ASU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This collection includes most of the ASU Theses and Dissertations from 2011 to present. ASU Theses and Dissertations are available in downloadable PDF format; however, a small percentage of items are under embargo. Information about the dissertations/theses includes degree information, committee members, an abstract, supporting data or media.
In addition to the electronic theses found in the ASU Digital Repository, ASU Theses and Dissertations can be found in the ASU Library Catalog.
Dissertations and Theses granted by Arizona State University are archived and made available through a joint effort of the ASU Graduate College and the ASU Libraries. For more information or questions about this collection contact or visit the Digital Repository ETD Library Guide or contact the ASU Graduate College at gradformat@asu.edu.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 154
Filtering by
- Creators: Shen, Wei
- Creators: Zhang, Wenlong
Description
Financing lease has bloomed as a new financing tool in China for the last several years. In this thesis I investigate the factors that influence China’s automobile financial leasing decisions by both lessors and lessees through market surveys. Based on Probit regression analysis of the data collected from 250 companies and 300 individuals, I find that a firm is more likely to use automobile financial leasing when its corporate tax rate is lower, growth potential is more stabilized, and profit is higher. It is also more likely to happen when a firm's long-term debt ratio and its degree of internationalization are higher. At the individual level, I find that the likelihood of individuals’ leasing decision is influenced by their risk preference, income level, and car price. Individuals’ gender, age and education level show no effect.
Using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) analysis, I further find that financing costs, service value-added, and products diversity are the three most important competitive factors for the auto financial leasing service providers. This is the case for both the corporate and individual customers in the sample. By contrast, the factors of sales channel and government relationship are found to be much less important. Finally, through an in-depth case study of the leasing company Shanghai Auto Financial Leasing, I find that the key factors determining the customers’ credit default risk are interest rate and automobile type. I also investigate factors that influence business risk during the automobile procurement stage, at the selling stage, and toward the disposition stage. The managerial implications of the above results are discussed throughout the thesis.
Using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) analysis, I further find that financing costs, service value-added, and products diversity are the three most important competitive factors for the auto financial leasing service providers. This is the case for both the corporate and individual customers in the sample. By contrast, the factors of sales channel and government relationship are found to be much less important. Finally, through an in-depth case study of the leasing company Shanghai Auto Financial Leasing, I find that the key factors determining the customers’ credit default risk are interest rate and automobile type. I also investigate factors that influence business risk during the automobile procurement stage, at the selling stage, and toward the disposition stage. The managerial implications of the above results are discussed throughout the thesis.
ContributorsLin, Zhen, Ph.D (Author) / Zhang, Anming (Thesis advisor) / Pei, Ker-Wei (Thesis advisor) / Chen, Hong (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015
Description
In accordance with the Principal Agent Theory, Property Right Theory, Incentive Theory, and Human Capital Theory, firms face agency problems due to “separation of ownership and management”, which call for effective corporate governance. Ownership structure is a core element of the corporate governance. The differences in ownership structures thus may result in differential incentives in governance through the selection of senior management and in the design of senior management compensation system. This thesis investigates four firms with four different types of ownership structures: a public listed firm with the controlling interest by the state, a public listed firm with a non-state-owned controlling interest, a public listed firm a family-owned controlling interest, and a Sino-foreign joint venture firm. By using a case study approach, I focus on two dimensions of ownership structure characteristics – ownership diversification and differences in property rights so as to document whether there are systematic differences in governance participation and executive compensation design. Specifically, I focused on whether such differences are reflected in management selection (which is linked to adverse selection and moral hazard problems) and in compensation design (the choices of performance measurements, performance pay, and in stock option or restricted stock). The results are consistent with my expectation – the nature of ownership structure does affect senior management compensation design. Policy implications are discussed accordingly.
