Multiproject strategy, design transfer, and project performance: asurvey of automobile development projects in the US and Japan

Large manufacturers usually need to manage multiple projects in order to leverage their financial and engineering resource investments on new technologies and designs. The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between different multiproject strategies and project performance measured by lead time and engineering hours. The multiproject strategy in this study focuses on different ways of transferring core technologies and designs from one project to another within the firm. First, this paper proposes a typology of different multiproject strategies, which categorizes new product development projects into four types: new design, rapid design transfer, sequential design transfer, and design modification. Second, using survey results on 103 different new product projects at 10 automobile firms in Japan and the US, this study concludes that projects using the rapid design transfer strategy are the most efficient in terms of engineering hours. Only through rapid design transfer can a preceding design be transferred from a base project to a new project with effective task sharing among engineers and mutual adjustments between the two projects. This paper also discusses organizational requirements for managing rapid design transfer projects. Neither a pure project-team approach nor a functional approach seem appropriate for the management of concurrent multiple projects     

Measures of technology transfer effectiveness: key dimensions anddifferences in their use by sponsors, developers and adopters

Federally funded R&D has been viewed as a key source of advanced technologies that, if successfully transferred to the private sector, could help rebuild America's global competitiveness. The growing perception that the nation is not getting an adequate return from its federal R&D budget is accompanied by a growing demand for more measurable technology transfer results. Yet measures of technology transfer effectiveness are neither well defined nor universally accepted. This exploratory study focused on defining and describing the measures or metrics used in the process of transferring government-funded technologies to private sector firms. The paper presents an initial conceptual framework and an exploratory, empirically based taxonomy of metrics used in technology transfer. This taxonomy and specific measures were used to help determine which technology transfer metrics were used by various players across the federal technology transfer process. Individuals who played roles as either sponsors, developers or adopters of federally funded technologies were surveyed on their roles and the measures of transfer effectiveness used in their work units. The data showed statistically significant differences in frequency of use of the transfer measures by the three roles. Secondly, a broad set of measures were used in varying degrees by all roles. Most importantly, all three roles used most measures rather infrequently. Recommendations to guide future research are included. Recommendations are also made for technology transfer practitioners     

ATM: A contribution to the debate on broadband ISDN

The definition of broadband ISDN recently became a major topic of research and predevelopments. Fast packet technologies are widely recognized as the basis for BISDN. Even if international consensus has appeared far more quickly than could have been expected a few years ago, a lot of issues remain open. This paper is a contribution to discussions on some important topics relating to the definition of asynchronous transfer mode.     

半导体异质结中的实空间转移

实空间转移的机理不同于k空间转移,因而受到了广泛关注。实空间转移效应的器件是一种新型的半导体器件,有众多其它器件达不到的优点,如响应时间可达到ps级别、可以实现负阻效应等。为深入的理解半导体异质结中的实空间转移对实空间转移效应的基本原理以及它在相应器件上的应用进行了研究,概述了国际上的相关研究方向和研究进展,并提出研究思路和技术方案。     

Experiences From Global E-Collaboration: ContextualInfluences on Technology Adoption and Use

This paper presents a cross-case comparison of experiences from organizational adoption and use of e-collaboration technologies in two large, global companies. Challenges in the global implementation process were found to increase with the organizational and geographical scope of the implementation, level of autonomy in the adoption process, cultural diversity, technological heterogeneity, and the level of work process support embedded in the system. Alignment with existing collaborative work practices resulted in faster adoption of the technological solution. Highly competitive conditions restricted the resources available for training and experience transfer between projects. Clients' preferences for co-located project operations served as a potential barrier to the very concept of global e-collaboration. The study increases our understanding of the adoption and use of permanent e-collaboration infrastructures at the organizational level, thus expanding the focus of global e-collaboration research beyond the level of ad hoc, virtual teams.     

