bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enhancement of Conversational Agents By Means of Multimodal Interaction
Authors: López-Cózar Ramón , Callejas Zoraida , Espejo Gonzalo , Griol David
Published: October 2011

The main objective of multimodal conversational agents is to provide a more engaged and participative communication by allowing users to employ more than one input methodologies and providing output channels that are different to exclusively using voice. This chapter presents a detailed study on the benefits, disadvantages, and implications of incorporating multimodal interaction in conversational agents. Initially, it focuses on implementation techniques. Next, it explains the fusion and fission of multimodal information and focuses on the core module of these agents: the dialogue manager. Later on, the chapter addresses architectures, tools to develop some typical components of the agents, and evaluation methodologies. As a case of study, it describes the multimodal conversational agent in which we are working at the moment to provide assistance to professors and students in some of their daily activities in an academic centre, for example, a University’s Faculty.
Conversational Agents in Language and Culture Training
Authors: Sagae Alicia , Johnson W. Lewis , Valente Andre
Published: October 2011

This chapter describes the design, implementation, and use of an agent architecture that has been deployed in Alelo, Inc.’s language and culture training systems, which offer practical training for foreign language skills and intercultural competence. These agents support real-time conversation in the language of interest (Dari, Pashto, Arabic, French, and others), using automatic speech recognition and immersive simulation technologies. In earlier work, we developed a number of agent-based language and culture trainers, based on the Tactical Language and Culture Training System platform. Our experience has revealed a number of desiderata for authorable, believable agents, which we have applied to the design of our newest agent architecture. In this chapter, we describe the Virtual Role-Players (VRP), an agent architecture that relies on ontological models of world knowledge, language, culture, and agent state, in order to achieve believable dialogue with learners. Authoring and user experiences are described, along with future directions for this work.
Application of a Participatory Ex Ante Assessment Model for Environmental Governance and Visualizing Sustainable Redevelopment in Gorj County, Romania
Authors: Ehlinger Timothy , Tofan Lucica , Bucur Mirela , Enz Jill , Carlson Jason , Shaker Richard
Published: October 2011

This chapter presents an approach for the development of a decision-support process for sustainable development planning. The Indicator Scoring System (ISS) incorporates the ex ante assessment of environmental, infrastructure, economic, and social impacts of proposed projects, and links these assessments with a geospatial model of sustainable development potential. The overall process is designed to encourage public participation, provide unbiased quantitative and qualitative evaluation, integrate agency database compilation, and provide data analysis tools/techniques and viewing applications. The ultimate goal is to facilitate a process under which local authorities, governments, and international organizations, are able to visualize sustainable development initiatives as well as coordinate and evaluate their own independent activities. Sustainable development tools that are well integrated with decision-making processes and valued by decision-makers will contribute to the implementation of the objectives of sustainable development.
Governance Structures in the EU Milk Supply Chain
Authors: Polman Nico , Krol Noortje , Peerlings Jack , Dupraz Pierre , Nikolov Dimitre
Published: October 2011

Governance of the EU’s dairy sector changes will change as a result of the 2008 CAP reform. This chapter focuses on governance structures between dairy farms and milk processors and the role of the exchange of information. Information costs are an important category of transaction costs. To get insight in regional differences within the EU, literature research and interviews are conducted in three case study areas, namely: the Netherlands, Bulgaria, and France. Results show that in these countries both farmers and processors have incentives to form hybrid governance structures with a higher level of control compared to the current structures. Asymmetric information and the exchange of information play an important role in this contractual relation. Most dairy cooperatives have no additional advantage in managing milk quality and milk supply compared to investor owned firms. Chain integration could go a step further in Bulgaria compared to the Netherlands and France given the institutional environment that is not expected to guarantee milk quality and the focus on the export of milk.
GIS Technique for Territorial Analysis
Authors: Riccioli Francesco , El Asmar Toufic
Published: October 2011

Territorial analysis is related to the complexity of an area where human activities and environmental characteristics are the main development factors. Human activities have a direct (e.g. farm activities) and indirect (e.g. urban development/sprawl) influence on a territory and its environment, which gives an important function to such activities when strategies for territorial planning have to be defined. Several actors are involved in the assessment of a territory, which is a complicated feature of decision making to be achieved with the use of complex data-analysis process. The evolution of personal computer and specific software for the analysis of spatial data is giving important contribution to “Territorial Planning Strategies.” Spatial Decision Support System is an example of how problems occurred during a decision making process can be solved using methodologies that combine “Multicriteria Approach” and “Geographic Information System.” One of these methodologies is represented by “Spatial Multicriteria Decision Analysis.”
SAGE
Authors: DeBerg Curtis L.
Published: October 2011