ContributorsGao, Shenghua (Author) / Pei, Ker-Wei (Thesis advisor) / Li, Feng (Committee member) / Shen, Wei (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015
Description
The theme for this work is the development of fast numerical algorithms for sparse optimization as well as their applications in medical imaging and source localization using sensor array processing. Due to the recently proposed theory of Compressive Sensing (CS), the $\ell_1$ minimization problem attracts more attention for its ability to exploit sparsity. Traditional interior point methods encounter difficulties in computation for solving the CS applications. In the first part of this work, a fast algorithm based on the augmented Lagrangian method for solving the large-scale TV-$\ell_1$ regularized inverse problem is proposed. Specifically, by taking advantage of the separable structure, the original problem can be approximated via the sum of a series of simple functions with closed form solutions. A preconditioner for solving the block Toeplitz with Toeplitz block (BTTB) linear system is proposed to accelerate the computation. An in-depth discussion on the rate of convergence and the optimal parameter selection criteria is given. Numerical experiments are used to test the performance and the robustness of the proposed algorithm to a wide range of parameter values. Applications of the algorithm in magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and a comparison with other existing methods are included. The second part of this work is the application of the TV-$\ell_1$ model in source localization using sensor arrays. The array output is reformulated into a sparse waveform via an over-complete basis and study the $\ell_p$-norm properties in detecting the sparsity. An algorithm is proposed for minimizing a non-convex problem. According to the results of numerical experiments, the proposed algorithm with the aid of the $\ell_p$-norm can resolve closely distributed sources with higher accuracy than other existing methods.
ContributorsShen, Wei (Author) / Mittlemann, Hans D (Thesis advisor) / Renaut, Rosemary A. (Committee member) / Jackiewicz, Zdzislaw (Committee member) / Gelb, Anne (Committee member) / Ringhofer, Christian (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
This work presents the integration of user intent detection and control in the development of the fluid-driven, wearable, and continuum, Soft Poly-Limb (SPL). The SPL utilizes the numerous traits of soft robotics to enable a novel approach to provide safe and compliant mobile manipulation assistance to healthy and impaired users. This wearable system equips the user with an additional limb made of soft materials that can be controlled to produce complex three-dimensional motion in space, like its biological counterparts with hydrostatic muscles. Similar to the elephant trunk, the SPL is able to manipulate objects using various end effectors, such as suction adhesion or a soft grasper, and can also wrap its entire length around objects for manipulation. User control of the limb is demonstrated using multiple user intent detection modalities. Further, the performance of the SPL studied by testing its capability to interact safely and closely around a user through a spatial mobility test. Finally, the limb’s ability to assist the user is explored through multitasking scenarios and pick and place tests with varying mounting locations of the arm around the user’s body. The results of these assessments demonstrate the SPL’s ability to safely interact with the user while exhibiting promising performance in assisting the user with a wide variety of tasks, in both work and general living scenarios.
ContributorsVale, Nicholas Marshall (Author) / Polygerinos, Panagiotis (Thesis advisor) / Zhang, Wenlong (Committee member) / Artemiadis, Panagiotis (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
Description
What if there is a way to integrate prosthetics seamlessly with the human body and robots could help improve the lives of children with disabilities? With physical human-robot interaction being seen in multiple aspects of life, including industry, medical, and social, how these robots are interacting with human becomes even more important. Therefore, how smoothly the robot can interact with a person will determine how safe and efficient this relationship will be. This thesis investigates adaptive control method that allows a robot to adapt to the human's actions based on the interaction force. Allowing the relationship to become more effortless and less strained when the robot has a different goal than the human, as seen in Game Theory, using multiple techniques that adapts the system. Few applications this could be used for include robots in physical therapy, manufacturing robots that can adapt to a changing environment, and robots teaching people something new like dancing or learning how to walk after surgery.
The experience gained is the understanding of how a cost function of a system works, including the tracking error, speed of the system, the robot’s effort, and the human’s effort. Also, this two-agent system, results into a two-agent adaptive impedance model with an input for each agent of the system. This leads to a nontraditional linear quadratic regulator (LQR), that must be separated and then added together. Thus, creating a traditional LQR. This new experience can be used in the future to help build better safety protocols on manufacturing robots. In the future the knowledge learned from this research could be used to develop technologies for a robot to allow to adapt to help counteract human error.
