bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gender Differences in Ethics Perceptions in Information Technology
Authors: Woodcock Leone E. , Murugesan San
Published: May 2011

Greater emphasis is now placed on ethics in information technology (IT) which covers a broad range of issues such as privacy, honesty, trustworthiness, software reliability, data storage, the environment, security breaches, hacking, viruses, and acknowledging the intellectual property of others. Further, legal aspects tend to overlap ethics perceptions. For example, issues such as copying computer programs, music CDs, images, or videos are more than just ethical problems; they also pose legal problems. The ethical dimensions also extend to issues such as computer crime and fraud, information theft, and unauthorized information dissemination. These ethical issues are becoming more complex as continuing advances in IT present many new ethical situations and fresh dilemmas. Developments such as the Internet, electronic commerce, and wireless/mobile communications present a new set of ethical issues and challenge current of codes of ethics, copyright laws, and their authors. In addition, computer users’ ethical standards may also vary from one situation to another (Wikipedia, 2005). What is ethical is subjective, and more so in the areas of IT. Perceptions of ethics in IT vary to a degree from individual to individual. Further, there seems to be significant differences in the perception of ethics among males and females. According to Adam (2000), male and female judgment is most often influenced by their personal values and whether an action is considered legal. Woodcock (2002) conducted a study on ethical perceptions among 405 male and female students from universities, technical colleges, and schools in North-Eastern Australia and found significant differences in some ethical situations between males and females. This article presents common issues and dilemmas that confront IT professionals, students, and the general community. In particular, it presents gender differences in perceptions of ethics and legalities in IT and highlights the different ethical perceptions of male and female students. These insights are particularly significant as the ethical beliefs and perceptions that students have may influence their ethical behaviors during their working careers.
IT Workplace Climate for Opportunity and Inclusion
Authors: Major Debra A. , Davis Donald D. , Sanchez-Hucles Janis V. , Germano Lisa M. , Mann Joan
Published: May 2011

Our program of research is rooted in organizational psychology and employs a climate perspective to understand women’s experiences in the information technology (IT) workplace. An appropriate climate can help a workplace effectively attract and retain a diverse employee base (Miller, 1998). Climate consists of employees’ perceptions of workplace events, practices and procedures, including which behaviors are expected, supported and rewarded (Schneider, Wheeler, & Cox, 1992). Climate requires a referent to have meaning, and there is not a single climate within an organization. For example, there are climates for safety, innovation and customer service. Our focus is climate for opportunity and inclusion (Hayes, Bartle, & Major, 2002). Climate for opportunity is defined as an individual’s overall perception of the fairness and inclusiveness of the workplace in terms of the processes used to allocate opportunities and the resulting distribution of opportunities. Opportunities include hiring, assignments, promotions, pay, power, authority, awards and training. By creating an inclusive work environment, employers can capitalize on the benefits of diversity. Although definitions vary in this emerging literature (cf. Miller, 1998; Mor-Barak & Cherin, 1998; Pelled, Ledford, & Mohrman, 1999), most agree that inclusion means ensuring that everyone in an organization’s diverse workforce feels a sense of belonging, is invited to participate in important decisions and feels that his or her input matters. Exclusion leads to turnover, reduced organizational commitment and decreased job satisfaction (Greenhaus, Parasuraman, & Wormley, 1990). Moreover, prospective employees are more likely to be attracted to inclusive organizations (Powell & Graves, 2003). Our research suggests that three key factors predict inclusive climate: (1) good working relationships between supervisors and IT employees, (2) supportive coworkers, and (3) an organizational culture that supports balance between one’s work life and personal life (Major, Davis, Sanchez-Hucles, & Mann, 2003). In turn, IT employees respond to an inclusive climate with better performance, greater job satisfaction, heightened commitment and increased likelihood of remaining with the current employer and staying in the IT field (Major et al., 2003). In this article, we focus on the gender differences and similarities regarding IT employees’ perceptions of: (a) inclusion and climate for opportunity, (b) workplace relationships, and (c) satisfaction and commitment.
Multi-Disciplinary, Scientific, Gender Research
Authors: Lopez Jr. Antonio M.
Published: May 2011

