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1 – 10 of 20Lan Guo, Jutta Tobias, Elliot Bendoly and Yuming Hu
The purpose of this paper is to examine the antecedents and performance consequences of voluntary information exchange between the production and sales functions.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the antecedents and performance consequences of voluntary information exchange between the production and sales functions.
Design/methodology/approach
Building on the motivation-opportunity-ability framework, the authors first posit a general model for bilateral information exchange across functional levels. The innovation presented in this model consists in allowing both sides of such an exchange (e.g. production-to-sales and sales-to-production) to differ in the perceived adequacy of information they receive. The two sides can also differ in terms of how their motivation and ability impact that adequacy. To test the model, the authors make use of survey responses and objective data from sales, production and executive managers of 182 Chinese manufacturers.
Findings
Analysis of the sample shows that the sales-to-production exchange has a smaller estimated performance effect than the production-to-sales exchange. Although shared opportunity is important in predicting both sides of the exchange, the measure of motivation appears to only significantly impact the sales-to-production exchange. In contrast, the measure of ability only appears to significantly affect the production-to-sales exchange.
Research limitations/implications
Although limited to a regional context, differences in information-sharing drivers on the two sides of production-sales dyads pose strong implications that may be generalizable.
Practical implications
Specifically, these findings suggest alternative approaches and foci for resource investment that higher level managers can leverage in developing more effective cross-functional work settings.
Originality/value
This study differentiates itself from extant literature on information sharing by focusing on cross-functional (vs intra-functional) and voluntary (vs routine) information exchange.
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Zhixiang Song, Fei Guo, Ying Liu, Songtao Hu, Xiangfeng Liu and Yuming Wang
This paper aims to present the slip/no-slip design in two-dimensional water-lubricated tilting pad thrust bearings (TPTBs) considering the turbulence effect and shifting of…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to present the slip/no-slip design in two-dimensional water-lubricated tilting pad thrust bearings (TPTBs) considering the turbulence effect and shifting of pressure centers.
Design/methodology/approach
A numerical model is established to analyze the slip condition and the effect of turbulence according to a Reynolds number defined in terms of the slip condition. Simulations are carried out for eccentrically and centrally pivoted bearings and the influence of different slip parameters is discussed.
Findings
A considerable enhancement in load capacity, as well as a reduction in friction, can be achieved by heterogeneous slip/no-slip surface designs for lubricated sliding contacts, especially for near parallel pad configurations. The optimized design largely depends on the pivot position. The load capacity increases by 174 per cent for eccentrically pivoted bearings and 159 per cent for centrally pivoted bearings for a suitable design. When slip zone locates at the middle of the radial direction or close to the inner edge, the performance of the TPTB is better.
Research limitations/implications
The simplification of slip effect on the turbulence (definition of Reynolds number) can only describe the trend of the increasing turbulence due to slip condition. The accurate turbulence expression considering the boundary slip needs further explorations.
Originality/value
The shifting of pressure center due to the slip/no-slip design for TPTBs is investigated in this study. The turbulence effect and influence of slip parameters is discussed for large water-lubricated bearings.
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Songtao Hu, Noel Brunetiere, Weifeng Huang, Xi Shi, Zhike Peng, Xiangfeng Liu and Yuming Wang
Face contact has a strong impact on the service life of non-contacting gas face seals; the current research which mainly focuses on the face contact had appeared during the…
Abstract
Purpose
Face contact has a strong impact on the service life of non-contacting gas face seals; the current research which mainly focuses on the face contact had appeared during the startup or shutdown operation. This paper aims to present a closed-form contact model of a gas face seal during the opened operation.
Design/methodology/approach
Referring to the axial rub-impact model of rotor dynamics, a closed-form contact model is developed under a nonparallel plane contact condition that corresponds to the local face contact of sealing rings arising from some disturbances during the opened operation. The closed-form contact model and a direct numerical contact model are performed on Gaussian surfaces to compare the contact behavior.
Findings
The closed-form contact model is in a good agreement with the direct numerical contact model. However, the closed-form contact model cannot involve the influence of grooves on the sealing ends. The error is eliminated in some other types of gas face seals such as coned gas face seals. Besides non-contacting face seals, the closed-form model can be applied to the axial rub impact of rotor dynamics.
Originality value
A closed-form contact model of a gas face seal is established during the opened operation. The closed-form contact model is validated by a direct numerical contact model. The closed-form contact model also suits for axial rub-impact of rotor dynamics.
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Xixian Lin, Yuming Zhang, Yimeng Zhang and Guangjian Rong
The purpose of this study is to design a more flexible and larger range of the dimming circuit that achieves the independence of multiple LED strings drive and can time-multiplex…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to design a more flexible and larger range of the dimming circuit that achieves the independence of multiple LED strings drive and can time-multiplex the power circuit.
