bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Portals Unlock the Knowledge that Drives Business Value
Authors: Duffner Robert
Published: May 2011

In this chapter, Robert Duffner, director of product marketing at BEA Systems, defines the landscape and technologies for tenterprise portals. Beginning with the business drivers that led to the historical creation of the product category, the article goes on to describe the three generations of portal product evolution form simple packaged applications to robust portal platforms. Duffner describes a five-tier framework that defines the technical underpinnings of the ideal portal platform and provides a vision for how the technology will evolve over time.
The Problems of Managing Change
Authors: Mumford Enid
Published: May 2011

Managing change of any kind requires effective problem solving. This is especially the case when the change involves designing and implementing new work systems or rethinking current organizational structures. We know that problem solving is a difficult and complex process, yet too often it seems to be limited to a fast decision to do something followed by a series of actions which intuition suggests will achieve the desired result. This is very similar to shooting in the dark. There is no way of knowing that the proposed actions will lead to a solution or even that the problem can be solved. The alternative, whenever possible, is to create a well thought-out, logical path to a desired result. Effective problem solving requires the control of “entropy.” Entropy is a term used by physicists to describe energy that exists but is unavailable for productive use. When applied to problem solving it can be described as energy that is time-wasting because it is not being used to good effect. The word covers inappropriate strategies and actions that make little or no contribution to solving the problem. Energy of this kind can lead to chaos. The problem becomes increasingly confused and insoluble and ideas on how to deal with it become more and more clouded and uncertain (Mumford, 1999). The first message of this book is that effective problem solving requires an avoidance of inappropriate or redundant activity and its replacement by efficient and ethical strategies so that appropriate goals are both set and met (Mumford, 1999).
New Problems in Banking
Authors: Mumford Enid
Published: May 2011

In the last three case studies there has been a logical progression through the management of change, considering first the definition of the problem; second, the development of a strategy for handling it; and third, the creation of an appropriate organizational structure. But, in today’s fast-moving world, there are many situations in which it is difficult to carry out this systematic approach. For example what do we do if change involves a technological jump, bringing with it new problems and challenges which have not been experienced before and which are poorly understood? This happened to white-collar work in the next case study. It has also happened many times in the past and is likely to happen many times in the future.
Can a Viable DE Program Stay Behind the Technology "Wave"?
Authors: Sorrentino John A.
Published: May 2011

Starting with a quote from Herbert Simon to that effect, this chapter questions whether distance education programs should strive to be on the cutting edge of information technology. The general perspective taken is that of the Value Net. A provider of distance education can be seen as a Firm linking Suppliers and Customers while interacting with Competitors and Complementors. The Supplier-Firm-Customer chain can be seen as education production, and the chapter briefly discusses the debate over whether quantitative production models can explain the education process. Theoretical generality is sacrificed in favor of a discussion of the actual mechanics of an online course taught to MBA students by the author. Mean numerical grades in face-to-face and online sections of the course are compared to show that educational outcomes face-to-face and online are not significantly different. Enrollments in the course are stable. Hence, the course is thought to be viable, as a program of such courses might be. The results of a survey of MBA students reveal that most students consider the professor more important than the technology in their learning and satisfaction. Taken together, the two results provide the beginnings of a case for Distance Education programs staying behind the technology wave. In the coming years, many new technologies will be proposed to you for use in your university, and you will have the task of raising difficult questions in order to decide when and how these technologies can contribute to the mission of the university. … we must resist the temptation to use technology just because it is available. (Herbert Simon, Late Nobel Prize Winner in Economics, 2001, pp. 62-63)
Universal Design for Online Education
Authors: Boyd Rosangela K. , Moulton Bonnie
Published: May 2011

This chapter will discuss accessibility issues related to online education. It will provide rationale for designing online courses that cater to different levels of functional ability. It will also present an overview of the challenges faced by students with disabilities in accessing and interacting with online course materials and activities. In order to address the potential barriers to full participation, national and international guidelines will be examined, with particular emphasis on their implications for specific course components. In addition, mechanisms for validation of web accessibility will be suggested and resources will be listed for those interested in obtaining further information on the topic.
A Brief History of the Emergence of Digital Government in the United States
Authors: Relyea Harold C. , Hogue Henry B.
Published: May 2011

