Gift exchange theory is utilized to explain the growing trend of employers offering employer-supported volunteering (ESV) benefits. This paper views these benefits through the lens of gift exchange and discusses the creation of exchange relationships between the employer and employee and between the volunteer organization and employee. Hypotheses derived from the perspective of the employee are tested with a nationally representative sample of volunteers (n = 3,658). Findings suggest ESV benefits are positively related to hours volunteered by the employee. Volunteer hours predict employee perceptions of skill acquisition. Perceptions of skill acquisition are positively related to perceptions of job success and employer recognition. We discuss implications for business, employees, and volunteer organizations with an emphasis on human resources management policy and practice.Gift Exchange and ESV 2

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C olloidal semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) and nanorods (NRs) are nanometer-sized single-crystal nanoparticles (NPs) nucleated from a hot solution of precursor molecules. Their size and shape can be precisely controlled by the duration, temperature, and ligands used in the synthesis. 1À3 This method yields QDs orNRs that have composition and size-dependent absorption and emission wavelengths covering the entire spectral range from the visible to the NIR regions.

Unlike the dislocation-based plasticity in crystalline metals, which can be readily explained by their crystal structure and the presence of defects, the nature of the plasticity in amorphous alloys is not completely understood. Experiments have shown that the plasticity in amorphous alloys is strongly dependent on their atomic packing density. This study, based on the combination of experimental and computational techniques, examines the origin of the plasticity in amorphous alloys considering characteristics of the inherent atomic-scale structure as defined by short-range ordered (SRO) clusters. The role of various SRO atomic clusters in creating free volume during shear deformation is discussed. We report that the plasticity exhibited by amorphous alloys is very sensitive to the characteristics of the atomic packing state, which can be described by various SRO atomic structures and quantified by the effective activation energy for crystallization.