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1 – 10 of 708Currently, China’s economy is in the critical phase of transforming economic development patterns and replacing old growth drivers with new ones. Whether it can successfully…
Abstract
Purpose
Currently, China’s economy is in the critical phase of transforming economic development patterns and replacing old growth drivers with new ones. Whether it can successfully overcome the “middle-income trap” has become a significant issue attracting wide attention.
Design/methodology/approach
Driven by underlying digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud computing and big data, the fourth industrial revolution featuring the booming digital economy has provided significant opportunities for China’s economy to “overtake” and overcome the “middle-income trap”. The transformation of economic development pattern, the optimization of industrial structure, and the change of growth drivers, brought by the deep integration of digital and real economies are the keys to leaping over the “middle-income trap”.
Findings
From the supply side, the digital economy can improve the quality and efficiency of the supply side and promote the supply-side structural reform and economic growth from the following three aspects: First, promote the quality, efficiency and diversification of the supply system; second, promote networking, opening-up and synergy in the innovation system and third, promote the socialization, modularization and flexibility of production pattern. From the demand side, the digital economy can boost the new drivers of the “troika” of economic growth consisting of consumption, exports and investment by changing the market investment direction, promoting consumption upgrade and fostering export strengths. However, once these two attributes interact with each other, especially when data is combined with capital, the most adhesive factor in the market economy, a series of new social relations will then be produced based on the technical attribute, resulting in significant adjustments in social relations, involving both positive and negative externalities.
Originality/value
To overcome the “middle-income trap”, it is necessary to adapt to the laws of economic evolution and promote a fundamental change in economic growth drivers; boost the high-quality development of the digital economy by strengthening the support role of data in the digital economy; and accelerate digital industrialization and industrial digitalization to realize the integration of digital and real economies.
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Shaikh Shamim Hasan, Yue Zhang, Xi Chu and Yanmin Teng
Forest as a vital natural resource in China plays an irreplaceable important role in safeguarding ecological security and human survival and development. Due to the vast…
Abstract
Purpose
Forest as a vital natural resource in China plays an irreplaceable important role in safeguarding ecological security and human survival and development. Due to the vast territory, huge population and widespread forest landscape of China, forest management is a complex system involving massive data and various management activities. To effectively implement sustainable forest management, the big data technology has been utilized to analyze China’s forestry resources. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to clarify the role of big data technology in China’s forest management.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, the authors revisited the roles of big data in forest ecosystem monitoring, forestry management system development, and forest policy implementation.
Findings
It demonstrates that big data technology has a great potential in forest ecosystem protection and management, as well as the government’s determination for forest ecosystem protection. However, to deepen the application of big data in forest management, several challenges still need to be tackled.
Originality/value
Thus, enhancing modern science and technology to improve big data, cloud computing, and information technologies and their combinations will contribute to tackle the challenges and achieve wisdom of forest management.
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Ai Yue, Yaojiang Shi, Fang Chang, Chu Yang, Huan Wang, Hongmei YI, Renfu Luo, Chengfang Liu, Linxiu Zhang, James Yanjey Chu and Scott Rozelle
– The purpose of this paper is to explore whether an in-service life teacher training program can improve boarding students’ health, behavior, and academic performance.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore whether an in-service life teacher training program can improve boarding students’ health, behavior, and academic performance.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted a cluster-randomized controlled trial to measure the effect of life teacher training on student health, behavior, and academic performance among 839 boarding students in ten central primary boarding schools in Shaanxi. And the authors also tried to identify why or why not life teacher training works. Both descriptive and multivariate analysis are used in this paper.
Findings
The authors find significant improvements in health and behavior. Specifically, compared to boarding students in control schools, 15 percent fewer students in treatment schools reported feeling cold while sleeping at night. The results also showed that student tardiness and misbehaviors after class declined significantly by 18 and 78 percent, respectively. However, the in-service life teacher training program had no measurable impact on boarding students’ BMI-for-age Z-score, number of misbehaviors in class, and academic performance. The analysis suggests that improved communication between life teachers and students might be one mechanism behind these results.
Originality/value
This is the first empirical work which explored how to improve the welfare of boarding students via their life teachers. Because of the sudden increase in boarding students in rural China, it is almost certain that school personnel lack experience in managing boarding students. As such, one promising approach to improving student outcomes might be in-service training for life teachers.
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States that, although it differs from that practised in the West, moral consideration is a key factor in making strategic moves for business people in Chinese society…
Abstract
States that, although it differs from that practised in the West, moral consideration is a key factor in making strategic moves for business people in Chinese society. Substantiates this claim based on evidence from business history in China, overseas Chinese business practice and Chinese experiences today. Then, deliberates on the management implications of this phenomenon for people who want to do business with Chinese and in China.
