Y.L. Wang, A.F. Carroll, J.D. Smith, Y. Cho, R.J. Bacher, D.K. Anderson, J.C. Crumpton and C.R.S. Needes
Substrates with high thermal conductivity continue to be in great demand for their ability to enable smaller and denser high power circuits. BeO has been used for this purpose for…
Abstract
Substrates with high thermal conductivity continue to be in great demand for their ability to enable smaller and denser high power circuits. BeO has been used for this purpose for many years with thick film materials. However, due to health and environmental concerns with BeO, many manufacturers feel compelled to switch to alternative substrates. This paper will discuss a thick film system consisting of conductors, dielectric, and resistors developed specifically for use with the most likely alternative, AlN substrates. This system will soon find broad use in applications such as power resistors for telecom, optoelectronic submounts, and high‐power automotive applications.
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Elhassan Kotb Abdelrahman Radwan, Zsuzsanna Győri and Antonella Russo
The study aims to evaluate and compare the quantity and quality levels of corporate social responsibility disclosure (CSRD) practices on the websites of the largest Islamic and…
Abstract
Purpose
The study aims to evaluate and compare the quantity and quality levels of corporate social responsibility disclosure (CSRD) practices on the websites of the largest Islamic and conventional banks worldwide.
Design/methodology/approach
Two indices were developed: the quantity index, consisting of seven categories, and the quality index, which includes eight characteristics, to adopt the quantitative content analysis of the global leading 94 Islamic and 100 conventional banks’ websites.
Findings
The results show that conventional banks have higher levels of CSRD quantity and quality on their websites than those of Islamic banks. The study found that the products and services category is the most disclosed by largest Islamic and conventional banks worldwide, while environment and energy information is the lowest for Islamic banks and employee and human resource information is less common for conventional ones. The analysis reveals low levels of CSRD quantity and quality on Islamic banks’ websites (43.69% and 54.56%) and high levels on conventional banks’ websites (70.84% and 73.26%).
Research limitations/implications
The study focuses on analyzing the quantity and quality of CSRD on English-accessible websites of the largest Islamic and conventional banks in 2022, focusing on English as a uniform language for data collection because it analyzed 194 websites from 48 countries with over 20 languages.
Practical implications
The results of this study are likely to be valuable to many interested parties because they inform investors about the status of CSRD practices on the largest Islamic and conventional banks’ websites worldwide and how they disclose such information. To ensure investor satisfaction and accurate investment decisions, these global banks should provide comprehensive and high-quality CSR information on their websites to show how they contribute to CSR activities. For scholars, its limitations may be helpful in their future research.
Originality/value
The originality of this paper derives from its focus on largest-world Islamic and non-Islamic banks, collecting primary data directly from their websites, and offering valuable theoretical, methodological and practical insights.
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William C. Lesch and Bruce Byars
The purpose of this paper is to review the management of consumer insurance fraud in the US property‐casualty market, attending to definition, prevalence, insurer and regulatory…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to review the management of consumer insurance fraud in the US property‐casualty market, attending to definition, prevalence, insurer and regulatory responses, and outcomes. A social marketing campaign is offered as a partial, long‐term solution.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper explicates the difficulties associated with defining and measuring consumer insurance fraud, then models the system of factors now in place in redress.
Findings
Little agreement was found for a common definition of consumer insurance fraud and this was explained in part due to the decentralization of insurance regulation, competitive factors, and inconsistency in claims processing. The paper concludes by offering a social marketing campaign as a tool for reducing the incidence and severity of single‐claims fraud, the latter believed to be the largest source of consumer insurance fraud.
Originality/value
This paper affords a macro‐level view of a common and expensive social problem, suggests a practical solution with the promise of reducing long‐term losses at all levels.
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Zoe Renee Staines and Mark Lauchs
This study aims to evaluate the usefulness of a university unit Facebook page, which was established to support a first-year university justice unit. The study pays particular…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to evaluate the usefulness of a university unit Facebook page, which was established to support a first-year university justice unit. The study pays particular regard to the Facebook page's impact on students learning outcomes and communications amongst students and between students and teaching staff.
Design/methodology/approach
All students enrolled in the unit were asked to complete an online survey, which sought to determine whether they used the unit Facebook page and if so, the nature and extent of their use.
Findings
The study found that the unit Facebook page was useful in achieving most learning objectives for the unit. This included enhancing students' knowledge and understanding of unit content, as well as their ability to critically analyse unit materials. Students also indicated that they found the Facebook page better than the university's central learning management system across a range of areas. It was particularly useful for facilitating unit-related discussions.
Research limitations/implications
The survey results reported in this paper are based on a relatively small sample of students (n=67) from a first-year university justice unit. Future studies should seek to garner evidence from broader and larger samples that transcend specific unit populations. However, the findings of this study do indicate further support for the use of Facebook as a supplementary tool in university education.
Originality/value
This study focuses on two aspects of social networking technologies that have not been previously researched and thus contributes to the growing literature on the uses and benefits of Facebook in tertiary education.
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Abby Ghobadian, David Gallear and Michael Hopkins
The purpose of this paper is to explore the similarities and differences between Total Quality Management (TQM) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Moreover, the paper…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the similarities and differences between Total Quality Management (TQM) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Moreover, the paper considers the implications of these similarities and differences for the future development of TQM and CSR.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is a structured discourse analysis which is used to systematically explore these two discursive subjects. Both concepts encompass discursive ideas and practices.