This case study describes an international partnership among four main stakeholders: (1) a nonprofit organization called Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship (SAGE), (2) high school students and their teachers, (3) university students and (4) the private sector, including corporations, foundations, and individual philanthropists. SAGE, incorporated as a nonprofit charitable corporation, is a global network with the following mission: to help create the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders whose innovations and social enterprises address the world’s major unmet needs. SAGE started as a California-only initiative in 2003, but has now grown to operate in eight US states and 19 countries. This would not be possible without available technology. The model provided here can be implemented by others who are interested in utilizing technology to build Transnational Social Movement Organizations (TSMOs), resulting in the creation of social capital to solve local problems.
Service-Learning, Technology, Nonprofits, and Institutional Limitations
Authors: Loving Katherine , Stoecker Randy , Reddy Molly
Published: October 2011

This chapter develops a model of service-learning that focuses on serving the information and communication technology (ICT) needs of community organizations, and contrasts it with the traditional service-learning model used in universities, questioning if it is a more effective way of meeting nonprofits’ ICT needs. The authors evaluate their model’s utility from the perspective of a technology empowerment “stepstool” where nonprofit organizations can move from simply using existing technology better, to shaping the technology, to creating their own technology. The chapter then goes on to discuss attempts to implement versions of this model at the University of Wisconsin, discussing their strengths and weaknesses, and paying particular attention to the limitations of doing this work within an institutional framework. The current service-learning project has found working on social media projects to be more beneficial to the students and the nonprofits than more complex projects, but doing so goes against the community-identified need and request for more mission-critical assistance. To fully serve communities, the higher education context of service learning must change to make community outcomes the main priority, build courses around community projects rather than vice versa, provide students with the necessary professional skills preparation to do high quality service-learning, and design community projects around the community calendar, not the higher education calendar.
Incarcerated Students and the Unintended Consequences of a Technology-Driven Higher Education System
Authors: Aceves Patricia A. , Aceves Robert I. , Watson Shannon
Published: October 2011

This case study outlines the partnership between the Minnesota Department of Corrections and St. Cloud State University. As higher education underwent significant changes in technology and distance education delivery during the 1990s, the print-based correspondence course was rapidly being converted to online delivery, leaving offender students without higher education access or options. The university-corrections partnership created an innovative and unique program through reverse-engineering online general education courses into print-based materials. The inability to use technology to provide cost effective education to many geographically dispersed students indicates that as a society, available technologies cannot yet be trusted to provide offender access to family, education and jobs while providing safety and security for citizens. What will make programs and partnerships like this successful in the future is the openness of corrections, education, and innovative technology partners to reexamine technology’s role and allow for changes in operational procedures that can satisfy the needs of all societal stakeholders.
Using Photovoice with NGO Workers in Sierra Leone
Authors: Walker Ashley , Oomen-Early Jody
Published: October 2011

Sierra Leone currently has one of the highest child mortality rates in the world. Among those children who have the greatest chance of survival are those who have access to life’s basic needs. Because the government of Sierra Leone does not provide child welfare programming, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are often lifelines for millions of children. Few studies have explored the barriers facing these NGOs or have used participatory action research methods to do so. This case study serves agencies working to address barriers to individual and community health in war-torn and developing countries. This research also makes a case for using technology as a tool for community engagement and empowerment. This chapter will highlight the findings of a participatory action research study and describe how Photovoice can be used to build community capacity and mobilize communities, organizations, and governments to bring about social change.
Partners in Storytelling
Authors: Shewbridge William
Published: October 2011

In 2006, the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) entered into a unique partnership with Retirement Living Television (RLTV). Initially driven by the practicalities of bringing a new broadcast network to air, the relationship came to influence the role of new media technology in teaching and learning on the UMBC campus. The Charlestown Project brought university students and senior citizens together to create short digital movies. The project also became a catalyst for creating human connections beyond the campus and across generations. Along the way, students formed new attitudes towards aging and community, and the campus attained an increased awareness of the power of digital storytelling.
Encouraging Public Involvement in Public Policymaking through University-Government Collaboration
Authors: Adria Marco , Mao Yuping
Published: October 2011

