bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Factors that influenced the adoption of IFRS by Islamic banks in the UAE
Authors: Sharairi Mohammad Haroun
Published: January 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the factors that influenced the current adoption of the international financial reporting standards (IFRS) by Islamic banks in the UAE. This paper examined the relationship between the theoretical aspects and practical components of the research investigation regarding the factors that influence the adoption of IFRS. This paper will contribute to the existing knowledge and practices in not only Islamic countries but also Western countries in terms of a deeper understanding of the adoption of IFRS by the Islamic banks and how the factors could influence the Islamic banking adoption, process, activities and financial reporting.

Design/methodology/approach

Several theories of regulation were considered in this paper to explain the existence of Islamic accounting regulations and understand why some of the Islamic accounting prescriptions became formal regulations, while others did not. Data was collected for this purpose by conducting a survey with professionals and managers of four Islamic banks in the UAE.

Findings

This paper revealed that factors, such as religion, culture and local investors, may have limited influence on the current adoption of accounting standards in the Islamic banks. Furthermore, this paper uncovered a concern among respondents of issues that developed when Islamic banks commenced the adoption of IFRS. This paper also indicated that respondents’ opinion does not reflect a perception that all IFRS are suitable for the application of Shariah transactions.

Originality/value

This study is unique as no study has yet explored the factors that influenced the adoption of the IFRS by Islamic banks in the UAE.
China’s 40-year road to innovation
Authors: Li Zheng , Zhou Xizhen , Jung Samuel , Li Jun
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review the evolution of policies and practices of innovation in China for the past 40 years.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a review paper. It adopts a different multi-dimensional, qualitative methodology to examine China’s trajectory of innovation from the economic reform since 1978, highlighting “China” experiences in the developing innovation-driven economy, also pointing the challenges that China faces in this transition process and future prospects. The analysis of China’s innovation performance was based mostly on secondary data from sources and institutions that use statistical data to build country rankings, such as the global innovation index and global competitiveness index.

Findings

It is found that the institutional foundations of the national innovation system in China are already being laid, and so far, China has made extraordinary progress regarding innovation performance from country to region and from business to individual. However, some critical challenges in its innovation-driven development still need urgent attention and effective efforts to reinforce them.

Originality/value

This paper aims to fill the gap in the literature by providing an overview of the evolution of the policies and practices of innovation development in China since the 1978 economic reforms and explores the Chinese experiences in transforming into an innovation-driven economy.
The ontology of digital asset after death: policy complexities, suggestions and critique of digital platforms
Authors: Park Yong Jin , Sang Yoonmo , Lee Hoon , Jones-Jang S. Mo
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The digitization of the life has brought complexities associated with addressing digital life after one’s death. This paper aims to investigate the two related issues of the privacy and property of postlife digital assets.

Design/methodology/approach

The understanding of digital assets has not been fully unpacked largely due to the current policy complexities in accessing and obtaining digital assets at death. This paper calls critical attention to the importance of respecting user rights in digital environments that currently favor service providers’ interests.

Findings

It is argued that there are ethical blind spots when protecting users’ rights, given no ontological difference between a person’s digital beings and physical existence. These derive from the restrictive corporate terms and ambiguous conditions drafted by digital service providers.

Originality/value

Fundamentally, the transition to the big data era, in which the collection, use and dissemination of digital activities became integral part of the ontology, poses new challenges to privacy and property rights after death.
A modified downhill simplex algorithm interpolation response surface method for structural reliability analysis
Authors: Su Hailiang , Lan Fengchong , He Yuyan , Chen Jiqing
Published: January 2020

Purpose

Because of the high computational efficiency, response surface method (RSM) has been widely used in structural reliability analysis. However, for a highly nonlinear limit state function (LSF), the approximate accuracy of the failure probability mainly depends on the design point, and the result is that the response surface function composed of initial experimental points rarely fits the LSF exactly. The inaccurate design points usually cause some errors in the traditional RSM. The purpose of this paper is to present a hybrid method combining adaptive moving experimental points strategy and RSM, describing a new response surface using downhill simplex algorithm (DSA-RSM).

Design/methodology/approach

In DSA-RSM, the operation mechanism principle of the basic DSA, in which local descending vectors are automatically generated, was studied. Then, the search strategy of the basic DSA was changed and the RSM approximate model was reconstructed by combining the direct search advantage of DSA with the reliability mechanism of response surface analysis.

