bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Offshore Software Development
Authors: Hawk Stephen , Kaiser Kate M.
Published: May 2011

The quiet emergence of Year 2000 supplementation of IT skill sets has become an increasingly viable alternative for many companies to lower costs and speed implementation. Offshore software development continues to grow. More countries recognize its economic impact and are providing infrastructure to nurture continued expansion. The challenges of the client/developer contract reach beyond coding quality and remote management. The chapter presents the evolution, rationale, and models used for offshore/nearshore software development with an analysis by major countries engaged in the delivery. Best practices and examples of some firms illustrate the critical success factors of these relationships.
Reluctance to Report Reality in Troubled Technology Projects
Authors: Moore Jo Ellen , Burke Lisa A.
Published: May 2011

The situation of IT project leaders’ reluctance to engage in “reality reporting” is examined within a classic organizational behavior framework: the influence of person vs. situational factors on worker behavior. We review the MIS literature to establish that this project reporting problem has been substantiated and creates problems for organizations. Then we detail the foundation underlying Mischel’s classic argument regarding the type of situations in which person variables tend to be influential, and we extend a useful conceptual framework for IT managers. Viewing this reporting behavior through the lens provided by Mischel leads to recommendations on how managers can make status reporting in troubled IT projects a stronger situation to influence reality reporting behaviors by project leaders.
Introduction to Democratic e-Governance
Authors: Anttiroiko Ari-Veikko
Published: May 2011

The concept of governance has its roots in the changing role of the state and in a managerialist view of the operations of public administrations. These two discourses have been challenged by another approach, which could be called democratic governance. It emphasizes the interactions between citizens, political representatives and administrative machinery providing a special view of citizens’ opportunities to influence and participate in policy-making and related processes. This perspective opens up a view to the practices in which institutions, organizations and citizens steer and guide society and communities. It provides citizen-centered view of governance which is quite different from managerialist and institutionalist perspectives. Such approaches as communitarianism, teledemocracy, participatory democracy and direct democracy have been presented as alternative modes of governance. In regard to technology, democratic e-governance is based on the idea that new ICTs can be used to facilitate interaction, communication and decision-making processes, thus having a great potential to strengthen the democratic aspects of governance.
ICTs and the Communicative Conditions for Democracy
Authors: Ridell Seija
Published: May 2011

In this chapter, the contribution of new information and communication technologies to enhancing democracy at the local level is articulated as a practical and empirical question that pertains to the locally established patterns and practices of public communication. It is suggested that in order to realize the democratic potential inherent in ICTs, the compartmentalized, hierarchical and one-way practices of both administrative-political machinery and the mainstream media must be exposed and challenged through concrete action. The article draws upon a participatory action research project in which alternative, dialogical and citizen-oriented forms of web-mediated public communication were created and maintained in close collaboration with grass-roots civic actors and groups. In the experimental project, specific efforts were made to enable and encourage online encounters between those local stakeholders that rarely meet in the discursive public spaces of mainstream media.
Community (Information and Communication) Technology
Authors: Day Peter
Published: May 2011

This chapter illustrates the significance of developing a shared understanding of community, which is more than an adjective qualifying a certain type of ICT usage in a rapidly developing area of social practice and academic study — Community Informatics. Highlighting the importance of contextualising ICTs within their social environments, the chapter approaches Community Informatics from a human-centered perspective. It introduces a framework of democratic design criteria intended to assist the community planning and implementation processes of community technology initiatives. Examining the significance of community policy, community partnerships and community practice, the author invokes the need for interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral collaboration in Community Informatics and argues that community ICT initiatives should be grounded in the needs of local communities if they are to be utilised successfully as tools of community empowerment.
The Role of Place
Authors: Steer Dean , Turner Paul
Published: May 2011

Despite continued rhetoric that information and communication technologies (ICTs) make ‘place’ irrelevant in a global networked economy, insights from regional areas suggest a different and more complex experience. This chapter examines the issues surrounding the concepts of place in regional areas and ICT-based regional development, as a vehicle to dispel some prevalent ICT-related themes that permeate discussions in this sphere. These issues open up a broader debate on what is meant by ICT-supported development in a regional context, how it can best be achieved and what insights have been developed from past experiences in Tasmania, Australia.
The Design and Implementation of Rural Communication Technology Initiatives
Authors: Simpson Lyn , Daws Leonie , Wood Leanne
Published: May 2011

