A confident culture for creativity? Creative self-efficacy and innovation behavior moderated by perception of culture: Millennials versus generation Xers

Innovation is a strategic priority for many companies today and some are more successful at it than others. This study aims to understand what factors affect the innovation behavior of employees. Specifically, this study examined the perceptions of creative self-efficacy (CSE) in individuals and their innovation behavior. In addition, individual perceptions of culture for innovation within their organization were measured to determine how culture affects the relationship between CSE and innovation behavior. According to social cognitive theory (SCT), an individual’s behavior, cognitions and the environment influence each other in a dynamic fashion. Given the prevalence of millennials in the workforce and the many perceived differences of that group, two generational cohorts, millennials and Generation Xers were examined in relation to CSE, perceptions of culture and innovation behavior. CSE was found to have a significant impact on innovation behavior but perceptions of culture for innovation was not found to significantly moderate that relationship. Generational differences in relation to innovation were not found to be significant; in fact, the two groups were found to be quite similar. This is important for organizations to understand to recruit and hire the right employees to effectively innovate and to create an environment that motivates employees to engage in innovation behavior

Gradient Optics of subwavelength nanofilms

Propagation and tunneling of light through subwavelength photonic barriers, formed by dielectric layers with continuous spatial variations of dielectric susceptibility across the film are considered. Effects of giant heterogeneity-induced non-local dispersion, both normal and anomalous, are examined by means of a series of exact analytical solutions of Maxwell equations for gradient media. Generalized Fresnel formulae, visualizing a profound influence of gradient and curvature of dielectric susceptibility profiles on reflectance/transmittance of periodical photonic heterostructures are presented. Depending on the cutoff frequency of the barrier, governed by technologically managed spatial profile of its refractive index, propagation or tunneling of light through these barriers are examined. Nonattenuative transfer of EM energy by evanescent waves, tunneling through dielectric gradient barriers, characterized by real values of refractive index, decreasing in the depth of medium, is shown. Scaling of the obtained results for different spectral ranges of visible, IR and THz waves is illustrated. Potential of gradient optical structures for design of miniaturized filters, polarizers and frequency-selective interfaces of subwavelength thickness is considered

Spectral broadening measurements in poly (phenylene vinylene) polymer channel waveguides

In a polyconjugated main chain polymer strip waveguide the nonlinear, nonresonant refractive index n2 was measured by monitoring the signal spectrum broadening due to self-phase modulation. The two photon absorption coefficient alpha 2 was obtained by calibrating the inverse transmission measurement. The nonlinear coefficients were determined to be n2=0.85*10-14 cm-2/W and alpha 2=0.08 cm/GW at a wavelength lambda =885.6 nm. The used polymer was poly[1,4-phenylene-1,2-di(phenoxyphenyl)vinylene]. The result is in good agreement with interferometer measurements. The material is suitable for all-optical switching