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The purpose of this work is to develop a computational paradigm for performance analysis of low-frequency electromagnetic devices containing both magnetic metamaterials (MTMs) and natural media.

A time domain finite element method (TDFEM) is proposed. The electromagnetic properties of the MTMs are modeled by a nonstandard Lorentz model. The time domain governing equation is derived by converting the one from the frequency domain into the time domain based on the Laplace transform and convolution. The backward difference is used for the temporal discretization. An auxiliary variable is introduced to derive the recursive formula.

The numerical results show good agreements between the time domain solutions and the frequency domain solutions. The error convergence trajectory of the proposed TDFEM conforms to the first-order accuracy.

To the best knowledge of the authors, the presented work is the first one focusing on TDFEMs for low-frequency near fields computations of MTMs. Consequently, the proposed TDFEM greatly benefits the future explorations and performance evaluations of MTM-based near field devices and systems in low-frequency electrical and electronic engineering.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a modeling method for the analysis of low-frequency metamaterials (MTMs) and their near-field applications.

The Euler–Lagrange method is introduced. An MTM is modeled as a multi-degree-of-freedom system without homogenization. The properties and the responses of the MTM in a near-field device are readily and rigorously studied through the motion equation derived from the Lagrange equations. The resonance frequencies and the corresponding resonance modes are solved from the characteristic equation.

The numerical results of the proposed method show good agreement with the experimental ones. A measurement of MTM-core coil resistance and inductance shows high accuracy of the proposed method.

The proposed Euler–Lagrange method provides a new study perspective and enables more flexible, rigorous and straightforward analysis of low-frequency MTMs in near-field applications. Consequently, the presented work greatly facilitates further explorations and studies on various novel MTM-based low-frequency near-field devices and systems.

The purpose of this paper is to draw on triadic reciprocal determinism and social exchange theory to examine how “induced-type” and “compulsory-type” union participation influence union commitment and job involvement, and how union participation in the west differs from that in China. It also examines whether the role of both organizational justice and employee participation climate (EPC) functions in the Chinese context.

Cross-sectional data are collected from 694 employees in 46 non-publicly owned enterprises, both Chinese and foreign, in the Pearl River Delta region of China. A multi-level moderated mediation test is used to examine the model of this research.

Union participation is positively related to organizational justice, union commitment and job involvement. In addition, organizational justice acts as the mediator among union participation, union commitment and job involvement. Specifically, the mediating role of organizational justice between union participation and union commitment, and between union participation and job involvement, is stronger in high-EPC contexts than low-EPC contexts.

Instead of examining the impacts of attitudes on union participation, as per most studies in the western context, this research examines the impacts of union participation in the Chinese context on attitudes, including union commitment and job involvement. It also reveals the role of both organizational justice and EPC in the process through which union participation influences union commitment and job involvement.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief yet insightful survey of papers in the first issue of Chinese Management Studies. In the process, the founding Editor focuses on the key concepts and how scholars may further extend and build on the research undertaken.

The Editor provides a snapshot of the research undertaken in the papers selected for this issue. Instead of simply summarizing the work undertaken, the Editor, where it is highly appropriate, incorporates aspects of underlying Chinese culture. For instance, how the Confucian concept of the doctrine of mean – very broad as it is in scope – is supported in research reported here. Also, in contradiction to what authors may have argued on meaningfulness of work per se, to highlight an old Chinese adage: for example, 工字不出头 (gong-zhi-bu-chu-tuo). A literal translation into English will fail to render the true intent of the phrase. What it means is that the Chinese character for “work” implies a much deeper meaning: The horizontal line on top of the vertical limits the potential of future growth. Other concepts are visualized for ease of readers grasping the key concepts.

The series of papers here highlight the significance of research into managerial behaviors (negatively, tax aggression and abuse of power for self-enrichment), meaningfulness of work, reading of timeless Chinese novels, innovation (ZTE) and the knowledge organization, changing and transforming China and of Russian-Chinese (Taiwan) strategic alliances. The insights gained through these intensive research efforts ought to be shared with scholars globally.

The research in this issue has wide practical relevance as in highlighting the critical importance of a range of topics: Jiang Hu organizing theory, managerial behaviors, innovation and knowledge, Russo-Chinese strategic alliances, fit in strategic management and China-in-transition. This paper ties these together for the reader.

Through a review of these papers, the Editor provides insights for scholars on the possibilities for extending the frontiers of research on Chinese management. Where relevant the Editor highlights additionally, perspectives from deeply rooted Chinese beliefs, values and philosophy.

As the cost of completing a transaction, the green merger and acquisition (M&A) premium paid on mergers can influence whether the acquisition creates value or not. However, studies linking M&A premiums to firm value have had mixed results, even fewer studies have examined the effect of green M&A premiums on bidders’ firm value. The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether and how green M&A premiums affect firm value in the context of China’s heavy polluters.

Using 323 deals between 2008 and 2019 among China’s heavy polluters, this paper estimates with correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis.

Green M&A premiums are negatively associated with firm value. The results are more significant when firms adopt symbolic rather than substantive corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies. Robustness and endogeneity tests corroborate the findings. The negative relation is stronger when acquiring firms have low governmental subsidy and environmental regulation, when firms have overconfident management, when firms are state-owned and when green M&A occurs locally or among provinces in the same region. This study also analyzes agency cost as an intermediary in the relationship between green M&A premium and firm value, which lends support to the agency-view hypothesis.

This study provides systemic evidence that green M&A premiums damage firm value through agency cost channel and the choice of CSR strategies from the perspective of acquirers. These findings enrich the literature on both the economic consequences of green M&A premiums and the determinants of firm value and provide a plausible explanation for mixed findings on the relationship between green M&A premiums and firm value.

