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Micromanipulation has enabled numerous technological breakthroughs in recent years, from advances in biotechnology to microcomponent assembly. Micromotion devices commonly use piezoelectric actuators (PZT) together with compliant mechanisms to provide fine motions with position resolution in the nanometre or even sub‐nanometre range. Many multiple degree of freedom (DOF) micromotion stages have parallel structures due to better stiffness and accuracy than serial structures. This paper presents the development of a three‐DOF compliant micromotion stage with flexure hinges and parallel structure for applications requiring motions in micrometres. The derivation of a simple linear kinematic model of the compliant mechanism is presented and simulation results before and after calibration are compared with results from finite element (FE) modeling and experiments. The position control system, which uses an experimentally determined constant‐Jacobian, and its performance are also presented and discussed.

This paper proposes a new theoretical framework to explain enterprise unionism and conducts the first systematic comparative study of union structure in nine Asian countries. Our framework emphasizes political dynamics and the role of the state in labor relations and argues that the initial period of the collective bargaining era constituted a critical juncture (state labor policy) that occurred in distinctive ways in different countries and that these differences played a central role in shaping the different union structures in the following decades. The nine countries are mainly divided into three groups, depending on the type of state labor policy: enforcement of enterprise unionism; centralization/laissez-faire (non-enterprise unionism); and dual unionism/gradual transition (middle-ground). Governmental data were used for the study. A clear correspondence between state labor policy and union structure in each of these groups was found. We believe that our framework significantly enhances our understanding of the Asian cases. Future research should explore the validity of the proposed framework through comparative studies of Latin American cases where enterprise unions have also been observed.

This introductory chapter sets the scene by introducing the island city-state of Singapore from a historical standpoint and expands on its economical ascension as a result of its strong political governance structure. This chapter also highlights how the role of the urban form has gained from this perspective. Singapore's strategic geographic location played a pivotal part in boosting its role in trade, both regionally and internationally, hence enabling the country to assert a strong geopolitical position and grow economic stronghold. This helped the country to successfully invest in its urban fabric, and is now a world leader in regards to high liveability standards.

Singapore's rapid gain in notoriety is most certainly due to Lee Kwan Yew's strong political governance structures and vision that led the country towards an ambitious development strategy. Given the pressing challenges of the time, his top-down leadership style, which led to Singapore's success, was often associated to being counter-conducive to participatory planning. Today, as cities seek liveability over functionality and efficiency, there is a need for enhanced public participation to build a more robust civil society. This calls for a change in Singapore's governance structures which are currently being accelerated through the use of technology.