Digital government may be regarded as the most recent development in the evolving application of electronic information technology to the performance of governmental functions. In the United States, that evolutionary progression is rooted in the Federal, state, and local government use of such information technologies as the telegraph and the telephone. This history, however, considers more than the mere introduction and adaptation of such technologies by governmental entities. Other important aspects include the development and migration of the technologies, as well as imaginative applications of information technology in support of government operations. Also, new policies have been fashioned to ensure the proper management of these technologies and the systems they serve, their protection from physical harm, and the security and privacy of their information. These matters are concisely explored in this overview.
Portals and Policy
Authors: Fletcher Patricia Diamond
Published: May 2011

This chapter evaluates the emerging electronic “portal” model of information and service delivery to U.S. citizens, businesses, and government agencies. The portal model is being used as a technology framework in the U.S. Federal government to carry out the electronic government strategies set out in the President’s Management Agenda for 2002 and the subsequent 24 electronic government initiatives included in the Budget of the United States Government for 2003 and the E-Government Strategy. FirstGov.gov is the official Federal government portal for all information and services delivered by the Federal executive agencies. The legal and organizational framework for FirstGov, based on an in-depth case study, is presented and evaluated as a model for future electronic government initiatives.
Ethics and Digital Government
Authors: Anderson Ronald E.
Published: May 2011

After considering the high costs to digital government of inadequate ethical choices, the role of ethics in government generally is reviewed. While codes of ethics may not go far toward resolving ethical challenges, they provide bases for ethical discourses and embody key ethical principles. Selected principles from the Code of Ethics of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) are applied to contemporary ethical issues in the context of digital government. In the rapidly evolving environments of digital technology, it is impossible to anticipate the leading-edge ethical issues. However, there are solid ethical or moral imperatives to use these principles for resolution of the issues.
Digital Government and Geographic Information Systems
Authors: Gant Jon , Ijams Donald S.
Published: May 2011

The focus of this chapter is to examine how government agencies are deploying geographic information systems (GIS) to enhance the delivery of digital government. We will explain how critical technological advances are enabling government agencies to use GIS in web-based applications In addition, we will illustrate the approaches that state and local governments in the United States are taking to deploy GIS for e-government applications using examples from Indianapolis, Indiana, Tucson, Arizona, Washington D.C. and the State of Oregon’s Department of Environmental Protection. While these examples greatly improve service delivery performance and enhance public decision-making, we raise the issue that e-government GIS applications may be more broadly deployed in organizations that are better adept at dealing with the managerial and technical issues related to using GIS.
Digital Government and Citizen Participation in International Context
Authors: Geiselhart Karin
Published: May 2011

This book provides abundant evidence that the shift towards digital government is part of a sweeping set of changes. These are best viewed holistically, as they relate to pervasive shifts in the locus and purpose of many forms of control. These changes are visible in the gradual shift of terminology from ‘government’ to ‘governance’. This chapter outlines the implications of this shift at the international level, and the role of digital technologies in global citizenship. Participation in these new regimes of global governance includes individuals as well as corporations, international institutions and non-government agencies. The changes taking place are closely related to other aspects of globalisation, and the emerging patterns of communication and control all have correlates in the information systems that serve them. It is argued here that these patterns both influence and repeat at all scales. In the language of complex systems, these are fractal patterns. This and other concepts from complexity theory will be used to illustrate the growing interdependence of decision making at all levels, and the potential for these processes of governance to transform existing approaches to democracy. Digital participation is an essential element in these changes, and indicates vividly that all levels of governance are now interacting. This chapter conceptualises spheres of authority (Rosenau, 1997) as political attractors that can be simulated, where the rules of interaction are driven by the values of the actors (Theys, 1998). This perspective can help to understand new forms of individual and institutional participation in a systemic context. These new forms of governance, like the Internet itself, may require a set of generic protocols that operate across borders and scale from the local to the global. Overt democratic indicators may help address the global democratic deficit. Examples such as the Global Reporting Initiative may be seen as the early stages of such protocols. It is likely that in the future, mathematical modelling of governance patterns will become as widespread (and contested) as climate modelling is now. The implications of such an approach are discussed in the context of global digital participation. The governance of the Internet itself, through the mechanisms of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), provides a case study of current processes and their degree of democratic accountability. These patterns are compared with the corresponding agency in Australia, the Australian Domain Administration (AuDA). Both highlight the need for structured protocols for citizen engagement if the information infrastructure is to serve democratic ends.
Structuring the e-Learning Environment
Authors: Campbell Katy
Published: May 2011

In this chapter, you will encounter some ideas about structuring the e-Learning environment so that your clients/users are able to easily access and use the learning content. The environment is where you reflect the structure of your domain by sequencing topics, showing concept relationships, and supporting reader interaction with the information. The way you organize the environment to support learning and information retrieval is known as information architecture. On the Web, the site architecture is revealed in the visual design, elements with which users interact. Visual design and the interactions it reflects are called the interface.
Trust as Capital
Authors: Harisalo Risto , Stenvall Jari
Published: May 2011

