bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
La mesure de l'efficacité financière et sociale des institutions de microfinance du réseau MC² au Cameroun
Authors: Nzongang Joseph , Piot-Lepetit Isabelle , Kamdem David
Published: January 2013

Les études réalisées sur la mesure de la performance des institutions de microfinance en utilisant l’approche non paramétrique DEA se sont intéressées soit à l’approche production, soit à l’approche intermédiation. Aucune, à notre connaissance, n’a associé les deux approches dans la mesure de l’efficience de ces institutions. Cet article vient combler cette carence en utilisant une méthode DEA multi-approches pour mesurer la performance financière et la performance sociale des IMF du réseau MC 2  au Cameroun. En se basant sur l’efficience technique, les résultats de cette recherche montrent qu’il n’y a pas antinomie entre performance financière et performance sociale, les deux se construisent conjointement.
Les fonds propres bancaires au cœur de la crise financière
Authors: Delaite Marie-Françoise
Published: January 2013

La crise des subprimes a révélé de graves carences dans la régulation prudentielle des banques. Cette crise a souligné la nécessité de renforcer les fonds propres bancaires. La microsurveillance des fonds propres doit être complétée par une surveillance macrofinancière rendue indispensable par l’accroissement du risque systémique. Le renforcement des fonds propres bancaires peut entraîner, néanmoins, une plus forte dépendance à l’égard des capitaux étrangers. La réponse aux défis actuels exige non seulement une nouvelle régulation des fonds propres, mais encore une nouvelle gouvernance bancaire intégrant un rôle accru de l’État et des autorités prudentielles.
L'interprétation des photographies de famille par la famille
Authors: Jonas Irène
Published: January 2013

Résumé La photographie de famille est un rite du culte domestique dans lequel la famille est à la fois sujet et objet. Dans le discours interprétatif sur une image de sa famille chaque membre constitue du sens et bricole une lecture de celle-ci en fonction des différents éléments qu’il a à sa disposition. Les photographies de famille constituent autant de traces qui peuvent alors être réinterrogées et réinterprétées par les membres de la famille eux-mêmes, car l’interprétation non seulement n’est pas exclusive ou unique mais elle n’est jamais close, elle reste toujours active et sélective.
L'interprétation et le film étranger
Authors: Kern Bonnie
Published: January 2013

Résumé Kramer contre Kramer arrive en France annoncé comme un film américain « à succès », cette « étiquette » impliquant habituellement un jugement négatif dans le contexte d’un débat polarisé entre le cinéma commercial et le cinéma d’auteur. Certains critiques l’ont en revanche perçu comme un film « à sujet » : une fois considéré comme paraphrase fictionnelle de la condition paternelle du monde réel, il a finalement été reçu favorablement grâce à sa vraisemblance. À la sortie du film, la construction par France-Soir d’une communauté franco-américaine d’interprétation – partageant ce même avis – allait dans le sens de la séduction des lecteurs à l’heure d’une croissante « améri-canomanie » en France.
Quand les mots sortent du cadre. Ou Ben au supermarché
Authors: Azam Martine
Published: January 2013

Résumé La question de l’interprétation des œuvres trouve un relief particulier lorsqu’elles sortent du cadre où elles sont supposées être vues et, à ce titre, les « objets Ben » destinés aux adolescents offrent une illustration exemplaire de cette convergence entre la logique du marketing et celle d’une problématique artistique. Les étapes de la découverte de Ben, ainsi que les prises dont les adolescents se saisissent pour l’intégrer à leur univers culturel conduisent à interroger la thèse actuelle d’un bouleversement des pratiques culturelles et des échelles de légitimité. Les résultats de l’enquête ne permettent pas de trancher mais ils mettent par contre bien en évidence ce que l’on peut considérer comme un préalable à un réel bouleversement des pratiques culturelles, la migration de l’art dans la sphère du quotidien. En portant l’attention sur ce que les adolescents disent des objets Ben, nous verrons que, si les objets quotidiens permettent la dissémination de l’œuvre en direction de publics élargis, l’inscription de l’art dans le registre du marketing ne conduit pas à sa dilution, pas plus qu’à sa dissolution.
Extended UTAUT to Examine the Acceptance of Web Based Training System by Public Sector
Authors: Alrawashdeh Thamer A , Al-Mahadeen Bassam M
Published: January 2013

With the development of information technology, organizations have applied e-learning system to train their employees in order to enhance the its performance. In this respect, applying web based training will enable the organization to train their employees quickly, efficiently and effectively anywhere at any time. This research aims to extend Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use Technology (UTAUT) using some factors such flexibility of web based training system, system interactivity and system enjoyment, in order to explain the employees
An MDA Approach and QVT Transformations for the Integrated Development of Goal-Oriented Data Warehouses and Data Marts
Authors: Pardillo Jesús , Mazón Jose-Norberto , Trujillo Juan
Published: January 2013