Findings

The computational power of the proposed method is demonstrated by solving four structural reliability problems, including the actual engineering problem of a car collision. Compared to specific structural reliability analysis methods, the approach of modified DSA interpolation response surface for structural reliability has a good convergent capability and computational accuracy.

Originality/value

This paper proposes a new RSM technology based on proxy model to complete the reliability analysis. The originality of this paper is to present an improved RSM that adjusts the position of the experimental points judiciously by using the DSA principle to make the fitted response surface closer to the actual limit state surface.
Institutional context and human resource management in Nigeria
Authors: Ikyanyon Darius , Johnson Phil , Dawson Jeremy
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how the institutional context influences human resource management (HRM) policies in the public and private sector in Nigeria.

Design/methodology/approach

The convergent parallel mixed methods approach was adopted for this study. Survey data were collected from 122 HR managers across public and private sector organizations in Nigeria as well as 13 qualitative interviews. ANCOVA was used to analyse quantitative data while thematic analysis was used to analyse qualitative data in order to understand the influence of institutions on HRM in the public and private sector in Nigeria.

Findings

Findings indicate that while coercive, mimetic and normative institutional mechanisms influenced HRM in both the public and private sector, the influence of coercive mechanisms was significantly higher in the public sector, largely due to the poor enforcement of labour legislation and attempts by private sector organizations to adopt neo-liberal approaches to HRM.

Originality/value

The study provides an understanding of the institutional context of HRM in Nigeria by highlighting how varying degrees of pressures from the environment create internal diversity in HRM approaches in the public and private sector.
Using the future time perspective to analyse resistance to, and readiness for, change
Authors: Bagrationi Konstantin , Thurner Thomas
Published: January 2020

Purpose

When a major Russian energy provider introduced a new technology that required organisational adjustment, the company’s management was surprised by the degree of internal resistance these changes provoked. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors took reference to the work on readiness to change and studied how the future time perspective, which connects with early writings by Lewin (1942), would explain the attitudes and behaviour of 148 managers.

Findings

The findings indicate that only a small number of employees perceived the future as offering many opportunities and showed willingness to pursue them. The majority of employees are either fearful of future changes, or do not have a strong sense of belonging to the company and hence are disinterested in prospective opportunities within the firm.

Originality/value

The different constructs of the future introduce an emic perspective to the study of organisational change and answer calls to enrich the measurements that are currently in use.
Numerical study on the effect of oxygen concentration
on the piloted ignition of PMMA in reduced pressure atmospheres
Authors: Wang Xuehui , Zhou Tiannian , Chen Qinpei , Wang Jian
Published: January 2020

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the controlling mechanisms of ambient oxygen
and pressure on piloted ignition of solid combustibles under external
radiant heating.

Design/methodology/approach

The numerical simulation method was used to model the influence of ambient
oxygen concentration on the piloted ignition of a thermally irradiated solid
sample in reduced pressure atmospheres. The solid phase decomposition and
gas phase kinetics were solved simultaneously.

Findings

It was determined that the elevated oxygen atmospheres resulted in a higher
flame temperature and a thicker temperature profile over the solid surface.
Also, increasing oxygen and reducing pressure had a similar effect in the
decrease of the ignition delay time. The shorter ignition time in reduced
pressure was mainly because of the decreasing of convective heat losses from
the heated solid. As oxygen was reduced, however, ignition occurred later
and with a greater mass loss rate because more volatiles of solid fuel at
transient ignition were required to sustain a complete reaction under an
oxygen-poor condition.

Research
limitations/implications

The results need to be verified with experiments.

Practical implications

The results could be applied for design and assessment of fire-fighting and
fire prevention strategies in reduced pressure atmosphere.

Originality/value

This paper shows the effect mechanism of ambient oxygen and pressure on
piloted ignition of solid combustibles.
Improving shell and tube heat exchanger thermohydraulic performance using combined baffle
Authors: Abbasian Arani Ali Akbar , Uosofvand Hamed
Published: January 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the fluid flow and heat transfer of a laboratory shell and tube heat exchanger that are analyzed using computational fluid dynamic approach by SOLIDWORKS flow simulation (ver. 2015) software.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, several types of baffle including segmental baffle, butterfly baffle, helical baffle, combined helical-segmental baffle, combined helical-disk baffle and combined helical-butterfly baffle are examined. Two important parameters as the heat transfer and pressure drop are evaluated and analyzed. Based on obtained results, segmental baffle has the highest amount of heat transfer and pressure drop. To assess the integrative performance, performance coefficient defines as “Q/Δp” is used.