Many phenomena of interest in education research are results of voluntary human action: whether a first-year college student elects to pursue a degree in information technology or not, whether the pursuit is in computer science vs. computer engineering, and whether the student will persist in a discipline throughout her or his college matriculation or change disciplines after a year or two. Although the human action is observable and can be tracked, the reasons an election is made and when it is made are not easily modeled. This article describes the design of a multidisciplinary, scientific study of gender-based differences, and ethnic and cultural models in the computing disciplines. The term computing disciplines is a collective one subsuming for ease of discussion the various disciplines that have evolved from the mid 20th century through the present 21st century, for example, computer engineering, computer science, computer information systems, information science, information technology, telecommunication systems management, and so forth. The researchers and study advisors formed a multidisciplinary team that is investigating in a scientific way the psychological, social, and educational rigidities that might exist between computing disciplines, and in so doing is developing different predictive models for women and ethnically underrepresented groups, in particular, African Americans. The article highlights recognized guiding principles for conducting scientific research in education and explains how the guiding principles have been implemented thus far in the study.
A Perspective of Equality and Role for Women in IT
Authors: George Susan E.
Published: May 2011

There are many disciplines and professions where women are not well represented, are paid less than male counterparts, and rise less quickly to leadership positions. IT is one such field, encompassing a broad range of topics from software development to telecommunications. This “inequality” has created a sense of injustice among some, leading to more aggressive stands for rights, for positive discrimination, and cries for all manner of “equality” within the workplace—specifically that male and female peers are able to play the same roles and indeed should have fair opportunity to play the same roles. This article questions the “equality” that is pursued by the “equal opportunity” agenda. In many instances demanding women, given opportunities to take traditional male dominated positions in the workplace underlines the male-dominated world, what it values, and what it requires. A worldview that rejects male domination at its core may do more to help the “equality” of women and men. Moving toward this entails (1) recognising the roles played by women in the workplace and improving remuneration—rather than forcing women to take more male orientated roles, (2) couching the well renumerated roles that males play in more female friendly language to change perceptions of who is suitable for the role, and (3) recognising the female skills that many male roles require and not failing to give women novel workplace arrangements that permit pursuing roles outside the workplace. In each of these suggestions the importance of male and female differences are recognised. This represents an understanding of “personhood”, that is, not forcing all people to be equal regardless of gender, but recognising the intrinsic worth of people above gender—and that there may be gender differences. The idea of intrinsic worth of people is based upon one theological perspective of personhood drawn from the Christian tradition. It asks for equality of personhood to be recognised over and above gender issues and gender “differences” to be actually incorporated into professional environments.
Survey Feedback Interventions in IT Workplaces
Authors: Major Debra A. , Germano Lisa M.
Published: May 2011

Several factors may explain the underrepresentation of women in IT. One reason is the portrayal of the IT workplace as hostile, or at least inhospitable, to women. Long work hours, a frenetic pace, and few family-friendly benefits are believed to characterize many IT work environments (Howard, 1995; Lambeth, 1996; Panteli, Stack, & Ramsay, 1999). Another reason is the perception that IT careers afford little social interaction or support (Misic & Graf, 1999). The stereotype of the IT worker as a “geek” who works in isolation from others may be less appealing to women than men (Spender, 1997). Moreover, white males are most frequently portrayed as IT professionals in the media, are most likely to have role models and support systems, and work in work environments that reflect their values and learning styles (Balcita, Carver, & Soffa, 2002). Subtle biases in stereotyping and language use and working in a white male culture may contribute to feelings of exclusion for women. Finally, male IT supervisors may be less likely to develop supportive relationships with women than men (Ragins, 2002), thereby reducing their bond to the organization and leading to their eventual dissatisfaction and departure from IT work and the organizations that employ them (Lee, 2004). Our research examines how characteristics of the IT workplace can foster inclusion and equal opportunity for IT employees (see Major, Davis, Sanchez-Hucles, Germano, & Mann, 2006). We are particularly interested in identifying barriers and enablers to the career success of women and minorities in IT departments. During Phase 1 of this three-year project, IT departments completed a Web-based survey designed to understand the factors that shape the access that IT employees have to opportunities in the workplace. During Phase 2 of the project, we provided the IT departments with feedback from our survey, conducted focus groups and structured supervisor interviews, and worked with the organizations to identify and implement changes designed to increase opportunity and inclusion for IT employees. During Phase 3 of this project, we administered another survey to assess the effectiveness of the interventions implemented during Phase 2. The remainder of this chapter describes our sample, survey measures, and research methodology.
Women Embrace Computing in Mauritius
Authors: Adams Joel C. , Baichoo Shakuntala , Bauer Vimala
Published: May 2011