Findings
The findings in the paper suggest that the two concepts share similar philosophical roots, that there is a substantial overlap between the elements of the two concepts, and that the ultimate expected outcome shows significant similarities. Despite these similarities, however, implementation of TQM will not necessarily result in CSR.
Research limitations/implications
In this paper the findings lead to the conclusion that it is important to recognise the specific needs of CSR and include them as an implicit part of TQM. This conclusion has an important practical and descriptive theoretical implication and the extent to which CSR is diffused as a part of TQM depends on it.
Practical implications
The paper highlights the need for the development of a descriptive theory, that is to say, the identification of the mechanism(s) through which elements of CSR could be developed and implemented alongside that of TQM.
Originality/value
The paper sees that the question of the intersection between CSR and TQM has attracted the interest of other researchers. The majority of the previous work is normative. The contribution to this developing literature is made by adopting a systematic discursive approach using philosophy, elements of TQM/CSR process and outcomes as the framework for the analysis.
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Jeffrey J. Roth and Mari B. Pierce
The purpose of this paper is to make evidence-based recommendations for improving the responses of criminal justice agencies to juvenile burglary offenders.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to make evidence-based recommendations for improving the responses of criminal justice agencies to juvenile burglary offenders.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper first analyzes what is known about factors relevant to young offenders’ initiation into burglary and subsequent persistence in that offense. It then evaluates research regarding juvenile justice interventions that can mitigate those factors in order to prevent youth from becoming involved in burglary or to encourage desistance in juvenile burglars.
Findings
Effective early intervention with juvenile burglars is vital, as burglars often begin committing this crime in their early teens and quickly develop expertise in the offense. Evidence supports the importance of positive mentoring, substance abuse programs, some forms of restorative justice and multi-modal interventions with education and employment components, while waiving these youth to adult court appears to offer little benefit over less punitive approaches.
Originality/value
This work delivers an original contribution by providing an analysis of existing burglary and juvenile justice research that may be useful to policymakers, law enforcement and other justice practitioners.
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Ginni Chawla, Tripti Singh and Rupali Singh
Unions and organizations interests are often seen to be in competition. However, union-voice hypothesis suggests that unions can provide a distinctive mechanism to lower…
Abstract
Purpose
Unions and organizations interests are often seen to be in competition. However, union-voice hypothesis suggests that unions can provide a distinctive mechanism to lower organizational costs by reducing exit behavior, absence from work and conflict levels at work. This study aims to look at union participation as a form of voice which is affected by a number of antecedents and in turn has an effect upon the workers performance (i.e. worker behavior effectiveness [WBE]) in an organization.
Design/methodology/approach
The study draws on data from 340 permanent labors working in 19 manufacturing units across different regions of India to explore both the antecedents and outcomes of union participation. Hypotheses are tested using mediation analysis.
Findings
Results indicate statistically significant relationships between union participation, its antecedents and WBE, with union participation partially influencing the relationship between the constructs.
Originality/value
Uniqueness of the study lies in its findings which report positive relationship among union participation, its antecedents and behavior effectiveness. Contrary to the traditional belief that unions are detrimental to the health of any organization, the study suggests that workers decision to join and participate in unions should be viewed positively because only if a person is willing to stay with the organization, he/she seeks to resolve the issues/problems through collective mechanism of union participation and which in turn leads to enhanced performance, reduced absenteeism at the workplace.
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Kamila Piotrowska, Morten Stendahl Jellesen and Rajan Ambat
The aim of this work is to investigate the decomposition behaviour of the activator species commonly used in the wave solder no-clean flux systems and to estimate the residue…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this work is to investigate the decomposition behaviour of the activator species commonly used in the wave solder no-clean flux systems and to estimate the residue amount left after subjecting the samples to simulated wave soldering conditions.
Design/methodology/approach
Changes in the chemical structure of the activators were studied using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy technique and were correlated to the exposure temperatures within the range of wave soldering process. The amount of residue left on the surface was estimated using standardized acid-base titration method as a function of temperature, time of exposure and the substrate material used.
Findings
The study shows that there is a possibility of anhydride-like species formation during the thermal treatment of fluxes containing weak organic acids (WOAs) as activators (succinic and DL-malic). The decomposition patterns of solder flux activators depend on their chemical nature, time of heat exposure and substrate materials. Evaporation of the residue from the surface of different materials (laminate with solder mask, copper surface or glass surface) was found to be more pronounced for succinic-based solutions at highest test temperatures than for adipic acid. Less left residue was found on the laminate surface with solder mask (∼5-20 per cent of initial amount at 350°C) and poorest acid evaporation was noted for glass substrates (∼15-90 per cent).
Practical implications
The findings are attributed to the chemistry of WOAs typically used as solder flux activators. The results show the importance WOA type in relation to its melting/boiling points and the impact on the residual amount of contamination left after soldering process.
Originality/value
The results show that the evaporation of the flux residues takes place only at significantly high temperatures and longer exposure times are needed compared to the temperature range used for the wave soldering process. The extended time of thermal treatment and careful choice of fluxing technology would ensure obtaining more climatically reliable product.