bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Implementation of Electronic Commerce in SMEs in Singapore
Authors: Kong Wei-Chang
Published: May 2011

This chapter analyzes why small to medium enterprises (SMEs) in Singapore have or have not adopted electronic commerce, and explains issues affecting its adoption. In recent years, the Singapore government has spearheaded the implementation of e-commerce in Singapore. SMEs still have not heeded the government’s call. In a survey conducted by AC Nielsen, commissioned by the National Computer Board of Singapore, it was found that of 13 percent of 1,500 randomly selected adults, only 6 percent made a purchase using the Internet (NCB, 1998). The reasons for Singapore’s SMEs’ uniform and widespread unwillingness to adopt e-commerce despite the government’s push, are still largely unknown. Research published on the Singapore Government’s e-commerce web site (http://www.ec.gov.sg) (also Singapore 2000; 1998a; 1998b), has information only on surveys showing that Internet users are still rather unsure of e-commerce, especially towards Internet commerce. What is required is information from the SME’s viewpoint. Already certain “seminal” advantages exist in adopting e-commerce, such as: cost savings, improved productivity and streamlined business processes. This research will obtain relevant information from selected SMEs in Singapore, to better understand issues that have led to the current e-commerce situation in Singapore. The Singaporean Government has consistently focused on promoting informatization and information industry development in the economic development strategy of the island economy (IMCM, 1998). Among developing countries, Singapore has achieved one of the highest rates of diffusion of information technology (Wong, 1996; Wong 1998; Corbitt & Thanasankit, 2002). Singapore has also been regularly rated as maintaining among the best telecommunications infrastructure in the world, according to the annual World Competitiveness Report (International Institute for Management Development, 1996). The “electric commercialization” of Singapore started in 1996 with the National Computer Board (NCB) and with the e-commerce Hotbed Program (ECH) to jumpstart the pervasive use of e-commerce and position Singapore as a hub for e-commerce. An e-commerce committee established six guiding principles to promote e-commerce in Singapore: • The private sector should take the lead • Government should create a framework that provides certainty and reliability • Government should provide a secure and safe environment • Joint venture pilots and experiments between Government and the private sector are needed to expedite e-commerce growth and development • Innovative, transparent and liberal policies should be proactively pursued by Government • Consistency with international regimes, international cooperation and interoperability are necessary for e-commerce to thrive (National Computer Board, 1998)
Micropayments for E-Commerce Transactions
Authors: Ekasdornkorn Amnuay , Corbitt Brian , Phalavonk Utomporn
Published: May 2011

Online payments in electronic commerce (e-commerce) are usually carried out with credit cards because they are the most convenient to use. Web sites that do not accept credit cards risk losing their customers. Yet potential customers do not include only credit card holders. There are a lot of potential customers who do not have credit cards, some for cultural reasons, others because of trust implications and others because of cost. Even among those who have credit cards, some do not buy online just because they do not feel that the system is secure enough to give away their credit card information over web pages. More importantly perhaps, credit card payments are not suitable for small-value purchases due to their high-incurred overheads to merchants.
Factors Influencing the Acceptance of Web-Based Online Education for Thai Educators
Authors: Tetiwat Orasa , Huff Sid L.
Published: May 2011

Online education has become widely used and accepted in many universities, especially in North America and Europe, since in the early 1990s. However, its adoption and use in developing countries such as Thailand is at an earlier stage. Many Thai educators are still hesitant to deploy online education for their courses. Many factors affect their decisions to accept online education. Thus, there is a need for research in this area so that educators can plan and prepare in deploying online education. The main objective of this chapter is to investigate the factors that influence Thai educators in accepting online education and highlight how Thai culture and values have an effect on these influencing factors. The framework of this study is based on three adoption and acceptance theories: the Diffusion of Innovation theory (DOI), the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). In-depth interviews were conducted with 22 Thai educators who have used or managed online courses in 12 Thai universities. The findings indicate that the five most influential factors are control beliefs regarding availability of technology, cost of computer technology and Internet access, and accessibility to technology and behavioral beliefs regarding compatibility, and relative advantage. Other important factors (from top six to top ten ranking) include the user’s attitude towards IT, the behavioral beliefs concerning student demand, complexity of online education and trialability, as well as the control belief concerning institutional policy. Less influential factors include control beliefs regarding government policy, management support, ethical considerations, and language barrier, as well as the normative beliefs regarding group influence. Influencing factors that are impacted by Thai culture and values are compatibility, group influence by supervisors, management support and institution’s policy, government policy, and language barrier.
Utilization of Data Mining Techniques to Detect and Predict Accounting Fraud
Authors: Rodger James A.
Published: May 2011

