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1 – 10 of over 2000Leiju Qiu, Yang Zhao, Qian Liu, Baowen Sun and Xiaolin Wu
In the crowd intelligence networking era, the smart connections of human, machines and things enable point-to-point trustable transactions and distributed efficient collaboration;…
Abstract
Purpose
In the crowd intelligence networking era, the smart connections of human, machines and things enable point-to-point trustable transactions and distributed efficient collaboration; the smart connections among government, enterprises, organizations and the public would enable active participation of the public in society management and decision-making and improve the efficiency of government management and services. All interactions among various agents can be viewed as the transaction activity. The social division of labor system drives the evolution of transaction. The transaction mode also differentiated into different patterns with the development of human society. What will be the intelligent transaction in the crowd intelligence networking era? What will be the transactions modes and rules in the crowd intelligence networking era? The answers to these questions are of great importance to the future development of transactions.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors review the evolution of traditional transaction and transaction modes and analyze the driving forces of it. They attempt to give the definitions of intelligent transaction and intelligent transaction mode. They also review the traditional transaction modes and rules, analyze the characteristics of the intelligent transaction and classify the intelligent transaction modes.
Findings
The authors find the intelligent transaction is mainly reflected in the intellectualization of transaction subject, transaction object and transaction process. They summarize the characteristics of intelligent transaction and develop four modes for the intelligent transactions based on the modularization level of the transaction objects and the quantity of transaction subjects, including the demand side and the supply side. The authors also show representative examples to further illustrate rules and features of these transaction modes and point out the potential research directions.
Originality/value
This study is among the first to analyze the characteristics of the intelligent transaction, and the proposed division framework of the intelligent transaction modes could not only add value to the future research of intelligent transaction modes and rules but also help to guide the transactions in the crowd intelligence network.
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Ravit Mizrahi-Shtelman and Gili S. Drori
The study discusses the professionalization of academic leadership in Israel by analyzing and comparing two different training programs: the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s…
Abstract
The study discusses the professionalization of academic leadership in Israel by analyzing and comparing two different training programs: the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s (HUJI) program and the CHE-Rothschild program. The HUJI program began in 2016 to train the professoriate to take charge of leadership positions alongside a separate program for administrative staff, while the CHE-Rothschild program was launched in 2019 to train academic leaders, both professors and administrators from universities and colleges nationwide. The analysis reveals two “ideal types” of collegiality: While Model A (exemplified by the HUJI program) bifurcates between the professoriate and administrative staff, Model B (exemplified by the CHE-Rothschild program) binds administrative and academic staff members through course composition, pedagogy, and content. The study suggests a pattern of redefinition of collegiality in academia: we find that while academic hierarchies are maintained (between academic faculty and administrative staff and between universities and colleges), collegiality in academia is being redefined as extending beyond the boundaries of the professoriate and emphasizing a partnership approach to collegial ties.
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Junting Lin, Mingjun Ni and Huadian Liang
This study aims to propose an adaptive fractional-order sliding mode controller to solve the problem of train speed tracking control and position interval control under…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to propose an adaptive fractional-order sliding mode controller to solve the problem of train speed tracking control and position interval control under disturbance environment in moving block system, so as to improve the tracking efficiency and collision avoidance performance.
Design/methodology/approach
The mathematical model of information interaction between trains is established based on algebraic graph theory, so that the train can obtain the state information of adjacent trains, and then realize the distributed cooperative control of each train. In the controller design, the sliding mode control and fractional calculus are combined to avoid the discontinuous switching phenomenon, so as to suppress the chattering of sliding mode control, and a parameter adaptive law is constructed to approximate the time-varying operating resistance coefficient.
Findings
The simulation results show that compared with proportional integral derivative (PID) control and ordinary sliding mode control, the control accuracy of the proposed algorithm in terms of speed is, respectively, improved by 25% and 75%. The error frequency and fluctuation range of the proposed algorithm are reduced in the position error control, the error value tends to 0, and the operation trend tends to be consistent. Therefore, the control method can improve the control accuracy of the system and prove that it has strong immunity.
Originality/value
The algorithm can reduce the influence of external interference in the actual operating environment, realize efficient and stable tracking of trains, and ensure the safety of train control.
