bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Resonant‐frequency calculation for electrically thick rectangular microstrip patch antennas using a dielectric‐loaded inhomogeneous cavity model
Authors: Lee Ilsu , Vorst André Vander
Published: July 2007

A new antenna model and a new formula for calculating the resonant frequency of an electrically thick rectangular microstrip patch antenna are presented. The model is based on the use of the Schwarz‐Chritoffel transformation and on a dielectric‐loaded inhomogeneous rectangular cavity. The resonant frequency of the dominant mode is obtained by using a variational method. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A new predistortion scheme for reduction of intermodulation distortion in optical cable TV SCM receivers
Authors: Domingues Paulo Grilo , Pedro José Carlos
Published: July 2007

A new predistortion scheme for cancellation of second‐order intermodulation (IMD) products in broadband optical subcarrier multiplexing (SCM) receivers is presented. This method relies on the phase inversion provided by a common‐source FET amplifier, which allows the compensation of the even‐order distortion products, generated in a cascade of two such stages. Also, it is shown how a careful selection of the FET's bias point can be a valuable tool for controlling the remaining odd‐order IMD components. An optical‐receiver prototype based on these ideas is evaluated. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
On the modeling of a cavity enclosed broadband circular patch antenna for L‐band land mobile satellite communications
Authors: Karmakar N. C. , Bialkowski M. E.
Published: July 2007

An RLC circuit is used to model the probe‐fed cavity enclosed circular disc antenna. An electromagnetic coupling feed mechanism and series LC compensation are applied to improve the operational bandwidth of this antenna. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Integrated waveguide‐photodetector coupling by modal fitting
Authors: Chamorro‐Posada Pedro , Fralle‐Peláez F. Javier
Published: July 2007

We present a novel method for the design of high‐coupling integrated waveguide photodetectors. This method is based on choosing the photodetector absorbing‐layer thickness such that the modal profile of the field in the waveguide fits that of one mode of the photodetector. Our beam‐propagation method simulations of the devices so designed show that the quantum efficiency obtained with this approach is comparable to those using vertical impedance‐matching layers, but with simpler structures. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Hybrid finite‐element analysis of scattering and radiation by a class of waveguide‐fed structures
Authors: Jin Jianming , Lee Shung‐Wu
Published: July 2007

A hybrid finite‐element method is presented for analysis of scattering and radiation of a class of waveguide‐fed structures that are characterized by a waveguide region, an exterior region, and a transition region. The proposed method formulates the exterior field in terms of boundary integrals and the field in the transition region using the finite‐element method. The effect of the waveguide field is incorporated through an exact absorbing boundary condition, which includes all waveguide modes. Numerical results are given to demonstrate the accuracy and capability of the method. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
S‐matrix definition for microwave‐optical transducers
Authors: Stockbroeckx Benoit , Dellisse Philippe , Vorst André Vander
Published: July 2007

There is no rigorous definition of the S matrix for the electro‐optic components. This article proposes such a characterization, based on usual microwave theory. Transmission‐line models, reflection coefficient, and available gain definitions are also proposed. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The dispersion curves of partly loaded circular chirowaveguides
Authors: Chen Ling , Zhang Ming , Zhang Wen Xun
Published: July 2007

The dispersion characteristics of partly loaded circular chirowaveguides are analyzed. The cross section of the waveguide is divided into two coaxial regions loaded with chiral and achiral materials, respectively. The dispersion curves are carried out for the cases of chiral rod or ring loading; the influences of the ratio of radii are discussed as well. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Optimization of the total bandwidth of the modulator/deflector of an acousto‐optical spectrum analyzer used in radio‐astronomy applications
Authors: Garde M. J. , Sebastian J. L. , Benito D. , Aramburu C.
Published: July 2007

The acoustic and the Bragg bandwidths can be optimized by using a modified mass electrode for the TeO2crystal and a quasitangent interaction instead of the classical tangent interaction, respectively. These optimizations lead to a 40% increase of the total bandwidth of the modulator/deflector. Therefore, a higher value of the ‐3‐dB‐bandwidth‐spectral‐resolution ratio N is obtained. This allows us to study both wider spectral lines (up to 90 MHz) and lines separated no more than 90 MHz, which means sauing costly real observation time. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Design proposal of an asymmetric three‐phase‐shift distributed feedback laser diode
Authors: Ong B. S. , Ghafouri‐Shiraz H. , Lo B. S. K.
Published: July 2007