Organizational Media Affordances: Operationalization and Associations with Media Use

The concept of affordances has been increasingly applied to the study of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in organizational contexts. However, almost no research operationalizes affordances, limiting comparisons and programmatic research. This article briefly reviews conceptualizations and possibilities of affordances in general and for media, then introduces the concept of organizational media affordances as organizational resources. Analysis of survey data from a large Nordic media organization identified six reliable and valid organizational media affordances: pervasiveness, editability, self-presentation, searchability, visibility, and awareness. Eight media scales based on frequency of use of 10 media within each of three organization levels were differentially associated with these affordances. The conceptualization, measurement approach, and results from this study provide the foundation for considerable future organizational communication and ICT research.     

Exploring university-industry technology transfer of CAD technology

Since its establishment in 1982, the Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) has funded extensive silicon-based semiconductor research at universities, including research in the area of computer aided design. While the consortium has had success with transferring this research to its members, the overall incidence of transfer has been limited. This study explored the key issues affecting the transfer of university computer-aided design (CAD) technology from the SRC CAD Center at Carnegie Mellon University to the SRC's industrial membership. Most research on improving technology transfer has focused on finding mechanisms to promote person-to-person interaction between developer and adopter. Interview and survey data collected from the 12 CAD Center faculty and 15 SRC member firm personnel suggest that transfer succeeds only when SRC member firms establish organizational incentives for technical personnel to commit their time to the implementation of university research, and when they provide these personnel the organizational resources needed to perform this implementation. Suggestions for improving the mechanisms of transfer are offered, but without reform in organizational incentives, improving these mechanisms is unlikely to significantly increase the rate at which university research is commercialized for actual industrial use     

Organizational Communication: Challenges for the New Century

Organizational communication covers an eclectic mix of approaches, theories, and methodologies, developed within organizational settings or applied from other areas. The authors start their assessment of recent literature with 6 challenges for the field that have been delineated in previous reviews: (a) to innovate in theory and methodology, (b) to acknowledge the role of ethics, (c) to move from micro- to macrolevel issues, (d) to examine new organizational structures and technologies, (e) to understand the communication of organizational change, and (f) to explore diversity and intergroup aspects of communication. All 6 challenges implicate the importance of considering the intergroup level of analysis as well as the interpersonal and organizational levels, to undertake multilevel research in context, and to consider the role and place of voice in organizations. Finally, researchers must make their research ethical and consequential.     

对中国PTN行业标准及其关键问题的思考

分组传送网（PTN）是业内关注的电信级承载技术热点之一。在国际标准尚未完成的情况下,中国的PTN设备开发和网络应用处于领先地位。文章基于中国通信标准化协会（CCSA）通信行业标准《分组传送网（PTN）总体技术要求》,重点阐述了PTN网络功能架构、多业务承载和数据转发功能、PTN网络保护、运行管理维护（OAM）架构和功能要求4个方面的内容。结合中国运营商和设备商的利益,文章对涉及PTN行标的技术选择、网络应用和后续发展的关键问题进行了探讨。     

光电转换安全点火装置的研制

为了跟踪国外先进引信技术和引信装备的发展,有效提高武器系统的安全性,研制了一种新型的光电转换安全点火装置。对其工作原理和相关关键部件的工作机理进行介绍,分析该装置涉及的关键技术(光电转换储能技术、半导体桥(SCB)点火技术、光密码信息传输控制技术和光电密码点火控制技术),给出了光电转换安全点火装置的原理样机以及相关的技术指标(激光器功率为700 mW;电容储能为12 mJ;充电时间为7 s;SCB作用时间为3μs～12μs;SCB点火能量为1 mJ～2 mJ)。实验结果证明该装置的安全性能很高,可以有效地提高武器装备整体的安全性能。     

Understanding Usage-Transfer Behavior Between Nonsubstitutable Technologies: Evidence From Instant Messenger and Portal

Although an abundance of research has emerged on technology adoption and acceptance, most has examined the usage behavior of different products in isolation. The current study instead focuses on usage-transfer behavior between technology products that are not substitutable. Drawing upon self-perception theory and entitativity theory, we proposed a research model and validated it using longitudinal data on userspsila transfer from one instant messenger, QQ, to its portal, QQ.com. The findings suggest that usage behavior can be transferred indirectly, while perceived entitativity has an important effect on the transfer behavior. According to the findings of the current research, use of an existing product positively influences the perceived usefulness and ease of use of this product, and that both perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use can be transferred from the existing product to the new product. Consequently, if the perceived entitativity is high, then perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use will be transferred between nonsubstitutable technology products. This study contributes to both research and practice by advancing our understanding of usage behavior in general and, more specifically, transfer behavior between nonsubstitutable technology products.     

