bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Role of Computer-Mediated Communication Modes in Enhancing Audit Quality
Authors: Hegazy Mohamed , Hamdy Rasha
Published: May 2010

The circumstances and variables surrounding the auditing environment like the International Trade Agreement (ITA) and the probability of the entrance of foreign auditing firms in the auditing field in Egypt resulted in pressure to enhance the audit effectiveness and quality of Egyptian auditing firms’ performance. The main focus in this research study is on the Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) modes to be used in the communication process in auditing firms to enhance the auditor performance. A survey strategy is conducted by using questionnaires, which are distributed among a number of Egyptian auditing firms, to collect the required data and then the collected data is analyzed logically and statistically. These logic and statistical analyses are made to test the study hypotheses. The results of this research study supported the acceptance of all study hypotheses. The results revealed that CMC modes effectiveness increases the audit work effectiveness and audit quality. Also, the results indicate the contradiction between the users’ perception of the effect of using CMC modes on the audit effectiveness and the real application of traditional communication modes in auditing firms.
Speed of Technology Adaptation in Connection to Organizational Change and Ownership Concentration
Authors: Galetic Lovorka , Podrug Najla , Hruska Domagoj
Published: May 2010

This chapter investigates technology adaptation in Croatian companies in connection to organizational changes. Furthermore, this chapter investigates how levels of ownership concentration in Croatian companies form patterns of organizational change. Organizational change is conceptualized as changes in technology, organizational structure, organizational culture, strategy, changes in employees’ structure and changes in products and services. The above-mentioned patters of organizational change are analyzed in terms of their frequency and effects on corporate performance. In this empirical analysis, the authors take in consideration three forms of organizational control: (1) control by one dominant shareholder; (2) control by coalition of several large blockholders and (3) managerial control. Each type of control corresponds with ownership concentration measured with percentage of capital held by the largest shareholder. This chapter observes how different levels of ownership concentration and control influence determinants of organizational change.
Automatic Trading System Design
Authors: Tucnik Petr
Published: May 2010

This chapter will focus on the problem of design of automatic trading system for futures trading, specifically its design lifecycle. This is a task that can be divided into several phases. In this chapter we focus on the selection of proper environment (i.e. choose the right market and commodity), choosing appropriate set of tools (fundamental or technical analysis indicators) and creating the automatic trading system itself, which has to follow rules of money (risk) management and trading psychology. The chapter stresses the importance of the system`s acceptability for the user. The last phase covers the topic of testing and optimization. This chapter provides a general overview of each of these phases together with a discussion of typical issues.
The Effects of Innovative Instruments to Market Participants and the Financial System
Authors: Subeniotis Demetres N. , Tampakoudis Ioannis A.
Published: May 2010

Financial innovation triggered new ways in which financial institutions and corporates cope with credit risk since the advent of credit derivatives. A variety of new developed financial instruments, often complex products, offers significant advantages to market participants and its key players and in particular financial institutions. As statistics indicate, advanced computerization is by large the most important factor for the wide use of credit derivatives. More efficient loans portfolio management, further business expansion and confidentiality are the main benefits for banks. In addition, various non financial firms benefit from these tailor-made products. More importantly, credit derivatives are key elements of the financial systems’ stability, through increased liquidity, risk reallocation and credit risk pricing. Nevertheless, these innovative products are accompanied by significant considerations on behalf of users and policy makers. Out of which documentation, pricing, regulation and concentration are the central concerns. Market participants and regulators should face the challenges of credit derivatives market so as to boost the trouble-free intensive growth of these instruments.
Internet Portals in Rural Areas
Authors: Galloway Laura , Deakins David , Sanders John
Published: May 2010

This paper investigates the ownership structure, operating characteristics and sustainability of six rural internet portals located in Scotland. It builds upon a previous study conducted by Deakins et al. (2003), which examined the characteristics of internet portals. In-depth interviews were conducted with six owners or the operators responsible for maintaining and developing the internet portal. The study discovered that two distinct forms of ownership structure existed. The first form of ownership structure involved dedicated private individuals who self-funded their internet portal activities, while the second form were managed by not-for-profit organisations, such as charitable trusts, that either hired part-time staff or employed volunteer staff to operate their internet portal. The privately owned portals were most effective because they demonstrated a higher degree of commitment via content richness, fullness of the services offered, and the extent of community and local business usage. In contrast, the not-for profit owned internet portals suffered from limited content, a narrow selection of services, some political infighting, low employee commitment, and modest community and business usage. Despite the differences both forms of ownership structure struggled to achieve commercial viability.
E-Social Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation
Authors: Gutierrez Morales , Montes Ariza
Published: May 2010