Accounting information systems enable the process of internal control and external auditing to provide a first-line defense in detecting fraud (Turpen & Messina, 1997). There are few valid indicators at either the individual or the organizational level which are reliable indicators of fraud prevention (Groveman, 1995). Recent studies have shown that it is nearly impossible to predict fraud. In fact, many of the characteristics associated with white-collar criminals are precisely the traits which organizations look for when hiring employees (Lord, 1997). This paper proposes the use of information systems to deal with fraud through proactive information collection, data mining, and decision support activities.
Information Technology and Public Administration
Authors: Northrop Alana
Published: May 2011

This chapter first points out the need for a reader on information technology by reviewing the importance given computing education by MPA programs and practitioners. Next, the chapter surveys current textbooks’ and general public administration journals’ treatments of the topic. Three highly respected public administration journals and six textbooks are reviewed. The journals are found to barely treat the topic of computing, whether as a main focus or as merely a mention in articles. The textbooks also barely mention computing. In addition, there is no consistent rubric or chapter topic under which computing is discussed. The need for a reader on information technology and computer applications in public administration is apparent. The chapter then turns to the consideration of what hands-on skills in computer applications should be a mark of a graduate degree in public administration. It is suggested that there are six generic skills with a seventh one on the horizon. Finally, the chapter concludes by briefly discussing a range of issues that public administrators should be conversant with if they are to successfully utilize computer applications in the delivery of public sector services.
The Realities of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
Authors: Fletcher Patricia Diamond
Published: May 2011

The strategic management practices required for the use of information and information technologies under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (P.L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. § 3501) comprise an important toolkit for federal agencies. There is a special need for strategic planning and management of information in an era of electronic government initiatives, homeland security, federal workforce retention problems, and inter/intra-governmental agency data sharing programs and systems. The PRA sets the policy agenda for information resources management in the US federal government and places the guidance and oversight for enacting the PRA in the Executive Office of Management and Budget (OMB). At both the level of guidance and practice, the PRA has had mixed success since it was initially signed into law in 1980. OMB has not met its statutory responsibilities under the PRA, and the federal government is left without a cohesive direction and agenda for information resources management.
E-Government
Authors: Schelin Shannon Howle
Published: May 2011

Information technology has fundamentally altered many aspects of daily life, including interactions with the government. The role of the Internet continues to increase as more citizens use it to find pertinent information, purchase goods and services, and to participate in virtual communities. By capitalizing on the Internet revolution, governments can create new channels of communication and new methods for participation via e-government. The changing environment, coupled with citizen and business demands, encourages government involvement in e-government initiatives and related uses of information technologies. This essay offers an overview of the historical premises, theoretical constructs, and associated typologies of e-government. These typologies posit a framework for understanding e-government, its potential benefits, and its related challenges.
Geographic Information Systems in the Public Sector
Authors: Carr T. R.
Published: May 2011

Geographic information systems emerged in the 1970s and have become significant decision-making tools as their capabilities have been enhanced. This chapter includes a brief discussion of various GIS applications and a more detailed discussion of issues that public managers should consider when evaluating implementation of a geographic information system. GIS applications provide benefits at the basic level in terms of producing maps efficiently, at the planning level through the use of database applications, and at the management decision-making level through an ability to access relational databases for policy-level decisions. In considering the capacity of GIS in the public sector, concise definitions of the major application theories—vector and raster—are offered to provide a basic understanding of the analytical process and GIS toolkit aspects. Issues impacting GIS implementation include needs assessment, project planning, access to public records, liability issues, public and private partnerships, dissemination of information, and privacy issues. Public managers should be aware of difficulties associated with justification of costs associated with GIS implementation and that a hesitancy exists on the part of GIS program managers to share missteps and implementation failures.
World Wide Web Site Design and Use in Public Management
Authors: Scavo Carmine
Published: May 2011