Communication technology initiatives have proved to be an important influence in rural communities in recent years. Our research has demonstrated that such initiatives have far-reaching effects on a community’s formal and informal social networks and, as a result, on its social capital. Given this fact, it is critical that leaders and management committees of community technology projects are aware of the broader social context in which project activities take place, and the potential interactions that can both benefit and damage community social capital. This chapter addresses key issues that have arisen out of a number of major communication technology projects in Queensland, Australia, and draws upon our findings to propose guidelines that will assist project planners with the design and implementation of future communication technology initiatives in the context of regional and rural community development.
Creating and Sustaining Online Communities
Authors: Thompson Helen
Published: May 2011

This chapter explores the challenges of establishing and sustaining online communities and regional portals. Theory relevant to online communities, particularly in a regional and rural context, is introduced to provide a background for the MainStreet Regional Portal case study. The author hopes that the dissemination of information on the critical learnings from this project will assist in informing others about the diverse factors which can impact on creating and sustaining online community initiatives, long after initial seed funding has been expended.
Regional Tourism and the Internet
Authors: Carson Dean , Sharma Pramod , Waller Iain
Published: May 2011

Tourism, and especially regional tourism, is facing the same challenges that have emerged in most industry sectors as a result of online technology availability. There are concerns that access to tourism products are likely to be impeded if online technologies are not effectively employed by the whole tourism industry in Australia. A common understanding of the purpose of engaging online is critical to the development of sustainable models for regional tourism organisations. This paper discusses a case where FRANK (The Framework of Regional Tourism and Network Knowledge) was used to help a tourism organisation describe their approach to E-business development. The framework emerges from the four considerations discussed in this paper: governance, value adding, positioning and evaluation.
Privacy Implications of Organizational Data Mining
Authors: Nemati Hamid R. , Brathwaite Charmion , Harrington Kara
Published: May 2011

Technological advances and decreased costs of implementing and using technology have allowed for vast amounts of data to be collected, used and manipulated for organizations to mine. If correctly deployed, Organizational Data Mining (ODM) offers companies an indispensable decision-enhancing process that optimizes resource allocation and exploits new opportunities by transforming data into valuable knowledge (Nemati & Barko, 2001). These tools have the potential to significantly reduce a company’s costs by helping to identify areas of potential business, areas that the company needs to focus its attention on or areas that should be discontinued because of poor sales or returns over a period of time. However, this information, if used in the wrong context, can be very harmful to an individual. As a result, ODM may “pose a threat to privacy” in the sense that discovered patterns can reveal confidential personal attributes about individuals. This paper examines a number of issues related to the privacy concerns that are inherent with the use of ODM.
Knowledge Exchange in Organizations is a Potential, Not a Given
Authors: Potter Richard E. , Balthazard Pierre A.
Published: May 2011

Team collaborations generate rich collections of information that are valuable inputs to the knowledge management (KM) process. But such effectiveness is not guaranteed. Team members may possesses considerable knowledge, but their tendency and ability to contribute that knowledge — and transform it from a personal tacit resource that has value only to them to an explicit resource that can have value to the team or organization — is only a potential. This chapter provides readers with an understanding of the human dynamics of expert knowledge exchange in the realm of virtual teams who interact via computer-controlled communication (CMC). We present the research, theory and the methodologies now in professional use to assess information exchange potential for KM-related activities at the team level as well as from the perspective of organizational culture.
Towards Constructionist Organizational Date Mining (ODM)
Authors: Ramos Isabel , Carvalho João Álvaro
Published: May 2011

This chapter addresses the definition of organizational data mining (ODM) practices that leverage knowledge creation in organizations. It argues that knowledge resides in human minds and it is created by the continuous action and interaction happening in specific social contexts. Knowledge has a rational and an emotional foundation. When represented, knowledge becomes information that shapes the action and interaction by which individuals and communities create their specific knowledge. The purpose of this chapter is to highlight the advantages of adopting a constructionist approach and to present some constructionist guidelines to assist the definition of ODM practices that leverage knowledge creation in organizations.
A View on Knowledge Management
Authors: Fairchild Alea
Published: May 2011

