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1 – 10 of over 11000Abstract
Purpose
This research aims to propose a comparative environmental analysis of conventional and prefabricated construction techniques utilizing a building information modelling (BIM) technique.
Design/methodology/approach
A set of indicators are selected to assess the environmental emissions throughout the construction life cycle, based on BIM platform. An existing project involving ten apartment buildings in Shanghai is selected as a case study.
Findings
The results reveal that prefabricated construction demonstrates environment-friendly performance with some exceptions of acidification and mineral resource consumption. Environmental impacts can also be further reduced by increasing the projected area ratio and percentage of project prefabrication.
Originality/value
Overall, the proposed method can be used to identify relevant environmental merits and for decision-making of appropriate construction techniques in building construction projects.
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Keywords
Yani Dong, Yan Li, Hai-Yan Hua and Wei Li
As the current Coronavirus 2019 pandemic eases, international tourism, which was greatly affected by the outbreak, is gradually recovering. The attraction of countries to overseas…
Abstract
Purpose
As the current Coronavirus 2019 pandemic eases, international tourism, which was greatly affected by the outbreak, is gradually recovering. The attraction of countries to overseas tourists is related to their overall performance in the pandemic. This research integrates the data of vaccination of different countries, border control policy and holidays to explore their differential impacts on the overseas tourists’ intention during the pandemic. This is crucial for destinations to built their tourism resilience. It will also help countries and industry organizations to promote their own destinations to foreign tourism enterprises.
Design/methodology/approach
This study proposes an analysis based on panel data for ten countries over 1,388 days. The coefficient of variation is used to measure monthly differences of Chinese tourists’ intention to visit overseas country destinations.
Findings
Results show that, for tourist intention of going abroad: border control of the destination country has a significant negative impact; daily new cases in the destination country have a significant negative impact; domestic daily new cases have a significant positive impact; holidays have significant negative impact; daily vaccination of the destination countries has significant positive impact; and domestic daily vaccination have negative significant impact.
Research limitations/implications
First, there is a large uncertainty in studying consumers’ willingness to travel abroad in this particular period because of unnecessary travel abroad caused by the control of the epidemic. Second, there are limitations in studying only Chinese tourists, and future research should be geared toward a broader range of research pairs.
Practical implications
First, from the government perspective, a humane response can earn the respect and trust of tourists. Second, for tourism industry, to encourage the public take vaccine would be beneficial for both the tourism destination and foreign tourism companies. The same effect can be achieved by helping tourists who are troubled by border control.
Social implications
First, this research provides suggestions for the government and the tourism industry to deal with such a crisis in the future. Second, this study found that vaccination has a direct impact on tourism. This provides a basis for improving people’s willingness to vaccinate. Thirdly, this study proves suggestion for the destinations to build tourism resilience.
Originality/value
This study analyzes the unique control measures and vaccination in different countries during the pandemic, then provides suggestions for the tourism industry to prepare for the upcoming postpandemic tourism recovery. This study is valuable for improving the economic resilience of tourism destinations. Additionally, it helps to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of different restrain policies around the world.
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Keywords
Xiaoyu Wang, Hean Tat Keh and Li Yan
Frontline employees (FLEs) play a pivotal role in service delivery. Beyond their expected in-role behaviors, FLEs often have to perform extra-role behaviors such as providing…
Abstract
Purpose
Frontline employees (FLEs) play a pivotal role in service delivery. Beyond their expected in-role behaviors, FLEs often have to perform extra-role behaviors such as providing additional help to customers. The purpose of this study is to investigate how customers’ power distance belief (PDB) influences their perceptions of FLEs’ warmth and competence when FLEs perform extra-role helping behaviors.
Design/methodology/approach
Four experiments were conducted to test the hypotheses. The first three experiments used a one factor two-level (PDB: low vs high) between-participants design. The fourth one used a 2 (PDB: low vs high) × 2 (firm reputation: low vs high) between-participants design.
Findings
The results indicate that, compared to high-PDB customers, low-PDB customers perceive greater warmth in FLEs’ extra-role helping behaviors but no significant difference in FLEs’ perceived competence. Importantly, these effects are mediated by customer gratitude. Moreover, these effects are moderated by firm reputation such that customers’ perceptions of FLEs’ warmth and competence are both enhanced when the firm has a favorable reputation.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the study is the first to identify the differential effects of PDB on customer perceptions of FLEs’ warmth and competence in the context of FLEs’ extra-role helping behaviors and to reveal the mediating role of gratitude. These findings contribute to the literatures on FLEs’ extra-role behaviors and social perceptions of both warmth and competence.
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Keywords
Yufei Zhao, Li Yan and Hean Tat Keh
There is considerable research examining the consequences and contingency factors of customer participation in the service encounter. In comparison, there is disproportionately…
Abstract
Purpose
There is considerable research examining the consequences and contingency factors of customer participation in the service encounter. In comparison, there is disproportionately less research examining the antecedents of customer participation. This paper aims to propose and test an appraisal-emotive framework of the effects of front-line employees’ in-role and extra-role behaviours on customer participation.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey on 583 customers of retail banks in China has been conducted to test the framework. Structural equation modelling and dominance analysis have been used for hypotheses testing.
