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1 – 10 of over 8000Ryan W. Tang and Mike W.-L. Cheung
The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how international business (IB) researchers can benefit from meta-analytic structural equation modeling (MASEM) by introducing a…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how international business (IB) researchers can benefit from meta-analytic structural equation modeling (MASEM) by introducing a statistically rigorous approach (i.e. two-stage meta-analytic structural equation modeling or TSSEM) and comparing it with a conventional approach (i.e. the univariate-r approach). The illustration and comparison present a methodological overview of MASEM that will assist IB researchers in selecting an optimal method.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, the MASEM method is elaborated upon, and methodological issues are addressed, by comparing the TSSEM and the univariate-r approaches using an empirical illustration. In this illustrative example, which is based on transaction cost economics, the effects of a firm’s internal factors on its levels of commitment in an international entry strategy are examined.
Findings
The MASEM method can help IB researchers to test and build on IB theories by synthesizing findings in the extant literature because this method reflects the theoretical complexity of IB (e.g. intercorrelationships among factors). Comparing the two approaches of MASEM, it is found in this study that due to its statistical rigorousness TSSEM has methodological advantages in helping IB researchers test theoretical models.
Originality/value
This is the first study to introduce MASEM into the discipline of IB strategies. In this paper, the authors introduce an advanced research method and illustrate two ways of using it.
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I. Gibson, L.K. Cheung, S.P. Chow, W.L. Cheung, S.L. Beh, M. Savalani and S.H. Lee
This paper aims to illustrate a number of instances where RP and associated technology has been successfully used for medical applications.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to illustrate a number of instances where RP and associated technology has been successfully used for medical applications.
Design/methodology/approach
A number of medical case studies are presented, illustrating different uses of RP technology. These studies have been analysed in terms of how the technology has been applied in order to solve related medical problems.
Findings
It was found that RP has been helpful in a number of ways to solve medical problems. However, the technology has numerous limitations that have been analysed in order to establish how the technology should develop in the future.
Practical implications
RP can help solve medical problems, but must evolve if it is to be used more widespread in this field.
Originality/value
This paper has shown a number of new applications for RP, providing a holistic understanding how the technology can solve medical problems. It also identifies a number of ways in which the technology can improve in order to better solve such problems.
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Hassam Waheed, Peter J.R. Macaulay, Hamdan Amer Ali Al-Jaifi, Kelly-Ann Allen and Long She
In response to growing concerns over the negative consequences of Internet addiction on adolescents’ mental health, coupled with conflicting results in this literature stream…
Abstract
Purpose
In response to growing concerns over the negative consequences of Internet addiction on adolescents’ mental health, coupled with conflicting results in this literature stream, this meta-analysis sought to (1) examine the association between Internet addiction and depressive symptoms in adolescents, (2) examine the moderating role of Internet freedom across countries, and (3) examine the mediating role of excessive daytime sleepiness.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 52 studies were analyzed using robust variance estimation and meta-analytic structural equation modeling.
Findings
There was a significant and moderate association between Internet addiction and depressive symptoms. Furthermore, Internet freedom did not explain heterogeneity in this literature stream before and after controlling for study quality and the percentage of female participants. In support of the displacement hypothesis, this study found that Internet addiction contributes to depressive symptoms through excessive daytime sleepiness (proportion mediated = 17.48%). As the evidence suggests, excessive daytime sleepiness displaces a host of activities beneficial for maintaining mental health. The results were subjected to a battery of robustness checks and the conclusions remain unchanged.
Practical implications
The results underscore the negative consequences of Internet addiction in adolescents. Addressing this issue would involve interventions that promote sleep hygiene and greater offline engagement with peers to alleviate depressive symptoms.
Originality/value
This study utilizes robust meta-analytic techniques to provide the most comprehensive examination of the association between Internet addiction and depressive symptoms in adolescents. The implications intersect with the shared interests of social scientists, health practitioners, and policy makers.