Findings

This investigation showed that among the presented baffle types, the heat exchangers equipped with disk baffle has the highest heat transfer. In addition, in the same mass flow rate, the performance coefficient of the shell and tube heat exchanger equipped with helical-butterfly baffle is the highest among the proposed models.

Originality/value

After combined helical-butterfly baffle the butterfly baffle, disk baffle, helical-segmental baffle and helical-disk baffle show their superiority of 35.12, 25, 22 and 12 per cent rather than the common segmental baffle, respectively. Furthermore, except for the combined helical-disk baffle, the other type of combined baffle have better performance compare to the basic configuration (butterfly and segmental baffle).
Effect of blade surface roughness on condensation process in a stator cascade
Authors: Han Xu , Liu Xiangyu , Yuan Yunyun , Han Zhonghe
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The flow state of wet steam will affect the thermodynamic and aerodynamic characteristics of steam turbine. The purpose of this study is to effectively control the wetness losses caused by wet steam condensation, and hence a cascade of 600 MW steam turbine was taken as the research object.

Design/methodology/approach

The influence of blade surface roughness on the condensation characteristics was analyzed, and the dehumidification mechanism and wetness control effect were obtained.

Findings

With the increase of blade surface roughness, the peak nucleation rate decreases gradually. According to the Mach number distribution on the blade surface, there is a sensitive region for the influence of roughness on the aerodynamic performance of cascade. The sensitive region of nucleation rate roughness should be between 50 and 150 µm.

Originality/value

The increase of blade surface roughness will increase the dynamic loss in cascade, but it can reduce the thermodynamic loss caused by condensation to a certain extent.
Thermomechanical response in a two-dimension porous medium subjected to thermal loading
Authors: Saeed Tareq , Abbas Ibrahim
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The purposes of this study, a mathematical model of generalized thermoelastic theory subjected to thermal loading is presented to study the wave propagation in a two-dimensional porous medium.

Design/methodology/approach

By using Fourier–Laplace transforms with the eigenvalue approach, the physical quantities are analytically obtained.

Findings

The derived method is evaluated with numerical results, which are applied to the porous medium in simplified geometry.

Originality/value

Numerical outcomes for all the physical quantities considered are implemented and represented graphically. The variations of temperature, the changes in volume fraction field, the displacement components and the stress components have been depicted graphically.
Social vulnerability and local level assessments: a new approach for planning
Authors: Mendes José Manuel , Tavares Alexandre Oliveira , Santos Pedro Pinto
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a new index of social vulnerability (SV), based on local level data [statistical blocks (SBs)]. This same methodology was applied before at the municipal level, which is a level of analysis that under-evaluates local spots of high SV, by one side, and generalizes the coverage of support capacity equipment and infrastructure. The geographical level of detail of the input data allows to overcome those limitations and better inform infra-municipal risk practitioners and planners.

Design/methodology/approach

The assessment of SV in this paper adopts an inductive approach. The research context of this conceptual and methodological proposal derived from the need to operationalize the concept of SV as a planning tool. This approach required to distinguish between the components of criticality and support capability, as their assessment provides knowledge with distinct applications in risk management. The statistical procedure is based on principal components analysis, using the SB as the unit of analysis.

Findings

Support capability acts as a counter-weight of criticality. This understanding is well illustrated in the mapping of each component and the final score of SV. The methodological approach allowed to identify the drivers of criticality and support capability in each SB, aiding decision-makers and risk practitioners in finding the vulnerability forcers that require more attention (public or private social equipment, housing policies, emergency anticipatory measures, etc.).

Originality/value

An original approach to SV assessments is the consideration of the components of criticality and support capability. The results allow for the definition of adapted and specific strategies of risk mitigation and civil protection measures to distinct types of risk groups and by different stakeholders and risk practitioners. By predicting the impact and the recovery capacity of communities, the results have applicability in several fields of risk governance as, for example, risk communication and involvement, social intervention (health, education and housing), emergency response, contingency planning, early warning and spatial planning.
Dynamic connectedness between Bitcoin and equity market information across BRICS countries
Authors: Dahir Ahmed Mohamed , Mahat Fauziah , Amin Noordin Bany-Ariffin , Hisyam Ab Razak Nazrul
Published: January 2020

Purpose

Recent trends and developments in Bitcoin have led to a proliferation of studies that analyzed the Bitcoin returns and volatility; however, the volatility connectedness between Bitcoin and equity market information in emerging countries quietly remains scarce. Regarding this deficiency, the purpose of this paper is to examine the dynamic connectedness between Bitcoin and equity market information.

