ENVIRONMENTAL SURROUNDINGS AND PERSONAL WELL-BEING IN URBAN CHINA

We examine the relationship between atmospheric pollution, water pollution, traffic congestion, access to parkland and personal well-being using a survey administered across six Chinese cities in 2007. In contrast to existing studies of the determinants of well-being by economists, which have typically employed single item indicators to measure well-being, we use the Personal Well-Being Index (PWI). We also employ the Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS) to measure job satisfaction, which is one of the variables for which we control when examining the relationship between environmental surroundings and personal well-being. Previous research by psychologists has shown the PWI and JSS to have good psychometric properties in western and Chinese samples. A robust finding is that in cities with higher levels of atmospheric pollution and traffic congestion, respondents report lower levels of personal well-being ceteris paribus. Specifically, we find that a one standard deviation increase in suspended particles or sulphur dioxide emissions is roughly equivalent to a 12-13 per cent reduction in average monthly income in the six cities.China, Environment, Pollution, Personal Well-Being.

Concept Design of the “Guanlan” Science Mission: China’s Novel Contribution to Space Oceanography

Among the various challenges that spaceborne radar observations of the ocean face, the following two issues are probably of a higher priority: inadequate dynamic resolution, and ineffective vertical penetration. It is therefore the vision of the National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology of China that two highly anticipated breakthroughs in the coming decade are likely to be associated with radar interferometry and ocean lidar (OL) technology, which are expected to make a substantial contribution to a submesoscale-resolving and depth-resolving observation of the ocean. As an expanded follow-up of SWOT and an oceanic counterpart of CALIPSO, the planned “Guanlan” science mission comprises a dual-frequency (Ku and Ka) interferometric altimetry (IA), and a near-nadir pointing OL. Such an unprecedented combination of sensor systems has at least three prominent advantages. (i) The dual-frequency IA ensures a wider swath and a shorter repeat cycle which leads to a significantly improved temporal and spatial resolution up to days and kilometers. (ii) The first spaceborne active OL ensures a deeper penetration depth and an all-time detection which leads to a layered characterization of the optical properties of the subsurface ocean, while also serving as a near-nadir altimeter measuring vertical velocities associated with the divergence, and convergence of geostrophic eddy motions in the mixed layer. (iii) The simultaneous functioning of the IA/OL system allows for an enhanced correction of the contamination effects of the atmosphere and the air-sea interface, which in turn considerably reduces the error budgets of the two sensors. As a result, the integrated IA/OL payload is expected to resolve the ocean variability at submeso and sub-week scales with a centimeter-level accuracy, while also partially revealing marine life systems and ecosystems with a 10-m vertical interval in the euphotic layer, moving a significant step forward toward a “transparent ocean” down to the vicinity of the thermocline, both dynamically and bio-optically

A Rapid Synchronous Determination Method for Soil Inorganic Carbon Content and its Carbon Isotope Ratio

The accumulation and leaching of soil inorganic carbon (SIC) play crucial roles in the global carbon balance and represent a key research focus in carbon cycling studies. Accurate quantification of SIC content and its stable isotope ratio is critical for identifying the current "missing" carbon sink in terrestrial ecosystems. This study developed a rapid，high-throughput method for synchronous measurement of soil inorganic carbon (IC) content and its carbon isotope ratios using cavity ring-down spectroscopy(CRDS) combined with an automated small-volume gas sampler. A synchronous analysis method for inorganic carbon content and isotope ratios in different types of soils was established by analyzing certified reference materials. Results demonstrated that this method has a measurement range of 0.050−0.500 mg (as carbonate)，with a correlation coefficient ≥0.999. The accuracy of SIC analysis was better than 1 g/kg，and the accuracy of carbon isotope analysis was better than 0.5 ‰，with no observed isotope fractionation. The newly developed method was applied to determine inorganic carbon content and isotope ratios in soils with different types and SIC contents. The results showed that all samples achieved good repeatability，and the results were consistent with those measured using the original method. Moreover，the accuracy of SIC content and isotope ratios in soils of 100 mesh is better than that in soils of 60 mesh. The optimized method is simple to operate，offers a low detection limit，requires minimal processing time，and exhibits excellent repeatability，making it highly suitable for rapid and batch analysis of SIC content and its stable carbon isotope ratio

