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1 – 10 of 99
Article
Publication date: 22 January 2024

Xin Jin, Geoffrey Shen, Lizi Luo and Xin Zhou

Modular integrated construction (MiC) is an innovative and effective manufacturing-based method of construction that has become the mainstream development direction of projects in…

Abstract

Purpose

Modular integrated construction (MiC) is an innovative and effective manufacturing-based method of construction that has become the mainstream development direction of projects in Hong Kong (HK). However, large-scale promotion of MiC practice still needs efforts. A pressing concern is that the impact of relevant policies on stakeholders during project implementation is rarely explored in depth. Therefore, to fill the research gap, this study aims to investigate the influence of policies on stakeholders to drive the successful implementation of MiC in HK.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a strategy of multiple methods. First, a comprehensively literature review and survey were adopted to identify critical policies and stakeholders. Second, semi-structured interviews with 28 experts were conducted to quantify their relationships. Third, three policy–stakeholder networks at initiation, planning and design and construction stages were established using social network analysis.

Findings

Environmental protection policy, COVID-19 pandemic policy and environmental protection policy and quality acceptance standard for project completion are found to be the most important policies of the three stages, respectively. The HK government and developers are highlighted as prominent stakeholders influencing policy implementation at all three stages. The dynamics of the influence stakeholders receive from critical policies at different stages of MiC are discussed. Valuable recommendations are accordingly proposed to enhance the successful implementation of MiC projects from the perspective of various stakeholders.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the body of knowledge by considering the mediating influence of stakeholders during policy implementation in the MiC uptake, and is valuable in helping policymakers to deeply understand the influence of policies to further forward successful MiC implementation and practicality in HK.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 December 2023

Fatima Harbate, Nouh Izem, Mohammed Seaid and Dia Zeidan

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the two-phase flow problems involving gas–liquid mixture.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the two-phase flow problems involving gas–liquid mixture.

Design/methodology/approach

The governed equations consist of a range of conservation laws modeling a classification of two-phase flow phenomena subjected to a velocity nonequilibrium for the gas–liquid mixture. Effects of the relative velocity are accounted for in the present model by a kinetic constitutive relation coupled to a collection of specific equations governing mass and volume fractions for the gas phase. Unlike many two-phase models, the considered system is fully hyperbolic and fully conservative. The suggested relaxation approach switches a nonlinear hyperbolic system into a semilinear model that includes a source relaxation term and characteristic linear properties. Notably, this model can be solved numerically without the use of Riemann solvers or linear iterations. For accurate time integration, a high-resolution spatial reconstruction and a Runge–Kutta scheme with decreasing total variation are used to discretize the relaxation system.

Findings

The method is used in addressing various nonequilibrium two-phase flow problems, accompanied by a comparative study of different reconstructions. The numerical results demonstrate the suggested relaxation method’s high-resolution capabilities, affirming its proficiency in delivering accurate simulations for flow regimes characterized by strong shocks.

Originality/value

While relaxation methods exhibit notable performance and competitive features, as far as we are aware, there has been no endeavor to address nonequilibrium two-phase flow problems using these methods.

Details

International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, vol. 34 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0961-5539

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 March 2024

Malav R. Sanghvi, Karan W. Chugh and S.T. Mhaske

This study aims to synthesize Prussian blue {FeIII4[FeII(CN)6]3} pigment by reacting ferric chloride with different ferrocyanides through the same procedure. The influence of the…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to synthesize Prussian blue {FeIII4[FeII(CN)6]3} pigment by reacting ferric chloride with different ferrocyanides through the same procedure. The influence of the ferrocyanide used on resulting pigment properties is studied.

Design/methodology/approach

Prussian blue is commonly synthesized by direct or indirect methods, through iron salt and ferrocyanide/ferricyanide reactions. In this study, the direct, single-step process was pursued by dropwise addition of the ferrocyanide into ferric chloride (both as aqueous solutions). Two batches – (K-PB) and (Na-PB) – were prepared by using potassium ferrocyanide and sodium ferrocyanide, respectively. The development of pigment was confirmed by an identification test and characterized by spectroscopic techniques. Pigment properties were determined, and light fastness was observed for acrylic emulsion films incorporating dispersed pigment.

Findings

The two pigments differed mainly in elemental detection owing to the dissimilar ferrocyanide being used; IR spectroscopy where only (Na-PB) showed peaks indicating water molecules; and bleeding tendency where (K-PB) was water soluble whereas (Na-PB) was not. The pigment exhibited remarkable blue colour and good bleeding resistance in several solvents and showed no fading in 24 h of light exposure though oil absorption values were high.