The effects of using asymmetric phase shifts along the corrugation of a three‐phase‐shift (3PS) distributed feedback (DFB) laser diode (LD) have been investigated. Based on the transfer matrix method (TMM), design contours showing variations of the threshold gain margin Δα and the internal field uniformity F are presented with respect to the phase‐shift values and the phase‐shift positions (PSP). It has been found that in order to minimize the effects of spatial hole burning (SHB) and hence maintain a stable single longitudinal mode (SLM) oscillation, the following criteria should be used: (i) center phase shift, θ3 = π/6, (ii) 0.15 < PSP < 0.35, and (iii) 2π/9 < θi, (i = 2, 4) < 4π/9. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Analysis of the class E amplifier by an alternor technique
Authors: Li Chi‐Hung , Yam Yu‐On
Published: July 2007

An altemor technique is introduced for the fast simulation of the output performance of the Class E amplifier. The transistor used in the class E amplifier is modeled as a two‐port network by the altemor technique. A six‐order matrix equation of the amplifier is obtained according to this model and the simple cut‐set and loop theory. The output performance of the amplifier can thus be simulated by solving this matrix equation. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Offset tripatch microstrip antenna
Authors: Tong K. F. , Luk K. M.
Published: July 2007

Aperture‐coupled offset dual‐patch antenna with a SWR bandwidth of 38% has been demonstrated recently [1]. The possibility of further improvement in bandwidth by adding one more parasitic patch is investigated experimentally. It is found that a SWR bandwidth of 48% can be achieved but the gain varies significantly over the passband. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A catheter antenna for percutaneous microwave therapy
Authors: Lin James C. , Wang Yu‐Jin
Published: July 2007

A flexible catheter antenna with a curved tip is described for transcutaneous microwave treatment of cardiac tachyarrhythmias. In tissue‐equivalent phantom modeling materials, the enlarged inner conductor cap and coaxial choke design yields SAR distributions that accentuate heating of tissue toward the distal end of the catheter antenna. The power reflection coefficient is less than 4%.
An exact method for simulating boundary conditions for mesh termination in finite‐difference techniques
Authors: Djordjevic A. R. , Sarkar T. K. , Roy T. , Rao S. M. , Salazar M.
Published: July 2007

Finite‐difference methods are standard techniques for solving the differential form of Maxwell's equations. In spite of many advantages, a drawback of the technique is how to implement an absorbing boundary condition in an essentially exact fashion. In this article an absorbing boundary condition is proposed based on the Green's functions arising in integral equations. The radiation condition in this approach is built up iteratively as the solution progresses utilizing the Green's function. In the proposed method only two layers of meshes outside the boundary may be sufficient. Examples have been presented for the electrostatic case to illustrate the accuracy and convergence of this new technique.
Multidimensional microwave imaging
Authors: Odendaal Johann W.
Published: July 2007

The high computational load associated with multidimensional high‐resolution algorithms is overcome by using only 1D LP techniques. The 3D backscattered field is approximated by three 1D AR models that are solved in succession for the down‐range, horizontal cross‐range, and vertical cross‐range positions of the scattering centers of a target.
Calculation of attenuation and phase shift in a rain medium using the dielectric mixture model with deformed raindrops
Authors: Yeo T. S. , Gao M. Z. , Kooi P. S. , Leong M. S.
Published: July 2007

A modified approach for computing the effective permittivity of a dielectric mixture has been applied to obtain the attenuation and phase shift of both horizontally and vertically polarized electromagnetic waves in the rain medium. This approach takes into consideration the distributions in raindrop sizes, shapes, and depolarization factors. The computed results agree well with those obtained from the more complicated Mie scattering theory. The differential attenuation and phase shift between horizontally and vertically polarized waves are also obtained using the proposed model and their calculated values compare favorably with available published results by Oguchi (oblate spheroid rain droplets) and Pruppacher and Pitter (deformed rain droplets).
|J1(U)/U| distribution synthesis in circular ring array
Authors: Yu Cheng‐Cheh
Published: July 2007

This article proposes a unified method for |J1(u)/u| distribution synthesis in an equispaced circular ring array. The |J1(u)/u| distribution has much lower side lobes than that in the J0(u) distribution. The simulation results using the proposed method have shown this possibility. Hence, the |J1(u)/u| distribution can be utilized to control the side‐lobe levels in most applications.
On the application of a neural network in the design of cascaded gratings
Authors: Christodoulou C. G. , Huang J. , Georgiopoulos M. , Liou J. J.
Published: July 2007

This article presents a study of the ARTMAP neural network in designing cascaded gratings. A neural network can be trained to keep changing the dimensions of the metallic strips, their distance of separation, their width, the number of layers required in a multilayer structure, and the angle of wave incidence until the frequency response of the structure matches the desired one. In the past, the back‐propagation (back‐prop) learning algorithm was used in conjunction with an inversion algorithm for the design of frequency‐selective surfaces. Unfortunately, both the back‐prop algorithm and the inversion procedure are slow to converge. In this work the Fuzzy ARTMAP neural network is utilized. The fuzzy ARTMAP is faster to train than the back‐prop, and it does not require an inversion algorithm. Several results (frequency responses) from cascaded gratings for various angles of wave incidence, layer separation, width strips, and interstrip separation are presented and discussed. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons. Inc.
A 4‐GHz microstrip BPSK varactor‐tunedp‐i‐ndiode modulator
Authors: Geelen B. D. Brewster
Published: July 2007