In this paper the authors mainly aim at describing some organizational features of a particular kind of social enterprises that have emerged since the development of web 2.0: peer to peer charities and e-social banking. They will define first the traditional social enterprise and how this phenomenon has evolved in recent years. Then they will explain how the philosophy of Web 2.0 offers new opportunities for the development and growth of these social initiatives. Thirdly, they will detail their main features obtained from the study of twelve inititatives – the most relevant at present – which they have called 2.0 social enterprises (peer to peer charities and e-social banking). The authors will finally offer some reflection on main dilemmas and challenges that could be faced in a short term future.
Education and Training for the Entrepreneurial Employee
Authors: Hegarty Cecilia
Published: May 2010

Over the last two decades, computer technology has become an integral part of any business strategy and operation, including non-ICT ventures. In fact technological innovations have very much driven business growth where the capability of companies to embrace, maintain or lead in developing new technologies has shaped contemporary practice. In preparation for entering this dynamic workplace environment, it is necessary to consider how best to educate the entrepreneurial employee and how to expose students and trainees to these newer technologies. A delivery approach that allows for a combination of information communication technologies (ICT) to be used in education and training is termed ICT-enabled learning. Since the modern learner is inclined to engage with a wide range of ICT-enabled technologies, techno-familiarity can create a comfortable learning zone. As a result, ICT-enabled learning can be provided in universities and within modern day firms. This chapter explores entrepreneurship education through the lens of ICT-enabled learning within university education. In the case study presented, learners extol the benefits of ICT-enabled learning on their entrepreneurship module. There are a number of implications for employers and educationalists. In this chapter, the value of entrepreneurship education via ICT-enabled learning is discussed. For the entrepreneurial firm, recommendations are made about providing training in entrepreneurship for employees.
Open Scientific Entrepreneurship
Authors: von Kortzfleisch Harald , Schaarschmidt Mario , Magin Philipp
Published: May 2010

The objective of this article is to conceptually transfer the concept of open source software (OSS) development to scientific entrepreneurship and to hypothetically discuss the support potentials of this rather new development philosophy for what we than call open scientific entrepreneurship. Therefore, at first the authors will go into conceptual details of scientific entrepreneurship and than of OSS development. Following, the main thrust of the article presents open scientific entrepreneurship from two points of origin: first of all, OSS development as a specific form of scientific e-entrepreneurship and further on potential benefits of opening “traditional” scientific entrepreneurship up by looking at specific action fields. These action fields are theoretically based on the process and competence perspective of scientific entrepreneurship. Finally, the general benefits as well as downsides of the concept of openness are discussed on a generic level. It becomes obvious that there is need for balancing the tensions between an open and closed design pattern for scientific entrepreneurship with a general emphasis on the open design perspective.
Web 1.0, Web 2.0 and Web 3.0
Authors: Kollmann Tobias , Lomberg Carina
Published: May 2010

Both Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 were linked directly to new stages in the development of e-business. Whereas the distinction between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 became widely accepted in literature and practice, we are merely at the beginning of the possibilities arising from current trends culminating in our information society. Information emerges increasingly as a major factor of production, allowing the activation of innovative business opportunities. However, over the past years, a sheer explosion of supplies has taken place. This development is both a blessing and a curse as it leads to an oversupply of information within the World Wide Web. Thus, the time needed for finding required information may take longer eventually. Therefore, a next generation technology is needed being capable to cope with these challenges. Due to the logic of this chain of ideas, Web 3.0 technologies are characterized particularly by demand-orientated systems, i.e. demand for objects and services are at the centre. Starting point are demand-driven registration and specification systems. The consumer is at the centre of these processes and will gain individual help, comparable to an information desk. Not only information but also individual products and services may be released (customized products). Against the background of an increasing information overload, the question to be asked is how technological and market-oriented future developments will cope with these challenges. This chapter aims at clarifying this overall development with the objective of giving impulses for the 3rd generation of e-business. For this purpose, the characteristics of each generation (Web 1.0, Web 2.0, and Web 3.0) are clearly highlighted.
Analysis of Job Responsibilities of Association of Research Libraries (ARL) Human Resource Professionals
Authors: Costello Gina R. , Daugherty Alice
Published: May 2010