IT professionals who want to deploy foundation technologies such as groupware, CRM or decision support tools, but fail to justify them on the basis of their contribution to Knowledge Management, may find it difficult to get funding unless they can frame the benefits within a Knowledge Management context. Determining Knowledge Management’s pervasiveness and impact is analogous to measuring the contribution of marketing, employee development, or any other management or organizational competency. This chapter addresses the problem of developing measurement models for Knowledge Management metrics and discusses what current Knowledge Management metrics are in use, and examines their sustainability and soundness in assessing knowledge utilization and retention of generating revenue. The chapter discusses the use of a Balanced Scorecard approach to determine a business-oriented relationship between strategic Knowledge Management usage and IT strategy and implementation.
Measuring ROI in E-Commerce Applications
Authors: Mogollon Manuel , Raisinghani Mahesh S.
Published: May 2011

Measuring the Return on Investment (ROI) of a project is a key element of the IT Governance process. The research in this paper aims to provide an overview of how to calculate the ROI for e-commerce applications so that this information, and the attached ROI Calculator Tool Template, can be used by organizations to reduce the time in preparing the ROI for a project. Although there is much written about ROI, there is not that much said about how to prepare one, specifically for an e-commerce project. By reading this research paper and by using the ROI Calculator Tool, any IT group or organization that is going to deploy e-commerce applications will have a starting point for calculating ROIs.
Sharp Connection
Authors: Hendriks Paul , Jacobs Wendy
Published: May 2011

Assessing the value of ICT to support Competitive Intelligence presumes an understanding of the relationship between the two. The chapter argues that starting from either the ICT or CI side to this relationship and linking to the other, as most studies do, cannot secure a fully adequate conception of ICT’s value to CI. Instead, the challenge is to find an appropriate foundation in the relationship itself and use it as a stepping stone for developing an understanding of both ICT and CI. The chapter proposes to use and develop the concept of acceptability to provide that foundation. Acceptability offers a natural connection between the technology and CI sides. An object—e.g., a technology—cannot be acceptable in a void, but presumes a relation to a context or a subject—e.g., the CI function—to be considered acceptable or unacceptable. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Task-Technology Fit model (TTF) provide useful elements to develop this approach further. The chapter presents the case of an intranet to support CI, called IntraTel, to illustrate the argument.
The Source Map
Authors: Vriens Dirk , Achterbergh Jan
Published: May 2011

In the collection stage of the intelligence cycle, one has to determine relevant sources, access them and retrieve data from them. For each data class, many possible sources are available and determining the right ones is often difficult. Moreover, accessing sources and retrieving data may require a lot of effort. In this chapter, we present a tool for supporting the effective and efficient use of sources—the “source map.” In essence, a source map links data classes to sources and contains meta data about these links. These meta data indicate the adequacy of sources in terms of ease of access, ease of retrieval, and usefulness of the retrieved data. A source map can support the selection of appropriate sources (given a required data class), and it can support the assessment of the overall adequacy of available sources.
Exemplary Works on Information Systems Research
Authors: Whitman Michael E. , Woszczynski Amy B.
Published: May 2011

With the quantity and quality of available works in information systems (IS) research, it would seem advantageous to possess a concise list of exemplary works on IS research in order to enable instructors of IS research courses to better prepare students to publish in IS venues. To that end, this study seeks to identify and rank a collection of works that is widely viewed as among the best in the field on the subject of research in IS. The study examined more than 460 such candidate works and was subsequently refined to a list of 58 exemplary studies. This list was formatted into an online survey and administered to the IS academic community. The resulting list of ranked articles provides an excellent supplement to a course on IS research, providing examples of quality in research methodology.
Validating IS Positivist Instrumentation
Authors: Boudreau Marie-Claude , Ariyachandra Thilini , Gefen David , Straub Detmar W.
Published: May 2011

Research quality depends on appropriate statistical validity, a major aspect of which is appropriate instrumentation. This survey examines the quality of IS instrumentation in five leading journals for a five-year period and concludes that much has been done to improve IS research quality through better instrument validation since the last two benchmark studies. Additional recommendations dealing with the current weak spots are discussed.
A Deterrence Theory Perspective on Personal Web Usage
Authors: Mirchandani Dinesh A.
Published: May 2011

Personal Web usage (PWU) in the workplace is a matter of considerable concern to organizations today. However, human resources managers are not fully aware of the range of actions they can take to reduce PWU. This chapter examines general deterrence theory in the context of PWU and identifies actions that managers can take to reduce PWU. It uses a two-stage research methodology consisting of: (1) interviews with managers to gather qualitative data, and (2) a field survey of end users to gather quantitative data on PWU. It finds support for the deterrence theory and recommends that managers use a sequential implementation of four deterrence stages to contain PWU. These are: (1) framing an ‘Internet use policy,’ (2) implementing measures to prevent PWU such as restricting Internet access only to certain employees, (3) implementing appropriate content management software to detect PWU, and (4) standardizing policies to remedy non-acceptable Web usage. These four deterrence stages can protect an organization from the harmful effects of PWU of its employees.
Concern Matrix
Authors: Pershing James A. , Lee Hee Kap
Published: May 2011

