bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Publication and Protection of Sensitive Site Information in a Grid Infrastructure
Authors: Cholia Shreyas , Porter R. Jefferson
Published: February 2011

In order to create a successful grid infrastructure, sites and resource providers must be able to publish information about their underlying resources and services. This information enables users and virtual organizations to make intelligent decisions about resource selection and scheduling, and facilitates accounting and troubleshooting services within the grid. However, such an outbound stream may include data deemed sensitive by a resource-providing site, exposing potential security vulnerabilities or private user information. This study analyzes the various vectors of information being published from sites to grid infrastructures. In particular, it examines the data being published and collected in the Open Science Grid, including resource selection, monitoring, accounting, troubleshooting, logging and site verification data. We analyze the risks and potential threat models posed by the publication and collection of such data. We also offer some recommendations and best practices for sites and grid infrastructures to manage and protect sensitive data.
Grid-Enabling Applications with JGRIM
Authors: Mateos Cristian , Zunino Alejandro , Campo Marcelo
Published: February 2011

The development of massively distributed applications with enormous demands for computing power, memory, storage and bandwidth is now possible with the Grid. Despite these advances, building Grid applications is still very difficult. We present JGRIM, an approach to easily gridify Java applications by separating functional and Grid concerns in the application code, and report evaluations of its benefits with respect to related approaches. The results indicate that JGRIM simplifies the process of porting applications to the Grid, and the Grid code obtained from this process performs in a very competitive way compared to the code resulting from using similar tools.
Survey of IT Outsourcing Experiences in US and UK Organizations
Authors: Lacity Mary C. , Willcocks Leslie P.
Published: February 2011

The global IT outsourcing market is estimated to exceed $121 billion by the year 2001. To assess current market practices and experiences, a survey was distributed to 600 US and UK CIOs. The 101 US and UK respondents are generally pleased with information technology (IT) outsourcing. In particular, respondents rated overall supplier performance as "good", respondents mostly realized the benefits they expected from IT outsourcing, and respondents characterized the majority of problems/issues as only "minor" in nature. The healthy IT outsourcing report card is likely explained by the scope and type of IT outsourcing practiced by responding organizations. The vast majority of respondents pursue selective outsourcing which is less risky than total outsourcing. Most respondents also use multiple suppliers rather than a single supplier, which allows for best-of-breed supplier selection. The healthy report card may also be explained by the types of IT activities selected for outsourcing. Respondents generally targeted IT infrastructure activities-such as disaster recovery, mainframe operations, network management, midrange operations, PC support, and help desk operations-rather than IT development or IT strategy. UK and US practices and outcomes were very similar, although a few exceptions are noteworthy. On average, UK organizations (30%) totally insourced IT more frequently than US organizations (8%). US organizations (29%) more frequently used a single supplier than UK organizations (9%). UK organizations (50%) use only one stakeholder to negotiate/define contracts compared to US organizations (9%). Differences may be explained by a more matured approach to outsourcing in the USA together with the higher preponderance of larger deals and organizations studied. Findings are compared to prior survey and case study research.
Out of Scandinavia
Authors: Scheepers Helana , Mathiassen Lars
Published: February 2011

South Africa is undergoing a number of changes, which has an effect on every aspect of society from the workplace to everyday life. South Africans need to reflect on this situation and determine how to proceed. The purpose of this article is to consider the development and implementation of information technology, one particular problem area, in this broader context. The article draws an analogy between the trade unionist systems development tradition in Scandinavia and the possible application it might have in South Africa. The article describes the situation in South Africa, presents the trade unionist approach to systems development, and describes the underlying principles that have been identified by Scandinavian researchers. It then evaluates these principles from a South African perspective and discusses the possible uses they might have in the South African situation.
On-Line User Interaction with Electronic Catalogs
Authors: Gangopadhyay Aryya , Huang Zhensen
Published: February 2011

In this paper we study the behavior and performance of bilingual users in using an electronic catalog. The purpose of this research is to further the knowledge required for building electronic commerce systems that operate in multiple languages in global settings. We describe a bilingual electronic catalog that can be used by online retailers for selling products and/or services to customers interacting in either English or Chinese. We investigate into the nature of user interactions in multilingual electronic catalogs. We have defined three different groups of users: only Chinese speaking, only English speaking, and bilingual. We are specifically interested in investigating into the language preferences of the third group of users. In order to test language preferences, we have selected two types of products: office supplies and ethnic food. We hypothesize that bilingual users will exhibit differential language preferences for the type of products and the tasks performed in using the electronic catalog. Furthermore, learning curves and interaction effects are also tested. Three different task categories have been designed: browsing, directed search, and exact matches. In the first case, the user is a general browser who is looking for what is available in the catalog. In the second case, the user is looking for a class of products but is unsure of the exact item. In the third case the user knows exactly what item he/she is looking for. We propose to test the efficiency of usage by measuring the time as well as studying the path followed by the user in retrieving product information. This research will shed light on the important issue of designing multilingual electronic catalogs for both local and global applications.
Geographic Information Systems in Developing Countries
Authors: Mennecke Brian E. , West Jr. Lawrence A.
Published: February 2011