Studies like Camp (1997), Gurer and Camp (2002), Sigurdardóttir (2000), and Vegso (2005) have documented the declining percentage of women in computer science (CS) in the United States and other countries. While women are underrepresented in the United States overall, there are cultural pockets within the country that are exceptions to the rule. For example, Lopez and Shultze (2002) note that African-American women earned the majority of CS bachelor’s degrees each year from 1989 through 1997 at historically black U.S. colleges and universities. Fisher and Margolis (2002) and Frieze and Blum (2002) report some success in increasing the percentage of women studying computing at Carnegie-Mellon. Camp, Miller, and Davies (2001) point out that the problem is significantly worse for CS departments housed in a school of engineering compared to those housed in a school of arts and sciences, a phenomenon dubbed “the school of engineering effect.” So while women are on average underrepresented in CS in the United States, such national averages can hide significant variance within a country’s subcultures. Outside the United States, Schinzel (1999) notes that the situation in Anglo-Saxon, Scandinavian, and German-speaking countries (ASGs) is similar to that in the United States, but female representation in CS is comparatively constant and high (45-50%) in Greece, Turkey, and the Romanic countries (e.g., France, Italy). Schinzel’s data are fragmentary, but they offer intriguing hints that culture plays an important role in encouraging or discouraging women from studying CS. These and reports like Galpin (2002) indicate that there are non-ASG countries where women are equally represented in CS. This in turn suggests that the problem is one of culture: ASG cultures apparently in some way discourage women from choosing IT-related careers, while the cultures of these other countries apparently encourage women to do so. If the root of the problem is the culture in the ASG countries, then that is where we should focus our efforts. What is it about the culture of the United States and other ASG countries that discourages women from studying CS? Trying to analyze the negative cultural factors from within an ASG country is rather like a fish trying to analyze the water in which it is swimming. A preferable approach is to become a “fish out of water” and visit a non-ASG country where women are studying CS. By identifying those cultural differences in non-ASG countries that are leading women to study CS, we can identify those aspects of ASG culture that are problematic. In this article, we examine the country of Mauritius, a 25x40-mile island roughly 500 miles east of Madagascar that is home to 1.2 million people. Ethnically, its population is 68% Indo-Mauritian, 27% Creole-African, 3% Sino-Mauritian, and 2% Franco-Mauritian. Religiously, its people are 52% Hindu, 28% Christian, 17% Muslim, and 3% other religions. With this dynamic mix of people, Mauritius is one of the world’s most culturally diverse countries.
Mobile User Data Mining and Its Applications
Authors: Goh J.
Published: May 2011

Mobile user data mining is the process of extracting interesting knowledge from data collected from mobile users through various data mining methodologies. As technology progresses, and the current status of mobile phone adoption being very high in developed nations, along with improvements on mobile phones with new capabilities, it represents a strategic place for mobile user data mining. With such advanced mobile devices, locations that mobile users visit, time of communications, parties of communications, description of surrounding locations of mobile users can be gathered, stored and delivered by the mobile user to a central location, in which it have the great potential application in industries such as marketing, retail and banking. This chapter provides a general introduction on mobile user data mining followed by their potential application. As the life of mobile users are mined, general patterns and knowledge such as the sequence of locations they tend to visit, groups of people that they tends to meet, and timing where they generally active can be gathered. This supports marketing, retail and banking systems through the use of knowledge of behavior of mobile users. However, challenges such as privacy and security are still a main issue before mobile user data mining can be implemented.
Strategic Perspectives in Mobile Banking
Authors: Ayadi Achraf , Ammi Chantal
Published: May 2011

The convergence of the Internet and mobile networks has created new opportunities and applications. Considering mobile business only as an extension of the traditional web can lead to missing out on unique and differentiable qualities for new value-added opportunities. Mobile banking is considered as potentially one of the most value-added and important mobile service available. The chapter examines the technological changes in mobile networks and the innovative attributes of mobile Internet. It advances the theoretical framework of innovation in services to develop a customer centric analysis of m-banking value proposition. The chapter goes on to discuss critical factors in the diffusion of m-Banking and explores reasons of failure and further prospects of success.
Content, Collection, Development and Management
Authors: DiMarco John
Published: May 2011

It’s time to hunt and gather. In a large part, the Web portfolio design process relies upon you as the author to be an investigator. What this means is you have to go back into your own personal history and find all of the assets and artifacts that will help you tell your story in the Web portfolio. Remember, this story is wrapped around the content. The content must be collected, processed, and refined so that it is technically and visually suitable for publishing on the Internet. Content will be scattered all over. To make things easier during the content collection process, refer to your content outline. By doing this, you can cycle through a list and gather all available materials. Some items might be lost or not worthy of the Web portfolio so they should be deleted. You can also leave space for items that will be complete and ready for presentation in the future.
Process-Centered Contributions to Information Systems Quality
Authors: Duggan Evan W. , Gibson Richard
Published: May 2011