New methods of involving large numbers of citizens in public decision-making using information and communications technologies have spurred academic and professional interest. This chapter will describe the case of the Citizen Panel, a public-involvement project in which a municipal government and university combined their capacities to create a significant new opportunity for public involvement in public policymaking. Technology was used to broaden access to participation in, and awareness of, the Citizen Panel. Technology application included development of a video version of the information resources used by the Citizen Panel, posting key information on the website, hosting a Facebook group discussion, and live broadcast of panel sessions by Web streaming. The Citizen Panel provided a “proof of concept” for the subsequent establishment of the Centre for Public Involvement, which is a partnership between the municipal government and the university. The Centre for Public Involvement’s purpose will be to engage in research and development in support of improved public-involvement practices and processes.
UMTS
Authors: Fazekas Péter
Published: October 2011

The aim of this chapter is to provide a brief yet comprehensive overview of the 3rd generation UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System) mobile network, with emphasis on its specific protocols. Therefore, in this chapter, the basic operation and protocol structure of UMTS network is described. The main architectural changes compared to GSM are shown, as well as the principles of the physical radio interface. The details of other relevant UMTS specific interfaces in the access network and their protocols are provided as well, along with the description of transport network solutions. The most relevant part of UMTS specifications, the radio interface protocols, are also presented.
Convergence of Fixed and Mobile Networks
Authors: Kovács Gábor , Németh Gábor Árpád , Pap Zoltán
Published: October 2011

This chapter gives overview of one of a recent trend in telecommunication convergence: fixed-mobile convergence (FMC). Its types, implications, and main challenges are identified and analyzed with special respect to the protocols employed. The future integration of fixed and mobile access to next generation networks (NGN) is investigated from several aspects, such as AAA (Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting) protocols, network and application layer mobility management solutions, and policy control. The focus is on access and core networks where the convergence is going to take place. At the end, a short outlook is given to near future mobile trends.
Host Identity Protocol
Authors: Bokor László , Nováczki Szabolcs , Imre Sándor
Published: October 2011

This chapter is committed to give a comprehensive overview of the Host Identity Protocol (HIP), to introduce the basic ideas and the main paradigms behind it, and to show how HIP emerges from the list of potential alternatives with its wild range of possible usability in next generation mobile architectures. The broad scale of feasible advanced mobility management proposals and scenarios, together with the promising mobility management capabilities of HIP and its cryptographic identifier/locator separation technique, will be introduced based on an exhaustive survey of existing mobility solutions designed for the Host Identity Protocol. This broad and up-to-date outline of advanced HIP-based mobility supporting schemes will guide the readers from the basics of HIP through the protocol’s main functions to its complex feature set and power to create a novel Internet architecture for future mobility-centric communications.
Service Elicitation Method Using Applied Qualitative Research Procedures
Authors: Alkkiomäki Ville , Smolander Kari
Published: October 2011

This chapter introduces QSE, the Qualitative Service Elicitation method. It applies qualitative research procedures in service elicitation. Service engineering practice lacks lightweight methods to identify service candidates in projects with tight schedules. QSE provides a systematic method to analyze requirement material in service-oriented systems development with a feasible effort. QSE uses the procedures of the grounded theory research method to elicit service candidates from business process descriptions and business use case descriptions. The chapter describes the method with examples and a case study.
The Design Principles and Practices of Interoperable Smart Spaces
Authors: Ovaska Eila , Cinotti Tullio Salmon , Toninelli Alessandra
Published: October 2011

Smart spaces provide information about physical environments, shared with inherently dynamic applications. This chapter introduces a novel development approach with its focus on two key properties of smart space applications: the ability to interoperate and behave in a situation-sensitive manner. Sixteen principles are defined in order to guide the development of an interoperability platform for smart spaces and on how to create applications on top of it. The interoperability platform deals with information and is agnostic with respect to ontologies, programming languages, service frameworks, and communication technologies. The interoperability platform also supports extensibility, evolvability and context based adaptation, which allows new applications to be added and to behave in a situation based manner. Agile application development is based on scenario specifications, implemented by the means of the ontology and model driven development. The approach has been applied to the development of smart personal spaces, smart indoor spaces, and smart city applications.
A Service Component Model and Implementation for Institutional Repositories
Authors: Zhang Yong , Deng Quansong , Xing Chunxiao , Sun Yigang , Whitney Michael
Published: October 2011

With the boom of digital resources, there are urgent requirements to set up and manage Institutional Repositories (IRs) for companies and/or organizations. Cloud computing opens a new paradigm to build IRs by providing diverse services. We apply cloud services in the building of IRs and present a new model, which is based on digital object model and service component architecture, and consists of five service components, namely ID, metadata, content, log, and annotation service component. The five components are implemented by five corresponding clouds. These clouds provide two kinds of services: Web service and mashup service. We develop a framework and a code generation tool to generate an IR that can be used to manage the digital resources by invoking the five cloud services. Our approach is applied to the digital library on the history of water conservancy in China of Tsinghua University Library to demonstrate its feasibility.
The Evolution Tornado Retail
Authors: Hallier Bernd
Published: October 2011

