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1 – 10 of 574Li Xi‐can, Yu Tao, Wang Xiao, Yuan Zheng and Shang Xiao‐dong
The purpose of this paper is to establish the grey‐weighted relationship prediction pattern of the soil organic matter content spectral inversion under the uncertainties between…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to establish the grey‐weighted relationship prediction pattern of the soil organic matter content spectral inversion under the uncertainties between soil organic matter contents and spectral characteristics and the theory of grey system.
Design/methodology/approach
At first, according to grey‐weighted distance, a new grey relationship model is presented. Second, in order to make full use of the information of grey relationship sequences, the maximum grey relationship discrimination principle is improved and then the soil organic matter content spectral inversion pattern is put forward based on weighted grey recognition theory. A numeric example of Hengshan County in Shanxi Province is also computed in the last part of the paper.
Findings
The results are convincing: not only that soil organic matter content spectral inversion pattern based on the weighted grey recognition theory is valid, but also the model's prediction accuracy is higher; the sample's average prediction accuracy is 94.917 per cent.
Practical implications
The method exposed in the paper can be used at soil organic matter content hyper‐spectral inversion and even for other similar forecast problems.
Originality/value
The paper succeeds in realising both prediction pattern and application of soil organic matter content hyper‐spectral inversion by using the newest developed theories: weighted grey recognition theory.
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Ting Liu, Huawen Shen and Jie Gao
This study aims to uncover women’s career advancement (CA) in the hospitality industry, by examining the influence of female employees’ career expectation (CE) and work–family…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to uncover women’s career advancement (CA) in the hospitality industry, by examining the influence of female employees’ career expectation (CE) and work–family balance (WFB). It also investigated the extent to which organizational commitment (OC) mediates the relationships among women’s CE, WFB and CA.
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire was used to collect data. The data were collected from 525 hotel female employees in China. A structural equation model was conducted with all of the data to test the relationships between the constructs. The individual measurement model was tested using the exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. A structural model was estimated using analysis of moment structures to test all the hypotheses.
Findings
The results showed that women’s CE and WFB positively influenced their OC and CA. Women’s organizational commitment also positively influenced their CA. The results also confirmed that the indirect effect of CE and WFB on CA was mediated by OC.
Originality/value
This study examines how the CE and work–family relationships of female employees in the hospitality industry affect their OC and their CA. The results help female employees to overcome the glass ceiling effect and achieve greater career success. This study seeks to expand the research on the CA of female hotel employees by identifying the factors that influence their CA.
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Abstract
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Kai Li, Lulu Xia, Nenggui Zhao and Tao Zhou
The purpose of this paper is to compare the pricing decisions and earning potential of the software supplier and the smart device manufacturer in different software promotion…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to compare the pricing decisions and earning potential of the software supplier and the smart device manufacturer in different software promotion strategies.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on game theory, the authors formulate two promotion models, that is, the supplier implements software promotion activities individually (SP model) or outsources the promotion activity to the manufacturer under profit-sharing contract (MP model) when taking different channel power structures into consideration. Besides, in order to test the robustness of the conclusions, the authors also extend the basic model to the following situations: (1) the customers have different price elasticity toward service fee and product price; (2) the revenue sharing contract is employed by the supply chain members; and (3) the manufacturer's product promotion practice is taken into consideration.
Findings
The optimal service fee (product price) of the supplier (manufacturer) under SP model is always lower (higher) than that under MP model. Surprisingly, if the supplier is the channel leader and the profit sharing ratio exceeds certain threshold, the manufacturer's profit decreases in profit sharing ratio, which remains robust in three extension models. Moreover, the supply chain's profit in supplier-led game is always lower than that in Nash game irrespective of the promotion strategy in profit sharing context. When revenue sharing contract is adopted, the result holds only when the revenue sharing ratio is relatively low.
Originality/value
The authors originally explore two promotion strategies of the software supplier when taking the channel power structures into considerations, which has not been explored in the literature to the best of the authors' knowledge.