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Yuning Wu and Ivan Y. Sun
This study aims to examine Chinese college students' perceptions of police.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine Chinese college students' perceptions of police.
Design/methodology/approach
Using survey data collected from over 400 college students in two cities, the study empirically analyzes the global and specific perceptions of police among Chinese college students and factors that accounted for the variation in Chinese college students' evaluations of police. The study incorporates a broader range of explanatory variables to explain Chinese college students' attitudes toward the police, including demographic characteristics, crime and criminal justice experience, perceptions of quality of life, and locality. The study reviews research on public perceptions of police published in Chinese academic journals.
Findings
College students' global satisfaction with police as well as their specific evaluations of police fairness, effectiveness, and integrity were significantly related to their crime and criminal justice experience, perceived quality of life, and locality. Students' background characteristics only had a weak effect on attitudes toward police.
Research limitations/implications
More empirical research is warranted to gauge the extent of Chinese satisfaction with police and police performance. Future research should continue incorporating crime and criminal justice factors into analysis.
Practical implications
Findings of the study provide Chinese police administrators with useful references and directions to improve police‐community relations..
Originality/value
This study represents one of the few attempts to empirically assess Chinese citizens' perceptions of police. It examines not just Chinese college students' global satisfaction with the police, but also their more specific views of various areas of police performance including fairness, effectiveness, and integrity.
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The proposed method is to generate the 3 D model of frame assemblies based on their topological model automatedly. It was a very demanding task and there was no appropriate…
Abstract
Purpose
The proposed method is to generate the 3 D model of frame assemblies based on their topological model automatedly. It was a very demanding task and there was no appropriate automated method to facilitate this work.
Design/methodology/approach
The proposed method includes two stages. The first stage is decisive. In this stage, a deep learning network and the Chu–Liu–Edmonds algorithm are used to recognize contact relations among parts. Based on this recognition, the authors perform a geometrical computation in the second stage to finalize the 3 D model.
Findings
The authors verify the feasibility of the proposed method using a case study and find that the classification rate of the deep learning network for part contact relations is higher than 75 per cent. Furthermore, more accurate results could be achieved with modification by the Chu–Liu–Edmonds algorithm. The proposed method has lower computational complexity compared with traditional heuristic methods, and its results are more consistent with existing designs.
Research limitations/implications
The paper introduces machine learning method into assembly modelling issue. The proposed method divides the assembly modelling into two steps and solves the assemble relation creatively.
Practical implications
Frame assemblies are fundamental to many areas. The proposed method could automate frame assembly modelling in a viable way. It could benefit design and manufacture process significantly.
Originality/value
The proposed method expands the application of machine learning into a new field. It would be more useful than simple machine learning in industry. The proposed method is better than general heuristic algorithms. It outputs identical results when the inputs are the same. Meanwhile, the algorithmic complexity in worst situation is better than general heuristic algorithms.
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Cuijuan Liu, Zhenxin Xiao, Yu Gao, Maggie Chuoyan Dong and Shanxing Gao
Although manufacturer-initiated rewards are widely used to secure distributors’ compliance, the spillover effect on unrewarded distributors (i.e. observers) in the same…
Abstract
Purpose
Although manufacturer-initiated rewards are widely used to secure distributors’ compliance, the spillover effect on unrewarded distributors (i.e. observers) in the same distribution channel is under-researched. Using insights from social learning theory, this paper aims to investigate how manufacturer-initiated rewards affect observers’ expectation of reward and shape observers’ compliance toward the manufacturer. Furthermore, this paper explores how such effects are contingent upon distributor relationship features.
Design/methodology/approach
To test the hypotheses, hierarchical multiple regression and bootstrapping analyses were performed using survey data from 280 Chinese distributors.
Findings
The magnitude of a manufacturer-initiated reward to a distributor stimulates expectation of reward among observers, which enhances compliance; observers’ expectation of reward mediates the impact of reward magnitude on compliance. Moreover, network centrality (of the rewarded peer) negatively moderates the positive impact of reward magnitude on observers’ expectation of reward, whereas observers’ dependence (on the manufacturer) positively moderates this dynamic.
Practical implications
Manufacturers should pay attention to the spillover effects of rewards. Overall, they should use rewards of appropriate magnitude to show willingness to recognize outstanding distributors. This will inspire unrewarded distributors, which will then be more compliant. Furthermore, manufacturers should know that specific types of distributor relationship features may significantly vary the spillover effects.
Originality/value
This study illuminates the spillover effects of manufacturer-initiated reward by opening the “black box” of the link between reward magnitude and observers’ compliance and by specifying the effects’ boundary conditions.
