Critical Reflection for Civic-Mindedness: The Executive Blog as “Regeneration Alcove”

This study explored the use of critical reflection blogs to integrate civic-mindedness into an executive education program at a large public university in the south Atlantic region of the United States. Although there is a robust literature on the use of blogs for critical reflection in degree programs, far less attention has been given to blogging in nondegree executive education programs. Participants ( n = 10) were senior executives participating in a nondegree preparatory program for an emerging C-suite role. Blog postings submitted over an 8-month period were analyzed using theory-driven content analysis to explore the extent to which reflective blogging contributed to the regeneration of civic-mindedness among well-educated, seasoned professionals. Study findings identified a variety of themes related to examining one’s own assumptions about civic-mindedness and how those themes could be translated into initiatives for organizational transformation. Study limitations and implications for other adult learning programs are also discussed.

Low Pressure Phase Transformations During High-Speed, High-Temperature Scratching of Silicon

Higher temperature assisted processing of silicon, such as heat-assisted diamond turning, is often being considered to improve surface integrity. At higher temperatures and under mechanical loading and unloading, caused by a moving tool, silicon deforms plastically often in association with occurrence of phase transformations. This paper investigates such phase transformations in rotational scratching of single crystal (100) p-type silicon with a conical diamond tool under various furnace-controlled temperatures ranging from room temperature (RT) to 500 °C and at scratching speeds comparable to that used in the diamond turning process (1 m/s). Phase transformation study, using Raman spectroscopy, at various crystal orientations, shows differences in phases formed at various temperatures when compared to that reported in indentation. The tendency to form phases is compared between scratched and diamond turned surfaces at RT, and also with that reported at low scratching speeds in the literature. Analytical indenting-based pressure calculations show that at higher temperatures, phase transformations can happen in silicon at significantly lower pressures. Analysis of depths of the scratched groove indicates that at temperatures beyond a certain threshold, plastic deformation and significant elastic recovery may be causing shallow grooves. Abrasive wear coefficients are thus seen to decrease with the increase in temperatures. This study is expected to help tune heat-assisted diamond turning conditions to improve surface formation.