The growing attendance at seminars and conferences dedicated to quality programs attests to the increasing recognition of the continued importance of quality. Unfortunately, in many organizations, this intensified quality focus has not been effectively applied to information systems — a surprising outcome given the many demonstrations of a direct relationship between information systems delivery process and information systems quality and success. In this chapter, we analyze process-centered contributions and solutions to the increasing challenges of producing high-quality systems. We provide a balanced overview of evidence that has emerged from practical, real-world experiences and empirical research studies, an overview that incorporates the positions of both proponents and opponents of process-centricity. We then provide an assessment of the contexts in which software process improvements and quality- enhancing initiatives can thrive.
Multimodel Expressions
Authors: Axelrod Lesley , Hone Kate
Published: May 2011

In a culture which places increasing emphasis on happiness and wellbeing, multimedia technologies include emotional design to improve commercial edge. This chapter explores affective computing and illustrates how innovative technologies are capable of emotional recognition and display. Research in this domain has emphasised solving the technical difficulties involved, through the design of ever more complex recognition algorithms. But fundamental questions about the use of such technology remain neglected. Can it really improve human-computer interaction? For which types of application is it suitable? How is it best implemented? What ethical considerations are there? We review this field and discuss the need for user-centred design. We describe and give evidence from a study that explores some of the user issues in affective computing.
Discovering Multimedia Services and Contents in Mobile Environments
Authors: Wang Zhou , Koubaa Hend
Published: May 2011

Accessing multimedia services from portable devices in nomadic environments is of increasing interest for mobile users. Service discovery mechanisms help mobile users freely and efficiently locating multimedia services they want. The chapter first provides an introduction to the topic service discovery and content location in mobile environments, including background and problems to be solved. Then, the chapter presents typical architectures and technologies of service discovery in infrastructure-based mobile environments, covering both emerging industry standards and advances in the research world. Their advantages and limitations, as well as open issues are discussed, too. Finally, the approaches for content location in mobile ad hoc networks are described in detail. The strengths and limitations of these approaches with regard to mobile multimedia services are analyzed.
Context-Aware Mobile Capture and Sharing of Video Clips
Authors: Lahti Janne , Westermann Utz , Palola Marko , Peltola Johannes , Vildjiounaite Elena
Published: May 2011

Video management research has been neglecting the increased attractiveness of using camera-equipped mobile phones for the production of short home video clips. But specific capabilities of modern phones — especially the availability of rich context data — open up new approaches to traditional video management problems, such as the notorious lack of annotated metadata for home video content. In this chapter, we present MobiCon, a mobile, context-aware home video production tool. MobiCon allows users to capture video clips with their camera phones, to semi-automatically create MPEG-7-conformant annotations by exploiting available context data at capture time, to upload both clips and annotations to the users’ video collections, and to share these clips with friends using OMA DRM. Thereby, MobiCon enables mobile users to effortlessly create richly annotated home video clips with their camera phones, paving the way to a more effective organization of their home video collections.
Forensic Computing
Authors: Stahl Bernd Carsten , Carroll-Mayer Moira , Norris Peter
Published: May 2011

In order to be able to address issues of digital crime and forensic science in cyberspace, there is a need for specifically skilled individuals. These need to have a high level of competence in technical matters, but they must also be able to evaluate technical issues with regards to the legal environment. Digital evidence is worth nothing if it is not presented professionally to a court of law. This chapter describes the process of designing a university course (a full undergraduate BSc degree) in forensic computing. The aim of the chapter is to present the underlying rationale and the design of the course. It will emphasise the problem of interdisciplinary agreement on necessary content and the importance of the different aspects. It is hoped that the chapter will stimulate debate between individuals tasked with designing similar academic endeavours and that this debate will help us come to an agreement what the skills requirement for forensic computing professionals should be.
Recent Development of Information Technology in Japanese Banks
Authors: Yamori Nobuyoshi , Harimaya Kozo , Asai Yoshihiro
Published: May 2011

Although Japanese banks have suffered from huge, non-performing loans since the burst of the bubble, they have invested as much as possible in information technology. However, due to the shortage of available funds, each bank has felt that its investment was not high enough to compete with leading U.S. and European banks. This is one important reason why major Japanese banks have been merging with each other in recent years. Information technology has now become a key issue in the Japanese banking business. This chapter discusses the recent development of information technology in Japanese banks in detail. The section titled Changing in the Business Model provides a brief explanation of the current Japanese banking environment. In The Steady Progress of New Information Technology in Financial Institutions, we discuss how Japanese financial institutions, mainly banks, have dealt with new information technology. The section on Internet Banking provides a detailed discussion of new Internet banks and the Internet banking services of existing banks. As information investment has an external effect, the market will fail without government assistance. Therefore, in Government Efforts: E-Japan Strategy, we explain what the Japanese government has done in terms of IT usage in financial services. Finally, the Conclusions section concludes this chapter.
Integral ePortfolio Interoperability with the IMS ePortfolio Specification
Authors: Cambridge Darren
Published: May 2011