Trust is an old idea and it has come back again. We believed that proper management and information systems, a correctly designed organizational structure, and well-oiled processes will solve our problems and facilitate us to attain our objectives. We were wrong because we forgot people’s deep psychological needs for trust and fear of mistrust. This chapter argues that trust as capital is more important for people and organizations than financial capital as money and human capital as knowledge. Strong trust helps people to make better use of small amount of money and knowledge than mistrust can of great amount of money and knowledge. If human interaction is based on strong mistrust no amount of money or knowledge help people to settle down their differences. The message of this chapter is that the stronger people trust each other the easier it is for management to lead, practitioners to develop, and employees to work efficiently and creatively. With trust conflicts can be solved without troubles or bad aftertaste. Customers are likely to favor companies in which they trust. Trust opens possibilities, mistrust closes them. It is the greatest challenge for management and people dealing with information systems.
Challenges of Managing the Global IS/IT Workforce
Authors: Webb Collins Rosann , Birkin Stanley J.
Published: May 2011

The trend toward globalization of business has increased the need for global information systems that enable and support global operations. In order to develop and support global information systems, organizations must employ a global IS/IT workforce. This chapter details the unique nature of this global IS/IT workforce, identifies and discusses specific challenges to the management of these employees, and describes strategies for addressing these challenges. Relevant prior research on this topic in the management and MIS disciplines, labor statistics, as well as prior and ongoing research by the authors, are used to support this discussion.
eTransformation in Government, Politics and Society
Authors: Malkia Matti , Savolainen Reijo
Published: May 2011

In this chapter, authors present a common conceptual framework to understand the nature, causes and effects of electronic transformation (e-transformation) in government, politics and society. This is done first by identifying and discussing four major factors affecting the transformation in governance: (1) the changing role of knowledge, (2) the changing forms of social organization and co-operation, (3) globalization, and (4) the utilization of new information and communication technologies (ICTs). Based on this analytical framework, some key dilemmas, problems and failures of transformation and how they might be solved are identified and discussed. Finally, in the end of the chapter, a detailed introduction to the specific themes and chapters of this book is given.
The Moderator in Government-Initiated Internet Discussions
Authors: Edwards Arthur R.
Published: May 2011

The importance of moderation of online policy discussions is widely recognized. However, much less attention has been paid to the social interface in which moderators perform their tasks. In many cases, moderators have to cooperate with civil servants, elected officials and representatives of social organizations. In this chapter I look at the management of six government-initiated online discussions in The Netherlands. It can be concluded that moderators perform various important functions. In this, they contribute to the interactivity and openness of the discussions. But they also form part of a new interface between citizens and public administration with its own power relations and possible biases. It is concluded that moderators have to strike a balance between different parties involved in the discussion. Various provisions are suggested to make this possible.
Responding to the Information Needs of Citizens in an Open Society
Authors: Caves Roger W.
Published: May 2011

The use of ICTs in community development areas has increased over the past 10 years. This chapter examines how the “Smart Community” concept can help areas of various sizes accomplish a variety of local and regional development processes. The chapter covers such issues the role of citizen participation, the roles of information technologies, the components of a “Smart Community”, the California Smart Communities Program, and the lessons learned to date from the program. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the “digital divide” between people with access to various ICTs and those without access any access to ICTs.
Community Informatics in Perspective
Authors: Taylor Wal
Published: May 2011

This chapter provides a reflection on Community Informatics (CI) practice as a means of contextualising its role in emerging civil society and its governance at the local or regional level. CI is more than electronically enabled interpersonal communication; it has a pluralistic potential, it is ubiquitous and it comes bundled with paradoxes. It does not sit easily with the existing forms of governance and service provision and it does not have existing structures or accepted descriptive models that easily allow it to be contextualised within itself or alongside more well-understood models of commerce, public administration or governance. Yet its potential has been grasped by community-based organisations (CBOs) all over the world as they come face to face with the centralising potential of IT to impact regional economic, social and cultural sustainability. The chapter proposes a taxonomic framework for CI policy development, practice and research.
Wired High Rise
Authors: Meredyth Denise , Hopkins Liza , Ewing Scott , Thomas Julian
Published: May 2011

