Microblogging,friendship maintenance,and life satisfaction among university students: The mediatory role of online self-disclosure

Despite a substantial literature suggests that computer-mediated communication impact individuals’ various psychosocial factors, relatively few studies have elucidated the underlying mechanism behind these associations. Building upon self-disclosure theory and previous studies, the principal purpose of this present research is to systematically explore the relationships among microblog utilization, online self-disclosure, friendship maintenance, and perceived life satisfaction. A web-based survey was implemented using a total of 426 university students in Northwestern China. Structural equation modeling reveals that intensity of microblog use is positively associated with these students’ friendship maintenance and life satisfaction. Additionally, online self-disclosure plays the crucial mediatory role in the relationships between microblog use, quality of relationships, and gratification with life. The results imply that as microbloggers disclosure their inner thoughts or emotional states with other users online, they could foster their friendship maintenance and obtain greater life satisfaction. However, contrary to the expectation, students’ friendship maintenance is not discovered to be a significant predictor of the sense of life satisfaction in the online environment. Overall, these obtained outcomes of the empirical work could offer new insights into the deep comprehending of the social psychological process of microblogging among younger generation in the new media context.     

Domestic demand-side response with heat pumps: controls and tariffs

ABSTRACT

Electric heat pumps feature prominently in projected energy transitions in the UK and elsewhere. Owing to their high electricity consumption, heat pumps are viewed as important targets for demand-side response (DSR). Findings are presented from a field trial of a new control system that aims to optimize heat pump performance, including under time-varying tariff conditions. The trial involved monitoring 76 properties with heat pumps, but without dedicated heat storage; 31 of these received the control system. Interviews were conducted with a subsample of 12 participants. The controller successfully evened out electricity demand over the day (reducing the evening peak), but this was associated with increased late night and daytime temperatures. Interview participants reported some disturbance owing to overnight heating and noise, as well as usability issues with the controller interface and hardware. These issues present risks to the future acceptability of such systems. While the system delivered short-term demand reductions successfully, longer-term demand shifting risked causing unacceptable disturbance to occupants. Future control systems could overcome some of the issues identified in this pioneering trial through more effective zoning, using temperature caps or installing dedicated heat storage, but these may either limit the available flexibility or be challenging to achieve.     

Does thermal control improve visual satisfaction? Interactions between occupants’ self-perceived control,visual, thermal,and overall satisfaction

Occupants’ satisfaction had been researched independently related to thermal and visual stimuli for many decades showing among others the influence of self-perceived control. Few studies revealed interactions between thermal and visual stimuli affecting occupant satisfaction. In addition, studies including interactions between thermal and visual stimuli are lacking different control scenarios. This study focused on the effects of thermal and visual factors, their interaction, seasonal influences, and the degree of self-perceived control on overall, thermal, and visual satisfaction. A repeated-measures laboratory study with 61 participants running over two years and a total of 986 participant sessions was conducted. Mixed model analyses with overall satisfaction as outcome variable revealed that thermal satisfaction and visual satisfaction are the most important predictors for overall satisfaction with the indoor environment. Self-perceived thermal control served as moderator between thermal satisfaction and overall satisfaction. Season had slight influence on overall satisfaction. Random effects explained the highest amount of variance, indicating that intra- and interindividual differences in the ratings of satisfaction are more prevalent than study condition. Future building design and operation plans aiming at a high level of occupant satisfaction should consider personal control opportunities and take into account the moderating effect of control opportunities in multimodal interactions.     

Effects of risks on the performance of business process outsourcing projects: The moderating roles of knowledge management capabilities

Although business process outsourcing (BPO) can reduce cost and enhance the competitiveness of firms, the implementation of BPO projects is unsatisfactory. By integrating knowledge management capability theory and risk-based view, we develop a model of how different types of BPO risks affect project satisfaction and how knowledge management capability changes the influences of BPO risks. A survey of 121 BPO projects was conducted among BPO client department manager and project manager through a pairwise design. Empirical evidence reveals that social system, technical system, and project management risks negatively affect BPO project satisfaction. However, cultural, technological, and structural levels of knowledge management capabilities weaken the negative risk effects of social system, technical system, and project management, respectively. Different types of risks and knowledge management capabilities should be matched to achieve effective risk management.     