Findings
Employees’ extra-role behaviour (i.e. organisational citizenship behaviour or OCB) has a stronger effect than their in-role behaviour (i.e. role-prescribed behaviour) in inducing customer participation. These effects are mediated by customer emotions. Specifically, the effect of employees’ in-role behaviour on customer participation was mediated by customers’ positive and negative emotions, whereas the effect of employees’ OCB was mediated by customers’ positive emotions but not by their negative emotions.
Practical implications
The findings reveal that strategic management of employee behaviours can influence customer participation. While organisations often provide training to enhance employees’ in-role behaviour to deliver service performance, they should also recognise and encourage employees’ OCB as a means of increasing customer participation. In particular, employees who display positive emotions tend to evoke positive emotions in customers, which increase customer participation in the service encounter.
Originality/value
To the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the few studies in marketing to examine the differential effects of employees’ in-role and extra-role behaviours on customer participation. Importantly, the findings show that employees’ OCB is not only more effective than employees’ in-role behaviour in influencing customer participation but also these two behaviours have varying effects on customer emotions. These findings are new and contribute to the literatures on customer participation, value co-creation and human resource management.
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Yan Li, Zhi Xin Ba, Yong Liang Li, Yan Ge and Xi Chang Zhu
This paper aims to investigate the inhibition effect of sodium silicate (SS), sodium alginate (SA) and sodium tungstate (ST) on the corrosion behavior of AZ91D magnesium alloy in…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the inhibition effect of sodium silicate (SS), sodium alginate (SA) and sodium tungstate (ST) on the corrosion behavior of AZ91D magnesium alloy in 3.5 per cent NaCl solution through polarization curve test at room temperature, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and weight loss measurement.
Design/methodology/approach
The influence of SA concentration on the inhibition efficiency of the corrosion inhibitor was mainly analyzed. The corrosion morphology and inhibition mechanism of the samples were also analyzed with scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive spectroscopy.
Findings
The results show that with the increase of SA concentration, the corrosion inhibition first increases and then decreases. When SA concentration is 0.03 mol/L, the inhibition efficiency is the highest, reaching 98 per cent. The adsorption film formed by SA and other deposition films produce a synergistic effect on the improvement of corrosion resistance of AZ91D magnesium alloy.
Originality/value
The adsorption film formed by SA with other deposition films produces a synergistic effect on the improvement of corrosion resistance of AZ91D magnesium alloy. With the increase of SA concentration, the corrosion inhibition first increases and then decreases. When the concentrations of SA, SS and ST are 0.03 mol/L, 0.015 mol/L and 0.02 mol/L, respectively, the inhibition efficiency of the inhibitor is the highest, reaching 98 per cent.
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Keywords
Yan Li, Ming K. Lim, Weiqing Xiong, Xingjun Huang, Yuhe Shi and Songyi Wang
Recently, electric vehicles have been widely used in the cold chain logistics sector to reduce the effects of excessive energy consumption and to support environmental…
Abstract
Purpose
Recently, electric vehicles have been widely used in the cold chain logistics sector to reduce the effects of excessive energy consumption and to support environmental friendliness. Considering the limited battery capacity of electric vehicles, it is vital to optimize battery charging during the distribution process.
Design/methodology/approach
This study establishes an electric vehicle routing model for cold chain logistics with charging stations, which will integrate multiple distribution centers to achieve sustainable logistics. The suggested optimization model aimed at minimizing the overall cost of cold chain logistics, which incorporates fixed, damage, refrigeration, penalty, queuing, energy and carbon emission costs. In addition, the proposed model takes into accounts factors such as time-varying speed, time-varying electricity price, energy consumption and queuing at the charging station. In the proposed model, a hybrid crow search algorithm (CSA), which combines opposition-based learning (OBL) and taboo search (TS), is developed for optimization purposes. To evaluate the model, algorithms and model experiments are conducted based on a real case in Chongqing, China.
Findings
The result of algorithm experiments illustrate that hybrid CSA is effective in terms of both solution quality and speed compared to genetic algorithm (GA) and particle swarm optimization (PSO). In addition, the model experiments highlight the benefits of joint distribution over individual distribution in reducing costs and carbon emissions.
Research limitations/implications
The optimization model of cold chain logistics routes based on electric vehicles provides a reference for managers to develop distribution plans, which contributes to the development of sustainable logistics.
Originality/value
In prior studies, many scholars have conducted related research on the subject of cold chain logistics vehicle routing problems and electric vehicle routing problems separately, but few have merged the above two subjects. In response, this study innovatively designs an electric vehicle routing model for cold chain logistics with consideration of time-varying speeds, time-varying electricity prices, energy consumption and queues at charging stations to make it consistent with the real world.