The chapter poses questions about the goal of building community through the creation of local networks, using the example of an entrepreneurial scheme to create a resident-run computer network in the Atherton Gardens high-rise housing estate in inner Melbourne, Australia. The scheme stems from a social partnership between a not-for-profit organisation, government and community groups; the aim is to enable residents to re-enter training, employment and community activities. The first stage of the paper places the scheme in the context of broader debates on the digital divide, information poverty and social capital, drawing out existing problems in the field. The authors discuss the problems of tracking the social impact of computer networks on ‘communities’, especially where there is a great diversity of interest and allegiance. The Atherton Gardens Reach for the Clouds initiative exemplifies such difficulties. The chapter argues that enthusiasm for this innovative scheme should be balanced by caution in using the vocabulary of social capital and community building. It cannot be assumed that online communication will build social connection off-line, given the diversity of interests, groups and allegiances within groups. This argument is made drawing on the initial stage of survey-based research on Atherton Gardens residents’ patterns of computer and media use, of employment and training, social connectedness, use of social services and experience of living on the estate. The authors conclude by reflecting on the broader implications of the case study for research on the social impact of computer networks on multiethnic populations with diverse needs, interests and allegiances.
Multinational Corporate Sustainability
Authors: Ajami Riad A. , Bear Marca Marie , Norreklit Hanne
Published: May 2011

Multinational corporate sustainability is dependent upon factors other than short-term profit concerns and the capacity to generate wealth for shareholders. In the 21st century, a corporation’s future prospects are also linked to issues related to social acceptance and corporate legitimacy and respectability. Moreover, corporate viability increasingly requires the participation of all corporate stakeholders in the corporation’s decision-making process. Organizational Data Mining (ODM), in the form of content analysis, can be used to examine or “mine” documents such as corporate annual reports for important data or trends. In this context, content analysis becomes useful in determining both the financial and non-financial measures of a corporation’s viability. In addition to providing a reflection of current corporate performance, content analysis of corporate annual reports allows internal and external stakeholders to better determine the corporation’s future direction and strategic orientation.
Managing IT Functions
Authors: Gottschalk Petter
Published: May 2011

This chapter discusses imperatives for IT functions, organization of IT functions, roles of IT functions, roles of chief information officers (CIOs) and key issues in IT management. CIOs in Norway find the role of entrepreneur most important and the role of liaison least important. Improving links between information systems strategy and business strategy is the highest ranking key issue in managing IT functions in Norway.
The Role of Information and Communication Technology in Competitive Intelligence
Authors: Vriens Dirk
Published: May 2011

This chapter discusses the role of ICT for competitive intelligence activities. To this end, it starts with an introduction to competitive intelligence. Next, it discusses possible uses of ICT for intelligence activities. In this discussion attention is paid to the use of the Internet, to general purpose ICT tools, to ICT tools tailored to one or more of the intelligence stages, and to business intelligence tools (data warehouses and tools to retrieve and present data in them). Finally, the chapter describes how organizations may select ICT applications to support their intelligence activities.
Rigor in Grounded Theory Research
Authors: Gasson Susan
Published: May 2011

This chapter presents a set of principles for the use of Grounded Theory techniques in qualitative field studies. Some issues and controversies relating to rigor in Grounded Theory generation are discussed. These include: inductive theory generation and emergence, how theoretical saturation may be judged, the extent to which coding schemes should be formalized, the objectivist-subjectivist debate, and the assessment of quality and rigor in interpretive research. It is argued that Grounded Theory is often criticized for a lack of rigor because we apply positivist evaluations of rigor to research that derives from an interpretive worldview. Alternative assessments of rigor are suggested, that emphasize reflexivity in the inductive-deductive cycle of substantive theory generation.
Rigor, Relevance and Research Paradigms
Authors: Beachboard John C.
Published: May 2011

A practitioner leaves behind the world of failed multimillion-dollar information systems projects to seek solutions in academe. In making the transition from IS practitioner to IS researcher, the author encounters two fundamental tensions regarding the conduct of social science. The first tension concerns the challenge of conducting research meeting the criteria of scientific rigor while addressing issues relevant to practitioners. The second tension centers on the debate concerning the suitability of positivist and non-positivist approaches to research in the social sciences. A review of the literature discussing these tensions led the author to the observation that the two tensions appear to be related. This insight led to the investigation of multi-paradigmatic research frameworks as a means of reconciling these related tensions. The essay provides a personalized account regarding the author’s motivation for conducting practitioner-oriented research, the intellectual journey made through the literature to acquire tools of the social science field, and his observations concerning the advantages of multi-paradigmatic research in the IS field.
Qualitative Research in Information Systems
Authors: Hunter M. Gordon
Published: May 2011

