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Article
Publication date: 26 September 2023

Lunyan Wang, Mengyu Tao, Xiaowei An, Guanghua Dong, Yehui Huang and Haoyu Wang

The operation of water environment treatment Public-Private Partnership projects (WETP-PPP) is crucial to the project effectiveness. However, there are often problems in projects…

Abstract

Purpose

The operation of water environment treatment Public-Private Partnership projects (WETP-PPP) is crucial to the project effectiveness. However, there are often problems in projects that attach importance to construction and neglect operation management, which seriously affect the project operation effect. To ensure the good operation effect of the WETP-PPP, an evolutionary game model of the regulation strategy during the operation period of WETP-PPP is constructed.

Design/methodology/approach

An evolutionary game model of regulation is established which considers the government, the project company and the public in water environment treatment Public-Private Partnership projects (WETP-PPP). Five scenarios of equilibriums and the game's evolutionary stable strategies are analyzed, and the corresponding stability conditions are then obtained. Finally, through the simulation, the influence of different factors on the choice of the three-party strategy is analyzed.

Findings

First, the key factors that affect the evolution game are the regulation costs and performance rewards of the government, the project company's operation costs and penalties for opportunism and the public supervision costs and rewards. Second, in order to ensure the operation effect, the government needs the performance incentive from the superior government. Third, the public's supervision enthusiasm needs to be mobilized by the government. Last, the penalty strength of speculative operation should be strong enough to play a deterrent role.

Research limitations/implications

The theoretical research in this paper has some limitations. Initially, due to the large number of participants in WETP-PPP, in addition to the government department, the project company and the public studied in this paper, it also involves the consulting industry and financial institutions. In the future, more participants can be added to form four-party interest relationships and conduct four-party evolutionary game research. Second, the operation environment of WETP-PPP is complex and changeable, and various influencing factors are intertwined, the number of parameters involved in this paper is limited, and further detailed research is needed in the future.

Practical implications

Based on the evolutionary game theory, this article discusses the evolution law of the tripartite game behavior of the government department, the project company and the public, which is helpful to clarify the strategy evolution path of the tripartite in the WETP-PPP, and the generation condition and evolution mechanism of the equilibrium strategy of the tripartite game. The key parameters affecting the tripartite strategy selection are analyzed through simulation, which can provide reference for the government department to formulate relevant measures. At the same time, it broadens the application field of evolutionary games and supplements the research on the management mechanism of WETP-PPP during the operation period.

Social implications

Based on the evolutionary game theory, this paper introduces the supervision behavior of the public, which can provide a new perspective for researchers to conduct relevant research. Secondly, for the regulation during the operation of WETP-PPP, this paper can provide reference for the government department to establish a scientific public supervision system, improve the government supervision mechanism and other relevant measures, which can help promote the public supervision willingness, improve the regulation efficiency of the government and guide the project company to reduce speculation, so as to ensure the effect of water environment management.

Originality/value

This paper focuses on the regulation of WETP-PPP during the operation period to research interactions among the government, the project company and the public. Based on the analysis of the evolutionary game, some suggestions are put forward, such as perfecting the government regulation mechanism, optimizing the reward and punishment system for the project company and broadening the channels of public supervision. The research results of this paper can provide support for the government's regulation of WETP-PPP and ensure the project operation effect.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 November 2021

Huimin Li, Limin Su, Jian Zuo, Xiaowei An, Guanghua Dong, Lunyan Wang and Chengyi Zhang

Unbalanced bidding can seriously imposed the government from obtaining the best value for the taxpayers' money in public procurement since it increases the owner's cost and…

Abstract

Purpose

Unbalanced bidding can seriously imposed the government from obtaining the best value for the taxpayers' money in public procurement since it increases the owner's cost and decreases the fairness of the competitive bidding process. How to detect an unbalanced bid is a challenging task faced by theoretical researchers and practical actors. This study aims to develop an identification method of unbalanced bidding in the construction industry.