To customize a data warehouse, many organizations develop concrete data marts focused on a particular department or business process. However, the integrated development of these data marts is an open problem for many organizations due to the technical and organizational challenges involved during the design of these repositories as a complete solution. In this article, the authors present a design approach that employs user requirements to build both corporate data warehouses and data marts in an integrated manner. The approach links information requirements to specific data marts elicited by using goal-oriented requirement engineering, which are automatically translated into the implementation of corresponding data repositories by means of model-driven engineering techniques. The authors provide two UML profiles that integrate the design of both data warehouses and data marts and a set of QVT transformations with which to automate this process. The advantage of this approach is that user requirements are captured from the early development stages of a data-warehousing project to automatically translate them into the entire data-warehousing platform, considering the different data marts. Finally, the authors provide screenshots of the CASE tools that support the approach, and a case study to show its benefits.
Ensuring Customised Transactional Reliability of Composite Services
Authors: Bhiri Sami , Gaaloul Walid , Godart Claude , Perrin Olivier , Zaremba Maciej , Derguech Wassim
Published: January 2013

Web services are defined independently of any execution context. Due to their inherent autonomy and heterogeneity, it is difficult to examine the behaviour of composite services, especially in case of failures. This paper is interested in ensuring composite services reliability. Reliable composition is defined as a composition where all instance executions are correct from a transactional and business point of view. In this paper, the authors propose a transactional approach for ensuring reliable Web service compositions. The approach integrates the expressivity power of workflow models and the reliability of Advanced Transactional Models (ATM). This method offers flexibility for designers to specify their requirements in terms of control structure, using workflow patterns, and execution correctness. Contrary to ATM, the authors start from the designers’ specifications to define the appropriate transactional mechanisms that ensure correct executions according to their requirements.
A Systematic Literature Review on the Quality of UML Models
Authors: Genero Marcela , Fernández-Saez Ana M. , Nelson H. James , Poels Geert , Piattini Mario
Published: January 2013

The quality of conceptual models directly affects the quality of the understanding of the application domain and the quality of the final software products that are ultimately based on them. This paper describes a systematic literature review (SLR) of peer-reviewed conference and journal articles published from 1997 through 2009 on the quality of conceptual models written in UML, undertaken to understand the state-of-the-art, and then identify any gaps in current research. Six digital libraries were searched, and 266 papers dealing specifically with the quality of UML models were identified and classified into five dimensions: type of model quality, type of evidence, type of research result, type of diagram, and research goal. The results indicate that most research focuses on semantic quality, with relatively little on semantic completeness; as such, this research examines new modeling methods vs. quality frameworks and metrics, as well as quality assurance vs. understanding quality issues. The results also indicate that more empirical research is needed to develop a theoretical understanding of conceptual model quality. The classification scheme developed in this paper can serve as a guide for both researchers and practitioners.
DocBase
Authors: Sengupta Arijit , Venkataraman Ramesh
Published: January 2013

This chapter introduces a complete storage and retrieval architecture for a database environment for XML documents. DocBase, a prototype system based on this architecture, uses a flexible storage and indexing technique to allow highly expressive queries without the necessity of mapping documents to other database formats. DocBase is an integration of several techniques that include (i) a formal model called Heterogeneous Nested Relations (HNR), (ii) a conceptual model XER (Extensible Entity Relationship), (ii) formal query languages (Document Algebra and Calculus), (iii) a practical query language (Document SQL or DSQL), (iv) a visual query formulation method with QBT (Query By Templates), and (v) the DocBase query processing architecture. This paper focuses on the overall architecture of DocBase including implementation details, describes the details of the query-processing framework, and presents results from various performance tests. The paper summarizes experimental and usability analyses to demonstrate its feasibility as a general architecture for native as well as embedded document manipulation methods.
Large Scale Cognitive Wireless Networks
Authors: Song Liang , Spachos Petros , Hatzinakos Dimitrios
Published: January 2013