The purpose of this chapter is to provide the researcher, who already is inclined to apply qualitative research, with an overview of methods. A representative sample of qualitative research methods is presented, which may be employed when conducting information systems research. These methods include Action Research, Case Study, Ethnography, Grounded Theory, and Narrative Inquiry. Examples of these research methods are also included, which provide a description of the method and references to more detailed presentations. Researchers should thoroughly explore these methods and become fully cognizant of when to appropriately apply each method. It is important to ensure that the chosen method addresses the research questions and supports the research objectives.
Using Critical Realism in IS Research
Authors: Carlsson Sven A.
Published: May 2011

Different strands of postmodern, poststructuralist, postrealist, and nonpositivistic approaches and theories have gained popularity in information systems (IS) research. Since most of these approaches have a flat treatment of the agency/structure dimension, focus almost exclusively on micro phenomena, and reject objectivist elements, it can be argued that they are problematic to use in IS research. An alternative approach and philosophy is critical realism, which suggests, for example, that social reality is not simply composed of agents’ meanings but that there exist structural factors influencing agents’ lived experiences. Critical realism starts from an ontology which identifies structures and mechanisms through which events and discourses are generated as being fundamental to the constitution of our natural and social reality. This is in direct contrast to a constructivist ontology. This chapter presents critical realism and Derek Layder’s critical-realism-based adaptive theory and exemplifies how they can be used in IS research.
Legal Implications of Personal Web Use in the Workplace
Authors: Connors Grania , Aikenhead Michael
Published: May 2011

The virtues of the Internet as a business tool have been widely extolled: the Internet instantly makes available information that may be difficult or time consuming to obtain by other means. However, use of the Internet in the workplace is fraught with potential problems. This chapter examines the legal implications of personal Web use in the workplace. Specifically, it focuses on the legal issues which can arise for both employers and employees when an employee uses organizational computing facilities for non-work related activities such as surfing the Internet, sending e-mail, chatting online, or instant messaging.
Virtual Research Ethics
Authors: Peden Blaine F. , Flashinski Douglas P.
Published: May 2011

This chapter presents a content analysis of Internet surveys and experiments. Our study explores guidelines for the conduct of online research by describing the extent to which psychological studies comply with Reips’ (2000) recommendations for Web researchers. Our study also explores ethical considerations and problems in the conduct of virtual research by describing the extent to which behavioral studies on the Internet comply with ethical standards for research (American Psychological Association, 2003). The chapter concludes with a discussion of aspects of virtual research ethics pertinent to future participants, Internet scientists and Institutional Review Boards. “We need not invent new ethical rules for online research. We need only increase our awareness of and commitment to established ethical principles.” – Jim Thomas, 1999, p. 8
Ethical Decision-Making and Internet Research
Authors: Ess Charles , Jones Steven
Published: May 2011

The AoIR ethics statement, developed by ethicists and researchers from 11 countries, articulates guiding questions for online research appropriate to the many disciplines—both within the social sciences and the humanities—that undertake such research. These guidelines are characterized by an ethical pluralism—one that acknowledges the legitimacy of a range of possible ethical responses to a given problem, especially as viewed from the perspectives of the diverse national and cultural traditions represented on the Web and the Net as global media. This is an excerpt of the full working document available at http://www.aoir.org/reports/ethics.pdf.
When the Ethic is Functional to the Method
Authors: Olivero Nadia , Lunt Peter
Published: May 2011

This chapter explores the methodological implications of using e-mail for qualitative interviews. It draws on computer-mediated communication (CMC) literature to remark that, contrary to generalized assumptions, technological-based anonymity does not always correspond to increased self-disclosure. Conversely, it is shown that e-mail interviews make the interviewer effect unavoidable, stimulate reflexivity and must rely on trust and equal participation more than face-to-face interviews. To address the interviewee’s resistance and avoid unwanted phenomena of strategic self-presentation, a model of interview based on a feminist ethic is proposed.
Conducting Ethical Research Online
Authors: Roberts Lynne , Smith Leigh , Pollock Clare
Published: May 2011

Online research introduces new ethical issues inherent to the medium. In this chapter we provide a case study of online research in action, focusing on the ethical issues of conducting qualitative research within virtual environments. The case study provides an example of how research can be conducted within virtual environments with the consent of research participants and their community, without compromising their confidentiality, violating their assumptions of privacy or infringing upon their copyright entitlements.
Co-Construction and Field Creation
Authors: Forte Maximilian
Published: May 2011