Design/methodology/approach

The identification of unbalanced bidding is considered as a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problem. A data-driven unit price database from the historical bidding document is built to present the reference unit prices as benchmarks. According to the proposed extended TOPSIS method, the data-driven unit price is chosen as the positive ideal solution, and the unit price that has the furthest absolute distance measure as the negative ideal solution. The concept of relative distance is introduced to measure the distances between positive and negative ideal solutions and each bidding unit price. The unbalanced bidding degree is ranked by means of relative distance.

Findings

The proposed model can be used for the quantitative evaluation of unbalanced bidding from a decision-making perspective. The identification process is developed according to the decision-making process. The finding shows that the model will support owners to efficiently and effectively identify unbalanced bidding in the bid evaluation stage.

Originality/value

The data-driven reference unit prices improve the accuracy of the benchmark to evaluate the unbalanced bidding. The extended TOPSIS model is applied to identify unbalanced bidding; the owners can undertake objective decision-making to identify and prevent unbalanced bidding at the stage of procurement.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 30 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 August 2016

Mengling Yan, Yan Yu and Xiaoying Dong

The purpose of this paper is to reveal how organizational learning at the strategic and operational levels (i.e. strategic learning and business learning, respectively) contribute…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to reveal how organizational learning at the strategic and operational levels (i.e. strategic learning and business learning, respectively) contribute to the development of organizational ambidexterity along the growth of enterprises from an evolutionary view.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a longitudinal single case study on Huawei – a leading Chinese firm in the telecommunication industry. Data were collected from various sources including interviews, senior speeches, scholarly publications, company magazines and other documents, and was analyzed in line with the principles of grounded theory.

Findings

This research reveals that the case company (Huawei) constructed organizational ambidexterity with different foci during different development stages. The organization’s ambidextrous capability evolves over time, shifting from one domain to another. Such ambidexterity development was largely beneficial from the multilevel organizational learning at both the strategic level (focussing on the whole organization and long-term goals) and operational level (focussing on local interests and short-term goals).

Originality/value

This paper represents one of the earliest works to uncover the ambidexterity building process from an evolutionary approach that requires the collection of longitudinal data. Also, the paper proposes a multi-level learning framework for ambidexterity building in practice. This framework distinguishes strategic learning from business learning and projects the two types of learning into learning at four levels-individual, team, intra-organizational, and inter-organizational, which can be leveraged to guide division of labor among hierarchical levels during the progressive development of ambidexterity.

Details

Information Technology & People, vol. 29 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-3845

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 24 April 2023

Yingqian Lin and Yundong Tu

This chapter develops an asymptotic theory for a general transformation model with a time trend, stationary regressors, and unit root nonstationary regressors. This model extends…

Abstract

This chapter develops an asymptotic theory for a general transformation model with a time trend, stationary regressors, and unit root nonstationary regressors. This model extends that of Han (1987) to incorporate time trend and nonstationary regressors. When the transformation is specified as an identity function, the model reduces to the conventional cointegrating regression, possibly with a time trend and other stationary regressors, which has been studied in Phillips and Durlauf (1986) and Park and Phillips (1988, 1989). The limiting distributions of the extremum estimator of the transformation parameter and the plug-in estimators of other model parameters are found to critically depend upon the transformation function and the order of the time trend. Simulations demonstrate that the estimators perform well in finite samples.

Details

Essays in Honor of Joon Y. Park: Econometric Theory
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83753-209-4

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 March 2021

Dong Ju, Jingjing Yao and Li Ma

Job involvement is an important predictor of how well employees perform and feel at work. However, despite fruitful findings, little is known about how person–job (P–J) fit…

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Abstract

Purpose

Job involvement is an important predictor of how well employees perform and feel at work. However, despite fruitful findings, little is known about how person–job (P–J) fit affects job involvement.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used a cross-sectional design and collected data from 375 employees and 50 managers. Multivariate regression was applied to test the moderated curvilinear model.

Findings

This study found an inverted U-shaped relationship between P–J fit and job involvement. For employees with a strong performance goal orientation, maximum job involvement occurred at a higher level of P–J fit, whereas for employees with a strong learning goal orientation, maximum job involvement occurred at a moderate level of P–J fit.