Cognitive radio has been proposed to have spectrum agility (or opportunistic spectrum access). In this chapter, the authors introduce the extended network architecture of cognitive radio network, which accesses not only spectrum resource but also wireless stations (networking nodes) and high-level application data opportunistically: the large-scale cognitive wireless networks. The developed network architecture is based upon a re-definition of wireless linkage: as functional abstraction of proximity communications among wireless stations. The operation spectrum and participating stations of such abstract wireless links are opportunistically decided based on their instantaneous availability. It is able to maximize wireless network resource utilization and achieve much higher performance in large-scale wireless networks, where the networking environment can change fast (usually in millisecond level) in terms of spectrum and wireless station availability. The authors further introduce opportunistic routing and opportunistic data aggregation under the developed network architecture, which results in an implementation of cognitive unicast and cognitive data-aggregation wireless-link modules. In both works, it is shown that network performance and energy efficiency can improve with network scale (such as including station density). The applications of large-scale cognitive wireless networks are further discussed in new (and smart) beyond-3G wireless infrastructures, including for example real-time wireless sensor networks, indoor/underground wireless tracking networks, broadband wireless networks, smart grid and utility networks, smart vehicular networks, and emergency networks. In all such applications, the cognitive wireless networks can provide the most cost-effective wireless bandwidth and the best energy efficiency.
Self-Organization in IEEE Standard 1900.4-Based Cognitive Radio Networks
Authors: Haddad Majed , Altman Eitan , Jemaa Sana ben , Elayoubi Salah Eddine , Altman Zwi
Published: January 2013

Distributing Radio Resource Management (RRM) in heterogeneous wireless networks is an important research and development axis that aims at reducing network complexity, signaling, and processing load in heterogeneous environments. Performing decision-making involves incorporating cognitive capabilities into the mobiles such as sensing the environment and learning capabilities. This falls within the larger framework of cognitive radio (Mitola, 2000) and self-organizing networks (3GPP, 2008). In this context, RRM decision making can be delegated to mobiles by incorporating cognitive capabilities into mobile handsets, resulting in the reduction of signaling and processing burden. This may however result in inefficiencies such as those known as the “Tragedy of commons” (Hardin, 1968) that are inherent to equilibria in non-cooperative games. Due to the concern for efficiency, centralized network architectures and protocols keep being considered and being compared to decentralized ones. From the point of view of the network architecture, this implies the co-existence of network-centric and terminal-centric RRM schemes. Instead of taking part within the debate among the supporters of each solution, the authors propose a hybrid scheme where the wireless users are assisted in their decisions by the network that broadcasts aggregated load information (Elayoubi, 2010). At some system’s states, the network manager may impose his decisions on the network users. In other states, the mobiles may take autonomous actions in reaction to information sent by the network. Specifically, the authors derive analytically the utilities related to the Quality of Service (QoS) perceived by mobile users and develop a Bayesian framework to obtain the equilibria. They then analyze the performance of the proposed scheme in terms of achievable throughput (for both mobile terminals and the network) and evaluate the price of anarchy which measures how good the system performance is when users play selfishly instead of playing to achieve the social optimum (Johari, 2004). Numerical results illustrate the advantages of using the hybrid game framework in a network composed of HSDPA and 3G LTE system that serve streaming and elastic flows. Finally, this chapter addresses current questions regarding the integration of the proposed hybrid Stackelberg scheme in practical wireless systems, leading to a better understanding of actual cognitive radio gains.
Cross-Layer Design in Cognitive Radio Systems
Authors: Nehra Krishna , Shikh-Bahaei Mohammad
Published: January 2013

The main functionalities of a cognitive radio system, to ensure efficient operation of the primary users without harmful intervention from the secondary users and to simultaneously satisfy the requirements of the secondary users, are spectrum sensing, spectrum management, spectrum mobility, and spectrum management. These functions involve more than one layer of protocol stack rather than being performed at a single layer. This chapter briefly revisits these functions from the perspective of classification of the roles of different communication network layers in carrying out these functions. An exhaustive study is then presented of the key properties of cross-layer design applications in cognitive radio systems by taking examples from the existing literature and highlighting some open challenges and new opportunities. A cross-layer design example for interference-limited spectrum sharing systems is discussed in detail, which considers the parameters from the Physical Layer (PHY) and the Data Link Layer (DLL) in order to maximize the overall spectral efficiency of the Secondary User (SU). The numerical results show that the secondary link of spectrum sharing systems combining ARQ with adaptive modulation and coding achieves significant gain in throughput depending on the maximum number of retransmissions.
Genetic Algorithms for Decision-Making in Cognitive Radio Networks
Authors: Hult Tommy , Mohammed Abbas
Published: January 2013

Efficient use of the available licensed radio spectrum is becoming increasingly difficult as the demand and usage of the radio spectrum increases. This usage of the spectrum is not uniform within the licensed band but concentrated in certain frequencies of the spectrum while other parts of the spectrum are inefficiently utilized. In cognitive radio environments, the primary users are allocated licensed frequency bands while secondary cognitive users dynamically allocate the empty frequencies within the licensed frequency band according to their requested QoS (Quality of Service) specifications. This dynamic decision-making is a multi-criteria optimization problem, which the authors propose to solve using a genetic algorithm. Genetic algorithms traverse the optimization search space using a multitude of parallel solutions and choosing the solution that has the best overall fit to the criteria. Due to this parallelism, the genetic algorithm is less likely than traditional algorithms to get caught at a local optimal point.
A Survey of Radio Resource Management in Cognitive Radio Networks
Authors: Zhao Chengshi , Li Wenping , Li Jing , Zhou Zheng , Kwak Kyungsup
Published: January 2013