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Louise Teh, William W.L. Cheung, Andy Cornish, Clarus Chu and U. Rashid Sumaila
Hong Kong's largely unregulated fisheries are in a state of biological and economic decline. The government has proposed new fisheries management regulations which will likely…
Abstract
Purpose
Hong Kong's largely unregulated fisheries are in a state of biological and economic decline. The government has proposed new fisheries management regulations which will likely restrict fishing effort. Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate: fishers' willingness and capacity to switch to alternative jobs or livelihoods; and the feasibility of the marine recreation sector to provide alternative employment options for fishers.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted interviews to find out about perceptions and attitudes towards the proposed management regulations, and alternative livelihood options for fishers. They interviewed participants in the fisheries sector (mainly fishers) and the marine recreation sector. A questionnaire was also mailed or faxed to marine recreation businesses throughout Hong Kong.
Findings
It was found that up to 75 per cent of fishers interviewed were generally willing to leave the fishery if they were provided with adequate compensation, but they were not optimistic about finding suitable jobs due to their limited skills and education. About 55 per cent of marine recreation respondents said they would consider hiring fishers; however, there were unlikely to be sufficient jobs for all the potentially displaced fishers. Hence, fishers have to look outside the marine sector for alternative livelihoods.
Practical implications
The results highlight that a sizable portion of fishers are willing to depart from “their way of life” under the right conditions. This indicates that, the government can help restore Hong Kong's fisheries and fisher livelihoods by providing appropriate training and designing acceptable compensation packages for fishers.
Originality/value
The study reported in this paper is significant because it shows that fishing is no longer economically profitable for Hong Kong's fishers, a situation which can largely be attributed to the lack of fisheries management in Hong Kong, which has dissipated biological and economic productivity of the fisheries' resources.
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K.M. Fan, W.L. Cheung and I. Gibson
The purpose of this paper is to report on a study of the movement of the powder bed material during selective laser sintering (SLS) of bisphenol‐A polycarbonate (PC) powder and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to report on a study of the movement of the powder bed material during selective laser sintering (SLS) of bisphenol‐A polycarbonate (PC) powder and its effect on the morphology of the sintered specimen.
Design/methodology/approach
Two sintering experiments, i.e. single‐spot laser sintering and raster‐scan laser sintering, were carried out and the material movement mechanisms were investigated in situ and subsequently by scanning electron microscopy.
Findings
During the raster‐scan laser sintering process, the movement of the powder was found to be primarily perpendicular to the scanning direction. When sintering at a high laser power, it significantly affected the surface morphology of the sintered specimens and parallel surface bands occurred along the scanning direction.
Research limitations/implications
Experiments were carried out on a modified laser engraving machine rather than a commercial SLS machine.
Practical implications
A schematic model of the material movement mechanism for each of the sintering strategies is presented.
Originality/value
The results further the understanding of the sintering behaviour of the powder bed.
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K.M. Fan, W.L. Cheung and I. Gibson
This paper aims to study the effects of solid additives and compounding processes on the selective laser sintering (SLS) behavior of composite powders.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to study the effects of solid additives and compounding processes on the selective laser sintering (SLS) behavior of composite powders.
Design/methodology/approach
Composite powders were prepared from TrueForm™ acrylic‐styrene co‐polymer and SiO2 powder. Dry mixing and melt extrusion were used as the blending processes to produce the composite powders. Some SiO2 powder was ground and treated with silane coupling agent before blending to study the effects of particle size and surface treatment of the filler, respectively. The temperature of the powder bed was monitored using an infrared thermometer. The fusion behaviors of the powders were investigated in situ using an optical microscope and the sintered specimens were examined by scanning electron microscopy.