Design/methodology/approach
The state-space method is used to model the BUCK circuit working in Pseudo continuous conduction mode, analyze the frequency characteristics of the system transfer function and design the compensation network. Build a simulation platform on the Orcad PSPICE platform and verify the function of the designed circuit through the simulation results. Use Altium Designer 16 to draw the printed circuit board, complete the welding of various components and use the oscilloscope, direct current (DC) power supply and a signal generator to verify the circuit function.
Findings
A prototype of the proposed LED driver is fabricated and tested. The measurement results show that the switching frequency can be increased to 1 MHz, Power inductance is 2.2 µH, which is smaller than current research. The dimming ratio can be set from 10% to 100%. The proposed LED driver can output more than 48 W and achieve a peak conversion efficiency of 91%.
Originality/value
The proposed LED driver adopts pulse width modulation (PWM) dimming at a lower dimming ratio and adopts DC dimming at a larger dimming ratio to realize switching PWM dimming to analog dimming. The control strategy can be more precise and have a wide range of dimming.
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Kai Liu, Yuming Liu and Yuanyuan Kou
Inter-organizational collaboration is the organizational guarantee and key link to achieve the goals of megaproject management. Project governance has always played an important…
Abstract
Purpose
Inter-organizational collaboration is the organizational guarantee and key link to achieve the goals of megaproject management. Project governance has always played an important role in the construction of megaprojects, but the relationship between project governance and organizational collaboration is unclear. The purpose of this study is to explore the role paths of different project governance mechanisms in influencing the collaborative behaviors of stakeholders and collaborative performance and to elucidate the mechanism of project governance on inter-organizational collaboration.
Design/methodology/approach
A conceptual framework was developed based on a comprehensive literature review, termed the structural equation model (SEM). The hypotheses of the model were tested based on data obtained from a questionnaire survey of 235 experts with experience in megaprojects within the construction industry in China.
Findings
The results show that project governance positively contributes to the collaborative behavior of megaproject stakeholders and the collaborative performance of the project team. Collaborative behavior acts as a partial mediator between project governance and the collaborative performance of the megaproject inter-organization alliance. The complexity of the project modulates the relationship between the governance mechanism of the project and the collaborative behavior of the stakeholders, which affects the collaborative performance of the megaproject inter-organization alliance.
Originality/value
The findings provide theoretical and practical implications for promoting positive collaborative behavior among stakeholders in megaproject selection and improving the collaborative performance of megaproject inter-organization alliances.
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Yuming Zhai, Kaibo Yang, Lu Chen, Han Lin, Mingchuan Yu and Ruoyu Jin
Digital technologies, such as big data and artificial intelligence, significantly impact entrepreneurial activities worldwide. However, research on entrepreneurial activities…
Abstract
Purpose
Digital technologies, such as big data and artificial intelligence, significantly impact entrepreneurial activities worldwide. However, research on entrepreneurial activities enabled by digital technologies is fragmented, divergent and delayed. This study aims to provide a structured review of digital entrepreneurship (DE) to identify status, hotspots, knowledge structure, dynamic trends and future developments in this field.
Design/methodology/approach
The bibliometric analysis was applied to offer a technological review on DE. In total 704 publications and their 34,083 references from Web of Science were retrieved as the sample set. Basic characteristics of publications, including the most influential documents, authors, journals and countries, were obtained. Then, co-citation and co-occurrence analyses were conducted to sketch the contours of the structure and evolution of DE.
Findings
DE has attracted increasing attention in the past three decades, especially after 2013. There are dozens of countries, hundreds of journals and more than 1,000 authors that have contributed to this field. Based on keyword co-occurrence clustering and co-citation clustering, the authors proposed a 3E (empower, evolution and ecosystem) framework of DE to facilitate an interdisciplinary dialogue for evidence-based policymaking and practice. In the future, researchers need to pay more attention to theoretical research and study DE from a holistic and dynamic perspective with consideration to the negative impact of digital technology on entrepreneurial activities.
Originality/value
This study draws an outline of the global advance on DE research. It presents an opportunity to comprehensively understand the contemporary achievements, the march of knowledge and the logical venation underlying academic developments as well as foundations for policymaking.
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Kai Liu, Yuming Liu, Yuanyuan Kou and Xiaoxu Yang
The mega railway infrastructure projects are faced with complex environments and multi-level management challenges. Thus, the mega railway infrastructure project management system…
Abstract
Purpose
The mega railway infrastructure projects are faced with complex environments and multi-level management challenges. Thus, the mega railway infrastructure project management system not only needs to focus on its composition, but also needs to consider changes and impacts of internal and external environment.
Design/methodology/approach
This study attempts to introduce the concept of dissipative structure from the perspective of complexity theory and constructs a positive entropy and negentropy flow index system for mega railway infrastructure project management system in order to analyze the factors of management system more deeply. The Brusselator model is used to construct the structure of the mega railway infrastructure project management system, and the entropy method is used to calculate the positive entropy and negentropy values to verify whether the management system is a dissipative structure.
