Search results

1 – 10 of over 2000

Abstract

Details

Transport Science and Technology
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-0-08-044707-0

Article
Publication date: 27 November 2023

Ziyu Zhou, Haizhou Fan and Zhiying Liu

1. Explore the important role of sole actual controller in the innovation decision of the firm and the different effects of the ownership of sole actual controller on innovation;…

Abstract

Purpose

1. Explore the important role of sole actual controller in the innovation decision of the firm and the different effects of the ownership of sole actual controller on innovation; 2. Explore whether the role played by sole actual controllers varies in different types of firms; 3. Explore the important role of cooperative culture in the internal governance of firms and whether sole actual controller firms feel a rejection effect on cooperative culture.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors collect data on Shanghai and Shenzhen A-share listed companies from 2011 to 2021 to analyze the role of the sole actual controller on innovation investment, as well as the moderating effect of cooperative culture in corporate annual reports using natural language processing.

Findings

The authors find that sole actual controllers promote corporate innovation investment and that concentrated equity inhibits corporate innovation investment, while dispersed equity concentration promotes it. In addition, cooperative culture has a nonlinear moderating effect on the relationship between SACs and innovation.

Research limitations/implications

On the one hand, this study focuses chiefly on the decision-making behavior of top managers, such as the SACs and shareholders, and does not account for the role of bottom-level employees or professional R&D teams in innovation. On the other hand, although this study discusses the moderating role of corporate cooperative culture, it is limited to internal cooperative culture; cooperative culture should also consider external cooperation, such as cooperation between companies or between companies and universities.

Practical implications

First, companies should actively implement the SAC model and scientifically select a truly compassionate and visionary SAC as the dominant person in the company. Second, the Chinese government needs to standardize the identification of actual controllers, who should not be a shareholder of the company. Third, policymakers should promote the reform of the mixed system of enterprises, optimize the shareholding structure of firms, make executives an important part of corporate governance. Fourth, cooperation culture is a good start, though firms should avoid letting it become a “double-edged sword” of the management mode of the SAC.

Originality/value

First, existing studies do not address the impact of SACs on innovation from the perspective of SACs, who have most influence the firm's decision-making. Focusing on the SAC's decision-making style has sufficient practical implications for future corporate innovation planning. This study used the natural language processing (NLP) module in ChatGPT to analyze the culture of cooperation in corporate annual reports. Currently, corporate culture is an obstacle to the study of corporate governance because of its obscurity and difficulty of quantification. The authors adopted a PSM (propensity score matching) approach to eliminate the endogeneity of the data, which makes the results more scientific.

Details

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

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 October 2023

Zhizhong Guo, Fei Liu, Yuze Shang, Zhe Li and Ping Qin

This research aims to present a novel cooperative control architecture designed specifically for roads with variations in height and curvature. The primary objective is to enhance…

Abstract

Purpose

This research aims to present a novel cooperative control architecture designed specifically for roads with variations in height and curvature. The primary objective is to enhance the longitudinal and lateral tracking accuracy of the vehicle.

Design/methodology/approach

In addressing the challenges posed by time-varying road information and vehicle dynamics parameters, a combination of model predictive control (MPC) and active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) is employed in this study. A coupled controller based on the authors’ model was developed by utilizing the capabilities of MPC and ADRC. Emphasis is placed on the ramifications of road undulations and changes in curvature concerning control effectiveness. Recognizing these factors as disturbances, measures are taken to offset their influences within the system. Load transfer due to variations in road parameters has been considered and integrated into the design of the authors’ synergistic architecture.

Findings

The framework's efficacy is validated through hardware-in-the-loop simulation. Experimental results show that the integrated controller is more robust than conventional MPC and PID controllers. Consequently, the integrated controller improves the vehicle's driving stability and safety.

Originality/value

The proposed coupled control strategy notably enhances vehicle stability and reduces slip concerns. A tailored model is introduced integrating a control strategy based on MPC and ADRC which takes into account vertical and longitudinal force variations and allowing it to effectively cope with complex scenarios and multifaceted constraints problems.

Article
Publication date: 25 December 2020

Enrico Bracci, Giorgia Gobbo and Luca Papi

This paper investigates the role of boundary objects and boundary work in the integration of risk management (RM) and performance management (PM) systems. In particular, the paper…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper investigates the role of boundary objects and boundary work in the integration of risk management (RM) and performance management (PM) systems. In particular, the paper combines theoretical insights with an empirical focus to examine how shared contexts are created through the boundary work performed by key actors across knowledge boundaries.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper develops an exploratory qualitative case study from a local government context. The methodology is based on document analysis and semi-structured interviews.

Findings

Boundary objects can act as knowledge integration mechanisms, allowing key actors to understand the meanings and uses of RM and PM practices. The paper shows how collaborative versus competitive boundary work exerted by key actors can explain the creation of shared contexts leading to integration between RM and PM.