Instructional development (ID) is a systematic and systemic process used in developing education and training programs. In the analysis phase, instructional developers need to account for the characteristics and particular needs of learners in order to design useful instructional interventions. It is very important to ascertain which learners’ characteristics are most crucial in instructional decision making. However, current ID models seem to advocate a pedagogical approach that treats the learner submissively during the analysis phase of the ADDIE process (Knowles, 1984). There is no active communication between instructional developers and learners during the learner analysis process. In-depth analysis identifying learners’ concerns and perceptions are usually not considered. In this chapter, we will introduce for use by instructional developers a learner analysis matrix that incorporates learners’ levels of concerns and perceptions at the personal and organizational levels. The learner analysis matrix can be used to identify four areas of learner concern: (1) individual compatible, (2) individual incompatible, (3) organizational compatible, and (4) organizational incompatible.
What You See is All That You Get! A Practical Guide to Incorporating Cognitive Strategies into the Design of Electronic Instruction
Authors: Armstrong Anne-Marie
Published: May 2011

Incorporating good instructional strategies based on learning theory is vital for electronic instruction. After all, the instruction must stand on its own without any fallback to a “live” and experienced instructor. What you see is not only what you get, but it is all you get! As with most forms of instruction, planning and preparation are key to instructional delivery and ultimately to stimulating the user’s learning processes. An instructor, trainer, or teacher brings many important skills and talents to the learning environment. Many of these skills and talents can be incorporated into the electronic learning environment. This chapter describes how cognitive strategies can be incorporated into each step of the ADDIE process. The chapter also contains many examples of design plans and templates that have worked in the real world of designing instruction for businesses and training organizations.
Guerilla Evaluation
Authors: Waddington Tad , Aaron Bruce , Sheldrick Rachael
Published: May 2011

This chapter provides proven strategy and tactics for the corporate evaluator. Topics include: adopting a performance-based operating model (the V-model) to shift focus from training for activity to training for results; using the V-model to plan and structure communication; leveraging modern measurement and statistics to save time and money (e.g., Item Response Theory, sampling procedures, regression); leveraging available data to calculate training ROI (return on investment); determining when to hire or contract skills and knowledge; using technology to save time and money; and making the most of your available applications.
Integrated Training Requires Integrated Design and Business Models
Authors: Jeffery Arthur B. , Bratton-Jeffery Mary F.
Published: May 2011

There are many instructional design models that are based on educational and learning theory. There are also many process-based performance and quality improvement analytic models. When training development is viewed as a design and production process with the training “product” as the outcome, then both traditional ISD models and process improvement models become highly relevant to the goal of developing high-quality, user-focused training. This chapter examines the integration of performance and quality improvement model elements into traditional ISD models with an emphasis on a front-end analysis that uses the Quality Function Deployment Model to insure user-focused and outcome-based results.
What If You Meet Face to Face? A Case Study in Virtual/Material Research Ethics
Authors: Clark David
Published: May 2011

In this chapter, the author argues for a strict interpretation of research ethics when conducting online research, and in the process, discusses these four ethical categories: the presence of the researcher in the researched context, the blurring lines between “public” and “private,” informed consent and confidentiality. In making his argument, he draws on examples from a case study in which he examined an organization that meets both online and face-to-face.
Managing Virtual Schools
Authors: Haughey Margaret , Muirhead William
Published: May 2011

Although Canada has offered alternative forms of schooling through distance education for over a century, the advent of online schooling options has helped overcome two of the major obstacles: lack of sufficient current resources and lack of regular interaction. Today across Canada, online schooling options tend to be focused at the high school sector. However, in Alberta there are more than 19 schools, most of which offer elementary and secondary courses. The schools mainly serve their local population, and the issues administrators face include marketing and obtaining infrastructure support and facilities, as well as ensuring quality of curricula and student-teacher interaction, meeting parental concerns, and provision of professional development.
Virtual Vignettes and Pedagogical Potentials
Authors: Pendergast Donna , Kapitzke Cushla
Published: May 2011