Interoperability that enables the distribution and migration of portfolios as integral wholes between venues requires the ability to describe, encode, and transmit the relationships between assets within the portfolio and its information architecture and visual design in a format that both human and computer audiences can understand. This chapter will discern interoperability challenges fundamental to ePortfolios. It will explain how fundamental issues begin to be addressed by the IMS ePortfolio specification and will consider the challenges that lie ahead as adoption of this specification grows.
Transition to ePortfolios
Authors: Hickerson Corey , Preston Marlene
Published: May 2011

This project focused on student development in the freshman year as displayed in students’ ePortfolios. The experimental design allowed analysis of student attitudes about ePortfolios with results that may be useful to faculty and students at other institutions. Researchers found that careful alignment of an ePortfolio with the learning goals of a course can help students to adapt easily to the new technology and recognize it as a useful academic tool.
Exploring Trust Building Mechanisms in Global B2B Electronic Markets
Authors: del Aguila-Obra Ana Rosa , Padilla-Melendez Antonio
Published: May 2011

There have been numerous studies about business-to-business (B2B) electronic commerce and market structure, most of them analyzing the relationships between buyers and sellers and the role of intermediaries. This research is based mainly on earlier papers about the role of information technology (IT) and electronic communications networks in the companies’ relationships. The use of these computerized inter-organizational networks leads to lower transaction costs, which encourages the development of electronic markets, where there is a severe price competition and greater buyer choice. In this chapter, we analyze the development of global B2B electronic markets and if these markets are becoming a way of improving trust between organizations at an international level, increasing, therefore, the inter-organizational cooperation among them. Based on the literature review and on the analysis of some global electronic markets, we define and describe these platforms, stressing the strategic role of each of the principal participating actors. Furthermore, we propose a model to explain the trust-related sources of competitive advantage for the new intermediaries in electronic markets and compare those with the off-line market’s characteristics. In addition, some propositions related with the trust-building mechanisms are defined.
Intrusion Detection Using Modern Techniques
Authors: Bhaskar Tarun , Kamath B. Narasimha
Published: May 2011

Intrusion detection system (IDS) is now becoming an integral part of the network security infrastructure. Data mining tools are widely used for developing an IDS. However, this requires an ability to find the mapping from the input space to the output space with the help of available data. Rough sets and neural networks are the best known data mining tools to analyze data and help solve this problem. This chapter proposes a novel hybrid method to integrate rough set theory, genetic algorithm (GA), and artificial neural network. Our method consists of two stages: First, rough set theory is applied to find the reduced dataset. Second, the results are used as inputs for the neural network, where a GA-based learning approach is used to train the intrusion detection system. The method is characterized not only by using attribute reduction as a pre-processing technique of an artificial neural network but also by an improved learning algorithm. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated on the KDD cup data.
Modeling Method for Assessing Privacy Technologies
Authors: Weis Michael , Esfandiari Babak
Published: May 2011

In this chapter we propose a modeling framework for assessing privacy technologies. The main contribution of the framework is that it allows us to model aspects of privacy and related system concerns (such as security and scalability) in a more comprehensive manner than the dataflow diagrams traditionally used for privacy analysis. The feature interaction perspective taken in the chapter allows us to reason about conflicts between a service user’s model of how the service works and its actual implementation. In our modeling framework such conflicts can be modeled in terms of goal conflicts and service deployment. Goal conflicts allow us to reflect conflicting points of view on system concerns (primarily privacy and security) among the different stakeholders, which are part of the system and its context. Deployment refers to the assignment of functionality to system components, which allows us to reason about dataflows between components, as well as potential conflicts of interest. As a demonstration of the framework, we illustrate how it can be applied to the analysis of single sign-on solutions such as .Net Passport.
Increasing the Effectiveness of IT Management through Psychological Awareness
Authors: Kluzniacky Eugene
Published: May 2011