Originality/value

The results contribute to the debate about the integration of RM with other managerial systems. Differently from previous research, the integration theme is addressed in the present work by looking specifically to the integration between RM and PM. In doing so, the role of both boundary objects and the boundary work performed by relevant actors to demarcate their legitimacy and autonomy over preferred practices is portrayed.

Details

Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management, vol. 34 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1096-3367

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 January 2020

Mehdi Mcharek, Toufik Azib, Moncef Hammadi, Cherif Larouci and Jean-Yves Choley

Within the current industrial context, companies aim to decrease the design process time and cost. The multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) appears as a solution to…

Abstract

Purpose

Within the current industrial context, companies aim to decrease the design process time and cost. The multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) appears as a solution to accelerate the process and support designers in different stages of the design cycle. However, this relatively new concept needs to be integrated efficiently in the industrial environment and issues related to collaboration, data management, traceability and reuse need to be overcome.

Design/methodology/approach

The aim of this work is to efficiently integrate the MDO in the industrial design cycle by means of knowledge management (KM) techniques. To take into account the industrial environment, the methodology was applied in a collaborative software.

Findings

An example of collaborative design and optimization of an electronic throttle body (ETB) controller is presented with industrial requirements. The design problem was solved successfully and demonstrates the efficiency of the methodology in collaborative environments.

Originality/value

The contributions of this work lie in the structuration of the knowledge to support MDO and the definition of a general way to connect the existent MDO tools to the knowledge base. This methodology will enable to freely link different steps of the design process and reduce considerably the setting time of MDO in industries.

Details

COMPEL - The international journal for computation and mathematics in electrical and electronic engineering , vol. 39 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0332-1649

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 May 2019

Cristian Alejandro Vergara, Gianni Borghesan, Erwin Aertbeliën and Joris De Schutter

The purpose of this paper is to develop a control strategy for human–robot collaborative manipulation tasks that can deal with proximity signals from 373 interconnected cells of…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a control strategy for human–robot collaborative manipulation tasks that can deal with proximity signals from 373 interconnected cells of an artificial skin.

Design/methodology/approach

The robot and the operator accomplish an industrial task while interacting in a shared workspace. The robot controller detects and avoids collisions based on the information from the artificial skin. Conflicting constraints can be handled by prioritizing between hard and soft constraints or by weighing the different constraints.

Findings

Weak soft constraints (low weight) are specified to command the robot to move along a nominal path with constant velocity. Stronger soft constraints (higher weight) prevent collisions by means of either moving the end effector backward along the path or circumventing an obstacle. The proposed approach is validated experimentally.

Originality/value

As a first contribution, this paper proposes a discrete optimization algorithm activates an a priori selected maximum number of cells. The algorithm selects the appropriate distribution based on the amplitude of each signal and the spatial distribution of the proximity measurements. A second contribution is the specification of a human–robot collaborative application as an optimization problem using eTaSL (expression graph-based task specification language), which provides reactive control.

Details

Industrial Robot: the international journal of robotics research and application, vol. 46 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-991X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 March 2020

James Walker, Dave Towey, Matthew Pike, Georgios Kapogiannis, Ahmed Elamin and Ran Wei

It is possible for civil engineering (CE) students to graduate from a degree programme without gaining experience on a construction site. The implementation of virtual field trips…

Abstract

Purpose

It is possible for civil engineering (CE) students to graduate from a degree programme without gaining experience on a construction site. The implementation of virtual field trips using virtual reality (VR) in CE education is a development that can address this phenomenon and help facilitate the consolidation of abstract theories into tangible competences. This project aims to solve a fundamental CE education problem: once a structure has been completed, it is often impossible to see how it was built; hence, how can you demonstrate the construction process to a student?

Design/methodology/approach

This research used the opportunity of a new campus library development to record its construction sequence. This was achieved by visiting the site eight times to take panoramic stereoscopic photos of the construction process. By its nature, using VR as a didactic tool facilitates experiential learning, but this project also incorporates discovery learning and situated cognition to develop students’ understanding of the construction process.

Findings

The use of VR in education is becoming increasingly common, but the explicit pedagogy used in these environments is rarely obvious or stated. This project draws upon current VR education discussions and explores the development of a VR environment with a pedagogical context.

Originality/value

The development of the VR resource draws upon the pedagogical frameworks of discovery learning (Bruner, 1961) and situated cognition (Lave and Wenger, 1991). A further unique aspect of this research is the use of stereoscopic cameras to capture the library’s construction over time.