In 2002 a review of the educational and technical performance of the Virtual Schooling Service being tested in Queensland, Australia, was conducted. The service utilised synchronous and asynchronous online delivery strategies and a range of learning technologies to support students at a distance, who may otherwise have restricted choices in their selection of subjects to study in Years 11 and 12—the final and non-compulsory years of schooling where students are typically aged 16 to 17. An account of how Activity Theory was used to conceptualise the evaluation is provided. A focus on one element of the evaluation—pedagogical effectiveness—with case studies of actual delivery and receiving classes is incorporated to highlight the pedagogical limitations and potentials of the service. The “productive pedagogies” schema is introduced as a framework for the evaluation of pedagogical effectiveness of the virtual classes. Critical success factors for pedagogical effectiveness are documented, along with a reflection on these elements using Activity Theory. The chapter concludes with an update of the current initiatives being undertaken to enhance the pedagogical effectiveness of the Virtual Schooling Service.
Mind the Gap
Authors: Venters Colin C. , Hartley Richard J. , Hewitt William T.
Published: May 2011

The user interface is the principal component responsible for facilitating human-computer interaction in an information retrieval system and provides the medium between the end user and the system. Query formulation is a core activity in the process of information retrieval and a number of query paradigms have been proposed for specifying a query Qn in an image database I. Despite being identified as one of the major research areas, few studies have investigated the user interface for specifying visual queries and the area remains an open research issue. This chapter presents an overview of user interface research activity and related areas in the field of content-based image retrieval.
E-Policy
Authors: Papaconstantinou George
Published: May 2011

This chapter addresses the issues relating to the development and impact of information and communication technologies and their implications for economic policy. The chapter reviews the growing presence of ICT production and use in advanced economies, despite the current economic environment and the collapse of the dot-com bubble. It addresses the impacts of ICTs on the economy in general, the measurement issues involved, and on product and factor markets in particular. This is followed by a discussion of the implications of ICTs on the design and effectiveness of fiscal and monetary policy, and especially on the different aspects of structural policy. The chapter concludes that by virtue of their ubiquitous nature and economy-wide diffusion, ICTs profoundly affect economic decision-making; they change the effectiveness of different economic policy tools, and force a redesign of approaches in a number of policy areas.
Policy-Driven Signing Frameworks in Open Electronic Transactions
Authors: Mitrakas Andreas
Published: May 2011

Electronically signed transactions typically associate the applied electronic signature with the signed data and implicitly with the terms and conditions related to the scope of the performed transaction. Some aspects of the association between an electronic signature and the transaction can be conveyed by means of a signature policy. Signature policies are a set of rules for the creation and validation of an electronic signature, under which an electronic signature can be determined to be valid. This chapter suggest however, that additional transaction constraints might be conveyed by means of a signature policy. Standardization work has highlighted signature policies as a significant element to leverage trust in electronic commerce transactions that make use of electronic signatures. Summing up technological, organizational and legal concerns, this chapter addresses issues related to the content, form and function of signature policies within a transaction context.
Toward a Profitable ISP Business in a Competitive Environment
Authors: Constantiou Ioanna D. , Altmann Jörn
Published: May 2011

The market of Internet service providers (ISPs) is highly competitive. Although many different pricing schemes could be deployed in this market, two types are mainly offered: flat rate pricing and per-minute pricing. These pricing schemes are criticised for limiting ISPs’ revenues and for not addressing customer’s requirements on service quality. We focus on the ISPs’ business relationships and on their pricing strategies in order to analyse revenue sharing mechanisms. We argue that the introduction of incentive pricing schemes, such as dynamic pricing, may enable provision of service quality by improving revenue sharing among ISPs.
Labor Flexibility and the Information Society
Authors: Voudouri Irini
Published: May 2011

This study investigates flexible work organization in the Information Society. Based on data from Greek companies, the study attempts to identify the relationship between the level of training and the use of independent contractors, temporaries and subcontractors with regard to the level of ICT adoption. Findings generally appear to suggest that firms recognize the need for personnel training to exploit the advantages of ICT use, however, different types of working arrangements are subject to an increase of training level, whereas temporaries appear not to benefit from any work-related training.
Leveraging Knowledge Assets in Firms of the Digital Era
Authors: Mentzas Gregoris , Apostolou Dimitris
Published: May 2011