Design/methodology/approach

Daily data from January 1, 2012 to May 31, 2018 are used. The paper applies a novel time-varying parameter vector autoregression (TVP-VAR) model extended by Antonakakis and Gabauer (2017). This model addresses the biases in coefficient estimates, considering innovations from sources of time variation.

Findings

The findings reveal that the volatility transmission of Bitcoin return is not an important source of shocks of market returns in Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS), suggesting that Bitcoin return contributes less volatility to equity market information. The results further show that Bitcoin is the main receiver of volatility while market price risk is the dominant transmission catalysts for innovations in the rest of the stock market returns.

Practical implications

Important implications can be derived from these findings, signaling of the demand to develop and implement volatility connectedness policy measures in order to guarantee the stability of financial assets. However, the most significant limitation lies in the fact that the analysis of this paper is restricted to the volatility connectedness between Bitcoin and equity market information in BRICS countries.

Originality/value

By acknowledging the wide range of econometric models, the paper uses TVP-VAR model because this methodology is a useful and relevant tool in modeling the volatility connectedness of financial variables, thus providing meaningful information to policy makers and international investors.
Gaze behaviour in front-of-shelf orientation
Authors: Ladeira Wagner , Santini Fernando de Oliveira , Jardim William Carvalho
Published: January 2020

Purpose

This study was predicated on gaze behaviour in front-of-shelf orientation. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the effect of the presence (absence) of competing brands on consumer attention in front-of-shelf orientation. The effects on visual attention investigated on the shelf were eye scan path of the total available area, information acquisition in extremities and mental effort.

Design/methodology/approach

Two experiments were performed using eye-tracking technology. The first study was conducted in a closed and static environment. The second study was performed in an open and dynamic environment. In these studies, the authors used, as an independent variable, the arrangement of brands on shelves (presence vs absence of competing) and evaluated the variations in the visual attention through three dependent variables: eye scan path of the total available area, information acquisition in extremities and mental effort.

Findings

Three hypotheses were tested. The first hypothesis confirmed that scenarios of competitive brands are rather composed of natural complex scenes, so there is a greater number of eye fixations needed to identify and locate objects. In addition, the second hypothesis demonstrated that, in scenarios of competitive brands, there is an acceleration of information acquisitions causing an increase in peripheral vision at the ends of the shelf. Finally, the third hypothesis demonstrated that the presence of a greater attention effort in the scenario of competing brands was verified, since the mental effort variables (revisiting the shelf, noting and re-examining) were greater than in the scenario of non-competing brands.

Research limitations/implications

Limitations of this study may be associated with the absence of top-down factors and a lack of results associated with evaluation and verification phases.

Originality/value

Gaze behaviour is susceptible to the information derived from the absence and presence of competing brands.
Do women in board represent less corporate tax avoidance? A moderation analysis
Authors: Riguen Rakia , Salhi Bassem , Jarboui Anis
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine how women in board represent moderates the relationship between audit quality and corporate tax avoidance.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on a sample consisting of 270 UK firms over the 2005–2017 period. This study is motivated by moderating regression analysis.

Findings

The results show that audit quality influences the corporate tax avoidance. Audit quality measured by two proxies audit specialization and audit fees has a negative effect on corporate tax avoidance. Board gender diversity “BGD” moderates the relationship between audit quality and tax avoidance. The impact of the BGD level increases as the presence of woman in the board escalated from 40 to 60 percent but, then, weakens at 10 percent level.

Practical implications

The findings may be of interest to the academic researchers, practitioners and regulators who are interested in discovering relation between audit quality and tax avoidance with the presence of woman in the board. This study should be of interest to tax policymakers concerned about declining corporate tax revenues.

Originality/value

This paper extends the existing literature by examining the moderating effect of BGD on the relation between audit quality and corporate tax avoidance using the sensitivity analysis.
Investigation of different tribological systems during full forward impact extrusion of aluminum alloy EN AW 6082
Authors: Müller Martina , Hild Rafael , Trauth Daniel , Bergs Thomas
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The modification of the tribological system is an essential aspect of the implementation of resource-saving processes in cold forming. As a result, the focus of this contribution is the influence of the tribological system on the full forward impact extrusion of aluminum alloy EN AW 6082 (T6) with regard to reduction of friction and wear.

