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Article
Publication date: 25 July 2018

Shuai An, Suozhong Yuan and Huadong Li

The purpose of this paper is to enhance the quadrotor’s capability of short-distance delivery to satisfy the large demand for quadrotor, which is used for goods distribution in…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to enhance the quadrotor’s capability of short-distance delivery to satisfy the large demand for quadrotor, which is used for goods distribution in huge warehouses, under time-varying payload and external wind disturbance.

Design/methodology/approach

A trajectory tracking controller design based on the combination of an adaptive sliding mode control (ASMC) method and the active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) technique is proposed. Besides, an inner–outer loop control system structure is adopted.

Findings

Simulation results of different trajectory tracking verify the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed tracking control method under various conditions, including parameter uncertainty and external wind disturbance. The proposed control strategy ensures that quadrotor UAV is capable of tracking linear and spiral trajectory well whether it loads or unloads goods in the presence of the external wind disturbance.

Originality/value

The proposed method of designing a trajectory tracking controller is based on an integral ADRC and ASMC scheme so as to deal with the trajectory tracking problem for a quadrotor with payload variation.

Details

International Journal of Intelligent Computing and Cybernetics, vol. 11 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-378X

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 30 May 2020

Kuan Zhao and Shuai Zhang

In recent years, with the steady growth of China’s economy and world’s vacation market, and powered by the growing and significant large demands of Chinese overseas travel, an

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Abstract

Purpose

In recent years, with the steady growth of China’s economy and world’s vacation market, and powered by the growing and significant large demands of Chinese overseas travel, an emergent trend of international development by major Chinese tourism groups has attracted notice by scholars and practitioners and this is obvious especially in the private sector. With this as the background, this paper aims to explore how China’s leading tourism companies expand their business internationally through a case study approach.

Details

Tourism Critiques: Practice and Theory, vol. 1 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2633-1225

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 April 2020

Annan Jiang, Shuai Zheng and Shanyong Wang

This paper aims at the problem of surrounding rock excavation damage zone of tunneling in the rich water region, this paper aims to propose a new seepage-stress-damage coupling…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims at the problem of surrounding rock excavation damage zone of tunneling in the rich water region, this paper aims to propose a new seepage-stress-damage coupling model and studied the numerical algorithm. This reflects the characteristics of rock damage evolution, accompanied by plastic flow deformation and multi-field interaction.

Design/methodology/approach

First of all, rock elastoplastic damage constitutive model based on the Drucker–Prager criterion is established, the fully implicit return mapping algorithm is adopted to realize the numerical solution. Second, based on the relation between damage variation and permeability coefficient, the rock stress-seepage-damage model and multi-field coupling solving iterative method are presented. Finally, using the C++ language compiled the corresponding programs and simulated tunnel engineering in the rich water region.

Findings

Results show that difference evolution-based back analysis inversed damage parameters well, at the same time the established coupling model and calculating program have more advantages than general conventional methods. Multiple field coupling effects should be more considered for the design of tunnel support.

Originality/value

The proposed method provides an effective numerical simulation method for the construction of the tunnel and other geotechnical engineering involved underground water problems.

Details

Engineering Computations, vol. 37 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-4401

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 April 2022

Huanhuan Ma, Jingqin Su, Shuai Zhang and Sijia Zhang

The rapid growth of emerging market firms (EMFs) has been a topic of interest for the past two decades, especially in China. However, few studies have discussed how and why EMFs…

Abstract

Purpose

The rapid growth of emerging market firms (EMFs) has been a topic of interest for the past two decades, especially in China. However, few studies have discussed how and why EMFs can impel the upgrading of their capabilities to quickly win competitive advantages in the global market. In this context, the purpose of this paper is to unravel the implausible upgrading phenomenon from the perspective of technological proximity.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper adopts a single case study, specifically that of a leading Chinese e-bike firm, with a special focus on the dynamic nature of the capability upgrading process and underlying mechanisms.

Findings

The results show that taking advantage of technological proximity is an important way for EMFs to climb the ladder of capability upgrading. The stage-based process reveals how capability upgrading is achieved through elaborate actions related to technological proximity. Furthermore, this study finds three learning mechanisms behind the technological proximity, which enable firms to successfully upgrade to higher levels of capabilities. In particular, the trigger role played by contextual conditions in guiding firms' capability upgrading is highlighted and characterized.

Research limitations/implications

This study enriches traditional capability upgrading literature from a technological proximity perspective, especially the traditional static upgrading research related to EMFs. The authors also contribute to the conceptualization of technological proximity. However, the research setting is China's e-bike industry; therefore, the study's generalizability to other emerging markets and industries may be limited.