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Naod Mekonnen Anega and Bamlaku Alemu
This study empirically examines the impact of rural roads on consumption of households in Ethiopia.
Abstract
Purpose
This study empirically examines the impact of rural roads on consumption of households in Ethiopia.
Design/methodology/approach
Both descriptive statistics and econometric techniques are used to address the aforementioned objective. Specifically, quantile regression, fixed- and random-effect models are used to understand the impact of rural road quality on welfare.
Findings
The econometric analysis revealed that improving the quality of rural roads and/or creating access to all-weather roads raises households' average real consumption per capita by as much as 10%. The other transport indicator – mode of transport – also has a positive effect on real consumption per capita. The result indicated that real consumption per capita for households using the traditional mode of transport would increase by as much as 7% compared to those using foot as a major mode of transport. However, the fixed quantile estimation result revealed that rural road access has a positive and significant effect on consumption per capita only for the 0.8th and 0.9th percentiles, indicating that the access to roads is not pro-poor.
Research limitations/implications
Improving rural roads to a level of all-weather road standards and provision of agricultural transport facilities should be strategic priorities.
Originality/value
This study provides empirical evidence pertinent to the effect rural mobility has on the consumption of households as well as the pro-poorness of such investments in rural settings.
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Peiqing Li, Taiping Yang, Hao Zhang, Lijun Wang and Qipeng Li
This paper aimed a fractional-order sliding mode-based lateral lane-change control method that was proposed to improve the path-tracking accuracy of vehicle lateral motion.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aimed a fractional-order sliding mode-based lateral lane-change control method that was proposed to improve the path-tracking accuracy of vehicle lateral motion.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper the vehicle presighting and kinematic models were established, and a new sliding mode control isokinetic convergence law was devised based on the fractional order calculus to make the front wheel turning angle approach the desired value quickly. On this basis, a fractional gradient descent algorithm was proposed to adjust the radial basis function (RBF) neuron parameter update rules to improve the compensation speed of the neural network.
Findings
The simulation results revealed that, compared to the traditional sliding mode control strategy, the designed controller eliminated the jitter of the sliding mode control, sped up the response of the controller, reduced the overshoot of the system parameters and facilitated accurate and fast tracking of the desired path when the vehicle changed lanes at low speeds.
Originality/value
This paper combines the idea of fractional order calculus with gradient descent algorithm, proposed a fractional-order gradient descent method applied to RBF neural network and fast adjustment the position and width of neurons.
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The purpose of this study is to review literature on the relationship between leadership and workplace learning, to critically analyze and discuss findings and to suggest future…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to review literature on the relationship between leadership and workplace learning, to critically analyze and discuss findings and to suggest future research paths based on the synthesis.
Design/methodology/approach
This study applied a refined literature review process leading to a selection of 40 articles, which originated from 14 internationally acclaimed journals.
Findings
When explaining leadership influence regarding individual and team learning, the concepts of role modeling behavior, relational support and negotiation of meaning is significant. If leaders provide support, show exemplary behavior and negotiate individual arrangements with employees, workplace learning development is positively affected.
Research limitations/implications
Future studies should focus on empirical cases further illustrating how the leader–employee relationship is formed in practice, to further understand differences in leadership influence on employee workplace learning.
Practical implications
The gathered knowledge implicates that carefully designed leadership training programs and personalized work arrangements between leader and employees are beneficial for leader’s ability to influence employee workplace learning.
Originality/value
The reviewed studies were solely published in top management journals, which resulted in an original literature selection. This study also discusses implicit or articulated assumptions about the view of learning in the selected studies, offering additional understanding about the underlying learning views in leadership–workplace learning research.