Customer satisfaction and loyalty analysis with classification algorithms and Structural Equation Modeling

Businesses can maintain their effectiveness as long as they have satisfied and loyal customers. Customer relationship management provides significant advantages for companies especially in gaining competitiveness. In order to reach these objectives primarily companies need to identify and analyze their customers. In this respect, effective communication and commitment to customers and changing market conditions is of great importance to increase the level of satisfaction and loyalty. To evaluate this situation, level of customer satisfaction and loyalty should be measured correctly with a comprehensive approach. In this study, customers are investigated in 4 main groups according to their level of satisfaction and loyalty with a criteria and group based analysis with a new method. We use classification algorithms in WEKA programming software and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with LISREL tools together to analyze the effect of each satisfaction and loyalty criteria in a satisfaction–loyalty matrix and extend the customer satisfaction and loyalty post-analysis research bridging the gap in this field of research. To convert developed conceptual thought to experimental study, white goods industry is exemplified. 15 criteria are used for evaluation in 4 customer groups and a satisfaction–loyalty survey developed by experts is applied to 200 customers with face-to-face interviews. As a result of the study, a customer and criteria grouping method is created with high performance classification methods and good fit structural models. In addition, results are evaluated for developing a customer strategy improvement tool considering method outcomes.     

Customer satisfaction in dynamic vehicle routing problem with time windows

The dynamic vehicle routing and scheduling problem is a well-known complex combinatorial optimization problem that drew significant attention over the past few years. This paper presents a novel algorithm introducing a new strategy to integrate anticipated future visit requests during plan generation, aimed at explicitly improving customer satisfaction. An evaluation of the proposed strategy is performed using a hybrid genetic algorithm previously designed for the dynamic vehicle problem with time windows that we modified to capture customer satisfaction over multiple visits. Simulations compare the value of the revisited algorithm exploiting the new strategy, clearly demonstrating its impact on customer satisfaction level.     

模糊时间窗约束下的装配线物料配送方案优化

为解决装配线物料无法及时准确配送的问题,提出了一种动态的联合配送策略,在此基础上以最小化单个产品配送成本、最大化工位满意度为目标,建立模糊时间窗约束下的物料配送数学模型。利用NSGA-Ⅱ算法求解出最佳的工位组划分、小车出发时间和配送路径,并对配送小车容量及配送时间窗进行优化。利用Plant Simulation软件搭建某生产线仿真模型进行模拟,验证了配送方案的可行性。与一般配送策略进行对比,结果表明,在保证配送工位满意度的前提下,优化时间窗能进一步降低单个产品的配送成本。     

Design for comfort and social interaction in future vehicles: A study on the leg space between facing-seats configuration

With the advent of future vehicles, passengers expect to travel in comfort, and the free leg space between facing-seats could be an issue due to the unsuitability for all people, according to their anthropometric variability. A previous investigation survey showed the need to increase the leg-space between facing seats and, if installed, to improve the surface of the table placed in between. So, four different distances between seat-pans front edges of facing seats have been set-up and tested (44 cm, 51 cm, 58 cm, 65 cm) with a table in between. 13 couples of participants with different heights took part to experiments. The aim was to investigate the relationship between facing-seat distances and passenger wellbeing in terms of postural comfort and social interaction. Postural comfort has been analysed through optical tracking (for postural angles overtime) and questionnaires (perceived comfort). Social interaction feelings have been investigated with questionnaires. Experiment results showed the suitable distance could be 51 cm keeping the same table surface; otherwise, the 65 cm one could be ideal changing the table surface.Relevance to industryWith the advent of autonomous driving, vehicle manufacturers and designers are working hard to define new paradigms of public transportation in terms of seat layout, passenger wellbeing and interiors’ design. This paper contributes to increasing the general knowledge on the effects of distance between facing seats on postural comfort and social interaction.     

基于模糊综合评价的景区解说设施优化研究

目的 系统地研究景区解说设施评价体系,建立合理完善的评价方法,为景区解说设施的优化升级提供科学的理论支撑.方法 选取泉州市崇武古城的解说设施为研究对象,以SERVQUAL(服务质量)模型为基础建立解说设施满意度评价体系,借助主成分分析、模糊综合评价以及IPA分析法3种方法,探索景区解说设施满意度及其影响因素.结论 研究表明,构成景区解说设施满意度评价体系的一级指标主要为有形性(UA)、保证性(UB)、移情性(UC)、可靠性(UD),四者的权重由大到小依次为UB>UA>UD>UC;泉州崇武古城景区解说设施满意度评价结果为良好,基本达到旅游解说要求.但是解说设施的有形性方面亟待提升,在视觉效果上的满意度相对较低,影响游客对古城景区的满意度.