A suppressed carrier modulator with compensation to individual constellation points, based on a reflective switching 180° hybrid coupler configuration, is described. The design minimizes modulated signal parasitic phase and amplitude errors by tuning opposing signal states in the presence of physical fabrication dissimilarities. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons. Inc.
High‐yield 3.55‐GHz repetition rate monolithic mode‐locked semiconductor lasers
Authors: Helkey Roger J. , Zou Wei‐Xiong , Mar Alan , Young D. Bruce , Bowers John E.
Published: July 2007

A monolithic model‐locked semiconductor laser was demonstrated with a repetition rate of 3.55 GHz and a pulse width of 14.6 ps. The relative timing jitter was 490 fs, low enough for multiple‐source time‐division multiplexing. A single six‐element array was fabricated with a 6.7‐cm total waveguide length. Device yields for monolithic devices are analyzed. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A numerical absorbing boundary condition for quasi‐TEM analysis of microwave transmission lines using the finite‐element method
Authors: Pantic‐Tanner Zorica , Mavronikolas George , Mittra Raj
Published: July 2007

This article presents a new numerical absorbing boundary condition useful for quasi‐TEM analysis of open‐type microwave transmission lines employing the finite‐element method (FEM). The standard FEM equations are used for the inner nodes of the mesh, and mesh truncation is achieved by imposing linear relationships for the nodes on the outer boundary and their neighbors, which are derived from the appropriate Green's functions. This approach greatly reduces the mesh size, while preserving the sparsity of the FEM equations. Higher‐order approximations of the absorbing boundary condition are derived through the use of higher‐order finite elements. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Application of the complementary operator method to the finite‐difference‐time‐domain solution of the three‐dimensional radiation problem
Authors: Ramahi Omar M.
Published: July 2007

A highly accurate absorbing boundary operation has been developed to efficiently and accurately truncate the computational domain when using the finite‐difference‐time‐domain method. Referred to as the complementary operators method (COM), this technique consists of averaging the solutions of two independent boundary operators that are complementary to each other. Because of its independence of the wave number kx, the boundary operation can significantly reduce artificial reflections arising from obliquely incident traveling waves as well as evanescent waves. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Mesh truncation in the finite‐element frequency‐domain method with a perfectly matched layer (PML) applied in conjunction with analytic and numerical absorbing boundary conditions
Authors: Pekel Ü. , Mittra R.
Published: July 2007

The perfectly matched layer (PML) concept, introduced by Berenger with the aim of synthesizing an absorbing boundary condition (ABC) for the finite‐difference‐time domain (FDTD) method, is modified and extended to finite‐element frequency‐domain (FEFD) applications. The governing equations that characterize this approach do not require the splitting of the field components of interest, nor do they involve negative conductivity parameters. The PML‐type medium is employed together with analytic and numerical ABCs as its termination to obtain an improved boundary condition for the FEFD method at a limited increase in computational cost. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
New technique for the design of a two‐layered wave absorber for cylindrical objects
Authors: Hashimoto Osamu , Motoyoshi Souichiro , Altman Zwi
Published: July 2007

A technique for the design of a two‐layered wave absorber for cylindrical objects using an expanded polystyrene mixed carbon coating is presented. The concentrations of the mixed carbon in the two absorbing layers and their thicknesses are determined from the design specifications. Design charts for the wave absorber for TE and TM polarizations are calculated, and their wideband absorbing characteristics are presented. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Input impedance of dielectric resonator antennas top loaded with high permittivity and conducting disks
Authors: Junker Gregory P. , Glisson Allen W. , Kishk Ahmed A.
Published: July 2007

A numerical investigation verified by measurements is performed to study the difference between loading the dielectric resonator antenna with conducting or high‐dielectric‐constant disks. The basic objectives of this study are to suggest ways to eliminate losses by replacing conducting antenna parts with dielectric parts, to design antennas with dual resonances, and to broaden impedance bandwidth. Input impedances are computed and measured when the ground‐plane‐backed dielectric resonator is excited by a coaxial probe. Excellent agreement is obtained between the numerical and the measured input impedances. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A novel microwave periodic structure — the ladder microstrip line
Authors: Hong J. S. , Lancaster M. J.
Published: July 2007

A novel microwave periodic structure—the ladder microstrip line—is proposed. A preliminary investigation has shown that the novel transmission line has a lower phase velocity as compared with the conventional microstrip line even when they occupy the exact same surface area and have the same outline contour. This makes it attractive for monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMIC) and microwave superconductive circuits, where size reduction is of primary importance. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Numerical dispersion in the finite‐element method using triangular edge elements
Authors: Warren Gregory S. , Scott Waymond R.
Published: July 2007