Ethnographic research ethics involved in bridging offline and online modes of action research are the focal point of this chapter, written from an anthropological perspective. The specific form of action research in this case study is that of website development. The author argues that online action research, and Web development as a research tool and relationship in ethnographic research are still very much neglected areas of concern, with respect to both virtual ethnography and traditional forms of field work. In this chapter, the argument put forth is that while traditional offline research ethics are still applicable, especially in the offline dimension of research that precedes collaborative Web development, online modes of action research involve substantively different and more fluid conceptions of research ethics, rights and responsibilities for all parties concerned.
Building Trust Online
Authors: Dellarocas Chrysanthos
Published: May 2011

Several properties of online interaction are challenging the accumulated wisdom of trading communities on how to produce and manage trust. Online reputation systems have emerged as a promising trust management mechanism in such settings. The objective of this chapter is to contribute to the construction of online reputation systems that are robust in the presence of unfair and deceitful raters. The chapter sets the stage in identifying a number of important ways in which the reliability of the current generation of reputation systems can be compromised by unfair buyers and sellers. The central contribution of the chapter is a number of novel “immunization mechanisms” for countering the undesirable effects of such fraudulent behavior. The chapter describes the mechanisms, proves their properties and explains how various parameters of the marketplace, most notably the anonymity and authentication regimes, can influence their effectiveness. Finally, it concludes by discussing the implications of the findings for managers and users of current and future electronic marketplaces and identifies some important open issues for future research.
Internet Jurisdiction
Authors: O’Roeardon Meighan E.
Published: May 2011

The Internet is not defined by the geographic boundaries that govern nations and laws of the non-virtual world. Without a clear jurisdictional framework for the Internet, scholars, businessmen, and laypersons have been left to decipher in a piecemeal fashion what set of laws and norms, if any, shall govern this forum. With an expected global explosion of online activity, questions of international Internet jurisdiction are certain to arise with increasing frequency in the coming years. It leaves one to question what online jurisdictional principles are currently being followed and what these trends indicate for the next decade. The present situation warrants a scholarly discussion of the online jurisdictional principles currently being followed, alternative policy mechanisms that have been proposed, and what these trends indicate for the next decade of Internet activity.
Enterprise Resource Planning for Intelligent Enterprises
Authors: Framinan Jose M. , Gupta Jatinder N.D. , Ruiz-Usano Rafael
Published: May 2011

This chapter describes enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems as a fundamental tool in the intelligent enterprise and therefore, constitutes an important element for knowledge management. The definition of these systems, their main characteristics and the historical evolution are presented. The ERP market and market trends are described, with special emphasis on the usage of the Internet as a key technological tool for the intelligent enterprise. Finally, the advantages and disadvantages of ERP systems are discussed as well as major problems encountered during their implementation.
Lessons Learned
Authors: Hildreth Paul
Published: May 2011

In this final chapter we summarise briefly our journey from KM to our CoP and draw out lessons that can be learned from the issues that have arisen and the insights we have gained. We also consider what practical implications they might have.
Best Practices for Virtual Team Effectiveness
Authors: Staples D. Sandy , Wong Ian K. , Cameron Ann Frances
Published: May 2011

The purpose of this chapter is to improve the understanding of what makes virtual teams effective. This is done by identifying the best practices for individual team members, the best practices for leaders and sponsors of virtual teams, and the best practices for the organizations that the virtual teams are a part of. Best practices in these categories were identified from: (1) empirical evidence from case studies of six existing virtual teams; (2) the existing literature related to virtual teams; and, (3) traditional team (i.e., collocated) and telework literature. The chapter concludes with implications for organizations and potential research directions.
Supporting Distributed Problem-Based Learning
Authors: Zumbach Joerg , Hillers Annette , Reimann Peter
Published: May 2011

In this chapter we discuss possibilities and shortcomings of Internet usage for distributed problem-based learning. Several problems with the use of computer-mediated communication for collaborative learning online are identified. In our approaches we use data that is automatically tracked during computer-mediated communication and extract relevant information for feedback purposes. Partly automatically, partly manually prepared the feedback is a rich resource for learners to manage their own collaboration process as well as subsequent problem-solving processes. In a synchronous and an asynchronous distributed problem-based learning environment, we show how we applied this methodology to support learners’ motivation and problem solving. Analyses show encouraging benefits of our approach in overcoming common problems with computer-mediated communication.
Computer-Mediated Learning Groups
Authors: Graham Charles R. , Misanchuk Melanie
Published: May 2011