Largely because of the potential for Internet connectivity, the area of electronic commerce has been proliferating since the start of the century. In this context, IT professionals are being counted on to provide central and impactful systems with a capacity for competitive advantage. In other areas of intense IT usage, we have also seen increasing emphasis on systems with critical impact. There is a need to be original and creative, yet precise and timely. The more IT workers produce, the more is demanded of them. A number of sources are highlighting the reality of impending and widespread IT burnout. Thus, IT management is faced with the imperative of eliciting high-quality work from an overburdened workforce. To aid in this endeavor, it is here suggested that development of multi-dimensional psychological awareness among those managing and those managed be given serious consideration.
How E-Entrepreneurs Operate in the Context of open Source Software
Authors: Zutshi Ambika , Zutshi Samar , Sohal Amrik
Published: May 2011

The Internet has become an integral part of our everyday lives and it is often difficult to imagine how we ever functioned without it. This chapter presents experiences of two entrepreneurial companies, one of which has survived the ‘dot-com bubble burst.’ The chapter identifies current and future online business environments especially in light of open source software (OSS) being accepted globally. Unlike proprietary software (such as Windows), OSS comes with its internal implementation details (source code) visible both to its developers and users, along with the freedom to change and redistribute this source. The significant implications of this unique style of software distribution for e-entrepreneurs are examined.
Software Use Through Mnoadic and Dyadic Procedure
Authors: Truman Gregory E.
Published: May 2011

Our research objectives are to provide a theoretical discussion on how software may impact user performance in ways contrary to designers’ intentions and users’ desires, and to empirically evaluate user performance impacts that derive from ostensibly performance-enhancing software features. We propose that dyadic procedure is associated with higher levels of user performance when compared to monadic procedure. Using word-processing software utilization as the research context, we test the proposition on data from 46 participants. Contrary to expectations, the results suggest that dyadic procedure may decrease the accuracy of users’ work. We conclude that software design features that are intended to improve user performance may have opposite effects, which raise questions about these features’ utility and desirability.
Lessons Learned from EDI and Its Impact on Institutional Trust in Electronic Marketplaces
Authors: Ratnasingam Pauline , Gefen David , Pavlou Paul A.
Published: May 2011

Given the uncertainties of e-business, this chapter examines the role of institutional trust, which has been viewed as a key facilitator of electronic marketplaces (Pavlou, Tan, & Gefen, 2003). In doing so, we draw upon the principles of research on traditional electronic data interchange (EDI) via value-added-networks (VANs) to develop a set of theory-driven, institutional trust-building, facilitating conditions, namely, (1) IT connectivity, (2) standards, (3) security, and (4) uniform product descriptions. This study has implications for (1) the nature and role of institutional trust in e-marketplaces, (2) the strategic design of trust-building mechanisms in e-marketplaces, and (3) an extension of the literature on institutional trust.
When is Standardization Slow?
Authors: Sherif M. H.
Published: May 2011

This chapter presents an analysis of the political, marketing, and technical aspects associated with the perception that standardization is slow. A framework is defined to evaluate the rate of standardization in terms of meeting users’ needs.
Network Effects and Diffusion Theory
Authors: Weitzel Tim , Wendt Oliver , Beimborn Daniel , Konig Daniel
Published: May 2011

n this chapter, some of the main results of an interdisciplinary research project on standards are presented and integrated into a single framework of technology diffusion. Based on network-effect theory and diffusion theory, we present an agent-based simulation model that extends the traditional economical network perspective by incorporating structural determinants of networks (centrality, topology and density) from sociology and geography and individual standard decision making under realistic informational assumptions. The main finding is a substantial impact of network topology on standard diffusion. The model has so far served as a tool both for developing and evaluating network strategies in practical applications like EDI networks or corporate directory service planning, as well as for providing theoretical insights into standardization problems and possible solutions.
The Use and Evolution of an Audience Response System
Authors: Burnstein Ray A. , Lederman Leon M.
Published: May 2011

This chapter reports the authors’ use and refinement of a wireless audience response system (ARS) over a 10-year period. The motivation for this effort was to replace the traditional passive lecture with a more interactive classroom. Our classroom procedures and the evolution of these procedures are detailed. The authors also illustrate how ARS systems can be applied in a variety of ways, including the use of modified multiple-choice questions. ARS systems allow for both formative and summative assessment in real time, which is a unique and desirable property. The use of ARS systems similar to the ones described has increased rapidly in the past few years. A brief survey of current and proposed commercial wireless keypad systems is included.
Instructor Mobile Audience Response System
Authors: Dominick Jay , Bishop Anne
Published: May 2011

This chapter describes a new class of audience response systems: an instructor mobile audience response system, or IMARS. While the typical ARS features mobile data entry devices in the hands of students and a desktop console for the instructor, the IMARS features a mobile device for the instructor and almost any device with a browser for students. The ClassInHand™ software, developed at Wake Forest University, is an example of a prototype IMARS system. It has the principal benefit that the system frees the instructor from being tethered to a desk during class, by turning a wirelessly connected PocketPC into a mobile teacher console. This chapter describes the basic components of an IMARS system, and discusses how it has been used in an educational setting.
Organizational Models for Faculty Support
Authors: Haughy Margaret
Published: May 2011