The purpose of this chapter was to convey the results of an exploratory survey given to human resource professionals working within the 123 institutional members of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL). The objective was to further define the role of human resource professionals in ARL libraries and reveal the nature and extent of human resource support for faculty and staff at ARL libraries. Respondents were recruited through email and asked to characterize their human resource functions by answering 35 open-ended and closed survey questions via an online proprietary survey tool. The response rate was 30% and provided data for the researchers to examine the experience level and education of human resource professionals, the role these individuals play in the day-to-day library operations, and the extent of interaction with the university human resource department.
Strategies for Diversity Initiatives
Authors: Anaya Toni , Maxey-Harris Charlene , Panigabutra-Roberts Anchalee
Published: May 2010

In the state of Nebraska, where the population is 90% white, recruiting people of color to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is challenging. Needless to say, intentional efforts are made to recruit and retain librarians and other information professionals. University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries has brought together a team of librarians to focus on one of the university’s core values--diversity. This team of librarians from public services, technical services and library administration share responsibility in planning and implementing the Libraries’ diversity initiatives. This chapter will discuss the recruitment and retention efforts of the Libraries and the evolution of the team that has increased the number of librarians from underrepresented populations at University of Nebraska-Lincoln from 2.6% in 1999 to 12.2% in 2009.
Teaching New Librarians How to Teach
Authors: Hensley Merinda Kaye
Published: May 2010

Librarians enter the academy with little background in the pedagogical and theoretical intricacies of teaching and learning. With library instruction responsibilities on the rise, institutions are searching for ways to encourage librarians to engage in the process of learning how to teach. Instruction librarians and coordinators can build a peer learning program that incorporates a progressive teaching structure where librarians graduate from shadow teaching to team teaching to solo teaching. By combining support in the classroom with a dynamic mentoring environment, librarians work as a team in order to provide students with high quality instructional experiences that promote lifelong learning. Formative assessment is built into the mentoring process while simultaneously providing analysis of the program. Suggestions for professional development and a reading list are included.
Understanding Organizational Culture and Group Dynamics
Authors: Rossmann Doralyn
Published: May 2010

The field of library and information science will benefit from a greater understanding of the function of individuals in relation to organizational culture and group dynamics, including how individual experiences underlie the culture of an organization. Understanding how these factors can shape successful human resources management will help today’s information science and management organizations in their recruitment, development, and retention efforts. It is suggested here that, while MLIS curricula and library organizations have traditionally focused on leadership as a function of management, a reorientation towards development of leadership skills at all levels of the organization will have a positive effect on organizational culture and group dynamics. In development of this concept, this chapter provides an overview of traditional approaches to understanding organizational culture and group dynamics and how these are applied in the information and library science literature and curricula; explores an alternate normative orientation towards the understanding of organizational culture and group dynamics as a function of all individuals in an organization and not just management; identifies ways in which information professionals and organizations can use this knowledge to recruit, develop, and retain employees in the information sciences profession; and explores future research directions in these areas.
Making the Best of the Best
Authors: Groves Christy , Black William
Published: May 2010

Library success is a direct result of staff quality, engagement, and satisfaction. Careful selection and training of library staff and commitment to their growth are essential to staff retention, which bears directly on organizational effectiveness. Regardless of the type of library, accountability for outcomes has increased, placing greater importance on the quality of staff appointments, employee skills development, and how staff melds into a team in the work place. The cycle of employee excellence is fueled when supervisors provide challenges, opportunities, and recognition relevant to individual work styles. The authors describe the importance of effective recruitment and supervision to staff retention by discussing effective leadership characteristics, outlining the need for a supervisory commitment to ongoing employee training and motivation, and providing suggestions for building successful supervisor-employee relationships in libraries.
Mentoring and Supervision? Or, Mentoring versus Supervision?
Authors: Hicks Deborah , Buckingham Jeanette , Law Margaret
Published: May 2010

Supportive mentors and supervisors are vital components in the career success of new librarians. The mentor relationship is generally in addition to the more formalized relationship between the new librarian and her or his supervisor. These are, inherently, two separate roles. These disparate roles, however, do intersect. When each role is taken up by a different individual, there is a possibility that there may be some tension or anxiety on the part of the supervisor regarding the mentor’s influence. When the roles of mentor and supervisor combine in one person the mentor-protégé relationship may conflict with supervisory obligations. In this chapter, this potential tension and anxiety between the roles of mentor and supervisor is explored. The roles of both mentor and supervisor are pivotal in the development of new professionals. A closer examination of how these roles intersect and influence each other will provide insight into how these relationships come together and shape professional careers.
Impact of Wireless Sensor Network Technology on Service Innovation in Supply Chain Management
Authors: Li Gong , Shi Jing
Published: May 2010