The discretization inherent in the finite‐element method results in the numerical dispersion of a propagating wave. The numerical dispersion of a time‐harmonic plane wave propagating through an infinite, two‐dimensional, finite‐element mesh composed of uniform triangular edge elements is investigated in this work. The effects on the numerical dispersion of the propagation direction of the wave, the electrical size of the elements, and the mesh geometry are investigated. The dispersion for the hexagonal mesh geometry is shown to be much smaller and to converge at a quicker rate than the other meshes. The dispersion analysis is validated by numerical examples. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Decomposition of the scattering by a finite linear array into periodic and edge components
Authors: Denison Douglas R. , Scharstein Robert W.
Published: July 2007

The field scattered by each element in a finite array is decomposed into the contribution of the infinite or periodic array, a component due to the presence of the left edge of the array, and a component due to the right edge of the array. The scattered field due to either array edge is derived from a separate analysis of the appropriate semiinfinite array and is interpreted in terms of a decaying wave that is launched from the array end. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Large‐signal modulation characteristics of laser diodes with weak coherent optical feedback
Authors: Wang J. , Haldar M. K. , Mendis F. V. C.
Published: July 2007

It is shown that although inadvertent weak coherent optical feedback can adversely affect the small‐signal response of a directly modulated semiconductor laser, its effect on large‐signal modulation response can be small. The result is of significance of the response of directly modulated lasers in subcarrier multiplexed systems. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Angular spectral‐domain inversion of a conducting cylinder by using the physical optics approximation
Authors: Park Kong‐Mahn , Ra Jung‐Woong
Published: July 2007

Conducting cylinders are reconstructed from the multistatic, multifrequency, and multiincidence data of the scattered fields represented by the summation of their angular propagating modes. Physical optics approximation is assumed in the formulation of the reconstruction of the object shape function. Steps to obtain optimum data points are shown for numerical reconstruction examples of elliptic and rectangular conducting cylinders.
Fabrication of low‐loss 45° integrated mirrors on dielectric optical waveguides
Authors: Joannes L. , Grimbert B. , Vilcot J. P. , Tchana W. , Decoster D.
Published: July 2007

High‐density low‐loss dielectric optical interconnection is demonstrated on a monomode optical waveguide compatible with microelectronics technology. Low‐loss self‐aligned integrated mirrors (SAIM) on a dielectric (polyimide‐silicon nitride‐polyimide) optical waveguide have been fabricated. Optimization of the reactive ion etching process has been made in order to obtain vertical, homogeneous etched sidewalls. Using such a process, 45° integrated mirrors present reflection losses of 0.6 dB at a 830‐nm wavelength (quasi‐TE mode).
A full‐wave spectral‐domain analysis of an asymmetric gap microstrip discontinuity
Authors: Cicchetti Renato , Faraone Antonio
Published: July 2007

A full‐wave analysis of an asymmetric gap microstrip discontinuity, carried out by means of the spectral‐domain approach (SDA), is presented. The reflection and transmission current coefficients are determined using an appropriate representation of the surface excited along the microstrip lines and near the discontinuity. Some numerical results are presented, and interesting coupling effects, associated with the electro‐dynamic phenomena, are emphasized.
Nonlinear evolution of polarization in long‐haul fiber links and performance evaluation of polarization modulation systems
Authors: Matera F. , Mecozzi A. , Settembre M.
Published: July 2007

The evolution of the polarization state in nonsoliton long‐haul fiber links is studied theoretically. If dispersive effects are absent, an analytical theory permits prediction of the length scale over which light depolarization occurs. The presence of dispersive effects is analyzed by computer simulations. The performance of systems based on polarization modulation is evaluated in terms of eye degradation penalty.
A current generator for pseudomorphic FET large‐signal models
Authors: Gerard H. , Mouquet Y. , Rullier L.
Published: July 2007

This article presents a new model of drain current generator suitable for pseudomorphic FETs. The modeling of this generator is based on the integration versus VGS of the rf small‐signal transconductance gm. Pulsed measurements of IDS(VDS, VGS) are performed to verify the validity of the simulation results obtained when using the MDS simulator. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Multilevel fast‐multipole algorithm for solving combined field integral equations of electromagnetic scattering
Authors: Song J. M. , Chew W. C.
Published: July 2007

The fast multipole method (FMM) has been implemented to speed up the matrix‐vector multiply when an iterative method is used to solve the combined field integral equation (CFIE). FMM reduces the complexity from O(N2) to O(N1.5). With a multilevel fast multipole algorithm (MLFMA), it is further reduced to O(N log N). A 110, 592‐unknown problem can be solved within 24 h on a SUN Sparc 10. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A simple formulation of the boundary integral method for the analysis of arbitrarily shaped dielectric waveguides
Authors: Gentili G. G. , Mazzetto S. , Vaninetti G.
Published: July 2007