Findings
A plateau railway project in China was used as an example for an empirical study, not only its own characteristics are analyzed, but also the role of constraints and facilitation of the internal and external environment. Based on the research results, several effective suggestions are put forward to improve the stability and work efficiency of mega railway infrastructure project management system.
Originality/value
This study demonstrates that mega railway infrastructure project management system has the characteristics of dissipative structure. It can provide theoretical support for the development of mega railway infrastructure project management system from disorderly state to orderly state.
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Justin Zuopeng Zhang, Wu He, Sachin Shetty, Xin Tian, Yuming He, Abhishek Behl and Ajith Kumar Vadakki Veetil
Despite rapid growth in blockchains, there was limited discussion about non-technical and technical factors on blockchain governance in the extant literature. This study aims to…
Abstract
Purpose
Despite rapid growth in blockchains, there was limited discussion about non-technical and technical factors on blockchain governance in the extant literature. This study aims to contribute new knowledge to the literature on potential factors affecting the adoption, governance and scale-up of blockchain technologies in the health-care and energy sectors, presented in a holistic framework.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopts the qualitative case study research methodology to research blockchain governance in practice. The authors contacted a national blockchain consortium to conduct their research on the governance issue of blockchain. Two leading case organizations, one from the health-care industry and another from the energy industry, were deliberately selected for their study for their active role and reputation in the consortium and practical experience in blockchain governance.
Findings
The developed framework helps identify potential research gaps or concerns on adopting a blockchain as well as assessing blockchain implementation and governance in other industries. Depending on the circumstances, some of the factors can be either drivers or obstacles to further blockchain development. The different forces may also be more or less evident over time as blockchains develop. The two real-world case studies contribute to the information technology governance literature on blockchain governance.
Originality/value
The results of this case studies will be beneficial for developing theories and empirical models to determine antecedents for achieving consensus and trust in blockchain and testing the relationship between these factors and blockchain governance at different levels. As a result, theories related to the governance of blockchain technologies could be further developed.
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Wang Shen, Junyao Wang, Xin Feng and Yuming He
This paper aims to study individuals’ information service satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in China’s urban communities.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to study individuals’ information service satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in China’s urban communities.
Design/methodology/approach
The researchers analyse people’s uncertainties during the pandemic and argue that uncertainties caused by the lockdown can negatively affect people. By reducing people’s uncertainty during the pandemic, community staff members can improve individuals’ information service satisfaction and social order. This study constructs a conceptual model that includes key transparency and self-disclosure constructs and their relationships that can contribute to the trust and satisfaction of the community information service phenomenon. The researchers collected 489 responses to test their hypothesis from an online survey of Chinese residents in areas where the strict lockdown policy was implemented.
Findings
The empirical results show that policy and goods information transparency significantly affect information service satisfaction in a positive way, with goods information transparency having the highest impact. Second, self-disclosure of community staff members is also an effective way to increase information service satisfaction. Finally, trust plays a mediating role in the influence of information transparency and self-disclosure on information service satisfaction.
Originality/value
This paper innovatively uses uncertainty reduction theory to examine the effects of information transparency and self-disclosure on satisfaction with community information services. It expands the research in the field of information service satisfaction and extends the scope of the research subjects of self-disclosure.
Details
Keywords
Xin Tian, Wu He, Yuming He, Steve Albert and Michael Howard
This study aims to examine how different hospitals utilize social media to communicate risk information about COVID-19 with the communities they serve, and how hospitals' social…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine how different hospitals utilize social media to communicate risk information about COVID-19 with the communities they serve, and how hospitals' social media messaging (firm-generated content and their local community's responses (user-generated content) evolved with the COVID-19 outbreak progression.
Design/methodology/approach
This research proposes a healthcare-specific social media analytics framework and studied 68,136 tweets posted from November 2019 to November 2020 from a geographically diverse set of ten leading hospitals' social media messaging on COVID-19 and the public responses by using social media analytics techniques and the health belief model (HBM).
Findings
The study found correlations between some of the HBM variables and COVID-19 outbreak progression. The findings provide actionable insight for hospitals regarding risk communication, decision making, pandemic awareness and education campaigns and social media messaging strategy during a pandemic and help the public to be more prepared for information seeking in the case of future pandemics.
Practical implications
For hospitals, the results provide valuable insights for risk communication practitioners and inform the way hospitals or health agencies manage crisis communication during the pandemic For patients and local community members, they are recommended to check out local hospital's social media sites for updates and advice.
Originality/value
The study demonstrates the role of social media analytics and health behavior models, such as the HBM, in identifying important and useful data and knowledge for public health risk communication, emergency responses and planning during a pandemic.
Details