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The study about the low-temperature performance of lithium-ion batteries (LIB) is of great significance at extreme temperatures, such as polar scientific research, space exploration, deep-sea exploration, military fields, and so on. In this study, normal devices and symmetrical devices were fabricated by ternary Li(Ni0.5Mn0.3Co0.2)O2 as cathode and graphite as anode at 25 and −20 °C. The results show that the specific discharge capacity of normal device is up to 120 mAh g−1 at 1 C and 25 °C. The specific capacity and energy density at 0.2 C and −20 °C are 106.05 mAh g−1 and 376.53 mWh g−1, respectively, which can reach 92.82% of that at 1 C and 25 °C. The value of activation energy Ea of the interface reaction of the LIB is calculated to be 63.72 kJ/mol by the Arrhenius equation. When the temperature dropped from 25 to −20 °C, the lattice spacing of Li1−x(Ni0.5Mn0.3Co0.2)O2 hardly changed, while the lattice spacing (002) of graphite reduces 0.00248 Å. In addition, some cracks were observed on the charged cathode at −20 °C. We carried out quasi-in situ electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) when the voltages of normal device discharged to 3.8, 3.6, 3.4, 3.2, and 3.0 V. Unlike the relationship of voltage–resistance at 25 °C, the values of the series resistance (Rs), charge transfer resistance (Rct), and ion transfer resistance (Rit) gradually decrease as the voltage decreases at −20 °C. Compared with the resistance of the symmetrical device based on the anode at 25 °C, the values of Rs and Rit at −20 °C both obviously increase. The main reason of performance degradation for normal device at −20 °C is large ion transfer resistance and the decrease of lattice spacing of the graphite (002).

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore answers to two research questions: what types of conflicts do top management team (TMT) members in Chinese firms deal with; and what approaches do they take to handle them?Design/methodology/approachInterview data were collected from 52 TMT members in 16 Chinese entrepreneurial high tech firms, and were transcribed, coded and analyzed according to Thomas's typology of conflict handling approaches.FindingsResults show that conflicts in those TMTs were mostly task‐related and integration/ collaboration was the most frequently used approach to handle conflicts, in contrast to the findings of previous studies with Chinese managers that reported avoidance to be most preferred. It was found that the most preferred approach used in the team also relates to the leadership style of the team leader.Research limitations/implicationsMethodologically, the paper did not apply any quantitative approach to triangulate the findings for greater reliability nor did it propose predictors of any type of conflict‐handling approach. Also, analyses were done at the individual level. However, the results add to the conflict‐resolution literature, and provide insights on conflict resolution processes in Chinese TMTs, which, in turn, will help to understand better Chinese TMT processes.Practical implicationsThe results provide very practical guidance to TMTs and help generalize the theories that have been developed based on Western practices.Originality/valueThe study is first of its kind to examine conflict type and conflict handling approaches; and in Chinese high tech firms. It offers some interesting insights to the topic.

Business schools face a dilemma of promoting prosocial values while maintaining the principles of self-interest and profit maximization. In response to recent research suggesting that emotions may be the key to ethical decision making, we ask two basic questions: Do emotions make business students more ethical? Is business school education inhibiting ethical decision making? Drawing on theories on moral emotions and ethical decision making, we hypothesize that moral emotions will enhance ethical decision making, whereas hedonic emotions will diminish ethical decision making. Furthermore, we predict that a higher level of business school education will strengthen the negative relationship between hedonic emotions and ethical decision making while weakening the positive relationship between moral emotions and ethical decision making. Using a scenario-based repeated-measure design, we tested our hypotheses with 217 students from secondary schools, undergraduate business majors, and MBA programs in Hong Kong. Multilevel modeling results supported our hypotheses, suggesting that business school students may benefit from education on the unique roles of moral and hedonic emotions in the ethical decision-making process. We conclude with a summary of the theoretical and practical implications of our findings.

This study explored the perceived effectiveness of organizational influence strategies amongst three Chinese societies and the US. A total of 488 managers rated 16 influence tactics on their effectiveness across three influence directions - upward, downward and lateral. Consistently, these 16 tactics fell into two broad dimensions of influence - the more nurturing Gentle Persuasion (GP) and the more agentic Contingent Control (CC). The perceived effectiveness of GP increased with higher position power of the target, and vice versa for CC. No cultural differences were found for the rated effectiveness of CC. However, regardless of the influence direction, Americans managers rated GP as most effective; Mainland Chinese, the least. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that Reward for Application predicted a manager's endorsement of GP as more effective, and Fate Control of CC. The effect of Fate Control on CC was, however, moderated by culture, exemplifying culture's sensitizing role in directing member responses.

This paper theorizes and tests how chief executive officers' (CEOs') transformational leadership behaviors, which motivate followers to do more than expected and act for the good of the collective, influence followers' commitment. We theorize that CEOs' values may either enhance or attenuate the effect of transformational behaviors on followers, depending on followers' reactions to the congruence or incongruence between leaders' internal values and their outward transformational behaviors. Self-enhancement values—focusing on the leader's own happiness—would attenuate the effect, whereas self-transcendent values—focusing on others' happiness—would accentuate the effect of CEOs' transformational behaviors on followers' commitment. Using a sample of 45 managers in two companies in China, we validated a Q-sort method of measuring personal values. Results of a second study using cross-sectional and longitudinal surveys as well as interview data from a sample of Chinese CEOs, top managers, and middle managers supported both the attenuation and the accentuation effects and validated the idea that middle managers can detect their CEOs' values.