The framework of “green communications” has been proposed as a promising approach to address the issue of improving resource-efficiency and the energy-efficiency during the utilization of the radio spectrum. Cognitive Radio (CR), which performs radio resource sensing and adaptation, is an emerging technology that is up to the requests of green communications. However, CR networks impose serious challenges due to the fluctuating nature of the available radio resources corresponding to the diverse quality-of-service requirements of various applications. This chapter provides an overview of radio resource management in CR networks from several aspects, namely dynamic spectrum access, adaptive power control, time slot, and code scheduling. More specifically, the discussion focuses on the deployment of CR networks that do not require modification to existing networks. A brief overview of the radio resources in CR networks is provided. Then, three challenges to radio resource management are discussed.
Do 3D Pedagogical Agents Help Students Learn Science?
Authors: Schroeder Noah L. , Adesope Olusola O.
Published: January 2013

This systematic review investigates the effects of 3D pedagogical agents on learning scientific materials. A comprehensive search of the literature produced 576 research abstracts. After applying pre-determined inclusion criteria, fifteen studies compared the use of 3D pedagogical agents with a non-agent control condition to offer instruction to participants. The results revealed that 3D pedagogical agents provided more benefits to students learning science than other instructional approaches, such as reading a text. The results are discussed, and suggestions for future research are delineated.
3D Video Production in Education
Authors: Wilson Jay , Scott Stefan
Published: January 2013

Use of video by teachers can make learning more engaging or content easier to understand. Video shown in classrooms can be created by others and adapted by or created by the teacher. Traditionally, video created by teachers can be produced with inexpensive digital cameras and basic editing software. With a renewed commercial interest in Three-Dimensional (3D) video and with video equipment costs declining, the option now exists to have 3D video in classrooms. What is not known is the process to allow for teacher-created video that can take advantage of the 3D format. This case details how an undergraduate teacher candidate created a 3D video using existing production equipment and freely available software. The chapter examines the planning details, course design, and outcomes related to 3D video production. Suggestions to educators for integrating 3D into their schools are also included.
3D Science and Social Studies in Grades 5-6
Authors: Bodenlos Emily , Lennex Lesia
Published: January 2013

Technologies available for the classroom range from interactive whiteboards to 3D instruction. Given the state of 3D for classrooms in its use of specialized goggles (Spencer & Lennex, 2011), projectors (TI instruments), and scarcity of published research (Elliot & Mikulas, 2011), its value as a teaching tool is being weighed by educators. In this study, apps for mobile computing (laptops) and Internet tools (iPads) were researched. Both the literature review and the classroom research have shown that students retained content knowledge and possibly improved overall achievement.
Developing 3D Case Studies for Authentic Learning Experiences
Authors: Lavin Joanne , Bai Xin
Published: January 2013

This chapter describes the authors effort to develop and pilot prototypes of 3D case studies in Second Life for authentic interdisciplinary learning experiences in the health and allied health professions. It explores 3D technologies that rely on rich visual affordances and specialized knowledge for meaningful simulations of clinical spaces. The pilot results suggest 3D case studies appear to be an exciting, promising, affordable pedagogy to engage students in analyzing a real life situation. Here, the authors emphasize what they think is unique about this project: 1) it fostered interdisciplinary knowledge construction; 2) it was piloted with a quasi-experimental design with random assignment; and 3) it included data of attitudinal and cognitive measures.
Earth System Science in Three Dimensions
Authors: Marrero Meghan E. , Schuster Glen , Bickerstaff Amanda
Published: January 2013

NASA-Sponsored Project 3D-VIEW [Virtual Interactive Environmental Worlds] is a lower middle school curriculum aimed at using 3D stereo technologies to enhance students’ understanding of science concepts. In Project 3D-VIEW, ten to twelve-year-old students use 3D stereo technologies, including stereophotographs, 3D-animations, 3D illustrations, and 3D interactive tools, to visualize concepts such as plate tectonics, the composition of the atmosphere, biological succession, and erosion. This mixed methods case study provides an overview of the project’s successful use of 3D technologies, as evidenced by student test scores as well as a qualitative analysis of student focus groups and interviews with teachers and administrators. The findings indicate that using 3D technologies within a context of standards and research-based curriculum design can improve student engagement as well as performance on standardized tests.
Using Second Life® to Teach Collaboration Skills to Pre-Service and In-Service Special Educators
Authors: Hartley Melissa D. , Ludlow Barbara L. , Duff Michael C.
Published: January 2013