Originality/value

This article is a comparative study of Prussian blue pigment properties obtained using different ferrocyanides. The dissimilarity in the extent of water solubility will influence potential applications as a colourant in paints and inks. K-PB would be advantageous in aqueous formulations to confer a blue colour without any dispersing aid but unfavourable in systems where other coats are water-based due to their bleeding tendency.

Details

Pigment & Resin Technology, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0369-9420

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 20 June 2023

Teresa Heath and Caroline Tynan

The purpose of this study is to examine the potential of integrating material from the arts into postgraduate curricula to deepen students’ engagement with marketing phenomena…

1006

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the potential of integrating material from the arts into postgraduate curricula to deepen students’ engagement with marketing phenomena. The authors assess the use of arts-based activities, within a broader critical pedagogy, for encouraging imaginative and analytical thinking.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors devised two learning activities and an interpretive method for studying their value. The activities were an individual essay connecting themes in song lyrics to marketing, and a group photography project. These were applied, within a broader, critical approach, in postgraduate modules on sustainability, ethics and critical marketing. Data collection comprised diaries kept by the teachers, open-ended feedback from students and students’ assignments.

Findings

Students showed high levels of engagement, reflexivity and depth of thought, in felt experiences of learning. Their ability to make connections not explicitly in the materials, and requiring imaginative jumps, was notable. Several reported lasting changes to their behaviour. Some found the tasks initially intimidating or, once they were more engaged, stressful or saddening.

Research limitations/implications

This adds to scholarship on management education by showing the usefulness of an arts-based approach towards a transformative agenda.

Practical implications

It offers a template of how to draw from the arts to strengthen critical engagement upon which marketing teachers can build. It also contains practical advice on the challenges and benefits of doing so.

Social implications

The authors provide evidence that this approach can enhance sensitivity and reflexivity in students, potentially producing more ethical and sustainable decisions in future.

Originality/value

The pedagogical interventions are novel and of value to lecturers seeking to enhance critical engagement with theory. An empirical study of an attempt to integrate arts into teaching marketing represents a promising direction, given the discipline’s creative nature.

Details

European Journal of Marketing, vol. 57 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0566

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 August 2023

Na Zhou, Jiping Wang, Xin Liu, Liu Yang and Xinglin Jin

Recently, digital competence has become one of the most important work competencies of employees. This study investigated students' digital competence in the context of Chinese…

Abstract

Purpose

Recently, digital competence has become one of the most important work competencies of employees. This study investigated students' digital competence in the context of Chinese higher education and examined digital competence's relationship with students' career adaptability.

Design/methodology/approach

The participants were 298 Chinese higher education students from both universities and colleges. MANOVA (Multivariate Analysis of Variance) was carried out through SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) 26.0 to examine whether digital competence varied with the students' personal characteristics, i.e. gender, grade level and school type. In addition, the structural equation model was employed with Mplus 8.3 to analyse the relationship between digital competence and career adaptability as well as the mediation role of digital informal learning and academic performance.

Findings

The descriptive statistics revealed that students performed best in the safety construct, whilst worst in the digital content creation construct. The result of MANOVA showed that the digital competence of the participants significantly varied with participants' gender, school type and grade level. Furthermore, the structural equation model results demonstrated that higher education students' digital competence was positively associated with the students' career adaptability. And the mediation role of digital informal learning and academic performance was also confirmed.

Originality/value

To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study focussing on the relationship between digital competence and career adaptability. In particular, both working and learning perspectives were considered to explore this relationship. Besides, the authors also displayed Chinese higher education students' digital competence with consideration of different districts and school types.

Details

Education + Training, vol. 65 no. 6/7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0040-0912

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 January 2024

Kunlin Li, Xin Sun and Jin Cheng

This study examines how leaders’ narcissistic rivalry (LNR) affects the in-role performance (IRP) and proactive customer service performance (PCSP) of employees in the hospitality…

Abstract

Purpose

This study examines how leaders’ narcissistic rivalry (LNR) affects the in-role performance (IRP) and proactive customer service performance (PCSP) of employees in the hospitality industry. Specifically, this study investigates the mediating role of psychological distress and the moderating role of locus of control (LOC) in the aforementioned relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

This study administered a multi-wave, multi-source questionnaire survey with 323 employees working in 11 full-service hotels in China. Statistical analyses were performed using the PROCESS macro in SPSS 26 software and structural equation modeling using Mplus 8.3 software.