The experience gained is the understanding of how a cost function of a system works, including the tracking error, speed of the system, the robot’s effort, and the human’s effort. Also, this two-agent system, results into a two-agent adaptive impedance model with an input for each agent of the system. This leads to a nontraditional linear quadratic regulator (LQR), that must be separated and then added together. Thus, creating a traditional LQR. This new experience can be used in the future to help build better safety protocols on manufacturing robots. In the future the knowledge learned from this research could be used to develop technologies for a robot to allow to adapt to help counteract human error.
ContributorsBell, Rebecca C (Author) / Zhang, Wenlong (Thesis advisor) / Chiou, Erin (Committee member) / Aukes, Daniel (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
Description冷链物流主要是指食品在生产到消费者食用前始终处于适宜的温度环境，以保障食品品质、降低流通过程中的损耗。冷链物流相比于传统物流而言是一项更复杂的系统性工程，受到政策和市场需求的影响呈现迅猛发展态势。但是，冷链物流企业长期以来因规模小、固定资产少、服务范围窄、服务规范性弱而发展困难重重，核心问题是资金的问题。政府引导和鼓励打造冷链物流产业园，推动产业园投资和建设主体打造平台，实现对园区内冷链企业的聚集效应并通过金融服务解决企业发展的资金问题。通过产融结合助力冷链物流企业发展，成为目前冷链物流行业发展的主要方式和未来趋势。
本研究聚焦冷链物流产业园金融服务助力冷链物流企业发展问题，主要研究内容包括：第一，基于产融结合理论，梳理冷链物流企业与产业园之间关系，从供需两侧探索冷链物流企业和产业园的金融服务的范围、类型和特点。第二，基于平台理论，构建冷链物流企业采纳产业园金融服务的研究模型，探索金融服务影响冷链物流企业的经营因素，分析冷链物流企业采纳产业园金融服务的因素和途径。第三，基于信息不对称理论，关切信息技术支持和知识分享在冷链物流企业采纳产业园提供金融服务过程中的调节作用。同时，梳理产业园提供金融服务可能面临哪些风险，制订冷链物流企业入驻园区的标准，防范风险。
本文运用实证研究方法，通过对国内18家冷链物流相关的产业园、物流园、冷链物流、商贸流通、金融等企业实地考察和专家访谈基础上，拟定问卷并对268家企业进行调查收集数据，使用结构方程模型进行假设检验。研究发现：金融服务的有形性、可靠性、移情性、经济性对冷链物流企业采纳产业园金融服务影响显著，而响应性的影响不显著。同时
信息技术支持和知识共享的调节作用不显著。最后，针对产业园吸引冷链物流企业提供金融服务、冷链物流企业采纳产业园金融服务的风险，提出防范策略措施。
本研究聚焦冷链物流产业园金融服务助力冷链物流企业发展问题，主要研究内容包括：第一，基于产融结合理论，梳理冷链物流企业与产业园之间关系，从供需两侧探索冷链物流企业和产业园的金融服务的范围、类型和特点。第二，基于平台理论，构建冷链物流企业采纳产业园金融服务的研究模型，探索金融服务影响冷链物流企业的经营因素，分析冷链物流企业采纳产业园金融服务的因素和途径。第三，基于信息不对称理论，关切信息技术支持和知识分享在冷链物流企业采纳产业园提供金融服务过程中的调节作用。同时，梳理产业园提供金融服务可能面临哪些风险，制订冷链物流企业入驻园区的标准，防范风险。
本文运用实证研究方法，通过对国内18家冷链物流相关的产业园、物流园、冷链物流、商贸流通、金融等企业实地考察和专家访谈基础上，拟定问卷并对268家企业进行调查收集数据，使用结构方程模型进行假设检验。研究发现：金融服务的有形性、可靠性、移情性、经济性对冷链物流企业采纳产业园金融服务影响显著，而响应性的影响不显著。同时
信息技术支持和知识共享的调节作用不显著。最后，针对产业园吸引冷链物流企业提供金融服务、冷链物流企业采纳产业园金融服务的风险，提出防范策略措施。
ContributorsYang, Su (Author) / Shen, Wei (Thesis advisor) / Chen, Xinlei (Thesis advisor) / Gu, Bin (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
Description
Health is among the most basic needs of the people and driving force of social and economic development. The health nutrition & wellness industry is gradually becoming a global sunrise industry . However, the industry is faced many problems and challenges including weaknesses in the industry structure, fragmentations of supply chain, low
efficiency in resources allocation, and lacking in quality on personnel training. To achieve core competitiveness and value creation, it is important that the health nutrition & wellness industry must meet the needs of Chinese market and its customers with a customer centric perspective to design a firm’s organization strucrture and management processes. This thesis is based on an analysis of the competitive landscape faced by the nutrition & wellness industry as exemplified by By-Health.Ltd. The investigation begins with an analysis and synthsis of the common industry practices on sales & distribution channels for their underlying similarities and differences in product strategies, branding strategies, and agency models on incentive design and profit sharing mechanisms. Through an empirical survey, this thesis also investigate customer’s demand for nutritious and healthy products. The results through factor analysis reveal that such demands are driven by individual factor, product factor, enterprise factor and environmental factor. The study concludes with a proposed framework to link customer value through three innovative designs in sales and distribution: community marketing model, sharing marketing model and Internet factory marketing model.