Design/methodology/approach

The investigations included a variation of lubricant and die treatment. Friction, wear and the mean arithmetic height Sa were used as evaluation criteria. The aim was to find a suitable die surface treatment and a suitable lubricant on the basis of the evaluation criteria.

Findings

The experiments indicated that each of the selected tribological systems prevents physical metallic contact between tool and workpiece and thus prevents the formation of wear. Nevertheless, differences were found in the areas of smoothing of workpiece surfaces and adhesive strength of lubricants.

Originality/value

As general cause effect relationships between die coating and lubricant are not known in the field of bulk metal forming of aluminum, fundamental investigations are described below. The investigations focus on the influence of the material and the tribological system on friction as well as wear.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-08-2019-0316
ICT in social protection schemes: deinstitutionalising subsidy-based welfare programmes
Authors: Masiero Silvia , Prakash Amit
Published: January 2020

Purpose

While the potential of information and communication technology (ICT) for poverty reduction is widely recognised, limited knowledge exists on its use in the social protection schemes devised for the world’s poor. Drawing on the institutionalist vision of IS development and organisational change put forward by Avgerou (2000), the authors propose that computerisation of these schemes entails two processes, namely, the progressive affirmation of ICT innovation and a shift in the programmes' organisational structure, which moves from a subsidy-based model to one grounded on direct cash transfers. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how the role of ICT in anti-poverty schemes results from concomitance of such processes.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper draws on a study of the public distribution system (PDS), the main food security scheme in India, as it is being computerised in the state of Karnataka. Following an interpretive case study methodology, it investigates the ongoing computerisation of the Karnataka PDS through a combination of back-end and front-end technologies, based on biometric recognition of the programme’s users.

Findings

The data reveal that transformation of the PDS results from the simultaneous processes of institutionalisation of ICT innovation and deinstitutionalisation of the extant state-led subsidy scheme, in favour of a leaner social protection system centred on cash transfers to beneficiaries. This illustrates the point that ICT innovation is intertwined with the decline of an extant social welfare structure and the rise of a new one, based on the direct transfer of benefits.

Originality/value

The paper offers a new theoretical perspective to illuminate the computerisation of anti-poverty programmes, a phenomenon that affects the entitlements of millions of poor people on a global scale. In parallel, it draws practical implications for countries embarking on the digitalisation of their social protection schemes.
Investigating open innovation strategies and firm performance: the moderating role of technological capability and market information management capability
Authors: Liao Suqin , Fu Lihua , Liu Zhiying
Published: January 2020

Purpose

This study aims to assess how firm functional capability moderates the relationship between two types of open innovation and performance, with a special focus on the role of technological capability and the join effect market information management capability. This paper develops and tests a research model, which assesses how the performance implications of two open innovation forms are shaped by the technological capability and how such an effect is contingent on market information management capability.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data were collected from 238 Chinese high-tech enterprises. Structural equation modeling and linear regression were used to test the data. Then, the main research questions were answered.

Findings

Empirically results show that technological capability strengthens the influence of inbound open innovation on firm performance. However, the moderate effect of technological capability on the relationship between outbound open innovation and firm performance remains unsupported. A higher technological capability with a high level of market information management capability increases the efficacy of outbound open innovation in gaining superior performance. Additional analysis shows that when firms implement inbound activities and possess a strong technological capability, they will achieve higher performance if they possess a moderate level of market information management capability, compared with a high or low level.

Originality/value

This paper provides new evidence on the benefits of different open innovation strategies on firm’s performance and, more importantly, the specific firm-level contingencies (technological capability and market information management capability) under which these benefits are more likely to be enhanced. It clarifies what the capabilities are and how they interact to foster the robust open innovation strategies, which sheds new light on the boundary conditions that affect the open innovations–firm performance relationship.
Playful interfaces to the archive and the embodied experience of data
Authors: Hendery Rachel , Burrell Andrew
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the possibility for the galleries, libraries, archives and museums sector to employ playful, immersive discovery interfaces for their collections and raise awareness of some of the considerations that go into the decision to use such technology and the creation of the interfaces.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a case study approach using the methodology of research through design. The paper introduces two examples of immersive interfaces to archival data created by the authors, using these as a springboard for discussing the different kinds of embodied experiences that users have with different kinds of immersion, for example, the exploration of the archive on a flat screen, a data “cave” or arena, or virtual reality.