With the increased availability of computers and Internet technologies, computer-mediated learning environments are on the rise in both higher education and corporate sectors of society. At the same time there has been an increased awareness among educators and researchers of the importance of human interaction in the learning process. Computer-mediated groupwork is an instructional strategy that combines online technologies with human interaction. This chapter defines computer-mediated learning groups and outlines critical differences between learning groups and work groups. The chapter further explores benefits and challenges associated with using groupwork in online learning environments. Case examples and research related to (1) creating the groups, (2) structuring group activities, and (3) facilitating group interactions are provided.
Collaborative or Cooperative Learning?
Authors: McInnerney Joanne M. , Roberts Tim S.
Published: May 2011

With many educational institutions now making use of the Internet for the delivery of courses, many educators are showing interest in non-standard methodologies for teaching and learning — methodologies such as the use of online group collaborative or cooperative work. It is clearly beneficial for educators keen to introduce group learning into a tertiary environment to first familiarize themselves with the existing literature. However, much of the literature conflates the two terms, hence implementation methods and research results are hard to assess. This chapter attempts to clearly distinguish the two terms “collaborative” and “cooperative” so that they can be used appropriately and unambiguously, briefly describes the advantages and shortcomings of each, and concludes with some remarks as to the application of such methods in an online environment.
Forecasting Emerging Market Indexes with Neural Networks
Authors: Walczah Steven
Published: May 2011

Forecasting financial time series with neural networks is problematic. Multiple decisions, each of which affects the performance of the neural network forecasting model, must be made, including which data to use and the size and architecture of the neural network system. While most previous research with neural networks has focused on homogenous models, that is, only using data from the single time series to be forecast, the ever more global nature of the world’s financial markets necessitates the inclusion of more global knowledge into neural network design. This chapter demonstrates how specific markets are at least partially dependent on other global markets and that inclusion of heterogeneous market information will improve neural network forecasting performance over similar homogeneous models by as much as 12 percent (i.e., moving from a near 51% prediction accuracy for the direction of the market index change to a 63% accuracy of predicting the direction of the market index change).
Tourism Demand Forecasting for the Tourism Industry
Authors: Law Rob , Pine Ray
Published: May 2011

Practical tourism forecasters concentrate primarily on quantitative causal-relationship and time series methods. Although these traditional quantitative forecasting techniques have attained a certain level of success in tourism research, it is generally unknown whether they are able to simulate the relationship of demand for tourism as accurately as multiprocessing node-based artificial neural networks (ANNs). This research attempts to incorporate ANNs to develop accurate forecasting techniques for international demand for travel to a particular destination. In this study the destination featured is Hong Kong and historical data of arrivals for the period of 1970 to 1999 from Japan, UK, USA, and Taiwan, and 1984 to 1999 from China. These five countries/origins have consistently produced the largest number of inbound tourists to Hong Kong. Comparing the forecasting accuracy with five commonly used tourism forecasting techniques, we found that the ANN and single exponential smoothing forecasting models outperformed other models in terms of the chosen dimensions. Apart from its direct relevance to Hong Kong, this research provides the basis of an accurate forecasting technique that can be applied to any other travel destination.
Methods for Multi-Step Time Series Forecasting Neural Networks
Authors: Kline Douglas M.
Published: May 2011

In this study, we examine two methods for Multi-Step forecasting with neural networks: the Joint Method and the Independent Method. A subset of the M-3 Competition quarterly data series is used for the study. The methods are compared to each other, to a neural network Iterative Method, and to a baseline de-trended de-seasonalized naïve forecast. The operating characteristics of the three methods are also examined. Our findings suggest that for longer forecast horizons the Joint Method performs better, while for short forecast horizons the Independent Method performs better. In addition, the Independent Method always performed at least as well as or better than the baseline naïve and neural network Iterative Methods.
Sociotechnical Systems and Knowledge Management
Authors: Lehaney Brian , Clarke Steve , Coakes Elayne , Jack Gillian
Published: May 2011

Sociotechnical thinking is a subset of social theory and philosophy. This way of thinking is particularly relevant in domains such as information management which are closely related to knowledge management. The wider social context is addressed in the following chapter. In this chapter we are going to look at the concepts underpinning sociotechnical thinking and how we can apply these ideas to knowledge management.
Human Issues and Computer Interaction
Authors: Clarke Steve , Lehaney Brian , Evans Huw
Published: May 2011