No attention at all was paid to the evaluation of philosophies offered by the steady upgrade of retail-technologies. While the period 1970/80 was still the push period, when the consumer industry wanted to push the penetration of its products the outlet was the “point of sales” (POS); in the 90ies due to ECR the outlet was rediscovered as the “point of purchase” (POP) with the buying decision and shelf-optimization as a central point; in the last decade big players like WalMart, ALDI, REWE pushed their outlets to be the “point of differentiation” (POD) to gain a Unique Sales Position (USP) in the market. The next big “technological jump forward” will be the intertwining of Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter with new media of retailers. Consumers can gain much more impact onto the listing of products, onto services within a store. It might be the time when the outlets become a “point of consumers” (POC) again.
The Design of an Advanced Virtual Shopping Assistant for Improving Consumer Experience
Authors: Corvello Vincenzo , Pantano Eleonora , Tavernise Assunta
Published: October 2011

The aim of this chapter is to propose the design of an anthropomorphic Virtual Shopping Assistant (VSA), endowed with an advanced system, to be used in the context of an innovative technologically based in-store service. The VSA is able to provide information based on a knowledge management system. It is based on the perceived best human typical seller’s characteristics, as well as on the results of psychological studies on consumers’ perception of virtual characters. In particular, its interface is anthropomorphic, and thus capable of displaying emotions. This VSA can be used as a mobile application or installed in stores.
International Fashion Retailing from an Enterprise Architecture Perspective
Authors: Tambo Torben
Published: October 2011

International retailing of non-food fashion products, as chain stores impose a particular challenge within Enterprise Architecture (EA) as the same general infrastructure networks, brands, data, business intelligence and applications should work in multiple, semi-compliant geographic regions. Generalised Information System architectures are desirable. A case is presented of a fashion retailing organisation growing from 100 to 2,000 stores with both fluctuant and long-term decision making but also a strong international orientation. The case creates a basis for shaping the wider Enterprise Architecture for retailing. EA has significant potentials for innovation, improvement, enrichment and increased interaction between business and technology. Technology vendors are prepared for EA observations but business seems hesitant: The IT inventory of chain retailing should be managed within EA, positioning the store in large international networks of chains encompassing marketing, supply chain, multi-channel concepts, payment systems and loyalty programs. Conclusively, guidelines are set for a deepening of EA within retail.
Mobile Purchase Decision Support Systems for In-Store Shopping Environments
Authors: Kowatsch Tobias , Maass Wolfgang
Published: October 2011

Purchase decision-making is influenced by product information available in online or in-store shopping environments. In online shopping environments, the use of decision support systems increases the value of product information as information becomes adaptive and thus more relevant to consumers’ information needs. Correspondingly, mobile purchase decision support systems (MP-DSSs) may also increase the value of product information in in-store shopping environments. In this chapter, we investigate the use of a MP-DSS that is bound to a physical product. Based on Theory of Planned Behaviour, Innovation Diffusion Theory, and Technology Acceptance Model, we propose and evaluate a model to better understand MP-DSSs. Results indicate that perceived usefulness influences product purchases and predicts usage intentions and store preferences of consumers. We therefore discuss new business models for retail stores in which MP-DSSs satisfy both the information needs of consumers and the communication needs of retailers.
The Funhouse Mirror
Authors: Hardin Marie , Zhong Bu , Corrigan Thomas F.
Published: October 2011

Depictions of professional sports and athletes in U.S. mainstream media have generally been indicted for reinforcing masculine hegemony and ignoring women’s and amateur sports. This study explored the attitudes and values of independent sports bloggers in relationship to gender and, more specifically, to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex in federally funded institutions. A survey of 200 independent sports bloggers was conducted to determine whether the sports blogosphere provides an alternative to depictions of sports offered through mainstream media coverage. Survey results demonstrate that the sports blogosphere has yet to become a truly alternative, egalitarian space for sports commentary. The analysis suggests that increased participation of female bloggers who are willing to cover female athletes and advocate for women’s sports can alleviate the situation. Otherwise, the sports blogosphere will merely replicate old-media values.
Exceptions for Dependability
Authors: Sekerinski Emil
Published: October 2011

