Motivation and Performance, Blog 12

Student blog posts from the Great VCU Bike Race Book

High-power CW laser using hydrogen-fluorine reaction

Continuous-wave laser has been proposed based on reaction of hydrogen and fluorine. Hydrogen is produced by dissociation of hydrazine, which can be stored as liquid in light containers at room temperature

The tantalum-cased tantalum capacitor

Tantalum-cased tantalum capacitors were tested with regard to temperature stability, capacitance ratio, surge current capabilities, shock, vibration, and thermal shock. They were found to be superior to the conventional wet slug tantalum capacitor cased in silver, since they are more resistant to sulfuric acid. The tantalum-cased tantalum capacitors are widely accepted for use in critical electronic equipment because of their excellent performance and reliability

The Intangible Magic of Celebrity Marketing

Drug industry insiders share their tips on using celebrities to market drugs and disease

The Viability of Alternative Call Center Production Models

[Excerpt] The central question of this paper is whether a mass customization strategy coupled with high involvement work practices is an economically viable model for service and sales call centers. If so, under what conditions and why? To answer these questions, in the next section, we describe alternative models of call center management. In section III, we present a conceptual framework for understanding the relationship between management practices, workers reactions to those practices, and performance outcomes. We then review empirical evidence on these relationships, focusing primarily on studies of call centers or related service workplaces. In section IV, we draw on evidence from two recent quantitative studies of call centers to examine the performance outcomes of high involvement practices in this context. We close with a discussion and critique of existing evidence and suggestions for future research

Sample levitation and melt in microgravity

A system is described for maintaining a sample material in a molten state and away from the walls of a container in a microgravity environment, as in a space vehicle. A plurality of sources of electromagnetic radiation, such as of an infrared wavelength, are spaced about the object, with the total net electromagnetic radiation applied to the object being sufficient to maintain it in a molten state, and with the vector sum of the applied radiation being in a direction to maintain the sample close to a predetermined location away from the walls of a container surrounding the sample. For a processing system in a space vehicle that orbits the Earth, the net radiation vector is opposite the velocity of the orbiting vehicle

TOPS attitude propulsion subsystem technology

The thermoelectric outer-planet spacecraft (TOPS) attitude propulsion subsystem effort is summarized. It includes the tradeoff rationale that went into the selection of anhydrous hydrazine as the propellant, and a brief description of three types of 0.445-N (100-mlbf) thrusters that were purchased for in-house evaluation. A discussion is also included of the 0.2224-N (50-mlbf)-developed thrusters and their integration with a portable, completely enclosed, propulsion module that was designed and developed to support the TOPS single-axis attitude control tests in the celestarium

Development of vendor evaluation criteria and post-implementation considerations for MSFC center-wide executive information system

In June 1991, the MITRE Corporation submitted a series of recommendations as part of a Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Management Information System Requirements Study, initiated by the Information Systems Office (ISO). A major recommendation of the study was to develop an Executive Information System (EIS) for MSFC executives. ISO was directed, by center management, to proceed with the development of a Center-Wide Executive Information System. Existing EIS prototypes, developed by the Space Shuttle Projects Office and the Payload Projects Office, were reviewed. These existing MSFC prototypes were considered not to encompass the required functionality needed on a center-wide basis. A follow-up study by MITRE provided top-level system requirements. These were later incorporated into a final requirements specification document by Boeing Computer Support Services

Human Resource Management, Service Quality, and Economic Performance in Call Centers

This paper examines the relationship between human resource practices, operational outcomes, and economic performance in call centers. The study draws on a sample of 64 call centers serving the mass market in a large telecommunications services company. Surveys of 1,243 employees in the 64 centers were aggregated to the call center level and matched to archival data on service process quality, as measured by customer surveys; call handling time, revenues per call, and net revenues per call. Our path analysis shows that human resource practices emphasizing employee training, discretion, and rewards lead to higher service quality, higher revenues per call, and higher net revenues per call. In addition, service quality mediates the relationship between human resource practices and these economic outcomes. There is no significant relationship between HR practices and labor efficiency, as measured by call handling time; and labor efficiency is inversely related to revenue generation

A portable hydrazine attitude propulsion test system

The portable hydrazine attitude propulsion module is described that was designed and developed to support the attitude control pitch axis simulation tests performed on an air bearing table for the thermoelectric outer planet spacecraft program. The propulsion module was a self-contained, liquid hydrazine propulsion system from which the exhausted gases were generated within the catalyst bed of either of two nominal 0.22-N opposing thrusters. The module, which was designed for convenient assembly onto and removal from an air bearing table, was tested to establish its operational safety. This test history and the very conservative design of the module enabled it to be man-rated for operation in the presence of personnel. The report briefly summarizes the system operations during air bearing table tests, presents a detailed description of the propulsion module hardware, and discussing the system evolution