Driven by the rapid development of information and communication technologies (ICT) as well as today’s globally competitive environment for enterprises, service innovation has drawn considerable attention in such fields as supply chain management (SCM). Wireless sensor network (WSN) technology, which can provide a mobile, scalable, and reliable monitoring solution, has gone through rapid development in recent years. The objective of this chapter is to provide an overview about wireless sensor network technology and a discussion on how this technology can be applied to modern industries and especially bring service innovation to supply chain management. An overview of the history and potential applications of WSN is provided for the necessary background. The architecture, topology, standards, and protocols of WSN are fundamentally important and thus introduced in details. In a general sense, the impact of information technologies on supply chain management and service innovation is then briefly discussed. After that, much emphasis is placed on the possibility, procedures, and critical challenges of implementing WSN in supply chain management. In the end, two case studies are provided to illustrate the application of WSN for service innovation in both cold chain management and healthcare settings.
Information Needs of Logistics Service Providers
Authors: Tapaninen Ulla , Pulli Hennariina , Posti Antti
Published: May 2010

This chapter explores supply chains, all the way from the manufacturing point to the customer site. The concentration is on logistics service providers (LSPs). In terms of overall quality, the information infrastructure in Finland has constantly ranked among top 10 positions in international comparisons regarding information society development (e.g. WEF 2008). The purpose of the chapter is to point out the current level of information sharing in supply chains focusing on the information needs of logistics companies, particularly from the LSP’s point of view. A study conducted by the University of Turku revealed that there is a lack of logistics information in the supply chain (Pulli & al. 2008). The information distribution should be intensified when aiming at achieving a more efficient supply chain.
Information and Communication Technology in Logistics as a Comparative Advantage
Authors: Gumzej Roman , Lipicnik Martin
Published: May 2010

In a time, when the economic crisis is filling the news, it may seem hard to even think about improvements in terms of research and development, since there are lacking funds even for the reproduction. However, the last economic revolution was born in a crisis. Therefore it is sensible to look at the current situation as an opportunity for the next economic revolution,. bringing the economy a new cycle of development. The potentials for growth with the globalization have been mainly exploited so far, bringing considerable negative consequences into our lives and our environment that have triggered anti-globalist and ecological movements around the world. Now it’s time to think how to make things better and more humane. The main goal of this chapter is to lay the foundation for an advanced-research technological platform for logistics applications networks.
How to Market OR/MS Decision Support
Authors: Ueda Masayuki
Published: May 2010

This research examines what to do to have decision makers more utilize OR/MS decision support. We investigate OR/MS decision support from a new viewpoint of service. Firstly, based on the fact that what is provided by OR/MS decision support is information to aid in decision making, we show that OR/MS decision support shares characteristics with service, hence can be considered as a kind of service. Next, we analyze OR/MS decision support from the viewpoint of what is necessary for service of high quality, and we clarify the issue of communication gaps. If we investigate preceding research in OR/MS (Operations Research/Management Science), it turns out that there is surely a problem with communication gap between decision makers and decision supporters. Finally, we show that it is effective to utilize problem specification, which is a decision-maker-friendly description of problems proposed by research groups including the author, as one approach to bridge the communication gap.
Analyzing Requirements and Approaches for Sourcing Software Based Services
Authors: Gangadharan G. R. , Fielt Erwin
Published: May 2010

Increasingly, software is no longer developed as a single system, but rather as a smart combination of so-called software services. Each of these provides an independent, specific and relatively small piece of functionality, which is typically accessible through the Internet from internal or external service providers. To the best of our knowledge, there are no standards or models that describe the sourcing process of these software based services (SBS). We identify the sourcing requirements for SBS and associate the key characteristics of SBS (with the sourcing requirements introduced). Furthermore, we investigate the sourcing of SBS with the related works in the field of classical procurement, business process outsourcing, and information systems sourcing. Based on the analysis, we conclude that the direct adoption of these approaches for SBS is not feasible and new approaches are required for sourcing SBS.
Cyber Transportation Logistics
Authors: Chan Yupo , Boukachour Jaouad , Chiang Chia-Chu , Dey Madan Mohan , Fredouët Charles-Henri , Lo Hing-Po , Moeeni Farhad , Toh Albert K.
Published: May 2010