Second Life®, an online virtual world, is currently used at West Virginia University for simulation activities and role-playing exercises in teacher education programs in special education. The purpose of this chapter is to describe a design experiment in a pilot case study, explain the rationale for using virtual reality, describe how learning activities were developed, implemented, and evaluated, discuss plans for future research and practice, and offer suggestions for using virtual simulations in other teacher education programs.
How and Why Business Model Matters in Acquisition of Knowledge in Small and Entrepreneurial Firms
Authors: Najmaei Arash
Published: January 2013

Much has been written about acquisition of knowledge and its role in survival and growth of small and entrepreneurial firms. Little, however, is known about the role of business model in knowledge acquiring activities of the firms. Therefore, by incorporating the cognitive and reified activity-based view of business model into the knowledge-based view (KBV) and absorptive capacity of the firms, this article attempts to address this deficiency. The author posits that business model is a holistic framework in the mind of the executives. It is embodied and reified in activities which employees and particularly executives perform to create and capture value for the firm. In light of this perspective knowledge acquisition is conceived as a key strategic activity whose scope, depth, and breadth are regulated by the business model of the firm. Adding to and extending KBV, this manuscript offers several contributions to theory and practice. Given this analysis, contributions of this view are presented, implications for theory and practice are discussed, and some fruitful areas for future research are highlighted.
Strategies for Sustainable Succession Planning in Family Business
Authors: Tan-Atichat Lucy , Aiyeku Joseph F.
Published: January 2013

This study investigates the extent of influence of succession planning on Thai FOBs focusing on SMEs, and the attributes/characteristics of the successors to achieve a successful family business. SMEs were identified using Thai government classifications. A total of 449 usable questionnaires were obtained from Thai FOB owners/managers in Bangkok and vicinity. Most of the firms surveyed were small FOBs. The results show that there is a higher degree of success between FOBs that have succession plan and those that do not. The results also revealed five new factors concerning Thai family-owned businesses (SMEs) succession planning. The five factors are shown in this chapter.
Marketing in SMEs
Authors: Douglas Tony , Omar Maktoba
Published: January 2013

There would appear to be varied approaches to the sales process practiced by SMEs in how they go about locating target customers, interfacing with prospects and new customers, presenting the benefits and features of their products and services, closing sales deals and building relationships, and an understanding of what the buyers needs are in the seller-buyer process. Recent research has revealed that while entrepreneurs and small business owners rely upon networking as an important source of sales, they lack marketing competencies, including personal selling skills and knowledge of what is involved in the sales process to close sales deals and build relationships. Small companies and start-ups with innovative products and services often find it difficult to persuade potential buyers of the merits of their offerings because, while the products and services may be excellent, they have not sufficiently well-developed selling skills necessary to persuade their target customers.
Entrepreneurial Values, Environmental Marketing and Customer Satisfaction
Authors: Nair Sumesh R. , Ndubisi Nelson Oly
Published: January 2013

This chapter attempts to develop a framework of an environmental marketing system that is propositioned to lead to customer satisfaction. A comprehensive and intense environmental marketing system as proposed in the chapter is believed to be the core of a firm’s success. However, it is assumed that the success of an environmental marketing system would be impacted by some important factors like environmental education of customers and entrepreneurial traits such as eco-innovation, risk-taking, and perseverance. Therefore, propositions are developed in this chapter in order to demonstrate the relationship between an environmental marketing system and customer satisfaction and also the power of customer education and entrepreneurial traits in moderating the effective functioning of the system.
Model Suggestion for SMEs Economic and Environmental Sustainable Development
Authors: Calipinar Hatice , Ulas Dilber
Published: January 2013

In recent years, environmental considerations have become increasingly social concerns. There is a growing interest in SMEs that want to green their businesses, but real action is slow because there is usually a lack of knowledge and resources to do so. This chapter considers how SMEs can adopt and improve their manufacturing processes to include the new environmental regulations. The authors propose a model that ensures sustainable development for SMEs.
Access to Micro Enterprise Financing in Nigeria
Authors: Woldie Atsede , Nzekwu John C. , Thomas Brychan C.
Published: January 2013

This study outlines a preliminary survey into access to finance, as experienced by micro enterprises (MEs) in Nigeria. It also aims to gain insight into the financing behaviour of ME enterprise owner/managers in Nigeria and factors that constrain access and create a lack of co-operation between firms and banks.
Enterprise as a Career Choice
Authors: Mostert Andre , Shaikh Abdulbasit
Published: January 2013