Details

Interactive Technology and Smart Education, vol. 17 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-5659

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 April 2022

Nghiep Tuan Ha, Mohammadreza Akbari and Bill Au

The main objective of this paper is to provide a systematic literature review (SLR) and structured insight into last mile delivery, ultimately identifying gaps in current…

4113

Abstract

Purpose

The main objective of this paper is to provide a systematic literature review (SLR) and structured insight into last mile delivery, ultimately identifying gaps in current knowledge and proposing a framework for future research direction in terms of sustainability in the area.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper identifies and synthesizes information from academic journals and examines “Journals and Publishing place,” “Geographic location,” “Year of Publication,” “University and Author Affiliation,” “Themes and Sub-themes,” “Theory,” “Research Design, Methods and Area” and “Industry Involvement.” A collection of online databases from 2005 to 2020 were explored, using the keywords “Last mile delivery,” “Last mile logistics,” “Last mile transportation,” “Last mile fulfillment,” “Last mile operations” and “Last mile distribution” in their title and/or abstract and/or keywords. Accordingly, a total of 281 journal articles were found in this discipline area, and data were derived from a succession of variables.

Findings

There has been significant growth in published articles concerning last mile delivery over the last 15 years (2005–2020). An in-depth review of the literature shows five dimensions of the last mile: last mile delivery, transportation, operations, distribution and logistics. Each of these dimensions is interrelated and possess clustered characteristics. For instance, last mile operations, last mile transportation and last mile delivery are operational, whereas last mile distribution is tactical, and last mile logistics possess strategic characteristics. The findings also indicate that even though the sustainability concept can be incorporated into all levels of the last mile, the current literature landscape mainly concentrates on the operational level.

Research limitations/implications

This review is limited to academic sources available from Emerald Insight, Science Direct, Taylor and Francis, Springer, MDPI and IEEE containing the mentioned keywords in the title and/or abstract/or keywords. Furthermore, only papers from high-quality, peer-reviewed journals were evaluated. Other sources such as books and conference papers were not included.

Practical implications

This study dissects last mile delivery to produce a framework that captures and presents its complex characteristics and its interconnectedness with various related components. By analyzing last mile delivery in its entirety, the framework also helps practitioners pinpoint which levels of last mile delivery (operation, tactical or strategic) they can incorporate the concept of sustainability.

Originality/value

The research findings enrich the contemporary literature landscape and future work by providing a conceptual framework that incorporates the “economic,” “environmental” and “social” pillars of sustainability in all dimensions of the last mile delivery.

Details

Benchmarking: An International Journal, vol. 30 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-5771

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 December 2018

Tianyu Ren, Yunfei Dong, Dan Wu and Ken Chen

The purpose of this paper is to present a simple yet effective force control scheme for collaborative robots by addressing the problem of disturbance rejection in joint torque…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a simple yet effective force control scheme for collaborative robots by addressing the problem of disturbance rejection in joint torque: inherent actuator flexibility and nonlinear friction.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, a joint torque controller with an extended state observer is used to decouple the joint actuators from the multi-rigid-body system of a constrained robot and compensate the motor friction. Moreover, to realize robot force control, the authors embed this controller into the impedance control framework.

Findings

Results have been given in simulations and experiments in which the proposed joint torque controller with an extended state observer can effectively estimate and compensate the total disturbance. The overall control framework is analytically proved to be stable, and further it is validated in experiments with a robot testbed.

Practical implications

With the proposed robot force controller, the robot is able to change its stiffness in real time and therefore take variable tasks without any accessories, such as the RCC or 6-DOF F/T sensor. In addition, programing by demonstration can be realized easily within the proposed framework, which makes the robot accessible to unprofessional users.

Originality/value

The main contribution of the presented work is the design of a model-free robot force controller with the ability to reject torque disturbances from robot-actuator coupling effect and motor friction, applicable for both constrained and unconstrained environments. Simulation and experiment results from a 7-DOF robot are given to show the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed controller.

Details

Industrial Robot: the international journal of robotics research and application, vol. 46 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-991X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 June 2020

Kelum Jayasinghe, Christine M. Kenney, Raj Prasanna and Jerry Velasquez

The paper illustrates how accountability of collaborative governance was constituted in the context of disaster managerial work carried out by the Government, local authorities…

1028

Abstract

Purpose

The paper illustrates how accountability of collaborative governance was constituted in the context of disaster managerial work carried out by the Government, local authorities, and Maori community organisations, after the 2010–2011 Canterbury earthquakes in New Zealand.

Design/methodology/approach

A case study detailing the communitarian approach to disaster recovery management by a nationalised Maori earthquake response network is contrasted with the formal emergency management infrastructure's response to the Canterbury earthquakes.

Findings

Critical analysis of the effectiveness and failures of these approaches highlights the institutional and cultural political issues that hinder the institutionalization of collaborative and accountable governance in the fields of disaster risk reduction and emergency management.

Research limitations/implications

The paper contributes to the accountability research and practice in general and disaster accountability in particular by addressing a more multifaceted model of ‘accountability combined with collaborative governance’ as a way to build on and critique some of the seemingly more narrow views of accountability.

Originality/value

The study presents rare insights on the interactions between formal and community level accountability and collaborative governance in the context of New Public Governance (NPG).

Details

Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management, vol. 32 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1096-3367

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 2000