The World Wide Web (Web) has been widely adopted by local governments as a way to interact with local residents. The promise and reality of Web applications are explored in this chapter. Four types of Web utilizations are analyzed—bulletin board applications; promotion applications; service delivery applications; and citizen input applications. A survey of 145 municipal and county government websites originally conducted in 1998 was replicated in 2002. These data are used to examine how local governments are actually using the Web and to examine the evolution of Web usage over the four years between the first and second survey. The chapter concludes that local governments have made progress in incorporating many of the features of the Web but that they have a long way to go in realizing its full promise.
Using Web-Based Technology to Support and Enhance the Learning Experience in a Community-Learning Projects Course
Authors: Drinka Dennis , Yen M. Minnie Yi-Miin
Published: May 2011

Project-based courses present students with unique support and organizational challenges. In these types of courses, students must assume greater responsibility for learning and organizing and must direct their efforts toward satisfying a unique, sometimes ill-structured problem. The enhanced learning potential in these courses is significant; however, so are the risks. Discussed in this chapter are a variety of Web-based technologies that were used to support students in their project development efforts, thereby realizing benefits of project-based courses while ensuring project success. A demonstration of how students in a project-based capstone course used this technology to assist them in developing community-based information systems is presented. More importantly, it also demonstrates how the tools, selected because they contributed to project success, can extend the students’ learning environment and enhance their learning experience.
The Use of a Hybrid Model in Web-Based Education
Authors: Kamel Sherif , Wahba Khaled
Published: May 2011

Education is one of the key sectors that benefited from the continuous developments and innovations in information and communication technology. The changes have affected the concepts of teaching, the methodologies used in class and online and the delivery mechanisms providing multiple opportunities for educators and scholars to engage in an invaluable knowledge-based environment that represents a unique opportunity for educators and scholars around the world to benefit and excel in their disciplines. In that respect, one of the technologies stemming from the innovations in information and communication technology has been Web-based education as a medium for learning and a vehicle for information dissemination and knowledge delivery. However, Web-based education has been implemented using different methodologies to maximize the quality level, where a primary concern has always been whether Web-based education matches traditional teaching mechanisms. Covered in this chapter is the experience of the Global Campus (GC) project whose idea is the delivery of academic programs using a hybrid model of traditional and unconventional methods. The project is a collaboration between the Regional IT Institute (Egypt) and Middlesex University (United Kingdom), aiming at delivering postgraduate education to the community in Egypt, Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom, while capitalizing on cutting-edge information and communication technology. The focus in this chapter is on demonstrating the lessons learned from managing a model for a globally extended enterprise in the education sector through a partnership agreement between the different parties that capitalizes on the opportunities enabled by the Internet, which is probably the most transformative technology in history, reshaping business, media, entertainment, and society in astonishing ways but also perceived to dramatically transform the learning process.
Learning Theory and Technology
Authors: Berg Gary A.
Published: May 2011

I come to the subject of this book from a very different path than most of those thinking about the use of computers in educational environments. My formal education focused originally on literature and film studies, and film production at the University of California at Berkeley, San Francisco State University, and the University of California at Los Angeles. I became professionally involved in educational administration through the backdoor of continuing education focused first on the entertainment industry, and then more broadly. It was after this combined experience of studying film and television and working in adult education that I began research in education and earned a doctorate in the field of higher education from Claremont Graduate University, with a special emphasis on distance learning. I hope that the different point of view I have developed from my eclectic background gives me the ability to make something of a unique contribution to this evolving new field. What follows is an attempt to spark a discussion that will lead to answers to the question of what are the most effective techniques for the design of computer learning environments. This is not a how-to book—we are too early in the evolutionary process of the medium to give such specific guidance. Rather, my intention is to offer some theories to elevate the thinking bout computers in education. Because the subject is interdisciplinary, combining science with the humanities, the theoretical discussion draws from abroad range of disciplines: psychology, educational theory, film criticism, and computer science. The book looks at the notion of computer as medium and what such an idea might mean for education. I suggest that the understanding of computers as a medium may be a key to re-envisioning educational technology. Oren (1995) argues that understanding computers as a medium means enlarging human-computer interaction (HCI) research to include issues such as the psychology of media, evolution of genre and form, and the societal implications of media, all of which are discussed here. Computers began to be used in educational environments much later than film, and I would have to agree with others who claim that the use of computers instructionally is still quite unsophisticated.
Dramatic Structure, Genre and Editing
Authors: Berg Gary A.
Published: May 2011