Effects of coworker's idiosyncratic deals on witness's creative process engagement: roles of responsibility for change and perceived exploitative leadership

AbstractEmerging research in the idiosyncratic deals literature is to examine its negative effects. Thus far, much remains unknown about how and when idiosyncratic deals are associated with employee creative process engagement. Invoking fairness heuristic theory and trait activation theory, we propose and test a model that coworker's idiosyncratic deals have a negative association with witness's creative process engagement through psychological contract violation. Furthermore, we theorize and test the combination of the responsibility for change and perceived exploitative leadership as important boundary conditions, associate interact with coworker's idiosyncratic deals to strengthen the positive impact on psychological contract violation, thereby reducing witness's creative process engagement. We use two time-lagged studies to provide support for these mediation and moderation effects, and also discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings.</jats:p

Effects of developmental HR practices on management innovation: a scenario experiment study

PurposeThis research aims to examine the influence of developmental human resources (HR) practices on management innovation. Drawing on social exchange theory, this paper analyzes the mediating role of responsibility for change and the moderating role of resource availability.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted a scenario experiment using a sample of 329 part-time MBA students from various Chinese companies in Southwest China, using analysis of variance and regression to examine the hypotheses.FindingsThe results find a positive relationship between developmental HR practices and management innovation and responsibility for change mediates this relationship. Moreover, it examines the moderating role of resource availability. Resource availability positively moderates the correlation between responsibility for change and management innovation and moderates the mediation effect of responsibility for change on the correlation between developmental HR practices and management innovation.Practical implicationsOrganizations should enhance the actual use of developmental HR practices to ensure the provision of appropriate training and development opportunities for all levels of employees in a fair and equal environment. It is better to take up an individual approach when offering these practices. Organizations should provide enough resources for employees, such as financial, spatial and temporal, and ensure the fair distribution of these resources. Organizations should cultivate the responsibility for change of middle-senior managers who can serve as role models for subordinates.Originality/valueThis study broadens the research on developmental HR practices, confirming that it has a positive impact on management innovation. It also provides more insight into the “black box” of developmental HR practices affecting management innovation, namely, the mediating effect of responsibility for change. This study shows that resources are critical to understanding how developmental HR practices can contribute to management innovation through responsibility for change. Using social exchange theory, the research deduces the conditional indirect effect of the model and uses a scenario experiment method to conclude causality.</jats:sec

Does the leader's negative feedback benefit employees' creative process engagement? The mediating effect of impression management motivation

PurposeDrawing from impression management theory, this study examines how the leader's negative feedback affects the employees' creative process engagement (CPE) and whether impression management motivation plays a mediating role in this process. In addition, the moderating role of face consciousness is analyzed in the relationship between negative feedback and impression management motivation.Design/methodology/approachA time-lagged design with three data-collection points was implemented based on a dataset of two studies of follower–leader pairs (Ns = 165, 30 and 682, 89) in China. Ordinary least squares regression analyses were conducted to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe leader's negative feedback positively affected employees' CPE via impression management motivation. The relationship was stronger when face consciousness salience was high.Practical implicationsThis study suggests that negative feedback is also valuable. Supervisors should learn how to stimulate employees' impression management motivation when delivering negative feedback and ensure that employees know that CPE can bring help and status rewards. Moreover, supervisors may consider using face strategies when providing negative feedback.Originality/valueThis study provides new insights into the association between the leader's negative feedback and employees' CPE by impression management as a psychological mechanism and face consciousness as an important boundary condition. It lays a foundation for further systematic research on CPE based on sociological theory.</jats:sec