In today’s global economy, products and services are provided across international borders. The sourcing of these products and services becomes an integral part of international businesses. Information, communication and transportation technologies (ICTT) have made this job significantly more streamlined. However, there is an advantage that big companies, such as Wal-Mart, have over small and medium size ones. While the big companies have the ICTT resources to source globally at will, small and medium enterprises (SME) are much less prepared to do so, resulting in a large competitive disadvantage. By contrasting SMEs with their more successful “big brothers,” we highlight the salient ICTT features in a system architecture. This serves as a checklist for any assistance that might be rendered to SMEs and other entities in overcoming their competitive impediment. These findings are the result of numerous international workshops and conferences held in Hong Kong (the export city for a bulk of the Chinese consumer products) and in Arkansas (the headquarters of Wal-Mart).
Prediction Reliability of Container Terminal Simulation Models
Authors: Cartenì Armando
Published: May 2010

In this chapter attention is focused on the container terminal optimization problem, given that today most international cargo is transported through seaports and on containerized vessels. In this context, in order to manage a container terminal it is sometimes necessary to develop a Decision Support System (DSS). This chapter investigated the prediction reliability of container terminal simulation models (DSS), through a before and after analysis, taking advantage of some significant investment made by the Salerno Container Terminal (Italy) between 2003 and 2008. In particular, disaggregate and an aggregate simulation models implemented in 2003 were validated with a large set of data acquired in 2008 after some structural and functional terminal modifications. Through this analysis it was possible to study both the mathematical details required for model application and the field of application (prediction reliability) of the different simulation approaches implemented.
New Profession Development
Authors: Leung Ying Tat , Caswell Nathan S. , Kamath Manjunath
Published: May 2010

Adding engineering discipline to defining and managing the operation of business processes has become a truism although results of practical application have been mixed. This chapter argues that an obstacle to business process (re)engineering is the lack of a business process engineer role with an associated professional education, tools, and community. The main argument derives from an analysis of the domain structure for system design and comparison with existing practices in manufacturing engineering. We observe that: (1) At present there does not exist a profession of business process engineers. Their role in a firm is filled, on an ad-hoc basis, by business line personnel, information technology analysts or architects, and/or management consultants; (2) There is an increasingly critical need to master the subject of business process engineering for an individual firm as well as the general U.S. industry; (3) Other professionals, while having their own specialized skills valuable to a firm, do not necessarily have the optimal skill set for business process engineering. We therefore conclude that there is an urgent need for a professional business process engineer. We discuss the skills required of this profession and briefly describe a first course offered at a university on this subject. We propose that academic institutions should seriously consider such a new program today.
Logistics Services in the 21st Century
Authors: Thiell Marcus , Hernandez Sergio
Published: May 2010

Due the cross-functional character of logistics tasks and the cross-organizational structure of most logistics chains, the logistics service industry is strongly affected by business dynamics. Since the 1950s, this industry has experienced a variety of changes; While logistics was traditionally concerned with the fulfilment of functions like transportation and warehousing, modern logistics service offerings also encompass services like network design and carbon footprint assessment. But not just the scope of logistics services has changed. Additionally logistics business models developed from 1PL to 4PL, indicating a shift from the provision of execution tasks to tactical tasks and from fragmented logistics solutions to integrative logistics solutions for complete logistics chains. As a consequence, logistics service providers at the beginning of the 21st century have many options to configure their service offerings. But which options exist to comply with the requirements in a modern competition being fought supply chain versus supply chain rather than firm versus firm? After analyzing the dynamics in the logistics service industry and the importance of logistics for an effective and efficient supply chain management, this chapter will focus on options how logistics service providers can construct single logistics services (service architecture), their logistics service program (service program architecture) and their appearance on the market (service provider architecture) in order to fulfil their role within today’s supply chains and to improve supply chain performance.
SAT and Planning
Authors: Camarão Carlos , Galvão Mateus , Vieira Newton
Published: May 2010

This chapter firstly reviews the importance of the Satisfiability Problem (SAT) for a wide range of applications, including applications in Operation Management such as planning. A review of methods nowadays employed by modern SAT-solvers is then presented. The authors then use Classical Planning as an illustrative example of how a significant problem can be translated into SAT. They point out important results and studies concerning reductions of planning into SAT, and explain how to construct a SAT instance which is satisfiable if and only if an instance of a bounded version of the classic blocks-world problem is solvable.
Integrated Multi-Agent Coordination
Authors: Chen Wei , Decker Keith S.
Published: May 2010