Component sharing in complex products and systems: challenges, solutions, and practical implications

In this paper, we explore whether a multiproject management approach is helpful in complex products and systems (CoPS) environments. CoPS are high cost, engineering-intensive products and systems, tailor-made according to client's specifications. The focus of this paper is on the possibilities for sharing components between projects in CoPS multiproject environments. Component sharing is the process through which technological components and platforms are transferred and shared between projects. The vast majority of evidence about component sharing is based on empirical research in mass-producing companies. Little has been reported in the CoPS literature about similar processes. To contribute to this gap, this paper discusses challenges faced and solutions applied by a supplier of CoPS, an aerospace company, when attempting to share components between projects in its multiproject environment. Three main areas are examined that facilitate sharing between projects given the unique strategic context of CoPS: coordination and communication mechanisms that facilitate linkages across projects; knowledge transfer mechanisms; and an organizational form that centralizes some of the development activities. This paper concludes by offering managers and engineers a set of tools to consider component sharing in a CoPS environment.     

时间同步方法研究与比较

星地时间同步和星间时间同步在卫星导航、国际通用时标的产生与维持等科研领域有着广泛的应用。本文研究了微波双向时间同步、卫星共视法和雷达辅助法等三种时间同步方法, 针对每种方法给出时间同步系统模型、同步原理,并提出了同步时序,推导出钟差解算的数学表达式。通过对各种方法主要误差源的比较分析,得出一些有意义的结论。     

为IP用户提供业务的新一代智能网技术

基于ITU－T和IETF制订的最新国际,结合国内相关研究成果,系统介绍能为IP用户提供业务的新一代智能网的典型业务、网络结构和关键技术,并展望了智能网技术的未来发展趋势。     

WWRF - the Wireless World Research Forum

Third generation mobile radio systems are currently being deployed in different regions of the world. Future systems beyond the third generation are already under discussion in international bodies and forums such as ITU, WWRF and R&D programmes of the European Union and in other regions. These systems will determine the research and standardisation activities in mobile and wireless communication in the next years. Based on experience of the third generation, future systems will be developed mainly from the user perspective with respect to potential services and applications including traffic demands. Therefore, the Wireless World Research Forum was launched in 2001 as a global and open initiative of manufacturers, network operators, SMEs, R&D centres and the academic domain. WWRF is focused on the vision of such systems - the Wireless World-and potential key technologies. This paper describes the international context of activities on systems beyond third generation, the goals, objectives and structure of WWRF, the user perspective as the starting point for a future system design and the key enabling technologies for the Wireless World.     

Distinguishing between knowledge transfer and technology transfer activities: the role of key organizational factors

Knowledge transfer and technology transfer are often used interchangeably and while both knowledge transfer and technology transfer are highly interactive activities, they serve different purposes. Knowledge transfer implies a broader, more inclusive construct that is directed more toward understanding the "whys" for change. In contrast, technology transfer is a narrower and more targeted construct that usually embodies certain tools for changing the environment. Grounding our work in the 7-S framework, we examine the role of key organizational factors in facilitating knowledge transfer and technology transfer activities. Survey data for this study were collected from 189 industrial firms representing 21 different industrial sectors. Results show that there are differences in the types of firm structures, cultures and university policies for intellectual property rights (IPR), patent ownership, and licensing that facilitated knowledge transfer activities compared to those that facilitated technology transfer activities. Specifically, firms with more mechanistic structures and more stable direction-oriented cultures were associated with higher levels of knowledge transfer. Conversely, firms with more organic structures, more flexible change-oriented cultures, and more customized university policies for IPR, patent ownership, and licensing were associated with higher levels of technology transfer. The firm's trust in its university research center partner was equally important for both activities. We conclude by discussing the implications of our findings for future research and management practice.     