New (post‐1949) Chinese local gazetteers are one of the major primary resources for contemporary China Studies in the field of history, social sciences, humanities and sciences. Major research libraries in North America have collected them; however, the research value of this series of publications has not yet fully explored. This paper aims at examining how new local gazetteers have been compiled, the scope of their content and research value, and how scholars have used them.

The paper explores the scope and importance of the new Chinese local gazetteers collection through reviewing relevant regulations, policies and guidelines regarding compilation of the new local gazetteers, and randomly examining over 30 provincial, city and county gazetteers.

The paper provides a detailed account of publishing history of this collection; rich and unique research information available; and approaches to collection development, including utilizing digitized gazetteers by Chinese governments.

The paper explores the development of new Chinese local gazetteers in a more systematic way and adds to the current literature on the unique research value this collection has to offer.

Through examining the development of the video compact disc player industry in China, this article aims to explore the main characteristics of world‐first innovation and identify four success factors for innovation followers to launch world‐first products in catching‐up countries.

This article takes the form of a case study

The main characteristics of world‐first innovation in catching‐up countries include: from the demand side, innovation is mainly pulled by the local market, rather than technology‐push; from the supply side, innovation cannot isolate itself from the rest of the world – suppliers of key technologies in advanced countries play an important role; inter‐firm alliances are an increasingly important way to generate world‐first innovation; and downstream integration capabilities are required for followers to mix pieces of technologies together at competitive pricing. The success of followers from catching‐up countries to launch world‐first products hinges on the four critical factors: strengths of complementary assets; figuring out ways to meet local market demand without relying on large R&D spending; emphasizing untapped innovation opportunities by multinationals; and positioning themselves on the proper points of the globally coordinated network for innovation.

This article identifies the main characteristics of world‐first innovation and points out four success factors for innovation followers to launch world‐first products, which could be significant to managers in catching‐up countries. Findings of this paper are more relevant to large catching‐up countries such as India, Brazil, Mexico and Indonesia where a large domestic market could serve as important launch markets for the world‐first innovation.

The paper aims to contribute to the current research on China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) from a historical point of view. The paper investigates why the history of the Silk Roads is important to the BRI, what is in the guiding thought underpinning China's Silk Roads narrative and how this narrative is presented transnationally, through an insightful analysis of the Communist Party of China's (CPC) view of the Silk Roads history, as well as its perception of the connections between the Silk Roads history and the BRI.

The paper sits in the interface between history, heritage and state power. The argument is framed in concepts of historical constructionism and soft power. It is based on the discourse analysis of China's official narrative of Silk Roads and a case study of the planning for the World Heritage nomination of the Maritime Silk Routes (MSR) (China section). The case study is conducted through a qualitative analysis of academic publications, media reports and programs, official speeches and documents that are available to the public in hardcopy or on the Internet.

The paper reveals the relationship between the state-endorsed Silk Roads narrative and the BRI. The paper argues that the state-backed Silk Roads narrative as well as the planning for the World Heritage nomination of the MSR (China section) is guided by the Chinese Communist Party's perception of the BRI. In this respect, the Silk Roads-associated history, heritage and memory are shaped and deployed to serve as a convenient platform for the promotion of the BRI. The Party leaders' perception of the BRI is in large part about the revival of China's past glory, its national rejuvenation and the demonstration of China's soft power.

The paper contributes to the existing literature on the BRI through its enquiries into how the CPC reconcile nationalist ambitions with notions of peace, harmony and cosmopolitanism and how CPC's view of the Silk Roads history shapes its vision of the BRI. The paper examines the role of the state in the construction and articulation of the Silk Roads-associated history, heritage and memory. It investigates how China's official interpretation of the Silk Road heritage serves China's BRI.

The purpose of this paper is to put forward a demand chain management (DCM) framework underpinned by the alignment theory and applies it to investigate the fashion apparel (FA) industry in China under the impacts of the latest economic transition.

An exploratory multiple case study methodology involving five Chinese FA firms, each with a different business model and ownership type, was employed. Semi-structured interviews, onsite observations and review of company documents were conducted to collect information for analysis.

Using a conceptual DCM framework as a guide for analysis, the study finds that companies with a higher level of alignment with the external market situation and among the three internal DCM dimensions, namely, market management, supply chain management (SCM), and organization management, appear to perform better under the rapidly changing economic conditions in China.

This study contributes to knowledge by reviewing thoroughly the literature on SCM evolution and develops a DCM framework based on alignment theory that represents the state of the art in this area. By extending the administration-integration-production-development (A-I-P-D) logic set adopted in the alignment theory, this study has also equipped the proposed framework with an empirical tool to measure alignment.

By applying the framework to examine the Chinese apparel industry under the impacts of the latest economic transition, this study provides practitioners in the industry with a framework to help formulate strategies and a tool to measure alignment. The findings of the case study also offer insights to the industry to thrive in the rapidly changing businesses environment with dynamic uncertainties.

This study extends the application of the A-I-P-D logic set under the alignment theory to the SCM field. This endeavor successfully transforms the proposed DCM framework from a theoretical concept to a practical tool to help evaluate empirically the alignment and strategic fit of a firm and potential relationship with firm performance. As the Chinese FA market has increasingly evolved under the impact of the globalization, the findings of this study not only assist the local FA companies in coping with the dynamic uncertainties but also shed light on the future developments of the global FA industry. Besides, the alignment measurement tool embedded in the proposed DCM framework can help enhance the chances of business success during implementation.