The management of organisational knowledge can be a key lever for improving performance, boosting productivity and creativity, and facilitating innovation in corporate settings. The commonly used approaches for managing knowledge followed one of two perspectives: the process-centric (a primarily people-based approach that treats knowledge management as a social communication process) and a product-centric approach (that is mostly content-based and focuses on knowledge-related artifacts). This chapter presents a strategic management approach and an integrated solution that are knowledge asset-based and attempt to fuse the aforementioned two approaches in a balanced manner. The overall approach builds upon and extends the resource-based view of the firm by explicitly treating knowledge assets as the main driver for innovation and learning. The approach is demonstrated with a case study that focuses on the knowledge networks of a software firm.
The Evolving E-Business Enterprise Systems Suite
Authors: Watson Edward F. , Yoho Michael , Riede Britta
Published: May 2011

Enterprise systems have emerged recently as a popular approach to outsourcing major application development. In the 1990s, enterprise systems encompassed and integrated core business functions such as manufacturing, logistics, financials, and human resources. During this time, the basic objective of these systems was on streamlining and standardizing information flows and processes. These systems were designed based on the need to optimize the processing of huge numbers of business transactions regularly in an enterprise. As the Internet evolved there has been a greater emphasis on supporting inter-organizational processes. As technologies continue to advance and users become more sophisticated, a greater opportunity to incorporate higher-level decision making tools and capabilities into enterprise systems packages arises. This chapter provides a review of several core areas currently being developed. The view of the authors is that enterprise systems as they are evolving today will serve as the foundation for the intelligent enterprise of the 21st century. The last section provides a perspective on how firms should view these systems and their many challenges.
Ability of the Actor Network Theory (ANT) to Model and Interpret an Electronic Market
Authors: Baygeldi Murat , Smithson Steve
Published: May 2011

The nature of information systems is often complex and involves both human and nonhuman components. This is particularly true in an electronic market. Actor Network Theory (ANT) can be used in general to describe the actors, intermediaries, framing and power that are the most important components of such an electronic market, which we call a network. This chapter explores whether ANT can help to analyze electronic trading systems. And if so, can ANT help us to filter the success factors of a computer trading system like Eurex, the largest derivatives electronic market in the world? It highlights how ANT is useful to define the various components involved within an electronic market. Moreover, the chapter analyses ANT’s limitations in modeling computer-trading systems. This chapter concludes that ANT is useful to analyze an electronic market such as Eurex.
Learning Maturity
Authors: Templeton Gary F.
Published: May 2011

An explosion of research on the organizational learning paradigm has caused a great need for continued theoretical development to enable a more complete understanding of how to manage the concept for strategic advantage. At the same time, learning theory has not adequately addressed the technology variable in its framework, models, or propositions. The body of theory derived here centers around “learning maturity,” the capacity of an actor to effectively exhibit intelligent behavior in a wide range of situated actions. The theory is significant because it uniquely includes technology as a meaningful element in learning and intelligence. The research methodology uses over a century of published literature to serve as a “learning history” of an observed organization: the learning research community. The theory extends decades of cumulative research by focusing on the capabilities of actors to succeed in their interactions (use and development) with technology.
21st Century Organizations and the Basis for Achieving Optimal Cross-Functional Integration in New Product Development
Authors: Sherman J. Daniel
Published: May 2011

The theoretical basis for achieving optimal levels of cross-functional integration in new product development and the management of large scale engineering projects is developed in this chapter. Sources of environmental uncertainty and their effects on integration requirements are identified based on the literature. Structural modes of integration are discussed and presented in a theoretical framework based on degree of integration required, progressive combined information processing capacity, and cost.
Going Virtual
Authors: Hildreth Paul
Published: May 2011

Before meeting our CoP we take the opportunity to explore issues which may affect a CoP which needs to function in a distributed international environment.
Varieties of Virtual Organizations and their Knowledge Sharing Systems
Authors: Hornett Andrea
Published: May 2011

Provided in this chapter is an analysis of the differences between virtual teams and communities of practice. The chapter links two growing phenomena: virtual organizing and knowledge sharing (knowledge management), based on empirical work from both fields of research. By integrating various types of virtual organizing with corresponding knowledge-sharing systems, the author provides a framework that virtual team leaders, members, and consultants can use to improve management of virtual endeavors. This chapter suggests that calling nearly everything a “Community of Practice” creates unrealistic expectations for spontaneous organizing and knowledge sharing. Indeed, the managers of Virtual Project Teams have organizing challenges that are very different from stewards of Communities of Practice. Practitioners struggling with “one-size-fits-all” prescriptions for virtual work or knowledge management can use this chapter’s three generalized types to develop communications and management styles appropriate for the unique cultures found in each of the various combinations of virtual organizing and knowledge sharing.
Mediating Complexity
Authors: Pauleen David J. , Rajasingham Lalita
Published: May 2011