Decision making at the national level in both developing and developed countries requires the integrated use of information from a multitude of sources. Both local and national governments in many developed countries have found geographic information systems (GIS) to be a critical tool in resource management, regional planning, and economic development. Unfortunately, the practical use of GIS in many developing countries is hampered by the lack of accurate and detailed spatial and demographic data, political considerations, and management issues. To highlight importance of these issues, we present a framework for GIS adoption in less developed countries and discuss these and other constraints in the context of this framework. We also offer ideas for technical, managerial, and policy initiatives that should be helpful in addressing impediments to GIS adoption. These ideas are summarized in a set of propositions and a related framework that shows our expectations about the impact of these initiatives on implementation success.
Adoption of Electronic Data Interchange in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
Authors: Chau Patrick Y. , Jim Cathy C.
Published: February 2011

As more and more small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) adopt information technology (IT) in their daily business operations and even in their strategic planning, the positive impacts of IT are no longer a privilege of large organizations. However, there has been little research conducted and published on the adoption of electronic data interchange (EDI) in SMEs. Most previous studies on EDI in SME used the case study approach, thus limiting the generalizability of their findings. This study adopts the survey approach to conduct a large-scale empirical study of the key factors that influence EDI adoption in the SME context. A research model consisting of seven factors under three categories, namely characteristics of innovation, organizational context and external influence was proposed and tested against data collected from 644 SME using logistic regression analysis. The findings indicate that the critical factors that determine EDI adoption in the SMEs context are perceived direct benefits, perceived cost, IT knowledge, government incentives and enforcement, and trading partners’ influence. Based on these findings, implications for both research on and practice of adoption of EDI in SMEs are provided.
Software and Culture
Authors: Kersten Gregory E. , Kersten Mik A. , Rakowski Wojciech M.
Published: February 2011

Software applications are designed around user interaction. One interaction component is the user interface; the other deeper components represent the applications’ logic and core functionality. Internationalization architectures recognize the need for localizing user interfaces to particular cultures. We continue the discussion on culture and software focusing on the software core rather than the user interface. This core corresponds to deep culture as opposed to the surface cultural manifestations embedded in the user interface. We argue here that deep culture can be embedded into application software in a modular way.
Inter-Organizational-Trust in Business to Business E-Commerce
Authors: Ratnasingam Pauline
Published: February 2011

This study seeks to understand inter-organizational-trust as an antecedent factor in adoption of and participation in e-commerce. Exploratory research together with a literature review paved the way to the development of a conceptual model. The model was tested via four case studies consisting of a large public sector organization and three small-medium enterprises (SMEs) involved in customs clearance. SMEs included an Internet service provider, a customs broker (agent), and an importer. Data was collected via indepth interviews, discussions with key personnel, and from existing documents. The findings strongly indicate that inter-organizational trust is important for e-commerce participation, as organizations need to cooperate, collaborate, and communicate timely and relevant information in order to facilitate e-commerce. This entails not only technological proficiencies, but also trust between trading parties, so that business transactions are sent and received in an orderly fashion.
Using a GSS to Support Virtual Teambuilding
Authors: Huang Wayne , Wei Kwok-Kee , Lim John
Published: February 2011

This paper deals with the use of a group support system (GSS) to support virtual team-building. Literature review on Group Support Systems (GSS) indicates that most prior GSS research focuses on supporting face-to-face teamwork, and few studies were conducted in supporting virtual teamwork and team-building. When virtual teamwork becomes more common in modern organizations, how GSS can be used to enhance virtual team-building is becoming an important research issue. This paper proposes a conceptual team-building framework. By embedding this conceptual framework into a GSS, the GSS may have the potential to support virtual team-building. Based on the framework, a set of testable research propositions is formulated, and some suggestions for future GSS research are discussed.
An Object-Oriented Architecture Model for International Information Systems?
Authors: Lehmann Hans
Published: February 2011