efficiency in resources allocation, and lacking in quality on personnel training. To achieve core competitiveness and value creation, it is important that the health nutrition & wellness industry must meet the needs of Chinese market and its customers with a customer centric perspective to design a firm’s organization strucrture and management processes. This thesis is based on an analysis of the competitive landscape faced by the nutrition & wellness industry as exemplified by By-Health.Ltd. The investigation begins with an analysis and synthsis of the common industry practices on sales & distribution channels for their underlying similarities and differences in product strategies, branding strategies, and agency models on incentive design and profit sharing mechanisms. Through an empirical survey, this thesis also investigate customer’s demand for nutritious and healthy products. The results through factor analysis reveal that such demands are driven by individual factor, product factor, enterprise factor and environmental factor. The study concludes with a proposed framework to link customer value through three innovative designs in sales and distribution: community marketing model, sharing marketing model and Internet factory marketing model.
ContributorsGong, Binghui (Author) / Pei, Ker-Wei (Thesis advisor) / Cui, Haitao (Thesis advisor) / Gu, Bin (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
Description
The world population is aging. Age-related disorders such as stroke and spinal cord injury are increasing rapidly, and such patients often suffer from mobility impairment. Wearable robotic exoskeletons are developed that serve as rehabilitation devices for these patients. In this thesis, a knee exoskeleton design with higher torque output compared to the first version, is designed and fabricated.
A series elastic actuator is one of the many actuation mechanisms employed in exoskeletons. In this mechanism a torsion spring is used between the actuator and human joint. It serves as torque sensor and energy buffer, making it compact and
safe.
A version of knee exoskeleton was developed using the SEA mechanism. It uses worm gear and spur gear combination to amplify the assistive torque generated from the DC motor. It weighs 1.57 kg and provides a maximum assistive torque of 11.26 N·m. It can be used as a rehabilitation device for patients affected with knee joint impairment.
A new version of exoskeleton design is proposed as an improvement over the first version. It consists of components such as brushless DC motor and planetary gear that are selected to meet the design requirements and biomechanical considerations. All the other components such as bevel gear and torsion spring are selected to be compatible with the exoskeleton. The frame of the exoskeleton is modeled in SolidWorks to be modular and easy to assemble. It is fabricated using sheet metal aluminum. It is designed to provide a maximum assistive torque of 23 N·m, two times over the present exoskeleton. A simple brace is 3D printed, making it easy to wear and use. It weighs 2.4 kg.
The exoskeleton is equipped with encoders that are used to measure spring deflection and motor angle. They act as sensors for precise control of the exoskeleton.