Exception handling allows (1) a program to be structured such that the original design is preserved in presence of possibly failing components; (2) rare or undesired cases to be treated in an unobtrusive manner; and (3) imperfections to be handled systematically. This chapter develops a theory of exception handling with try-catch statements, and demonstrates its use in the design of dependable systems by giving a formal account of the patterns of masking, propagating, flagging, rollback, degraded service, recovery block, repeated attempts, and conditional retry. The theory is based on weakest exceptional preconditions, which are used for both defining statements and proofs. Proof outlines are introduced and used to establish the correctness of the patterns.
Network Availability for Distributed Applications
Authors: Petre Luigia , Sere Kaisa , Waldén Marina
Published: October 2011

Dependability (the degree of reliance that can be justifiably placed on software-intensive systems) is characterized by several attributes, including availability. In this chapter, we refer to network availability as the “network readiness for correct service” and model various network availability aspects such as resource accessibility, network nodes readiness, and replication. Moreover, we put forward our approach of embedding these aspects onto a specification of a distributed application for whom the network is generic. In this way, we adapt the application to a specific network. Our approach is based on a formal method (topological action systems) and its refinement notion, while our presentation in this chapter is example-based.
Development of Controllers Using Simulink and Contract-Based Design
Authors: Boström Pontus , Huova Mikko , Olszewska Marta (Plaska) , Linjama Matti , Heikkilä Mikko , Sere Kaisa , Waldén Marina
Published: October 2011

This chapter describes the application of contract-based design in Simulink to the development of a digital hydraulic controller. A semi-formal approach to the development is used, where contracts are used to aid the structuring of the system and for creating interface specifications for components that can later be used for testing. An analysis of the influence of the contracts on the development process and system quality is provided to evaluate the effectiveness of the method. It was concluded that contract-based design can significantly aid the development of high quality Simulink models.
Uncertainty Handling in Weighted Dependency Trees
Authors: Omerovic Aida , Karahasanovic Amela , Stølen Ketil
Published: October 2011

Weighted dependency trees (WDTs) are used in a multitude of approaches to system analysis, such as fault tree analysis or event tree analysis. In fact, any acyclic graph can be transformed to a WDT. Important decisions are often based on WDT analysis. Common for all WDT-based approaches is the inherent uncertainty due to lack or inaccuracy of the input data. In order to indicate credibility of such WDT analysis, uncertainty handling is essential. There is however, to our knowledge, no comprehensive evaluation of the uncertainty handling approaches in the context of the WDTs. This chapter aims to rectify this. We concentrate on approaches applicable for epistemic uncertainty related to empirical input. The existing and the potentially useful approaches are identified through a systematic literature review. The approaches are then outlined and evaluated at a high-level, before a restricted set undergoes a more detailed evaluation based on a set of pre-defined evaluation criteria. We argue that the epistemic uncertainty is better suited for possibilistic uncertainty representations than the probabilistic ones. The results indicate that precision, expressiveness, predictive accuracy, scalability on real-life systems, and comprehensibility are among the properties which differentiate the approaches. The selection of a preferred approach should depend on the degree of need for certain properties relative to others, given the context. The right trade off is particularly important when the input is based on both expert judgments and measurements. The chapter may serve as a roadmap for examining the uncertainty handling approaches, or as a resource for identifying the adequate one.
Dependability Assessment of Two Network Supported Automotive Applications
Authors: Hamouda Ossama , Kaâniche Mohamed , Kanoun Karama
Published: October 2011

The congestion of traffic has been increasingly growing, both in urban areas and in highways. In such a context, the safety of vehicles and their occupants is becoming a real problem. On the other hand, new mobility and wireless communication technologies allow the development of innovative applications to improve traffic safety. This chapter addresses the dependability modelling and evaluation of two such applications supported by communications between the vehicles: automated highway systems and virtual black boxes. Assessment is based on the Stochastic Activity Networks formalism and on a unified modelling approach. We concentrate on the safety of the automated highway and on the availability of the virtual black box data.
Principles of Effective Pedagogy within the Context of Connected Classroom Technology
Authors: Pape Stephen J. , Irving Karen E. , Bell Clare V. , Shirley Melissa L. , Owens Douglas T. , Owens Sharilyn , Bostic Jonathan D. , Lee Soon Chun
Published: October 2011