The Barfordshire Police Call Centre project began as an attempt to find a more efficient way of dealing with the public. Arguably, what this study has demonstrated is that often, in the quest for technical efficiency, effectiveness, which requires attention to both technical and human issues, is compromised. By taking a more human centered approach, focusing on the whole information system rather than just the information technology, those factors left unsolved by the new technology have been addressed, and a way has been found to improve both the efficiency and effectiveness of this project.
Digital Watermarking for Protection of Intellectual Property
Authors: Suhail Mohamed A.
Published: May 2011

Digital watermarking techniques have been developed to protect the copyright of media signals. This chapter aims to provide a universal review and background about the watermarking definition, concept and the main contributions in this field. The chapter starts with a general view of digital data, the Internet and the products of these two, namely, the multimedia and the e-commerce. Then, it provides the reader with some initial background and history of digital watermarking. The chapter presents an extensive and deep literature review of the field of digital watermarking and watermarking algorithms. It also highlights the future prospective of the digital watermarking.
A Study on Web Searching
Authors: Zhu Shanfeng , Deng Xiaotie , Fang Qizhi , Zhang Weimin
Published: May 2011

Web search engines are one of the most popular services to help users find useful information on the Web. Although many studies have been carried out to estimate the size and overlap of the general web search engines, it may not benefit the ordinary web searching users, since they care more about the overlap of the top N (N=10, 20 or 50) search results on concrete queries, but not the overlap of the total index database. In this study, we present experimental results on the comparison of the overlap of the top N (N=10, 20 or 50) search results from AlltheWeb, Google, AltaVista and WiseNut for the 58 most popular queries, as well as for the distance of the overlapped results. These 58 queries are chosen from WordTracker service, which records the most popular queries submitted to some famous metasearch engines, such as MetaCrawler and Dogpile. We divide these 58 queries into three categories for further investigation. Through in-depth study, we observe a number of interesting results: the overlap of the top N results retrieved by different search engines is very small; the search results of the queries in different categories behave in dramatically different ways; Google, on average, has the highest overlap among these four search engines; each search engine tends to adopt a different rank algorithm independently.
Generating and Adjusting Web Sub-Graph Displays for Web Navigation
Authors: Lai Wei , Huang Maolin , Zhang Kang
Published: May 2011

A graph can be used for web navigation. The whole of cyberspace can be regarded as one huge graph. To explore this huge graph, it is critical to find an effective method for tracking a sequence of the graph’s subsets (web sub-graphs) based on the user’s focus. This chapter introduces our method for generating and adjusting web sub-graph displays in the process of web navigation. Any online web sub-graph should fit in the display window. To enhance the display, there should not be any overlap between node images in the web sub-graph. Our system ensures that any online web sub-graph has no overlapping node images by letting the user, or the system itself, define the visible and invisible parts of the web graph.
Cognition, Creativity, and Learning
Authors: Kaluzniacky Eugene
Published: May 2011

While personality relates to one’s behavior as a whole, cognitive function relates more explicitly to mental information processing. Since the majority of system development work and IT work in general involves intellectual functioning, it is not difficult to see that how a person performs “mind work” is a relevant psychological factor in IT work. In fact, it is in the area of cognition that a majority of psychological research in computing/information systems has been carried out. This section, however, does not aim primarily to present and discuss specific research findings. Rather, by reference to numerous, relevant sources, it aims to present in “layman’s terms” main points on cognitive, creativity, and learning styles to a broad audience of IT professionals and academics. It then tries to relate differences in style to effectiveness of IT work, and argues for the benefits of style awareness and conscious cooperation among IT professionals. Finally the inclusion of “style wisdom” in the psychological intelligence set of the IT professional is promoted.
The Paradox of Communities of Practice
Authors: Hislop Donald
Published: May 2011

This chapter examines knowledge sharing between Communities of Practice, a relatively neglected topic of study. Theory and evidence is presented to suggest that knowledge sharing between communities is likely to be more complex than intra-community knowledge sharing, due to the lack of shared consensual knowledge or shared sense of identity which typically exists in inter-community contexts. In such situations, the development of trust is seen to be a key foundation which requires to be developed before effective knowledge sharing can occur. Three brief case studies are presented to illustrate the arguments made. Practitioner implications flowing from this chapter are twofold. Firstly, to facilitate effective inter-community knowledge sharing requires effort to be invested in developing the social relationship (and hence trust) between members from the communities. Secondly, organizations need to balance their efforts at building Communities of Practice with supporting inter-community interactions; otherwise they risk developing isolated and inward looking communities. ‘The shared infrastructure of activity that makes cooperation the norm within particular communities of activity can act as a barrier to close collaboration with outsiders’ Blackler, Crump, & McDonald, 2000, p. 282