I come to the subject of this book from a very different path than most of those thinking about the use of computers in educational environments. My formal education focused originally on literature and film studies, and film production at the University of California at Berkeley, San Francisco State University, and the University of California at Los Angeles. I became professionally involved in educational administration through the backdoor of continuing education focused first on the entertainment industry, and then more broadly. It was after this combined experience of studying film and television and working in adult education that I began research in education and earned a doctorate in the field of higher education from Claremont Graduate University, with a special emphasis on distance learning. I hope that the different point of view I have developed from my eclectic background gives me the ability to make something of a unique contribution to this evolving new field. What follows is an attempt to spark a discussion that will lead to answers to the question of what are the most effective techniques for the design of computer learning environments. This is not a how-to book—we are too early in the evolutionary process of the medium to give such specific guidance. Rather, my intention is to offer some theories to elevate the thinking bout computers in education. Because the subject is interdisciplinary, combining science with the humanities, the theoretical discussion draws from abroad range of disciplines: psychology, educational theory, film criticism, and computer science. The book looks at the notion of computer as medium and what such an idea might mean for education. I suggest that the understanding of computers as a medium may be a key to re-envisioning educational technology. Oren (1995) argues that understanding computers as a medium means enlarging human-computer interaction (HCI) research to include issues such as the psychology of media, evolution of genre and form, and the societal implications of media, all of which are discussed here. Computers began to be used in educational environments much later than film, and I would have to agree with others who claim that the use of computers instructionally is still quite unsophisticated.
Subjectivity, Point of View, and Dreaming
Authors: Berg Gary A.
Published: May 2011

I come to the subject of this book from a very different path than most of those thinking about the use of computers in educational environments. My formal education focused originally on literature and film studies, and film production at the University of California at Berkeley, San Francisco State University, and the University of California at Los Angeles. I became professionally involved in educational administration through the backdoor of continuing education focused first on the entertainment industry, and then more broadly. It was after this combined experience of studying film and television and working in adult education that I began research in education and earned a doctorate in the field of higher education from Claremont Graduate University, with a special emphasis on distance learning. I hope that the different point of view I have developed from my eclectic background gives me the ability to make something of a unique contribution to this evolving new field. What follows is an attempt to spark a discussion that will lead to answers to the question of what are the most effective techniques for the design of computer learning environments. This is not a how-to book—we are too early in the evolutionary process of the medium to give such specific guidance. Rather, my intention is to offer some theories to elevate the thinking bout computers in education. Because the subject is interdisciplinary, combining science with the humanities, the theoretical discussion draws from abroad range of disciplines: psychology, educational theory, film criticism, and computer science. The book looks at the notion of computer as medium and what such an idea might mean for education. I suggest that the understanding of computers as a medium may be a key to re-envisioning educational technology. Oren (1995) argues that understanding computers as a medium means enlarging human-computer interaction (HCI) research to include issues such as the psychology of media, evolution of genre and form, and the societal implications of media, all of which are discussed here. Computers began to be used in educational environments much later than film, and I would have to agree with others who claim that the use of computers instructionally is still quite unsophisticated.
Conflict and Politics and Information Systems Failure
Authors: Warne Leoni
Published: May 2011

Managing the power, politics and organizational conflict inherent in information systems is increasingly recognized as being of critical importance to successful information systems development. The focus of this chapter is the extent to which conflict among participants in an information systems development may be said to contribute to project failure. The chapter describes a research study that explores the nature of conflict in an information systems development and the extent to which conflict may be perceived to impact on the successful progress of a project. In particular, the study was designed to determine which type of conflict (i.e., conflict between which type of stakeholders) may pose the most risk to an information systems development and to determine to what extent conflict can be said to be a contributing factor to information systems failure. The study was structured into three distinct stages. The first stage was a major case study conducted to explore the nature of conflict in a prematurely terminated information systems development and to probe the extent to which conflict was perceived to pose a risk to information systems projects. The second stage involved surveying IT Managers to test the wider applicability of the case study findings. The third and final stage involved developing a predictive model of conflict showing the relative weighting of each of the variables investigated, using logistic regression. The most significant outcome of the study was that information systems developments can be detrimentally affected by the impact of conflict among users who have commissioned or will use the system. Managing and resolving conflict in an information systems environment is clearly a difficult, challenging and time-consuming exercise, but the findings of this research study suggest that the rewards, in terms of higher success rates, should be worth the commitment.
Learning Technologies and Learning Theories
Authors: Sieber Vivien , Andrew David
Published: May 2011

