Leveraging age diversity for organizational performance

The global trend of increasing workplace age diversity has led to growing research attention to the organizational consequences of age-diverse workforces. Prior research has primarily focused on the statistical relationship between age diversity and organizational performance without empirically probing potential mechanisms underlying this relationship. Adopting an intellectual capital perspective, we posit that age diversity affects organizational performance via human and social capital. Furthermore, we examine workplace functional diversity and age-inclusive management as two contingent factors shaping the effects of age diversity on human and social capital. Our hypotheses were tested with a large manager-report workplace survey data from the Society for Human Resource Management (N 3,888). Results indicate that age diversity was positively associated wit

Nanoscale potassium niobate crystal structure and phase transition

Nanoscale potassium niobate (KNbO3) powders of orthorhombic structure were synthesized using the sol-gel method. The heat-treatment temperature of the gels had a pronounced effect on KNbO3 particle size and morphology. Field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used to determine particle size and morphology. The average KNbO3 grain size was estimated to be less than 100 nm, and transmission electron microscopy images indicated that KNbO3 particles had a brick-like morphology. Synchrotron X-ray diffraction was used to identify the room-temperature structures using Rietveld refinement. The ferroelectric orthorhombic phase was retained even for particles smaller than 50 nm. The orthorhombic to tetragonal and tetragonal to cubic phase transitions of nanocrystalline KNbO3 were investigated using temperature-dependent powder X-ray diffraction. Differential scanning calorimetry was used to examine the temperature dependence of KNbO3 phase transition. The Curie temperature and phase transition were independent of particle size, and Rietveld analyses showed increasing distortions with decreasing particle size

Nested affordance-based intuitive design tool: Affordance interaction matrix

Affordances serve as design cues, facilitating users in effortlessly identifying the intended use of objects. However, due to the phenomenological nature of the affordance concept, its application and understanding in the human-computer interaction (HCI) domain remain uncertain, resulting in limited utilization in design practice. This study introduces the concept of nested affordances, linking affordances more closely and explicitly with perception. We reposition the affordance concept and transform it into a design tool—the Affordance Interaction Matrix (AIM). This matrix captures the nested relationships and perceptual conflicts between target affordances within a product, assisting designers in identifying and eliminating potential confusion for users when facing a design, providing implicit interaction cues. The AIM-based design method proposed in this research addresses the shortcomings in describing product affordance interactions, focusing on the natural guidance of specific behaviors. This approach enables designers to clarify intuitive interaction foundations and make swift, effective decisions. Finally, the paper demonstrates the application and advantages of AIM through a practical case study of accessible kitchen furniture.Design Conceptualization and Communicatio