Analysing four case vignettes in a grounded theory approach, this exploratory paper investigates the architecture and design principles of international information systems. A two-dimensional topology for international information systems—suggested in previous research—was confirmed as a useful architecture paradigm. In its terms, international information systems are configured from two elements: ‘Core’ systems (common for the whole enterprise) on the one hand and ‘Local’ systems (different for each site) on the other. The interface between the two is a third component. One case vignette in particular highlights the logical and organisational difficulties in defining these systems elements. Object orientation as the fundamental design principle is investigated as an approach to provide a solution for this problem. Because it enables implementation differentiation and flexibility for future functional changes, it is conjectured that object technology is an optimal—technical—development strategy for international information systems. Directions for further research are outlined.
Cultural Adaptation on the Web
Authors: Singh Nitish , Zhao Hongxin , Hu Xiaorui
Published: February 2011

In the academic literature and the business press, there seems to be a lack of guidance and lack of cross-cultural models to support companies localization strategies on the Web. To address this deficit in literature and to provide marketers and Web designers with insights into website localization, this paper conducted a comparative analysis of the U.S. based international companies’ domestic websites and their Chinese websites. A framework to measure cultural adaptation on the Web is presented. Forty U.S.-based Fortune 500 companies are surveyed to investigate the cultural adaptation of their Chinese websites. Content analysis of the 80 U.S. domestic and Chinese websites reveals that the web is not a culturally neutral medium, but it is full of cultural markers that give country-specific websites a look and feel unique to the local culture.
Doing Business in Paradise
Authors: Kaarst-Brown Michelle L.
Published: February 2011

This article presents findings from a case study of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) in the British West Indies area of the Caribbean. TCI is a tax haven that has worked to attract offshore financial firms such as trust companies, insurance, and financial management companies. All of these firms qualify as “information intensive”, are small in size (average 11 employees), engage in business on a global basis, and yet must compete while dealing with local infrastructure challenges. TCI is presented as the developmental context in which small businesses, largely owned or managed by foreigners from other cultures, must interpret and cope with national infrastructure challenges in this very small, young, rapidly growing island nation. Not surprisingly, we found that these firms share similar challenges with those in other developing countries, however, the perceptions of these challenges, and how these small firms cope, provide insights on the importance of small firms, small-scale foreign investment, and cross-national transfer of technology expectations.
Cultural Diversity and Trust in IT Adoption
Authors: Gefen David , Rose Gregory M. , Warkentin Merrill , Pavlou Paul A.
Published: February 2011

To trust means to have expectations about others’ (the trustees’) socially acceptable behavior. One of the central effects of this trust in the context of IT adoption is to increase the perceived usefulness (PU) of Information Technology (IT) associated with the trustee’s agency. One way of increasing this trust is through greater sociocultural similarity. Taking previous research into the realm of electronic voting, this paper posits that because trust is culture-dependent, it should decrease considerably as cultural diversity and differentiation increases. To investigate the role of trust in IT adoption in different cultures where dissimilar concepts of socially acceptable behavior exist, this study compares trust-related perceptions of an emerging IT (i.e., electronic voting) between the United States of America (USA) and the Republic of South Africa (RSA). More specifically, the question was addressed by comparing the unique circumstances of the cultural changes in the RSA with the more socially integrated mainstream USA culture. In both cultures, a perceived sociocultural similarity between the individual and the agency in charge of the electronic voting IT contributed to both the establishment of trust and to an increase in the perceived usefulness of the IT, supporting and extending the extrapolations of past propositions to this new realm. However, only in the USA did trust contribute to the PU of the IT. The results suggest that when cultural diversity is large, trust becomes of lesser importance, perhaps because it can no longer reduce social uncertainty. Implications for researchers and governmental voting agencies are discussed, and future research directions are proposed.
Evaluating the Factors Affecting DSS Usage by Senior Managers in Local Authorities in Egypt
Authors: Elbeltagi Ibrahim , McBride Neil , Hardaker Glenn
Published: February 2011

The study of factors influencing the adoption and use of information systems in less-developed countries is an important area to address since differences in culture, social structure, and business approaches may have significant effects on the benefits derived from importing Western-influenced IT technology, concepts, and management approaches. This study examines the usage of a decision support system (DSS) in Egyptian local authorities using an adapted Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The centrally-developed DSS had been rolled out to 27 governorates in Egypt for use by chief executive officers. The results demonstrated that TAM could be applied to a specific system within a developing country. Both perceived ease of use (PEU) and perceived usefulness (PU) had a significant direct effect on DSS usage. PEU dominated over PU whose effect on DSS usage was negative.
Perceived Risk, the Internet Shopping Experience and Online Purchasing Behavior
Authors: Doolin Bill , Dillon Stuart , Thompson Fiona , Corner James L.
Published: February 2011