A simple method for the vectorial analysis of arbitrarily shaped dielectric waveguides is discussed. The method is characterized by the application of Green's second identity to a set of plane waves as weighting functions for the internal problem. The method is attractive because of its simplicity and effectiveness. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Analysis of an optical bent RIB waveguide by the imaginary‐distance beam‐propagation method
Authors: Seo Chulhun
Published: July 2007

The purpose of this article is to analyze efficiently a bent optical waveguide that is connected by two straight symmetric optical waveguides by the 3D imaginary‐distance beam‐propagation method (BPM). The BPM is implemented with 3D finite difference. We can obtain propagation constants and the field profile for the fundamental mode. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Study of temperature‐measurement error of a fiber‐optic probe in a microwave field
Authors: Yiping Han
Published: July 2007

When a fiber‐optic thermometer is placed in a microwave field to measure temperature, there will be energy loss due to electromagnetic interaction, which will certainly bring error in the measured temperature, within the sensor. In this article we have simplified the sensor to a finite‐length cylinder, and calculated the energy loss and temperature error. In addition, the measurement error of temperature is studied for a practical thermometer transducer fiber‐optic sensor placed in a microwave field. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Microwave integrated optics LiNbO3 coherence modulator for high‐speed optical communications
Authors: Gutiérrez‐Martinez Celso , And Henri Porte , Goedgebuer Jean‐Pierre
Published: July 2007

Realization and characterization of LiNbO3 microwave integrated optics coherence modulators is presented here. Optical path differences longer than 1 mm, low control voltages, and microwave operating frequencies have been achieved. The devices were tested in a coherence‐modulated experimental setup to determine their high‐speed transmission performances. These devices can be used in high‐capacity coherence multiplexed optical transmissions. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Finite‐difference solution of scattering by a rectangular cylinder (TM) using exact mesh termination
Authors: Djordjevic A. R. , Sarkar T. K. , Roy T. , Salazar M.
Published: July 2007

Finite Difference Techniques for solution of “steady state” frequency domain Helmboltz equation is quite simple and straightforward. However, for open regions, the finite difference mesh needs to be terminated so that the proper boundary conditions are imposed for the solution. A hybrid method is described in this paper which guarantees that the boundary conditions generated for the termination of the open region mesh is exact. The conditions are generated from the Green's functions. The technique is applied to the solution of electromagnetic scattering by conducting cylinders (TM case). © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A novel tiny microstrip ring antenna element
Authors: Kara Mehmet
Published: July 2007

The design, fabrication, testing, and analysis of a novel tiny microstrip ring antenna is described. A novel analytical technique is developed for the dimensions and operational properties of this antenna. Measured performance data of the ring antenna are presented and compared with calculated results. Very good agreement between theory and experiment was achieved. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
On some thermal properties of microstrip antennas
Authors: Zürcher J.‐F.
Published: July 2007

The resonant frequency, reflection coefficient, and axial ratio of three circularly polarized narrow‐band microstrip antennas realized on various substrates are studied as a function of temperature. It is shown that the choice of the proper substrate material is crucial to provide proper operation of an antenna, even in a limited temperature range. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Solid‐state parallel gray‐scale morphological processor
Authors: Xiong Wei , Liu Liren
Published: July 2007

Based on the concept of area coding, a 2D gray‐scale morphological processor module is developed by the integration of an optical connector and a PROM device. It is shown that the technique is compact in construction, simple to fabricate, and insensitive to environment. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Geometry effects on the dispersion in chiral coaxial lines
Authors: Hinz Olaf , Jacob Arne F.
Published: July 2007

In comparison to some other chirowaveguides the geometry of the chiral coaxial line offers an additional degree of freedom, namely, the ratio of inner to outer conductor radius. The influence of this parameter on the dispersion characteristics, in particular also of the dominant mode, is investigated in this report. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Multilayer analysis of arrow structures
Authors: Bartolomé E. , Moreno M. , Muñoz J. , Domínguez C.
Published: July 2007

The use of a novel multilayer analysis formulation enables a very easy analysis of multilayer structures and of ARROW structures as a particular case of study. Characteristics of the ARROW‐B structures, such as the effective index evolution and radiation loss, are presented. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Competing with crayolas®: Manufacturing as a competitive weapon at Binney & Smith
Authors: Roberts Joseph M. , Tretter Daniel W.
Published: July 2007

In today's competitive climate, even the most successful firms have to look for new and better ways to meet their goals. At Binney & Smith, the journey to improvement began with some careful self‐assessment and it continues with a clear business objective‐profitable revenue growth through continuous improvement by involvement of all employees.
Team members identify key ingredients for team‐building success
Authors: Logan Linda R.
Published: July 2007