Youth unemployment is growing throughout the world due to a collection of conditions including but not exclusively: economic restrictions, anachronistic teaching and learning methodologies, and inadequate career guidance structures and support. These factors are the usual suspects and offer all stakeholders an easy way out in terms of the challenges associated with business start-ups and business initiations. That the contemporary educational environment is not effectively geared to support the emerging entrepreneur and is severely constrained by the limits of teacher training and curriculum flexibility is well recognised. With the growing demand for graduates to embrace an entrepreneurial ethos, the impact of support structures on the development of students is becoming more central to the required discourse in higher education, more especially, in developing countries without effective welfare structures. Central to this debate is the role of student attitudes towards the entrepreneurial route as a viable and achievable alternative to the conventional career pathways. Demands to generate a return from their education, familial expectations, and the need to develop as an individual can act as a further encumbrance to the embrace and exploration of business start-up opportunities. This study has generated a dataset of the dominant student attitudes to enterprise as a career pathway and general perspectives on enterprise and entrepreneurial activities. Through a number of partners, a cross section of students were invited to take an online survey addressing questions pertaining to entrepreneurship.
Relational Dynamics and Outcomes in Small and Large Service Organizations
Authors: Ali Siti Haryati Shaikh , Ndubisi Nelson Oly
Published: January 2013

The rapid growth of the service sector and servitization of the manufacturing sector have both contributed to rising competition and have forced managers to look for effective ways to differentiate their services from competitors and competitive edge. Consequently, the value of establishing closer and lasting relationship with customers have come to the fore, and researchers as well as industry practitioners are trying to better understand the best strategies for achieving this goal. This paper evaluates two strategies firms have adopted in trying to build lasting relationship with customers, namely respect and rapport. The purpose of this chapter is to examine the concept of respect and rapport and how they affect customer loyalty. The study draws from existing literature and surveys customers of two service sectors in Asia. The research hypotheses connecting the three dimensions of respect and two dimensions of rapport with customer loyalty were tested using Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis. These findings lead to research and managerial implications that conclude the chapter.
Legitimacy Acquisition and Social Enterprises
Authors: Rao Kowtha , Rajaguru Rajesh
Published: January 2013

Social enterprises typically are founded to fulfill social objectives that are underserved by the state and the private sector. Social enterprise sustainability often hinges on the continuing legitimation by multiple stakeholders who may have conflicting interests. Without such legitimacy, the enterprise will neither attract resources to sustain itself, nor will it be able to serve its constituents according to its original mission. Several authors on corporate social opportunity and social enterprise have recognized legitimacy as essential for the organization. However, few have examined how social enterprises establish socio-political, pragmatic, normative, and cognitive legitimacy. In this chapter, the authors explore the question of legitimacy acquisition by social enterprises founded and managed by social entrepreneurs. The chapter presents three cases of social enterprise in India, which serve in agriculture, healthcare, and housing. The case studies demonstrate that the process of legitimacy acquisition for a social enterprise parallels that of a profit-oriented entrepreneurial organization with some significant differences. Implications for legitimacy and sustainability of social enterprise are discussed.
Optical Communication in Transportation Systems including Related Microwave Issues
Authors: Strobel Otto , Lubkoll Jan , Seibl Daniel
Published: January 2013

The main idea of these lecture notes is to give an overview of Optical Data Buses for Automotive Application. The most important devices for fiber-optic transmission systems are presented, and their properties discussed. In particular, we consider such systems working with those basic components which are necessary to explain the principle of operation. Among them is the optical transmitter, consisting of a light source, typically a low speed LED or in case of higher demands a high speed driven laser diode. Furthermore, the optical receiver has to be mentioned. It consists of a photodiode and depending on the demands a low performance receiver circuit or a low noise high bit rate front-end amplifier. Yet, in the focus of the considerations, the optical fiber is the dominant element in optical communication systems.
Physical Layer Implementations of Communication Standards in Automotive Systems
Authors: De Pauw Piet
Published: January 2013

This chapter is divided into three sections. The first section gives an overview of the different cables used in automotive communication systems. Although 6 different kind of cables and their corresponding connector systems have been qualified for use in automotive applications (3 electrical cable types and 3 optical cable types), up to now, only three types are commonly used: Unshielded Twisted Pairs (UTP), Coax cable, and 1 mm PMMA POF. GOF and multimode PCS up to now are not used for mass volume production. The second section overviews the optical connectors used in automotive communication systems. The electrical connectors used in LIN and CAN networks. The optical connectors standardized by MOST. In the early phase of MOST implementation, the number of MOST connectors has been large: long pigtails, short pigtails, micro pigtails, and these connectors are combined with electrical connections with a wide range of pin sizes. The number of connectors used in MOST – mainly under cost pressureis now drastically reducing. The third section overviews the different fiber optic transceivers used for MOST. The different packages for MOST25 and MOST150 transceivers are discussed. The most difficult step was the conversion of the fiber optic transceivers to be compatible with reflow SMD processes. This step is now taken. Also the evolution towards higher data rates is shown.
Modeling of Polymer Optical Fibers
Authors: Mateo Javier , Losada Ángeles , López Alicia
Published: January 2013

