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Because of the complexity of technological innovation and the dynamics of the technological environment, it is impossible for a single firm to have all knowledge needed for technological innovation, making it essential for firms to conduct cross-border knowledge search and integration. However, it is very difficult for firms to acquire and assimilate cross-border knowledge. The purpose of this paper is to explore how an open innovation platform (OIP) helps firms to effectively search and integrate cross-border knowledge, and to understand the key roles that OIP plays during the cross-border knowledge search and integration processes.

This paper takes the case analysis method, which provides a comprehensively understanding on the complex process of cross-border knowledge search and integration as well as the internal mechanism. Drawing on the research paradigm of Eisenhardt (1989), Bakker and Akkerman (2014), this paper analyzes and verifies the mechanism of OIP cross-border knowledge search and integration based on extensive interviews.

First, this paper analyzes the process of cross-border knowledge search and integration through Haier open partnership ecosystem (HOPE), which is theoretically divided into three stages, including motivation formation, cross-border knowledge search and integration. These three stages have been further decomposed into the following seven steps: demands discovery, problems definition, problems decomposition, resource search, resource evaluation, technology redevelopment and test. In addition, this study investigates the manifestation of interrelationships among these stages and steps, depicting the pathways through which HOPE facilitates the firm’s cross-border knowledge search and integration. The conclusions indicate that OIP timely discovers the consumer demands during the motivation formation stage, effectively decomposes problems and find related technology resources during the search stage and improves the efficacy of integration stage.

This study reveals the mechanism of OIP cross-border knowledge search and integration and draws some valuable conclusions, which contribute to the literature on cross-border knowledge search, enrich the research on problem-solving and also propose a new perspective to study the roles of OIP on innovation. However, there are still some limitations. First, this study is built on a single platform (HOPE), further studies may focus on more platforms to ensure the conclusions of this paper. Second, this study conducts data analysis using a simple encoding analysis, so it is possible that some critical information is emitted while collating and analyzing data. Meanwhile, for the research methods, qualitative and quantitative methods can be combined to analyze related issues, then the correlation and corresponding mechanism can be incorporated into the same framework to further verify the conclusions and generalize the results.

This paper theoretically analyzes how and why HOPE helps firms search and integrate cross-border knowledge. It provides not only a reference for OIP but also a proven and effective way for companies’ acquiring and integrating cross-border knowledge. Then it will further improve firms’ innovative abilities, especially disruptive innovation abilities.

Technological innovation, especially disruptive innovation is not only a driving force of firms’ sustainable development but also a vital driver of national development. This paper clarified that OIP can help firms conduct successful disruptive innovation through cross-border knowledge search and integration, which will further increase national innovative competence and improve social welfare.

This paper extends the literature on the process of cross-border knowledge search and integration, as well as the roles of OIP. From a managerial standpoint, the conclusions have practical implications for firms to successfully acquire and integrate cross-border knowledge.

This article aims to establish a dynamic Energy Performance Contract (EPC) risk allocation model for commercial buildings based on the theory of Incomplete Contract. The purpose is to fill the policy vacuum and allow stakeholders to manage risks in energy conservation management by EPCs to better adapt to climate change in the building sector.

The article chooses a qualitative research approach to depict the whole risk allocation picture of EPC projects and establish a dynamic EPC risk allocation model for commercial buildings in China. It starts with a comprehensive literature review on risks of EPCs. By modifying the theory of Incomplete Contract and adopting the so-called bow-tie model, a theoretical EPC risk allocation model is developed and verified by interview results. By discussing its application in the commercial building sector in China, an operational EPC three-stage risk allocation model is developed.

This study points out the contract incompleteness of the risk allocation for EPC projects and offered an operational method to guide practice. The reasonable risk allocation between building owners and Energy Service Companies can realize their bilateral targets on commercial building energy-saving benefits, which makes EPC more attractive for energy conservation.

Existing research focused mainly on static risk allocation. Less research was directed to the phased and dynamic risk allocation. This study developed a theoretical three-stage EPC risk allocation model, which provided the theoretical support for dynamic EPC risk allocation of EPC projects. By addressing the contract incompleteness of the risk allocation, an operational method is developed. This is a new approach to allocate risks for EPC projects in a dynamic and staged way.

This paper aims to conduct an analysis of the influence of both the breadth and depth of outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) undertaken by Chinese high-tech listed companies during the period spanning 2010–2019. The data pertaining to these companies was used as a research sample to analyze the effects of OFDI on radical innovation performance.

Hierarchical regression analysis was used to test the proposed models, using survey data collected from 442 high-tech companies in China.