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Fei Tong, Jie Yang, Meng Qiang Duan, Xu Fei Ma and Gao Chao Li
The purpose of this article is to understand the current research status and future development trends in the field of numerical simulation on rock mass grouting.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this article is to understand the current research status and future development trends in the field of numerical simulation on rock mass grouting.
Design/methodology/approach
This article first searched the literature database (EI, Web of Science, CNKI, etc.) for keywords related to the numerical simulation of rock mass grouting to obtain the initial literature database. Then, from the initial database, several documents with strong relevance to the numerical simulation theme of rock mass grouting and high citation rate were selected; some documents from the references were selected as supplements, forming the sample database of this review study (a total of 90 articles). Finally, through sorting out the relationship among the literature, this literature review was carried out.
Findings
The numerical simulation of rock mass grouting is mainly based on the porous media model and the fractured media model. It has experienced the development process from Newtonian fluid to non-Newtonian fluid, from time-invariant viscosity to time-varying viscosity, and from generalized theoretical model to engineering application model. Based on this, this article summarizes four scientific problems that need to be solved in the future in this research field: the law of grout distribution at the cross fissures, the grout diffusion mechanism under multi-field coupling, more accurate grouting theoretical model and simulation technology with strong engineering applicability.
Originality/value
This research systematically analyzes the current research status and shortcomings of numerical simulation on rock mass grouting, summarizes four key issues in the future development of this research field and provides new ideas for the future research on numerical simulation on rock mass grouting.
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Weinan Zheng, Peng Xiao and Andrew Madden
Academic contention occurs when research evidence is amenable to more than one interpretation. China has a long tradition of Shang Que (商榷), in which authors argue for their…
Abstract
Purpose
Academic contention occurs when research evidence is amenable to more than one interpretation. China has a long tradition of Shang Que (商榷), in which authors argue for their preferred interpretation. The modern form of this tradition is the Shang Que article, which often takes the form of research papers in Chinese-language journals and which tends to be question-oriented. Shang Que articles usually take the views of a particular author or article as the focus of independent and complete criticism by another, independent, academic. This paper explains the role of Shang Que articles in Chinese scholarship and their influence on international academia.
Design/methodology/approach
A bibliometric analysis was used to explore the characteristics and evolution of Chinese Shang Que articles using 30,577 articles published between 1979 and 2018. Microsoft Excel and Gephi were used for data analysis and visualization.
Findings
Findings suggest a decline in the number of Shang Que articles and an increase in the number of co-authors. Shang Que articles remained particularly prominent in Philosophy and Humanities and Social Sciences, where they focused on local issues such as classical Chinese, the Sinicization of Marxism and Chinese literature. This suggests that the number of Shang Que articles is related to the degree of internationalization of a research field.
Originality/value
Shang Que articles, which have been influenced by academic paradigms in English, are a fusion of China's Shang Que tradition and of the modern academic system. Through considering Shang Que articles, this paper explores the benefits of local academic traditions in non-English-speaking cultures.
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The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of China's contemporary banking regulatory system, with particular focus on regulatory control of foreign banks trading in…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of China's contemporary banking regulatory system, with particular focus on regulatory control of foreign banks trading in China. The paper addresses three aspects of Chinese banking regulation: what does China regulate; why does China regulate; and how does China regulate. Much of the discussion is concerned with China's regulatory agencies particularly with the role of the CBRC as the principal regulator in China's banking sector.
Design/methodology/approach
In the first instance the paper presents an overview of banking regulatory models gained from a review of theoretical literature in the area. Then through a wide ranging review of Chinese publications, both academic and official, the paper seeks to relate the course of regulatory reform in China, both in terms of compliance with orthodox regulatory theory, and the unique regulatory requirements of the Chinese banking system.
Findings
The paper recognises that China has embraced the need for banking regulation with the establishment of an institutional structure that is responsive to both banking supervision and government policy. Within that structure the role of the CBRC, the pervasive manner in which that agency operates, and the content of its regulatory output have been identified and critically reviewed.