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Siraj K. K. and Azzah Al Maskari
The main purpose of this study was to evaluate students’ perception of blended learning instructional design in a Higher Education Institution (HEI) in the Sultanate of Oman. A…
Abstract
The main purpose of this study was to evaluate students’ perception of blended learning instructional design in a Higher Education Institution (HEI) in the Sultanate of Oman. A course in a bachelor degree was offered using blended learning instructional mode, and students’ feedback was obtained on the impact of blended learning. The study was conducted in Ibra College of Technology, one of the seven colleges under the Ministry of Manpower in the Sultanate of Oman. A course in Business Strategy and HR Management was offered during Summer 2016 using a combination of traditional and online instructional design. A structured questionnaire was administered at the end of the semester to solicit feedback from students. The results of the study highlighted a positive attitude among students towards blended learning courses. The research stressed the requirements for proper infrastructure, training and development initiatives for staff and students, shift to a more focused practical assessment methods to measure the graduate attributes. Student engagement, learner autonomy, connection of learning to real life environments and flexibility all appeared to benefit from the blended learning course.
This paper aims to determine the essential “collective goods” which a foreign multinational enterprise (MNE) must have before production can start in a remote area of an emerging…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to determine the essential “collective goods” which a foreign multinational enterprise (MNE) must have before production can start in a remote area of an emerging economy, and to consider the alternative governance modes available to procure or create these goods.
Design/methodology/approach
This purpose is examined conceptually and theoretically. First, the concept of “collective goods” is presented, followed by a consideration of the traditional “buy, ally or make” contractual approaches available to obtain goods and services. These approaches are repositioned in the context of an “emerging economy” so that alternative “ordering systems” as well as “non-contractual” means of obtaining things have to be considered in the context of internalization and reciprocity theories.
Findings
It is difficult to obtain collective goods in remote areas of emerging economies where private ordering prevails and even succeeds but at high transaction costs and with substantial government intervention. However, the use of non-contractual modes of exchange such as reciprocity is available to facilitate exchanges between market MNEs and nonmarket state offices and civil-society associations such as non-governmental organizations with which collaboration is necessary but which cannot be acquired or controlled by MNEs. However, market firms can use philanthropy and lobbying to obtain the help of these nonmarket actors who know how to operate under private and state-ordering systems.
Research limitations/implications
Theoretical implications: Internalization theory explains why MNEs are able to obtain collective goods by providing them “in-house”, while reciprocity theory exemplifies how non-contractual modes of exchange can substitute for the traditional but contractual “buy, ally and/or make”.
Practical implications
Managerial implications: In terms of the organizational structure of the subsidiary of an MNE operating in an emerging economy, it appears that the line functions of procurement, engineering and production may rely more on contractual exchanges with foreign suppliers, while the staff functions of public affairs, government relations and human resources may be more adept at using reciprocal exchange with local suppliers.
Originality/value
The provisioning of the collective goods when a firm builds its facilities in a remote and underdeveloped part of an emerging economy has hardly received any research attention nor have the non-contractual ways – such as reciprocity – available in the context of private ordering to obtain these goods.
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The quality of the output (students) of any educational institution depends on many factors like curriculum, technology, infrastructure, assessment, students and its faculty. The…
Abstract
The quality of the output (students) of any educational institution depends on many factors like curriculum, technology, infrastructure, assessment, students and its faculty. The most important of all these factors is faculty. If faculty members are satisfied, motivated and committed then students' learning is going to be much better. No matter how advanced technology and infrastructure may be, how well designed the curriculum is and how delicate the assessment mechanism is, faculty is a variable that supersedes all. Teaching, whether in conventional or distance learning, is the single variable that can be a decisive factor in students' learning. Teaching in distance mode, where there is no or very little teacher-student interaction may become a boring, routine and unattractive job. Too much research is being conducted on factors like technology and media, whereas the faculty of distance education remains a neglected area. In this study, the Job Characteristic Model developed by Hackman and Oldham (1976) has been used as the theoretical basis and the Job Diagnostic Survey has been used to collect data from teachers of distance learning and traditional universities by using an online link which was sent via email to all the faculty members. The purpose of the study was to gather empirical data about faculty satisfaction in both modes of teaching (traditional and distance learning), compare both modes and explore which factors are considered to be more important by the faculty members. The results show that faculty members in distance education and traditional education systems differ in their perceptions towards their jobs. Higher mean scores have been recorded for skill variety, task identity, autonomy, feedback from work, experienced meaningfulness, job security and growth satisfaction by faculty of the traditional education system as compared to distance education faculty.