The idea of this chapter is to give a complete overview on a matrix approach to describe light propagation in strongly multimode fibers such as 1-mm diameter plastic optical fibers. These large core fibers accept such a huge number of travelling modes that they can be viewed as a continuum. Thus, light propagation can be described as a power flow by a differential equation that can be more easily solved using matrices. Thus, the key of this method is the propagation matrix that is calculated from the diffusion and attenuation functions characteristic for a given fiber type. The propagation matrix has temporal frequency dependence and can be used to obtain not only angular power distributions but also temporal parameters such as pulse spread or bandwidth. This approach is flexible to introduce localized perturbations of power distribution provided they can be modeled as matrices. Thus, the effect of devices such as scramblers or connectors and also of disturbances such as curvatures and tensions can be introduced at different points in the fiber path to assess their impact on transmission properties. One of the most critical parameters when designing a network is its bandwidth and how it decreases when increasing the link reach. This dependence has been assumed to be linear when both bandwidth and length are represented in logarithms with a slope whose value provides information of the processes underlying propagation. Thus, the authors apply the model to calculate the bandwidth versus length dependence under different conditions analyzing the value of the slope and explaining previous experimental findings.
Short-Range Ultrasonic Communications in Air
Authors: Li Chuan , Hutchins David , Green Roger
Published: January 2013

The idea of this chapter is to give an overview of a relatively new technology – that of using ultrasound to transmit data at short ranges, within a room say. The advances that have made this a useful technology include the ability to utilize a sufficiently wide bandwidth, and the availability of instrumentation that can send and receive ultrasonic signals in air. The chapter describes this instrumentation, and also covers the various aspects of ultrasonic propagation that need to be discussed, such as attenuation, spatial characteristics, and the most suitable forms of modulation. Provided such details are considered carefully, it is demonstrated that ultrasonic systems are a practical possibility for in-room communications.
The Social and Economic Benefits of Nepal Wireless
Authors: Pun Mahabir
Published: January 2013

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has become a vital instrument for delivering a number of services such as education, healthcare, and public services. Community wireless networks are community-centric telecommunication infrastructures developed to provide affordable communication for those who live in remote areas. This chapter discusses the role of Nepal Wireless in achieving socio-economic development of rural communities by facilitating affordable Internet access. In particular, the authors discuss the philosophy and objectives of the project, used network technology, financial resources, and management structure. In addition, the chapter discusses its key services including e-learning, telemedicine, e-commerce, training, and research support. The authors also analyze the challenges Nepal Wireless faced and articulate on the approaches it took to address those challenges. These challenges include lack of technical skills, selecting appropriate technology, ensuring funding resources, difficult geographical terrains, unstable political situation, and expensive devices. They conclude the chapter with some suggestions for policy makers, community developers, and academicians.
Social Cohesion and Free Home Internet in New Zealand
Authors: Williams Jocelyn
Published: January 2013

This chapter discusses community outcomes of free home Internet access. It draws on case study research on Computers in Homes (CIH), a scheme established in New Zealand in 2000 for the purpose of bridging the digital divide, particularly for low-income families who have school-aged children. The government-funded CIH scheme aims to strengthen relationships between families and schools, improve educational outcomes for children, and provide greater opportunities for their parents. CIH achieves this by working with many primary (elementary) schools, each of which selects 25 families who will benefit from the program. Each family receives a refurbished computer, software, and six months free Internet, as well as twenty hours of free IT training and technical support so that all adults are equipped to make effective use of the Internet. The scheme has evolved to deliver much more than technology. It has become a contributor to social capital in the communities where it has been established. This chapter uses a case study research approach to demonstrate and theorize this process of community building using a construct of social cohesion, which appears to be strengthened by the CIH intervention. Where stronger social networks, volunteerism, and civic engagement were documented in the research, leader figures also mobilized to act on shared goals. These findings highlight the value of existing social resources within communities for achieving community goals while also maximizing community Internet longevity.
Telecentre-Based Community Wireless Networks
Authors: Okello Dorothy , Butime Julius
Published: January 2013