Findings

The role of such interfaces in communicating with the audience of an archive is considered, for example, in allowing users to detect structure in data, particularly in understanding the role of geographic or other spatial elements in a collection, and in shifting the locus of knowledge production from individual to community. It is argued that these different experiences draw on different metaphors in terms of users’ prior experience with more well-known technologies, for example, “a performance” vs “a tool” vs “a background to a conversation”.

Originality/value

The two example interfaces discussed here are original creations by the authors of this paper. They are the first uses of mixed reality for interfacing with the archives in question. One is the first mixed reality interface to an audio archive. The discussion has implications for the future of interfaces to galleries, archives, libraries and museums more generally.
Coordination to choreography: the evolution of humanitarian supply chains
Authors: Grange Ray , Heaslip Graham , McMullan Caroline
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify how coordination has evolved in humanitarian logistics (HL), what were the triggers for change and how have they been facilitated.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper applies a systematic literature review of academic journals.

Findings

This is the first paper to discuss the concepts of network orchestration and choreography in a humanitarian context. The research revealed that network coordination has moved on in the commercial sector to include orchestration and now, choreography concepts which have not been tested in HL literature. This reveals a lag exists between HL research and practice.

Research limitations/implications

This paper represents an exploratory study and provides the basis for further research on the concepts of orchestration and choreography in HL. The paper sets a research agenda for academics.

Practical implications

This paper is the first to discuss the concepts of network orchestration and choreography in a humanitarian context.

Originality/value

The areas of orchestration and choreography have received limited consideration within the humanitarian aid logistics literature to date. This paper is designed to redress this shortfall. As a result, it is hoped that it will act as a catalyst for further research and to widen and deepen the resultant debate with a view to improving the outcome for those affected by current and future disasters.
Shari’ahsupervisory board’s size impact on performance in the Islamic banking industry
Authors: Nomran Naji Mansour , Haron Razali
Published: January 2020

Purpose

This study aims to empirically examine whether there is any optimalShari’ahsupervisory board’s (SSB) size that maximizes performance of Islamic banks (IBs). Apparently, IBs adopt different SSB size based on their different regulations across jurisdictions, and then it is still questionable whether there is any optimal SSB size that can fit all and be recommended to IBs.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper investigates the impact of different SSB size on IBs performance using a sample of 113 banks over 23 countries for the period 2007-2015 based on the generalized method of moments estimator.

Findings

The empirical evidence documented in this study strongly highlights the importance of small SSB size in enhancing the performance of IBs as compared to the large board size. The findings confirm that the SSB size of IBs should neither be lesser than three nor greater than six. More specifically, it is found that the optimal SSB size seems to be five.

Research limitations/implications

First, the study does not investigate whether the findings are constant during crisis and non-crisis periods. Second, the optimal SSB size in IBs should be confirmed from the risk-taking perspective besides performance.

Practical implications

For both the IBs and the regulators, they should give due importance to small SSB size as an important element for improving the IBs performance. It is strongly recommended for the IBs to have a SSB size between three and six, and five is the most recommended. The Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions also should revise their existing standards that only suggest the minimum SSB size of three to include the maximum size of six and the optimal size of five.

Originality/value

Despite the SSB size plays an important role in affecting the performance of IBs, it seems there are no empirical studies attempting to address whether there is any optimal SSB size that can enhance the IBs performance so far.
Investigating broker centrality in innovation-driven networks
Authors: Idiagbon-Oke Moronke , Oke Adegoke
Published: January 2020

Purpose

In contrast to the vertical supply chain structure, firms are increasingly engaging in horizontal inter-firm collaborations to develop new technologies, products and services, yet, little is known about factors that influence the governance mechanism and performance of such collaborative projects. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how different factors affect the role or the centrality of the governing mechanism (the broker) in inter-firm collaborative networks.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a case study method approach, this paper studies three dynamic networks comprising firms that are not in a traditional supply chain relationship. The networks comprised firms engaged in the development of different aspects of an innovative automotive technology.

Findings

The study finds that broker’s centrality varies over time and is directly related to project performance; network structure and perceived broker power are related to broker centrality in dynamic networks. The more loosely connected a network is (open network), the more the degree of broker centrality. The higher the degree of expert power that a broker is perceived to possess, the higher is the degree of broker centrality.