Findings

The authors' results suggest that LNR can negatively affect hospitality employees’ IRP and PCSP and that these relationships are mediated by psychological distress. Additionally, the impact of LNR on psychological distress can be lessened by internal LOC.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature on leader narcissism by investigating how LNR affects IRP and PCSP among hospitality employees. Drawing on conservation of resources theory, this study also identifies a novel mediating mechanism (psychological distress) connecting LNR to hospitality employees’ service outcomes. Furthermore, this study reveals the moderating role of LOC in the relationship between LNR and psychological distress.

Details

Kybernetes, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0368-492X

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 10 January 2024

Pick-Soon Ling, Xin-Jean Lim, Lim-Jin Wong and Kelvin Yong Ming Lee

This study aims to investigate the key determinants predicting users’ behavioural intention (BI) in adopting mobile payment (m-payment) in the new normal era.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the key determinants predicting users’ behavioural intention (BI) in adopting mobile payment (m-payment) in the new normal era.

Design/methodology/approach

The mobile technology acceptance model (MTAM) was extended through attitudes, perceived trust, perceived risk and personal innovativeness (PI) with government support (GS) functioning as a moderator. A total of 245 valid responses were gathered from Malaysian m-payment users with purposive sampling and subsequently evaluated through partial least square-structural equation modelling.

Findings

Mobile usefulness and PI significantly predicted user BI to use m-payment. Based on the moderation analysis, GS strengthened attitude-based impacts on BI towards m-payment adoption.

Practical implications

The empirical outcomes provide stakeholders with pivotal implications to develop holistic policies and strategies that potentially catalyse m-payment usage in the new normal era.

Originality/value

This research expands the current body of knowledge by assessing the factors impacting m-payment usage intention in the new normal era. The four aforementioned MTAM elements and GS (moderator) were recommended to boost model workability and offer novel evidence from a distinct viewpoint.

Objetivo

El objetivo de este estudio es investigar los determinantes clave que predicen la intención de comportamiento de los usuarios a la hora de adoptar el pago por móvil (m-payment) en la nueva era normal.

Diseño/metodología/enfoque

El modelo de aceptación de la tecnología móvil (MTAM) se amplió a través de las actitudes, la confianza percibida, el riesgo percibido y la capacidad de innovación personal, con el apoyo gubernamental como moderador. Se recogió un total de 245 respuestas válidas de usuarios malasios de pago por móvil mediante muestreo intencionado y se evaluó posteriormente mediante modelización de ecuaciones estructurales por mínimos cuadrados parciales (PLS-SEM).

Conclusiones

La utilidad del móvil y la capacidad de innovación personal predijeron significativamente la intención de los usuarios de utilizar el pago por móvil. Según el análisis de moderación, el apoyo gubernamental reforzó los efectos basados en la actitud sobre la intención conductual de adoptar el pago por móvil.

Limitaciones/Implicaciones de la investigación

Los resultados empíricos proporcionan a las partes interesadas implicaciones fundamentales para desarrollar políticas y estrategias holísticas que catalicen potencialmente el uso del pago móvil en la nueva era de la normalidad.

Originalidad

Esta investigación amplía el corpus actual de conocimientos al evaluar los factores que influyen en la intención de uso del pago por móvil en la nueva era normal. Se recomiendan los cuatro elementos MTAM mencionados y el apoyo gubernamental (moderador) para impulsar la viabilidad del modelo y ofrecer pruebas novedosas desde un punto de vista distinto.

研究目的

本研究旨在探讨新常态时代用户使用移动支付(m-payment)行为意向的主要决定因素。

设计/方法/途径

通过态度、感知信任、感知风险和个人创新能力, 并以政府支持作为调节因素, 对移动技术接受模型(MTAM)进行了扩展。通过有目的的抽样, 从马来西亚移动支付用户中收集了 245 份有效回复, 随后通过偏最小二乘法结构方程模型(PLS-SEM)进行了评估。