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Juan Shi, Ping Hu, Kin Keung Lai and Gang Chen
As a new communication paradigm, social networking sites (SNS) have boosted information diffusion and viral marketing. Prior researchers have identified various factors affecting…
Abstract
Purpose
As a new communication paradigm, social networking sites (SNS) have boosted information diffusion and viral marketing. Prior researchers have identified various factors affecting information dissemination on SNS. However, they often focus on limited factors and there is a lack of an integrated theoretical framework that explains aspects of relevant factors. Besides, the research on the impacts of relationships on individual retweeting behavior is still controversial. The purpose of this paper is to propose a theoretical framework to systematically investigate the determinants of individual dissemination behavior on SNS based on the elaboration likelihood model (ELM). Moreover, the authors also examine the relative importance of those relevant factors.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors randomly selected 1,250 members of Twitter and crawled posts published by each member since he/she created the Twitter account using Twitter API. The authors processed the data to create panel data and tested hypotheses with the panel logit model.
Findings
Factors both on the central route and on the peripheral route of ELM have positive impacts on individual dissemination behavior. Among them, information receiver-related factor and relationships-related factors are the most influential. Contrastingly, source-related factors are the least influential. Furthermore, the authors find that social tie strength mediates almost 50 percent of the effect of value homophily on individual dissemination behavior.
Originality/value
The authors are the first to directly apply ELM to examine individual dissemination behavior on SNS. By integrating factors into the two information processing routes, They incorporate relevant factors into the model and systematically analyze their impacts on individual retweeting behavior on SNS. The research offers at least one explanation for the contradictory findings about the effect of homophily on individual sharing behavior in previous research. The authors propose new variables that gauge topical relevance and interpersonal value homophily on SNS.
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Q.W. Wang, D.J. Zhang, M. Zeng, M. Lin and L.H. Tang
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the overall flow and temperature field of the air in the whole power plant, especially around the air‐cooled heat exchanger (ACHE) to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the overall flow and temperature field of the air in the whole power plant, especially around the air‐cooled heat exchanger (ACHE) to evaluate the feasibility of the thermal plant project.
Design/methodology/approach
The commercial computational fluid dynamics code FLUENT with standard k‐ε turbulent model was used. The buoyancy of the air was also considered.
Findings
It is concluded that plume recirculation occurs in each case due to the wind effect and the suction of the fan. Installing a side board below or above the fan platform (side board I or side board II) is an effective method of avoiding the plume recirculation and, the higher the board, the better the effect. When the height of the side board I H1≥10 m or the height of the side board II H2≥12 m, the temperature distributions of the fan platform will be sufficient to meet the requirement.
Research limitations/implications
A proper distance between the adjacent high buildings and the ACHE should be found with further investigation.
Practical implications
The paper presents a very useful numerical method for the prediction of the flow and temperature field around ACHE or in a large space.
Originality/value
The paper provides the numerical simulation of the flow and heat transfer inside the whole thermal power plant. Suggestions which can effectively avoid the unfavorable influence and ensure the whole system in safe conditions are offered. The study gives some useful information to the design of a thermal power plant with an ACHE system.
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Hung M. Chu, Orhan Kara, Xiaowei Zhu and Kubilay Gok
This article aims to investigate motivations, success factors, problems, and business‐related stress of entrepreneurs in small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises and relates them to…
Abstract
Purpose
This article aims to investigate motivations, success factors, problems, and business‐related stress of entrepreneurs in small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises and relates them to the success of the Chinese entrepreneurs.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 196 entrepreneurs in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou were randomly selected for a survey, which was analyzed to determine motivations, success factors, problems, and business‐related stress by gender. Ordered logit models were applied to motivation and success factors.
Findings
Results showed that 68 percent were male and 32 percent female. The average age of the entrepreneurs was about 32 years old and time devoted to their business was almost 45 hours per week. Of the total respondents, 56 percent were married and 44 percent single. When asked to indicate their motives for business ownership, these entrepreneurs suggested that increasing income, becoming their own boss, and to prove that they can succeed were the most important reasons. Reputation for honesty, providing good customer services, and having good management skills were reported to be necessary conditions for business success. Friendliness to customers and hard work were also critical for high‐performance enterprises. Among the problems encountered by entrepreneurs, unreliable/undependable employees were the most critical. Intense competition and lack of management training also proved to be great challenges for Chinese entrepreneurs.
Practical implications
Policy makers can strengthen its small business entrepreneurs by promoting the factors that lead to entrepreneurs' success, such as the ability to manage personnel and management skills through business outreach services provided by universities, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations. In addition, the government has the ability to simplify the tax system, and reduce payroll taxes. Technical assistance in areas such as market research, human resources management, and technological support should be provided to small business owners.
Originality/value
This study applied to Chinese entrepreneurs in addition to an extensive analysis of the factors that affect motivations, success, problems, and business stress.
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