Board gender diversity and carbon proactivity : the influence of cultural factors

Due to inadequate studies, our knowledge of the effect of female directors and national culture on the corporate response to climate change is still limited. To address this gap, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the dynamic relationship between gender diversity on the board of directors and corporate carbon proactivity and how two dimensions of national culture (individualism and indulgence) moderate this relationship. This study focuses on large companies that disclosed carbon-related information via the CDP survey in 2011–2017. Our findings show that gender diversity promotes corporate carbon proactivity. Furthermore, the positive effect of gender diversity on carbon proactivity is weaker when firms are in countries marked by a higher level of individualism and indulgence. As far as we know, this study is the first to explore and document the empirical evidence on the dynamic impact of gender diversity in the corporate governance body and national culture on managers’ climate change behaviors in terms of green proactivity

(E)-4-(2-Chloro­benzyl­ideneamino)-3-(2-chloro­phen­yl)-1H-1,2,4-triazole-5(4H)-thione–(E)-1,5-bis­(2-chloro­benzyl­idene)thio­carbonohydrazide–methanol (1/1/1)

In the title compound, C15H12Cl2N4S·C15H10Cl2N4S·C2H6O, the two chloro­phenyl rings of the triazole derivative form dihedral angles of 65.7 (2) and 44.2 (2)° with the triazole ring. In the thio­carbonohydrazide derivative, the dihedral angle between the two chloro­phenyl rings is 5.4 (2)°. In the crystal, the triazole, thio­carbonohydrazide and methanol mol­ecules are linked by N—H⋯O, N—H⋯S and O—H⋯S hydrogen bonds, forming a hexa­meric unit

Integrating fuzzy theory into Kano model for classification of service quality elements: a case study of machinery industry in China

Purpose: The purpose of study is to propose and verify a method of service quality elements classification through integrating fuzzy theory into Kano model. The method has the merit of being more effective in processing customers’ psychology of vagueness and uncertainties than traditional Kano model. Design/methodology/approach: In this study, considering the disadvantages of traditional Kano model in service quality elements classification without taking into account customers’ complex consuming psychology, and combining with fuzzy theory which is effective to cope with uncertainty and ambiguity, a new framework of integrating fuzzy theory into Kano model in quality elements classification is proposed. In view of the strong subjectivity of traditional Kano questionnaires, a fuzzy Kano questionnaire considering the evaluators’ multi-feelings is proposed. Furthermore, this study will also develop a mathematical calculation performance according to the classification of fuzzy Kano model. With this method, the accurate mentality can be fully reasonable reflected in some unknown circumstances. Finally, an empirical study in Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group Co., Ltd, the largest manufacturing industry in China, is showed to testify its feasibility and validity. Findings: The calculation results and the application effect show that the proposed model has good performance in classifying customer requirements. With this method, the accurate mentality can be fully reasonable reflected in unknown circumstances and it is more objective than traditional Kano model to classify the service quality elements. Originality/value: This study provides a method to integrate fuzzy theory and Kano model, and develops a framework to classify service quality elements.Peer Reviewe

Preparation and enhanced properties of Fe3O4 nanoparticles reinforced polyimide nanocomposites

Polyimide (PI) nanocomposite reinforced with Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) at various NPs loadings levels of 5.0, 10.0, 15.0, and 20.0 wt% were prepared. The chemical interactions of the Fe3O4 NPs/PI nanocomposites were characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) results revealed that the addition of NPs had a significant effect on the crystallization of PI. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and the atomic force microscope (AFM) were used to characterize the dispersion and surface morphology of the Fe3O4 NPs and the PI nanocomposites. The obtained optical band gap of the nanocomposites characterized using Ultraviolet-Visible Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (UV-Vis DRS) was decreased with increasing the Fe3O4 loading. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results showed a continuous increase of Tg with increasing the Fe3O4 NPs loading. Some differences were observed in the onset decomposition temperature between the pure PI and nanocomposites since the NPs and the PI matrix were physically entangled together to form the nanocomposites. The contact angle of pure PI was larger than that of Fe3O4/PI nanocomposites films, and increased with increasing the loading of Fe3O4. The degree of swelling was increased with increasing the Fe3O4 loading and the swelling time. The dielectric properties of the nanocomposite were strongly related to the Fe3O4 loading levels. The Fe3O4/PI magnetic property also had been improved with increasing the loading of the magnetic nanoparticles

Modelling of grinding mechanics : a review

Grinding is one of the most widely used material removal methods at the end of many process chains. Grinding force is related to almost all grinding parameters, which has a great influence on material removal rate, dimensional and shape accuracy, surface and subsurface integrity, thermodynamics, dynamics, wheel durability, and machining system deformation. Considering that grinding force is related to almost all grinding parameters, grinding force can be used to detect grinding wheel wear, energy calculation, chatter suppression, force control and grinding process simulation. Accurate prediction of grinding forces is important for optimizing grinding parameters and the structure of grinding machines and fixtures. Although there are substantial research papers on grinding mechanics, a comprehensive review on the modeling of grinding mechanics is still absent from the literature. To fill this gap, this work reviews and introduces theoretical methods and applications of mechanics in grinding from the aspects of modeling principles, limitations and possible future trendencies

Human Hepatocytes with Drug Metabolic Function Induced from Fibroblasts by Lineage Reprogramming