Learning technologies can provide a rich learning environment; this chapter explores the relationship between traditional learning theories and technology-mediated learning. Two examples are presented where technologies are used as tools (a) to evaluate and create Web pages and (b) to create learning technology teaching materials. The range of learning outcomes resulting from these projects are discussed in terms of Gardner’s (1993) theory of multiple intelligences.
Computer Supported Network Based Learning Environment for the Workplace
Authors: Rugelj Joze
Published: May 2011

In this chapter we present our experiences in the field of computer-supported network-based learning over the last 10 years. We began our activities in this field with investigation of group communications and of generic models for online learning. Later we extended our interests to implementation of computer-supported network-based learning environments for different user groups and to measures that have to accompany introduction of new learning technologies to schools or workplaces.
Security and Online Learning
Authors: Adams Anne , Blanford Ann
Published: May 2011

The rapid development of online learning is opening up many new learning opportunities. Yet, with this increased potential come a myriad of risks. Usable security systems are essential as poor usability in security can result in excluding intended users while allowing sensitive data to be released to unacceptable recipients. This chapter presents findings concerned with usability for two security issues: authentication mechanisms and privacy. Usability issues such as memorability, feedback, guidance, context of use and concepts of information ownership are reviewed within various environments. This chapter also reviews the roots of these usability difficulties in the culture clash between the non-user-oriented perspective of security and the information exchange culture of the education domain. Finally an account is provided of how future systems can be developed which maintain security and yet are still usable.
Libraries as Publishers of Digital Video
Authors: Kearns William D.
Published: May 2011

Dubbed as the next “Killer Application” (Hanss, 2001), digital video’s anticipated impact on computer networks is enormous. Few other applications are so severely impacted by networks incapable of delivering quality of service guarantees for the latency and delay with which video stations receive information packets. The goal of this chapter is to briefly discuss the teaching and research uses of video materials in academic environments, inform librarians of the various forms into which video materials may be encoded, the strengths and weaknesses of the media formats, and to argue for a comprehensive implementation plan when considering the distribution of video resources. We will conclude the chapter with an illustration of how one academic library employed database technology to create a video card catalog accessible from the Internet.
E-Reference
Authors: Wells Amy Tracey , Hanson Ardis
Published: May 2011

Lipnow (1997) talks about traditional reference as a mediated, one-on-one service that intervenes at the information seeker’s point of need. Further, she suggests that this point of need is part of the universal predicament of an information seeker – someone who wants to move forward (cognitively) but is unable to progress until he or she finds that missing piece of information. Research clearly shows that information seekers want and need that gap filled with as little interruption as possible, so they can continue where they left off (Dervin, 1998, 1989). From a library perspective, the two questions emanating from that need are first, how to ensure that clients who use a reference service get up-to-date assistance that integrates paper and electronic resources, and second, how to reach the user who has a question but no obvious place to ask it. Technology may have simultaneously ameliorated and exacerbated these questions.
Website Development Issues
Authors: Caggiano Beverly
Published: May 2011

Since 1995, university academic libraries have seen increased computer demand and use by faculty, staff, and students; widespread use of bibliographic databases to identify the existence and content of local and remote information; the emergence of full-text electronic resources; and a plethora of network databases, protocols, and applications growing piecemeal throughout the academic setting. To provide on-line access to these resources, libraries created web ‘gateways’ using new browser-based technology. When any new technology develops, there is a tendency to discard the traditional way of doing things and start again. However, rather than arguing which approach is better, it is more constructive to examine and combine the strengths of each approach to provide a better service for the end-user. This is particularly applicable in the case of web sites, since the creation of a web site has become a relatively easy task. This chapter reviews the best practices gleaned from various disciplines, sprinkled with real-life examples, and tempered by experience. The goal of the chapter is to provide the framework for a viable library web project.
Issues for Library Management When Implementing Large-Scale Programmatic Change
Authors: Arsenault Kathy , Hanson Ardis , Pelland Joan
Published: May 2011

