bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Microstructure and creep properties of Sn-Ag-Cu lead-free solders bearing minor amounts of the rare earth cerium
Authors: Zhang Liang , Xue Song-bai , Gao Li-li , Chen Yan , Yu Sheng-lin , Sheng Zhong , Zeng Guang 
Published: April 2010

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of minor addition of the rare earth (RE) element cerium, Ce, on the microstructures and creep properties of Sn-Ag-Cu solder alloys.

Design/methodology/approach
The pure Sn, Sn-Cu alloy, Sn-Ag alloy and Cu-Ce alloy were used as raw materials. Sn-Ag-Cu alloys with different contents of RE Ce were chosen to compare with Sn-Ag-Cu. The raw materials of Sn, Sn-Cu alloy, Sn-Ag alloy, Cu-Ce alloy were melted in a ceramic crucible, and were melted at 550°C ± 1°C for 40 minutes. To homogenize the solder alloy, mechanical stirring was performed every ten minutes using a glass rod. During the melting, KC1 + LiCI (1.3:1), were used over the surface of liquid solder to prevent oxidation. The melted solder was chill cast into a rod.

Findings
It is found that the microstructure exhibits smaller grains and the Ag3Sn/Cu6Sn5 intermetallic compound (IMC) phases are modified in matrix with the addition of Ce. In particular, the addition of 0.03 wt.% Ce to the Sn-Ag-Cu solder can refine the microstructures and decrease the thickness of the IMC layers of Sn-Ag-Cu solder alloys. Meanwhile, thermodynamic analysis showed that these phenomena could be attributed to the reduction of the driving force for Cu-Sn IMC formation due to the addition of Ce. Results calculated using the thermodynamic method are close to the above experimental data. Thus, the optimum content of Ce in Sn-Ag-Cu solder alloys should be about 0.030 percent. Additionally, the effect of Ce on the creep rupture life of Sn-Ag-Cu soldered joints was studied. It was found that the creep rupture life may be increased up to 7.5 times more than that of the original Sn-Ag-Cu alloy, when Ce accounts for 0.030 percent.

Originality/value
This paper usefully investigates the effects of the RE cerium (Ce), on the microstructures and creep properties of Sn-Ag-Cu solder alloys, optimizing the quantity of Ce in the Sn-Ag-Cu solder alloy through a thermodynamic method and by creep-rupture life testing.
Study of the effects of PCB surface finish on plasma process time for lead-free wave soldering
Authors: Takyi G. , Ekere N.N. 
Published: April 2010

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the end point of the plasma cleaning process, in order to save valuable production time and also to prevent the destruction of expensive devices through overheating.

Design/methodology/approach
Post plasma cleaning analysis using dynamic contact angle (DCA) analysis and video microscope observations have been conducted on plasma treated Entec coated copper, hot air solder levelled (HASL) and electroless nickel immersion gold (ENIG) surfaces in order to determine the effect of surface finish on plasma process times. Post plasma cleaning and lead-free wave soldering analysis of the three surface finishes have been evaluated.

Findings
The DCA results indicate that the end-point for plasma cleaning of Entec coated copper is achieved within one to three minutes (indicated by a low contact angle hysteresis). Further cleaning after three minutes may lead to surface degradation and poor solder wettability. This is consistent with the results of the video microscope observations which show well soldered component leads and pads with good solder coverage for copper surface finish treated at a short plasma process time (one minute) and poorly soldered component leads and pads for a surface treated at a long process time (ten minutes). Similar work conducted on HASL and ENIG finishes show better results (well soldered component leads and solder pads) for longer plasma process times of five to ten minutes.

Originality/value
This paper indicates that plasma process time determines the wettability and solderability of the treated samples. It shows that the plasma conditions including the process time must be optimised and characterised for every application in order to avoid damage to expensive devices. The findings also give the confidence to implement plasma cleaning of lead-free (99.3Sn/0.7Cu) solder PCBs for fluxless soldering.
Thermal fatigue behaviour of Al2O3-DBC substrates under high temperature cyclic loading
Authors: Dong Guangcheng , Chen Xu , Zhang Xinjian , Ngo Khai D.T. , Lu Guo-Quan 
Published: April 2010

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study the phenomenology of Al2O3-DBC substrate thermal-cracking under different high temperature cyclic loadings. The extremely low cycle fatigue (ELCF) life prediction model for ductile materials was used to describe the thermal fatigue life of Al2O3-DBC substrates.