The findings of this study indicate a curvilinear (i.e. U-shaped) relationship between the breadth/depth of OFDI and radical innovation performance. Additional analysis reveals that OFDI plays a role in facilitating innovation breakthroughs by enhancing the internal dynamic capabilities of companies. Moreover, it is observed that a well-established institutional environment in the host country of investment can positively moderate the relationship between OFDI breadth/depth and radical innovation performance.

This study proffers a significant contribution to the understanding of the crucial role played by OFDI from emerging economy companies in enhancing radical innovation performance. Moreover, it offers theoretical guidance for multinational companies aiming to foster innovation breakthroughs.

This study aims to develop a facile ligand-exchange strategy to promote nano-sintering of oleylamine (OAM)-capped silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). By using ligand exchange process with NH₄OH to remove OAM from the surface of AgNP, this study reports effectively reducing the sintering temperature of AgNPs to achieve low-temperature nano-sintering. Compared with untreated AgNPs of OAM-capped, NH₄OH-treated AgNPs possess superior sintering performance that could be applied to a fractional generator device as conductor and in favour of the fabrication of flexible circuit modules.

First, oleylamine is used as reductant to synthesize monodisperse AgNPs by a simple one-step method. Then ligand exchange is used with NH₄OH at different treating times to remove OAM, and micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and contact angle test are applied to clear the mechanism and structure characteristics of these processes. Finally, NH₄OH-treated AgNPs sediment sintering is used at different temperatures to test electrical resistivity and use ex situ scanning electron microscopy combined with in situ X-ray diffraction to study changes in microstructure in the whole nano-sintering process.

The AgNPs are always capped by organic ligands to prevent nanoparticles agglomeration. And oleylamine used as reductant could synthesize desirable size distributions of 8–32 nm with monodisperse globular shapes, but the low-temperature nano-sintering seemed not to be achieved by the oleylamine-capped AgNPs because OAM is an organic with long C-chain. The ligand exchange approach was enabled to replace the original organic ligands capped on AgNPs with organic ligands of low thermal stability which could promote nano-sintering. After ligand exchange treated AgNPs could be sintered on photo paper, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and polyethylene terephthalate flexible substrates at low temperature.

In this research, the method ligand exchange is used to change the ligand of AgNPs. During ligand exchange, NH₄OH was used to treat AgNPs. Through the treatment of NH₄OH, the change of hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties of AgNPs was successfully realized. The sintering temperature of AgNPs can also be reduced and the properties can be improved. Finally, the applicability of the AgNPs sediment with this nano-sintering process at low temperature for obtaining conductive patterns was evaluated using PDMS as substrates.

Gear transmissions are widely utilized in practice. This paper aims to uncouple the crack feature from the cracked time-varying mesh stiffness (TVMS) and investigate the effects of the crack on the nonlinear dynamics of a spur gear pair.

An approximate method to simulate the cracked TVMS is proposed by using an amplitude modulation function. The ratio of mesh stiffness loss is introduced to estimate the TVMS with different crack depths and angles. The dynamic responses are obtained by solving a torsional model which takes the non-loaded static transmission error, the backlash and the cracked TVMS into account. By using the bifurcation diagram, the largest Lyapunov exponent (LLE) and dynamic mesh force, the influences of crack on nonlinear behaviors are examined. The dynamic characteristics are identified from the phase diagram, Poincaré map, dynamic mesh force, time series and FFT spectra.

The comparison between the healthy and cracked gear pairs indicates that the crack affects the system motions, such as the obvious changes of impact force and unpredictable instability. Besides, the additive and difference combination frequencies can be found in periodic-1 and -2 motions, but they are covered in periodic-3 and chaotic motions. Deeper crack is an important determinant of the nonlinear behaviors at a higher speed.

The research provides an interesting perspective on cracked TVMS and reveals the connection between crack and nonlinear behaviors of the gear pairs.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the longitudinal influence of gender, age, education level, organizational tenure and emotional intelligence on three dimensions of knowledge hiding over time.

A longitudinal study using two-wave data sets of 390 employees in Chinese enterprises was conducted to build fixed, continuous and interacting models for investigating the effects of individual differences on the processes of knowledge hiding over time.

This research uncovered the changing relationships of individual differences on knowledge-hiding behaviors over time, such that age correlates with rationalized hiding in the interacting model, indicating younger employees are less likely to choose rationalized hiding when facing situation changes; and education level, organizational tenure and emotional intelligence moderate knowledge hiding over time, implying individuals with better education, longer tenure and higher emotional intelligence tend to exhibit more rationalized hiding behaviors rather than evasive hiding and playing dumb behaviors at Time 2.