Change, by its very nature, is unpredictable, and often unmanageable, yet an organization’s success depends on an ability to predict and control change in some way. To derive maximum benefit from new opportunities and to avoid reactive situations, it is essential to manage organizational change. Further, as change accelerates, the more difficult and stressful it is to manage. The proliferation of change management literature in the library and information field indicates that these issues are becoming increasingly important as more academic libraries develop a virtual presence (Higuchi, 1990; Lee, 1993; Riggs, 1997; Meyer, 1997; Nozero & Vaughn, 2000). Nearly a decade ago, Dougherty and Dougherty (1993) observed that the current rate of change in the information field was higher than ever before, while libraries’ ability to respond quickly and decisively had never been more constrained. Academic libraries, like other organizations, must respond proactively to their changing environment in order to take advantage of the opportunities for increasing their visibility, restructuring to meet the needs of their users, and achieving their objective of remaining the preeminent source of information within the academy. This chapter begins with an overview of the theoretical perspectives of change. Using Burke, Church and Waclawski’s (1993) Managing Change model, the authors will discuss the structure of change, the culture of change, and the individual response to change within a case study framework.
Keeping Your Eyes on the Prize
Authors: Ehrmann Stephen C.
Published: May 2011

This chapter describes eight potential educational uses of institutional portals (e.g., helping instruction become more spontaneous and adaptive; supporting learning communities; reducing cost of service delivery). It then describes a long-term program of data collection that can improve the educational effectiveness of portals, and control the costs and stresses of portal operation. Studies include: a. baseline data (how well are those goals being met without a portal?), b. debugging studies (what factors are tending to block portal effectiveness?), c. cost studies (what aspects of portal development, operation and use are so costly, time-consuming or stressful that they threaten system success?) and d. outcomes assessment (is portal use contributing to outcome improvement?). The non-profit Flashlight Program has developed a number of evaluation tool kits that can be helpful in doing studies of these kinds.
Technology in the Mathematics Classroom
Authors: Ittigson Robin J. , Zewe John G.
Published: May 2011

According to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, technology is essential in teaching and learning mathematics. It influences how mathematics should be taught and enhances what students learn. Calculators and computers present visual images of mathematical ideas for students. They help students organize information, support investigations, and develop decision-making, reflection, reasoning, and problem-solving skills.
Technology in the Technology Classroom
Authors: Tomei Lawrence A.
Published: May 2011

Technologies in the classroom are now the norm in schools equipped with multimedia, graphics and animation, access to the Internet, and handheld and remote devices. Students use these technologies as once they used pencils, books, and manipulatives to learn content in all subject areas. Learning is surpassing mere skills and facts; students are thinking and solving problems using these new skills. Literally, the world has become their classroom. Technologies help students master content aided by the fastest Internet connections at home as well as school. Technologies are the norm rather than the exception as tools for learning and content to be taught and mastered in school. Technologies are transforming how teachers teach and how their students learn, making it possible for both to attain the demands of ever-increasing standards. To meet these demands, educators have come to consider technology as a content area to be learned and as tools to be mastered.
Technologies for Students with Disabilities
Authors: Lengyel Linda M.
Published: May 2011

Computers and other technologies are powerful tools supporting students with disabilities. Students with visual impairments access written text through auditory output devices or print magnification devices, students with learning disabilities who have difficulty organizing thoughts use software as a visual organization tool, students with physical disabilities write papers using adaptive equipment attached to a computer or voice recognition software, students who cannot use their voice speak using an alternative communication device.
Integrating Technology into the Curriculum
Authors: Wojnar Linda C. , Tomei Lawrence A.
Published: May 2011

In this chapter, the contributor offers three tools for creating technology-based instructional materials. Microsoft Word is the word processor of choice for creating text-based materials. Microsoft’s Power Point is recommended for visual-based classroom presentations. And, Netscape Composer provides an environment for creating Web-based materials. Chapter 11 offers a primer for creating technology-based instructional materials. Certainly, there is no attempt to provide a level of detail necessary to produce materials that would compete with commercial packages. Rather, consider the technology tools introduced in Chapter 2, combine them with the academic content offered in Chapters 3 through 9, take into account the implications of special needs students addressed in Chapter 10, and create individualized instructional materials using the skills offered. If additional features are desired, readers are encouraged to locate a copy of Teaching Digitally: A Guide for Integrating Technology into the Classroom, by Lawrence A. Tomei, published by Christopher Gordon Publishers, Inc.
Socio-technical Design
Authors: Mumford Enid
Published: May 2011