Design/methodology/approach
Four groups of thermal cycling tests using Al2O3-DBC substrates with 0.65 mm thick copper were conducted using different peak temperatures. The failure samples were observed by optical microscope. The thermal plastic strain distribution in the Al2O3-DBC substrates was analyzed using a finite element method with the Chaboche model for describing plastic deformation of copper. The ELCF life prediction model was used to predict the life of Al2O3-DBC substrates under high temperature cyclic loadings.

Findings
Interface cracking was observed to initiate at the short edge of the bonded copper and deviated into the ceramic layer when the crack grew beyond the critical length of 0.1-0.8 mm. The interface crack deviated into the ceramic layer at different thickness and grew parallel to the interface layer between the ceramic layer and copper layer. The crack propagation stopped after certain cycles. The copper layer with 10-20 μm thick alumina inside was not split away totally from the ceramic layer. The ELCF life prediction model could predict the life of Al2O3-DBC substrates well under high temperature cyclic loading. The material constants in the extremely low fatigue life prediction model were obtained using thermal fatigue tests results.

Research limitations/implications
The influence of copper layer thickness and ceramic layer thickness on thermal cracking characteristics of DBC substrate should be studied in the future. Failure models should also be further investigated.

Originality/value
The failure model of Al2O3-DBC substrates under high temperature cyclic loading was studied. A method for predicting the life of the substrate samples under high temperature cyclic loading was proposed.
Service development success: a contingent approach by knowledge strategy
Authors: Storey Chris , Hull Frank M. 
Published: April 2010

PurposeContingency theory suggests that effective strategies and structures are not universal but dependant upon situational factors. The purpose of this paper is to explore how the way service firms compete acts as a strategic contingency, moderating the effect of a new service development (NSD) system on innovation performance. Two knowledge‐based strategies are tested as contingency factors. One strategy adds value for customers via the delivery of personalized knowledge‐based services; the other strategy adds value by services exploiting codified knowledge.Design/methodology/approachA sample of 70 large service enterprises is used to test a contingency model of service innovation. The NSD system is a synergistic meld of basic building blocks of NSD systems: people organized cross‐functionally, the discipline of formal processes for guiding development activities, and the deployment of enabling tools/technologies. Regression analysis is used to test the relative impact of these three elements on innovation performance contingent on the type of knowledge strategy employed.FindingsWhile each element of the NSD system has an effect on performance, the optimal design is contingent on the strategy the firm employs. If firms enact a personalization strategy, NSD systems that score high in the deployment of cross‐functional organization and disciplined processes are higher performers. If firms emphasize a codification strategy, NSD systems that score high in the deployment of tools/technologies are higher performers. Combinations of the two kinds of strategy permit the construction of a four‐cell classification of service firms. This typology is used to further explore the implications for how managers design NSD systems to optimize performance.Originality/valueThis paper uses a contingency approach to demonstrate that an optimal NSD system is dependent upon the type of knowledge strategy firms deploy. The impact on performance of three components of NSD depends on the degree of either codification and/or personalization in the service offering. A novel approach based on the knowledge management literature is employed creating a typology of service firm strategies. This is the first time such a typology has been postulated.
Measuring innovation competencies for integrated services in the communications industry
Authors: Ko Hsien‐Tang , Lu Hsi‐Peng 
Published: April 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to gain insight into firms' innovation competencies and to develop an instrument to examine the key innovation competencies that contribute to integrated services.Design/methodology/approachData were collected via the initial 80‐item questionnaire given to innovation‐related key figures within the Taiwanese communications industry (sample size 500; valid response rate 75.4 percent). The initial 80 items of innovation competencies and development procedures of measurement instrument were explored, exploited, and analyzed. The instrument validity of the multi‐aspect innovation competencies measure was evaluated through assessing convergent, discriminant, and predictive validity.FindingsResearch results indicate that five‐dimension and 17‐item constructs the measurement instrument of innovation competencies for integrated services. An examination of individual dimensions' effect on “overall innovation competencies” shows that industry specific (0.45) is the most important dimension, followed by market related (0.23), technology related (0.14), product related (0.13), and organization related (0.13).Research limitations/implicationsThis study is conducted in only one industry (communications) and one country (Taiwan).Practical implicationsIntegration capabilities of different innovation competencies of a firm is vital for the successful development of integrated services, and out of all the innovation competencies, industry‐specific innovation competencies are the most important. A firm should then identify potential markets and trends and fully utilize their human resource capabilities to develop innovative services, along with senior executives' awareness and acceptance of risk.Originality/valueThis paper may be the first to identify the measurement instrument of innovation competencies for integrated services and will expand the scope of service innovation research.
The impact of service orientation in corporate culture on business performance in manufacturing companies
Authors: Gebauer Heiko , Edvardsson Bo , Bjurko Margareta 
Published: April 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine if there is a relationship between the interdependence among different components of service culture and performance. This paper also contributes to the discussion on how integrating or separating the service organization from the product organization interacts with service culture.Design/methodology/approachData are collected through a survey and structural equation modeling is used for the data analysis.FindingsThe three main findings are: identified interactions among different elements of service orientation in corporate culture, the positive association between the service orientation of corporate culture and business performance, and the moderating effects of the type of organizational structure on interactions among service‐orientation elements in corporate culture.Research limitations/implicationsThere may be alternative explanations for the correlations in the model. There are limitations in survey research in measuring service orientation in service culture.Practical implicationsSeparating the service and product organization strengthens the creation of a service orientation in the corporate culture, but at the same time, does not affect the link between culture and performance.Originality/valueThe originality of the paper comes from combining service orientation in corporate culture with types of organizational structure. In addition, compared to the dominant single dimension approach to service orientation in corporate culture, four dimensions are used (service orientation of management values, management behavior, employee values, and employee behavior).
Performance assessment using value‐chain analysis in Mozambique
Authors: Sharma Amit , Christie Iain T. 
Published: April 2010