Practical implications

Managers should be aware that solely maximizing fit may not constantly yield positive outcomes, and that ignoring differences in employee needs and goals may be counterproductive.

Originality/value

The study challenges the conventional wisdom that a high P–J fit is always productive by showing that a high fit may sometimes jeopardize job involvement, particularly for certain employees.

Details

Journal of Managerial Psychology, vol. 36 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0268-3946

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 November 2020

Xujin Pu, Zhenxing Yue, Qiuyan Chen, Hongfeng Wang and Guanghua Han

This paper's purpose is to suggest that manufacturers strategically place soft orders for assembly materials with suppliers in Silk Road Economic Belt countries who probably doubt…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper's purpose is to suggest that manufacturers strategically place soft orders for assembly materials with suppliers in Silk Road Economic Belt countries who probably doubt the realization of the soft orders placed.

Design/methodology/approach

First, a two-stage Stackelberg competition is constructed, taking into account the supplier's trust level in formulating the decision process in the assembly supply chain. The authors then provide a buyback contract to coordinate the supply chain, in which the manufacturer obtains enough supplies by sharing some of the perceived risks of not fully trusted suppliers. Furthermore, the authors conduct a numerical study to investigate the influence of trust under a decentralized case and a buyback contract.

Findings

The authors found that all supply chain partners in Silk Road Economic Belt countries experience potential losses due to not fully trusting certain conditions. The study also shows that, in Silk Road Economic Belt countries, operating under a buyback contract is better than being without one in terms of assembly supply chain performance.

Research limitations/implications

On the one hand, the authors only consider the asymmetry of demand information without considering that of cost structure information. On the other hand, a natural extension of the paper is to integrate single-period transactions into the multi-period transaction problem setting. As all these issues require substantial effort, the authors reserve them for future exploration.

Originality/value

Doing business with not-fully-trustworthy partners in Silk Road Economic Belt countries is risky, and this study reveals how trust works in global cooperation and with strategic reactions in situations of partial trust.

Details

The International Journal of Logistics Management, vol. 31 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0957-4093

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 August 2016

Yang Zhao, Shengli Deng, Ting Gao and Ruoxin Zhou

This paper aims to investigate the service demand of existing users and potential users for mobile information services provided by university libraries in China. The primary…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the service demand of existing users and potential users for mobile information services provided by university libraries in China. The primary objective is to explore the impact of user experience on user needs, which is conducted by a comparison between two user groups over their needs from three aspects – service function, service mode and information content.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 353 library users from ten Chinese universities via questionnaires. Based on the user needs model, three dimensions of user needs were established for mobile information services and 26 measurement items were generated through a review of the literature. Furthermore, based on frequency analysis, independent samples t-test and the calculation of need rate, the demand differences in mobile information services between existing and potential users were explored.

Findings

Significant differences existed in the needs for service functions and service modes of mobile information services between existing users and potential users. Existing users cared more about such characteristics as intelligence, personalization and the variety of mobile services. Potential users, in contrast, concerned themselves more with the usability of mobile services and similarity to traditional information services. These two user groups showed little difference in the needs for information content, as they both have strict requirements for specialty, richness in and quality of information resources in mobile network environments.

Originality/value

Previous research on user needs for mobile libraries services has been primarily conducted from the perspectives of existing users. This study, however, compared the needs of existing and potential users based on their previous experiences, which can help libraries to know better what their users need and improve the quality of mobile information services to meet those needs. This can also make existing users more willing to use the services and cultivate the usage habits of potential users at the same time.

Details

The Electronic Library, vol. 34 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-0473

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 January 2021

Shihao Li, Yanghong Hu, Lan Xu and Guoqun Fu

This paper aims to explore how different service relationships (mentoring relationship versus partnering relationship) in service co-production affect service outcomes…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore how different service relationships (mentoring relationship versus partnering relationship) in service co-production affect service outcomes. Specifically, it aims to explore whether the effects of service relationships on customers’ intention to purchase the service are contingent upon service appeals’ regulatory focus (promotion versus prevention focus) and when the regulatory fit effects exist.