In order to understand the present and predict the future we need to learn from the past. A major part of this book will examine how ideas derived from an approach called socio-technical design can be used to improve the quality of working life for people at every level and in almost any kind of work situation.
Analysing Problem Situations
Authors: Mumford Enid
Published: May 2011

The book now introduces some case studies on organizational design and asks you to think what you would do if you were a manager, researcher or consultant in the same situation. As we have seen, change and its environment are often complex and difficult to understand. The change initiators, frequently management, may know what they are trying to achieve but may have little understanding of the problems involved in the introduction of a new system or of the uncertain reception it may be given. Wise change agents will start by obtaining a comprehensive understanding of the situation that will receive the change and of the problems that may accompany its early use. This information, if wisely applied, will assist the creation of well thought-out strategies that lead to effective application. Successful change depends on comprehensive knowledge. Without this, decisions will be taken in the dark and lead to consequences which are undesirable and little understood. Metaphors may be helpful here. Gaining an understanding of a problem situation can be seen as similar to a rock climber working out the route for a future climb or an army commander making a battle plan before moving into action. What I am proposing is the creation of a “management map” before any implementation action is taken. I would also like to stress the importance of knowledge and experience of the kind of problem in which many variables may affect the outcome. This could be especially useful for those implementing technical systems such as information technology. Technical problem solvers frequently see technology as the dominant variable and give it exclusive attention. The consequence is that a neglect of other interacting variables, especially those relating to people, can lead to system failure.
Creating an Online Program
Authors: Kyrish Sandy
Published: May 2011

Good planning is key to the development of a successful online learning program. For online learning (as with any form of distance education), initial planning should primarily center on two issues: identifying the educational goal of the program, and identifying the practical issues of implementation. Planners must recognize that while online learning is a technology-based activity, it must be organized around clear educational goals that are strongly aligned with one or more key areas for the institution. Although educational goals will be different for each institution, this chapter suggests common tools and strategies that can be used to help identify key goals. Once goals (and accompanying objectives) are identified, practical issues of implementation must also be carefully considered. These include determining the initial investment, deciding on profitability goals, putting strong program leadership in place, creating an effective program, and identifying support needs for faculty and students.
Government Web Portals
Authors: Franzel Joshua M. , Coursey David H.
Published: May 2011

Web portals are the dominant organizational motif for e-government service delivery. To date, most reviews of government portal experiences focus on the types and technical sophistication of delivered services as well as design issues, such as usability. Management issues, like commercialization and centralization, receive relatively little attention. The authors define and argue for a more management-oriented perspective. Several major issues are explored and then the experiences of five states are used to demonstrate how their consideration presents a very different view of portal strategies for researchers.
Consequences of the Cyberstate
Authors: Panagopoulos Costas
Published: May 2011

Emerging technology has provided public sector leaders with unprecedented opportunities to redefine the relationship between citizens and the state. Yet, even as leaders embrace the promise and possibilities afforded by digital government, there is little consensus about the political implications of digital government. While some experts expect little impact, others claim that advances in digital government will have significant political implications. This study assesses the political implications of digital government from an international perspective. Using data recently compiled by the United Nations (U.N.), the findings indicate that digital government is likely to produce significant political implications. Specifically, advances in digital government are likely to engender greater citizen support for government as well as higher levels of political participation.
Five Factors for Planning
Authors: Campbell Katy
Published: May 2011

This chapter is for a reader who is at the beginning of the writing or development process, or who wants to affirm planning decisions. In this chapter you will consider five planning aspects in e-Learning design: 1. Outcomes 2. Learners 3. Activities 4. Assessment 5. Resources An overview of each aspect will help you describe your own hopes and expectations for your online course. By the end of the chapter you should feel confident that the Web is a good delivery technology for your course.
Trust in Technology Partnerships
Authors: Blomqvist Kirsimarja , Stahle Pirjo
Published: May 2011

In this chapter the concept and phenomenon of trust with special focus on technology partnership formation is explored. Complementary partnerships are believed to be a key element both in knowledge creation for technological development itself and in leveraging the value of technological knowledge. Knowledge creation is social in nature, and social exchange is a core process in knowledge creation, where voluntary communication based on trust is critical. The aim of this chapter is to increase the understanding of trust both as a concept and as a phenomenon. The conceptualization of trust is derived basically from the literature and developed further by data from an empirical study by Blomqvist (2002) on trust in asymmetric technology partnerships. On the basis of these analyses a four-dimensional conceptualization of trust is formed. Trust is an actor’s expectation on the other party’s capability, goodwill and self-reference, which needs to be confirmed by experience. Thus trust is increased by — and decreased by the lack of — these components in parties’ actual behavior and communication. The authors show also some operative methods for building trust.
Self-Organization and New Hierarchies in Complex Evolutionary Value Networks
Authors: Mandelli Andreina
Published: May 2011