This chapter delineates changing organizational responses to the provision of faculty support for teaching and learning in six large Canadian universities since 1997. Various models from centralized to decentralized and from integrated to parallel units are described and their advantages and disadvantages identified. From the analysis, several recommendations pertinent to senior administrators involved in the enhancement of teaching and learning through the integration of digital technologies are provided. In particular, issues concerning the goals and culture of the institution, the integration of pedagogical and technological approaches, as well as involvement of faculty and the role of policy are reviewed.
Empowering Learners to Interact Effectively in Asynchronous Discussion Activities
Authors: Wozniak Helen
Published: May 2011

The encouragement of learner-to-learner interaction in asynchronous discussions can be achieved by providing learner support in the early stages of course delivery. This not only smoothes the transition to e-learning but also contributes to knowledge construction and enhancement of learning outcomes. In this chapter, the author describes improvements to orientation activities that enabled learners to work collaboratively in online groups. The activities are closely aligned with Salmon’s five-stage model and illustrate the dynamics of online learning in groups. Research conducted by the author examining the effectiveness of the orientation activities has lead to identification of key issues and practical suggestions that will assist the readers of the chapter to develop approaches to learner support in their own context.
Audio/Video Conferencing and Whiteboard
Authors: Dawley Lisa
Published: May 2011

The strengths and weaknesses of each tool are discussed in detail, and educators are taught to match the strengths of the specific tool to the learning objectives they seek to achieve in their courses. Multiple examples of objectives and online learning activities are provided to help instill a deep understanding of the power of each online tool. This leaves you with a long-term ability to adapt your own curriculum over time, because you have learned options for using a variety of online tools to achieve specific learning objectives. Finally, each chapter includes a sample lesson plan that demonstrates how to integrate the tool into the learning experience. These ideas and activities provide tried and true suggestions for creating an online environment that engages and empowers learners for success. And when your students are successful in learning, you are successful in teaching.
Constructivist E-Learning for Staff Engaged in Coninuous Professional Development
Authors: Donnelly Roisin , O’Farrell Ciara
Published: May 2011

Professional development for academic staff in e-learning is currently a priority for higher education institutions in the Republic of Ireland, as lecturers experience increasing demands to incorporate e-learning into their teaching practice. This chapter reports on the design and implementation of a blended module in e-learning for the continuous professional development of such lecturers. In it the co-authors (who designed and developed the module) discuss the effectiveness of exposing lecturers as online students in order to experience first-hand the advantages and disadvantages of e-learning. It argues that a constructivist, collaborative interaction can provide the scaffolding for lecturers’ future journeys into e-learning and into constructivist practices within their own teaching. Although this approach is still in its infancy, important outcomes were achieved in terms of influencing lecturers’ thinking and approaches to both their own and to their students’ learning.
Digital Disempowerment
Authors: Hacker Kenneth L. , Mason Shana M. , Morgan Eric L.
Published: May 2011

The digital divide involves fundamental ethics issues concerning how democracy and democratization are related to computer-mediated communication (CMC) and its role in political communication. As the roles of CMC/ICT systems expand in political communication, existing digital divide gaps are likely to contribute to structural inequalities in political participation. These inequalities work against democracy and political empowerment and produce social injustices at the same time as they produce expanded opportunities of political participation. Our guiding premise is that CMC/ICT policies that minimize inequalities of access, usage, and participation are more ethical than policies that neglect the democratization of new communication technologies and networks.
Online Communities and Professional Teacher Learning
Authors: Pachler Norbert , Daly Caroline
Published: May 2011

This chapter examines online communities for professional teacher learning, in the context of a mixed-mode practice-based Masters degree, the Master of Teaching. It problematises key principles for designing collaborative learning online, aimed at developing teachers’ dispositions and values, as well as critical understandings that inform professional knowledge about practice. Data from teachers’ asynchronous online discussions are analysed, and the discussion is grounded in the learning activities of course participants. The authors establish the contemporary context for developing teachers’ professional learning through the affordances of new technologies, with a view to establishing what claims can be made about the potential of online communities to provide a counter to reductive models of professional development that have dominated teachers’ learning in England and Wales in recent years.
Making Sense of Technologically Enhanced Learning in Context
Authors: Heilesen Simon B. , Jensen Sisse Siggaard
Published: May 2011

