Mingfeng Tang

Bounded confidence opinion dynamics with opinion leaders and environmental noises

Opinion dynamics is a kind of collective decision-making process and focuses on the study of evolution and formation of opinions within a human society. Particularly, bounded confidence rule is one of intrinsic interaction principles in the opinion dynamics. In this paper, a leader-follower opinion dynamics model is built, with the help of the bounded confidence rule, to consider the opinion formation of a community, which is constituted of opinion leaders and opinion followers. At the same time, environmental uncertainties are considered in the opinion formation and called as environmental noises, which are modeled as Gaussian stochastic processes. All the agents are assumed to have heterogeneous confidence levels. Then the impacts of the opinion leaders and the environmental noises on the final opinions of the opinion followers are analyzed. Finally, some simulation results are presented to demonstrate the collective opinion evolution in three cases: no opinion leader, single opinion leader and multiple opinion leaders. An extended bounded confidence opinion dynamics model is built.A leader-following strategy is proposed to guild opinion followers.Environmental uncertainties are modeled by Gaussian noises.The impact of environmental noises on the opinion evolution is analyzed.The optimal fraction of opinion leaders is analyzed for influence power.

Technology Business Incubators in China and India: A Comparative Analysis

Abstract Technology Business Incubators (TBIs) in China and India are compared by employing an analytical framework that combines national system of innovation (NSI) concept and a modified TBI integrative framework. Two research questions are investigated: (1) What are the management polices & practices of and incubation services offered by the TBIs in China and India? (2) How successful are the TBIs in China and India? Data are gathered through interview and questionnaire survey and from secondary sources using ‘triangulation’ technique to increase the validity of the results. Our findings reveal that there are a number of similarities (including objectives, selection criteria for tenants, funding of new ventures, and various basic services provided) and differences (including ownership/ legal status, nature of structure and governance, funding, value-added and specialists services provided to the tenants, incubation period, and number of TBIs, tenants, employees, and revenues) between the TBIs of China and India. The findings also suggest that both systems evolved in a particular path way due to specific national context, which led to most of these differences. Our study is important as it provides comparative insights into TBI systems fostering entrepreneurship development in two large and fast growing emerging economies, which show not only how both can learn from each other but also provide policy lessons for other countries.

Management of university incubators in China and in France: a comparative analysis

This paper compares the management of university incubators in China and France and provides some insights into the way university incubators should be managed to enable the creation of successful start-ups. By analysing the contexts for their emergence in both countries, we assess the similarities and differences between the two systems and provide some explanation for performance differences. This paper makes use of national surveys, of interviews with directors and management staff of university incubators, and the large literature on incubators and the innovation systems of China and France. Although the incubators studied have similar functions, there are differences related to their incubation systems. Chinese and French incubators are similar in terms of nature, structure, objectives, governance and complexity of funding systems, but different in terms of their selection criteria, incubation process, types of services and outcomes.

The Impact of Social Capital on Information Exchange and Well-Being in Virtual Communities

Abstract Virtual communities play a significant role in improving communication and well-being during disasters. A theoretical model is developed to investigate the mechanism by which social capital contributes to individual and collective well-being through information exchange. Research hypotheses are tested using data from surveys and computer archives in the context of a major natural disaster. We find that information quality is more critical to individuals and the community than information quantity after a disaster. Results also suggest four elements of social capital are important to improve information quality: trust, reciprocity, shared language and shared vision. Theoretical and practical implications for functionalities and communication structures on virtual communities across cultures and countries are provided.

Trust Building in Online Peer-to-Peer Lending

This article has been retracted.

Strengthening regional integration/cooperation with the Neighbourhood System of Innovation conceptual framework: the case of China and ASEAN

Traditional neo-classical market approach to regional integration/cooperation mainly focuses on trade and investment. The paper proposes an innovation system approach to regional integration/cooperation as an alternative that focuses on knowledge, learning, innovation, and competence (KLIC) building without excluding trade and investment. The underlying argument is that while liberal trade and investment conceptual framework takes a narrow economic gain and loss approach, the system of innovation approach includes economic and non-economic variables by including KLIC, and broad economic and social gain. The paper presents the Neighbourhood System of Innovation (NeSI) conceptual framework which captures the reciprocal interactions between national innovation systems (NSI) of larger ‘regional economic pole’ (REP) and smaller economies (or among NSIs of the smaller economies) in the ‘Neighbourhood’ region. The case of China and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (REP and Neighbourhood, respectively) is used to demonstrate the usefulness of NeSI framework and its possible application to other similar cases. The aim of the paper is not to produce a path-breaking theory, but to present a different perspective through innovation systems approach as an alternative to enhance understanding of regional integration and cooperation dynamic processes.

University Technology Transfer in China: How Effective are National Centers?

Abstract University–industry technology transfer is growing at a rapid rate in China, involving both multinational and domestic companies. This chapter describes unique characteristics of Chinese National Technology Transfer Centers (NTTCs) and examines whether they can function as an effective policy instrument in promoting the commercialization of university research findings. Our qualitative and quantitative study finds that NTTCs are not by themselves an effective policy tool in accelerating the commercialization of university inventions. We found that universities without NTTCs can achieve the same or even greater success than those with NTTCs. We suggest that Chinese universities should mimic the Western approach by providing an attractive reward system and autonomy to technology management programs that stimulate their efforts in marketing patented technology.