Practical implications

The results show that it is important to recognize the value of the transfer and sharing of technology between proximal industries for local governments. Also, appropriate policies should be developed to break down the technology barriers between these industries. Moreover, rather than catching up with the superior technologies of multinational corporations in advanced countries, focusing on products with high technological proximity in local or regional areas may be more helpful for EMFs' upgrading.

Originality/value

This paper investigates the capability upgrading process and mechanisms in EMFs, particularly with respect to the role played by technological proximity.

Details

International Journal of Emerging Markets, vol. 18 no. 12
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1746-8809

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 24 July 2020

Jingqin Su, Huanhuan Ma and Shuai Zhang

In the face of fierce international competition for those participating in global value chains (GVCs), upgrading has been a central concern of emerging market firms (EMFs) that…

Abstract

Purpose

In the face of fierce international competition for those participating in global value chains (GVCs), upgrading has been a central concern of emerging market firms (EMFs) that are trying to occupy higher value-added positions. However, although the innovation capabilities (ICs) have been generally considered critical to upgrading in GVCs, few studies have examined how IC is built up and then applied to the EMF upgrading process over time. To this end, the purpose of this paper is to investigate why and how EMFs can upgrade in GVCs through the development of their IC.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper adopts a multiple-case study of three supplier firms in China and their IC development processes, with a special focus on the nature of the firm-level upgrading in GVCs.

Findings

The results generate a process model of EMFs upgrading with respect to the development of IC. The model reveals how IC is built up through the firms' underlying systematic innovation activities, which enable firms to successfully upgrade within GVCs. In particular, the role played by contextual vulnerability in guiding firms to develop the appropriate IC, and the corresponding upgrading, is highlighted.

Research limitations/implications

This study contributes to the micro-foundation in GVCs literature, especially the traditional static upgrading research of EMFs. The authors also contribute to existing IC development research. Meanwhile, the study focuses on the upgrading of three Chinese firms in the phone and LED industries. The generalizability to other emerging markets and industries may therefore be limited.

Practical implications

The study results show that EMFs could initially develop endogenous IC that focuses on process innovation as a means to establish a foundation for further upgrading. In addition, firms need to improve their ability to accurately sense contextual changes. As such, it would be valuable to understand their positions and characteristics within GVCs.

Originality/value

This paper investigates a process model of upgrading in GVCs through IC development in EMFs. This study also adds a dynamic micro-foundation to existing, rather macro and static GVCs studies.

Details

International Journal of Emerging Markets, vol. 16 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1746-8809

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 January 2008

Zhilong Tian and Shuai Fan

The purpose of this paper is to integrate the corporate market and non‐market behaviors (such as social, legal, and political activities) into the research of competitive…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to integrate the corporate market and non‐market behaviors (such as social, legal, and political activities) into the research of competitive interaction.

Design/methodology/approach

“Structured content analysis” is used in analyzing the longitudinal data of five real estate enterprises from an industrial journal during the last seven years.

Findings

Competitive interactions with market and non‐market contents involve the expanded competitive scope, behaviors, and relationships. New explanations beyond previous literatures are provided to explain the expanded competitive behaviors (especially in resource‐oriented and mixed scope) by analyzing the characteristics of actions and responses.

Practical implications

Firms must effectively focus on the interaction of market and non‐market competitive behaviors. Industrial competitors in the market environment can engage in collaborative or cooperative actions with non‐market issues in order to obtain collective benefits.

Originality/value

This paper expands on previous studyies of competitive interaction by integrating the important non‐market content, especially categorizing it in the Chinese transitional environment with typical evidence.

Details

Journal of Chinese Economic and Foreign Trade Studies, vol. 1 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1754-4408

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 October 2010

Xinming Deng, Zhilong Tian, Shuai Fan and Muhammad Abrar

The purpose of this paper is to explore the prediction of competitive response based on the characteristics of market and non‐market actions comprehensively, and develop a

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the prediction of competitive response based on the characteristics of market and non‐market actions comprehensively, and develop a four‐stage decision‐making model of firm's competitive action, which is significant for Chinese practicing managers when formulating and implementing the strategies, and further predicting competitors' strategic choices.

Design/methodology/approach

The research adopted the method of structured content analysis and carried out the survey in Chinese home appliance industry, mainly covering the largest firms, including TCL, Hisense, Changhong, Konka, Haier, and Skyworth. The method of multiple regression analysis was employed to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The results show that in order to comprehensively forecast competitor's responding behaviors, the firms could not only limit their perspective to market field but also pay attention to non‐market. Additionally, in the process of dynamic interaction, the attacking or responding action is not independent and it is related significantly to another three type decisions, which are market and non‐market, strategic and tactic, and collective and individual. Further, the study asserts that, in market field, tactic activity is more likely to trigger competitor's response than strategic one, while in non‐market, the situation is just the opposite. Meanwhile, the study figured out that individual market attack is easier to trigger individual market and non‐market response, as well as collective market response. While for non‐market action, whatever it is individual or collective, both would be easy to provoke competitor's collective response.