SummaryObtaining fully functional cell types is a major challenge for drug discovery and regenerative medicine. Currently, a fundamental solution to this key problem is still lacking. Here, we show that functional human induced hepatocytes (hiHeps) can be generated from fibroblasts by overexpressing the hepatic fate conversion factors HNF1A, HNF4A, and HNF6 along with the maturation factors ATF5, PROX1, and CEBPA. hiHeps express a spectrum of phase I and II drug-metabolizing enzymes and phase III drug transporters. Importantly, the metabolic activities of CYP3A4, CYP1A2, CYP2B6, CYP2C9, and CYP2C19 are comparable between hiHeps and freshly isolated primary human hepatocytes. Transplanted hiHeps repopulate up to 30% of the livers of Tet-uPA/Rag2−/−/γc−/− mice and secrete more than 300 μg/ml human ALBUMIN in vivo. Our data demonstrate that human hepatocytes with drug metabolic function can be generated by lineage reprogramming, thus providing a cell resource for pharmaceutical applications

The effect of national culture on corporate green proactivity

Climate change is emerging as a crisis that will wreak catastrophic damage on society. In response, companies are expected to mitigate GHG emissions. The current literature focuses largely on economic and regulatory influences but ignores the effects of informal institutions on corporate response to global warming. This motivates us to examine the impact of culture on corporate green proactivity. We find that the cultural dimensions of masculinity and uncertainty avoidance are barriers to green proactivity and that a U-shape relationship exists between power distance and proactivity. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is the first to document the dynamic influence of national culture on green behavior beyond financial and regulatory determinants. In addition, we use a novel measure, corporate green ranking, instead of carbon disclosure to gauge climate proactivity. The findings provide nuanced understanding of corporate decarbonization efforts and have significant theoretical and practical implications

Integration of fuzzy theory into Kano model for classification of service quality elements: A case study in a machinery industry of China

Purpose: The purpose of study is to meet customer requirements and improve customer satisfaction that aims to classify customer requirements more effectively. And the classification is focused on the customer psychology. Design/methodology/approach: In this study, considering the advantages of Kano model in taking into account both customer’s consuming psychology and motivation, and combining with fuzzy theory which is effective to cope with uncertainty and ambiguity, a Kano model based on fuzzy theory is proposed. In view of the strong subjectivity of traditional Kano questionnaires, a fuzzy Kano questionnaire to classify the service quality elements more objectively is proposed. Furthermore, this study will also develop a mathematical calculation performance according to the quality classification of fuzzy Kano model. It’s more objective than traditional Kano model to realize the service quality elements classification. With this method, the accurate mentality can be fully reasonable reflected in some unknown circumstances. Finally, an empirical study in Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group Co., Ltd, the largest manufacturing industry in China, is showed to testify its feasibility and validity. Findings: The calculation results indicate that the proposed model has good performance in classifying customer requirements. With this method, the accurate mentality can be fully reasonable reflected in unknown circumstances and it is more objective than traditional Kano model to classify the service quality elements. Originality/value: This study provides a method to integrate fuzzy theory and Kano model, and develops a mathematical calculation performance according to the quality classification of fuzzy Kano model.</p

Integration of fuzzy theory into Kano model for classification of service quality elements: A case study in a machinery industry of China

Purpose: The purpose of study is to meet customer requirements and improve customer satisfaction that aims to classify customer requirements more effectively. And the classification is focused on the customer psychology. Design/methodology/approach: In this study, considering the advantages of Kano model in taking into account both customer’s consuming psychology and motivation, and combining with fuzzy theory which is effective to cope with uncertainty and ambiguity, a Kano model based on fuzzy theory is proposed. In view of the strong subjectivity of traditional Kano questionnaires, a fuzzy Kano questionnaire to classify the service quality elements more objectively is proposed. Furthermore, this study will also develop a mathematical calculation performance according to the quality classification of fuzzy Kano model. It’s more objective than traditional Kano model to realize the service quality elements classification. With this method, the accurate mentality can be fully reasonable reflected in some unknown circumstances. Finally, an empirical study in Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group Co., Ltd, the largest manufacturing industry in China, is showed to testify its feasibility and validity. Findings: The calculation results indicate that the proposed model has good performance in classifying customer requirements. With this method, the accurate mentality can be fully reasonable reflected in unknown circumstances and it is more objective than traditional Kano model to classify the service quality elements. Originality/value: This study provides a method to integrate fuzzy theory and Kano model, and develops a mathematical calculation performance according to the quality classification of fuzzy Kano model.</p

Integrating fuzzy theory into Kano model for classification of service quality elements: a case study of machinery industry in China

Purpose: The purpose of study is to propose and verify a method of service quality elements classification through integrating fuzzy theory into Kano model. The method has the merit of being more effective in processing customers’ psychology of vagueness and uncertainties than traditional Kano model. Design/methodology/approach: In this study, considering the disadvantages of traditional Kano model in service quality elements classification without taking into account customers’ complex consuming psychology, and combining with fuzzy theory which is effective to cope with uncertainty and ambiguity, a new framework of integrating fuzzy theory into Kano model in quality elements classification is proposed. In view of the strong subjectivity of traditional Kano questionnaires, a fuzzy Kano questionnaire considering the evaluators’ multi-feelings is proposed. Furthermore, this study will also develop a mathematical calculation performance according to the classification of fuzzy Kano model. With this method, the accurate mentality can be fully reasonable reflected in some unknown circumstances. Finally, an empirical study in Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group Co., Ltd, the largest manufacturing industry in China, is showed to testify its feasibility and validity. Findings: The calculation results and the application effect show that the proposed model has good performance in classifying customer requirements. With this method, the accurate mentality can be fully reasonable reflected in unknown circumstances and it is more objective than traditional Kano model to classify the service quality elements. Originality/value: This study provides a method to integrate fuzzy theory and Kano model, and develops a framework to classify service quality elements