An impedance-based control is implemented using NI MyRIO, a FPGA based controller. The motor is controlled using a motor driver and powered using an external battery source. The bench tests and walking tests are presented. The new version of exoskeleton is compared with first version and state of the art devices.
A series elastic actuator is one of the many actuation mechanisms employed in exoskeletons. In this mechanism a torsion spring is used between the actuator and human joint. It serves as torque sensor and energy buffer, making it compact and
safe.
A version of knee exoskeleton was developed using the SEA mechanism. It uses worm gear and spur gear combination to amplify the assistive torque generated from the DC motor. It weighs 1.57 kg and provides a maximum assistive torque of 11.26 N·m. It can be used as a rehabilitation device for patients affected with knee joint impairment.
A new version of exoskeleton design is proposed as an improvement over the first version. It consists of components such as brushless DC motor and planetary gear that are selected to meet the design requirements and biomechanical considerations. All the other components such as bevel gear and torsion spring are selected to be compatible with the exoskeleton. The frame of the exoskeleton is modeled in SolidWorks to be modular and easy to assemble. It is fabricated using sheet metal aluminum. It is designed to provide a maximum assistive torque of 23 N·m, two times over the present exoskeleton. A simple brace is 3D printed, making it easy to wear and use. It weighs 2.4 kg.
The exoskeleton is equipped with encoders that are used to measure spring deflection and motor angle. They act as sensors for precise control of the exoskeleton.
An impedance-based control is implemented using NI MyRIO, a FPGA based controller. The motor is controlled using a motor driver and powered using an external battery source. The bench tests and walking tests are presented. The new version of exoskeleton is compared with first version and state of the art devices.
ContributorsJhawar, Vaibhav (Author) / Zhang, Wenlong (Thesis advisor) / Sugar, Thomas G. (Committee member) / Lee, Hyunglae (Committee member) / Marvi, Hamidreza (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
Description随着社会经济发展，人们生活水平提高，红木市场不断发展壮大。但红木市场中存在
原材料无法认证、加工工艺无法辨别、产品价格混乱的现象，成为我国红木市场三大痛
点。能否解决红木市场这三大痛点，成为未来红木行业能否健康顺利发展的关键因素。
针对红木行业存在的问题，本文应用市场交易效率理论、信息不对称理论、金融市场