Originality/value

Investigating governance mechanism and determinants of network outcomes in inter-firm collaboration for new product development represents a departure from the traditional studies on similar phenomena in vertically structured supply chain arrangements; thus, contributes to the literature on innovation in inter-firm arrangements. Understanding how the salient factors contribute to performance at the network level builds on firm level and dyadic level of analysis or focus of previous studies.
Effects of enduring involvement and perceived content vividness on digital engagement
Authors: Vazquez Erik Ernesto
Published: January 2020

Purpose

Retail marketers use brand communities (BCs) on social media (SM) to create digital engagement and reach new customers. However, this marketing form needs perceived content vividness and enduring involvement with products. The purpose of this study compares digital engagement (measured as an intention to recommend a retail brand online) produced by BCs of retailers at three levels of cognitive load (measured as exposure time to website).

Design/methodology/approach

Online quasi-experiments were conducted to analyze how SM platforms with diverse levels of enduring involvement with products, perceived content vividness and cognitive load influence digital engagement.

Findings

Results show enduring involvement with products produced digital engagement. In addition, cognitive load produced an inverted U-shaped effect on digital engagement in the condition of high content vividness (perceived). In the low content vividness condition, cognitive load produced similar or greater positive effects on digital engagement than those produced in the high content vividness condition.

Research limitations/implications

The study implies a willingness to recommend online serves as a proxy of digital engagement failing to capture the reciprocal activities from the firms to customers. It also assumes that measuring product importance and usage frequency of the product serve as proxies of enduring involvement failing to capture the hedonic motivations related to products.

Practical implications

Practitioners should prioritize enduring involvement with products over perceived content vividness to improve digital engagement and reach new customers through their BCs on SM platforms. In addition, managers should use SM with content perceived with low vividness to improve digital engagement.

Originality/value

The study shows the influence of enduring involvement with products on digital engagement. It supports applying the resource-matching theory in SM platforms. It offers an alternative operationalization of constructs. The study compares multiple products and SM platforms providing empirical evidence of distinct levels of content vividness between SM platforms, not considered in previous studies.
Conceptualization of an urban travel behavior model to mitigate air pollution for sustainable environmental development in Malaysia
Authors: Jayaraman K. , Leow Nelvin XeChung , Asirvatham David , Chan Ho Ree
Published: January 2020

Purpose

Global issues on the environment, such as climate change, air pollution and carbon monoxide emission, are the primary concerns in any part of the world. The purpose of this paper is to construct a conceptual framework for the travel behavior performance of a commuter, and it is expected to mitigate air pollution from vehicle emission and to promote smart mobility on the road.

Design/methodology/approach

From the extensive literature review, the conceptual framework for the travel behavior performance of a commuter has been developed and is supported by the theory of interpersonal behavior (TIB), whose functions are attitude, social factor, affect and habit. In the present paper, attitude is conceptualized by four predictors, namely confidence in driving, green environment, social responsibility and deviation in driving. The social factor is characterized by subjective norms, social status and digitalization. Affect factor is conceptualized by accidents and damages, road infrastructure, and weather conditions. The mental block in following the ancestor’s way of owning a personal vehicle is the predictor for the habit.

Findings

One of the major contributors to environmental damages is road traffic. Notably, vehicle emissions are on the rise every year due to the increase of reliance on vehicles, and there is no alternative to this issue. Although Malaysia has a well-organized infrastructure with effective digitalized technology on the road for the transport system, there is severe traffic congestion in Klang Valley, Kuala Lumpur, because of a lack of travel plan behavior during peak hours. If the road commuters give the predictors constructed in the proposed conceptual framework the highest importance, then there will be much relief to traffic congestion on the road.

Research limitations/implications

Since the present study focuses on the conceptualization of an urban travel behavior model (UTBM), and also highlights the synchronization of the proposed framework with the management theory, the results are expected after the primary survey based on the cross-sectional study will be conducted.

Originality/value

The identification of the suitable predictors for the UTBM toward the travel behavior performance of a commuter is the real novelty of the present study. Also, the cause and effect relationships of different predictors in terms of path directions of the proposed research framework are the highlights of the study. Further, the predictors in the proposed framework and the TIB have been synchronized with operational definitions, which are the original contributions of the present study, which will enhance the sustainable environmental development for the society as a whole.
The good moral character requirement for occupational licensing
Authors: Elder Bruce Robert , Swinney Laurie
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the extent to which a character component is required for occupational licensing by state, industry and occupation. This study also investigates whether the good moral character (GMC) is defined and how GMC is defined in state statutes. Investigating the GMC requirement is important to society at large because character is a vital factor for trust and trust is an essential component to voluntary exchange and free markets. Investigating the GMC requirement is also important to the thousands of rehabilitated individuals who may be denied work in licensed occupations because of past transgressions.