Virtual teams are playing an increasingly important role in organizations. However, virtual teams’ increasing team member interaction beyond traditional organizational boundaries has outpaced our understanding of their interpersonal dynamics and unique communication characteristics. Research shows that the development of interpersonal and group communications between team members is an important factor in effective working relationships; however, little research has been done on the effects of crossing organizational, cultural, and time and distance boundaries on relationship building in virtual teams. This chapter reports on a field study of New Zealand-based virtual team leaders working with boundary spanning virtual teams. From a team leaders’ perspective, boundary-crossing issues (organizational, cultural, language, time and distance) can affect relationship building in many important ways. These effects are explored and the implications for practice and research are also discussed.
Trust, Rationality and the Virtual Team
Authors: Murphy Peter
Published: May 2011

Virtual teams need trust in order to function. Trust is an efficient way of gaining group cooperation. Online, trust is more effective than instruction or authority or status in getting people who are largely strangers to one another to work together. But trust is not a simple quality. The kind of trust that is the cement of distance relations of a global or virtual kind is different from the type of trust that binds face-to-face interactions and from the procedural kind of trust that operates in regional or national organizations of a traditional managerial kind. This study looks at the ways in which trust between virtual team members is generated. “Trust between strangers” is optimally generated when persons are allowed to self-organize complex orders and create objects and processes of high quality. Also looked at are the kinds of personalities best suited to working in a virtual collaborative environment. The study concludes that persons who prefer strong social or procedural environments will be less effective in a virtual environment. In contrast, self-steering (“stoic”) personality types have characteristics that are optimally suited to virtual collaboration.
Managing Workplace Privacy Responsibility
Authors: Spinello Richard A. , Gallaugher John , Waddock Sandra
Published: May 2011

This chapter presents an ethical case for strong workplace privacy rights, which have been jeopardized by the proliferation of monitoring systems and surveillance architectures. After explicating the functionality of those technologies and tracing the history of workplace privacy concerns, we analyze key statutory frameworks and provide some grounding for the ethical imperative to protect workplace privacy rights. But privacy rights must be balanced with the corporation’s legitimate need for employee information. To achieve this balance, privacy-related issues must be diligently managed, and we recommend reliance on the Total Responsibility Management model. With the aid of that model, we identify and defend five operative principles for ensuring that monitoring technologies are deployed in a fair and responsible manner. In addition to underscoring the importance of privacy rights, our objective is to demonstrate that workplace privacy is an organizational issue that must be prudentially managed by corporations aspiring to be good corporate citizens.
Virtual Harms and Real Responsibility
Authors: Huff Chuck , Johnson Deborah G. , Miller Keith W.
Published: May 2011

In traditional communities, some actions are widely regarded as bad and unethical. But in online “communities,” the virtual analog of those actions may not be regarded with the same clarity. Since “virtual” behaviors are distinct from ordinary acts, they require further analysis to determine whether they are right or wrong. In this chapter we consider an incident on the Internet that illustrates this confusion. The incident centered on a virtual act of sexual violence. This “rape in cyberspace,” reported by Julian Dibbell in 1993, has generated questions about the significance of behaviors in virtual reality environments. We use the case to explore the moral nature of actions in virtual environments, emphasizing the themes of harm and responsibility. We then offer some tentative lessons to be learned and, finally, apply the lessons to virtual sex and to first-person shooter computer games.
Ethical Challenges of Information Systems
Authors: Wiencek David
Published: May 2011

This chapter reviews the historical, technological and economic factors driving IT organizational design and resulting staffing patterns within the IT organization as a backdrop to reviewing the ethical aspects of outsourcing and other technology-enabled organizational imperatives. It examines the effect of developing a business model based on core competency analysis and examines IT sourcing alternatives from the viewpoint of three groups of stakeholders: individuals, the corporation and society. The chapter demonstrates that sourcing choices an IT manager makes result in ethical dilemmas, delineates various aspects of the dilemmas and provides some simple but effective resolution principles. The author hopes that the IT manager reading the chapter will be better prepared to apply ethical decision principles when choosing how to staff their organization and be aware of the possible negative and positive results of their decision-making.
Compliance with Data Management Laws
Authors: Cook Jack S. , Cook Laura L.
Published: May 2011