Originality/value
In its review of the modernization of China's banking regulatory system, the paper achieves originality from the author's research into, and critical reflections on Chinese generated literature, both institutional and academic, which is then communicated in a manner that will be understood by readers familiar with Western banking regulatory theory.
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Laura Parte-Esteban and Pilar Alberca-Oliver
This paper aims to investigate the determinants of dynamic efficiency in the Spanish hotel industry. The study also aims to introduce a large number of variables potentially…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the determinants of dynamic efficiency in the Spanish hotel industry. The study also aims to introduce a large number of variables potentially related to efficiency and performance measurement. In particular, it seeks to explore the association between efficiency scores and firm-specific factors (variables related to market conditions, business factors, audit variables, organisational forms and subsidiary variables).
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, the data envelopment analysis (DEA) double-frontier approach is used according to firm size in conjunction with non-parametric tests (Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis tests), a dynamic Tobit regression model and a bootstrapping procedure. The tests are performed using 1,805 hotels from the years 2002 to 2011. This allows the authors to overcome several of the major limitations of previous papers, namely, the low number of observations, the static or cross-sectional analysis referring to a single period and the use of conventional DEA models, among others.
Findings
The results show significant differences in dynamic efficiency among Spanish hotel companies. In addition, the evidence suggests the levels of efficiency are related to the hotel's location, the hotel's size, internationalisation, the first source of the hotel's activity, audit service and management variables.
Research limitations/implications
One limitation of the study is related to the input and output variables specified in the DEA model. The selection of inputs and outputs was based on data availability and the previous literature on hotel efficiency, but the results might change if the hotel sample and the selected input and output variables were changed. Another limitation is the availability of data on ownership structure and subsidiary variables for very small businesses.
Originality/value
The paper contributes to the tourism literature by offering new insights into hotel performance: dynamic efficiency evaluation and its main determinants. The paper presents strategic market implications for hoteliers, government decision-makers and destination management organisations.
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Zhaobin Meng, Yueheng Lu and Hongyue Duan
The purpose of this paper is to study the following two issues regarding blockchain crowdsourcing. First, to design smart contracts with lower consumption to meet the needs of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study the following two issues regarding blockchain crowdsourcing. First, to design smart contracts with lower consumption to meet the needs of blockchain crowdsourcing services and also need to design better interaction modes to further reduce the cost of blockchain crowdsourcing services. Second, to design an effective privacy protection mechanism to protect user privacy while still providing high-quality crowdsourcing services for location-sensitive multiskilled mobile space crowdsourcing scenarios and blockchain exposure issues.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper proposes a blockchain-based privacy-preserving crowdsourcing model for multiskill mobile spaces. The model in this paper uses the zero-knowledge proof method to make the requester believe that the user is within a certain location without the user providing specific location information, thereby protecting the user’s location information and other privacy. In addition, through off-chain calculation and on-chain verification methods, gas consumption is also optimized.
Findings
This study deployed the model on Ethereum for testing. This study found that the privacy protection is feasible and the gas optimization is obvious.
Originality/value
This study designed a mobile space crowdsourcing based on a zero-knowledge proof privacy protection mechanism and optimized gas consumption.
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Walid E. Elgammal, Essam M. Eliwa, Hosni A. Goomaa, Medhat E. Owda and H. Abd El-Wahab
This paper aims to focus on the synthesis of the macrocyclic complexes (Cu and Zn) and their applications as anticorrosive materials in epoxy paint formulation for surface coating…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to focus on the synthesis of the macrocyclic complexes (Cu and Zn) and their applications as anticorrosive materials in epoxy paint formulation for surface coating application.
Design/methodology/approach
A selected macrocyclic Cu(II) and Zn(II) complexes were prepared via template synthesis and characterized using Fourier transform infrared, thermal gravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscope, flexibility, hardness and adhesion of coating films prepared using epoxy paint.
Findings
The corrosion resistance of the epoxy-painted films was improved due to the incorporation of the Zn and Cu complexes into the formulation.
Originality/value
It was found that the metal complex-based formulation with Cu(II) and Zn(II) had outperformed the sample blank.
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