One of the novel contributions of this study is that it tests the longitudinal effect of individual differences on knowledge hiding, providing a vertical perspective, and thereby contributing to the body of knowledge in knowledge management. The study also constructs fixed, continuous and interacting models to measure the covering longitudinal influences, thus making the research original.

This study aims to seek a new economic and environmental protection fuel tank inerting method.

The principle that serves as the basis for the cooling inerting process is described, the workflow of the cooling inerting system is designed, the mathematical model of the cooling inerting system is established, and the important performance changes of cooling inerting in the flight package line and the influence of key parameters on it are simulated by using Modelica software.

The results show that the cooling inerting system can be turned on to quickly reduce the vapour concentration in the gas phase in the fuel space and reduce the temperature below the flammability limit. Within a certain range of pumping flow, the inerting effect is more obvious when the pumping flow is larger. Simply running the cooling inerting system on the ground can remain the tank in an inert state throughout the flight envelope.

However, cooling inerting is suitable for models with fewer internal heat sources. An excessive number of internal heat sources will lead to inerting failure.

This study provides theoretical support for the feasibility of cooling inerting. Cooling inerting does not require engine air, and the cooling is mainly accomplished with air, which places a small load on the cooling system and has a much lower cost than the airborne hollow fibre film inerting technology widely used at present. It is a promising new inerting technology.

This study aims on a broad review of Concrete's Rheological Properties. The Concrete is a commonly used engineering material because of its exquisite mechanical interpretation, but the addition of constituent amounts has significant effects on the concrete’s fresh properties. The workability of the concrete mixture is a short-term property, but it is anticipated to affect the concrete’s long-term property.

In this review, the concrete and workability definition; concrete’s rheology models like Bingham model, thixotropy model, H-B model and modified Bingham model; obtained rheological parameters of concrete; the effect of constituent’s rheological properties, which includes cement and aggregates; and the concrete’s rheological properties such as consistency, mobility, compatibility, workability and stability were studied in detail.

Also, this review study has detailed the constituents and concrete’s rheological properties effects. Moreover, it exhibits the relationship between yield stress and plastic viscosity in concrete’s rheological behavior. Hence, several methods have been reviewed, and performance has been noted. In that, the abrasion resistance concrete has attained the maximum compressive strength of 73.6 Mpa; the thixotropy approach has gained the lowest plastic viscosity at 22 Pa.s; and the model coaxial cylinder has recorded the lowest stress rate at 8 Pa.

This paper especially describes the possible strategies to constrain improper prediction of concrete’s rheological properties that make the workability and rheological behavior prediction simpler and more accurate. From this, future guidelines can afford for prediction of concrete rheological behavior by implementing novel enhancing numerical techniques and exploring the finest process to evaluate the workability.

This paper examines the different features of China's economic development in different stages of economic globalization. The study finds that the investment- and export-based growth model drove China's high-speed economic growth between 2000 and 2007, which came into existence around 2000 when China plugged into the global production network.

This paper also finds that China slowed down to the New Normal because of the disruption to the socio-economic underpinnings of this growth model. As China adapts to and steers the New Normal, supply-side structural reforms can channel excess capacity to the construction of underground pipe networks in rural areas of central China and fix capital while advance rural revitalization.

At the same time, enterprises must strive to build a key component development platform for key component innovation and the standard-setting power in global manufacturing.

The establishment of a domestic production network integrating the integrated innovation-driven core enterprises and modular producers at different levels can satisfy the dynamic demand structure of China in which standardized demands and personalized demands coexist.

This study highlights the effect of an inductee's altruism on referral reward programs (RRPs) on an online shopping guide platform to determine the optimal RRP and referral reward allocation under a Cashback and Referral RRP.

The authors consider a Stackelberg game with a platform, seller, inductor and inductee, where the inductee's altruism plays a vital role in determining the optimal RRP in equilibrium.

The authors show that the conditions under which it is optimal to reward the inductor only or reward both inductor and inductee are equal or unequal depending on the degree of the inductee's altruism. Suppose the platform is unable to dynamically decide the commission fee. In that case, the platform may not always be involved in RRPs and will gradually reduce the rewards for inductees as the altruism increases.

This study focuses on a free-to-consumers model where sellers pay membership fees. Thus, this study has limitations regarding other pricing schemes such as a model in which consumers pay a fee while sellers do not or a model in which both types of users pay fees.

This analytical work can help platforms optimize referral reward strategies and referral reward allocation considering the influence of an inductee's altruism.

In a Cashback and Referral RRP on a shopping guide platform, the authors provide applicable conditions for the platform to involve in the RRPs when rewarding an equal bonus for the inductor and inductee first. Further, the authors show the optimal referral reward strategy and referral reward allocation when giving the different bonuses to the inductor and inductee.