PurposeHospitality and related service industries represent growing components of Mozambique's increasingly service‐oriented economy. Its government is emphasizing hospitality and tourism as a leading source of economic growth, diversification and poverty alleviation. However, inefficiencies in primary and support business activities of such services could be obstructing value creation for the customer. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the value creation process in hospitality services and its impact on business performance and product/service prices.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses value chain analysis to evaluate the sequential chain of primary and support activities. It includes qualitative observations, and assessment of field‐surveyed quantifiable indices and operational and market factors influencing these performance indices.FindingsKey operational factors contributing to low value creation include low employee productivity and management inefficiency. This is largely due to a lack of trained employees. Market factors impacting low value creation are: the high level of business taxes; high import duties, and the high cost of compliance with government regulations, licenses and permits (consultants are hired to make submissions to obtain approvals).Research limitations/implicationsPolicy recommendations are presented for the private sector and government. They include a comprehensive human resource policy for hospitality and related industries; a list of import‐exempt key production inputs; and reevaluation of regulatory procedures and the business tax burden. Future research could further quantify these effects and also look at a broader set of factors, beyond firms' institutional environment.Originality/valueThis paper is amongst the few in the literature that have used value chain analysis to evaluate hospitality services. It is the first such analysis of hospitality services in sub‐Saharan Africa where availability of both quantifiable time series and cross‐sectional data remains an obstacle to research. Value chain gaps of hospitality services in the sub‐Sahara region identified in this paper could also be associated with other service sectors such as business, financial, and other consumer services.
Leadership styles and burnout: is there an association?
Authors: Zopiatis Anastasios , Constanti Panayiotis 
Published: April 2010

PurposeThe primary purpose of this paper is to investigate the association between leadership styles and burnout among hospitality managers currently working in the industry of Cyprus. Specifically, transformational, transactional and passive/avoidance are to be investigated in order to establish which leadership style is more prone to burnout effects.Design/methodology/approachAdopting a quantitative approach, the multifactor leadership questionnaire (MLQ 5X‐Short) was utilized to allow research participants to describe their leadership style as they perceive it. In addition, the most widely acknowledged tool for measuring burnout, the Maslach burnout inventory (MBI), was also incorporated in the questionnaire, which was then distributed to 500 hospitality managers in Cyprus. A number of hypotheses, reflecting the primary objective of the study, were postulated.FindingsThe findings suggest that transformational leadership has a significant positive association with personal accomplishment and is negatively related to emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. In addition a positive relationship exists between passive avoidance leadership and emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. Finally, individuals with a passive avoidance leadership style exhibited higher levels of burnout.Research limitations/implicationsIt is well documented in the literature that surveys measuring sensitive issues, such as leadership styles and burnout levels, have inbuilt limitations. With regards to leadership, the authors acknowledge that they were not able to replicate the original nine‐factor solution of the MLQ 5X, therefore, findings should be viewed with caution. The second limitation is the small sample size (n=131) and the homogeneity of the sample, which limit the generalizability of the findings.Practical implicationsThe findings have a practical relevance to both hospitality stakeholders and academic scholars who wish to further explore the leadership‐burnout association. In addition, human resources practitioners could utilize the findings when developing strategies for recruiting and developing leaders.Originality/valueThe paper adds to existing knowledge by investigating an issue presented in just a few hospitality‐related studies. While burnout and leadership separately have captured the attention of hospitality researchers, studies investigating their association are ubiquitous by their absence. The insights derived from this paper are of value to academic scholars wishing to build on this exploratory investigation.
Employee satisfaction in the Iberian hotel industry
Authors: Gallardo Eva , Sánchez‐Cañizares Sandra‐M. , López‐Guzmán Tomás , Margarida Nascimento Jesus Maria 
Published: April 2010