Findings
For a given volume fraction of the filler, reducing its particle size will hinder fusion between the polymer particles and weaken the sintered specimens. Surface treatment of the filler by silane coupling agent had little effect on the morphology of the sintered specimens; however, it slightly improved their strength. The blending method plays an important role in the sintering behavior of the composite powders. Although melt blending improved the polymer‐to‐polymer contact between the composite powder particles, the high‐resultant viscosity of the material adversely affected the densification of the powder bed, leading to a highly porous structure of the sintered specimens.
Research limitations/implications
The sintering experiments were conducted in ambient conditions using a laser engraving machine instead of a commercial SLS machine with atmospheric control. The temperature gradient within the powder bed was expected to be higher than that in normal SLS processes.
Practical implications
The SLS behavior of a composite powder not only depends on its composition but also on the powder preparation method or powder morphology.
Originality/value
This paper provides some useful information for future development of composite powders for SLS applications.
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Timothy T Diller, Mengqi Yuan, David L. Bourell and Joseph J. Beaman
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the bulk energy transport processes in the build chamber environment before and during laser sintering (LS) to provide a basis for…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the bulk energy transport processes in the build chamber environment before and during laser sintering (LS) to provide a basis for effective and accurate thermal control for the LS process. This leads to improved mechanical properties and geometrical tolerances for LS products and may be applied to optimize operation cycle times for the LS process.
Design/methodology/approach
Computational models with two levels of complexity were built to explore the heat transfer mechanisms in the LS process. In a one-dimensional model (1D), the powder performed as a semi-infinite solid and heater flux to the powder surface was modeled with a heater control law. A two-dimensional (2D) fluid/solid finite element model of the build chamber and powder bins provided insight into the thermal processes in the build chamber.
Findings
Numerical 1D simulations were verified with measurements from sensors embedded in the build chamber powder bed. Using a 2D model, computed powder surface temperatures during the warm up and build phases were verified with an infrared camera. Convective currents in the build chamber and non-uniformities in the distribution of temperature over the radiant heater surface were found to be substantial contributors to non-uniformities in the powder bed surface temperature.
Research limitations/implications
Limited heat sources were analyzed. No three-dimensional model was built. Assumptions to decrease the part bed temperature difference were not tested.
Originality/value
These simulation and experimental results may be used to enhance thermal control and operation efficiency during the LS process and to improve LS product mechanical properties.
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Yu Wu, Markus Groth, Kaixin Zhang and Amirali Minbashian
Although service researchers have long suggested that customer mistreatment adversely impacts service employees' outcomes, statistical integration of current empirical findings…
Abstract
Purpose
Although service researchers have long suggested that customer mistreatment adversely impacts service employees' outcomes, statistical integration of current empirical findings has been lacking. This meta-analysis aims to review and statistically synthesize the state of research on the relationship between customer mistreatment and service employees' affective, attitudinal and behavioral outcomes.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors included 221 effect sizes of 135 independent samples from 119 primary studies (N = 47,964). The authors used a meta-analytic approach to quantitatively review the relationship between customer mistreatment and service employees' affective, attitudinal and behavioral outcomes. Meta-analysis structural equation modeling was used to explore the mediation mechanism of service employees' affective outcomes on the relationships between customer mistreatment and employees' attitudinal and behavioral outcomes. Meta-regression was applied to explore the impact of contextual-level moderators (i.e. service provider type and service delivery mode) on these relationships. Furthermore, we compared the effects of customer mistreatment with the effects of other organizational-related factors on some commonly measured employee outcomes.
Findings
The results show that customer mistreatment has a significant negative impact on service employees' affective outcomes (i.e. negative emotions), attitudinal outcomes (i.e. job satisfaction, organizational commitment, work engagement and turnover intention) and behavioral outcomes (i.e. job performance, surface acting and emotional labor). Additionally, service employees' negative emotions mediate the association between customer mistreatment and employees' job satisfaction, turnover intention, surface acting and emotional labor. Furthermore, the relationships between customer mistreatment and service employees' negative emotions and job performance are influenced by a contextual-level moderator (i.e. service delivery mode).