Design/methodology/approach

The quantitative research data were collected from state licensing statutes. The number of licensed occupations within each of the 50 states that require GMC was tabulated, as well as the number of states that require GMC for licensing by industry group. In addition, an occupation that requires GMC in a high number of states was compared to an occupation that requires GMC in a low number of states within 11 industry groups. Finally, regulatory statutes were searched to determine how good moral character is defined by each of the state licensing boards for the select occupations.

Findings

This paper reports that the inclusion of a character component within regulatory licensing statutes varies widely by occupation and by state. The number of occupations requiring GMC ranged from 8 to 119 per state. The number of states requiring GMC ranged from 12 to 49 per industry group. Occupations within industry groups that are more frequently licensed are also more likely to require GMC than occupations that are less frequently licensed. Occupations that are more frequently licensed, however, are generally not more likely to define GMC in their regulatory statutes. Only accounting, an occupation that requires GMC in most states, also defines GMC in more states than any of the other select occupations.

Research limitations/implications

Only state regulatory statutes were searched for definitions of GMC. Definitions could be included in other government documents such as rules or regulations. As these additional sources were not searched, the number of states that define GMC for the select occupations cited in this study may be understated.

Originality/value

Prior research has included only studies of the GMC requirement relating to the licensing of attorneys and accountants. The current research explores the extent that good moral character is required for licensing across states, industries and select occupations. This research agrees with prior research that GMC, although providing an important foundation for public trust, is typically not well-defined. To counter criticism of the requirement, this paper concludes with a call for the inclusion of a GMC definition within occupational licensing statutes that is “narrowly and precisely construed, avoiding problems of both vagueness and over breadth” (AICPA and NASBA, 2018).
Investigation of the fluid flow during the recoating process in additive manufacturing
Authors: Kozhevnikov Andrei , Kunnen Rudie P.J. , van Baars Gregor E. , Clercx Herman J.H.
Published: January 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the fluid flow in the stereolithography process during the recoating step. The understanding of the flow dynamics can be used as an input for an active control of the resin surface height map. The recoating over a rectangular cavity has been considered to investigate the influence of the cavity depth on the resin surface height map.

Design/methodology/approach

Two-dimensional numerical simulations have been used to obtain the flow characteristics as function of the cavity depth. An experimental setup, which mimics the recoating process in the stereolithography process, was used to verify the results of simulations and to test the suitability of the 2D model. The surface height profile along the centreline was measured by a confocal chromatic distance sensor and compared to the 2D numerical results.

Findings

By means of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation, the flow in the cavity and the free-surface behaviour of the resin was explained for different cavity depths and confirmed by experiments.

Research limitations/implications

The study is focused only on the cavity depth variation to show feasibility and suitability of the presented CFD model and the proposed analytical expression to estimate the layer thickness.

Practical implications

The proposed approach can serve as a tool for designing the closed-loop control for the recoating system in the next generation of stereolithography equipment.

Originality/value

In the present work, the fluid flow behaviour, a source of significant imperfection in the recoating process, has been investigated during the recoating step over a rectangular cavity.
Effect of structural hybrid design on mechanical and biological properties of CoCr scaffolds fabricated by selective laser melting
Authors: Özeren Emre , Altan Mirigul
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to bring a new structural hybrid design approach to improve the mechanical and biological properties of the bone scaffolds fabricated by laser powder bed fusion, selective laser melting (SLM).

Design/methodology/approach

In designing the hybrid scaffolds, different unit cells were used such as dodecahedron (DCH), grid (G), octet-truss (OCT) with partially dense (PDsl) and fully dense (FDsl) surface layers. After fabrication of scaffolds on SLM machine, compression test and cell viability test were applied to observe the effect of hybrid design on mechanical and biological properties of the scaffolds.

Findings

It has been observed that designing the scaffold with partially dense or FDsl surfaces did not have a critical effect on the cell viability. On the contrary, the compression strength of scaffold increased from 56  to 100 MPa when the surface layer of the scaffold was designed as FDsl surface instead of partially dense surface. It has also been observed that the scaffold having the highest hybridity (PDsl+G+DCH+OCT) delivered the highest cell viability performance and had a compressive strength slightly higher than that of the scaffolds with single unit cell, PDsl+OCT.

Originality/value

This study brings a new approach to designing femur bone scaffold for fabricating with SLM. This hybrid design approach, including different unit cells in a single scaffold, covers many requirements of femur bone in terms of mechanical and biological properties.