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to analyze how smart city construction affects destination competitiveness and elucidates the potential mechanisms of digital economy. Also, the regional heterogeneity of smart city construction’s influence on destination competitiveness is discussed.
Design/methodology/approach
Given the quasi-natural experiment characteristics of China's smart city construction pilot, this study applies a time-varying difference-in-differences approach using a panel dataset of 272 Chinese prefectural-level cities to examine the causal effects of smart city construction on destination competitiveness.
Findings
Results indicate substantial enhancement of urban destination competitiveness from smart city construction, with this effect escalating annually. Digital infrastructure and digital finance serve as influence mechanisms. The positive impacts of smart city construction on urban tourism competitiveness do not differ by geographic location, rather there are significant differences between cities of different administrative levels. The impact of smart city construction on destination competitiveness is more significant in low administrative level cities. The improvement of economic development level and innovation ability helps to exert the positive impact of smart cities on tourism competitiveness.
Originality/value
This study constructs a new panel data set for smart city construction and destination competitiveness based on multi-source data and posits a theoretical linkage among smart city construction, digital economy and destination competitiveness. This paper provides invaluable insights on how to boost destination competitiveness by creating smart cities and leveraging the digital economy. Tourism sectors should proactively engage in smart city construction and foster the digital transformation of tourism.
目的
本文旨在分析智慧城市建设如何影响目的地竞争力, 并阐明数字经济的潜在机制。此外, 还讨论了智慧城市建设对目的地竞争力影响的区域异质性。
设计/方法
鉴于中国智慧城市建设试点的准自然实验特征, 本研究基于272个中国地级城市的面板数据集, 采用双重差分方法检验了智慧城市建设对目的地竞争力的因果影响。
发现
研究结果表明, 智慧城市建设显著增强了城市目的地竞争力, 这种影响每年都在增加。数字基础设施和数字金融是影响机制。智慧城市建设对城市旅游竞争力的积极影响不因地理位置而异, 不同行政级别的城市之间存在显著差异。智慧城市建设对低行政级别城市目的地竞争力的影响更为显著。经济发展水平和创新能力的提高有助于发挥智慧城市对旅游竞争力的积极影响。
原创性/价值
本研究基于多源数据构建了一个新的智慧城市建设和目的地竞争力面板数据集, 并在智慧城市建设、数字经济和目的地竞争之间建立了理论联系。本文就如何通过创建智慧城市和利用数字经济来提高目的地竞争力提供了宝贵的见解。旅游部门应积极参与智慧城市建设, 促进旅游业的数字化转型。
Propósito
El objetivo de este artículo es analizar cómo afecta la construcción de ciudades inteligentes a la competitividad de los destinos y dilucidar los posibles mecanismos de la economía digital. Se aborda también la heterogeneidad regional de la influencia de la construcción de ciudades inteligentes en la competitividad de los destinos.
Diseño/metodología/enfoque
Dadas las características de experimento casi natural del proyecto piloto de construcción de ciudades inteligentes en China, este estudio aplica un enfoque de diferencias en diferencias temporales utilizando un conjunto de datos de panel de 272 ciudades chinas de nivel de prefectura para examinar los efectos causales de la construcción de ciudades inteligentes sobre la competitividad de los destinos.
Hallazgos
Los resultados indican una mejora sustancial de la competitividad de los destinos urbanos gracias a la construcción de ciudades inteligentes, efecto que aumenta cada año. La infraestructura digital y las finanzas digitales actúan como mecanismos de influencia. Los efectos positivos de la construcción de ciudades inteligentes sobre la competitividad Del turismo urbano no difieren en función de la ubicación geográfica, sino que las diferencias significativas se producen entre ciudades de diferentes niveles administrativos. El impacto de la construcción de ciudades inteligentes en la competitividad de los destinos es más significativo en las ciudades de bajo nivel administrativo. La mejora del nivel de desarrollo económico y la capacidad de innovación contribuyen al impacto positivo de las ciudades inteligentes en la competitividad turística.
Originalidad/valor
Este estudio construye un nuevo conjunto de datos de panel para la construcción de ciudades inteligentes y la competitividad de los destinos basado en datos de múltiples fuentes y plantea un vínculo teórico entre la construcción de ciudades inteligentes, la economía digital y la competitividad de los destinos. Este artículo ofrece un valioso conocimiento sobre cómo impulsar la competitividad de los destinos mediante la creación de ciudades inteligentes y el aprovechamiento de la economía digital. Los sectores turísticos deberían participar de forma proactiva en la construcción de ciudades inteligentes y fomentar la transformación digital del turismo.
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Yu Xia and Shuxin Guo
We are the first to investigate the relationship between seasoned equity offerings (SEOs) and anchoring on historical high prices in China.
Abstract
Purpose
We are the first to investigate the relationship between seasoned equity offerings (SEOs) and anchoring on historical high prices in China.
Design/methodology/approach
We use the ratio of the recent closing price to its historical high in the previous 12–60 months (anchoring-high-price ratio) to study its impact on the market timing of SEOs.
Findings
Empirical results show that the anchoring-high-price ratio significantly and positively affects the probability of additional stock issuances. Contrary to the USA market, the Chinese stock market reacts negatively to the SEOs at historical highs. Moreover, the anchoring-high-price ratio exacerbates the negative effect of announcements and leads to long-term underperformance. Finally, we investigate the impact of the anchoring-high-price ratio on a company’s capital structure, showing that the additional issuance anchoring on historical highs reduces the company’s leverage ratio in the long run. Overall, our findings support the anchoring theory and can help understand better the anchoring behavior of managers and the company’s decision on additional stock issuances.
Originality/value
We are the first to use the anchoring-high-price ratio to study the timing of SEOs. We find that the anchoring-high-price ratio positively affects the probability of SEOs. Unlike the USA, the Chinese stock market reacts negatively to SEOs at high prices. SEOs anchoring on historical highs reduce a firm’s leverage ratio in the long run. Finally, our results support the anchoring theory.
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Fei Hao, Yueming Guo, Chen Zhang and Kaye Kye Sung Kye-Sung Chon
This study aims to investigate the integration of blockchain technology into the food supply chain within the restaurant industry. It focuses on how blockchain can be applied to…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the integration of blockchain technology into the food supply chain within the restaurant industry. It focuses on how blockchain can be applied to enhance transparency and trust in tracking food sources, ultimately impacting customer satisfaction.
Design/methodology/approach
A service design workshop (Study 1) and three between-subjects experiments (Studies 2–4) were conducted.
Findings
Results indicate that blockchain adoption significantly improves traceability and trust in the food supply chain. This improvement in turn enhances customer satisfaction through perceived improvements in food safety, quality and naturalness. This study also notes that the effects of blockchain technology vary depending on the type of restaurant (casual or fine dining) and its location (tourist destinations or residential areas).
Practical implications
The findings offer practical insights for restaurant owners, technology developers and policymakers. Emphasizing the benefits of blockchain adoption, this study guides decision-making regarding technology investments for enhancing customer service and satisfaction in the hospitality sector.
Originality/value
This research contributes novel insights to the field of technology innovation in the hospitality industry. It extends the understanding of signaling theory by exploring how blockchain technology can serve as a tool for signal transmission in restaurant food supply chains.
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