Classroom Connectivity Technology (CCT) can serve as a tool for creating contexts in which students engage in mathematical thinking leading to understanding. We theorize four principles of effective mathematics instruction incorporating CCT based on examination of teachers’ use of CCT within their Algebra I classrooms across four years. Effective implementation of CCT is dependent upon (1) the creation and implementation of mathematical tasks that support examination of patterns leading to generalizations and conceptual development; (2) classroom interactions that focus mathematical thinking within students and the collective class; (3) formative assessment leading to teachers’ and students’ increased knowledge of students’ present understandings; and (4) sustained engagement in mathematical thinking. Each of these principles is discussed in term of its implications for teacher knowledge.
To Cross or not to Cross the Boundaries?
Authors: Tseng Kuan-Chiu , Hu Lung-Teng
Published: October 2011

To explore the reasons why certain services could not be digitally integrated and fully provided online, some focus-group interviews were conducted with key officials of the municipal departments mentioned above. Governmental insiders were able to offer some compelling factors which critically influence the integration of e-services. Surprisingly, some officials raised challenges: Is it merely rhetoric or is it imperative to integrate full services across departmental boundaries under e-governance? Research results and implications for electronic cross-boundary governance will be discussed in this chapter.
Government Information Sharing
Authors: Estevez Elsa , Fillottrani Pablo , Janowski Tomasz , Ojo Adegboyega
Published: October 2011

Information sharing (IS) is a key capability required for one-stop and networked government, responding to a variety of intra-organizational, inter-organizational, or cross-national needs like sharing service-related information between parties involved in the delivery of seamless services, sharing information on available resources to enable whole-of-government response to emergencies, etc. Despite its importance, the IS capability is not common for governments due to various technical, organizational, cultural, and other barriers which are generally difficult to address by individual agencies. However, developing such capabilities is a challenging task which requires government-wide coordination, explicit policies and strategies, and concrete implementation frameworks. At the same time, reconciling existing theoretical frameworks with the IS practice can be difficult due to the differences in conceptions and abstraction levels. In order to address such difficulties, this chapter proposes a conceptual framework to guide the development of Government Information Sharing (GIS) policies, strategies, and implementations. By integrating theoretical frameworks and the GIS practice, the framework adopts a holistic view on the GIS problem, highlights the main areas for policy intervention, and provides policy makers and government managers with conceptual clarity on the GIS problem.
E-Government Implementation in Belgium and its Link with the European Dimension
Authors: Leyman Frank
Published: October 2011

Information and communication technologies have become the core element of managerial reform, and electronic government (e-government) has played an extremely important part in public governance. With respect to availability of e-services for businesses and citizens, Belgium has considerably improved its position in international benchmarks. Belgium has increasingly focused on reducing administrative burden, developing cross-boundary collaboration, and achieving many important user-related goals. This chapter describes the development of The Federal Public Service for ICT (FEDICT), and its various modules and functions in details. In addition, it discusses how FEDICT helps to reach the goal of a user-centric and cross-boundary e-government in Belgium, and its relationship with other European countries.
E-Government Performance Measurement
Authors: Morgeson Forrest V.
Published: October 2011

The emergence and rapid spread of electronic government in the United States over the past decade, as well as across much of the globe, has created a need for better, more robust methods of measuring this system’s performance. In this chapter we discuss several issues surrounding performance measurement of e-government websites. We outline two types of performance measurement – internal and external measurement – and emphasize the importance of external, citizen-centric performance measures in the e-government context. Following a brief case study illustrating the value of this type of performance measurement, we conclude the chapter by recommending a unified system of e-government performance measurement spanning levels and types of government in the United States. Such a system would best position not only the U.S. government, but many political systems currently implementing and expanding e-government services to realize the goals of improved citizen perceptions of service quality, government efficiency, government responsiveness, transparency, trust, and so forth, through e-government.
A Framework for Government 2.0 Development and Implementation
Authors: Chen Yu-Che
Published: October 2011

This book chapter formulates a framework for Government 2.0 development and implementation, drawing from literature on collaborative public management, public sector knowledge management, management Information Systems, innovation, and e-governance. This framework encompasses policy/managerial, organizational, and technological dimensions and identifies factors for success, such as supporting policy guidance and institutions, providing incentives and resources, and developing and promoting technical standards. Using the proposed framework, this chapter critically analyzes the possibility of Government 2.0 for the case of the United States. The analysis underscores the importance of institutional support, management commitment, and development of data standards and resource framework documents. The analysis also points to the need for improvement in the areas of provision of policy and management guidance, sustaining resource commitment, and expanding technical standards development and usability. The conclusion will summarize main points and make note of future research opportunities.
Competition and Coordination in a Fashion Supply Chain with Wholesale Pricing Schemes
Authors: Huang Jian , Leng Mingming , Liang Liping
Published: October 2011