Originality/value

The research findings extend the existing competitive interaction theory to non‐market field. When forecasting competitor's choice of the competitive action, the firms could not only limit their perspective to market field but also pay attention to non‐market, attaching importance to certain situation of competitor's taking such non‐market action as corporate philanthropy, etc. to launch an attack or a response for gaining competitive advantage.

Details

Nankai Business Review International, vol. 1 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-8749

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 June 2012

Shuai Zhang and David Bright

Talent management (TM) is underdeveloped and TM recognition is unclear in the context of Chinese private‐owned enterprises (POEs). As talent definition is the basis of TM…

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Abstract

Purpose

Talent management (TM) is underdeveloped and TM recognition is unclear in the context of Chinese private‐owned enterprises (POEs). As talent definition is the basis of TM practices, the purpose of this paper is to explore talent definition and TM recognition in the context of Chinese real estate POEs, in order to explore how Chinese cultural context and POEs' characteristics influence talent definition and TM recognition.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 27 semi‐structured interviews were conducted in three case study companies.

Findings

Based on qualitative analysis, the paper finds talent definition is influenced by the important Chinese cultural factor “guanxi” and is quite different from existing Western TM literature. TM recognition is also influenced by the Chinese POEs' operation characteristics.

Originality/value

The paper finds a new talent definition criterion, “guanxi”, and identifies TM recognition in the context of Chinese POEs. The paper thus contributes to TM literature in China.

Details

Journal of Chinese Entrepreneurship, vol. 4 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-1396

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 November 2015

Zheng Bo, Qi Zhao, Xiaorui Shuai, Jianhua Yan and Kefa Cen

– The purpose of this paper is to provide a quantitative assessment on the effect of wall roughness on the pressure drop of fluid flow in microchannels.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a quantitative assessment on the effect of wall roughness on the pressure drop of fluid flow in microchannels.

Design/methodology/approach

The wall roughness is generated by the method of random midpoint displacement (RMD) and the lattice Boltzmann BGK model is applied. The influences of Reynolds number, relative roughness and the Hurst exponent of roughness profile on the Poiseuille number are investigated.

Findings

Unlike the smooth channel flow, Reynolds number, relative roughness and the Hurst exponent of roughness profiles play critical roles on the Poiseuille number Po in rough microchannels. Modeling results indicate that, in rough microchannels, the rough surface configuration intensifies the flow-surface interactions and the wall conditions turn to dominate the flow characteristics. The perturbance of the local flows near the channel wall and the formation of recirculation regions are two main features of the flow-surface interactions.

Research limitations/implications

The fluid flow in parallel planes with surface roughness is considered in the current study. In other words, only two-dimensional fluid flow is investigated.

Practical implications

The LBM is a very useful tool to investigate the microscale flows.

Originality/value

A new method (RMD) is applied to generate the wall roughness in parallel plane and LBM is conducted to investigate the pressure drop characteristics in rough microchannels.

Details

International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, vol. 25 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0961-5539

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 June 2017

Jin-Cheon Na and Yingxin Estella Ye

The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive understanding of scholarly discussions of academic publications on the social web and to further discuss the validity of…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive understanding of scholarly discussions of academic publications on the social web and to further discuss the validity of altmetrics as a research impact assessment tool for academic articles.

Design/methodology/approach

Facebook posts citing psychological journal papers were collected for both quantitative and qualitative analyses. A content analysis approach was adopted to investigate topic preferences and motivations for scholarly discussions among academic and non-academic Facebook users.

Findings

Non-academic users were more actively engaged in scholarly discussions on Facebook than academic users. Among 1,711 Facebook users in the sample, 71.4 percent of them belonged to non-academic users, while 28.6 percent were from an academic background. The Facebook users cited psychological articles with various motivations: discussion and evaluation toward articles (20.4 percent), application to real life practices (16.5 percent), self-promotion (6.4 percent), and data source exchange (6.0 percent). However, nearly half of the posts (50.1 percent) were simply sharing articles without additional user comments. These results implicate that Facebook metric (a count of mentions of a research article on Facebook), as an important source of altmetrics, better reflects the attitudes or perceptions of the general public instead of academia.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature by enriching the understanding of Facebook metric as an academic and non-academic impact assessment tool for scientific publication. Through the content analysis of Facebook posts, it also draws insights into the ways in which non-academic audiences are engaging with scholarly outputs.

Details

Online Information Review, vol. 41 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1468-4527

Keywords

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