This chapter shares the experiences of the Community Wireless Resource Centre (CWRC) as it embarked on the journey to address affordable connectivity for four telecentres in rural and underserved Uganda via telecentre-based community wireless networks. Telecentres have long played a key role in availing access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and in supporting the provision of universal access. With falling prices and new technologies increasing individual access to ICTs, the telecentre-based community wireless networks need to continually innovate in order to remain relevant to both the telecentres and the partners that together comprise the community wireless networks.
Lessons Learned from Grassroots Wireless Networks in Europe
Authors: Shaffer Gwen
Published: January 2013

Grassroots groups in a number of European countries are building Community Wireless Networks (CWN) on small budgets. In underserved regions, CWNs are even surfacing as the principal Internet Service Providers (ISPs). These networks have identified and implemented innovative strategies for providing connectivity—encompassing aspects ranging from software development to infrastructure design and skills training. In other words, these grassroots Wi-Fi networks mobilize human, technical, and financial resources to create sustainable alternatives to telephone and cable companies. This chapter provides an understanding of both the strengths and weaknesses of these initiatives. The authors use data from action research and interviews with leaders and participants of six successful community Wi-Fi networks in Europe. The findings show that these ad hoc initiatives are forcing local incumbent ISPs to lower prices and alter terms of service agreements. In addition, these projects broaden the public sphere, create opportunities for civic engagement, and transfer knowledge among community members. The chapter suggests that community wireless networks should be fostered by governments and the European Union in order for them to function as true alternatives to conventional ISPs, particularly in the last mile. They conclude the chapter with key learned lessons and policy implications.
Visible IT in Credit Unions
Authors: Nelson H. James
Published: January 2013

Research indicates that rapidly evolving technology and markets do not provide a first mover strategic advantage but favor the second mover. This paper introduces a third variable: hype. In a time of rapid technology and market evolution, hype overrides the expected results and gives the first mover a strategic advantage. This study examines a homogeneous set of medium-sized information-dependent and information-intensive organizations as they implement visible information technology in two eras: during a time of intense hype and during a more normal time where technology has become commonplace. One hundred matched triples of credit unions were examined as they chose to remain offline, implement an informational website, or implement a transactional website during the highly hyped Internet expansion time of 1998 through 2002. One hundred matched pairs of credit unions were then examined during the more normal time from 2003 through 2007. Results indicate that credit unions that embraced the hyped technology gained significant strategic advantage. Second-moving credit unions that waited for the more mature technology survived, whereas the credit unions that did not adopt the technology were at a significant strategic disadvantage.
Governing Information Security
Authors: Wu Yu “Andy” , Saunders Carol Stoak
Published: January 2013

Governance of the information security function is critical to effective security. In this paper, the authors present a conceptual model for security governance from the perspective of decision rights allocation. Based on Da Veiga and Eloff’s (2007) framework for security governance and two high-level information security documents published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the authors present seven domains of information security governance. For each of the governance domains, they propose a main decision type, using the taxonomy of information technology decisions defined by Weill and Ross (2004). This framework recommends the selection of decision rights allocation patterns that are proper to those decision types to ensure good security decisions. As a result, a balance can be achieved between decisional authority and responsibility for information security.
Antecedents to Job Success in Business Process Management
Authors: Goeke Richard J. , Antonucci Yvonne L.
Published: January 2013

Business Process Management (BPM) maximizes firm performance by transforming isolated functional activities into streamlined, cross-functional processes. Being a relatively new discipline, disagreement exists regarding the position structure and qualifications required for success. However, certain individual differences have been associated with job performance, both in general and for specific occupations. Because BPM initiatives can be expensive and risky, understanding these individual differences may help practitioners improve their chances for BPM job success. Two models of job performance have dominated organizational research; one argues that personality traits are the chief determinants, while the other argues that intelligence and experience are most important. This paper uses logistic regression to examine the efficacy of each model in predicting job performance among BPM professionals. Results indicate that intelligence, conscientiousness, and openness to experience are the most important differentiators of BPM job performance.
Social Engineering
Authors: Luo Xin (Robert) , Brody Richard , Seazzu Alessandro , Burd Stephen
Published: January 2013

Effective information systems security management combines technological measures and managerial efforts. Although various technical means have been employed to cope with security threats, human factors have been comparatively neglected. This article examines human factors that can lead to social engineering intrusions. Social engineering is a technique used by malicious attackers to gain access to desired information by exploiting the flaws in human logic known as cognitive biases. Social engineering is a potential threat to information security and should be considered equally important to its technological counterparts. This article unveils various social engineering attacks and their leading human factors, and discusses several ways to defend against social engineering: education, training, procedure, and policy. The authors further introduce possible countermeasures for social engineering attacks. Future analysis is also presented.