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This study aims to investigate whether frugality increases customer complaints via the mediating role of the zone of tolerance (ZOT) of quality for Shanzhai products. Additionally, the study seeks to explore how customer empathy as a boundary condition affects the relationship between the ZOT of quality and customer complaints.

Based on the purchasing data of 241 low-income customers from business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce and social platforms in China, hierarchical analysis was conducted in the study. Moreover, “PROCESS SPSS Macro” was used to test the mediation effect of the ZOT of quality and the moderated mediation effect with customer empathy as a moderator.

The results indicate a positive impact of frugality on customer complaints, which is mediated by the ZOT of quality. Moreover, with an increase in customer empathy, the negative effect of the ZOT of quality on customer complaints increases, and the positive influence of frugality on customer complaints, through the mediation of the ZOT of quality, also becomes stronger.

Drawing upon the principle of cognitive consistency, this study not only extends the stream of research on frugality by exploring how frugality influences customer complaints via the mediation of the ZOT of quality but also sheds new light on the research on customer empathy by exploring its moderating role in the relationship between the ZOT of quality and customer complaints.

Through the lens of resource-based view (RBV), knowledge-based view (KBV) and DCV, this paper aims to investigate the relationship of entrepreneurial leadership (EL) on the project success (PS) and further examines the mediating effect of knowledge infrastructure capability (KIC), knowledge-based dynamic capability (KBDC) and Big data analytic capability (BDAC).

The data were collected from 467 employees working on project in software companies. The data were evaluated using SMART-PLS, a structural equation modeling (SEM) tool.

The study revealed a significant impact of EL on the PS, the study also found the significant mediation role of KIC, KBDC and BDAC on the EL and PS relationship.

The research gives valuable insight into the effective role of EL as a contemporary leadership style in project-based firms. Also, this research is one of the first to examine knowledge-oriented dynamic capabilities (DC) as a knowledge fulcrum in project execution. These DC have been empirically proven to facilitate EL in achieving PS and support the firm in competing in an uncertain environment.

Polyurethane concrete (PUC), as a new type of steel bridge deck paving material, the bond-slip pattern at the interface with the steel plate is not yet clear. In this study, the mechanical properties of the PUC and steel plate interface under the coupled action of temperature, normal force and tangential force were explored through shear tests and numerical simulations. An analytical model for bond-slip at the PUC/steel plate interface and a predictive model for the shear strength of the PUC/steel plate interface were developed.

The new shear test device designed in this paper overcomes the defect that the traditional oblique shear test cannot test the interface shear performance under the condition of fixed normal force. The universal testing machine (UTM) test machine was used to adjust the test temperature conditions. Combined with the results of the bond-slip test, the finite element simulation of the interface is completed by using the COHENSIVE unit to analyze the local stress distribution characteristics of the interface. The use of variance-based uncertainty analysis guaranteed the validity of the simulation.

The shear strength (τ_f) at the PUC-plate interface was negatively correlated with temperature while it was positively correlated with normal stress. The effect of temperature on the shear properties was more significant than that of normal stress. The slip corresponding to the maximum shear (D₁) positively correlates with both temperature and normal stress. The interfacial shear ductility improves with increasing temperature.

Based on the PUC bond-slip measured curves, the relationship between bond stress and slip at different stages was analyzed, and the bond-slip analytical model at different stages was established; the model was defined by key parameters such as elastic ultimate shear stress τ₀, peak stress τ_f and interface fracture energy G_f.

This study aims to provide empirical evidence on the relationship between formal institutions and stock price crash risk from a global perspective.

This paper uses data of 35,468 firms globally over the years 1987–2019 and address the endogeneity issue by employing the Mundlak random effects estimator.

The authors find a significant negative impact of institution quality on stock price crash risk (i.e. better institutions reduce crash risk), after controlling for common determinants of crash risk such as leverage, return on asset, firm size, investment, etc. as well as macro factors such as GDP growth. This effect is robust to different measures of crash risk and sub-indicators of institutions quality. In addition, the authors also find this effect to be universally present in economies characterized by different levels of income.

To the best of the authors' knowledge, there's no known study that explores the potential causal relationship between institution quality and stock price crash risk. Therefore, the research topic in this study is original and can contribute significantly to the existing literature.

In this chapter, we summarize and build on the current state of the customer mistreatment literature in an effort to further future research on this topic. First, we detail the four primary conceptualizations of customer mistreatment. Second, we present a multilevel model of customer mistreatment, which distinguishes between the unfolding processes at the individual employee level and the service encounter level. In particular, we consider the antecedents and outcomes unique to each level of analysis as well as mediators and moderators. Finally, we discuss important methodological concerns and recommendations for future research.