In their effort to improve product and service quality and overall performance, many organizations have turned to the concept of team building to foster cooperation among their ranks. All too often, however, they ignore the basic requirements of efficient teamwork and are left with unfinished projects and disenchanted employees. This article details the eight key ingredients needed to ensure a winning team —as identified by successful team members.
Improving company performance through customer‐satisfaction measurement and management
Authors: Flanagan Theresa A. , Fredericks Joan O.
Published: July 2007

Market penetration, sales performance, customer retention, and future market prospects are linked to four fundamental issues: Who are your customers and what do they really need and want? Which product/service attributes are expected and which are perceived as value‐added? In comparison with the competition, bow well is your organization catering to customer requirements? And where should you focus your improvement efforts? Speculation abounds, but reliable answers can be derived from customer‐satisfaction research, which quantifies the tangible and intangible factors that influence a purchasing decision. Using the hotel and other industries as a practical frame of reference, this article examines the mechanics of customer‐satisfaction measurement and management within the broader context of quality improvement.
Productivity or efficiency— Measuring what we really want
Authors: Koss Ellee , Lewis David A.
Published: July 2007

Most productivity measures are geared toward easy quantification, tending to evaluate the efficiency of an individual, group, organization, or country. But to help ensure productivity and quality, organizations need a new definition of productivity that takes into account a multitude of factors beyond inputs and outputs. These factors and their relative importance must be solicited from management. This article details a new, improved definition of productivity and explains bow organizations can apply it to their own situations.
Integrating TQM with statistical and other quantitative techniques
Authors: Heinrich George
Published: July 2007

Total quality management (TQM) involves the integration of both qualitative and quantitative techniques. Emphasis has been primarily on the qualitative aspects. But companies will not realize the full benefits of TQM until quantitative techniques are integrated into their operations. TQM implementation needs to be adapted to the particular implementing organization. A generic approach is to stress the qualitative aspects initially and form quality‐improvement teams using relatively simple statistical tools. As the teams mature and operations improve, the teams will have to progress to more sophisticated statistical tools to continue the necessary improvement. A reasonable intermediate goal for teams would be to use design of experiment techniques; more sophisticated tools are in development and will be required in the future.
State quality initiatives: Mini‐baldrige to baldrige plus
Authors: Bobrowski Paul M. , Bantham John H.
Published: July 2007

The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award has successfully raised the quality consciousness of U.S. business leaders. However, there is still ample room to increase quality improvement participation among the groups targeted by the Baldrige Award, as well as to stimulate groups that do‐not fit within the private manufacturing and sendee sectors. State quality award programs are proving successful in further increasing the level of quality awareness. This article compares and contrasts five of these programs and highlights how they have improved on the Baldrige model.
TQM's role in corporate success: Analyzing the evidence
Authors: Eskildson Loyd
Published: July 2007

As many managers have discovered, total quality management (TQM) efforts often end with disappointing results. By comparing typical TQM programs with the general pattern in over 150 successful oqanizational turnarounds, this article explains why TQM is not a cure‐all and why typical TQM implementation strategies have limited impact, and it offers a more appropriate perspective within which to consider the use of TQM.
ISO 9000 documentation: A TQM journey in the making
Authors: Parisher James W.
Published: July 2007

Many gains can be obtained in subscribing to the ISO 9000 standard. However, most of them are the result of the journey toward total quality management—the first step of which is ISO 9000 registration—rather than ownership of the ISO 9000 document. This article offers a structured, sensible approach to documenting for ISO 9000 registration. Like the standard itself, it concentrates on the process rather than the result.
How the learning organization manages change
Authors: Recardo Ronald , Molloy Kathleen , Pellegrino James
Published: July 2007

Whether they realize it or not, most organizations today are in an old‐fashioned footrace. If they look to either side of them, their closest competitors are typically implementing the same strategies and operational initiatives. The organization that will win the race will be able to do three things better than its competitors: (1) quickly recognize changes in the demands that the market imposes on it; (2) be flexible enough to respond and even shape those marketplace changes; and (3) understand its own capabilities relative to marketplace demands. To accomplish those goals, it must become a learning organization. This article explains how.
Putting the engine into reengineering
Authors: Mandrish Elaine M. , Schaffer Robert H.
Published: July 2007

Organizations riddled by inefficient and wasteful processes need help in improving their situation. In the recent past, that help has come in the form of reengineering programs. But as this article shows, reengineering is not always the answer—and can even exacerbate underlying problems. There are, however, other ways to improve organizational processes and ensure long‐term success. The key lies in results‐driven process redesign.
Using adaptive engineering to implement breakthrough strategies
Authors: Stein Martin M.
Published: July 2007