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Keywords
Hai‐Yan Li, Xue‐Ren Zhang, Xiao‐Jun Yan and Jing‐Xu Nie
A new reverse educing method (REM) is presented to estimate the vibrational stress on rotating aeroengine blades from the actual fracture section. This method does not conform to…
Abstract
A new reverse educing method (REM) is presented to estimate the vibrational stress on rotating aeroengine blades from the actual fracture section. This method does not conform to the traditional calculating method, but involves the reverse solution idea. The value of the crack propagation ratio da/dN can be obtained from the actual fracture section of the blade, and then the vibrational stress on rotating blades can be calculated through static computation, modal analysis and crack stress intensity factor calculation. The result is very significant for fault diagnosing and shooting of aeroengine blades.
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Yan Li, Shumei Jin, Qi Chen and Steven J. Armstrong
This research focuses on the work–family facilitation process to theorize and examine the potential positive impact of perceived overqualification (POQ) on an individual’s…
Abstract
Purpose
This research focuses on the work–family facilitation process to theorize and examine the potential positive impact of perceived overqualification (POQ) on an individual’s work–family interface. Drawing on social cognitive theory of self-regulation, this research identifies work–family balance self-efficacy (WFBSE) as a motivational mechanism through which POQ affects work engagement. Additionally, it proposes flexibility human resource (HR) practices as a key moderator of this process.
Design/methodology/approach
This research collected multi-wave time-lagged data from 342 managers in the hospitality industry. The research focused on managers with the title of headwaiter and above, while front-line service personnel were not included.
Findings
The results showed that POQ had an indirect positive relationship with work engagement via WFBSE. The results also showed that employee-experienced flexibility HR practices moderated the effectiveness of WFBSE in translating POQ into work engagement.
Practical implications
This research provides guidance and insights into how HRM systems can be customized to sustain positive outcomes in situations of overqualification. It is crucial that hotels offer flexibility options or individualization of work arrangements for overqualified employees.
Originality/value
The potential positive impact of POQ on employees’ work–family interface has been neglected. In addition, prior research has devoted little attention to potential organizational factors that enhance the positive effects of POQ. By examining the mediating and moderating effects, this research aims to explain how and under what conditions POQ facilitates work engagement.
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Keywords
Yan Li, Desheng Zhang and Fuhai Duan
The purpose of this paper is to investigate dynamic characteristics of opposed-conical gas-dynamic bearings considering five degree-of-freedom motion, including translation and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate dynamic characteristics of opposed-conical gas-dynamic bearings considering five degree-of-freedom motion, including translation and tilt.
Design/methodology/approach
The steady-state Reynolds equation and perturbed Reynolds equations are solved on the surface of conical bearings, and both stiffness and damping coefficients are calculated. A formula for quickly calculating critical mass is deduced to discriminate the stability of the rotor considering the five degree-of-freedom motion.
Findings
Results show that the stability of the rotor is mainly determined by translation rather than tilt. The formula of critical mass is validated by comparing the results with traditional Routh–Hurwitz criterion.
Originality/value
The formula proposed in this paper greatly simplifies the solution of critical mass, which facilitates the rotor stability design. It is applicable for opposed-conical bearings, opposed-hemispherical bearings and spherical bearings. The results provide theoretical guidance for the design of gas-dynamic bearings.
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Keywords
Xiancun Hu, Xianhu Hu, Qinghong Cui, Yan Li, Charles Lemckert and Aifang Wei
This paper presents a developed spatial-temporal analysis framework for the case of investigating the business performance of construction consultancy services (CCS) in China.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper presents a developed spatial-temporal analysis framework for the case of investigating the business performance of construction consultancy services (CCS) in China.
Design/methodology/approach
The spatial-temporal analysis is based on the data envelopment analysis (DEA) technique. The spatial analysis follows the DEA results under a contemporaneous benchmark technology and a virtual decision-making unit, consisting of ranking analysis, cluster analysis and variation analysis. The temporal analysis is reliant on the DEA results under a global benchmark technology and the time value of money, including trend analysis and driving force analysis containing pure technical and scale efficiency factors.
Findings
Three CCS types in China are investigated, including engineering survey and design, construction supervision and procurement agency. The performance rank order and cluster classifications are mainly related to economic development levels. Engineering survey and design demonstrates the best performance and higher imbalances; however, construction supervision and procurement agency illustrate lower performance and imbalances. Scale efficiency significantly promotes business performance, whereas pure technical efficiency plays an inconspicuous role.
Practical implications
The CCS promote technical efficiency by developing their service and innovation levels. The service of engineering survey and design registered in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong is recommended for entering the service market in China.
Originality/value
The spatial-temporal analysis framework was developed, which is generic and provides a pathway to measure, compare and assess performance comprehensively. The CCS business performance is firstly measured.
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