This chapter considers a two-echelon supply chain where a supplier determines his production quantity and a retailer chooses her order size and retail price for each period in an infinite horizon. Under a price-discount sharing (PDS) scheme, the supplier’s wholesale price linearly depends on the retail price. We develop a stochastic game in which these two supply chain members maximize their discounted profits. We show that a unique Nash equilibrium solution exists for each period, and over the infinite horizon the supplier chooses a stationary base stock policy whereas the retailer’s equilibrium solution could be non-stationary. Next, we investigate the problem of whether or not a wholesale pricing scheme can coordinate the supplier and the retailer, and derive the conditions for supply chain coordination. Moreover, we use Nash arbitration scheme to allocate the system-wide profit between the supplier and the retailer.
Optimal Pricing and Inventory Decisions for Fashion Retailers under Value-At-Risk Objective
Authors: Chiu Chun-Hung , Zheng Jin-Hui , Choi Tsan-Ming
Published: October 2011

Motivated by the popularity of Value-at-Risk (VaR) objective in finance, this chapter reviews and studies its application in fashion retail operations management. First, a formal optimization model is reviewed in which the fashion retailer aims at optimizing a VaR objective with both pricing and inventory decisions. Second, the detailed solution schemes are explored. Third, numerical examples are included to illustrate applications of the proposed models. Fourth, the performance of pure buyback contract and pure wholesale pricing contract in enhancing supply chain efficiency is examined. Insights are generated and future research directions are outlined.
A Three-Level Multiple-Agent Early Warning Mechanism for Preventing Loss of Customers in Fashion Supply Chains
Authors: Lo Wei-Shuo , Hong Tzung-Pei
Published: October 2011

The fashion industry is experiencing rapid changes in many areas, including the supply chain. Typical quick response (QR) systems have been broadly used in the fashion industry to enable agile supply chain management (SCM). However, the original functions of QR systems cannot completely address the challenge of issuing early warnings to prevent customer loss. This article merges the typical MIS system development procedure with that of an e-SCM multiple-agent decision support system to confront this problem. The system has three levels: data mining, ontology, and decision support. These levels are interlinked in handling different databases. Different agents execute different tasks at each level to achieve integration and communication in a supply chain with less human intervention. The proposed framework emphasizes transparent connections among businesses and assists in information sharing, thereby preventing customer loss.
E-Dating
Authors: Whitty Monica T.
Published: October 2011

Online dating continues to grow in popularity as a way for individuals to locate a potential romantic partner. Researchers have examined how people present themselves on these sites, which presentations are more likely to lead to success, the effectiveness of the matchmaking tools that some companies employ, the stigma attached to using these sites and the types of people who are drawn to online dating. However, there is an absence of scholarly work on how these relationships progress compared to traditional models of courtship. This chapter sets out a model for the phases of online dating and compares this model with Givens’ (1979) work on a traditional model of courtship. It is argued here the phases of online dating are very different to other courtship models. These differences pose new challenges and create new benefits to those who elect to find a partner via one of these sites.
A Trination Analysis of Social Exchange Relationships in E-Dating
Authors: Kale Sudhir H. , Spence Mark T.
Published: October 2011

More than half a billion users across the globe have availed themselves of e-dating services. This chapter looks at the marketing and cross-cultural aspects of mate-seeking behavior in e-dating. We content analyzed 238 advertisements from online matrimonial sites in three countries: India (n=79), Hong Kong (n=80), and Australia (n=79). Frequencies of mention of the following ten attribute categories in the advertiser’s self-description were established using post hoc quantitative analysis: love, physical status, educational status, intellectual status, occupational status, entertainment services, money, demographic information, ethnic information, and personality traits. Past research on mate selection using personal ads and the three countries’ positions on Hofstede’s dimensions of culture were used in hypotheses generation. The results support several culture-based differences in people’s self-description in online personal ads; however, some anticipated differences were not realized, suggesting that some cultural differences may not be as strong as Hofstede (2001) suggests.
Online Matrimonial Sites and the Transformation of Arranged Marriage in India
Authors: Seth Nainika , Patnayakuni Ravi
Published: October 2011

Online personals have been a remarkably successful in the Western World and have been emulated in other cultural contexts. The introduction of the Internet can have vastly different implications on traditional societies and practices such as arranged marriages in India. This chapter seeks to investigate using an ethnographic approach the role of matrimonial Web sites in the process of arranging marriages in India. It seeks to explore how these Web sites have been appropriated by key stakeholders in arranging marriage and how such appropriation is changing the process and traditions associated with arranged marriage. The key contributions of this study are in that it is an investigation of complex social processes in a societal context different from traditional western research contexts and an exploration of how modern technologies confront societal traditions and long standing ways of doing things. Our investigation suggests that the use of matrimonial Web sites have implications for family disintermediation, cultural convergence, continuous information flows, ease of disengagement, virtual dating and reduced stigma in arranged marriages in India.
Virtual Hate Communities in the 21st Century
Authors: Tsunokai Glenn T. , McGrath Allison R.
Published: October 2011