微观结构理论对红木市场做理论梳理，通过实地调研获取红木企业发展现状、厘清传统红
木交易流程和各交易环节中存在的问题，尝试在信息不对称理论的框架下对行业和典型企
业进行分析，将红木市场的交易要素进行序列梳理，重构市场组织和流程再造，创造性地
利用现代的互联网技术，把涉及的非标准的市场要素进行标准化设计，使其成为可交易的
标准化标的产品，并在设计可操作性的红木交易平台上进行交易，从而解决现有红木市场
中信息不对称导致的市场交易效率低下问题。本文一共分为十一章，第一到第五章为绪论、理论研究和研究综述。主要根据市场交
易效率理论、信息不对称理论和金融市场微观结构理论，引出建立红木交易市场，从而为
后续红木交易市场的设计奠定理论基础。第五章，对红木产业及其市场的要素进行信息解
析，为后面的非标准的市场要素进行标准化设计提供依据。第六、第七章，主要对红木交
易市场的信息不对称现状、红木交易市场交易效率进行分析。第八、第九章，主要基于信
息对称条件下的交易要素标准化设计和交易架构设计。第十章，主要通过对实际数据抓
取，对红木交易平台的有效性进行实证对比验证。第十一章是本文的结论和建议。
由于红木交易平台的设计是弥补大宗交易的空白，特别是红木交易市场要素的非标
准化，给标准化交易架构的设计带来一定难度。红木交易平台未来运营与发展中可能会遇
到很多风险，特别是投资者资格认证、交易涉众等社会问题，本文限于篇幅没有进行研
究，留待今后实践中不断总结和修正。
原材料无法认证、加工工艺无法辨别、产品价格混乱的现象，成为我国红木市场三大痛
点。能否解决红木市场这三大痛点，成为未来红木行业能否健康顺利发展的关键因素。
针对红木行业存在的问题，本文应用市场交易效率理论、信息不对称理论、金融市场
微观结构理论对红木市场做理论梳理，通过实地调研获取红木企业发展现状、厘清传统红
木交易流程和各交易环节中存在的问题，尝试在信息不对称理论的框架下对行业和典型企
业进行分析，将红木市场的交易要素进行序列梳理，重构市场组织和流程再造，创造性地
利用现代的互联网技术，把涉及的非标准的市场要素进行标准化设计，使其成为可交易的
标准化标的产品，并在设计可操作性的红木交易平台上进行交易，从而解决现有红木市场
中信息不对称导致的市场交易效率低下问题。本文一共分为十一章，第一到第五章为绪论、理论研究和研究综述。主要根据市场交
易效率理论、信息不对称理论和金融市场微观结构理论，引出建立红木交易市场，从而为
后续红木交易市场的设计奠定理论基础。第五章，对红木产业及其市场的要素进行信息解
析，为后面的非标准的市场要素进行标准化设计提供依据。第六、第七章，主要对红木交
易市场的信息不对称现状、红木交易市场交易效率进行分析。第八、第九章，主要基于信
息对称条件下的交易要素标准化设计和交易架构设计。第十章，主要通过对实际数据抓
取，对红木交易平台的有效性进行实证对比验证。第十一章是本文的结论和建议。
由于红木交易平台的设计是弥补大宗交易的空白，特别是红木交易市场要素的非标
准化，给标准化交易架构的设计带来一定难度。红木交易平台未来运营与发展中可能会遇
到很多风险，特别是投资者资格认证、交易涉众等社会问题，本文限于篇幅没有进行研
究，留待今后实践中不断总结和修正。
ContributorsChiu, Yung (Author) / Pei, Ker-Wei (Thesis advisor) / Qian, Jun (Thesis advisor) / Wu, Fei (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
Description本文选取当前在学界和业界关注度较高的“新三板”企业作为研究对象，从融资效率和融资偏好角度实证了新三板企业当前的运行状况，补充了资本结构和融资效率的研究文献。利用二元选择回归以及分位数回归方法，探究了内部融资、债务融资以及权益融资偏好的影响因素。本文发现：1）对于内部融资，企业资产负债率越低、经营能力越强、盈利能力越好、抵押品越少以及公司成长性高的企业更倾向于使用内部融资，资产负债率对内部融资的负面影响边际增大；2）对于债务融资，资产负债率越低、盈利能力越好、经营能力越强、抵押品越多、公司成长性高的企业更倾向于使用债务融资；3）对于权益融资，盈利能力较差、经营能力较弱的企业更倾向于使用权益融资，而资本结构以及公司成长性对权益融资没有影响。分位数回归也发现，盈利能力、现金状况、总资产周转率、资产流动性、非债务税盾、民营企业以及公司成长性等变量对权益融资的影响较为稳定，提示公司的特征变量对权益融资并没有明显的主导作用。在融资效率上，本文也发现：1）于2012年挂牌新三板的企业整体融资效率不高，DEA融资效率为有效的企业占比仅为10%左右；但融资效率在逐年持续改善，表现出一个较好的发展势头。并且，对于做市转让的企业来说，2014年由协议转让改为做市转让以后，融资相对有效的企业数量增长明显快于协议转让企业，表明采用做市转让的企业融资效率优于采用协议转让的企业。2）市场整体融资规模并未达到挂牌企业的需求，导致一半以上企业尚未达到最优的生产经营状态，仍需要资金来增加生产资料的投入，以扩大生产规模获取规模收益。对于做市转让的企业来说，在2014年由协议转让改为做市转让以后，规模报酬递增的企业数量占比下降更快，表明做市转让制度要比协议转让制度从融资效率角度更能满足新三板企业的融资需求。
ContributorsWu, Jintao (Author) / Pei, Ker-Wei (Thesis advisor) / Li, Feng (Thesis advisor) / Wang, Tan (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019