As arc suppression coils (ASCs), magnetically controlled reactors (MCRs) are usually operated in the single-phase mode. Due to the lack of a third order harmonic compensation circuit, the current harmonics are high. The purpose of this paper is to propose a novel structure of MCR and a genetic algorithm (GA) to determine the parameters which will result in minimum total harmonics.

This paper proposes the structure and the working principle of the multi-valve controlled saturable reactor (MCSR). There are several sorts of magnetic valves in the iron cores of the MCSR. The saturation degree of each magnetic valve is different when the same direct component of the magnetic flux is generated in the iron core, therefore current harmonics of different phases emerging, i.e. the total harmonics can be reduced. The magnetization characteristics and the mathematical model of the current harmonics of the MCSR are presented by introducing three parameters. The optimal values of the parameters that result in the smallest total harmonic distortion in the output current are calculated by a GA.

The simulation and experimental results are coincident with the theoretical analyses, which prove the effectiveness of the proposed method on harmonic suppression.

The method proposed in this paper can successfully reduce the current harmonics of the conventional MCR, including but not limited to the ASC. A prototype MCSR (540 kVA/10 kV) has been designed and constructed.

In this paper, a MCSR is proposed. The mathematical model of the MCSR for harmonic analysis is developed. The optimal parameters that result in the smallest THD in the output current are calculated. The mathematical model can be also used for the harmonic analysis of conventional MCRs.

French engineering students are traditionally reluctant to envisage entrepreneurship. Can a new engineering school aimed at fostering entrepreneurship reverse this trend? The purpose of this paper is to compare the development of engineering students' entrepreneurial intentions and perceived career orientation of the prestigious engineering training schools (Ecole Centrale de Lille) and ITEEM, whose curriculum is dual (engineering+management), new and based on active pedagogies.

This study is based on qualitative analysis of 12 in‐depth interviews and quantitative longitudinal analysis of data obtained from a questionnaire administered each year to all students from both schools.

Results show that ITEEM fosters students' entrepreneurial and project management careers, whereas Centrale promotes the traditional technical model of an engineer. Family background of students is close in both schools. Level of entrepreneurial intention at enrolling is higher at ITEEM than Centrale but cannot fully explain why entrepreneurial career orientations decrease at Centrale while they increase at ITEEM. On the other hand, perception of school culture is weak at Centrale and strong at ITEEM and this difference is significantly with regard to the development of students' career orientation. Qualitative interviews indicate that both cultures highlight different elements.

The cultural element can then be proposed as a new factor to take into account when studying the impact of entrepreneurship education. However, this result is based here on a simple measure of school culture perception and qualitative interviews. It should be confirmed by a more detailed quantitative analysis of cultural and organizational characteristics of educational institutions.

Engineering schools can foster entrepreneurial orientations if their educational culture is perceived as new and innovative by students. This can be achieved through a new curriculum based on a wider set of courses (management, entrepreneurship and engineering) and the systematic deployment of active pedagogies such as project work and internships. A new question arises: can such a perception of innovation be maintained over time?

In the theoretical literature, culture is considered to be an essential element that can have an impact on entrepreneurial career aspirations and intentions. But as yet, no empirically based study had been carried out to prove it.

Straightness measurement of rail weld joint is of essential importance to railway maintenance. Due to the lack of efficient measurement equipment, there has been limited in-depth research on rail weld joint with a 5-m wavelength range, leaving a significant knowledge gap in this field.

In this study, the authors used the well-established inertial reference method (IR-method), and the state-of-the-art multi-point chord reference method (MCR-method). Two methods have been applied in different types of rail straightness measurement trollies, respectively. These instruments were tested in a high-speed rail section within a certain region of China. The test results were ultimately validated through using traditional straightedge and feeler gauge methods as reference data to evaluate the rail weld joint straightness within the 5-m wavelength range.

The research reveals that IR-method and MCR-method produce reasonably similar measurement results for wavelengths below 1 m. However, MCR-method outperforms IR-method in terms of accuracy for wavelengths exceeding 3 m. Furthermore, it was observed that IR-method, while operating at a slower speed, carries the risk of derailing and is incapable of detecting rail weld joints and low joints within the track.

The research compare two methods’ measurement effects in a longer wavelength range and demonstrate the superiority of MCR-method.