This paper develops a research model of the importance of consumers’ perceived risk and the Internet shopping experience in the online purchasing behavior of Internet users. The model was tested using a survey of some 700 New Zealand Internet users. Both the perceived risk and perceived benefits of Internet shopping were found to be significantly associated with the amount and frequency of online purchases made. Loss of social interaction in Internet shopping was associated with reduced online spending. The results of the study suggest that Internet retailing Web sites should include features that enhance customer service and reduce perceived risk.
Small Firms and Offshore Software Outsourcing
Authors: Carmel Erran , Nicholson Brian
Published: February 2011

It seems surprising that small firms engage in offshore outsourcing given that they lack the resources that large firms possess to overcome the difficulties involved. We examine these factors using transaction cost theory’s three stages: contact costs, contract costs, and control costs. Then, using our field data from small client firms (in the United States and the United Kingdom), intermediaries, and offshore vendors, we analyze the mitigation approaches that reduce transaction costs for small firms. We identify nine such approaches: three for client firms and six for suppliers. For the small client firm, they are liaisons of knowledge flows, gaining experience, and overcoming opportunism; and, for the service providers, they are onshore presence, reducing contact costs, simplifying contracting, providing control channels, expert intermediaries, and standardization of services.
Organizational Learning Process
Authors: Ke Weiling , Wei Kwok Kee
Published: February 2011

This paper uses organizational learning as a lens to study how firms implement the enterprise system. The core research questions are: What are the critical organizational factors affecting organizational learning in ES implementation? How do these elements shape the learning process and thereby influence ES implementation outcomes? To address these questions, we conducted comparative case study with two organizations that have recently adopted ES and achieved significantly different results. Based on the empirical findings, we propose a framework that describes how organizational factors affect the four constructs of organizational learning in ES implementation context — knowledge acquisition, information distribution, information interpretation and organizational memory.
IT Software Development Offshoring
Authors: Niederman Fred , Kundu Sumit , Salas Silvia
Published: February 2011

The offshoring of IT development is a significant global economic phenomenon. It influences the lives and fortunes of individuals, organizations, and nations/regions. However, because offshoring so broadly affects different stakeholders, a multi-level theory is required so that influences that may positively affect one set of stakeholders while negatively affecting another are not misinterpreted by an overly narrow analysis. This article discusses how IT development is differentiated from other global labor sourcing and argues that it is worthy of investigation as an offshoring domain. The article proposes that the study of IT development offshoring needs to recognize precursors and results as they affect individuals, organizations, and nation/regions, and presents examples and discussion in each of these areas. The article further argues that the domain of IT development offshoring is incomplete without consideration of interactions between the individual and nation/region as well as between the organization and nation/region. The article concludes by considering the complexity of presenting a complete picture in this domain and suggesting some areas for future research.
Information Systems Research in China
Authors: Ji Shaobo , Min Qingfei , Han Weihe
Published: February 2011

The purpose of this study is to review current research activities concerning information systems (IS) in mainland China. We thus examined Chinese IS research with reference to discipline, research topic, research method, and units of analysis, identifying and reviewing a total of 604 research papers, published in 18 leading Chinese academic journals from 1999 to 2003. The results show that: (1) IS itself represents the major theoretical reference of the studies; (2) the IS research in China has clearly focused on organizational and system/software issues; (3) non empirical studies were dominant in the field of IS research in China; and (4) the majority of studies were conducted at an organizational or systemic level.
Does Within-Culture Variation Matter? An Empirical Study of Computer Usage
Authors: Srite Mark , Thatcher Jason Bennett , Galy Edith
Published: February 2011

This article examines within-culture variance in the influence of values on perceptions and use of information technology (IT). Based on cross-cultural research, we suggest that cultural values influence technology acceptance and use. Specifically, we argue that masculinity/femininity and individualism/collectivism directly influence personal innovativeness with IT, computer anxiety, and computer self-efficacy, and have a mediated effect on perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and use of IT. Overall, analysis provides support for the research model. Our results suggest that masculinity/femininity influences computer selfefficacy, computer anxiety, and personal innovativeness with IT. We also offer implications for research and practice.
A Model of Intraorganizational Knowledge Sharing
Authors: Hsu I-Chieh , Wang Yi-Shun
Published: February 2011