Multiagent organizations for real-time operations

The real-time operations of electric power networks are subject to two sets of forces. The first, including deregulation movements and growing environmental concerns, is acting to increase the complexity of operations. The second, including new computer technologies and emerging knowledge-based agents, provides some means for handling additional complexity. The authors argue that organizational changes will have to be made before the second set of forces can be applied to effectively counter the first. To make this argument, a framework for discussing organizational structures is presented. Then the structures of the two generations of computer-based, multiagent systems that have been developed for operations are reviewed. It is pointed out that these structures are well-suited to the algorithmic tasks involved in operations but not to the knowledge-based tasks. The authors conclude with some suggestions for research into alternative structures     

Liquid Droplet Stamp Transfer Printing

Despite the increasingly significant role of flexible electronics in information, energy, and medical treatment, their integration with a special-shaped interface remains an unresolved challenge. The traditional transfer method, as a core technology of device integration, is still unsuitable for thinned chips and 3D sensors. Solid-contact elastomer stamp sometimes causes cracks while non-contact method such as sacrificial layer method fails to achieve precise positioning transfer. Herein, the authors present liquid droplet stamp transfer printing (LSTP) with a high yield ratio which allows flexible devices to be transferred form silicon wafer to complex special-shaped interfaces. Following the transfer scheme, the regulation of interface force is demonstrated with different thin-film patterns. Besides, the liquid droplet stamp is designed as an efficient tool to transfer thinned inorganic flexible chips. A thinned micro light emitting diode, extensively used in large-scale manufacturing of flexible circuits, is transferred and lighted successfully. In addition, a new method to fabricate 3D sensors is proposed with the liquid droplet stamp, which provides a new way of manufacturing wearable antenna and reconfigurable devices. Consequently, the LSTP has great potential for future sophisticated and system-level flexible devices transfer printing and plays a vital role in the research of 3D flexible electronics.     

Rational Design on Wrinkle-Less Transfer of Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Monolayer by Adjustable Wettability-Assisted Transfer Method

Transfer-induced wrinkles are universal issues when transferring transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) monolayer from an as-grown substrate to a target substrate. The undesired transfer-induced wrinkles can mainly be attributed to wettability, which refers to the ability of a liquid to come in contact with a solid surface. Herein, an adjustable wettability-assisted transfer (AWAT) method with different mixtures of transfer media to reduce the density of wrinkles is developed. By manipulating the wettability of the transfer medium with different ratios of alcohol and de-ionized (DI) water, the TMDC monolayer is smoothly attached to the target substrate, thus achieving a wrinkle-less transferred TMDC monolayer. With this method, the density of wrinkles can be decreased by ≈ 15–20% compared with the conventional transfer method by pure DI water. The transferred MoS₂ monolayer with the AWAT method can achieve enhanced carrier mobility from ≈ 20 to ≈ 35 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹ in average, which is 30 times larger than that transferred by pure DI water. The AWAT method applied to a WS₂ monolayer onto a SiO₂/p⁺-Si substrate and a MoS₂ monolayer onto a HfO₂/p⁺-Si substrate are demonstrated, which is beneficial in research and applications involving the transfer of TMDC monolayer.     

Wireless communications in the twenty-first century: a perspective

Wireless communications are expected to be the dominant mode of access technology in the next century. Besides voice, a new range of services such as multimedia, high-speed data, etc. are being offered for delivery over wireless networks. Mobility will be seamless, realizing the concept of persons being in contact anywhere, at any time. Two developments are likely to have a substantial impact on the mobile communications systems deployed in the twenty-first century: the adoption of International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 and wireless asynchronous transfer mode (ATM). They are two different but cooperative approaches to providing high-speed wireless access. The limitations of the radio-frequency spectrum and radio channel propagation impose special constraints on the technologies of systems to be deployed. To make future mobile systems globally acceptable, standardization efforts are underway in the International Telecommunications Union and the ATM Forum. This paper reviews the international standardization efforts, the challenges to the technologies imposed by the radio spectrum limitations, radio channel propagation-induced distortions, and possible solutions. Evolution, migration, and architecture issues also are discussed