Optical memory: introduction by the feature editors

The contributions to this feature issue represent a wide range of topics in optical memory

Mystery Shopping: In-depth measurement of customer satisfaction

This paper will discuss the phenomenon Mystery Shopping in the fieldof customer satisfaction measurement techniques. By using theliterature about Mystery Shopping definitions and restrictions of thisinstrument will be presented. Also, possible ways to present and usethe gathered data will be shown. After the literature part of thepaper some practical research will be presented. A Dutch Flexcompanyintroduced the instrument Mystery Shopping in addition to the alreadyused measurement methods like customer satisfaction measurement withuse of questionnaires. Some of the first results of the MysteryShopping visits will be presented.customer satisfaction;mystery guest;service quality

Empirical Evidence for the Relation between Customer Satisfaction and Business Performance

This paper focuses on the analysis of empirical data on customer satisfaction and the relationship with hard organisational performance data. The organisation is a Flexcompany with its headquarters in The Netherlands, but also operating in other countries in Europe. The empirical data on customer satisfaction and business performances stem from 1998 and 1999. Based on the empirical data it can be concluded that it is possible to find evidence for the hypothesis that there is a positive relationship between customer satisfaction and organisational performance indicators, although the relationship is not very strong. Various factors might influence the timelag between a change in customer satisfaction and an expected effect in sales, margin, or other output indicators. However, the analyses do give answers to questions related to the quality dimensions as underlying factors behind the items in the customer satisfaction questionnaire and some indications for the changing behaviour of the customer in relation to his perception.customer satisfaction;business performance improvement;customer behaviour

Employee Perception on Commitment Oriented Work Systems

Human resource management (HRM) does matter! Prior empirical research, summarized and classified in the work of Delery and Doty (1996), Guest (1997) and Boselie et al. (2000), suggests significant impact of HRM on the competitive advantage of organizations. The mainstream research on this topic reveals encouraging results on organizational level. Further research on the perception of the individual employee may reveal new insights in the effectiveness of HRM in organizations. Now we have the opportunity to study recent empirical data of a Dutch employment agency. These data on individual employee level provide us new insights in the perception of commitment oriented HR systems and their relationship with perceived job security and employee trust. High scores on employee participation, payment system, training and development, information sharing, and support of the direct supervisor result in employee trust and high scores on perceived job security.human resource management;performance;commitment (versus control) systems;employee trust;perceived job security

Photon echoes stimulated from an accumulated grating:Theory of generation and detection

We present a theoretical description of the generation and detection of photon echoes, stimulated from an accumulated frequency grating in the inhomogeneous distribution. We show that detection of the echoes takes place via interference in the sample between a properly phased and directed probe pulse and the echo polarization. In this description the echo phenomenon emerges as an induced transparency of the sample rather than a burst of coherent radiation. By solving simultaneously the optical Bloch and Maxwell equations, an expression is obtained which correlates quantitatively the echo intensity to the decay parameters, pulse intensity, and the transition moment. As an application of the theory we present results on the intersystem crossing of pentacene in naphthalene at 1.5 K

Vibronic relaxation in molecular mixed crystals:Pentacene in naphthalene and p-terphenyl

Picosecond photon echo techniques are used to measure directly vibronic relaxation times in the first excited singlet state of pentacene in naphthalene and p-terphenyl. In regions of low (< 300 cm–1) and high (> 1000 cm–1) vibrational energy, relaxation is fast (τ <2 ps) due to direct phonon emission (low energy) and fast vibrational energy redistribution (high energy). In the intermediate region relaxation times vary drastically. Effects of isotope substitution of guest and host suggest intramolecular relaxation in this region. Changes in local environment are shown to influence the relaxation rate quite drastically, indicating large host-induced anharmonic coupling between different vibrations

Mystery Shopping: In-depth measurement of customer satisfaction

This paper will discuss the phenomenon Mystery Shopping in the field of customer satisfaction measurement techniques. By using the literature about Mystery Shopping definitions and restrictions of this instrument will be presented. Also, possible ways to present and use the gathered data will be shown. After the literature part of the paper some practical research will be presented. A Dutch Flexcompany introduced the instrument Mystery Shopping in addition to the already used measurement methods like customer satisfaction measurement with use of questionnaires. Some of the first results of the Mystery Shopping visits will be presented