Originality/value
The authors contribute to the literature by providing robust meta-analytic estimates of the effects of customer mistreatment on a variety of service employees' affective, attitudinal and behavioral outcomes, as well as the different magnitudes of the effect sizes between customer mistreatment and other job-related and personality-related factors by quantifying the true variability of the effect sizes. The authors draw on current theories underpinning customer mistreatment to test a theoretical model of the mediation mechanism of service employees' affective outcomes (i.e. service employees' negative emotions) on the relationships between customer mistreatment and employees' attitudinal and behavioral outcomes. The authors explore the effects of two contextual-level factors (i.e. service provider types and service delivery mode) related to the service delivery context that may account for the variability of effect sizes across empirical studies.
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Sara Yamini, Kyriaki Fousiani and Barbara Wisse
In this meta-analysis, the authors investigate the relationship between self-construal and conflict management strategies and shed light on the inconsistent findings in the…
Abstract
Purpose
In this meta-analysis, the authors investigate the relationship between self-construal and conflict management strategies and shed light on the inconsistent findings in the literature. Moreover, they examine the mediating role of face concerns in this relationship. Importantly, the present meta-analysis is the first to test the assumptions of face-negotiation theory with the meta-analytic structural equation modeling (MASEM), which enabled the authors to test the hypothesized relationships in one single model.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors used the method of MASEM to test the relationship between self-construal and conflict management and assess the mediating role of face concerns. In this regard, the authors employed one-stage meta-analytic structural equation modeling to perform MASEM and its moderators.
Findings
Two hundred fifty-four effect sizes based on thirty-three studies were pooled in this meta-analysis. The authors found that individuals with stronger independent self-construal and stronger self-face concerns were more likely to use forcing. Moreover, the relationship between independent self-construal and forcing was mediated by self-face concerns. Individuals with a stronger interdependent self-construal and individuals with stronger other-face concerns were more likely to use problem-solving and yielding. The relationship between interdependent self-construal and problem-solving and yielding was mediated by other-face concerns. Finally, interdependent self-construal also had an indirect effect, via other-face concern, on avoiding and compromising.
Originality/value
The present meta-analysis is the first effort that the authors are aware of to test the assumptions of face-negotiation theory (FNT) using MASEM method. The authors used one-stage meta-analytic structural equation modeling viewed as the state of the methods to perform MASEM and its moderators. They employed full information meta-analytic structural equation modeling to show the generalizability and heterogeneity of structural equation modeling parameters. They applied studentized deleted residuals to assess outlier analysis and also conducted different methods to perform MASEM to check the robustness of the findings resulted. Finally, the current study adds multiple methods of assessing for publication bias.
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Darius Pacauskas and Risto Rajala
Information technology has been recognized as one of the keys to improved productivity in organizations. Yet, existing research has not paid sufficient attention to how…
Abstract
Purpose
Information technology has been recognized as one of the keys to improved productivity in organizations. Yet, existing research has not paid sufficient attention to how information systems (ISs) influence the creative performance of individual users. The paper aims to discuss this issue.
Design/methodology/approach
This study draws on the theories of flow and cognitive load to establish a model of the predicted influences. The authors hypothesize that the information technology supports creativity by engaging individuals in a creative process and by lowering their cognitive load related to the process. To test these hypotheses, the authors employ a meta-analytical structural equation modeling approach using 24 previous studies on creativity and ISs use.
Findings
The results suggest that factors that help the user to maintain an interest in the performed task, immerse the user in a state of flow, and lower a person’s cognitive load during IS use can affect the user’s creative performance.
Research limitations/implications
The findings imply that a combination of the theories of flow and cognitive load complements the understanding of how ISs influence creativity.
Originality/value
This paper proposes an explanation on why ISs affect creativity, which can be used by scholars to position further research, and by practitioners to implement creativity support systems.
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