Prior research has reported different knowledge management processes, considering each universally applicable. This article proposes that context influences company knowledge sharing policies and practices and their effectiveness. Through a literature review, a model of intraorganizational knowledge sharing is proposed. Within this model, three organizational antecedents of knowledge sharing policies and practices are included, namely: top management knowledge values, an innovation business strategy, and perceived environmental uncertainty. Further, top management knowledge values and knowledge sharing policies and practices are hypothesized to lead to knowledge sharing effectiveness. The model was constructed by taking into account industrial contexts in Taiwan, and was examined using survey data collected from companies in Taiwan. The results showed that top management knowledge values and innovation business strategy are positively and significantly associated with knowledge sharing policies and practices, which in turn lead to knowledge sharing effectiveness. Finally, this article identifies and discusses implications for international information management.
The Information System Strategies of MNC Affiliates
Authors: Lai Vincent S.
Published: February 2011

This article applies a technology-organization-environment framework to evaluate the determinants of the global information systems (GIS) strategies of foreign affiliates. The results indicate that IT maturity, parent resource dependency, cultural distance, restrictive regulations, and local competition are significant determinants of GIS strategy. We also find that the integration-responsiveness model can be applied to explain GIS strategies and their implementation. These findings provide additional insight into the complex relationship between headquarters and affiliates in GIS management. We conclude by discussing the implications of our findings for both research and practice.
A Multicultural Analysis of Factors Influencing Career Choice for Women in the Information Technology Workforce
Authors: Trauth Eileen M. , Quesenberry Jeria L. , Huang Haijan
Published: February 2011

This article presents an analysis of cultural factors influencing the career choices of women in the IT workforce. The authors employ individual differences theory of gender and IT as a theoretical lens to analyze a qualitative data set of interviews with 200 women in four different countries. The themes that emerged from this analysis speak to the influence of cultural attitudes about maternity, childcare, parental care, and working outside the home on a woman’s choice of an IT career. In addition, several additional socio-cultural factors serve to add further variations to gendered cultural influences. Further empirical support of emergent individual differences theories of gender and IT endeavors to theorize within-gender variation, with respect to issues related to gender and IT, as well as point to areas where educational and workplace interventions can be enacted.
Voluntary Turnover of Information Systems Professionals
Authors: Hunter M. Gordon , Tan Felix B. , Tan Bernard C.Y.
Published: February 2011

This investigation examines the motivating factors associated with voluntary turnover decisions of information systems (IS) professionals within the context of two different cultures—Singapore and New Zealand. The narrative inquiry approach was employed to interview 35 IS professionals. Ninety-seven turnover episodes were identified, including 42 in Singapore and 55 in New Zealand. The findings indicate that there exist universal turnover factors which are culturally independent. However, there are also factors that are culturally sensitive, which should be considered by managers when dealing with an international workforce.
Flexible Global Software Development (GSD)
Authors: Yadav Vanita , Adya Monica , Sridhar Varadharajan , Nath Dhruv
Published: February 2011

Globalization of software development has resulted in a rapid shift away from the traditional collocated, on-site development model, to the offshoring model. Emerging trends indicate an increasing interest in offshoring even in early phases like requirements analysis. Additionally, the flexibility offered by the agile development approach makes it attractive for adaptation in globally distributed software work. A question of significance then is what impacts the success of offshoring earlier phases, like requirements analysis, in a flexible and globally distributed environment? This article incorporates the stance of control theory to posit a research model that examines antecedent factors such as requirements change, facilitation by vendor and client site-coordinators, control, and computer-mediated communication. The impact of these factors on success of requirements analysis projects in a “flexible” global setting is tested using two quasi-experiments involving students from Management Development Institute, India and Marquette University, USA. Results indicate that formal modes of control significantly influence project success during requirements analysis. Further, facilitation by both client and vendor site coordinators positively impacts requirements analysis success.
IS-Supported Managerial Control for China’s Research Community
Authors: Tian Wen , Vogel Douglas , Ma Jian , Gu Jibao
Published: February 2011

In the first decade of the 21st century, China’s Research Community (CRC) is struggling to achieve better performance by increasing growth in knowledge quantity (e.g., publications), but has failed to generate sound growth in knowledge quality (e.g., citations). An innovative E-government project, Internet-based Science Information System (ISIS), was applied nationwide in 2003 with a variety of embedded incentives. The system has been well received and supports the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) to implement managerial control to cope with pressing demands relating to China’s research productivity. This paper explores the impact of Information Systems (IS) from the perspective of agency theory based on CRC empirical results. Since the nationwide application of ISIS in 2003, CRC outcomes have markedly improved. The discussion and directions for future research examine implications of IS for E-government implementation and business environment building in developing countries.
Educating IT Professionals Using Effective Online, Pedagogical, and Scheduling Techniques
Authors: Hsu Jeffrey , Hamilton Karin , Wang John
Published: February 2011

