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The custom hybrid manufacturer must be able to offer the optimal multi‐chip module (MCM) solution from a portfolio of technologies. At present no single interconnect technology satisfies all the desired performance and cost requirements of the range of multi‐chip modules. Instead there is a hierarchy of interconnect technologies which offer various combinations of density, power handling, attenuation, signal transmission, testability and, of course, cost. Silicon hybrids have some specific merits and disadvantages which are discussed and compared with other technologies, such as fineline plated metal on ceramic (FPMC). Some examples are shown of the miniaturisation achieved. The silicon hybrids discussed use thin film interconnect with both conventional inorganic and the newer organic dielectrics.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a quantitative model to assess probability of errors and errors correction costs in parts feeding systems for assembly lines.

Event trees are adopted to model errors in the picking-handling-delivery-utilization of materials containers from the warehouse to assembly stations. Error probabilities and quality costs functions are developed to compare alternative feeding policies including kitting, line stocking and just-in-time delivery. A numerical case study is included.

This paper confirms with quantitative evidence the economic relevance of logistic errors (LEs) in parts feeding processes, a problem neglected in the existing literature. It also points out the most frequent or relevant error types and identifies specific corrective measures.

While the model is general purpose, conclusions are specific to each applicative case and are not generalizable, and some modifications may be required to adapt it to specific industrial cases. When no experimental data are available, human error analysis should be used to estimate event probabilities based on underlying modes and causes of human error.

Production managers are given a quantitative decision tool to assess errors probability and errors correction costs in assembly lines parts feeding systems. This allows better comparing of alternative parts feeding policies and identifying corrective measures.

This is the first paper to develop quantitative models for estimating LEs and related quality cost, allowing a comparison between alternative parts feeding policies.

A FEW YEARS AGO that small but many‐paged volume of facts called Whitaker's Almanack, published annually by J. Whitaker & Sons, celebrated its centenary. In 1974 the firm celebrated the longevity of another of its publications, British Books in Print, first published in 1874 as the Reference Catalogue of Current Literature. While many people know of the Almanack, it is mostly publishers, booksellers, and librarians who are aware of the other publications this firm has produced in the field of book‐trade bibliography in the last 116 years, publications of sufficient scope and quality to delay until quite recently the provision of a British national bibliography.

The potential for differential functioning of performance assessments across ratings sources has gained recent research interest. This study used multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA) to examine whether measures of task and contextual performance are invariant across both supervisors and subordinates. As an extension, multiple indicators multiple causes modeling (MIMIC) was used to examine potential covariates of task and contextual performance ratings on latent task and contextual performance variability. Consistent with previous research, I found measurement invariance across subordinate- and supervisor ratings. Moreover, MIMIC results showed supervisor and subordinate demographic variables systematically influenced latent task and contextual performance variability despite measurement invariance over these rating sources. Implications for multi-source performance systems are discussed.

The burgeoning literature on the feedback environment has begun to link this important construct to many relevant employee behaviors and attitudes. However, the underlying mechanisms linking the feedback environment to feedback seeking are not well understood. To address these gaps in the literature, this study integrates organizational support theory, the norm of reciprocity, and current empirical research to develop and test a model explicating this link. Data obtained from 202 supervisor-subordinate dyads indicated that perceived organizational support and job involvement play important roles in linking the feedback environment to supervisorreported feedback seeking behavior.

To summarize and compare both the methodology and findings of existing studies of patrol officer workload that have contributed to what is known about “downtime” (time not responding to citizen calls for service), and provide more standardized estimates of downtime for comparison purposes.

A total of 11 studies of police workload published between 1970 and 2001 that used data collected through either dispatch records or systematic social observations of police officers, and reported information regarding the amount and use of patrol officer downtime, are summarized and compared. The studies report information for 13 different (US) police departments and averages for the 24 departments studied in the Police Services Study (1977). A consistent measure of downtime is estimated for each study.

A consistent measure of downtime estimated for each study yields more similar results across studies than the originally reported findings suggest. For the studies that used data collected through dispatch records, the average amount of downtime is 70 percent of a patrol officer's shift, for the studies that used systematic social observation data 79 percent. Observations regarding the methodologies and contributions of workload studies are discussed.

Suggested changes in the reporting of future workload study findings would provide more accurate information and facilitate comparisons across studies, benefiting both researchers and police administrators.

These findings suggest patrol officers always have had, and continue to have, a lot of downtime available for restructuring.

Compiles, organizes, and compares information regarding what is known about the amount and use of patrol officer downtime, and suggests researchers and administrators consider approaching the study and use of downtime in new ways.

The current study integrates self-enhancement and social exchange theories to construct hypotheses in which team-level narcissism is expected to negatively influence team-level task performance ratings and team-level organizational citizenship behaviors directed at team members (OCB-Is). Additionally, individual-level narcissism is expected to negatively influence peer performance ratings. Based on longitudinal data collected from 89 study participants constituting 29 project teams, results indicate (a) team-level narcissism influences task performance, (b) team-level narcissism influences changes in OCB-Is over time, and (c) individual-level narcissism influences peer performance ratings. Our findings suggest the necessity for practitioners to consider individual differences in the strategic formation of work groups.

It has often been said that a great part of the strength of Aslib lies in the fact that it brings together those whose experience has been gained in many widely differing fields but who have a common interest in the means by which information may be collected and disseminated to the greatest advantage. Lists of its members have, therefore, a more than ordinary value since they present, in miniature, a cross‐section of institutions and individuals who share this special interest.

Multiple classifier systems have been used widely in computing, communications, and informatics. Combining multiple classifier systems (MCS) has been shown to outperform a single classifier system. It has been demonstrated that improvement in ensemble performance depends on either the diversity among or the performance of individual systems. A variety of diversity measures and ensemble methods have been proposed and studied. However, it remains a challenging problem to estimate the ensemble performance in terms of the performance of and the diversity among individual systems. The purpose of this paper is to study the general problem of estimating ensemble performance for various combination methods using the concept of a performance distribution pattern (PDP).

In particular, the paper establishes upper and lower bounds for majority voting ensemble performance with disagreement diversity measure Dis, weighted majority voting performance in terms of weighted average performance and weighted disagreement diversity, and plurality voting ensemble performance with entropy diversity measure D.

Bounds for these three cases are shown to be tight using the PDP for the input set.

As a consequence of the authors' previous results on diversity equivalence, the results of majority voting ensemble performance can be extended to several other diversity measures. Moreover, the paper showed in the case of majority voting ensemble performance that when the average of individual systems performance P is big enough, the ensemble performance P^m resulting from a maximum (information‐theoretic) entropy PDP is an increasing function with respect to the disagreement diversity Dis. Eight experiments using data sets from various application domains are conducted to demonstrate the complexity, richness, and diverseness of the problem in estimating the ensemble performance.

This paper synthesizes the extant feedback literature, focusing on how feedback affects an auditor’s learning, performance, and motivation. Performance feedback is an important component in the auditing environment for ensuring quality control and for developing and coaching staff auditors. However, the literature on feedback in the audit environment is fragmented and limited making it difficult to assess its behavioral effects on auditors. This paper has three main objectives. The first is to review some of the influential research in psychology and management to identify key variables and issues that appear to be critical in the study of behavioral consequences of feedback in organizational settings. The second is to review performance feedback research specifically in auditing to identify the areas previously examined and synthesize the findings. The third is to suggest a variety of future research opportunities that may assist in developing an understanding and knowledge of the behavioral effects of feedback on auditors. The literature analysis has significant implications for audit research and practice. In particular, the analysis provides important insights into understanding who, how, and when performance feedback should be given to improve its effectiveness in the audit environment.