This chapter exposes professionals to laws dealing with data management. Both positive and negative aspects of legislation are highlighted. The purpose of this chapter is to expose the reader to some of the more interesting legal issues and provide insight into how information systems professionals and businesses may protect themselves from the negative ramifications of not complying with current legislation and the related negative publicity from such non-compliance. The increased ubiquitous nature of computing, coupled with the vast quantities of data gathered, increases the need for legislation to force companies and governmental agencies to take privacy seriously.
Do Online Collaborative Groups Need Leaders?
Authors: Kukulska-Hulme Agnes
Published: May 2011

This chapter explores the value and strategies of online group leadership through a review of published research literature. We examine the philosophies that underpin online groupwork, the tasks that learners engage in and the skills of online instructors and students. Concepts of self-direction and depth of learning are central to the discussion. Leadership styles, social roles, relationships and norms, and the effects of tools and media are all considered, in the context of a range of factors that impact on group dynamics. The chapter concludes with a summary of findings concerning the leadership value of online instructors and students, which is intended to further the understanding and professional development of all online educators.
Using Artificial Neural Networks to Forecast Market Response
Authors: Parsons Leonard J. , Dixit Ashutosh
Published: May 2011

Marketing managers must quantify the effects of marketing actions on contemporaneous and future sales performance. This chapter examines forecasting with artificial neural networks in the context of model-based planning and forecasting. The emphasis here is on causal modeling; that is, forecasting the impact of marketing mix variables, such as price and advertising, on sales.
Forecasting Stock Returns with Artificial Neural Networks
Authors: Thawornwong Suraphan , Enke David
Published: May 2011

During the last few years there has been growing literature on applications of artificial neural networks to business and financial domains. In fact, a great deal of attention has been placed in the area of stock return forecasting. This is due to the fact that once artificial neural network applications are successful, monetary rewards will be substantial. Many studies have reported promising results in successfully applying various types of artificial neural network architectures for predicting stock returns. This chapter reviews and discusses various neural network research methodologies used in 45 journal articles that attempted to forecast stock returns. Modeling techniques and suggestions from the literature are also compiled and addressed. The results show that artificial neural networks are an emerging and promising computational technology that will continue to be a challenging tool for future research.
A Weighted Window Approach to Neural Network Time Series Forecasting
Authors: Morantz Bradley H. , Whalen Thomas , Zhang G. Peter
Published: May 2011

In this chapter, we propose a neural network based weighted window approach to time series forecasting. We compare the weighted window approach with two commonly used methods of rolling and moving windows in modeling time series. Seven economic data sets are used to compare the performance of these three data windowing methods on observed forecast errors. We find that the proposed approach can improve forecasting performance over traditional approaches.
Assessment of Evaluation Methods for Prediction and Classifications of Consumer Risk in the Credit Industry
Authors: Nargundkar Satish , Lewis Priestley Jennifer
Published: May 2011

In this chapter, we examine and compare the most prevalent modeling techniques in the credit industry, Linear Discriminant Analysis, Logistic Analysis and the emerging technique of Neural Network modeling. K-S Tests and Classification Rates are typically used in the industry to measure the success in predictive classification. We examine those two methods and a third, ROC Curves, to determine if the method of evaluation has an influence on the perceived performance of the modeling technique. We found that each modeling technique has its own strengths, and a determination of the “best” depends upon the evaluation method utilized and the costs associated with misclassification.
Assessing the Impact of Internet Testing
Authors: Martz Jr. Wm. Benjamin , Shepherd Morgan M.
Published: May 2011

This chapter provides the results of a comparison between two sections of a graduate programming class, where one was an on-campus class and the other, a distance class. The course content, instructor, syllabus, lecture materials, notes, assessments and semester (time of year) were the same. Both groups were surveyed to test their satisfaction with the testing procedure and with their perception of certain aspects of the social environment. The results showed differences in perceived test performance. Two conjectures about possible causes underlying the difference and suggestions for possible future research end the discussion.
Return on Investment for Distance Education Offerings
Authors: Robinson Evan T.
Published: May 2011

The basis for this chapter is to identify ways in which institutions can maximize their return on investment for distance education offerings through the appropriate and timely re-purposing of the online content for different markets. This will be presented based upon a model of the author’s design titled, “Transformative Income Generation,” which is a combination of content re-purposing based upon an understanding of the various potential markets in an entrepreneurial manner. The model being presented represents one way to maximize return on investment and, while other ways exist, it is the author’s intention to stimulate the reader to consider online educational content, albeit distance education materials, from a different perspective.