研究结果

移动实用性和个人创新性可显著预测用户使用移动支付的行为意向。根据调节分析, 政府支持加强了态度对采用移动支付的行为意向的影响。

实际意义

实证研究的结果为利益相关者提供了重要的启示, 有助于他们制定全面的政策和战略, 在新常态时代促进移动支付的使用。

原创性/价值

本研究通过评估新常态时代影响移动支付使用意向的因素, 拓展了现有的知识体系。研究推荐了上述四个 MTAM 要素和政府支持(调节器), 以提高模型的可操作性, 并从一个独特的视角提供了新的证据。

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 4 September 2023

Roberto Bacani Figueroa Jr

The purpose of this study is to describe an educational virtual reality (VR) photo-based tour used in an online course and investigate the influence of immersive capability on the…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to describe an educational virtual reality (VR) photo-based tour used in an online course and investigate the influence of immersive capability on the dimensions of spatial presence and their relationship with learning-related variables.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employs a descriptive and an experimental methodological approach. The research objectives were achieved using a two-group (n1 = 29 and n2 = 30) experiment, employing descriptive statistics, t-test and correlation analysis.

Findings

The t-test revealed that the immersive capability had a significant effect on the sense of physical space (SP) , Engagement (EN) and negative effects (NE) dimensions. Correlations between the dimensions of spatial presence were found to confirm reports from the literature. Furthermore, some of the dimensions were found to be correlated with motivational and learning variables.

Research limitations/implications

The study reported the results of a one-off experiment among 59 participants. While the results were promising, a longitudinal qualitative study could confirm the results in an actual distance learning context.

Practical implications

The study confirmed that adding VR photo-based tours as learning activities may enhance the learning experience of distance learners.

Social implications

The study shared a case of a learning activity that can be employed for flexible education. Virtual tours can support the need for context-based learning that the geographical or political constraints may limit.

Originality/value

While the paper confirms previous reports on the benefits of using VR photo-based tours as learning activities, this paper has empirically shown the relationship between the dimensions of spatial presence and immersive capability in this specialized context.

Details

Asian Association of Open Universities Journal, vol. 18 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1858-3431

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 February 2024

Shuliu Wang, Qianqian Liu, Jin Wang, Nana Chen, JunHang Chen, Jialiang Song, Xin Zhang and Kui Xiao

This study aims to investigate the role of aluminium (Al) in marine environment and the corrosion mechanism of galvalume coatings by conducting accelerated experiments and data…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the role of aluminium (Al) in marine environment and the corrosion mechanism of galvalume coatings by conducting accelerated experiments and data analysis.

Design/methodology/approach

Samples were subjected to accelerated corrosion for 136 days via salt spray tests to simulate the natural conditions of marine environment and consequently accelerate the experiments. Subsequently, the samples were examined using various test methods, such as EDS, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and the obtained data were analysed.

Findings

Galvalume coatings comprised interdigitated zinc (Zn)-rich and dendritic Al-rich phases. Corrosion was observed to begin with a Zn-rich phase. The primary components of the corrosion product film were Al2O3 and Zn5(OH)8Cl2·H2O. It was confirmed that the role of Al was to form a dense protective film, thereby successfully blocking the entry of corrosive media and protecting the iron substrate.

Originality/value

This study provides a clearer understanding of the corrosion mechanism and kinetics of galvalume coatings in a simulated marine environment. In addition, the role of Al, which is rarely mentioned in the literature, was investigated.

Details

Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0003-5599

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 January 2023

Xin Liu, Chenghu Zhang and Jiaqi Wu

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influencing mechanism of consumers' continuous purchase intention toward the subscriber-based knowledge payment platforms (SBKPPs).

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influencing mechanism of consumers' continuous purchase intention toward the subscriber-based knowledge payment platforms (SBKPPs).

Design/methodology/approach

This study obtained 226 valid samples through questionnaire surveys and used partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) methods to elucidate the complex causal patterns of consumers' continuous purchase intention toward the SBKPPs.

Findings

The findings revealed that perceived utilitarian value, perceived hedonic value and perceived social value directly affected consumers' continuous purchase intention, while content quality and service quality indirectly affected consumers' continuous purchase intention. In addition, this study also demonstrated that all factors must be combined to play a role, and there exist four configurations resulting in consumers' continuous purchase intention toward the SBKPPs.

Research limitations/implications

The results can help researchers and practitioners better understand the causal patterns of consumers' continuous purchase intention toward the SBKPPs.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the knowledge payment literature by investigating consumers' continuous purchase intention toward the SBKPPs. This study also provides practical enlightenment for the SBKPPs' marketing.

Details

Aslib Journal of Information Management, vol. 76 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-3806

Keywords

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