This chapter, with a broad theory building goal, addresses these two questions: “how the new network-based forms of coordination emerge, and how can they change the management of value exchange dynamics on complex cognitive networks?” We can find a useful answer by using an interdisciplinary approach. New institutions do not form through costless trust and order-for-free self-organization (the invisible hand of the market), but are managed as complex evolutionary value networks. This conceptual framework can help managers to design more cooperative structures and nodes to negotiate network structure and power. The design of the network matters. The network is the locus of learning but also the locus of social negotiation. The new institutions can be designed, even if this design looks more like a monitorial learning process and a design of the infomediation infrastructure than the well structured plans of old-fashioned management. The new network governance forms, and the logics that wants to build organizations as flexible and loosely-coupled systems of self-organized peripheries, also require that we build a new “ethics of network management” agenda.
A Belief-Based Model of Trust
Authors: Falcone Rino , Castelfranchi Cristiano
Published: May 2011

In this chapter, we present a socio-cognitive analysis of trust. In this model trust is conceived as a crucial attitude useful for delegating or not a specific task, and it is strongly based on specific beliefs, and on different cognitive ingredients. Characterising the basic elements on which trust is founded is very important not only for a psychological view of this phenomenon but also for better understanding how this attitude works. This model allows to distinguish between internal and external attributions (to the trustee) and for each of these kinds of attribution it allows to distinguish among several sub-components: competence, disposition, unharmfulness and so on. The analysis of the trust concept tries to show the importance of its role in knowledge management and systems in organisations. Trust is strongly supported by the organisation roles and functions, but in order to really understand how organisations work it is necessary to explore such inter-relational notions as delegation and trust.
Strategies for Managing IS Personnel
Authors: Schwarzkopf A.B. , Saunders Carol , Jasperson Jon (Sean) , Croes Henry
Published: May 2011

In this chapter, we use the IT staffing cycle of forecasting, acquiring, training, and retaining to investigate how companies ensure that their IT staffs possess a skill base adequate to respond effectively to rapidly changing and uncertain technological environments. To better understand the strategies that companies use throughout the IT staffing cycle, we surveyed 30 senior-level managers (i.e., CIOs, IT planners, and Human Resources managers) from 15 companies representing a broad range of organizational environments across five different industries: energy, high-tech, financial, transportation, and distribution. Telephone interview questions were based on a framework that we developed to explain the relationship between IT and organizational planning in IT skills forecasting. The respondents’ answers to these questions clearly demonstrate that the companies in our sample lack formal systems for linking business plans with IT plans for the purpose of forecasting IT skills. Further, our study findings clearly suggest that long-term skill needs are not managed, but are treated as a source of uncertainty. Within the skills acquisition process, strategies appear to be adopted with the intent of reducing uncertainty. In particular, companies often treat the IT group as a self-contained unit that operates separately from Human Resources when acquiring employees with needed IT skills from the external market. Staffing gaps are frequently filled by turning to the external market to find IT specialists with needed skills, or by turning to their internal market by training employees already on the payroll. We conclude with suggestions to fine-tune IT skills forecasting and planning.
Important Human Factors for Systems Development Success
Authors: Guimaraes Tor , Staples D. Sandy , McKeen  , McKeen
Published: May 2011

Improving user satisfaction with information systems is an important consideration given the amount of resources organizations invest in systems development. Many factors are likely to play a role in enhancing the satisfaction users feel toward their systems, but probably none is as important as having knowledgeable, well-trained users participate in a meaningful way in the system development process. This study empirically tests the importance of user participation, user experience, user/developer communication, user training, user influence, and user conflict encountered during the system development process. A sample of 228 system users were used for a multivariate regression model testing the importance of these factors. The results indicate that user participation, user training, and user expertise can explain 61% of the variance in user satisfaction with their systems. The other factors showed no statistical significance in this study. Based on the results, managerial recommendations are proposed to people responsible for the systems development process in organizations.