Design/methodology/approach

Three experimental studies were conducted to test hypotheses. ANOVA and bootstrapping were used to analyze the data.

Findings

The findings of the three experiments provide convergent evidence for the hypotheses. Specifically, when customers view service employees as mentors (versus partners) in service co-production, promotion-focused (versus prevention focused) service appeals effectively enhance customers’ intention to purchase the service because customers experience a regulatory fit. Moreover, the regulatory fit effects are strengthened or attenuated according to customers’ subjective social status.

Practical implications

Service firms should adopt promotion-focused (versus prevention-focused) service appeals if employees and customers are having mentoring (versus partnering) relationships, especially when customers have higher (lower) social status.

Originality/value

To better manage service co-production, this paper investigates beneficial outcomes of mentoring and partnering relationships from a regulatory fit perspective. It highlights the importance of compatibility between service relationship and service appeals’ regulatory focus and demonstrates a novel regulatory fit effect. It also uncovers engagement as the underlying mechanism for the regulatory-fit effect and identifies social class as a boundary condition.

Details

Journal of Services Marketing, vol. 35 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0887-6045

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 January 2018

Yubing Dong, Chen Qian, Jian Lu and Yaqin Fu

Epoxy (EP) and polye-caprolactone (PCL) are typical dual-shape memory polymer (DSMP). To get excellent triple-shape memory effect (TSME) polymer composites which are made from EP…

Abstract

Purpose

Epoxy (EP) and polye-caprolactone (PCL) are typical dual-shape memory polymer (DSMP). To get excellent triple-shape memory effect (TSME) polymer composites which are made from EP and PCL. Miscible PCL/EP blend composites have been investigated and compared to the TSMEs with electrospun PCL microfiber membranes/EP composites. Clay montmorillonite (MMT)-modified electrospun PCL microfiber membranes were prepared to improve the shape memory fixities of electrospun PCL microfiber membranes/EP composites.

Design/methodology/approach

The morphologies of electrospun PCL microfiber membranes and the cross section of PCL/EP composites were studied using a field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), and the existence of MMT was confirmed by a transmission electron microscope. Thermal mechanical properties were observed by a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and a dynamic thermomechanical analysis machine, and the TSMEs were also determined through dynamic mechanical analysis.

Findings

Results indicate that the TSMEs of electrospun PCL microfiber membranes/EP composites were excellent, whereas the TSMEs of PCL/EP blend composites were poor. The TSMEs of PCL electrospun microfiber membranes/EP composites significantly improved with the addition of the PCL electrospun microfiber modified with moderate MMT.

Research limitations/implications

Adding a moderate content of MMT into the electrospun PCL fibers, could improve the TSME of the PCL fiber membranes/EP composites. This study was to create a simple and effective method that can be applied to improve the performance of other SMP.

Originality/value

A novel triple-shape memory composite were made from dual-shape memory EP and electrospun PCL fiber membranes.

Details

Pigment & Resin Technology, vol. 47 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0369-9420

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 April 2019

Gaoyan Lyu, Lihua Chen and Baofeng Huo

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between logistics park platforms, logistics location and operational performance. Relationship analysis helps managers…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between logistics park platforms, logistics location and operational performance. Relationship analysis helps managers respond to the changes that today’s logistics companies face, which include limited resources and facilities, market uncertainties and financial instabilities.

Design/methodology/approach

A structured questionnaire is developed based on the resource-based view. Qualitative data collected from 273 companies in China are used in a structural equation model to test the conceptual model.

Findings

In logistics parks, logistics park platforms and location positively influence companies’ resource integration, which is positively related to operational performance. While logistics park platforms can improve operational performance directly, logistics location cannot. Resource integration is thus a full mediator between logistics location and operational performance, while it is a partial mediator between logistics park platforms and operational performance.

Originality/value

This study fills a gap in the literature on logistics parks, particularly on the relationships among operational performance, resource integration, logistics park platforms and the location of logistics parks in China. The authors provide guidelines for logistics park managers to organize their resources and develop capabilities for improving the operational performance of companies in logistics parks.

Details

The International Journal of Logistics Management, vol. 30 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0957-4093

Keywords

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