Information technology professionals comprise an important segment of adult learners seeking a four-year undergraduate degree, and it is important to provide programs that address not only the conceptual and theoretical, but also adult learning needs in terms of career orientation and practicality together with providing real-life applications relevant to the needs of the IT job marketplace. The techniques of employing distance learning, providing modular and practical learning segments, emphasizing adult-oriented learning preferences, engaging users toward learning, and providing appropriate course schedules and sequencing are discussed in the context of an actual adult learner program. This program integrates job and career-oriented needs with that of a well-rounded business education. Examples and illustrations are provided to illustrate how an adult-oriented program was customized to provide needs important to adult learners and IT professionals, with the objective of producing superior and useful learning results.
Identification of Patterns for the Formation of Software Development Projects Teams
Authors: Ampuero Margarita André , Baldoquín de la Peña María G. , Castillo Silvia T. Acuña
Published: February 2011

The formation of software development project teams is carried out, conventionally, in an empiric manner; however, in this process, multiple factors should be considered. In literature, the works where this process is modeled are scarce, and most do not consider aspects linked to the formation of the team as a whole. In this paper, a group of patterns that contribute to the formation of software development projects teams are identified through the use of the Delphi method, psychological tests, and data mining tools. The paper identifies patterns that are validated experimentally, while psychological characteristics in the process of software team formations are exemplified.
Activity Driven Budgeting of Software Projects
Authors: Baumeister Alexander , Ilg Markus
Published: February 2011

There are numerous forecast models of software development costs, however, various problems become apparent in context to practical application. Standardized methods, such as COCOMO II have to be calibrated at an individual operational level on the basis of the underlying database. This paper presents a new activity based approach that is based on business specific cost data that can be easily integrated into existing management accounting systems. This approach can be applied to software development projects based on the unified process in which activity driven budgeting promises several advantages compared to common tools in use. It supports enterprise specific cost forecasting and control and can be easily linked with risk analysis. In addition to the presentation of a conceptual design model, the authors present a framework for activity driven budgeting and cost management of software development projects combined with concrete implementation examples.
Trust as an Aspect of Organisational Culture
Authors: Usoro Abel , Khan Imran U.
Published: February 2011

Knowledge sharing is of much interest to both practitioners and researchers because of its potential to quicken learning, enhance innovation, reduce costs, and place organisations on a competitive edge. A principal tool for knowledge sharing has been identified by researchers to be virtual communities in which research collaboration and other knowledge sharing activities easily take place. Some key factors examined in literature as influencing knowledge sharing are technological, economic, and cultural. This paper concentrates on organisation culture with specific focus on trust as its component. While trust has been researched in other contexts, it has not been researched as an organisational cultural component that could affect knowledge sharing in virtual communities. This gap in knowledge is what this paper aims to fill. A conceptual framework is developed to express the relationship between trust components and knowledge sharing in virtual communities. The framework will be verified in future empirical research; however, possible implications of the research to research and practice are presented.
The Determinants of Information Technology Wages
Authors: Quan Jing ("Jim") , Dattero Ronald , Galup Stuart D. , Dhariwal Kewal
Published: February 2011

Anchoring this work to the classical human capital theory, the authors examine the effects of various human capital factors on IT professional compensation. Dividing IT salary into LOW (<$75,000) and HIGH (>=$75,000) ranges and using binomial logistic regression analysis, this paper estimates the effects of IT experience, education, IT degrees, IT certifications, and managerial positions on the probabilities of earning low wages in comparison to high wages, while controlling for industry type, organization size and location, gender, and marital status. Results indicate that the most important factors associated with high salaries are managerial positions, IT experience, education, and organization size. Practical advice is given on how IT professionals can employ these results to increase their compensation.
Session and Network Support for Autonomous Context-Aware Multiparty Communications in Heterogeneous Mobile Systems
Authors: Antoniou Josephina , Christophorou Christophoros , Neto Augusto , Sargento Susana , Pinto Filipe , Carapeto Nuno , Mota Telma , Simoes Jose , Pitsillides Andreas
Published: February 2011