PurposeThis paper aims to analyze job‐satisfaction differences between employees of the hotel industries of two similar tourist destinations: Andalusia (Spain) and the Algarve (Portugal).Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire survey was conducted in the two regions. The population for this study comprised employees of any hotel establishment in these regions. The authors have used stratified random sampling based on the number of hotels in each category and the number of hotel beds these represent. A total of 2,064 usable questionnaires from 165 hotels were returned in Andalusia and 461 from 23 hotels in the Algarve.FindingsFindings from this study show an acceptable level of job satisfaction in both regions, although this is higher among the Andalusian workers, not only in terms of the overall score but also for each of the job facet scores considered. In contrast to previous findings, in this study the effect of wage on job satisfaction has been reported as significant in both regions.Research limitations/implicationsThe different periods of time in which the fieldwork was done may have caused some distortions in the perception of working conditions in each region. Besides this, some departments may not be sufficiently represented.Practical implicationsThis paper encourages hotel managers to focus their attention on their remuneration systems, promotion possibilities and the perception of their profession's prestige in order to improve staff satisfaction. Particularly in Andalusia, it would be advantageous to develop retention strategies for talented people. In the Algarve region, more training and an improved recognition system are needed.Originality/valueAlthough job satisfaction is an employee attitude that has been studied extensively, there have been few studies on that topic in the tourism sector in Spain, and even fewer in Portugal. Moreover, whereas prior work has mainly focused on small samples – a limited number of hotels surveyed in some specific area – in this study two important tourist regions using a wide sample, and taking all hotel categories into consideration are compared.
Staff turnover in the Greek tourism industry
Authors: Chalkiti Kalotina , Sigala Marianna 
Published: April 2010

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the occurrence and implications of staff turnover in the Greek tourism industry as well as looks into the current and future strategies adopted by Greek enterprises for addressing this unavoidable and unpredictable phenomenon.Design/methodology/approachA survey research instrument was distributed both online as well as through e‐mails over a period of four weeks for collecting primary data from a convenience sample of Greek tourism enterprises. This process yielded 63 usable responses.FindingsThe findings revealed that the Greek tourism industry faces similar staff turnover impacts that are also found in other countries. Enterprises reported to experience similar staff turnover levels irrespective of their tourism sector, i.e. travel agents, hotels etc.; staff turnover levels were not found to be homogeneous across organizational hierarchical levels; respondents claimed that staff turnover is mainly instigated by factors that are beyond management control and that staff turnover negatively affects service quality levels, costs and time related to staff recruiting and training, while it enhances idea generation. Strategies reported to be used by the respondents for managing staff turnover demonstrate a shift from people retention strategies to knowledge retention strategies.Research limitations/implicationsThe small number of responses suggests that the findings should be treated with caution. New research approaches for studying staff turnover, such as social network analysis, are recommended for future research.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to the international hospitality literature by providing primary data about the level, the type and the consequences of staff turnover in the Greek tourism industry.
Pilgrimages: the “promised land” for travel agents?
Authors: Triantafillidou Amalia , Koritos Christos , Chatzipanagiotou Kalliopi , Vassilikopoulou Aikaterini 
Published: April 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the most important characteristics of the religious package tour as perceived by consumers who travel to the Holy Land and to examine the marketing components that play an important role for pilgrims.Design/methodology/approachIn‐depth interviews were conducted with Greek Orthodox travellers who were about to leave for a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Content analysis was used in order to analyse the transcribed interviews.FindingsResults show that regarding the product mix, hotel ratings and extra benefits are considered of minor importance by the interviewed travellers. However, the tour guide and the trip's schedule and program are the most important factors that influence consumer decisions regarding the purchase of a specific tourism product. In addition, the travel agent's reputation for organising religious trips plays a crucial role. Alternatively, price does not seem to influence travellers to sacred places.Practical implicationsTravel agents that offer tour packages to pilgrims, as well as tourism companies wishing to promote pilgrimages can take into consideration these findings in order to design effective marketing plans.Originality/valueAlthough tour packages for pilgrims are profitable, only few studies have focused on this type of traveller. As travel for religious purposes increases, the design of an effective marketing plan may help to further develop the market for pilgrimages.