This chapter proposes that technologically enhanced learning should be understood and evaluated by means of a combination of analytical strategies. These will allow us to analyze it both as seen from the macroanalytical or “outside” perspective of a rich social, cultural, and technological context, and from a microanalytical or “inside out” perspective of individual sense-making in learning situations. As a framework, we will be using sense-making methodology, and a model for causal layered analysis. Our area of attention will be limited to the “remediated classroom” of constructivist, net-based university education. Problematizing some common assumptions about technologically enhanced learning, the authors define 10 questions that may serve as the basis for a research agenda meant to help us understand why the many visions and ideals of the online or remediated classroom are not more widely realized and demonstrated in educational design and practice.
Performance Measurement Systems
Authors: Shimizu Tamio , Monteiro de Carvalho Marley , Barbin Fernando Jose
Published: May 2011

Up to now, this book has shown readers the important components in formulating a successful strategy and good decision-making processes. Now imagine the challenge of implementing a strategy formulated in a company such as Microsoft, with subsidiaries in many countries and a legion of collaborators! How can one ensure that the strategy not be lost in the implementation? This chapter intends to touch on issues related to the strategic alignment of the organization to effectively implement the outlined strategy, as well as the elements, which are important to developing performance measurement systems to monitor and measure the results obtained from the strategy in process.
Strategies For The New Economy And Dynamic Competitive Environment
Authors: Shimizu Tamio , Monteiro de Carvalho Marley , Barbin Fernando Jose
Published: May 2011

The so-called “New Economy” has expanded market competition to a world scale — no longer is it local or regional. Thus, decisions which are made or events that occur in one part of the planet can have repercussions for the rest of the world. In addition, the interrelationships between companies can involve actors who are very far away from each other. Information Technology (IT) is seen as the factor that has made this worldwide integration possible, along with the creation of new business strategies, new organizational structures, and new modes of relationship among companies and between business and consumers (Laurindoet al., 2003; Laurindo et al., 2001). The Internet is the IT application with highest visibility, since it provides the infrastructure for developing strategic IT applications, of which e-business and e-commerce are the most outstanding (Evans & Wuster, 1997; Frontini, 1999). This has given rise to virtual organizations, the companies whose activities are exclusively on the Internet, while simultaneously, traditional businesses have become active on the web. New forms of association and relationships in business have also come into being. IT makes a new form of integration viable: virtual integration, which has become a strong alternative to vertical integration, which is losing its potential as a source of competitive advantage, according to Venkatraman and Henderson (1998). After the initial period during which many innovative initiatives appeared and then disappeared, the need for a well-defined strategy became clear. Early interest in business to consumer (B2C) shifted to an interest in business-to-business (B2B), where large companies explored the features of this new and powerful tool. In Porter’s (2001) opinion, while the Internet is the best IT platform developed to date to reinforce a distinctive strategy, businesses have committed many errors in utilizing it, because they lack a strategic vision. Further, he argues that the founding principles of traditional strategy are necessary to the success of companies that use the Internet. He does not believe in a “New Economy” or the revolutionary nature of the Internet. In turn, other authors such as Tapscott (2001) see in the Internet an agent that ruptures economic activities, to the point that strategy must be revised totally. With this scenario in mind, it is important to understand these concepts and paths for strategy in the midst of this turbulent environment and in virtual space, so that the entire potential of the Interest can yield new organizational forms, both intra and extra-company.
Core Business Processes in Enterprise Planning
Authors: Portougal Victor
Published: May 2011

It was pointed out in Chapter VII that before implementation of an ERP systemin EA Cakes Ltd., it was necessary to completely reengineer the productionplanning process. To change the strategy from make-to-order to make-to-stock involves not only the company’s decision to invest money in accumulationand keeping stocks of finished goods. It requires a complete redesign of itsproduction planning system, because:•There is no forecasting for MTO, it is driven by customers’ orders, so aforecasting system had to be designed and implemented.•An inventory management system for finished goods had to be developed.•Under MTS, it is vital that the planning system preserves continuity; theplans produced by each level should be detailed plans of the top level.Also, there must be feedback continuity: feedback of the top levels is anaggregation of bottom level feedback — for more detail see McNair andVangermeersch (1998).
Knowledge Management in Medicine
Authors: Giannakakis Nikolaos , Poravas Efstratios
Published: May 2011

In the last decades, the amount of information has risen because of the technology revolution. The need for organizing information, in a way that the staff and the managers of a hospital require, lead to the generation of a new value, the knowledge management. Its benefits are sensible, not only for the staff, but also for the hospital as an entity. Many techniques are applied to solve all the daily problems in the health sector.