Much has been written about reengineering. But is such a drastic approach always necessary? Perhaps not. By using adaptive engineering to delve into performance failures, as well as potential remedies, managers can learn a great deal about customer expectations and their organization's critical success factors. This will enable them to determine why a particular process is not working and develop a workable alternative that may allow them to refine rather than do away with existing procedures—and the resources already spent on them. By learning more about the problems they face and their possible solutions, organizations can get on the right track to continuous improvement.
Measuring productivity on a value basis
Authors: Sunderland Frank O. , Kane Michael E.
Published: July 2007

Traditional productivity measures mislead decision makers. Measures such as sales per employee, parts produced, tons poured, utilization rates, and direct‐labor variances, can do significant harm because they cause managers to focus on cutting costs at the expense of creating value. In today's competitive environment, these entrenched traditional measures directly prevent the adoption of needed changes. They trap businesses in stagnant productivity situations and hobble responsiveness. All too often, managers base actions to improve productivity on calculations derived from these measures, yet never see the benefits they project materialize on financial statements.

It is no longer what we think of ourselves (the internal) that determines whether we survive and prosper; it is what others think of our performance (the external). Traditional productivity measures do not help managers make smart decisions that satisfy customers and make money for shareholders, as two examples in this article demonstrate. Performance improves only when decision makers, like those in the third example, recognize all the ways the old measures are failing and switch to a completely new productivity measurement system that balances delivering value to customers with adding economic value for shareholders.
Power‐supply manufacturer emi builds on the power of its people
Authors: Thornton Jack
Published: July 2007

The most fundamental element of customer value is staying in business. A few years ago, EMI Inc., a New Jersey‐based power supply manufacturer, almost didn't. But thanks to a visionary management team that has used employee education and empowerment to focus on customer value and achieve world‐class manufacturing status, the firm has become a leader in its industry and is well‐positioned for success into the future.
Surviving—and thriving – in a hypercompetitve economy
Authors: Eskildson Loyd
Published: July 2007

The most popular current management programs have often been proven inadequate at preventing and correcting organizational decline and failure. Meanwhile, the risks of sudden, sharp downturns or failures are increasing. What can organizations do to ensure sustained high performance?

A multiyear study of some 600 organizations revealed a number of lessons and best practices that can help prevent significant declines and help managers obtain superior financial outcomes. This article examines those practices and offers a self‐assessment instrument to help managers effectively devise a winning gameplan for the future.
Downsizing: A pervasive form of organizational suicide
Authors: Hubiak William A. , O'Donnell Susan Jones
Published: July 2007

Often a component of reengineering programs designed to achieve dramatic organizational improvements, downsizing can result in loss of talent and morale and, thereby, constrain economic performance. This article details the downside of downsizing and illustrates the vicious cycle of staff cuts and poor performance within which even the most well‐intentioned organizations can find themselves trapped.
Ircrersing the rate of productivity improvements at howmet corporation
Authors: Stanley James R.
Published: July 2007

Productivity gains are key to improving customer satisfaction, market‐share growth, and financial performance. For this reason, world‐class companies do more than simply pursue incremental productivity improvements. Rather, they design improvement programs that accelerate the rate at which productivity gains are made. Between 1992 and 1995. Howmet Corporation of Greenwich, Connecticut, improved productivity at a rate of 6 percent per year. In 1996, however, the rate of annual improvement jumped to 12 percent. A comprehensive reengineering of the company, with one year for planning and three years for executing phase one on a companywide basis, set the stage for the dramatic acceleration in productivity improvement now occurring in phase two.
Evaluating the success of a large‐scale training effort
Authors: Kidder Pamela J. , Rouiller Janice Z.
Published: July 2007

Can training produce a fundamental change in the way a global organization does business? Based on a longitudinal study of their Total Quality Leadership implementation efforts, the Department of the Navy has found the answer to be an unequivocal „Yes!”︁ This article details the method used to collect and analyze training evaluation data and summarizes the answers to a multitude of questions about training effectiveness.
The role of hrm in sustaining competitive advantage into the 21st century
Authors: Luthans Fred , Hodgetts Richard M. , Luthans Brett C.
Published: July 2007

In the aftermath of downsizing, it is becoming increasingly clear that organizations need a distinctive human resource core competency for sustained competitive advantage. Although there are many ways to develop such a competency, this article stresses the importance of multiple skill‐building programs, “new pay” for performance (gainsharing, team compensation, and at‐risk plans), 360‐degree feedback systems, and behavioral management, and offers practical guidelines for implementing such human resources managemnet approaches.
Transforming support work into competitiue advantage
Authors: Anderson Merrill C.
Published: July 2007

Support service work is increasingly being outsourced to better control fixed costs and to improve service quality. Outsourcing is not the only option, however; insourcing, rightsourcing, and single sourcing are emerging as viable approaches for accomplishing support work. Choosing the right sourcing approach is a pivotal decision that can transform support work into a competitive advantage for the business. This article presents a decision template that clarifies how appropriate sourcing decisions can be made to leverage the competitive advantage of the business. Using a case study of the strategic redesign of a human resources function, it also demonstrates how this decision template can be used for enhanced strategic value.
Notes from the front: Influence patterns in the post‐reengineering organization
Authors: Rose Tom
Published: July 2007

The reengineering wave that has swept corporations has accelerated significant change. This article analyzes some of the shifts in influence patterns in reengineered organizations, in particular, the frequency with which employees target different levels in the management hierarchy that they occupy. It also outlines implications for management practice, training, and consultation in the reengineered environment.
Integrated order fulfillment helps customer service take off at British Airways
Authors: Mitro Tom
Published: July 2007

Information within an organization must be harnessed not to “push” products toward the customer, orchestrating activity around the planning of inventory requirements, but rather to ensure that customer demand “pulls” products through the manufacturing and distribution processes. Thus, companies are increasingly turning to demand chain management, creating an information—and goods—flow environment where customer requirements determine the mechanics and momentum of order fulfillment.

Nowhere is this more true than in the international passenger airline business, where the strength of competition is putting pressure on every part of an airline's operation. At British Airways, a new system is helping centralize the order fulfillment process for its entire fleet of aircraft. As this article explains, a major overhaul of the airline's catering supply software systems will pioneer the use of a system powerful enough to integrate and streamline the supply of several hundred million items every year to BA's flights, and help the airline increase its control of supplier relations and product quality.
The ramada revolution: The birth of a service culture in a franchise organization
Authors: Breen Patrick , Liddy Joe
Published: July 2007

How does a 40‐year‐old organization handle a midlife crisis? That was the question facing the Ramada brand, which found itself in need of renovation—not a physical one, but an attitudinal one. Ramada's management team realized that to stay competitive and increase market share, the overall quality of service would have to improve. To that end, the team implemented a Personal Best Hospitality program designed to tackle the unique challenges of quality improvement in a franchise organization while meeting the needs of both employees and management.
How to create a nimble organization
Authors: Conner Daryl R.
Published: July 2007

With the ever more urgent need to delight their customers, organizations have realized the importance of nimbleness—the ability to succeed by responding more effectively and more efficiently than their competitors. In this excerpt from his new book, change expert Daryl R. Conner goes beyond defining the characteristics of a nimble organization and details what today's businesses must do to succeed in turbulent times.
Enhancing quality by improving employee morale
Authors: Decker Kathy , Dupler Dean , Shields Mark Q. , Smith Charlene E. , Thomas Miriam
Published: July 2007

Organizations striving to improve performance sometimes overlook the importance of bolstering employee morale. Leaders, managers, and, in the end, each member of an organization, are responsible for attending to this critical issue. This article describes one committee's success at continuous quality improvement in giving form and substance to the concept of morale, and it describes the corrective actions taken by committee leaders to improve not only the organization's work environment but also its performance.
Defining training roles and responsibilities at partners healthcare system
Authors: Legare Thomas L.
Published: July 2007

Given the rapid changes in health care today and the increasingly intense nature of competition among health‐care providers, the success of virtually all health‐care organizations relies increasingly on effective training of personnel, and on the linkage of training approaches and strategies to overall business goals and organizational performance. This article outlines the key steps involved in undertaking a training needs assessment in an institutional health‐care setting, the outcome of which can help institutions align training approaches to support their business goals and institutional needs. ©1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Performance evaluation in a campus environment
Authors: Wakim Nagi. T. , Bushnell David S.
Published: July 2007

The need to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the delivery of educational services has never been more urgent. Computer technology offers a promising strategy for monitoring these performance indicators. At Bowie State University, a part of the University System of Maryland, computer software is being used to chart the progress of its effort to attract and hold on to its minority students majoring in science and mathematics. A “Bowie Matrix” was developed to aggregate several sets of performance indicators into a smaller set and to monitor it over time. This matrix and the steps taken to implement it can be applied to other settings in which performance measurement is crucial. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
From disconnected flow to work cell in ten days: A case study
Authors: Heard Ed , Heard Julie
Published: July 2007

To many organizations, implementing a work cell is a mystery. A composite of several successful implementations, this case study takes away that mystery, detailing the general thought process and several of the analyses that are required to do so. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A new manufacturing model for world‐class performance
Authors: Kane Michael E.
Published: July 2007

For the better part of a decade, manufacturing companies have attempted to create the postmodern factory, one that would improve the operating results of today and the competitive position of tomorrow. These efforts have yielded, at best, mediocre results. Simply tweaking present strategies, or continuing to do more with less will have little positive impact on business performance. What's needed is a new manufacturing model. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.