Technological innovations in computer-mediated communication have helped hate groups to transform themselves into virtual communities. Likeminded individuals are now able to unite from all parts of the globe to promote hatred against visible minorities and other out-groups. Through their online interactions, a sense of place is often created. In this chapter, we explore the content and function of online hate communities. Since bigotry tends to be the cornerstone of virtual hate communities, we highlight the legal debate surrounding the regulation of Internet hate speech; in particular, we address the question: Does the First Amendment protect virtual community members who use the Internet to advocate hate? Next, using data collected from the largest hate website, Stormfront.org, we also investigate how Stormfront members utilize interactive media features to foster a sense of community. Finally, we direct our attention to the future of online hate communities by outlining the issues that need to be further investigated.
Addiction in World of Warcraft
Authors: Pragnell Craig , Gatzidis Christos
Published: October 2011

This chapter presents an investigation in determining whether players are addicted, or show signs of addiction, to the Massively Multiplayer Role Playing Game (MMORPG) World of Warcraft. Criteria to ascertain addiction in World of Warcraft players were developed based on well-documented theories in the area. A questionnaire was used in order to obtain data for analysis. This was distributed to a population of World of Warcraft players by use of advertisement on guild websites and on the official game forum. The results of the questionnaire show that 11.86% (n=21) of respondents matched the developed criteria of addiction in World of Warcraft. These respondents are considered to be addicted or are at “High Risk” of being addicted. This figure is confirmed by other studies of addiction levels in MMORPGs undertaken by existing research.
Art and the Avatar in Virtual and Mixed-Reality Exhibition Space
Authors: Dethridge Lisa
Published: October 2011

We observe how gallery visitors and the viewer-as-avatar may experience artwork that includes both real and virtual elements. The use of a mixed-reality environment takes the exhibition beyond its traditional function of passive “display” into a zone where the observer is an active participant, even a co-creator of the work. We observe how the virtual art may “augment” reality while the real art objects may demonstrate Milgram and Kishino’s theory of “augmented virtuality.”
Tourism in Virtual Worlds
Authors: Cruz-Lara Samuel , Cabello José Manuel , Osswald Tarik , Collado Antonio , Franco José M. , Barrera Sergio
Published: October 2011

This work is partially supported by the ITEA2 Metaverse1 (www.metaverse1.org) Project.
A Preliminary Look at the Development on Websites of Higher Education Institutions
Authors: Yang Harrison Hao , Yao Na , Chen Pinde
Published: October 2011

This chapter provides an overview of websites of higher education institutions. It then discusses the impact of emergent Web 2.0 technologies and social media on the online communication and society, and presents a study focusing on trends and issues of the development on websites of higher education institutions. The results of the study in this chapter indicates that under the influence of Web 2.0 and social media, websites of higher education institutions have been developed on: building a strong sense of community via embedding social networking tools, endorsing open education via sharing multimedia resources, and enriching users’ experience via offering self-service. The study also indicates that in order to develop effective websites, authenticity and digital citizenship should be considered and managed by administrators and technologists of higher education institutions.
Assessing General Education Outcomes Across Programs
Authors: Yang Yi , Buchberger Michelle , Yang Harrison Hao
Published: October 2011

As the pressure to provide accountability in education escalates, the assessment of student learning becomes increasingly important. This chapter describes an approach to the assessment of learning outcomes, in both online and face to face programs, as developed for an independent, non-profit university in Ohio. The approach includes three major components: a curriculum mapping process that determines where particular learning outcomes are being assessed, a visual representation of this curriculum map with links to assessment data (Success Path©), and a cyclical assessment process that assists with the continuous improvement of programs and student learning. This chapter leverages current research in the field of student learning, assessment, and curriculum mapping theory.
Libraries, Telecenters and Cybercafés
Authors: Clark Melody , Gomez Ricardo
Published: October 2011

In order to understand the implications of this study, it is important to understand the context in which it was conducted. Consequently, this book begins with a chapter that explores the differences and similarities, strengths and weaknesses, of each of the three different types of public access venues studied: public libraries, telecenters, and cybercafés. To begin, the following descriptions define each type of venue in the study: