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Excimer lasers are finding increasing use in the electronics manufacturing industry. In contrast to other types of laser processing in which material is removed by localised heating, excimer laser processing involves a non‐thermal ablative material removal mechanism. This is due to the ultra‐violet output and short pulse duration of these unique light sources. The result is a high precision means of patterning thin dielectric films, removing such films from metal substrates, or removing thin metal films from underlying dielectrics. Through proper selection of operating parameters it is possible to achieve smooth sidewall profiles with selectable amount of taper while leaving the surrounding and, in the case of film removal, the underlying material virtually untouched. This paper will review the growing use of excimer lasers in applications such as the skiving of access holes and windows in flexible wiring, the drilling of via holes for multilayer boards, the stripping of microwires and other chip bonding applications. The differences between excimer laser processing and conventional laser based techniques will be highlighted.

This article deals with the development of a dynamic sales forecast model as the basis for physical distribution. For this purpose emphasis is laid on the consideration of the actual aspects of consumer behaviour and the practicability of the model.

The purpose of this paper is to introduce narrative distance as a phenomenon that can help create transformative learning experiences (TLEs). Narrative distance is defined as the cognitive or emotional space afforded by indirect communication that invites listeners to make sense of content. In ways similar to a book, movie or play, narrative distance invites participants to draw conclusions for themselves (Craddock, 2002).

After examining how other fields have discussed concepts related to narrative distance and its affordances, this paper illustrates how this phenomenon can satisfy many of Wilson and Parrish’s (2011) key indicators for TLEs.

Six principles are offered for incorporating narrative distance into instructional design.

Instructional design has not explored indirect communication that is similar to narrative in any significant way.

The aims of the present study were to test the predictive validity of the Swedish version of the Team Diagnostic Survey (TDS).

A model with both performance and satisfaction was tested with structural equation model (SEM) analyses. Participants completing the survey were employees (N = 214) across three large workplaces. Analyses were done at the group level and data from 33 teams were included in the final data material.

Results from validation data indicate that the TDS has satisfactory high Cronbach’s alpha values on most factors. Results from the SEM analyses show a moderate model fit for the main model. Team-level factors predict both performance and satisfaction, while organization and coaching factors do not.

The present study was limited to a cross-sectional design, but earlier studies have shown that the accuracy of the TDS remains consistent over time. The main purpose of this study was to test the predictive validity of the instrument. Theoretical implications of the study are that a survey can be used to get a valid overall picture of the real-life work team’s effectiveness.

Practical implications of the study are that communication between researcher and/or consultant and organizational stakeholders is made easier, as the most important factors that affect team effectiveness are identified.

The work on the development on TDS has shown that it is possible to use a complex instrument to diagnose work groups, and this line of research is leading the way for better instruments.

Purpose – Urban and suburban arterials carry a large share of urban traffic and contend with a relatively large proportion of transport network crashes. Road crashes and their consequent societal costs diminish the sustainability of transportation systems, highlighting the need to identify road safety problems and their corresponding solutions. This chapter briefly outlines problems and solutions associated with crash risk on urban and suburban arterials. In addition, this chapter studies and discusses several safety countermeasures – ranging from local treatments to integral frameworks – and their effectiveness on improving traffic safety of urban and suburban arterials.

Approach – Crash occurrence on urban and suburban arterials is affected by numerous contributing factors. This chapter pays attention primarily to the effects of traffic characteristics and road design features. In this regard, several pertinent variables which have been extensively examined in the literature are reviewed and their contributions to the safety of urban and suburban arterials are discussed.

Findings – A review of the literature identifies a number of variables as influential factors of crashes on urban and suburban arterials. Although the associations of some variables (e.g., traffic volume) are consistent with expectations, others (e.g., lane width and speed) show mixed and sometimes counterintuitive results. These findings signify that additional research is needed to reveal the correct functional form and magnitude of these relationships.

Practical implications – The results show that while the general direction and magnitude of effects of some engineering and management-related treatments are known, additional research is needed to consolidate the impact and effectiveness of integrated approaches.

This article aims to understand conditions under which personal development plans (PDPs) can effectively be implemented for professional learning. Both the organization's manner of supporting the PDP practice as well as the individual employee's motivation is taken into account.

A questionnaire was distributed among employees of a Dutch governmental office, measuring perceived effectiveness of the tool (undertaking learning activities and performance), perceptions of PDP practices in the organization, and individual motivation. Regression analysis revealed that learning and reflection practices in the organization are positively related to number of learning activities undertaken by employees and to perceived performance.

A significant moderating effect of motivation was found, supporting the idea that the tool's perceived effectiveness depends both on the organization's efforts as well as the individual's motivation.

In this study, the authors were limited by a low response rate, a single setting, as well as a lack of causal evidence due to the cross‐sectional set‐up. They therefore encourage the validation of their hypotheses in different settings, and in an experimental/longitudinal manner.

Implications for practice include the importance for organizations to implement PDPs in an on‐going cycle of learning, combined with opportunities for formal and informal learning, while supervisors carry great responsibility for providing feedback and encouragement based on the employee's motivation for learning.

This combination of company practices with individual supporting conditions such as employees' motivation to understand when PDPs work best is a novel approach to understanding PDP effectiveness and hopes to add to both theoretical and practical understanding.

Gender-stereotyped organizational expectations compromise outcomes desired from numerically balanced gender representation. Sex-roles allow both men and women to exhibit masculine or feminine behaviors based on their self-construal of “psychological-gender.” Emotional intelligence (EI) is considered “feminine” and rational intelligence “masculine.” So, using Bem sex-role inventory and Emotional Intelligence Appraisal, the current study explored EI in 217 senior Indian managers from masculine/feminine sex-role perspective. There was no difference in EI of men/women. Moreover, EI did not differ in men/women categorized in “same” sex-role. However significant differences emerged across sex-roles with feminine sex-role participants actually scoring significantly lesser than androgynous or masculine sex-role participants although emotional intelligence is considered as a feminine intelligence. Implications of sex-role-driven differences in EI in organizational context are discussed.

US citizens who attend international medical schools (US IMGs) are more likely to be of Hispanic, Black American, or Asian descent compared to US medical students. As physicians, US IMGs contribute diversity to the health-care workforce; their experiences and perspectives have improved the health outcomes for populations typically underserved. To become a competent medical professional is a challenging experience, especially for IMGs who may have entered medical school with less than optimal academic histories. During this journey, some students develop academic and clinical deficiencies. Addressing these deficits through remediation interventions are critical to the student’s performance as a physician. This study measured the resiliency, self-efficacy, and self-compassion of IMGs who completed remediation while in medical school. Results indicate older students experienced failure more often and were found to have significantly higher levels of self-compassion compared to younger students. Males were assigned significantly more remedial interventions compared to the female participants. Finally, strong positive correlations suggested that the more remediation interventions students were provided, the more likely they were satisfied with their overall remediation experience. These findings indicate that by varying support strategies and encouraging student’s orientation to resiliency, self-efficacy, and self-compassion may assist them in overcoming their deficits.