Planning and scheduling have been a key topic in both Operations Research and Multi-Agent Systems. Most approaches are concentrated at an abstract system level on developing interaction protocols to be imposed on agents. There has been less concern about how the internal task structures of individual agents affect these higher-level coordination behaviors. Collaborative multi-agent planning addresses problems like uncertainty in plan outcomes, anticipating likely contingencies, and evaluating how agent actions achieve worth-oriented goals. This article presents extensions and restrictions, called extended hierarchical task networks (EHTN), to the traditional plan and schedule representations that allow the formal definition of an integrated multi-agent coordination problem. This chapter discusses open issues in multi-agent coordination (e.g. what to coordinate among agents, how much information to be exchanged, how to evaluate a planning approach) and proposes a general solution towards successful distributed goal achievement by analyzing the task structures of participating agents.
Negotiation Policies for E-Procurement by Multi Agent Systems
Authors: Renna Paolo
Published: May 2010

The development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) allowed the enterprises to adopt an e-marketplace approach to Business to Business (B2B) applications. In particular, these kind of applications are demonstrating their capacity to provide real added value to manufacturing industries by allowing their global performance to increase. The implementation of the e-marketplace by firms is not considered an easy job because of the lack of automation: the human participation is still in all stages of the B2B process. The chapter proposes a three value added services: workflow design, Multi Agent System and negotiation approach. In particular, two negotiation, an auction and single round approaches with three customer behaviors are proposed. A simulation environment is developed in order to test the proposed approaches. The simulations have been conducted in several scenarios in order to highlight what is the best approach to perform.
Developing a Collaborative Supply Chain Management Platform
Authors: Wautelet Yves , Achbany Youssef , Lange Jean-Charles , Tran Vi
Published: May 2010

Service-oriented computing is becoming increasingly popular. It allows designing flexible and adaptable software systems that can be easily adopted on demand by software customers. Those benefits are from primary importance in the context of supply chain management; that is why this paper proposes to apply ProDAOSS, a process for developing adaptable and open service systems to an industrial case study in outbound logistics. ProDAOSS is conceived as a plug-in for I-Tropos - a broader development methodology - so that it covers the whole software development life cycle. At analysis level, flexible business processes are generically modelled with different complementary views. First of all, an aggregate services view of the whole applicative package is offered; then services are split using an agent ontology - through the i* framework - to represent it as an organization of agents. A dynamic view completes the documentation by offering the service realization paths. At design stage, the service center architecture proposes a reference architectural pattern for services realization in an adaptable and open manner. The paper finally presents the implemented platform for a particular service – manage transport – so that the reader can realize how the developments have been achieved.
A Conceptual Framework for Risk and Vulnerability in Virtual Enterprise Networks
Authors: Husdal Jan
Published: May 2010

Is managing risk in Virtual Enterprise Networks different from managing risk in supply chains? It is not unusual for firms in a supply chain to come together and act as a Virtual Enterprise Network (VEN) and the supply chains of today’s globalized and outsourced business environment exhibit many VEN-like features. Looking at VEN risk management from the perspective of supply chain risk management, current ideas on VENs will serve as a base onto which ideas on supply chain risk will be transposed. Many concepts related to supply chain risk will be explored and related to their possible VEN counterparts: risk, vulnerability, robustness, flexibility, resilience and business continuity. Conceptual in its approach and drawing from other areas of research, this chapter introduces four distinct groups of VENS, namely Constrained, Directed, Limited and Free VEN, and concludes that VEN risk management can and should learn from supply chain risk management.
Managing Supply Chain Risks
Authors: Squire Brian
Published: May 2010

This chapter takes an exploratory look at the use of formal network measures to further understanding of the sources of extended enterprise or supply chain risk. It attempts to show that network measures can provide additional insight to ‘uncover’ sources of risk that could remain hidden using ‘traditional’ measures alone. More specifically, network measures of criticality, centrality, redundancy, distance and topology are combined with traditional measures of criticality, organisational slack, global sourcing and outsourcing to develop a more complete understanding on the determinants of the impact and/or probability of supply chain disruption. The measures identified provide researchers and managers with a wide-ranging framework for risk identification.
Knowledge Assets in Virtual Enterprises
Authors: Bolisani Ettore
Published: May 2010

Virtual enterprises (VEs) are business models characterised by the aggregation of co-operating firms that share a common goal such as a business opportunity or a project. In these structures, knowledge can be seen as a primary asset. There is a subdivision of cognitive tasks among specialised companies, which exchange knowledge much before they even exchange goods or money. Assuming a knowledge-based view of VEs, implies the necessity to define appropriate methods to manage knowledge exchanges and the associated risks. The aim of this chapter is to explore the nature of knowledge flows in a VE and study the connected managerial issues to point out the different knowledge-related risk factors and to discuss the challenges posed by their successful management. To provide a practical example, the chapter also illustrates the findings of a real-life case-study.
Managing IT Risks in Virtual Enterprise Networks
Authors: Shalan Mohammad Ali
Published: May 2010

Information Technology (IT) has proven to be a critical enabler for the formation and operation of Virtual Enterprises (VEs) and a provider of unique business enabling capabilities. Nevertheless, IT integration with VE business model particularities is never a trivial task, thus calling for a special approach to discover and mitigate risks and apply controls related to the continuously growing of IT usage and support in a VE environment. The main objective of this chapter is to provide a comprehensive in depth analysis of risks and issues associated with the IT aspects of Virtual Enterprise Networks (VENs) from technical and procedural point of view and to prescribe specific guidelines to mitigate the effects of the identified and analyzed risks, processes and consequences; In that context, this chapter also aims to promote and suggest an IT risk governance framework that will address the IT risks related to Virtual Enterprises following the recent trend of organic risk management.
Flexible Supply Chains
Authors: Sáenz María Jesús , Lambán Maria Pilar , Navarro Eva
Published: May 2010

Organizations that remain flexible take advantage of new opportunities, explore new ways of working and resolve unanticipated consequences. When the focus is on integrating company strategies and operations in the same supply chain, flexibility is unarguably a very promising concept but at the same time, a concept very hard to implement, a cumbersome process with numerous uncertainties and risks along the way. In this chapter, a conceptual strategic framework for increasing value chain flexibility is proposed. This framework addresses issues such as the company’s own strategy towards the supply chain partners, the organization strategy, the logistics approach, the market strategy, the production strategy and finally innovation. To support the validity of our proposed framework, an empirical study is presented followed by the conclusions propagated by this study and a description of future research prospects.
Avoiding Risks Related with Strategic Pricing in Virtual Enterprise Networks
Authors: Manolarakis Christos , Christou Ioannis T. , Yovanof Gregory
Published: May 2010

In this chapter we describe an effort to capture market dynamics of consumer products via Agent-based Models and apply the findings in the context of risk management focused in Virtual Enterprise Networks. The developed tool can help significantly leverage risks associated with price wars, or other aggressive strategies the players in a given market may choose to follow. It can also significantly improve purchasing/procurement and production planning decisions by better estimating (for the short-term of course) the variability in demand that will be experienced by a new price for a given product, thus optimizing supply chain operations and minimizing the logistics risks often associated with marketing campaigns. Finally, the tool can also be used to estimate the short-term profitability and break-even point for a proposed new product introduced by a Virtual Enterprise in an existing market, information that greatly minimizes risks related to the introduction of new products in the market, and then to estimate the optimal introductory price for the new product.
Case Studies of North American University Performance in Technology Transfer and Commercialization
Authors: Collier Alan , Zhao Fang
Published: May 2010

This chapter reports on case studies of four North American universities engaged in technology transfer and commercialization. The literature and case studies permitted an understanding of the characteristics possessed by universities and university technology transfer offices that appear to be successful in technology transfer and commercialization. Fourteen characteristics, or institutional enablers, are identified and analyzed in order to determine which among these characteristics have greater influence in the success of technology transfer offices. The chapter concludes that universities with superior-performing technology transfer offices possess two factors in common. First, the university President and other executives concerned in commercialization have to believe in it and make a genuine commitment to its success. Second, the technology transfer office has to be led by an individual who possesses several attributes: the ability and willingness to work within the university structure; the ability to be both an entrepreneur and a manager; the ability to see what is happening in technology transfer and commercialization as it evolves and matures; and to be a leader of people and business.
Technology Innovation Adoption and Diffusion
Authors: Workman Michael
Published: May 2010

The literature on technology innovation adoption and diffusion is vast. In this chapter, we organize and summarize some of the major perspectives from this body of literature, contrasting various theoretical perspectives on how innovations are adopted and shaped by organizational processes and structure. We first introduce the technology acceptance model, and innovation diffusion theory; and then we categorize viewpoints about organizational innovativeness. Drawing from this framework, for our case study background we introduce adaptive structuration theory, redefining some of its conceptual relationships in “structuration agency theory,” putting primacy on the actions of agents and the means by which they operate through and around institutional structures. We then present a case study example of an expert decision support system, and we conclude with a discussion of implications for managers and entrepreneurs.
The Challenge of a Corporate Matchmaker
Authors: Cua Francisco Chia
Published: May 2010

The common structured procurement process of the Request for Information (RFI), Request for Proposal (RFP), and Business Case Development (BCD) is thought to establish ties with the right vendors and to strengthen relationships among other stakeholders. This single-case study gathered information through archival documents, observations, and in-depth interviews and examined whether RFI-RFP-BCP processes fostered favourable relationships with vendors. The study revealed certain disadvantages of the process.
The Development of Emerging Medical Devices
Authors: O’Flaherty Brian , O’Donoghue John
Published: May 2010

This case study explores the application of the Lead-user method in the development of medical applications based on Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) technology by three independent research teams. This exercise produced surprising results, with the emergence of diverse WSN technology product concepts applied to Geriatric Falls Detection & Analysis, Sport Cardiac Screening and Critical Care Vital signs within accident and emergency environments. This case highlights the segmented nature of medical areas and the difficulty in applying a generic WSN technology to meet the functional requirements of the broader individual medical domains. It questions the appropriateness of applying ‘total’ highly functional technologies broadly across highly specialised niche medical areas.
Collaboration, Innovation, and Value Creation
Authors: Liginlal Divakaran , Khansa Lara , Landry Jeffrey P.
Published: May 2010

This chapter describes the entrepreneurial vision and business model of Wikimedia, particularly the successes and challenges of its innovations, the wiki and Wikipedia. The case study first traces the history of how Wikimedia was founded, as such providing a rich descriptive background, using information obtained from scholarly news sources and websites. This historical overview is followed by a description of Wikimedia’s business model, including the sources of capital and flows of revenues. The business model is then compared and contrasted to other Internet business models such as Knol, Google’s open encyclopedia. This is followed by a discussion of a balanced scorecard to analyze how the wiki business model generates value. Finally, the case explores the use of Wikipedia from a societal and ethical perspective and provides an illustrative example of its use for collaborative work in a funded academic research project.
Case "Mobile-INTEGRAL"
Authors: Pau L. F.
Published: May 2010

The case “Integral” is about how a multinational company specializing in machinery goods uses high technology in its field support and mandated safety solutions to migrate its customer relationships into partnerships of growing scope and with new revenue streams. The key technologies are in-situ equipment monitoring and wireless communications. The key management ingredients are top management’s understanding and respect for operational issues. The history of the case also illustrates the importance of the strategic choice of the in-house vs. in-sourced nature of the needed technical expertise, and of a gradual deployment compatible with the fast technology evolution.
The Egyptian National Post Organization Past, Present and Future
Authors: Kamel Sherif
Published: May 2010

Over the last 20 years, the international postal sector has changed drastically due to several forces, including globalization, changing technology, greater demands for efficient services and market liberalization. For Egypt, keeping up with the changing atmosphere in the global market meant investing in information and communication technology. The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MCIT), as part of its efforts to transforming government performance using ICT, chose the Egyptian National Post Organization (ENPO) as a model for ICT integrated government portal. The selection was due to ENPO’s extensive network, the public’s confidence and its trust in the organization. The case of ENPO, capitalizing on public-private partnership models, proved successful when reflecting ICT deployment for organizational transformation within the context of an emerging economy. In addition to its importance in providing eGovernment services to citizens, ENPO is evolving as a critical medium for effectively developing Egypt’s eCommerce. This case study takes an in-depth look at how ICT has improved the quality and range of services offered by ENPO, while asserting the magnitude of its impact on the country’s emergence as a competitor in today’s global postal market.
B2B Website Benefits Realization in Australian SMEs
Authors: Lin Chad , Huang Yu-An , Stockdale Rosemary
Published: May 2010

One aspect of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) electronic commerce activity that is acknowledged but rarely examined is their use of websites as they are a critical element of their business growth and competitiveness (Loiacono et al., 2002). Their successful design and use can alter the effectiveness of an SME’s venture into electronic commerce. However, SMEs are still lagging behind larger organizations in the adoption and evaluation of their electronic commerce activities despite the benefits it offers (Lin et al., 2007) and in overcoming the potential barriers that hamper their evaluation practices (Standing and Lin, 2007). Understanding the factors used by the SMEs’ potential customers to evaluate their website effectiveness can serve as a basis for creating and improving websites (Simmons et al., 2007).