Effects of Team Structure on Innovation Performance： An Empirical Study

Teamwork is gaining increasing attention in a broader management research. In addition to previous research on the relationship between team structure and innovation performance, this study draws from an interesting experience-based theory advanced by Kelley and Littman （2005）, which examines teams from design thinking perspective, and tests its contributions and effects on team＇s innovation performance. According to Kelley and Littman any team should include the following team roles： The anthropologist, the experimenter, the cross-pollinator, the hurdler, the collaborator, the director, the experience architect, the set designer, the storyteller, and the caregiver. We develop theoretical logics to explain how team structure that includes these key team roles and competences lead to a better innovation performance, and propose pertinent hypotheses. Experimental-empirical research and quantitative analysis were used in the study. The study conducted multiple experiments on three samples： a group of foreign entrepreneurship students, a group of technical students, and an additional group of randomly selected individuals, aged between 20 and 58, with diverse backgrounds. A special approach was implemented and a new instrument was developed to evaluate individuals in teams. While the results show that team that possess the major competences proposed by Kelley and Littman are more innovative, preliminary results also show that not all team roles are equally important. Moreover, team roles should be allocated equally among members for better collaboration, member satisfaction, and quick response, and within one team, one prevailing personality is optimal in terms of innovativeness. We discuss the implications of our findings for future research and managerial practice.

Development of High-Speed On-Of Valves and Their Applications

With the widespread application of the computer and microelectronic technology in the industry,digitization becomes the inevitable developing trend of the hydraulic technology.Digitization of the hydraulic components is critical in the digital hydraulic technology.High-speed on-of valves(HSVs)which convert a train of input pulses into the fast and accurate switching between the on and of states belong to widely used basic digital hydraulic elements.In some ways,the characteristics of the HSVs determine the performance of the digital hydraulic systems.This paper discusses the development of HSVs and their applications.First,the HSVs with innovative structures which is classifed into direct drive valves and pilot operated valves are discussed,with the emphasis on their performance.Then,an overview of HSVs with intelligent materials is presented with considering of the switching frequency and fow capacity.Finally,the applications of the HSVs are reviewed,including digital hydraulic components with the integration of the HSVs and digital hydraulic systems controlled by the HSVs.

Performance assessment of innovative seismic resilient steel knee braced frame

Buckling restrained knee braced truss moment frame （BRKBTMF） is a novel and innovative steel structural system that utilizes the advantages of long-span trusses and dedicated structural fuses for seismic applications. Steel trusses are very economical and effective in spanning large distance. However, conventional steel trusses are typically not suitable for seismic application, due to its lack of ductility and poor energy dissipation capacity. BRKBTMF utilizes buckling restrained braces （BRBs） as the designated structural fuses to dissipate the sudden surge of earthquake energy. This allows the BRKBTMF to economically and efficiently create large span structural systems for seismic applications. In this paper, a prototype BRKBTMF office building located in Berkeley, California, USA, was designed using performance-based plastic design procedure. The seismic performance of the prototype building was assessed using the state-of-the-art finite element software, OpenSees. Detailed BRB hysteresis and advanced element removal technique was implemented. The modeling approach allows the simulation for the force-deformation response of the BRB and the force redistribution within the system after the BRBs fracture. The developed finite element model was analyzed using incremental dynamic analysis approach to quantify the seismic performance of BRKBTMF. The results show BRKBTMF has excellent seismic performance with well controlled structural responses and resistance against collapse. In addition, life cycle repair cost of BRKBTMF was assessed using the next-generation performance-based earthquake engineering framework. The results confirm that BRKBTMF can effectively control the structural and non-structural component damages and minimize the repair costs of the structure under different ranges of earthquake shaking intensities. This studies conclude that BRKBTMF is a viable and effective seismic force resisting system.