The increase of networking complexity requires the design of new performance optimization schemes for delivering different types of sessions to users under different conditions. In this regard, special attention is given to multi-homed environments, where mobile devices cross areas with overlapping access technologies (Wi-Fi, 3G, WiMax). In such a scenario, efficient multiparty delivery depends upon the grouping operation, which must be done based on several parameters. In this paper, the authors propose context-aware sub-grouping of content-based service groups so that the same service session can be delivered using different codings of the same content, adapting to current network, users, session, and environment context. The context-aware information is used to improve the sub-grouping process. This paper aims to describe these sub-grouping techniques, and in particular how they improve network performance and user experience in the future Internet by focusing on the improved network-level and session-level mechanisms.
Perspectives on the Adoption of Electronic Resources for Use in Clinical Trials
Authors: Planas-Silva maricarmen D. , Joseph Rhoda C.
Published: February 2011

Clinical trials are specific medical studies that use human subjects for the advancement of medicine. Evidence-based medicine requires the use of clinical trials to evaluate new treatments, devices, drugs, and modalities for the prevention and treatment of diseases. Clinical trials have not been particularly aggressive in their adoption of information technology (IT). In this analysis, we examine the impact of electronic resources on the execution and management of clinical trials. Further, we present a theoretical model showing the main areas of clinical trials that can be directly impacted by the adoption of electronic resources. The four areas identified are recruitment, data collection, process data management, and information dissemination.
Evidence on the Efficacy of Integrated Care
Authors: Larsen Torben
Published: February 2011

The fragmented delivery of healthcare and social services was put on the agenda as a major problem by WHO in 2002. Integrated Homecare (IHC) combining efficacy with net savings represents a prototype of integrated care (IC) with overlapping services for better clinical continuity. Frequent chronic conditions as stroke, heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and mental disease exhibit parallel results as explained by a common neuroeconomic framework. A SWOT analysis of IHC emphasizes Strength, health economic dominance, Weakness, fragmented financial conditions, Opportunity, low-tech patient benefits affordable to low and middle income countries, and Threat, low levels of trust across professions and settings. A meso-strategy for EU recommends (1) Make a synthesis of existing and ongoing research as a health technology assessment (HTA) of IHC for multidisciplinary teamwork across the hospital and primary care interface and (2) Focus on dissemination by the formation of country specific multidisciplinary networks on IHC, see www.integratedhomecare.eu.
The Integration of Systems Dynamics and Balanced Scorecards in Strategic Healthcare Policy Simulation Analysis
Authors: Maliapen Mahendran , Gillies Alan
Published: February 2011

This paper uses simulation modelling techniques and presents summarized model outputs using the balanced scorecard approach. The simulation models have been formulated with the use of empirical health, clinical and financial data extracted from clinical data warehouses of a healthcare group. By emphasising the impact of strategic financial and clinical performance measures on healthcare institutions, it is argued that hospitals, in particular, need to re-focus cost-cutting efforts in areas that do not impact clinicians, patient satisfaction or quality of care. The authors have added a real time component to business activity monitoring with the executive dashboards shown as graphs in this paper. This study demonstrates that it is possible to understand health policy interactions and improve hospital performance metrics through evaluation using balanced scorecards and normalized output data. Evidence from this research shows that the hospital executives involved were enthusiastic about the visual interactive interface that provides the transparency needed to isolate policy experimentation from complex model structures that map strategic behaviour.
Transforming Healthcare
Authors: Pasupathy Kalyan Sunder
Published: February 2011

The healthcare system is facing several major quality challenges. In 2005, the Institute of Medicine published a report on how systems engineering and improvements in information technology can help address and solve some of these challenges. Systems engineering (SE) and health informatics (HI) have been undergoing advancements over the years. Health systems engineering is an interdisciplinary field that has grown to encompass the design, analysis, and management of complex health systems to improve quality and performance. HI is another interdisciplinary field around collection, storage, retrieval and analysis of data, reporting and enabling use of information, and (re)design and maintenance of systems to do all of these. SE and HI are complementary in their approach to identification of problems and solution procedure for (re)design and improvement. This combination has major implications for care delivery, research, and education to address the challenges.
A Metric for Healthcare Technology Management (HCTM)
Authors: Eisler George , Tan Joseph , Sheps Samuel
Published: February 2011

Among key drivers of healthcare reform in Canadian society are the challenges faced by the rapid rate of technological change and its impact on organizational performance in terms of efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and innovation in business and operational processes. However, despite the noted significance of the impact of technological change on healthcare organizations, the challenge of healthcare technology management (HCTM) has received only scattered and marginal attention in the technology management (TM) literature. The lack of formalization in HCTM construct, attributes, and measures motivated an empirical study to develop a metric for HCTM. This metric was then used to assess HCTM practices in teaching hospitals across Canada. The project began with an analysis of developments to date in the fields of Management of Technology and Management of Medical Technology. An extensive literature content analysis generated a set of definitions and attributes of the conceptual TM construct, which was eventually extended to HCTM. A measuring instrument was developed through a formal design process involving expert panel review, pilot testing, instrument refinement, and field-testing to extract and measure HCTM performance indicators. Administration of this metric with the help of the Association of Canadian Academic Health Organizations via a Web-based survey of senior healthcare administrators provided insights into the HCTM status of Canadian teaching hospitals and its relationship with organizational performance.
Identifying Optimal Chronic Kidney Disease Patient Education Web Sites
Authors: Nanovic Lisa M , Jaffery Jonathan B.
Published: February 2011

One in nine adults in the United States has chronic kidney disease (CKD). Randomized studies show electronic health (e-health) systems improve health outcomes in chronic disease. This study describes a systematic evaluation of available CKD Web sites. We evaluated Web sites for educating patients with CKD, focusing on three specific design issues: usability, quality, and content. Thirty Web sites were evaluated between April and July 2004. Cohen’s kappa and intraclass correlation of quartile rankings for two independent evaluators were calculated. Mean score for evaluator 1 was 7.293 (standard error 0.511) and for evaluator 2 was 8.189 (0.413). Cohen’s kappa for the 2 evaluators’ total scores for all 30 Web sites is 0.7671, and intraclass correlation is 0.7703. In general, results show that it is possible to identify Web sites more likely to provide a positive educational experience for CKD patients. Further evaluation is needed to investigate the utility of variably ranked Web sites as educational interventions.
A Software Tool for Reading DICOM Directory Files
Authors: Villegas Ricardo , Montilla Guillermo , Villegas Hyxia
Published: February 2011

DICOMDIR directory files are useful in medical software applications because they allow organized access to images and information sets that come from radiological studies that are stored in conformance with the digital imaging and communication in medicine (DICOM) standard. During the medical application software development, specialized programming libraries are commonly used in order to solve the requirements of computation and scientific visualization. However, these libraries do not provide suitable tools for reading DICOMDIR files, making necessary the implementation of a flexible tool for reading these files, which can be also easily integrated into applications under development. To solve this problem, this work introduces an object-oriented design and an open-source implementation for such reading tool. It produces an output data tree containing the information of the DICOM images and their related radiological studies, which can be browsed easily in a structured way through navigation interfaces coupled to it.
Design and Development of Standards (HL7 V3) Based Enterprise Architecture for Public Health Programs Integration at the County of Los Angeles
Authors: Shakir Abdul-Malik , Cardenas David , Datta Gora , Mittra Debashish , Basu Arindam , Verma Rini
Published: February 2011

Public Health (PH) applications in County of Los Angeles (LAC), Department of PH have been developed to meet individual PH program’s goals. This resulted in lack of county-wide PH data integration, efficiency, and usefulness. LAC encouraged the development of web-based applications utilizing standards-based PH Information Network interoperable service-oriented architecture (SOA). The goal was to stop the evolution of fragmented health data systems which place limitations on the PH mission of safeguarding and improving the health of the community as well as responding to large-scale threats to PH. PH Nursing case management is one example of LAC’s initiative for promotion of web-based tools which will be utilized within this SOA. This PH architecture is capable of supporting electronic data exchange from PH partners using a HL7 integration hub. It promotes the development of management tools and applications to assist PH response and recovery activities while providing resources to support departmental integration.
Decision Support With BPEL and Web Services
Authors: Morrison Iain , Nugrahanto Sony
Published: February 2011

A review of difficulties experienced with proprietary guidelines languages and in clinical decision support has led us to the development of a decision support system (DSS) based on a service oriented architecture (SOA) using Business Process Execution Language (BPEL) and Web services. BPEL allows simple branching conditions and tests to be set based on the information artifacts in the workflow. For more complex tests, we preferred to place decision support in an external DSS Web service. An advantage of this approach is that the DSS could evolve independently of the clinical workflow. We have implemented an exemplar of the above using the Java expert system shell (Jess). The domain objects are sent by the BPEL engine into the DSS which consults external rules, reasons on the domain objects and rules, and transmits recommendations back. The article will discuss issues involved in implementation using as an example drug-drug adverse reactions.